Modern. Elegant. Art.

show hide 30 comments

Kris/Jim McLaughlin - These pictures turned out so good! Especially like the ones under the railroad bridge and the ones with Atticus–he photographs just as well as you two. Thanks for sharing.August 2, 2010 – 11:24 am

Carolyn Weber - These gorgeous photos of Ryan & April made me cry tears of joy! What a beautiful couple and even their inner beauty is captured in them! God will richly bless your marriage as you keep Christ as the centerpiece!August 2, 2010 – 10:46 am

Deanna - Just Beautiful! Congratulations!August 2, 2010 – 8:35 am

Kelsey Jefferies - These pictures are amazing! April and Ryan, you guys are both so gorgeous (yes Shorty, gorgeous) and these pictures really showcase both of your personalities so well! I love them!July 30, 2010 – 10:08 pm

Noah Mitchell - These photos are amazing, April looks beautiful and you both look so happy! Atticus looks like he enjoyed himself as well!July 30, 2010 – 9:15 pm

April Cutsail - Melissa, these are all so good! I am obsessed with looking at them over and over again. You are so talented and I cannot wait for you to photograph our wedding! Thank you!July 30, 2010 – 6:31 pm

Anissa - These pictures are so lovely. How will they choose which ones to use?July 30, 2010 – 2:51 pm

melissa - Yay I get to be the 20th comment!! Congratulations April and Ryan, I cannot wait to photograph your wedding next year. Your friends and family left so many wonderful comments, you guys will be getting a complimentary 8×10 fine art print of one of the images above. Just let me know which one you want!July 30, 2010 – 2:15 pm

Joyce Cutsail - I am so proud of the beautiful pictures. I expected no less, beacause April you are a beautiful granddaughter and Ryan is so handsome, you will make a gorgeous bride & groom. Atticus posed just like a champion dog.July 30, 2010 – 12:35 pm

Joyce Cutsail - I am so proud of the beautiful pictures. I expected no less, because April you are a beautiful granddaughter, and Ryan is so handsome and you will make a gorgeous bride & groom. Your photographer did a wonderful job with the background. Atticus posed just like a champion dog.July 30, 2010 – 12:33 pm

Dana - Lovely couple! Congratulations!July 30, 2010 – 12:09 pm

Melissa - You guys look great together! Love the colors in these pictures!July 30, 2010 – 11:43 am

Amy Cutsail - Pictures are amazing! My sister is gorgeous and Ryan and Atty are pretty cute too! =) Melissa is a wonderful photographer!! It was so fun going along with you!!July 30, 2010 – 11:35 am

Dianne Cutsail - The pics are wonderful (I’m tearing up now-what will I be like at the wedding?!) We are blessed to have found such an awesome photographer.July 30, 2010 – 11:30 am

Dianne Cutsail - The pictures are so good (I’m tearing up-what will I do at the wedding?!)-Melissa is an awesome photographer and we are fortunate to have her.July 30, 2010 – 11:28 am

Alexis - These are all so wonderful! You can tell they were just being themselves. It is awesome that you could get Atty in a few of them! I can’t wait for the wedding pictures July 30, 2010 – 11:08 am

Nancy Battiste - Great pictures!July 30, 2010 – 10:38 am

Judy Hillshafer - I don’t know how you will ever decide on a view — all of them are wonderful even the ones with your little four legged buddy! Wishing you the best always! I remember when —–!July 30, 2010 – 9:51 am

Stephanie - Fantastic pictures!! And of a very lovely couple.July 30, 2010 – 9:51 am

Jackie Bumpers - What a lovely couple! The photos are outstanding.July 30, 2010 – 9:49 am

Jill M. - Beautiful photos by a very talented photographer! April and Ryan, you are a stunning couple and I hope the joy that is so evident in these photos will be with you for a lifetime.July 30, 2010 – 9:41 am

Robin Grove - Wonderful photos! They look amazing!July 30, 2010 – 9:34 am

Karen - Love the pictures! What a cute couple! I love the “captured moments” effects.July 30, 2010 – 9:32 am

Teresa - Amazing!!!July 30, 2010 – 9:31 am

Laura Raybon - Gorgeous!July 30, 2010 – 5:39 am

Laura Raybon - Beautiful pictures of such a lovely couple!July 30, 2010 – 5:34 am

