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Monday, August 29, 2016

Room No. 5, Carol Hicks Bolton, Summer 2016 Sneak Peek


This lady. 
Her shops. 
Which is lovelier? Hard to say. 
Nope, strike that. 
Carol Hicks Bolton, divine though her shops may be, 
is far and away the lovelier of the two. 

But the very essence of Carol is made manifest 
in each lovingly crafted vignette, every carefully curated treasure, 
sort of rendering the question moot. 

I've been most fortunate to be able to collaborate 
with Carol on multiple website, advertising, and magazine 
photo shoots over the past 5 or so years. 
If you want a master class in all things ethereal, 
look no further than Mrs. Bolton.




We collaborated again this Summer 
on a big photo shoot / ad campaign for her shop Room No. 5.
The photo above was from that very shoot, 
an out-take, actually. I caught Carol unawares as she was 
styling this cabinet, and as it turns out, 
it's probably our favorite photo from the whole shoot. 

Art is funny like that...oftentimes it is created 
as a result of happy accidents. 

Anyway. 

I look back and see that I haven't blogged since April. 
I've been active on Facebook and Instagram, 
but the blog? Well, if you want the unadulterated truth, 
my heart just wasn't in it much anymore. 
I thought I wanted to close the door completely, 
but maybe I might just leave the door cracked open, ever so slightly. 
You know, for stuff like this. 
The good stuff, sharing what I want, when I want, 
with no apologies or explanations offered 
for the infrequency of my posts. 

I've had some friends lament that I had shut the blog down completely, 
making it impossible to access old posts, many of which featured 
photos from their own projects or shoots. 
So here it is, unlocked and sorta open for business. 
If I'm not manning the store, feel free to wander and browse. 

I'll be headed back soon to post the rest of our photos 
from Carol's Room No. 5 shoot. 
Because her stuff is so beyond perfection, that I want to see 
her shop(s) plastered all over Pinterest and the like.  

Thanks for the visit. 
It's nice to be back.




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Friday, April 15, 2016

Published, Spring Where Women Create Business


Every once in a rare while, 
you meet someone who is a 
true force of nature. 
A dynamic, innovative, inspired, genuine, 
ebullient, indomitable, 
bona-fide force of Mother Nature Almighty. 

For me, that someone was Bex Hale

{all photos copyright Anne Lorys Photography}
 { Bex and Facebook sensation, Baby Lulu *grin* }

Last year, my buddy Bex agreed to
go on this crazy adventure with me,
and I photographed the photos which accompany her story
in the Spring issue
of Where Women Create Business.

With a background in industrial technology and engineering,  
Bex parlayed these strengths into her true passions... 
interior design and decor. 

And quite the pedigree she possesses 
in the design realm, mmm hmm.
Having collaborated with the likes of Robert Redford, 
The Sundance Channel, Lexus, The Fairmont Hotel, 
and oh, just a little old thang like being 
featured on  HGTV's DESIGN STAR (!!!!! ),
Bex was a natural to share her story, 
her life, her business acumen, 
and her joie de vivre with all the readers of 


In the Spring 2016 issue, 
Bex shares her design business 
in Wimberley, TX,  Relics Home
her luxury vacation rental  Relics Ranch
and not only the tale of how she and 
hubby David met, but also shares 
a great big old chunk of her heart with us.... 
Baby Lulu.

But first, the design studio.


The collaborative process where dreams come to life 
and decors become seriously awesome.


The design studio.


Bex herself. 
'Tis a shame she's not the least bit photogenic. 
{ cough, cough, beauty queen, cough, cough }


Relics Ranch, designed from stem to stern by Bex. 


Texas meets art deco meets "why the heck not?"


 Nobody but nobody rocks a victory roll like this gal!


And then her heart... 


I've heard moms describe their children as 
"my heart that walks around outside my body."

That. That right there tells you all you need to know 
about the bond between this red-headed dynamo 
and her towheaded angel baby.


Yep, that's Lulu. 


