Melissa E Photography

Rethinking Newborn Photos

2011-10-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

Me snuggling with Charlie. Can't you just feel that sweet, warm newborn breath?

With our little guy here, newborn photos have been on my mind. Over the past few weeks I have come across dozens and dozens of photos of newborns stuffed into, or propped on top of, every item you can think of. I've seen babies balancing precariously on guitars and motorcycles, stuffed into cowboy boots and crammed into gumball jars. Others have been tied up with bows, balancing on balls, and hung from nets.

I get it. Teeny tiny newborns are adorable when crammed into teeny tiny things.

But to all you mothers everywhere: can we please stop and think for a minute? In 50 years, when our newborn days are long gone, which photos are going to bring us back to this precious time and remind us what having a newborn feels like? Which photos will stop us in our tracks and get us right in the gut? The cute pictures of our baby in a pumpkin? Maybe.

But maybe not.

Part of me worries that all of these newborn props (especially pictures like one I saw last week of a baby's head coming out of a GLASS vase full of gumballs??) will be the matching denim of yesterday. Trendy as can be right now, but MIGHT make us cringe in 10 years.

Why don't we stop trying to manufacture beauty and capture the beauty that is already there?

But you know what this means right? You mothers are going to have to GET IN THE PHOTOS. I don't care if you feel chubby. I don't care if you have mascara strewn across your face or your hair is a mess. And TRUST ME your 80 yr. old self, or your children's children won't care either.

By all means, squeeze your newborn in whatever container you have lying around. But I beg you to please think about hiring someone to take some photos of you and your baby in your home snuggling, feeding and sleeping. As unpolished as it may be. Because THAT is what having a newborn is all about. Bed head and all.
I have a sneaky suspicion that your 80 yr. old self will want to thank me. Feel free to send me a thank you note in 40 years.

With a cookie.

Hello.

2011-09-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

What have I been up to?

Hanging out with this little man all day..

Welcome to the world, little one.

A Summer Day in the Life Session

2011-07-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

My Utah sessions kicked off with a Day in the Life Session with Christina. For those of you who wonder how these sessions go, PLEASE call Christina. She (and her family) are a joy to photograph. They relax and enjoy each other while I hover around with my camera.

I love:

Addie's sweet profile shot
The red chairs
Moving hair
Sam's thumbs
Addie spinning
Daddy zerberts
Baby grabbing his ear

Thanks for the great session guys!

Prepare Yourselves....

2011-07-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

#1. I am pregnant. Hooray! I'm due in September. Hooray again!

#2. We are getting ready to move across the country. Hooray for being employed! Boo for preparing for a 3,000 mile move while being the size of a small planet.

#3. I have approximately 7ish sessions to share with you. Prepare yourselves for some awesomeness, okay?

To my Utah clients: Thank you for the great sessions! I had a great time waddling around with you. Your images are the top priority on my to-do list. Anything that can get my mind off of packing is a great thing. :)

Kathy and Seb (Day in the Life)

2011-05-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

Kathy and Seb celebrated their 2nd anniversary a couple of weeks ago. They invited me over to photograph them making their traditional pièce montée. I had a lovely time spending the afternoon with them while they cooked together.
Sebastien is French and has a dreamy French accent. He also whips up crème brûlée and homemade cream puffs in his free time. He is also MARRIED, ladies.

Kathy is as sweet and warm as it gets. The two of them together multiplies the cuteness factor by 17.

I would love to take pictures of you in your home doing your thing. Especially if you feed me pastries. That doesn't hurt, now does it? :)

The Paxton Family

2011-05-02T11:09:00.001-07:00

Meet the Paxtons:

Aren't they pretty? I think I deserve a gold star for not posting every single photo from their session.

Esther (Durham Newborn Photographer)

2011-03-09T05:31:00.000-08:00

Meet Esther. She is two weeks old, has beautiful dark hair, and loves sucking on her tongue. (And watching her do so will melt you into a little puddle of goo.)
Esther's grandma made this dress for her. Amazing!

I love shooting newborns "as is." It tells the story of having a newborn much more effectively than black backdrops and angel wings. :)

(My apologies to any angel wing/black backdrop lovers out there. It's just not my style!)

Andrew+Holly (Durham Engagement Photographer)

2011-03-08T05:08:00.000-08:00

This morning Aaron and I woke up to a blood curdling scream.

Apparently, Luke (my 3 yr. old) snuck into Parker's room in the wee hours of the morning, snuggled up to him and started stroking his head.

Parker thought it was a robber and freaked. (Hence the screaming.)

If only all robbers wanted to do was stroke kids' hair!

Actually scratch that. That is equally disturbing.

And I don't think those kind of intruders are called robbers. Bleh. Moving on....
_____________________________

Andrew and Holly rock. It was so fun working with a couple with such a clear sense of their style.

I love that they chose the shoe shot to enlarge and hang in their new apartment.

I hope your day is robber/head stroking free!

Utah Sessions: BOOKED

2011-02-16T04:59:00.001-08:00

I just finished hammering out my Utah schedule and things have changed a bit. We have moved the mini sessions to the 18th. (Because you all have vacation plans.)

All of the sessions are booked, but if you would like to be put on a waiting list, let me know! I might be able to make room for one more Day in the Life. But you might have to bribe me with cookies...

Is it summer yet?

Pinky Swear (Durham engagement photographer)

2011-02-14T10:47:00.000-08:00

The best way to gear up for Valentine's Day is shooting an engagement session. It makes me love love. Nothing beats watching a couple open up in front of my camera.
I pinky swore that I would give Andrew and Hollie a sneak peak of these pics in exchange for showing me this cool place.
Much more to come!

Happy (Wake Forest Family Photographer)

2011-02-08T18:20:00.001-08:00

I stumbled upon these photos from a session last October. I wanted to wrap this baby boy up and take him home with me. How can these photos not make you happy?

I have two more Utah mini sessions left and ONE Day in the Life session.

Thanks to those of you who have already booked!

Utah, I'm coming!

2011-02-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

Thank your lucky homesickness! I'm coming to Utah. And I must be feeling the Utah love because I am offering some screaming deals. You're lucky I'm not holding the fact that you have access to Cafe Rio and Kneaders carrot cake against you.

I will be doing an evening of mini session on July 8th, and 2 Day in the Life Sessions on the 9th.

Check out the details:

Mini Session Times:
4:30 *Booked
5:10 *Booked
5:50 *Booked
6:30*Booked

Day in the Life Session times

10:00 *Booked

1:30

I'll cross off the times as you claim them.

(In the meantime, will you all go to Cafe Rio and eat some good grub for me? And then send me an e-mail describing the entire experience including all of the gory details?)
Thank you.

Today

2011-01-14T10:50:00.000-08:00

Today..

