This past weekend, Jonathan and I drove down to Austin, Texas for one of the most exciting shoots of my career.

This has been on the books since January, and after it was postponed from April to June thanks to COVID-19, we were thankful that things fell back into place! Before I jump in, there are a couple things you should know before you read this post:

1. This is relevant: I believe in the sanctity, value, and protection of human life. I believe life begins at conception. There are no other rights available without the right to live. God’s word says children are a blessing and a gift, and I believe God’s word to be inerrant, sufficient, and clear.
2. In October, I watched the movie Unplanned. About a week later, I received an Instagram DM from the woman whose story it told. Meet Abby Johnson!!!
3. I almost turned her down.

There is so much to this, and so much I want to say, so I’ll just jump right in.

Last fall, after several conversations with friends, I developed a curiosity in the different forms of birth control. (I won’t go into detail on this, but please know that if you want to hear more, I’d love to share with you personally.) All of the research I was doing led to some additional pro-life research, as the two topics go hand-in-hand. My convictions and studying then led me to watch Unplanned – the story of a woman who rose through the ranks at Planned Parenthood…only to undergo a total heart transformation, leave, and join the pro-life movement. The movie made everything about the abortion industry real in a new way.

Not more than a week and a half after watching the film, I received a DM on Instagram from Abby Johnson – the very same person whose story is told in Unplanned. She found me through the headshots I took for a mutual friend, and wanted to book a shoot in Austin for her 2020 schedule. The timing y’all!! Incredible.

For some reason, any time I am given a big or really cool opportunity, I mentally try to justify why I am unqualified in order to find a way out of it.

I was so fearful of the pressure and responsibility and opportunity, that I actually almost told her no. Instead, I gave myself a little pep talk, thanked the Lord for the opportunity and his hand in it, and knew that if it was meant to be, it would work itself out. We booked her Austin, Texas headshots and a few family photos and I couldn’t have been more thrilled!

I love Abby’s story and how God is using it to glorify him, to save babies, to support mothers, and to literally change lives. What I love just as much was how personable and open Abby and Doug are. I felt like we could have spent the whole evening chatting, even after the two hours we spend together shooting! She truly felt like a friend, and it is overwhelming to see personally how the gifts God has given her and her family are used to further his kingdom. She is INCREDIBLE!!!

We had more than a few changes in plans along the way, but we are beyond grateful for their invitation to Austin and for the unique opportunity to help support their mission by way of these gorgeous headshots! I hope you’ll see them across social media, speaking engagements, and her website soon! We took SO many, but I narrowed it down to just a few of my top favorites to share today. The rest of our Austin trip photos will be on the blog in a part 2 post soon!

Abby Johnson Headshots | Austin Texas Photographer | Part 1

Part 2 coming soon! Since we were shooting in Austin, TX, I couldn’t wrap up this blog post without an obligatory…..