Archive for the ‘portraits’ Category
Meet: Cindi and Mike
27.01.12 
portraits
They live out in the country. Secluded. Together.
He calls her “hun” in the sweetest way possible.
She wears his mother’s wedding ring as her own.
He’s protective of her.
Her eyes are goregous. Filled with joy and sparkling with love. Like she’s never seen heartache. But really, she’s conquered it.
His eyes are deep. Overflowing with wisdom and intensity of all he’s seen in 18 years as a policeman, yet so much compassion pours out.
They live out in the country.
Secluded.
Together…
They’ve been married for 13 years, but you’d think only 13 days by their playfulness and loyalty.
Though they haven’t been blessed with children of their own, they’ve been blessed with five God-children. They’ve been blessed with the gift of loving them and each other. And when the going hasn’t been easy and will likely be rough again, and even when it is easy… they hang onto each other.
And it was that bond which intrigued me most.
Their together bond…
As one of Cindi and Mike’s best friends told me, “[They're] not just like typical spouses. They are an inspiration for any couple.”
And I don’t even know the half of it…
Mike and Cindi, you two truly are an inspiration. I can only hope my thirteenth wedding anniversary is filled with as much childlike joy and sweet love as yours. To say I enjoyed our time together is an understatement. I eagerly await our paths to cross again.
So much love and joy to you.
xoxo,
René
109 Comments
Nicky Cruz
25.01.12 portraits
“Nicky, you can cut me up into a thousand pieces and I will still love you.”
Those are the words that put Nicky Cruz over the edge. The words that he couldn’t get out of his mind. Those are the words that turned an ex-New York City-gang-president into one of the greatest evangelists today. Maybe you’ve seen the movie made about Nicky’s story, The Cross and the Switchblade? If not, keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming motion picture, A Thousand Pieces.
The life that his man has led has been nothing short of amazing. God is using him in big, big ways. ”Remember, Jesus loves you. Keep things in focus,” he wrote into his autobiography, Run Baby Run. ”You’re gonna be impacted by this,” he told me through his thick Puerto Rican accent as he slipped the book into my hands.
Later that week, I sat down with my morning coffee and decided to pick up Run Baby Run and read a chapter.
I didn’t move.
I read the entire book in one sitting.
A couple weeks later, I had the privilege of giving this amazing man a few new publicity head shots. Here are just a couple of my favorites…
Enjoy.
With love,
René
**** Because Jesie and I were so impacted by this man and his story, we just have to share him with you.
Leave a comment in the box below and we will be drawing two winners next week to receive a personalized, autographed copy of Run Baby Run. ****
P.S. This man travels all over the globe speaking, but this weekend he’s local. Hear Nicky speak in Colorado Springs this Sunday morning at The Springs Church at 9 or 11am.
12 Comments
- Becky H said
I still remember the movie, “The Cross and the Switchblade.” It made a lasting impression on me. These were awesome pictures, really nice to see Nicky Cruz again, that’s for sure!!
- Kristin said
SO amazing… I cry. every single time!! haha it’s getting a little pathetic <3
- Katie said
I used to work with kids in residential facilities and they ALL loved his book. It was one of their favorites because it was someone they could identify with and someone was sharing elements of their life story in a book they were reading. Count me in, I would LOVE to have an autographed copy.
- tanya said
Love the Cross and the Switchblade….What an AMAZING God we serve…
- Alicia Ready said
I read a book called “Blood Covenant” about an ex-mobster that walked out of the mob, and shares his testimony now publicly about God changing his heart and his life. Loved it, and this one sounds great too! Love you girls!!
- Lauren Byrd said
God is good! He uses all who seek Him and want to live life for Him! Thank you for sharing, Rene and Jesie :) Love you two!
- Tally K said
God never ceases to amaze me in how he uses each of us to share the Gospel! Every tear we cry and every laugh we share is for His glory.