Camille - Beautiful pic.’s of a lovely couple. Great Job!July 30, 2010 – 5:22 am

Beth - The pictures are amazing!July 30, 2010 – 5:22 am

Chris Cepulis - Love the photos and love you guys! So honored to play at the wedding! I’ve already saved the date!July 30, 2010 – 5:21 am

Cecily Hill - Love these pix! And I’m not at all biased about my handsome son and his lovely fiance. Beautiful couple; gorgeous photographs.July 30, 2010 – 5:19 am

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Love It! Hate It!: River Tubing & Broken Lenses | Fredericksburg Virginia Wedding Photographer

Posted in Love It! Hate It!

I know I skipped last week, I’m sorry I was babysitting a 3 & 4 year old and I have no idea how stay at home mom’s get anything done Maybe since they weren’t my kids I was a little overly paranoid of returning them to their mother broken in some form, you know like bumps and bruises from getting hurt in my care. So instead I barely let them out of my sight which resulted in not getting much done This is practice for whenever David and I decide to start producing our own offspring! I am happy to report they sustained no injuries while in my care despite trying to beat each other up while asleep in the car. So onto the fun stuff!!!

Love It!

1. River Tubing! A couple Sunday’s ago my meetup group scheduled a river tubing meetup on the Rappahannock River. We had a blast, hanging out in a tube floating down a river is definitely a great way to spend a Sunday! There were a couple small rapids to run through and I would have loved to run through even more! It really made me miss whitewater rafting!

2. Awesome Sessions! I had an engagement session (e-session) on Monday night in Downtown Fredericksburg and it was fabulous!!! I prayed on the way out to the session that God would give me a little hand in finding the best light and we found beautiful light almost everywhere. I finally got to take a client down under the train station where there are all these amazing arches and awesome texture. I love cool architectural details! The session will be up on the blog on Friday so please stop by and check it out, April and Ryan are a gorgeous couple and I had the hardest time picking which images to edit! There were so many awesome ones to choose from, it was like being a kid in a candy store!!!

3. My DVR! That thing you would take to a desert island yeah for me it would be my DVR. I know there are logistics of having to take a tv and of course have cable or sat tv installed on the desert island also but I would do it all for my DVR I think I might need some help with my DVR obsession. Way back when TIVO was brand new I actually got an RCA version of a DVR, it plugged into the telephone outlet so it could download the tv schedule. The funniest thing is my roommate got it when she was part of the Jack Diamond Morning Show Free For All Friday audience. (Man say that 3x fast!!!) She had no real use for it so she gave it to me and it was like the holy grail!! No longer was I tied to the couch when my fav shows were on, no longer did I have to sit through commercials!!! By now I’m sporting the DVR that comes from the cable station. It is still the most awesome invention next to electricity, television and cable

Hate It!

1. Broken Lenses! Ugh so there is nothing worse then when your favorite lens stops working unless it stops working in the middle of a wedding reception while you are using it. That is the pits!!! To top that I just had the same issue fixed last October and of course the repair warranty expired in April. If you have a Canon 50mm 1.4 lens be aware that there is an issue with the autofocus motor but it is not deemed by Canon as a known issue. So that means you have to pay to have it fixed, bummer. A quick search on Google will show that tons of people have had the same issue. I adore my 50mm, it is my baby and I use it more then anything else. If only the next step up to the 50mm 1.2 didn’t cost $1500. Yes you read that correctly, $1500! Photographers know though that once you step up to the red ring in Canon lenses you will have a lens that will last you many, many years and outlast any camera body you purchase. I just can’t get past the price tag right now

2. Getting Nervous! So I had a consult the other week with a couple I had never met before, they had found me online. I made sure all my products and stuff was packed up and I had a packet ready for them and I even got to Starbucks early! So I setup my laptop and made sure everything was in order and I still had like 10min to go. Long enough to start getting very nervous, the butterflies in my stomach were going crazy and I thought please don’t puke. I swear it was fact that I was completely prepared that had me nervous, I had nothing to distract me at the last minute while waiting for the clients. Suddenly I’m worried they will hate me and am reaching a slight panic level because I don’t even know what they look like. At that point a lovely couple opened the door and had that look on their face that they were a little nervous too and weren’t sure who they were looking for. My nerves faded away and we had a great consult including finding out that the groom to be had been blowing things up at TBS the week before and that explained why my house was shaking at midnight

3. Sold Out! So if you saw my post about my outfit for our photo session then you saw the cute JCrew sandals I posted. Yeah they are sold out unless you are a size 5. Why!!!!! I love them, they are adorable, I want them!!!! No!!! I hate Sold Out. Of course I can’t find anything I like as much because that is just the way it always works. If you find them for me I will love you forever!!!