...my boys played with eachother for 40 minutes this morning before coming to get me in my room. For the THIRD time this week. This is uncharted territory people. I have had a little person pulling on me every morning (before 7am usually) for the past 5 1/2 years! Children who entertain themselves/dress themselves/ feed themselves breakfast without needing mom? Holy Moley, it's strange. And nice. With a little side of STOP GROWING UP SO FAST!!!

...my boys were beating on each other. I sent them to their rooms, but then had the brilliant idea to put them in each other's rooms and make them clean up each other's messes. Why have I not thought of this before? I have two clean bedrooms and two happy boys right now. Hooray! Now I'm kind of hoping one of them starts misbehaving. I have some toilets that need to be scrubbed.

...I'm still reeling from watching Inception last night. My mind was officially blown. And my dreams were beyond wild last night.

...I finished up our annual family video. Here she is for your viewing pleasure.
(embedded video)

Untitled from Melissa Englebright on Vimeo.

After doing slideshows for both of my extended families for Christmas, I am going on an iMovie hiatus.

...I am trying not to cringe every time I look at Luke's hair. Our haircut yesterday was going along swimmingly, until he decided it would be fun to try and karate chop my hand every time I snipped at a lock of hair. His hair went from looking long and blonde...
to a new bad haircut that looks short, dark(er) and oh so grown up. Parker even got upset and said that Luke doesn't even look like Luke anymore. After I heal from the emotional trauma I will post a picture of the new short do. Maybe. Or he might be wearing a hat for the next 3 months.

Happy 2011! I hope yours is off to a happy start!

A Classy Christmas (and why I love my 35mm lens)

2011-01-05T10:48:00.000-08:00

I pulled a ham out of the refrigerator on Christmas Eve. Aaron passed it during the day and was upset. "We have to order pizza like we did last year," he explained.

Remember last year? When we went to the zoo, got home too late to make dinner and ordered pizza? I was oblivious to the fact that that was the beginning of a Christmas Eve tradition. But it sounded fantastic, so I was happy to comply. I don't like ham that much anyway.

5:00 rolled around and we set off to get our pizza. Only no one wanted pizza anymore. No one. So I told my boys to name their favorite food and we could either make it or buy it. I should have known they would have wanted McDonald's happy meals. Curse them and their dang toys!

One hour later we were sitting around our table eating fast food by candle light. My boys with their happy meals, and me with my Arby's french dip sandwich and curly fries. How classy are we?
And guess what? We are going to do this every single year because our boys were in heaven. And I think it will be fun to see how it evolves over the years. One day I'm sure they will be requesting homemade cinnamon rolls or steaks from Outback. I am going to enjoy the Happy Meals while they last!

We had a small family night where we talked about Christ and bore testimonies. The boys exchanged their gifts and opened their pajamas and we all cuddled up and watched Home Alone.

Aaron and I waited for the big man in red to show up and I sneaked upstairs to grab a picture of my boys sleeping in the same room. (Something they don't normally do). Luke popped up after I had taken a picture and then plopped back down and went back to sleep.

(Okay people. Everyone is always surprised when I tell them the 35mm 1.4 L lens is my favorite lens. The next pic shows why!)Christmas was wonderful. Slow paced, with presents, a yummy breakfast, and visits with a few friends.
We even woke up the next morning to snow! Church was canceled and the day turned into Christmas take 2. Hooray!
(The pic on the left is another shot at 6am with my 35mm lens)

I hope your Christmas was a happy one!

The Blounts

2011-01-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

I am digging myself out of the Christmas mayhem. Be prepared for a smattering of posts.

Meet the Blount kids.

It was freezing.

They were awesome.

Happy 2011!

Snow!!

2010-12-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

One day my boys were playing outside in short sleeves. The next day we played in the snow. Hello cold snap! We were in heaven!

This cold weather is great for snow, but I'm am cursing it as I get up to go running in the morning. Maybe I should invest in some running clothes that provide more warmth than a hoodie cinched up so tightly that only my nose is sticking out...

Let the Christmas season officially begin!

Bini and Suchit (Durham engagement photographer)

2010-11-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

Bini and Suchit are two of the happiest people I have ever met. They actually apologized for smiling too much. They are getting married in India, but wanted some engagements here, at Duke gardens where they went on their first date.

Bini, you are gorgeous.

(FYI: If you smile too much, you might become some of my favorite clients. If I chose favorites.. which I don't. But if I did....)

Sisters

2010-11-27T10:17:00.000-08:00

There is nothing like sisterly love. Though I have more memories of my sisters giving me wedgies than I do of us hugging like this. :)

The Hairy White Elephant

2010-11-23T15:30:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for white elephant gift exchange parties. Hooray! Well, hooray for you. Not for me. I used to love white elephant parties. That is, until I gave the worst white elephant gift of all time.

Let’s back up.

Many moons ago I was a freshman at a small 2 year college. I was a choir nerd—meaning I spent 90% of my time at the music building and I was thought it was socially acceptable to randomly burst into song. 1/3rd of my choir time was spent in Show Choir. (Which multiplies the nerd factor by 5.)

I sauntered into my Show Choir rehearsal one day and heard my teacher in the middle of an announcement about our upcoming choir Christmas party. Part of the party included a gift exchange. Our instructor explained that the annual gift exchange had a reputation for hilarious and sometimes gross gifts. “One year,” she said, “a boy brought a lump a fudge that looked just like dog poop.” She ordered us not to spend any money and her only requirement was that we bring something funny.

Free, funny and a teensy bit inappropriate? I was all over it. Mr faux-poop was about to get schooled.

It took a couple of weeks to come up with the perfect gift. I was brushing through my hair when the idea hit me..

A hairball. A giant hairball!

I happened to lived on a floor with 24 girls. 24 girls = 24 hairbrushes full of hair! Brilliant, right? Pretty soon I had assembled the biggest/most gag inducing hairball on the planet.

I walked into our Show Choir Christmas party confidently. I placed my nicely wrapped package in the center of the room and anticipated the laughter that was sure to come.

We drew numbers and my classmates started picking gifts and unwrapping them.

Gift #1: An old candle. Lame.

Gift #2: Top Ramen. Double Lame

Gift #3: A Christmas CD. Whoops.. someone didn’t get the disgusting memo!

Gift #4: A miniature Christmas Tree. Brand new.

Gift #5: A Christmas Ornament.

Present after present was unwrapped and not a single present was gross. Every single gift was useable and most of them were downright NICE!

My stomach churned into a knot as Lisa stood up. Little Miss Lisa. The girl who brought the Christmas tree because she “didn’t want to be rude.” The girl who had never pumped her own gasoline. Dainty dancer Lisa who always looked perfect.

She picked my gift.

She picked MY GIFT!

I shifted in my seat.