Great photos! - Gina said
Our Nana was touched by his story when she read Run Baby Run in the 1990s.
- Alyssa said
René & Jesie – I am so happy for you both to have been able to get to know Nicky Cruz better and be so inspired and touched by his story. Sounds like a great book :)
- Emily H said
Count me in!
- Emily H said
Um…count me in, please! :)
- Shannon Coker said
Awesome images and intrigued at what his story is! :)
Meet: Megan and Zeke
19.01.12 portraits
Good morning! The weekend is almost here and I have little somethin’ to help get you through the day. :-)
Megan and Zeke were married last year at the court house and never had any professional shots taken of them. Now a year later, we’re celebrating their sweet, young, and solid love.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoyed shooting them. :-) We had a blasty.
With joy,
René
5 Comments
- Lacey said
These are great! You can tell the comfort they have with each other that comes from being married. Way to capture that Rene! Beautiful! :)
- TJ Wolski said
As the mom to these kids…and a long time client of Rene…I totally love these pictures!!! Thank you so much Rene for putting what these two have in pictures!!!
- Leah Love said
Aw these are adorable! I love the ones of him kissing her cheek. Very cute!!
- Lana and Alex said
They look so happy :)
- Kami said
What a fun shoot!
The Holiday Blues
06.01.12 personal, portraits
They say that one of the worst feelings in the world is waking up on Christmas morning and not being a child.
I can relate.
John and I were sitting on my couch. Christmas Eve. In front of us was a flickering fireplace, a mound of gifts, and all the ambiance you would want on Christmas Eve with your man, to include classic Christmas tunes, dim lighting, you know the drill. We were all set for a special gift exchange, though I’ll be honest: I had this heaviness in my heart.
You see, it was a heaviness in knowing that Christmas would never be the same again. That I would never have a Christmas Eve slumber party with my big brother and wake up at 4am to open our stockings. I would never have to wait those excruciating hours till Nana and Papa came over at 8am to open the rest of our gifts. And Christmas parties at school? You can forget that. The anticipation of Christmas morning with all my family near, isn’t what it used to be. It’s different now. Siblings are married, at the in-laws, working, or out of state. My grandparents are gone. Even our fireplace mantle has been removed in a recent remodel leaving us with no place to hang our stockings.
I smiled wide, holding back tears, as he handed me a stocking that was about to burst at the seams. ”Baby girl, open your stocking,” he said through his grin.
I pulled out the small box on top. As I unwrapped the perfect cube, faded memories of opening stockings with my brother flipped through my mind. Pulling the paper off, I slide out a giant Hershey’s Kiss. And I don’t know what did it, but I lost it. I started crying. Right there, present number one, with oversized Hershey’s Kiss in my hand. He pulled me close and asked what was the matter. ”You like chocolate, right?” he reminded me, as if he did something wrong. I shook my head and explained my holiday blues.
He kissed my forehead and reminded me, “But baby girl, look at all the traditions we have now: Christmas Eve service, delivering gifts to those working on Christmas Eve, our gift exchange, the way you always say ‘But wait, there’s more,’ and you give me something really cool at the end.”
He made me giggle with his charm. Nodding at his sweet reminders, I smiled and got up to dry my tears. ”Hopefully we can get past the Hershey’s Kiss this time, ” I heard him mumble and chuckle as I rounded the corner.
He’s right. The traditions we have now are sweeter and memorable in their own ways. They’re not the same as those childhood traditions, but that’s what makes Christmas so rich. Knowing all you’ve experienced, and all you have yet to experience. Like opening gifts with my own children someday.
December 26th, I had the pleasure of photographing a friend’s family of eight adults and seven children. We had a blast. When I heard the kiddos were going to open gifts, I stuck around to catch just a glimmer of what it was like to be a kid again. Check it out…
2 Comments
- Kami said
Just wait, René… the best is yet to come!
- Gina said
Love love loved it!! The music makes it, too! What is the tune…..