Contact Me | Portrait Portfolio | Wedding Portfolio | Find us on Facebook

no comments

Monday, July 19, 2010

Outfit Idea Boards | Fredericksburg Virginia Wedding Photographer

Posted in Personal, Tips

Having a photo session is a big deal, probably has been since you were a kid. You got a new outfit maybe a haircut and your Mom probably fussed to make sure there was no dirt on your face. As an adult the rituals haven’t really changed and I wanted to show everyone that as a photographer I am not any different when it comes to having my own photo taken. It is a big deal to me also and I have looked around to find the right photographer whose work I love and I think will be really fun to hang with and have a session. I’m betting I will learn a few tricks from her too and that is always a bonus! Our session isn’t until August but I wanted to show everyone how I’m preparing…. besides the crash diet!

For the ladies the outfit alone is probably the thing we will stress the most over and spend our time perfecting. For our shoot not only are we having photos done as a couple but I’m getting new headshots for the website, blog and everywhere else I’ve stuck my mug. So the inspiration for my outfit comes straight from my website and blog branding, I want to look modern, elegant, crisp and clean (no dirt on this face!). I knew I wanted to wear orange and blue but I wanted to make sure it was softer tones of those colors just like I try to have on my site. Jeans are the obvious staple but there is a world of different fits to those too. Of course I went straight to my favorite store JCrew for inspiration and ideas. Check out my idea board below and then keep reading to see why I’ve picked these things and how you can incorporate these ideas into your outfit for your session.

Outfit 1 Outfit Idea Boards | Fredericksburg Virginia Wedding Photographer

So the first thing you’ve probably noticed is I have 3 sweater choices. I actually own option 2 so sticking with that means not having to buy another sweater. But I don’t know if the ruffles on the sweater will be too much when added to the ruffles on the camisole. I’m thinking they will which is why I like option 3 but of course that one is sold out in my size. I have the pink version of option 1 and I love it but again I’m worried that there are too many ruffles. I am welcome to suggestions and votes for a sweater in the comments below, help a girl out!

Onto the top, I saw this in the JCrew outlet last week and it is the perfect color, exactly what I was looking for!!! I love the ruffles and it fits beautifully. Wearing items with some kind of texture to them look great in photographs. You can overdo this but one item with a fun texture is usually perfect! I also already own a pair of the modern slim jeans from the same store and they too fit great. The darker color of the denim makes it look more dressy and when paired with the top I think it gives off a very elegant vibe.

I adore these sparkly sandals but alas they are not available in my size in that color but I will keep searching and I’m sure I can find something similar in the next two weeks. A french pedicure will be a must to go along with the sparkly sandals! Onto my cute little belt, I’ll be honest when I took it back to the dressing room I thought it was a hair thingy. I wasn’t completely wrong you can use it to tie back in your hair but you’ll need to clip your hair too if you want it to stay, it definitely works better as a belt. Finally we move to jewelry, my favorite part! I love this twisted chain with pearls necklace, very chic. I’m never sure how many necklaces to wear with something or what to pair with my outfit so I find looking at catalogs like JCrew and Anthropologie and seeing how the models are styled helps. I plan to look back through some catalogs and see what looks best paired with the ruffled top. Never forget to add in some cute accessories, they can be a fun belt like I have or a cute headband or hairclip. Etsy is a great place to find vintage and one of a kind jewelry and accessories. This is your perfect excuse to dress up a little more then normal and work it!!!