She started to unwrap.

I considered running over and stealing it. (The gift giving was anonymous so I decided to play it cool.)

She opened the box with a smile. Her smile melted into a horrified grimace as she slowly pulled out my surprise and threw it across the room while screaming.

She thought it was a dead animal.

I prayed that the ground would open up and swallow me whole.

Unfortunately, anonymity flew out the window as my dirty rotten bright red face gave me away.

Please. Take some advice from someone who’s been around the gift exchange block a couple of times. Next time you go to one of these “parties” don't take a hairball. (You were thinking about it, huh.) Take something like the Snazzy Napper. It’s funny, it’s usable, and no one will mistake it for a dead animal.

Good luck.

Press Pause Please

2010-11-21T05:36:00.001-08:00

What the...

Is Thanksgiving really this Thursday? Isn't it still October? Holy Moly, this month has gone by fast. Having a traveling husband for the month sure makes things whip by.

I have approximately 245 sessions to share with you. They are coming, I swear!

Taking care of my boys all day by myself while Aaron was gone made me feel like Superwoman. Or a crazy lady.. depending on the day. There have been many, many nights lately where I have gone to bed wondering where my boys get all of their spunk. And then Aaron gives me a knowing look that implies that he knows exactly where they got all of their spunk.

I love that Luke is old enough to tag around with his big brother now. We are up to our neck in Star Wars and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

I have been on a reading kick that is rocking my world.

Fall is hanging on in North Carolina. I love it.

I miss my family. I do not miss snow.

This little man is growing like a weed. His fall clothes are already too small. Doh!
But good news: his camera smile is getting a little less crazy.
(But only a little.)

Happy Monday!

A knight, a princess and a dragon

2010-11-08T19:32:00.000-08:00

Hooray for creative friends who put together theme costumes for their kids! A dragon, a knight and a princess? How cute is this?

Carson took his role as brave night VERY seriously.

Maybe I'll come up with some super awesome theme next year for my kids. (Or... maybe I'll end up borrowing a costume hours before the big day like I did this year.)

Goodnight!

Ashley and Matthew (Durham Children Photographer)

2010-11-04T19:07:00.000-07:00

I love fields, backlight and cute kids. So this little session is a win/win/win.

Remember this little guy? One year older and he still has those killer cheeks.
I have approximately 40 pictures of him making faces like the pics below. Umm.. this is what you call an easy child to photograph.

Good night!

Cowgirls and Fairies

2010-11-02T19:18:00.001-07:00

Pretty please let me have girls someday so that I can dress them up like this. Aren't they cute?

Hansen Halloween Quickie

2010-10-28T11:35:00.001-07:00

The Hansens joined us for a quick 15 minute Halloween shoot. I love this picture so much of little Eliza that it hurts.

Here is the whole brood. Lucky for me, Luke is loving posing for pictures lately. Unlucky for me, his posed smile looks like this.. (on the left).
Every. Single. Time.

It's a bird! (Literally)

2010-10-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

Luke was supposed to be a monkey for Halloween. We tracked down a thick padded monkey suit, tried it on and practiced making him say "I'm a monkey!" for weeks.

Well, mother nature ruined our monkey plans by blessing us with 85 degree temps yesterday. Now I don't know about you, but if I was forced to trick-or-treat wearing a heavy monkey suit in 85 degree weather, I would feel anything but festive. In fact, I might start channeling crazy ape behavior and start attacking innocent bystanders.

Anyway...

Our friends had a Superman cape that they let us borrow last minute before our church's truck or treat. The costume is a little unfinished (I mean, he's not even wearing red underwear!), but he was happy as can be. And it really came in handy when we found a BIRD in our house and Luke scared it out the door while wearing his Superman cape. I was so proud.

our turtle had a little identity crisis.
Happy Halloween!

The Heaton Family Day in the Life (Durham Lifestyle Photographer)

2010-09-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

Warning: Do not read the following post if you have no desire to have kids. Looking at these pictures of Eddie and Lilly will make you want to reproduce. You have been warned. :)

One of my favorites..

I LOVE that they decided to enlarge this family pic of them on the porch.

I asked Cami to write a little bit about her Day in the Life session:

Cami said, "Our "Day in the Life" session was the perfect pick for our family. Melissa was in our home for a little over an hour just taking pictures of what we would do on a normal day around the house. We had a few things prepared that we wanted her to photograph us doing but we also did a few spontaneous things that we hadn't planned on. With our young children, it was wonderful to be in a place that was comfortable to them. The results are pictures where their expressions are natural and genuine. I loved that we didn't feel pressured to have everyone perfect and sitting still like we have in previous studio sessions. We were all so happy during and after Melissa's session. We also love having pictures of our home to preserve these wonderful memories we've had here."

I love Day in the Life sessions.

And I love the Heatons. :)

5 years old

2010-09-15T12:50:00.001-07:00

It's amazing how one little person can change you so dramatically.

6 years ago Aaron and I discovered that God wanted us to have a baby.

1 short year later, though a baby myself, I brought this fierce little spirit into the world.

After 5 short years, neither of us are babies anymore.

He has softened me. He has humbled me. He has helped solidify my mission here on earth.

And I am forever changed.
________________________

Happy Birthday to my (not so) little one!

You are smart, curious and hungry to learn.

You are dramatic.

You love people and adventures.

You stick your tongue in your cheek when you are shy.

You love being the center of attention.

You are timid about trying new things--mostly because you hate failing.

You do things in your time, and in your own way.

You do your hair and get dressed before 8 am every single day.

You are passionate.

You are loved.

And you are mine.

Happy Birthday.

Up Next and Availability

2010-09-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

This lovely lady's maternity session..

And another "Day in the Life" session!

I only have 3 more sessions open until the end of the year. Call me or e-mail me to snag one!

Baby Number 3 (Durham Maternity Photographer)

2010-09-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

I have been dying to share the images from this session. This family has such a sweet feeling about them and I loved spending time with them. How Kristen managed to look fabulous when it was 100 degrees outside is a mystery to me.

Baby #3 (named Cupcake by his older brothers) is on his way!

When you google "golden hour" I'm pretty sure these pictures pop up.

Parker's Birth Story (durham birth photographer)

2010-08-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness life has slowed down a little so that I can finally post these. I have been sitting on these for a few weeks, but wanted Ally to be the first to see them.

Can I give a little disclaimer? I do not expect new mommies to look perfect right after birth. (If you don't believe me, I will post my 4am mullet-y bed head pics to prove it.) But some people (like Ally) can't help it.

Can I shoot your babies birth? Pretty please? :)

I love him

2010-07-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

A Southern Wedding... sorta

2010-07-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Katie and Eric are two of the nicest, most interesting people I've ever met. When they won the mini session I donated to our church youth program, I was excited.

