North Louisiana Lifestyle Family and Newborn Photographer

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Peach Orchard Family Session | Fields Family | Shreveport Louisiana Family Photographer

Meet the Fields family!! I love these sweet people so much! We go to church together in Minden, Louisiana and I have just loved watching Bella and Ian grow. I have photographed them a few times before and each time gets better and better.

Sarah has been wanting a cotton session for a few years now it has just never worked out. We really thought we were going to get lucky this time and it actually work out. Then we both got sick at the same time and had to reschedule. Bummer!! I drove by the cotton in Shreveport a few days before our session date and the cotton was being harvested!! NOOOO!

I quickly had to come up with another location and thanks to some other amazing North Louisiana photographers I came across a peach orchard!! I have always wanted to have a session in an orchard. I always thought there was nothing like this in North Louisiana, but this proved me wrong!

I drove past the orchard and just fell in LOVE!!! I had to come back with David to show him because I knew he would love it too. He’s been trying to start an orchard by planting a few fruit trees each year. We are up to 18 right now. To put that into perspective, this orchard had close to 500, I think it was. So we have a LONG way to go!

Ok, back to this session…

We decided to start at Sarah’s house so that we could get some photos of the kids with their animals. This was fun!! I always love to incorporate animals into a session. Afterwards we went for a drive into Shreveport to the Cairo Plantation out by the Dixie Maze and the Dixie Gin. I had no clue this place existed until only days before this session. I had been to the Dixie Maze, I knew where the Gin was, and I had even been to the Sunflowers that are literally RIGHT BY the orchard and I never knew it was there!

We had the best weather and the most stunning sunset! We couldn’t have asked for a better day!

Thank you so much Fields family!!

I just love this one

This one is so fun!

See how amazing this sunset was?!

Thanks so much for viewing our blog!! If you enjoyed this post please leave a comment below or even share!

Xoxo,

Courtney

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October 29, 2021
How to choose your location for you session | Family Photographer in Minden Louisiana

Choosing the location for your family session can be tricky, especially in North Louisiana where there aren’t just spectacular views. However, there are some really great spots!!

One thing that I always love to recommend is selecting a location that is special to you and your family. A place you have made memories at makes your photos that much more special. If that be your land, a park, the lake, etc.

If you need help with location choices, we’ve got some great spots up our sleeve as well!

One place I personally love to photograph is actually our own land. we live on 10 acres between Minden, Louisiana and Homer, Louisiana. It’s a place with some much character and beauty.

Another gorgeous location is Lake Bistineau in Doyline, Louisiana. This is an absolutely STUNNING location!

Another location in the Shreveport/ Bossier area is McCormick Street. This location is absolutely incredible!! Gorgeous trees lining the road with stunning homes. Can’t ask for a better spot!

See how stunning?!

There are a few other locations in Shreveport bossier that are simply amazing!

Sunflower fields in the Summer

A peach orchard any time of year

Gorgeous pecan trees

Historic homes

Cotton fields in the early Fall

Another great location is LA Tech in Ruston, La

With gorgeous buildings and stunning light, you can’t go wrong here!

Minden Louisiana has a few beautiful places as well!!

Downtown can’t be beat!

And Simply Southern Cottage is always a good idea!!

North Louisiana truly is a lovely place for your family portraits and I can’t wait to meet your gorgeous family to capture such a special time in your life!

Xoxo,

Courtney

October 25, 2021
Christmas Tree Farm Sessions | Benton Louisiana Photographer

What says “It’s Christmas” better than Christmas tree farm sessions?! I’m waiting..

Hughes Christmas Tree farm in Benton Louisiana is our favorite spot for families to come out and enjoy the Christmas season and get their Christmas card photos taken!

We truly adore the sessions and look forward to them each and every year! There’s nothing like a good ol’ Christmas tree farm in Louisiana!!

This year we are booking 4 spots only!!

November 12th between 3:30 and 5:00!!

Sessions include:

20 minute sessions

10 images with the option to purchase entire gallery

For only $125!!

To book your spot email us at courtneydexterphoto@gmail.com with your email address and the time slot you would like!! Fee must be paid in full to secure your spot!

We love you and appreciate your support more than you know!!! ❤️❤️

Hope to see you there!!!

Book now

October 23, 2021
Which season is the best to have family portraits done? | Bossier City, Louisiana Family Photographer

In North Louisiana we get all four seasons. It’s hard to know which one is the best to have your family portraits in. As a North Louisiana photographer specializing in families, I think it’s safe to say I’ve seen each season photographed.

Here’s the deal, any season is a great season to be photographed in. It totally depends on which season YOU prefer. Each family is different and has different preferences. Some love the Spring and the lovely florals. Some love the warm summer days and the beautiful sunlight. Others love Fall and the gorgeous colors, not to mention the golden sun! Some love the cold Winter.

In North Louisiana, we don’t get the most amazing fall color, but we do get some! Spring has no shortage of flowers and summer has not shortage of heat!! Phew!

Let’s take a look at each and see what we decide!

