Melissa Surprise Photography Blog » 2010

Monthly Archives: July 2010

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Project 52…

July 26, 2010 – 10:30 pm

Not sure I can call this Project 52 anymore. More like project 8. I give props to those who can keep up with Project 365, I am lucky to know what day it is sometimes. This weekend I treated myself to a trip to Mohonk Mountain House. If you live in the Hudson Valley, you know what a treasure this place is. If you have never been here, I would get yourself up there, even if just for an afternoon of hiking. I have been here several times for weddings, but this time I came for myself. With my macro in hand, I had some fun in the gardens. Don’t ask me the flower’s name, I have a black thumb.

By Melissa | Posted in Project 52 | Comments (0)

Monkey, Bear, and The Little Red Wagon…

July 26, 2010 – 2:29 pm

It has been almost 2 years since I last met with this family, when little man “C” was about 6 months old. Mommy and I have literally had this session planed for about 6 months now, and the day has finally come. It has been been a long time in the waiting and probably only fitting that it was my last of the summer before my maternity leave. It was a bit humid this weekend, but having a great new location to shoot at was worth it. I have driven by this spot hundreds of times, but didn’t know it existed. And I am not giving up the location just yet, I want to have a couple more go arounds here before others flock to it And what a cute little man little “C” is. He is just adorable and so where his buddies, Monkey and Bear. “C” man also had his eyes set on a rabbit, but that was a real one and there was no catching him.

Mommy has been a big supporter of mine over the past couple years, and I can’t thank her enough. Well, I guess I thanked her with a complimentary session. That is right, mommy took advantage of my referral program. My business is based on referrals and this is my way of saying “Thank You” to those who send their friends and family my way. Want to learn more, drop me an email. Now I am off to hunt for that shirt “C” was wearing!

Photo Feature…

July 23, 2010 – 4:23 pm

A couple weeks back I photographed a wedding at The Club House at Patriot Hills. A couple weeks after posting a sneak peek on my blog, one of their representatives gave me a ring and asked if they could use a couple of my photos on their new site. Uh, YEAH!!!! Just checked out their site and there it is:

Here’s to one of hopefully many!!

By Melissa | Posted in Engagements, Weddings | Comments (0)

Old Home Charm and Two English Setters…

July 21, 2010 – 7:34 pm

This session was bitter sweet for me. It was a great session, but also one of my last of the summer. I not only loved this family but LOVED this families house. It was an older home just full of character and charm. You should have seen the size of the pocket doors! It did slightly break my heart when they told me they were getting rid of the chipping paint on the outside, it was just a nice touch in my opinion This family not only had 2 great kids, but 2 energetic dogs who didn’t mind their portrait being taken either. They also made me realize why am I a dog person, because these English Setters gave me the greatest greeting when I arrived.

By Melissa | Posted in Children, Families | Tagged Dutchess County Child Photographer, Dutchess County Children Photographer, Dutchess county Family Photography, Hudson Valley Children Photographer, Hudson Valley Family Photographer, Poughkeepsie Child Photographer, Poughkeepsie Children Photographer, Poughkeepsie Family Photographer | Comments (3)

Little Lady Fairy…

July 19, 2010 – 2:25 am

It has been a couple of years since the last time I have seen little Miss “M.” In fact the last time we met, I was pregnant then too. Since I saw her last, she has shot up a foot and grew a long head of hair. What has stayed the same is those beautiful blue eyes and her sense of style. We have to give grandma props for this garb, after seeing Mom’s call for wardrobe assistance on Facebook, she went and bought this sweet and fun outfit. It has also been a while since I shot at this location, you don’t want to overuse a good thing. This site includes several of my favorite features in a shooting location, lots of brick and stone texture, shade and old doors. Add sunglasses and wings into the mix, and we have ourselves a little fairy diva.

How do you know when your little fairy is done for the day, when she walks off the set

By Melissa | Posted in Children | Tagged Dutchess County Child Photographer, Dutchess County Children Photographer, Hudson Valley Child Photographer, Hudson Valley Children Photographer, Ulster County Child Photographer, Ulster County Children Photographer | Comments (14)

Trash The Dress, Part 2…

July 16, 2010 – 4:51 pm

Two brides+two looks= a lot of photos. I had to split up the blog post due to the huge amount of photos I took, and the fact that I had some much fun going through them all. My 2nd bride was so sweet and just a blast to work with. She actually came in on top with the most votes on my blog. I didn’t realize this until after the fact, but she drove up from Hartford, CT to come be apart of this shoot. She heard about the contest from Best Hudson Valley Weddings Ever, but I have also photographed her nephew in the past.

Behind the scene stories: When out shooting with two brides, we got a lot of attention. Many of the people driving by thought they actually married each other. Out on the beach, we again gained much attention from the locals hanging in the sand. Many of them were nice enough to point out that she was going to get her dress dirty in the sand. Yeah, we know that. Kind of the point You can image the looks on their faces when they see her dip down, full dress into the water. After a long day in the sun, it felt good but did add about 20 lbs to the dress. Thanks again Laura, you rocked it!!