So you can see that I obsess over clothing choices just like my clients do and that is all for Outfit 1. I’m still deciding between a dress or a skirt for Outfit 2 and don’t even get me started on what to put together for David. He will probably be pretty basic in a polo and jeans but that is only because he will most likely shoot down any other outfit I come up with

So if you know of the perfect sweater to go with my outfit or you saw the cutest skirt last week and think I would look adorable in it then post away in the comments! Oh and if you know where I can find those sparkly sandals in a size 9 you will be my friend for life!!!!

All photos are from www.jcrew.com.

Contact Me | Portrait Portfolio | Wedding Portfolio | Find us on Facebook

no comments

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Love It! Hate It!: Thank You Notes & Comcast

Posted in Love It! Hate It!

Love It!

1. Thank You Notes! It made my day yesterday to open my mailbox and find a hand written thank you note from a June 2011 bride. I was already super excited to shoot her wedding next year and the note was just the icing on the cake! It is getting pinned up on my Inspiration Board!

2. Coupons! I have to say yes I’m one of those people that feel the need to use my coupons. Especially the 40% off coupons Ann Taylor Loft sends out. C’mon it is 40% off, who cares if I don’t need that new top it is a waste to not get it at 40% off. Thank goodness I have to battle Central Park to get to the nearest Loft or I would be in serious trouble. As it is I’m too lazy to drive the 30min. Oh and Michael’s 40% off, oh yeah I’ve used more of those then I could count in a lifetime probably. If I don’t have one I find one from Jo-Ann’s and they accept those too!!! I’m never paying full price for ribbon again lol! So yes if you give me a coupon I feel the urge to use it because it is a discount and I’m a programmed discount shopper. Anytime I purchase anything online I look for a coupon before I check out. Just saved 10% at the Container Store by taking an extra couple minutes to find a coupon!!

3. Dog Grooming Day! Today the girls get dropped off at Sitting Pretty Pet Salon where they do a fabulous job of grooming my girls. We participate in the shedless program which means when they come home and I hug them fur isn’t flying everywhere. Oh and they are soooo soft!!! Like want to cuddle with them all day and night because they feel so silky and soft. They come home with cute matching bandanas that I save and put on them whenever we have a party. Yes I’m that mom. Their appt today was purposely scheduled so they will not meet the Comcast man, see more about that in my Hate It! section. The last time the Comcast man was here the girls came up to the door so loud and fast he backed off the porch entirely! So instead they will be getting all dolled up and I get to collect the extra fur they’ve left behind at home. After today though we get about 2-3 weeks with no fur tumbleweeds around the house!

Hate It!

1. Comcast! Last week our internet just went down randomly during the day and they would reappear at night and early in the morning. While normally this would not be such an issue it is now that I’m working from home. It is amazing how important the internet is nowadays. My ordeal with Comcast has involved two appts, a week of spotty internet, them blaming my equipment and wanting to charge me $50 to troubleshoot. I bit the bullet and bought a new all in one modem and now my appt is for them to move it to my office and set it up for $21. Now if they leave today and I still have spotty internet I have to call them again and place a new ticket for them to troubleshoot my signal. While the customer service person I’ve talked to has been very nice it is the Comcast policies that are getting a big fail from me. This is the first time I’ve called them with an issue and it is taking a week to get any kind of resolution. Not very happy here Comcast!!!

2. Taking the Boat out of the Water! So not only is it sad to take our boat out of the water because it means not being able to use it but it is a pain. Really I should not complain too much, there aren’t too many sailboats you can trailer to the launch, setup and put in the water yourself. But it takes about an hour or so to setup/teardown and then you have to make sure you hit within an hour of high tide or you end up stuck on the dock. Been there done that! Oh and it has been so hot lately that I’ve never sweated so much in my life as when I do pulling the boat out of the water. You know that new Axe deodorant commercial, yeah I feel like that. EEEWWWWW!!! I hate being hot and I hate being soaked in sweat, I want my air conditioning. Next summer the boat goes in in May/June and won’t come out until Sept, we are getting a slip next year!!!

3. Dead Things! So I’m not going to go into all the details here but I can tell you my lovely kitten has taken to wanting to provide for the family. This involves dead things being brought home. Apparently she is very good at this judging by the number of dead things. Her outside time just got cut off!

Contact Me | Portrait Portfolio | Wedding Portfolio | Find us on Facebook

show hide 2 comments