Effortless. Natural. Quiet. Confident. Strong. Talented. Sweet. Stylish. Beautiful. Melissa. Enjoy!

What an absolute treat it was to photograph Kate! I have known her since she was a tiny tot and I can see glimpses of that adorable little girl in many of the photos I took. Fast forward 16 years and what a beautiful and cool chick she has become!  I’m a lucky gal she chose me for her photos. Enjoy the sneaks…

This winter beauty contacted me for a job shadow opportunity for her high school senior project and I felt like the best way for me to share my craft was to show by example so i offered Julie a fun March shoot. We encountered wind, deep snow and a bright overcast day, but the elements didn’t get us down in fact, they lead to lots of laughs along the way. Julie’s boho style coupled with her natural beauty was a joy to photograph. I had a great time sharing my experience, style and methods with her and hope that her glimpse of my world is inspiring. Enjoy!

To book your shoot with me click here .

Look at that smile and those gorgeous baby blues! What a treat it was to photograph Lexi and her beau, DJ. The fun clothes, the texture, the colorful junk…my photo heaven! We were in a race against the rain and made it through the last shot with just a few sprinkles falling on us. Lexi was down for getting dirty and up for anything I threw her way. I’m not sure her clothes survived, but I hope the images were worth every junk stain.

DJ headed south to play hockey so Lexi’s heart is a little heavy and I’m hoping these images make her smile. Soon she’ll be tearing it up on the volleyball court and working hard to finish her senior year which will make the time apart and her senior year fly by before she knows it.

With her beautiful smile, those bright blue eyes and her funky hair (care of her fun employer Charlotte Rouge Hair Spa) you can’t miss this cutie in a crowd.

Thanks for trusting my vision. Keep your chin up and keep smiling!

Enjoy!

A teaser has been in order for a few months now and it’s finally time to showcase Mr. & Mrs. Jeremiah Johnson! You may remember Jeremiah and Adriel from their engagement photos here. If you know me you know I only take on a few weddings here and there and it has to be just the right mix of fun, details and of course the perfect couple for me to say yes. This one was an easy yes for me! She could have just told me the colors and I would’ve been hooked – turquoise, orange and brown (notice my blog colors). The details of this wedding were incredible…the beautiful off-white dress with incredible beading and tulle detail, the ribbon look of the bridesmaid dresses, the sharp tuxes with their turquoise ties, the old, little, white, church, the sparklers, the adorable black and turquoise favor boxes for the sweets bar, the birch branches and flowers – it all makes me giddy just thinking about it!

I spent the day with Adriel and she couldn’t have been more relaxed or ready to just be married. She had every detail just right and wasn’t worried about a thing. When those doors opened and she came down that isle with her dad she looked absolutely stunning! I wish I could have had a second shooter just to get Jeremiah’s reaction as she arrived. I know his heart skipped a beat.

The girls weren’t ready in time to shoot photos before the wedding, but the guys and I had a little pre-wedding fun! We stirred the pot a little at the church and got in a little trouble for pushing the envelope, but the images we did get were worth it! They all looked super sharp and I’m sure they enjoyed my theatrics as I shot. I tried to get a full shot of the churh steeple and when I was lying down in the snow nearly at the river I’m certain they had a good laugh at my expense, but hey – it was worth a try! Thanks guys for being down for anything and taking a little heat for my creativity.

If you’ve ever attended a reception with Jim Matherly you know he’s going to get you on your feet and keep the party going as long as the venue will let him. But, ff you’ve ever been to a reception with Jim Matherly and OUR FAMILY you know the party ain’t stoppin’ until someone is pushing our crew out the door and unplugging Jim’s speakers. Okay well not literally, but our family knows how to rock it out! From the family shot, to the 50 person train, to the sweet swing dancing by the Wolfe brothers – this reception was no exception!

What a great night and a beautiful way to start your new life together. We wish you the very best while you endure the icky Texas and New Mexico heat for the next year +. We miss you already and wish we could have made it work to see each other in Texas. Congratulations you guys and thanks again for your patience!  Love you both.  Enjoy!

Oh and even though the image quality isn’t great on the bouquet and garter toss series of images near the end of the slide show I think it is pretty hilarious and worth checking out! Look at the determination of the chicks to get that bouquet and watch the guys as they wait to see who is brave enough to pick up the garter – hysterical!

Stunning, graceful, quiet, confident, humble and gracious are all words that come to mind when I think of Carolyn. She came to me via a referral from a maternity client of mine in search of a photographer to shoot a modeling portfolio for her. She didn’t know what sort of a look she wanted to go for so I suggested a couple looks and locations and the shoot was born. ‘The look’ came so natural for her. I guided her through the maze of locations we attended and described ‘the look’ I was going for with each and she rocked it each time!  What an invigorating shoot for me!

She’s a local girl headed for Florida where her hubby is stationed with the U.S. Navy. She was ‘discovered’ in Jacksonville a couple years back and did a couple fashion spreads for Jacksonville Magazine and another publication in the area.  Now that she’s headed back she’s hoping to get paid for being so stunning (my words of course, not hers, she’s too humble to say so ). 

Like what you see? Well if so this brings me to my next subject…my senior shoots…this is the kind of concept effort that goes into my seniors and I’m super excited to debut some of them in the coming months right here. Stay tuned for my ‘Class of 2010 Hotties’ you won’t want to miss them! If you know a senior who is interested in a shoot so far from traditional they won’t know what hit them then pass them my way, I’d love to chat. In fact, mention ‘the top model’ blog post when booking your senior shoot and you’ll receive a complimentary set of rep cards.

Back to the beautiful Carolyn…

In the words of Gwen Stefani…’You’re a super hot female…you’ll get your million dollar contract.’

Next top model? I think so.

Enjoy!

at my house with my nieces usually consists of photo shoots, cooking good food, watching movies and chatting up the latest teen drama. It is my hope that these nights will hold a special place in the memory of these sweet girls like girls night with my auntie Dee Dee does for me. Each one of my nieces and nephews are a treasure to me and I hope I am able to making a small difference as they carve their way through life. I love each and every one of you – thank you for being you. Enjoy!

It’s my absolute favorite thing to combine beautiful people with old, rusty, dirty settings to create a combination like no other. The shoot was in an incredible old building filled with amazing equipment, texture, grime, fire, rust, steam and all the elements a girl like me could ask for in a location! This one ranks in my top three for sure and fueled my creative soul!

Galilee contacted me nearly a year ago to do a maternity shoot for a friend of hers and we’ve been working together ever since. She is partnering with her sister’s Natalie and Laurelie to open Charlotte Rouge, the chic hair spa, in the coming months. The number one priority at the spa is to give women the haircut they have always wanted. I can assure you she means it when she says this – she has been cutting my hair for about 4 months now and she is a perfectionist like I’ve never had in a stylist. She knows if you are satisfied and even if you are and she’s not, she will work to make the cut and color perfect. She is infectious and from the minute you meet her you feel like you’ve known her for years. Her sisters are no exception, they are sweet, spunky and down for anything! 

I am designing the logo, brochures, website and advertising materials for the salon and have had an absolute blast working with Galilee and the girls!

When I get fun new things for the studio it’s so great to have a built in little model!  Enjoy.

This is the final chapter in the rusty bus shoot. This little guy is the most chill kid you could ever meet – being down for anything and a natural behind the camera made him such a treat to work with! Also, watching him tenderly guide his little sister was very sweet to witness. You can be my model anytime Ty – you rock! This was a super fun shoot and I’m so grateful to all who came out to help bring my rusty bus concept to life.