As in THE Lulu, 
the cute little tushie revealed in my 
previously shared ( months ago ) 
photo titled "Cowgirl Up." 
Now you've got a face to go with the 
checkered, bloomered tookus!

And I owe a huge debt of thanks to my friend 
and photographer Dixie Sims Dobbins 
for sharing these photos of Bex 
as she was one of the VIP's 
attending the recent Where Women Create 
 TRIBE event at Zapp Hall in Warrenton.

It was a collective celebration of women creatives, 
with a special focus on gals highlighted in all 
the current issues of the "Where Women" family of magazines.

 { photo courtesy Dixie Sims Dobbins }

 { photo courtesy Dixie Sims Dobbins }


 { photo courtesy Dixie Sims Dobbins }

  { photo courtesy Dixie Sims Dobbins }


  { photo courtesy Dixie Sims Dobbins }



As always, I thank my friends and family 
at Where Women Create. 
Jo, Brandy, Amber....you make each project 
a magical experience from start to finish. 

And Bex, to you... 
I think you know. 
I adore you, I idolize you, 
I know that I know that I know 
that I am a much better person 
having you in my orbit. 

Go on, you unstoppable force of nature...
conquer the world now!




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Tuesday, April 5, 2016

HGTV's Bex Hale Means BUSINESS!


Where Women Create Business, that is! 


I was crazy lucky enough to shoot her feature 
in the current issue, 
and lots and lots more images are on the way.




HGTV Design Star Bex Hale,
cuteness personified!
This was such a fun issue,
I hope y'all grab a copy soon! 

More to follow...and no,I won't stay true to form 
and make you guys wait 
a month before I post again!



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Sunday, February 28, 2016

The Shift



Defying conventional wisdom. 
Not every blog post is required to boast a pretty picture. 
Or any picture at all, for that matter. 

When I entered blogging in 2009, 
I came in as a writer, and somehow ended up a photographer. 
I was winging it, as I was still seeking to find my blogging voice. 
Seven years later, I'm having a full-circle moment 
as once again, I'm in search of my voice. 
Not with regards to blogging, but as part of the bigger picture:

Purpose. 
Priorities. 
Peace. 

What mattered and who I was seven years ago 
have undergone a dramatic shift. 
Such is the case with late bloomers, I suppose. 
And the questions need answering and addressing, 
as much as I try and avoid them. 

My purpose:
What am I supposed to do? 
Big question, one I've been avoiding for ages. 
Just when I think I've got it figured out, 
I have a great big "nope" moment, re-calibrate, 
and set my course down another path. 

My priorities:
What comes first? 
What should be held onto and what must be sacrificed? 
Another question I had hoped would answer itself. 
The signs have always been there, plain as day, 
faith and family. Why then have I chosen to ignore them? 

My peace:
Where do I derive this from? 
Is what I'm doing fostering a sense of peace? 
And if I have to even ask this question, 
don't I already know the answer? 

And here's where I either cut my own creative throat, 
or feel a sense of liberation so exhilarating 
that I honestly don't give a flip about the fall-out. 

I no longer sense that I'm on the right path. 
That my primary expression of the heart, 
creatively or otherwise, is meant to be manifested 
via my photography. 

The shift has occurred. 

My priority, my purpose, and my peace 
are conveniently located in the same place, 
and via the same means....
my faith.

I've neglected to the point of rejection 
this basic truth, that only via my faith 
and only through Christ will I receive the answers 
and the peace that I've been lacking.   

In the wake of losing my mom in 2011, 
I climbed on the treadmill and haven't 
jumped off since. Burying myself in more work 
than I could realistically handle. 
It was a means of avoidance, 
and if I'm being truthful, there was a lot of ego involved. 

I always felt that if I could reach a certain level of "success",
if I could see my work in print "X" number of times, 
that I'd feel satiated. And to some extent, it worked, 
but only for a little while. 
With each project, I felt an internal sense 
of unrest building inside me. 
What once gave me a sense of worth 
now gave me the sense of being enslaved. 

