As an artist, there are times when you just need to create something beautiful that isn’t for anyone else. This session was one of those times. I had a vision I wanted to bring to life – a hauntingly beautiful session with an abandoned building and beautiful dresses.

The Trinity Institute in Tehuacana,Tx was the perfect backdrop for the vision I had. 

It’s an former theological school that has long been abandoned. The people who now own it use it as a non-profit “study and retreat center”. People can stay on the property and use the old building as a place for quiet contemplation or small group getaways. 

While the building is beautiful, it definitely has seen better days.

When you walk in, you have to step over broken boards and watch out for holes in the floor. I’m not really sure how the building is still standing since parts of it seem to be falling apart. So, we were very careful to watch where we walked.

There are several things about this building that make it seem haunted:

• The owls living in the rafters that fly around from time to time
• The strange sounds made then the wind blows through the holes in the walls
• The abandoned library on the 3rd floor 
• The stack of chairs careful placed together
• The haunting sound of piano music that echos through the halls when one of the grand pianos is being played
• The phrase “help me” written in the dust on the windows

While the whole of the building was a little unnerving, it was definitely an adventure worth having. And the gorgeous models that I worked with were the perfect mix of ghostly grace that I was looking for.

 

Yellow Dress provided by Sweet Caroline Styles

 

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*Kendra Swalls is the photographer behind Paisley Layne Photography, and is a boutique portrait and wedding photographer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She specializes in, beauty, senior and boudoir portraits as well as wedding photography. Kendra’s style is fun and personality-driven while still retaining the timeless features of photography that create family heirlooms. She currently lives in Justin,TX  with her husband and two girls. Kendra is currently booking 2017 & 2018 Portrait Sessions and Weddings in Dallas, Ft. Worth, Denton, Flower Mound, Southlake, Keller, Lewisville, Argyle and all of the North Texas area. She is also available for travel.