I'm in Lubbock

*I am editing this picture on my laptop, so I hope it looks good.
I am in Lubbock this weekend for a baby shower and hanging out with family. I also did a mini-session for a sweet family (the Gwinn's) that goes to my parents church, Experience life. He is the worship leader and is awesome at it. These pictures are going in a book my mom is working on to sell and raise money for homelss children in the world. When it is ready to be published I will make sure and post about it here.
Below is mom Gwinn and baby Gwinn from our session today. I had to post at least one from today, and I loved the little boys mischevious look in this one. Isn't he adorable?!

Blended or Stirred

I think I'll be blended!
I am going to the BLEND workshop in Santa Fe, NM if anyone wants to join me. Spots are limited so if you are interested, go talk to the hubby and sign up quick.

Slideshow of Ezra Rose

If you are viewing in google reader, go to my blog to see the show.

And the winners are....

Yep, I said winners-plural
Jennifer Bellah-a photographer in Lubbock, Tx (Jen doesn't have a site yet, but her friends have been trying to get her to get one)
Shawn Hodges-a photographer in Henderson, Tx

Jennifer is the winner from the camera strap contest. And Shawn is also a winner, because I have 60,000 plus hits on my blog and part of that was because of this contest. So thanks to these lovely ladies for playing along and congratulations on winning a very funky camera strap.

And thanks to EVERYONE who commented on my blog this week and on my Lexie post. It was so awesome to see all of the comments and you have built up my self-esteem to keep going and creating editorial images.

Jennifer and Shawn, please email at cristy@cristycross.com so I can get your home address. Also go and pick out which strap you want and I'll order it as soon as I hear back from you.

Thanks again. And keep coming back, because I'm doing this again. Who knows, you might be the next winner :)

And send your congrats to Jennifer and Shawn.

H.S Seniors can win $300 print credit...

Be sure that if you are graduating in 2009, to book a session with me before January 31st to be entered to win $300 print credit. Your session has to be booked before January 31st, but it can be scheduled anytime from now to May.

You must purchase a session and I have to receive payment for your name to go in the drawing.

If you are interested, email me at cristy@cristycross.com


Enter to win a camera strap....scroll down

Sneak Peek...Ezra Rose

I wanted to share with you this sweet baby girl Her momma painted the tree on her wall and her entire room was incredibly adorable. An adorable room to match an adorable baby...

Giving away a camera strap in the post after this one...scroll down and check it out.
And by the way, thanks for all the love comments below. I need to give away stuff more often :)

Lexie.Revisited

**Update: I am going to announce the winner Wed, Jan 28th at 3 pm Mt time, because there has been such a big response and I don't think I can wait that long. So get your comment in before 2:30 pm Mt time. Thank you thank you thank you for sharing your comments with me. You have no idea how loved you make me feel :)

I took pictures for Lexie and Tara in summer 08, but as I've been looking through all of my images that I've taken this past year I keep coming back to Lexie. She is a natural beauty and a photographers best friend-meaning me :)
She makes my pictures look gorgeous and stunning, well because that is what she is. I have been working on an idea in my head and I started with her pictures to get me going. I can't tell you what it is just yet, but I hope to have something posted soon from "it".

As I looked back through Lexie's session, I found these favorites. Some I have already shared on my blog, however I have learned so much since then so I applied my new knowledge to them.

Tell me what you think. I am also thinking of doing a contest to win a fun and funky camera strap if you are interested. Leave a comment below and you might be the lucky winner. When you comment ,I'll put your name in a hat and the lucky winner will win a crazy cool camera strap.
*contest ends Wed, January 28th @ 2:30 pm Mt time . Announcing winner at 3 pm Wed, January 28th.
Okay, start your comments...now!

Senior. Announcements

Yep, I'm already taking in orders for senior announcements. If you are a senior that has had a session with me, place your order soon and it will be one less thing to do when the hussel and bussel come around.
I am going for an Urban Outfitters design on the front of the cards.

Example below:

Photograph of Inspiration

I'm always looking for inspiration as a photographer at various magazine-editorial images of awesome photographers, Annie Leibovitz, and other portrait and wedding photographers. I hear photographers say they have an epitome image that makes them realize why they are a photographer.
Do you ever look for that oo-aah moment? Well, as a photographer, I'm constantly looking for an image that gives me the oo-aah feeling. I see it all the time in other photographers, and today, I found one of my own images that makes me tingle a little.
One of my goals this year is to have editorial-type photographs that you might see in a magazine. I LOVE the care-free, easy-going, hippy-ish looking pictures, which I think is why I'm so drawn to Anthropologie.