Keep churning out content, 
stay in the public eye,
stay relevant,
stay "out there" lest you be forgotten.

What a load of misguided crap. 

I've felt it coming for a really long time now, 
the shift. 
The moving away from the superficial 
and the superfluous, and towards the only source 
of true purpose and peace. 

To most, it's been an imperceptible shift. 
People have noticed that I'm accepting less photography gigs. 
I've taken on quite a few rather reluctantly, recognizing that 
although I never gave less than 100%, 
that I was sacrificing something far more valuable 
than another byline or the money. 

I'm finding my way largely in the dark most days... 
knowing the source of the light, 
but traveling a maze-like path to get there. 
Oh, I'll get there, don't you worry. 
The sign-posts are there, I just have to 
break through the haze to find them. 
A clear mind and a pure heart 
are the surest ways I know to lift the fog. 

Time to stop talking and start doing. 






Monday, February 15, 2016

Published, Spring 2016 Where Women Create


My favorite magazine, 
Where Women Create, 
has a wonderfully inspiring column called 
"The Art of Organization". 
It's where artists share their tips and tricks 
for storing and organizing all of those 
tantalizing bits and baubles 
that fuel their creativity.

It was my privilege to photograph 
the studio of my wildly talented friend 
 Chris Berger in the new Spring issue!






Chris works in so many mediums, 
making her a natural for sharing her
uncanny gift of keeping all her pretties 
stored and at the ready. 




Her collection of vintage hatboxes 
house delicate millinery flowers...


  And embellished cards of 
every shape and size.


A sweet array of vintage bottles  
provide not only easy access, but allow Chris 
to visualize just the perfect touch for one of 
her stunning altered lingerie creations.


Speaking of....


Oh.


My. 


  Word.

Corsets, bras, undergarments have never 
looked so sublime. 
Victoria's Secret's got nuthin' on Chris.


Need storage for your art papers?
Not a problem, howzabout a vintage dish rack?


Clever gal, my friend Chris. 
And truly one of the most gifted, generous-hearted 
people I know. 

Only a couple of weeks after shooting this feature, 
Chris's sweet husband and our good friend Keith 
passed away suddenly. 
He was smart as a whip, hilarious,
and missed by all who were fortunate enough 
to know and love him.  

Keith, this one was for you.





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Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Sneak Peek...Where Women Create





That's just a teensy corner of my friend 
Chris Berger's studio in the Spring 2016 issue of 
Where Women Create Magazine.

I was blessed to be given the opportunity 
to shoot her studio for the WWC column,
"The Art of Organization", 
and it will be my pleasure to 
share more of Chris's studio later this week. 

Yeppers, my monthly blog post, 
how the time flies, eh? ;-)



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Friday, January 8, 2016

New Year, New Focus



Everything you see in the above photo? 

Smile Bigger. 
Love Longer. 
Hug Harder. 
Laugh Louder. 

That's it for me, my goals for 2016.
Nothing terribly specific as far as 
New Year's resolutions go, 
but a very specific path 
has been chosen to achive this. 

It's called slowing down and refocusing. 
Taking a deep breath and recognizing 
that family and faith take a front seat, 
and all that other stuff is just that.... 
stuff. 

I'm pretty excited to be taking 
the first few months of 2016 
off from all my 
photography related work. 
Emphasis on WORK. 
I'm not putting down my camera, 
just putting the biz on the back burner for now. 

Heck, it might even feel so good 
that I won't resume until Summer. 
I mean, if something comes along 
that absolutely rocks my world 
and is life-changing, then I reserve the right 
to accept the occasional photo shoot.

I still have a couple of fun shoots completed  
last year for the Where Women Create 
family of magazines to share soon, 
so you will be hearing from me as I 
happily share my photos of these 
utterly amazing women. 

And maybe I'll share some "just for fun, just for me" 
photos. The kind of stuff I used to get really 
jazzed about doing before I went pro 
with my photography. 

But for now? 
It's all about smiling, loving, hugging and laughing. 

See you soon? 
Maybe.....



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