Pictures were awesome!
No need for words…..the pictures say it all! Each picture you can see, not just the love they have for each other, but the friendship they have! Love you guys!!
You both look so beautiful! I don’t know which I like best!!! Amazing photos!
Love these pictures, you both look amazing!
Love, Love, Love these pictures! You both look sooo happy:)
These are beautiful memories you will cherish forever. I love every single 1! ;)
Your beautiful soul shines through the lens as perfectly as it does in real life. Magnificent.
Beautiful pictures of you two, and yes very much in love! You guys are great people so happy to know you both & have you in our lives, wish we got to see you more!
Beautiful you two!
Beautiful, loving, inspiring couple Rene… You’re right in many ways, especially the fact that you have no idea the extent of their love, its beyond measure. Not just for themselves as husband and wife, but for the love they give others….
Beautiful pictures of a GORGEOUS couple – inside and out !!
OMG, this is truly their natural habitat. The pictures definitely capture “THEM”.
I love #34 and #26!! The pictures are great and really capture y’alls playful nature. I miss seeing you guys all the time, time for y’all to come visit in Texas!! Too bad Rene doesn’t have an office in Texas cause I would definitely hire her to take some pictures for us!!
Really cool photos. I like the old barn theme. You guys look great!
These are amazing! Absolutely beautiful! I love you both so much! Thank you for sharing these with all of us! Xo
I haven’t done my comment yet! I can’t believe all the friends and family that have come forward to share such great comments. It’s such a great feeling. Our friend Rene, such a talent sha has. These photos make my heart smile. So many perfect expressions of us. My Michaels sweet face. He has the best smile. He makes me feel exactly how the photos show. I am excited to get our canvas and too have fun with these photos, sharing with the special people in our lives. Thank you sweet Rene for capturing the spirit of who we are!
Beautiful pictures of a great couple. Nice photography, very special moments.
Great photos. A wonderful couple and a very talented photographer! I wish 100 more Happy Anniversaries!
Great photos, two hot models who really enjoy expressing who they are!
I forgot to tell you that my favorite picture was the 26th picture, where Mike looks very handsome (away from the camera) and you are looking directly at the camera – like you have a secret or something. VERY NICE!
These photos were so GREAT! I loved going through each one of them. Cindi, your eyes are amazing! You two make such a beautiful couple; it looks like it was a lot of fun, too!
OUTSTANDING Photo’s. Very well created and characterized. SHARPER IMAGE – NO DOUBT.
Wow, amazing photos!!! I love the one in the field where Mike is kneeling behind and you’re both looking at the camera…I choose that one!!!
Love the photos!
Wow! Great pictures!!
Awesome pics!
Cindi & Mike, your photographer most definitely caught the love shared between you two! I love them!!!!
Wow, Cindi, looks like you guys had a Great time. You are just as beautiful as all the other women in our family! Love ya’ Jim
Wounderful pictures..beautiful subjects..love you!
I love Mike and Cindi! I love that you have captured the love that they have created and maintained for all these years to be a true inspiration to others. I love the fact that there are some down right SEXY shots that are not forced or posed. Yeah you guys for finding a great photographer to capture the essence of being YOU!!! xoxox
These are some of the best pictures that I have seen in a long time. You two are amazing!
Amazing Photos!!
Very nice!!
You two are amazing. These pics capture you as a couple and the passion and connection you share. Brought a smile to my face to look through these and a tear to my eye. Love them. These are amazing–I am obsessed. :D xoxo
Wow! Great pictures you can really feel the love they have for eachother!
Beautiful pics, sexy even.
Love the pictures. Can feel the love!!!
Great pictures.
These pics capture personalities. Beautiful
so amazing
VERY NICE
You two are gorgeous! Love all the beautiful pictures!! Xo
XXX
Love Love Love these photos :)
Rene’s photo portraits beautifully capture Cindi and Mike’s loving rapport…especially the couple silhouetted through the barn window. Simply beautiful!