When I found out they wanted me to REDO THEIR WEDDING PICTURES my excitement turned to nausea. I am not a wedding photographer. But Katie's baaaad wedding pictures have been haunting her for 10 (TEN!) years.

I figured if anyone can make me look good as a wedding photographer, it's Katie and Eric. And if anyone can look as good as they did on their wedding day, it's Katie and Eric.

Well, see for yourself...
Katie, you are gorgeous.

The Magnolia trees were dreamy. These two are a couple of my favorites.

Thanks, guys. It was an honor to do this quick re-shoot with you. Now I am going to happy denial land where I pretend like you aren't moving in a week. :(

I love summer.

2010-07-15T05:28:00.001-07:00

50mm 1.2 vs. 35mm 1.4

2010-07-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

My wide angle L lens arrived in the mail last week. If I would have seen the UPS man when he dropped it off I think I would have hugged him. Actually, I'm not much of a hugger. So many not...

Anyway..

I started tinkering around with it in my front yard and was surprised at how hard it was for me to shoot so wide. I have been shooting with my 50mm for so long, that composing my images with a 35mm felt really strange. So strange, in fact, that I considered returning it and buying the 50mm L lens instead.

I took the new lens for a trial run with my boys last weekend.

The lens is sharp and unbelievably fast. The colors and contrast are both fantastic. BUT I still wasn't sure if it was worth the money.
Until I got this shot.
This is SOOC, shot at 8:00. In low light, this baby is a dream!
(My favorite part of this picture is the little blue blob on the front porch. That would be Luke. He was so terrified of anything with flames that he camped out on the porch the entire time.)

Now I'm sure that this lens is worth the money. But I still can decide if the 50mm L lens would be more versatile.

Any photogs care to weigh in?

(Don't tell me to buy both. My husband might have a heart attack, and I'm quite fond of him.)

Boys

2010-07-04T15:52:00.001-07:00

Luke has reached a crazy he-man stage. The kid is fearless! Luckily Parker is a gentle kid. Otherwise, Luke would be on the receiving end of some daily beatings.

Sometimes it's nice to know that between the constant reminders to..

take turns,
stop fighting,
don't throw cars at your brother's head,
be nice,
don't spit,
don't yell,
TIME OUT!
say you're sorry,
say it like you mean it,
be a good example,
be patient,
don't bite,
stop teasing,
let go of your brother's hair,

(to name a few..)

I get little glimpses that remind me that these boys really do like each other.

Now would you please remind me to look at these pictures the next time Luke is sitting on Parker's head?

Thanks.

28-75mm f/2.8 Tamron Lens For Sale

2010-06-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

I am selling this baby for $375. (Retails for $460)

The zoom range on this lens is great, and the 2.8 f stop is fabulous. It's a good little lens that I used part of the time when shooting my sister's birth story.

I just bought an L series lens with a 1.4 f-stop so that I can shoot in lower light situations with a little more wiggle room.

This lens is in perfect shape, and I only used it when my 50mm wasn't wide enough. (Probably only twice this entire year).

Shoot me an e-mail if you're interested!
melissaephotography@gmail.com

Good light, poodle hair, and baaad tan lines.

2010-06-28T04:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was lucky enough to escape to the beach with my family and some friends. I didn't dare bust my camera out on the first day, but we went to the beach at dusk and snapped a few pictures. I loved that the blues and grays of the ocean and sky made for a great blank canvas. I could have shot here all night long.

My family, the beach, AND amazing light? PLEASE! It doesn't get any better than that!

I got my haircut. The jury is still out as to whether I like it or not. Feel free to weigh in. Unless you think it looks like a poodle. If that's the case, then you can kindly keep your thoughts to yourself. :)

Aaron and I are working on a little booklet entitled, "How NOT to apply sunscreen." (And I thought my tan lines were bad BEFORE we went to the beach.)
Notice Aaron's poor red feet?

Happy Monday everyone!

A Day in the Felt Family's Life (Lehi Family Photographer)

2010-06-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

Christina and I became fast friends a couple of years ago after I accidentally flung a piece of BBQ'd meat into her purse.

Last December, as I started tossing around the idea of doing sessions in my client's home, I pictured Christina. I pictured her warmth, her depth, her sweet kids and her colorful house which is jam packed with charm.

I called Christina a couple of weeks ago to talk about our session and was pleased as punch to discover that her vision matched mine perfectly.

"I want you to follow us around and capture what we do every day," she said.

And we did just that.

I told Sam to go pick out his favorite dress up outfit and he picked a BEAUTIFUL pink dress. I told him to pick his 2nd favorite outfit and we ended up with this.

Something tells me this photo would have lost its effect if he was wearing a dress. :)

This is one of my new favorite pictures. We decided to take pictures of Christina with her baby. And this is what we ended up with. Every mother in the world can relate to this!

Thanks Felt Family!

Karly's Birth Story

2010-06-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

When my sister, Emily, asked if I would photograph Karly's birth I felt a rush of excitement and nervousness. I was thrilled at the chance of photographing a birth but worried that I would mess it up somehow. I worried that me being there would take away from Emily and Jeff's moment.

D-day came, and I was a mess of nerves. But my worries melted away as I watched my sister focus and wince through each contraction. I watched the concern on my brother-in-law's face and remembered that this was about them---not me. I moved to a level of photography that I've never reached before. A level where I was able to forget , for a moment, about f-stops and shutter speed. I became so immersed in the moment--in their moment-- that I forgot to feel like a 3rd wheel. I became a little fly on the wall (one very emotional fly on the wall) and watching the experience through my camera only magnified the experience.

It. was. incredible.

And luckily, I resisted my urge to yell out things like, "You're a winner!" and "Don't give up!"

(You're welcome.)

I hope you enjoy their birth story as much as I did.

Deserts are pretty too

2010-06-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

In one 2 and 1/2 week trip, we traveled to Salt Lake, Moab, Saint George and Burley, Idaho. I witnessed a birth and went to a funeral. Sound like a crazy trip?

It was sweet, crazy chaos and we can't wait to do it all again. (minus the funeral part).

I just love them. (Utah Family Photographer)

2010-06-16T20:49:00.001-07:00

Allison is one super-awesome female in one uber testosterone driven home. She also happens to be one of my most loyal clients. She is fabulous.
and so is her entire family.

I just don't think it's fair that one family hogs all of the beautiful eye genes.

Much much more to come from my Utah sessions!

Now I'm off to recover all of the personal pics that I accidentally deleted from my camera. Doh! Hooray for photo recovery software. Boo for delete happy users. (me)

Up Next: The Whitlock Fam

2010-05-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Nate graduated from Duke Law School and his wife (my friend) bought him a photo session as a graduation gift. Good idea, Amy!
(FYI: walking through a silent law library with squeaky sandals makes you feel like an idiot.)