Spring is definitely a favorite

This Summer session was easily one of my favorites!

Can’t be this gorgeous Fall color!!

Cozy Winter vibes

Have you reached your decision yet? Ha! Me either!! There are good points to each season and I can’t say any of them are a bad choice!

So what does this mean? There’s no excuse to NOT book your family photos right now!! Don’t waste a second on getting those precious memories documented!

Be sure to check out more of our work on the blog!!

Xoxo,

Courtney

October 18, 2021
Adrianna’s Wedding Shower | Minden Louisiana Photographer

Oh Adrianna. So many memories I have with her. She has been a part of my life since we were littlle. Sleep over, dress up parties, vacationing together, the list goes on. She’s sweet and spunky. She’s full of life. You can’t help but smile when you are around her. She lights up a room when she walks in and you can never not be happy when she’s around. If you can’t tell, she is so loved by so many!

Earlier in the year she started dating Ben, all the way from Florida. We’ve all known him and his family for years and years and never thought to make this connection, but God knew and here we are today. This is such a special time and we are so beyond happy for them.

Everything came together so beautifully for Adrainna’s special day. Each one worked so hard to pull of such an amazing and lovely shower. What made it all the more special was that it was at her Muvvy and Papa’s house in Homer, Louisiana. If you have followed along with everything in our life, you know that we recenlty lost our pastor’s wife. This was Adrianna’s Muvvy. She was such a beacon of light and loved hosting. To have this shower there was such a special thing. It couldn’t have been at a better location.

Adrianna and Ben will be living in FLorida after the wedding. She will be so greatly missed by all, but we are happy for each one there that will get to enjoy what we have enjoyed for all these years. You better come back home often, ok? Ok.

Alright, I’ll have to stop chatting for now. I know you’re here for these lovely images of this gorgeous shower celebrating such a special girl that we all love so very much. So here they are…

Taking it all in

October 11, 2021
Brandon and Melissa | Lake Bistineau Maternity Portraits

Lake Bistineau in Doyline Louisiana is truly one of the prettiest locations in North Louisiana. It looks like something that came out of a fairy tale! It’s a bit of a drive if you live closer to Homer, La like I do, but it is always worth it every. single. time.

For Melissa’s maternity session we decided the drive would, again, be worth it-and it was!! It was such a nice evening with a cool breeze here and there that just made it soooo peaceful!! We had the best time!

Melissa is having a sweet baby girl in November and we are so excited to add another little girl to the family. Yes, I know, girls are all we have as far as the grandkids in my family. But they are all so sweet. Each of us, my sister, myself and now my brother, have all wanted a boy but we wouldn’t trade the sweet little girls God has given us for anything in the world!

It’s funny how that works. You get your heart set on something and when it isn’t exactly the way you wanted you get a little disappointed. But in the end when you see that sweet face, you don’t care that you didn’t get exactly what you wanted. You got what you needed. And truly you find out, you needed them exactly as they are and you woudn’t trade them for all the boys (or girls if the shoe fits) in all the world.

I have a feeling this is exactly how Brandon and Melissa are going to feel when they look at their sweet baby girl for the first time. I know she is going to be so perfect! I can’t wait to meet her. I know y’all are going to make the best parents! Some days may be hard, but it is the best challenge in the world. It’s crazy how much love you’ll have for this precious little life.

Alright, alright. Are you ready for these gorgeous portraits?! I know you are!

Love this one!

Sweetest tiny bump

One of my favorites!

Melissa, you’re so gorgeous!

October 4, 2021
Melissa’s Baby Shower | Minden Louisiana Photographer

My sweet sister in law Melissa is having a precious baby girl in a few months. We are so exctied and we were so honored to give her a baby shower. My sister, Jessica, along with the help of others made it so lovely. Everyone pitched in and it was one of the best showers I’ve seen. So many wonderful gifts given. So much love shown. It was such a special day.

They had the most brilliant idea to have a table set up for you to put your name and address on an envelope so that when they mail the thank you cards, all they have to do is find your name on the envelope and they are ready to go. Maybe this is something that is not new, but ol’ me who hides under a rock, thought this was truly genius! HA! Is this something you have heard of before? Tell me I’m not alone!!

Our church in Minden Louisiana has a fellowship hall that is just stunning for parties and showers. The chandeliers give such an elegant vibe to any setting. We are so thankful we have this space available for us to use! Thanks be to God who provided so much for us. If you do not know our church’s story, it’s a good one. Rather lengthy so I will not share today, but it is truly a miracle from God.

As is this precious life that we were celebrating on this special day. Little baby girl is so loved already and we are beyond thrilled to meet her!

The lovely ladies who played a huge part in the success of this shower

These were so lovely

The ladies behind the cake, cupcakes and cookies. Awesome job, ladies!!

Oh, hi! It’s me

The mommy to be with her mom

Some wonderful ladies here!

