This morning I photographed Parker at Tanglewood. Parker is always fun to be around, and today we marked his 3rd birthday with some great shots. I love three year olds, I always think it is the first birthday that they might remember.

Here are a few from today's session.

Somehow it’s nearly time to start thinking about the fall. Today I’ve imagined autumn weddings for four different brides, starting with possible venues. These little inspiration boards subtly hint at the season with color, texture and a few fall leaves. Which autumn bride are you?

The Quirky Vintage Bride would choose a historic property for her wedding (of course!) and fill it with objects that reflect her love of all things old: Depression-era glass, a tea length dress, and yellow velvet ribbon.





The Whimsically Minimalist Bride is neither trendy nor traditional and favors an unexpected venue with a monochromatic look. The simple palette of black and white allows whimsical details like felt acorns and papercut art to stand out without being overwhelming.





The Sweetly Romantic Bride loves a cozy fireplace. Here I chose a pale peach and gold for a feminine take on an autumn palette. A gold leaf hair comb and favor bags stamped with leaves are subtle ways to pull in the season.





or the Playfully Modern Bride, I’ve imagined an urban restaurant as a venue and a palette of concrete gray and buttery ochre. Details are playfully unfussy, like the tweed fascinator and wavy calligraphy.


I've pulled these resources from a great bridal blog. I love Kathryn's ideas and flawless style.

Happy Wednesday.
Melissa

Today around lunch I invited a friend/model over to my tiny house. We mostly did work on the computer, but we had time to snap a few spur of the moment boudoir shots. Ashton and I love the idea of candid boudoir, no hair or makeup boudoir. As a photographer who is starting to really enjoy boudoir I can appreciate the beauty of an uncontrived moment. I wanted Ashton to share some of her thoughts on Boudoir with my clients. As a former bride she can really relate to fears of a first time boudoir er. Here are her thoughts and ideas for a smashing boudoir session:




Well hello ladies, I am dropping by to tell you just a few reasons why boudoir is sure to work for you. I feel like a common misconception about the popular photo session is that it is not for everyone. I am so happy to tell you this is a 100% MYTH. Boudoir is for everyone! We all have insecurities,I myself have quite a few. But I can honestly say that after my session, I felt more self-assured than ever. These pictures capture your inner beauty, Melissa does a wonderful job of bringing out the true sexy you! As long as you bring a will to make beautiful photographs, Melissa will be sure to do the rest, and I can promise you will come home with some amazing photographs for your significant other, and a new found confidence boost for yourself! So go ahead treat yourself to sexy! Book your shoot today!

Xoxo AshtonRae

The heat has brought out the babes!!

boudoir (French: [bu.dwaʁ], English: /ˈbuːd.wɑːr/)

This sultry session has been gaining popularity not just with my clients but with me too. So much, that it is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to shoot.

Last week I talked a group of girls into joining me in the sweltering heat for a fun outdoor boudoir session. It might not sound like a blast, but we sure did make the best of it!

I have a few more outdoor boudoir sessions open and then we are headed inside for a "Hollywood glam" setup in one of the old warehouses downtown. Just imagine the light streaming through broken windows, with little dust flecks in the air. The crumbling bricks and rusty metal......If you are interested give me a call to save your spot. 336-425-8602

Sometimes finding the right prop for your pictures is as simple as looking around your room and improvising. I've used this vintage reproduction radio before and it never fails to please me. Here is a cute little fella who came in for a visit last week.



I've had such a great past few weeks booking sessions with new clients and old favorites. This week is full of good sessions too! I can't wait to share more in the next few days.

Happy Monday,
Melissa