As soon as I met this young lady, I knew that she was something special. She is a sweetheart and is so full of life! Her mom came to the session with her and she was a huge help throughout the evening! She was the keeper of all the outfits/accessories, and was so helpful in the hair department! Wynne has the most beautiful hair and it was sort of windy this day, so Wynne's mom helped us get the shot in between wind gusts! 

Wynne is a senior at Cedar Park High School and is going to Texas A&M in the fall! She is my first official McKenzie Coronado Photography Senior Spokesmodel! I started the program this year, and I have been so happy with the turnout! I have some AMAZING seniors and juniors who are wise beyond their years, are leaders in their community, and are just all-around good people! I am looking forward to spreading my spokesmodel program to more high schools so that I can better serve those in my own community! If you know any seniors in the Austin and surrounding areas, please send them my way! I'd love to get in touch with them and have them apply to be a spokesmodel! 

Being the oldest sibling of four children, she loves going to cheer on her younger brother's at their sporting games.  She is a cheerleader at Cedar Park High School, so being a support system for her brothers is already in her blood! I asked Wynne what her favorite thing to do with her family was and she said that she loves going to the beach with them or being anywhere near water. She said that now that she's on the brink of a new chapter in her life, she is finding a new value for her friends and family because she knows that she won't be spending as much time with them once she goes to college. Leaving for college is such a bitter-sweet moment, but I know that Wynne will make the most out of her time at A&M and will make it back to her brother's games to support them!

Wynne, it was such a pleasure to meet you and to have you as a spokesmodel! You have such a bright future ahead and I cannot wait to watch your journey unfold! 

I met this precious family through my in-laws. My in-laws once owned a restaurant on South Lamar and they were lucky enough to have loyal customers who they could create a relationship with. I would always hear about the "Foster girls" and how sweet they were. I felt like I knew them because I would always get a update on their life from my mother-in-law. When I finally met Katie, it all clicked why my mother-in-law enjoyed her company so much! Katie is sincere, spunky, fun, and down to earth. 

Now that she is married and has a family of her own, I was so excited to be able to take their family pictures for their Christmas card! Katie and Andy's little boy, Foster, is so precious and is going to be a huge heartbreaker when he's older! His eyes are mesmerizing and his little personality is so cheeky! Potter family, I'd photograph you everyday if I could!  

It was the first day of my first year of teaching and I was a nervous wreck. In my head I knew that I had no reason to be nervous about meeting toddlers, but I felt this nervousness/excitement to meet them and form lasting relationships with them. The first student who walked through the door was this timid, yet happy, boy who was curious about his new classroom. I was closest to the door, so I offered to give him a tour. During the tour, he was asking so many questions about what toys were in the class and what kind of books were in the library. I could tell from the first few minutes that this little boy was excited about learning... which is music to a teacher's ears! As the rest of the day went on, we started forming an even closer bond and were adjusting to our new schedule. 

This little boy has faced more challenges in his short life than most will experience in their lifetime, but there was not one moment on that first day that I associated him with his past- all I saw was a capable, funny, smart, and caring student of mine! Even though he used a white cane to navigate the hallways of our school and was learning Braille while the other students were not, he faced every challenge head on. He taught me to change my way of thinking and how to adapt to each individual child's needs. I became more sensitive with his needs, which in turn, made me more sensitive to the other student's needs. This change of thinking challenged me to be a better teacher and all-around human being. 

I was lucky enough to spend the entire summer with him as his nanny, and it was one of the best summers that I have had! I continued learning from him and I learned how to be his advocate in the "real world" outside of school. When we went to the mall, I became protective of the way people looked and treated us and wanted to make sure that everyone around us understood what an incredible boy he was. For outsiders, it was easy for them to stare and wonder why he was walking with a white cane, but I wanted them to see past his walking tool and for them to see his heart (because boy they were missing out)! 

That summer, the mother had scheduled to have their family pictures taken by a photographer in town. I remember her saying how difficult the session was because the little boy was unfamiliar with the photographer. He wasn't as comfortable as she wanted him to be and there seemed to be a disconnect between the children and the photographer. In that moment, I had an "ahh ha" moment. I realized that I could use both of my passions (photography and children with developmental disabilities) to better serve families who have a hard time getting their pictures taken.

The more I got to know this family, I realized that there are not many local photographers that offer sessions to children that have developmental disabilities. After more than a year of praying and thinking about how I wanted to help these families, I quit my job as a teacher and opened up McKenzie Coronado Photography. Do I miss teaching? Everyday. Do I miss my old school? Of course! But, do I think that I did the right thing in following my heart and my passion? Absolutely. I have had the honor of working with children of all abilities, seeing families grow over time, experiencing couple's during their happiest of times, and photographing proud seniors graduating to their new adventure in life. 

DeSantis family, thank you for letting me be a part of your world and for opening up my eyes to the endless possibilities. And to Leo, you have changed me in more ways than I can imagine. You will forever be my student, friend, and brainiac! Thank you for your inspiration and for challenging my dreams and beliefs. You are so so so loved.

I left this session with a big lump in my throat thinking about how my life has come full circle. To say that my heart is grateful is just an understatement. 

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Calling all new mommies!

McKenzie Coronado Photography is now offering a new photography package! This package is for expecting mothers and families to document your child's first year of life. This package will include a 30 minute maternity session, 2-4 hour newborn session, and a 1 hour "milestone" session of your baby and family (6 months old, 9 months old, 1 year old, etc.). All digital files and print releases are added within this package! 

 'Wonderfully Made'

Maternity + Newborn + Milestone

$600 ($750 value)

If you are interested, please email me at info@mckenziecoronadophotography.com or hit the 'Contact' page. above! 

Cheers,

McKenzie