More to come!

Kill me with cuteness (North Carolina Children's Photographer)

2010-05-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

Aubrey (North Carolina Children's Photographer)

2010-05-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

I can't get enough of this spunky girl.
Her wrinkly nosed scowl makes me want to squeeze her cheeks like an annoying old auntie. (Probably not the reaction she's going for.)

I think Park has met his sassy match, and it's a riot to see them bicker like newlyweds.

Peonies

2010-05-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

my new favorite flower...

My Zero (advice for photographers)

2010-04-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

I have received a lot of e-mail from other photographers asking how I achieve my style. I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to explain my inspiration and shooting philosophy. I wish I could spout off a handy list of tips and tricks, but I'm afraid it's much more complicated than that.

If I could offer ONE tip, I would say shoot what inspires you. Find your voice as an artist. Keep shooting and experimenting until you feel yourself swooning through the viewfinder.

To help you understand how I discovered my style, I'd like to introduce you to an artist who has inspired me.

Several months ago I stumbled upon a collection of portraits from Henri Cartier-Bresson. He was a french photographer from 1930s to the 1960s.

His work seems effortless and candid. His photos are timeless and I was very inspired by his work. Every single photo tells a story. (Like this portrait that is going for $19,000 right now. Dang!)

The foreward of this book explained a little about Cartier-Bresson's photography philosophy. He believed people should be photographed at their "zero." Natural and not posed.

I have thought a lot about this idea of shooting people at their "zero" and why it's so much harder than shooting posed photographs.

Think about it. When someone pulls out a camera, what do we do? We sit up straight, we hide parts of us we might think are unflattering and we give our practiced camera smile. No WONDER it looks fake. It IS fake! Breaking people out of this mode is SO hard. It makes people feel vulnerable and requires a tremendous amount of trust. And it requires PERFECT timing.

Cartier-Bresson said, "There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative," he said. "Oop! The Moment! Once you miss it, it is gone forever."

I keep the "zero" philosophy in mind every single time I pick up my camera. "Your life, through my lens" isn't just a catch phrase. It is my shooting philosophy. It is what inspires me.

(sometimes it backfires on me. Every time I point the camera at my husband he yells, "zero!" and gives me a serious face usually accompanied with nostril flare.)

This is the only pic I have where I feel like I am at my "zero". We were driving home from the beach. My boys were chattering in the backseat, my husband and I were taking in the North Carolina coastline, and I started to feel the prickle of a sunburn on my cheeks.
I was happy.
No make up, sandy hair, and my big roman shnoz front and center.
But you know what? It's ME.

Please keep in mind, you might be inspired by something totally different. You might love the elaborate set up and post processing of Nichole Van, or the urban, stylized photos from Angie Monson.

Whatever it may be, find your voice and stay true to it.

_______________________

I would love to hear your feedback, and keep the questions coming!

Easiest 20 Minutes (Durham Children's Photographer)

2010-04-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

of my life.

Either Iris is the most smiley little girl I've ever met, or I am hilarious. (okay, okay. she smiles like this for everyone.)
Either way, it's a win-win. She is edible-y adorable.

Utah Session Schedule

2010-04-22T15:20:00.000-07:00

Okay. We have finally hammered out our Utah trip schedule, and we are beyond excited. I can't wait to see everyone!

Sessions are 25 minutes long and include a full resolution disk of ALL of the images from your session.

Session fee (includes disk): $250

The first day of sessions will be on:

Saturday June 5th:

Mini "Day in the Life" sessions: (I have had a lot of people ask about these sessions. If you would like a full session, PLEASE let me know.)
10:00 *booked
1:00 *booked

Evening Mini Sessions at Wheeler Farm
5:15 *booked
5:50 *booked
6:25 *booked
7:00 *booked
7:35 *booked

Claim your time while they last! I will be crossing off times as I get comments and e-mails.

(St. George, I'm coming your way, but my trip there depends on when my sister goes into labor. As you can see, that's pretty tough to plan around. :) If you're interested and have a flexible schedule, we might be able to work something out!)

Kaylee: Age 2

2010-04-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

Could she be any cuter?
Shooting in JPEG instead of RAW is rocking my world.
These pictures are straight out of camera (and resized for web), people!

Claire (Durham Newborn Photographer)

2010-04-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

Sweet, sweet Claire.

10lbs of chubby goodness. Between hiccups, peeing, and eating combined with a tight shooting schedule, we only got about 30 minutes of actual shooting time. It turns out 30 minutes was all we needed. She is beautiful.

Birth Story Models Needed!

2010-04-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

my pretty sister.. shot with my old Rebel

Hello everyone,

I'm on the lookout for more birth story models. My last one didn't work out because the momma's labor went so fast.

(For the record, I will GLADLY sacrifice photographing your babe if it means your labor is quick and easy!)

Models get the session fee waived ($150), and a $25 gift print.

I promise we will make those hospital gowns look good! :)

And if you decide to get pregnant JUST so I can shoot your birth, I promise I will give you a spectacular gift. In 9 months.

_____________________________

I need one more "Day in the Life" model as well. (Session booked, thanks for the interest!)

Spread the word, and I'll love you forever!

Composition 101

2010-04-02T05:19:00.000-07:00

I talk too much.

I blame it on being the youngest in a family of 9. (When hanging around 6 loud, funny, crazy siblings, one learns to speak up in a crowd.)

Fortunately, for me (unfortunately for everyone else), my body takes the energy of a group and multiplies it exponentially until I'm a complete spaz. Consequently, I usually wake up the morning after a girls' night feeling the need to call everyone and apologize.

Also, my brain lacks a filter. You know.. the filter that sorts out stories that might be inappropriate, uninteresting, or not relevant? Yeah.. I'm pretty sure mine is gone.

For example, someone might be talking about having trouble with their cell phone plan, and I'll launch into a story about the time I answered the phone like Chewbacca when Aaron's prospective boss was calling him about a job interview. (He got the job.. don't worry.)

You can imagine my feelings about teaching. I LOVE it. Really. But I'm always worried that the thrill of it might send me over the crazy edge.

This week I taught a composition 101 class for a youth group from my church. I'm happy to report that it was all fun, with no crazy attached. It was thrilling, actually. Watching the girls GET IT when I was talking about good light vs. bad light was priceless.

I didn't touch these pics in photoshop. Good light doesn't need to be fixed!!
So watch out, world. More photo classes to come.

I absolutely loved it.

Sunday Clothes (Durham Family Photographer)

2010-03-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

umm.. he is FOUR people. Not fourTEEN.
Hope your Sunday was great!