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September 29, 2021
Elaine and Emma’s Birthday Photos | Minden Louisiana Milestone Photographer

As a photographer in North Louisiana, something I love to photograph is little kids birthday sessions! It’s so fun to connect with these little ones and document them turning another year older. It goes by way too quickly!! It seems like yesterday I was just taking Emma home from the hospital and here we are celebrating her 3rd birthday! Elaine doesn’t seem like she should be 6 years old, either! Time, slow down!!

My girls are both in love with horses and cowgirl things. We went to our first rodeo in Minden, LA a few weeks ago and they LOVED it!!! Their favorite part was the barrel racing.

Becuse of their love for all things cowgirl, I watned to incorporte it in their birthday photos. This is something I love doing because it helps you remember all their fun stages through the years.

For Christmas this past year, David and I built the girls a playhouse. This is something I always wanted as a kid so when the opportunity arose, it was a dream come true.. for me. haha!! I knew I wanted to photograph my girls birthday photos in their playhouse because it was so special, to them and me. They turned out so cute I can’t even stand it. Of course, I am probably biased. But who even cares! hehe

Elaine is such a sweet girl with sass and all the diva qualities. She is a girly girl through and through and i just love it. She’s such a sweetheart. She’s so smart and loves school! She’s the best little friend a mom can have and doesn’t meet a stranger. She loves to talk and sing alllll day! Her and Emma are the best of friends (most days). Elaine tells me all the time how thankful she is that God gave us Emma so she could have a little sister.

Emma is a little fireball. Full of life and spunk. She is as shy as they come around poeple outside of our family, but when she’s comfortable her true colors shine. She is the biggest clown I’ve ever seen! She loves to make people laugh. She is as mischeveous as they come but you can’t help love her for it. She loves gum, even if she swallows it every single time. She adores my little sister’s horse Ginger with all her heart. Her favorite song is Jireh by Maverick City Music. No on in the house is allowed to sing it but her. She literally woke up singing it this morning. She knows more songs than any kid I know and sings them perfectly. Even before she could talk, she was singing songs.

We love both our girls so much!!

Cute little stink head

My pretty big girl

She has the most infectious giggle

Cutie cowgirls

Thank you so much for viewing our blog!! If you liked what you have seen, please leave a comment below!!

September 27, 2021
Three hairstyle tutorials for your upcoming family session | Pt. 1 – Long Hair | Haughton Louisiana Family Photographer

As a family and newborn photographer in the Haughton, Louisiana area I know that figuring out what to do with your hair is high up on the list of stressful things for your upcoming session.

Treating yourself to a hairstylist doing your hair is a really awesome idea, but if that doesn’t work for you I’ve got some really lovey tutorials for you.

This is the first in the series for hair style tutorials that I’m going to share. If you have long hair, medium, or short, I’m going to cover it all! This is going to be so exciting!

We all know that weather in Louisiana can be really unpredictable, even in the Fall and Spring. Just wearing your hair down with beautiful curls may not be an option if it’s a hot and humid day. Especially if you have long hair.

Coming from someone who has long hair themself, I know that sometimes you just want it off your neck! So I’ve looked around and found the best, and easiest, hairstyles that are lovely and would photograph so well, but that also get your hair off your neck!!

All of these hairstyles can be found on Pinterest and even more on our Pinterest board- hair inspiration. We love gathering pins for inspiration for our amazing clients. Whether the need be hair, outfit, or location or color scheme, we have boards with lots of pins for you to explore!

I know that seeing things can really bring your ideas to life and help you to settle on what you want.

So here goes: hair inspiration for long hair!!

First in the lineup is this easy, classy low bun!

Another gorgeous low bun style

Last but not least, this incredible loopy pony

We hope these gave you some inspiration and we can’t wait to see your amazing hairstyles for your upcoming sessions with us!

*Disclaimer* these are not our images. Images are linked to where we found them on Pinterest.

July 26, 2021
Sweet Sisters | North Louisiana Family Photographer

Nothing says Summer in North Louisiana like warm sunlight and these yellow flowers. We always have so many around our land in the Summer and early Fall, too! It was a lovely, for the most part, Summer evening in North Louisiana so I grabbed our girls and some plants from our garden (if you haven’t see a little glimpse into that, click here) and started snapping pictures.

There’s no challenge as good as a photographer trying to photograph their own kids. HA! I have all the patience in the world when I’m photographing other kids, but my own are a different story. It’s funny how that works, right?! They love to test me! Am I the only one?!?! Tell me I’m not!!

I still love these two stinkers so much and everytime I photograph them, those photos are my new favorite photos. If you look closely on my website, you’ll probably see them intermixed. I just can’t help it! They are too cute! Not biased or anything. Hehe

While fresh cut grass isn’t always the best and most photogenic option, our grass was just cut, so it made do. Not to mention we were down to only minutes of light left in the day so we didn’t have time to fuss about all the details if I was going to grab a few pictures. I have to say, some of these may be my all time favorite! But I’m sure next time I’ll say the same thing.

Well, are you ready for these sweet sisters pictures? What are we waiting for?! Oh yeah, me to hush!

Meet our girls, Elaine and Emma!

Thank you so much for being here and viewing our blog! If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment below!

Xoxo,

Courtney

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July 18, 2021