{you find beauty in ordinary things. do not lose this gift }

I found the above message in a fortune cookie years ago. It came at a pivotal point in my life when I was feeling unfulfilled with my then job (in finance) and I felt a stirring inside for something more. At that point I decided I was going to do whatever it took to become a photographer, even if that meant working at the mall portrait studio (which I did!) After "paying my dues" for a few years working at the portrait studio and also at a local newspaper as a photojournalist and shooting weddings part time, I finally jumped in full time about 5 years ago. And I've loved every moment since.

A little more about me - my name is Heather Banks and I specialize in weddings and portraits, though my motto is that I'll shoot anything :) I live in Austin, Texas with my husband Mike (we're newlyweds!) and our two Boston Terriers, Linus and Moo, in a groovy 1970's house that we are currently remodeling (we call it our brady bunch house). I'm also opening a studio soon in the fabulous East Village Lofts on East 11th Street right in the heart of Austin.

In addition to taking wedding photos and family and senior portraits all around Austin and central Texas, I'm also a destination wedding photographer, I've photographed weddings all over Mexico and also in St. Kitts, Barbados, Napa, and Martha's Vineyard to name a few.