What I saw today... SPRING! (North Carolina Photographer)

2010-03-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

Spring has been sneaking its way into our lives, and we couldn't be happier to see her come. I got a SUNBURN this week, people. Hooray!

We are going to attempt to plant a garden this year. Thank you, nice little nursery man, for not laughing at me when I said, "I'm looking for some...organic..........stuff." This is going to be harder than I thought.

I spied these little pretties outside my window today. I don't know what kind of tree this is, but I sure want one when I grow up.

Has spring made it to you yet?

Beach and updated button(North Carolina Family Photographer)

2010-03-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

ahhh... nothing beats being at my favorite place with my favorite people.

You know what I love about my man? I casually mention how much I would love living by a beach, and he spends the next week researching job opportunities on the coast.

Beach or no beach..I'm a lucky girl.
__________________________

For those of you who have asked about my new button (ahem.. Katie), I finally updated it! Click on the button link on the linkbar or go here. The button is 230 px. wide. Let me know if you have any problems adding it. :)

A Lazy Beach Town in NC

2010-02-25T13:26:00.001-08:00

My parents came to visit for a week and we stumbled upon the sweetest, laziest little beach town I've ever seen. A lady at the visitor's center handed me a map and told me "we better get goin' cause everything in town closes 'bout five." At five? Really? I wanted to give her a hug right then and there.

But I didn't. Because that would have been weird.

Enjoy the first installment of pics. I had a little love affair with the black and white.

At one point we found ourselves on a ferry and had no idea where it was going. It was one of the most exciting moments of my life. I wanted to steal this phone and take it home with me. (And I know Utah isn't exactly a beach town, but I had NO idea you could drive your car onto a ferry. Cool!)

We love you, lazy little beach town.
More pics to come!

Power of Moms

2010-02-13T18:22:00.000-08:00

Here it is--Valentine's Eve and I am parked at the computer blogging. Aren't you flattered? No worries, the hubs and I decided to celebrate last night, and I'm a happy, very loved, girl.

Speaking of love.. I submitted some photos to powerofmoms.com They have designed a website dedicated to mommas, and need some photos. I submitted these five photos,

Happy Heart Day!

A Day In the Life.. (North Carolina Lifestyle Photographer)

2010-02-10T07:58:00.001-08:00

I have been dying to share these pictures of the Rutledge family. We had a great time hanging out at their house and taking pics. We ventured outside for a few shots.
Ashley, you are gorgeous.
This little girl had every word of this book memorized. A-MAZING.

See? Home sessions can be fun AND beautiful.

Pinky, Meet Frida

2010-02-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we were snowed in. 8 inches of snow might not seem like a lot, but here in NC.. it's unheard of.

I thought I would take this awesome opportunity of hermithood to grow out the brows a little. Have you ever plucked your brows into oblivion? Well, my little brows needed a reshape, and I knew it wasn't going to be a pretty process. So our snowed in weekend kicked off my brow growing fest. Woohoo!

Well.. this weekend brought another little surprise. I admit it.. I STINK at washing my face at night. (Does doing a wipe down with a baby wipe count?)

Well, one night I started rubbing my mascara laden eyes, and ended up irritating it. The next day I looked like this...
Frida Khalo and Pinky here are getting along swimmingly.

This I know for sure,

Frida Khalo
+
Pinky
+
Winking
+
Fro
+
Joseph T-shirt that I have owned since I was 12
=

Hot Buttered Seduction on a Stick.

Hey, I look like I'm missing my right arm!

Up next on the ol' blog..
This sweet home session,
and some personal work,
Have a happy week!
May it be free of pink eyes and uni brows!

Fireman (North Carolina Lifestyle Photographer)

2010-02-02T05:01:00.000-08:00

Through the Window..

2010-01-31T19:18:00.000-08:00

..on a snowy day.

UTAH...

2010-01-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

with her mountains and valleys.. (Did anyone else have to sing that song in 5th grade?)

Well, everyone, we are thrilled to announce that we are flying to Utah in June! Hooray! I will definitely be doing as many sessions and I can squeeze in.

I am taking a vote on my facebook fanpage (You're not a fan yet? What!?) right now to see if ya'll prefer mini sessions or fulls. You can head there now and vote! I will start scheduling next week.

If you spread the word, I will give you a kiss or a cookie. Your choice.

I can't WAIT to see you all.

Luke is really sad that we have to wait 5 months.
(ok, really he was scared of some pigs, but whatever.)

Get on over and vote!

PS. I'm still looking for one more baby, and possibly one more family for my portfolio building project (50% off session AND prints). Shoot me an e-mail if interested.

Happy Monday!

Portfolio Building Discount (50% off)

2010-01-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

Hi All!

I am shaking things up around here and reorganizing the pics on my website. I need to build up a couple of my portfolios to reflect my current style.

Here's where you come in.

My "Portfolio Building" sessions come with a 50% discount on the session fee AND proofs.

I am looking for a family who would be interested in an indoor session. It will be REALLY kicked back and I will pretty much be your personal paparazzi for a day... documenting those simple, beautiful moments that never get professional attention. (Cooking with your fam, wrestling, dancing, brushing teeth, etc.) I am going for a very timeless and organic feel and my mind is exploding with ideas. We may poke around your house and yard a bit as well.

I am also looking for a baby that will be born within the next few months. I am open to doing a session in the hospital (for as much of the experience you are comfortable with me being there!) I will be tasteful, I promise. Think along the lines of Jonathan Canlas's Birth Stories. If you would prefer an in home session when the baby is a couple of days old.. that's great too.

If you have no idea what style I'm talking about.. check out a few pics I've taken of my brood over the past few weeks.

Traditional? Not at all. But these pics tell stories that I want to remember forever.

If you are interested in a session, please comment and tell me a little bit about yourself. E-mail me if you have any questions! melissaephotography@gmail.com

Good night!

2009

2010-01-02T16:07:00.000-08:00

Our year in pictures.

2009 from Melissa Englebright on Vimeo.

Mission Accomplished

2010-01-02T07:23:00.000-08:00

They kept the secret! Can you believe it? And I conveniently ran into Darcy about 258 times in November and December and didn't spill it. Hooray!

My Inspiration

2009-12-12T06:33:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, when I decided to start taking my photography seriously, I started subscribing to every photography blog I stumbled upon. 6 months (and 120 subscriptions later), I was inundated with new ideas and inspiration on a daily basis.

My main goal was to please my client. If they liked funky, I could do funky. If they wanted backdrops and props, I was all over it. Because a happy client is always a good thing, right?

I wanted to shoot families in a classic, commercial Audrey Woulard style,

with Blue Lilly spunk and color pop,

and Tara Whitney charm.

Newborns were going to be shot like Baby as Art. Hanging from trees and squished up into little baskets.

I planned on taking the best parts from every photographer and squeezing them into the Melissa E brand--all while pleasing my clients' tastes.