Great pics!
Beautiful…
Absolutely gorgeous……love the pic
Awesome photos! You two are so beautiful!
What a great compilation. Rene, we will certainly reach out to you this summer for a session of our own.
You’ve done a great job capturing who Mike and Cindi are and the love they have for each other.
dear Mike and Cindi,I love the pics! LOVEHHOOLLDDEEENNXOXO
Beautiful photos!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the pix and the amazing portrayal of the love these two share!! So wonderful!!!!
I love, love, love these pictures. Captures the love Cindi and Mike have been blessed with. Thank you for sharing.
I love her style! So natural and playful. C & M, you two look phenomenal (although some of the pictures are so sweetly intimate I felt like we shouldn’t have been looking :) Some of my favorite shots are the ones with Cindi’s hands in Mike’s pockets- too cute. Great photography!
You guys are so in love and truly an inspiration!
You guys are so in love and truly an inspiration! Love you both
:)!!!!!!!
i want you to get your canvas,so i will be posting on this website ,have a great day!
You guys are the prettiest people ever!
These are amazing pictures! I love how she captured the passion you two have. You guys look great together!
The most wonderful couple I know… here’s to finding the happiness you have found together.. your photos brought tears to my eyes, beautiful!! xx love you Diecks, xx Kris
Absolutely amazing photo’s!! Mike and Cindi, you are such a beautiful couple. You can see all of the love in the world for each other in your eyes. You two are truly blessed to have found each other, and are even more blessed to be able to share your love for one another each and everyday. Cherish one another each day; don’t take each other for granted; and kiss like it’s the first time, everytime.
Stunning pictures…the love you share shines through in all the pictures. You are an inspiration to all!
Cindi and Mike really are an amazing couple. Their inspirational message of love and friendship have helped made me realize that true love comes in all shapes and sizes, and in my case ages. Cindi and Mike, I hope that Jake and I can provide the strong message of love and friendship the way you have for me.
Cindi and Mike truely have been an inspirational couple. I have been married for a year and a half, and even i would mistake them for newly-weds. They have shown me how to love unconditionally. Their inspirational message of love and friendship have helped me grow to be a strong loving person and wife. Cindi and Mike you two are the best!!
Rene, thank you for an experience that my wife & I will never forget. Your talent has given us something we’ll cherish for the rest of our lives. These photos were beyond what expected. We feel like we gained another friend as well. These photos make me smile & feel proud of what I have. I love my life & I love my wife. Thank You
I met you guys 13 years ago in June… I always thought that you guys were great together and made the perfect couple…. I look at these pics today and think, “yep I was right they still have that same chemistry that they had 13 years ago”. Great to see that you guys are doing well…. Gosh I miss those smiles!
Love ya, Reesie
Truly beautiful photos and what a special love story they tell. Thank you for sharing!
You are both beautiful and beautiful together. Love the essence captured.
Dad and Mom says that having been there from the beginning we can say that Mike and Cindi were made for each other. We feel so privileged to be around to watch their love only get more intense. We love them so much and are so proud of them. Thanks to Rene for capturing what true love looks like.
Mom and Dad says that having been there from the beginning we can say that Mike & Cindi were truely made for each other. We feel so privileged to be around to watch their love only get more intense. We love them so much and are so proud of them. Thanks to Rene for catching the intensity of their relationship.
Great shots of a gorgeous couple. What the photographer wrote was beautiful, too.
Wow..fantastic pictures!!
WOW!!!! Beautiful pics of a Beautiful couple.
These pictures are beautiful!! It really captures what an amazing relationship and love that the two of you have for each other. Great photographer!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE the pictures!!! OMGoodness, and what she wrote brought tears to my eyes. Love you!
What a beautiful couple! We are so blessed to have you guys in our lives. You two inspire us to greatness! BH
I absolutely love these pictures, it has inspired me to maybe get professional pictures of Larry and I, he doesn’t believe in posed pictures, these are magnigicant.
