Author Archives: Melissa

Not A Bad Afternoon…

Last weekend I treated myself to a visit to Mohonk Mountain House for a little spa action.  Baby is taking his toll on my body and I needed just a little time to relax my muscles and enjoy a wee bit of quiet time, with a prenatal massage.  After my session, I took some time to walk the grounds and just enjoy the gardens.  If you have never been here, it is just a stunningly beautiful place.  A good friend of mine got married here last October, I look forward to shooting a wedding her myself one day.

When you first pull in, the first thing that might come to you mind is “Red Rum, Red Rum,” because of the house’s similarity to “The Shining.”  No Jack here, just peace.  The grounds are open to the public (for a small fee) for hiking, activities, skating as well as meals.

It was slightly raining during my walk, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying a little macro lens and me time.

Project 52…

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.

Monkey, Bear, and The Little Red Wagon…

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…

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!!

Old Home Charm and Two English Setters…

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.

Little Lady Fairy…

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 :)