You know what? I was wrong.

Instead of inspiring me, my giant list of "inspirations" made me second guess the most important part of being an artist--my instincts. I felt overwhelmed and my style became watered down.

I didn't realize that focusing on pleasing other people would lead to uninspired work. My work lost its soul, and my images didn't come from an honest place. And it showed. I got bored and burned out. I knew that in order for me to be happy as a photographer, something had to change.

The first thing I needed to change was my goal. Though I still wanted to please my clients, I only shot that which inspired me. I pushed, changed, and redirected until I felt myself swooning through my viewfinder. I started to trust my style and I trusted my heart. Though I realized this would alienate some clients, I started to be okay with that. It actually felt really good to say things like "if you love Walmart portraits, you're probably not going to like me." My work became more about the art and less about the money. Consequently, I started feeling inspired again.

Over the past year, I have approached my work differently. I realize now that the images I capture are a reflection of myself; that photography is (or should be) deeply personal.

Last week I deleted over 100 subscriptions from my reader.

From now on, it's me, my camera, my life as a wife and mom and my clients to inspire me.

And I can't wait.

The following pictures are personal to me. Obviously they tell a story about the subject, but what most people don't realize is that they tell a story about me too.

Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for letting me into your lives, and letting me be inspired by you and your family.

2010 is going to be a really great year.

Baby Preece (Durham Newborn Photographer)

2009-11-30T05:03:00.000-08:00

I was able to take pics of sweet baby Matthew last weekend. He was only 2 1/2 days old. He was perfect, and Jenny rocked it. (To my future mommy clients... don't you dare cringe when I tell you I want a few shots of you with your baby. They always end up being my favorite shots!)

Foot-in-mouth (Durham Family Photographer)

2009-11-10T11:03:00.001-08:00

Disclaimer: During our session I will most likely say something that either embarrasses you or embarrasses me. (Hey- don't judge. I suffer from foot-in-mouth disease.) The good news is that the result almost always leads to genuine laughter which makes for great photos.

I told myself I wasn't going to edit today, but I uploaded these babies and couldn't help myself.
It's a good thing Cody and Marissa are my friends, because I made some really awesome jokes that embarrassed both of us. :)

What I saw today...

2009-10-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Shhhh! (Durham family photographer)

2009-10-26T17:59:00.001-07:00

I am the worst secret keeper. The WORST! Every single time I have bought a present for Aaron that is supposed to be a surprise, I crack on day one.

Imagine my dismay when Kellie called me and explained that she wanted to kid nap her neices and nephew, do a photo shoot, and surprise her sister (Darcy) with the pics on Christmas. Christmas! Do you realize how far away that is?

Well, I loved the idea and we started planning. I figured I would be able to keep a secret for once in my life, since I had never met Darcy.

Guess who I sat next to during my book club last week? Guess who I chatted with for an hour? Darcy! Well, you know me and secret keeping. Every single thing we were talking about led to a conversation in my head about my impending top secret photo shoot.

"Oh, you lived in Germany?" (I bet you got some awesome pictures there. Speaking of pictures...)
"Don't you love living by your sister now?" (Well, I happen to know that your sister loves that you live here too.. in fact she just bought you a photosession-with ME!)

Man-oh-man I was a mess. But I didn't crack. Kellie I owe you one. I think I just had a breakthrough!

Also, I owe you for bringing these umbrellas.
The best jumping picture I have ever taken

Merry Christmas!
(And to all of you who know Darcy.. SSHHHHH! If I can keep a secret, you can too!)

The Hales (Cary Family Photographer)

2009-10-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

I was able to shoot my first session in Cary, NC last weekend. It was BEAUTIFUL! As so was this family.

I love doing family pictures at clients' homes. I love it even more when they have beautiful yards!

I helped this little man snap a few pictures, and I think this one is so cute. Can't you tell how much his parents and grandparents love him?
Thanks guys!

Aaron is on Fall break this week (Can I get an hallelujah?) so we are taking a mini trip to DC. I will return E-mail when I get back next week. Have a good weekend!

Hello, Butner (North Carolina Family Photographer)

2009-10-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Today I was able to shoot some family pictures in Butner, NC. (Unfortunate name, pretty place!)

Chris and Sarah were some of the first people we met here. They made us feel right at home and helped us not feel like such nerdy Utahns. (Which is pretty remarkable, considering that is exactly who we are.)

Sarah, I told you I couldn't help but start working on these!

Giveaway! (Nominations needed)

2009-09-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

Fact #1: Aaron and I are living the good 'ol grad school life. (Which means we have the privilege of living off of good 'ol grad school loans. blah.)

Fact #2: We really want to do something special for a family for Christmas this year.

Do you see how these facts work against each other?

Aaron and I have decided to give away a couple of sessions to some families who could not otherwise afford pictures. This includes a full session, a disk of the full resolution images, and a mounted enlargment.

This is where you come in.

I am hoping that some of you are aware of some families in need this year. As you know, we are new here. And I don't feel like I can find really deserving families all by my lonesome. We need some help!

I will be gathering nominations until November 1st. E-mail your stories to melissaephotography@gmail.com or list them in the comments. Please tell us about the nominated family, and why you feel like they are deserving of a free session. And we would really appreciate it if you could help us spread the word!

Nominees can be anywhere in North Carolina, Washington DC, Utah and some cities in Virginia.

Please e-mail me at melissaephotography@gmail.com if you have any questions. I can't WAIT to hear your stories.

Thank you!

Button Take Two

2009-09-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I hate HTML. I could swear right now, but instead I think I will calmly make you aware of the fact that the button thing should be working now. (Thanks for the e-mails letting me know it was jacked up.)

Now if you'll excuse me.. I'm going to pound my head against the wall. :)

Button

2009-09-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to add my button go to page elements and add a gadget. Add the html/javascript gadget and copy the code below. Tada! Button added. Easy as pie.

Thanks, and good day. :)

Jeans make me weepy

2009-09-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, as the kids and I were getting ready to go to the playground, I thought I would poke my head outside to see how hot it was. I was shocked to feel a COOL breeze. Almost NIPPY, I tell ya. (Durham, we can be friends again. Humidity is doable when it's only 70 degrees outside. Hallelujah!)

Park was stoked because he got to wear his new super cool jeans. My heart dropped when I saw him wearing them. How can he look two years older just by putting on a pair of jeans!?

Last night I held him in bed and asked him to stop growing. He told me he had to grow up so that he can be a cowboy, but not a cowboy that marries girls. Just a cowboy that doesn't marry girls.

Tomorrow he will be wearing shorts.

Operation Sunflair

2009-08-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I am having a love affair with back light and sun flair. It's so romantic and gives a feel to a picture that nothing else can. I LOVE it.