Wow Cindi these are great photo’s of you and Mike,which I hope to meet someday!You look amazing!some of them you look like please hold me I’m freezing,and some say,well i think you know what you two were feeling!GREAT EXPRESSIONS OF YOU’RE LOVE TOWARD EACH OTHER!love you Cindi!
Great Pictures!! Great People!! Thanks for sharing.
WONDERFUL… I LOVE THEM!!!!!
HIGH FIVE PHOTOGRAPHER!!!
Rene, these are absolutely the most beautiful photographs I have seen. it could have something to do with the fact that I love Cindi and Mike and they are part of our big extended family. You have captured the essence of who they are, individually and as the couple they are. THANK YOU FOR THE BEAUTY.
Fabulous pix!!!
I like the Chris Issac beach scene.
I would!
Wow!! These are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! You two are such a beautiful and inspirational couple!! Miss you guys! And Rene…your talent never ceases to amaze me! Gorgeous!!!
The pictures were hot in an icy empire strikes back kinda theme…I kept thinking “use the force Mike” on a lot of them. Seriously, the pictures are awesome and they really capture the magic that you guys have. Kindness, Love, Passion…it’s all there. Congrats to a great photo shoot. Love you guys !
OMG!! I love my DIECK too!!!!! You guys are so hot, I want to go home to my very own dieck too. Mostly, I love Cindi, but Mike is super sexy too. But, mostly I really love Cindi…
So – sober now!!!
NOTTTTTT!!
Love yous guys!
Love the pics – Daivd and I soooo wannna do this! Sorry for the first post! Sooooo overwhelmed!
We love you guys! Amazing photos sooooooooooooooooooo jealous! You are so photogenic!!! (that;s a Dieck spelling just sya’n) SO LOVE YOU!!
I love my DIECK!!!
So … My Besteeeyee Friend!
I donna what too say!
I’ve been drinlin a bit!!! From the NZ
Still able to capabiltaleze!!!
I love yous guys so much and are soooo proud of yous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can’t wait to strike a pose with you!
Thank you so much for sharing all the pcis with us!
Amazing! So blowin awayaAAAA! Not to mention proud!
Take care and XXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
My signature!
XO
Ruth
We loved these pics!!!!! Beautiful couple.
Absolutely stunning!!!!!!!
So much love! You two are so special. Love these pictures, Love you both!
You both have Ninja skills, but in very different ways! Excellent pics!!!
so cute! Good photos, and good models!
Such a beautiful wonderful couple!!! I love you both so much!!! I strive to be as much in love after 13 years as you all are!!!
These are incredible … as always! What special photos that these two will have! Love the texture of the old corrugated metal behind them, love the snow photos … love them all!
WOW!! Absolutely stunning. So much love and passion captured so clearly. I am in awe.
WOW!! Absolutely stunning. So much love, joy and passion.
OMGosh these photos are AMAZING! I love these 2 and you captured their spirit in a very special way! Seeing them together in these pics lets me see true love does really exist!
Rene, you did a fenominal job! Mike and Cindi are truly our best of friends. Your photos captured what is so attractive and what draws people to Cindimike. They are so much like a highschool couple so madly in love with each other where they can do no wrong by each other. Thank you so much for capturing it and portraying them that way.
I LOVE these people and the pics, they are AMAZING!!!! Just breath taking….beautiful!!!
Love both of them very much. Great photos! My Sister & Mike are beautiful people on the inside so naturally that comes across in the photos.
These are such sweet pictures! Could be in a magazine :)
These are rally great pictures. I like all of them.
I absolutely LOVE these! The images and CinniMike! Rene, you did such a great job capturing who they are! So beautiful!
Oh man! That was awesome!!!! That last image says it all….spectacular! :)
Love these two! These really do seem like engagement photos. You can tell they love each other so much just the way they look at each other.