Anyways, here is my oo-aah image. This is MY image, and I'm so proud of it and wanted to share with you.
What inspires you?

My sweet baby boy and his blue eyes

Ya gotta love those sweet baby blue eyes...and his semi-mohawk

Taking Albuquerque, NM Sessions

I will be in Albq, NM in March and I'm taking sessions on Tuesday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 17. Spots are limited, so first come first serve.

The cool thing is, you will save the $200 travel fee, because I will already be there!! So if you have been wanting a session, this is the time to do it for all of you Albuquerqeans.

Session fee: $225 includes $100 print credit

Hop to it and give me a call or email me to sign up for a session.

575.219.9312 cristy@cristycross.com

Kelsey and Blandon. Wedding

I tried to make these big enough to see them without a magnifine glass, but I don't know what happened.
If you click on the image you will be able to see them larger :)

Benson is 11 months

Benson turned 11 months old yesterday...tear tear...sniff sniff
I really hoped he would like his little outfit I set out for his pictures, but you tell me... he fish hooked his own face

He obviously DIDN'T like his chief hat

Giving away print credit

Here's the deal:
I am giving away $300 print credit to a lucky high school senior.
This offer is for high school seniors of 2009 only.

How does this work? To qualify, you must first purchase a session. Once you have purchased your session, your name will go into the "hat" and your name will be drawn and announced on Feb 2nd here on the blog.
What is included in the session? The session is a 1-2 hour session, up to three different outfits, at locations of your choice.
How much is a session fee? $225 plus tax. $100 print credit is included in the session fee.
How much print credit will I have total? $400!!
When is the deadline? January 31st

So, if you are interested and want $300 print credit for FREE, then please email me at cristy@cristycross.com , titled SENIOR SESSION300 and include your name, phone number and address.
Don't want to email me? Call me at 575.219.9312 weekdays between 10 am-4:30 pm

He loves me....He loves me

Haleigh and Caleb are an awesome couple I met through email. At the time I was giving away free engagement sessions and they were one of the lucky couples to receive one. I had a blast with them, because I felt like I already knew them. Their personalities were so inviting and welcoming and as I write this I feel like Haleigh and I have been friends way before our session back in October. Also, at this time I was just doing their engagement pictures, no wedding, but as time passed and they received their images from the session they decided they wanted to hire me as their wedding photographer too. I was so excited, because they are such a fun couple I really wanted to do this wedding secretively and now I get to :)
They will be getting married in June and I can't wait!
Here are some of my favorites from this sweet sweet dear couple.

I love this one. I think of Mary Poppins when I see this one. Kind of fairytale like, too.


Look closely at Calebs face. This is Haleigh's favorite face he makes :)

Aren't they so cute!!

I love how glamorous Haleigh looks in this one. It gets me excited about our bridal session. Ooh yea!

The cone picture

He's totally diggin' her in this one for sure ya'll

This here is a beautiful gift Haleigh and Caleb gave me at the end of the session. And I did cry when they gave to me. I'm such a sucker. I loved it so much it is sitting on my shelf in my office and I glance at it every single day to remind myself to delight myself in the Lord. And some awesome sensual amber lotions from Bath and Body Works--My FAVORITE!
Thanks Caleb and Haleigh. You two are a blessing to me :)

Thanks for voting

Thanks to everyone who voted for me on the self portrait contest. I didn't win, however I was in the top five. Maybe next time! Thanks again everyone :)

Seriously...I'm sick

I just got back from vacation, and I am ready to go on work stuff. However, I feel like poopoo today. I have a cold or something. I'm still trying to work on orders, but I might be going at a slower pace.

Vote for me!

*(voting is done at the bottom of the page when you click on the link "GO HERE". Look for black poll voting box and mark Cristy C, then click VOTE) If you don't click vote, it won't count. So go back and vote if you forgot to click VOTE please.

Vote for me to win a free photo workshop by Kelly Moore. The winner is decided upon how many people vote for them. I would love to go to this workshop, since I haven't been to one in almost two years when I found out I was pregnant with Benson. I so need a photographers trip to increase my skills and up my knowledge to make your pictures the best they can possibly be. So GO HERE and vote for me and tell your friends. Voting will end midnight on Tuesday, January 6th.
Thanks in advance :)