Tonight my boys and I went to the park and I decided to experiment with shooting into the sun wide open. (at f/1.4 on my 50mm lens).

(And let's face it.. after reading Parker this book and hearing him trying to convince Luke that he should be a dog all afternoon, we needed a break!)

Two things that I learned:

#1. It's dang hard

#2. I still stink at self portraits

(note to self: give boys a haircut!!)

I'd love to see your sunflair and back lit experiments. E-mail me or comment if you have some to share!

Watermelon (Triangle Area Family Photographer)

2009-08-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

Inspiration usually hits me last minute. I can brainstorm and research all the live long day, but my big ideas almost always hit me an hour or two before a session. Can someone teach me how to rewire my brain so I have a little more notice?

Today I bought a watermelon. As I sliced it open and smelled it's sweet smell, I thought of one thing:

summer.

I called Kim up and told her I had some ideas and we needed to change some things about our session tonight. Can I just say how grateful I am that (for some reason) people trust when I start throwing something together last minute? THANK YOU!!

We changed locations and I changed the vision I had for our session. All because of a big, juicy watermelon.

We had one grassy field,

a little rocking chair,

bugs,2 cute kids,

yummy overcast lighting,

and one, big, juicy watermelon.

I love summer.

The end.

Bare Feet (Durham Family Photographer)

2009-08-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was able to shoot my first family session in downtown Durham. The A family was so great. Relaxed and kicked back and SO my style.

Katie called me before the session and said, "we don't have shoes.. is that going to be okay?" I laughed and told her it would be fine.

Well get this. You know that small and crazy population of Americans who run because they enjoy it? Their only reason for subjecting themselves to running is NOT because their arteries are begging them to exercise before they die of a massive stroke? (like yours truly).

Well meet Eric. He just ran a marathon.
Barefoot.
And Katie is getting in on the barefoot running too.
I think it's pretty fitting that they forgot shoes.

Enjoy the preview, you crazy, awesome athletic people! :)

I'm not sure if it's a good idea for me to take pictures of adorable baby girls like this. I want one... (shhh... don't tell Aaron.)

I was setting up a different shot when I looked over and saw this. I love it.

Grandpa

2009-08-12T06:22:00.000-07:00

A week before I flew out, I was able to spend some time with my 95 yr. old grandpa.

Here he is talking about how much Heber has changed over the years,
And this is the wall full of people who love him. He is probably the sweetest, most loving person I have ever known. If I grow to love Aaron half as much as he loved my grandma, I think we will end up very happy.

Hello, North Carolina.

2009-08-12T06:03:00.000-07:00

We are here. And %100 totally and completely unpacked. I must say, I have mad packing and unpacking skills. And we are really liking North Carolina.

We are living in this house:
With this porch swing:
Charming, no?

For the next few days be prepared for a smattering of random posts. Our adventures here, along with some shots taken in Utah.

CONTACT and INVESTMENT

2009-07-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

Melissa Englebright is a lifestyle photographer,

photographing

families, children, seniors, couples and birth stories

in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and the surrounding areas.

Call

919-316-8308

or e-mail

melissaephotography@gmail.com

session fees start at $100

The session fee covers the time and talent of the photographer.

The session fee does not include the cost of prints.

Gift prints start at $20 and packages start at $275

Please contact me for complete pricing information.

winner, winner!

2009-07-20T06:18:00.000-07:00

I know it's a little cheesy and I know my teeth look like Mr. Ed, but hey.. we are what we are. I just ordered a 16x20 float wrap of this little baby. Thanks for the votes!

Jensen Kids (Durham Children Photographer)

2009-07-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce you to some of my little boy's best friends. Allie, Jack and Jim. We are going to miss these kids so much! I'm think I'm going to print one of these off for Parker.
I love watching little girls princess it up. Allie loved the "enchanted forest."Thanks Di. The kids were great. (Especially considering the 4,930 other people there that night!)

Why Hello There..(Durham Family Photographer)

2009-07-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

Would you believe that I am posting these previews after I finished proofing the sessions? I'm on a freaking roll, people!

Meet Hollie and Grant:
Cute, fun couple who are hoping to adopt baby #3.

Meet Hollie and Grant's family: Cute, right?I volunteered to take this little dude home.

Thanks guys!

My Sisters' Pics

2009-07-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

Do you want to know what rocks about taking pictures for my family? I can show up in spandex capris and no one cares. Ahh... sweet stretchy goodness.. Hey. Don't judge. You should see the positions I get myself into!

Thanks family!

Our Little Familia

2009-07-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Aaron and I (okay.. maybe not Aaron) decided it was time to take some updated family pictures. I decided I would shoot a mini session of my friend's family in exchange for setting up my own shots and having her click the shutter. (Holy cow. I underestimated how hard this is!)

Here are a couple of my favorites from their session.

Our first round of pictures was not good. Luke was tired and grumpy, and it turns out Park had to pee the whole time. No WONDER he was so wiggly. After 10 minutes of whining, yanking and threats we bagged it. My sessions are usually pretty fun and I was so bummed that ours was an ornery nightmare.

We ended up with 2 decent shots.

#1.

#2
Round 2 (two days later) was a million times better. We took 10 minutes to get ready and had happy kids, happy hubby and a relaxed momma. I never thought my first re-takes would have to be my own!

#3

#4
#5
Thanks for taking these, Leanna! You rocked the focus and were shooting almost wide open. I knew you were a closet photog!

#6
(The only downside was that my hair was a little bit orphan Annieish on day two. It was humid, okay? Ah, well!)

Vote for your favorite and I'll give you a cookie!

Have a good day!

Up Next...

2009-06-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

Cuuute.
I'll post more soon!

Park's "Just Be"

2009-06-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation from yesterday's "Just Be" post. Park was his usually spazzy self. This kid knows how to pull some crazy looking faces when I pull the camera out. My biggest challenge is distracting him from posing weird and getting him to be normal!

Look at this. I didn't even know he knew how to make this face! Freaky.

On to the goods...

Just Be

2009-06-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a wall of pics for our house for the past few night. Last night I scanned through our pictures and got frustrated. I have a million pictures of our kids, but only a few of them together, and none of them reflect the little boys that they are.

For the past few months I have been trying to change the focus of my photography. I'm tired of portraits that look perfect, but don't reflect reality. As a photog, this has meant I have had to let go of a little control and embrace spontaneity and imperfection. It's harder than I thought it would be, but I am loving the payoff. My last family session was one of my favorites and I felt like I relaxed and just let the family be themselves.

Today I set out to take some pictures of my boys the way I want to remember them. I'm not going to remember them smiling unnaturally into a camera.

Right now I want to remember the way Luke says, "dis!" and points at everything around him. I want to remember his curiosity and wonder and craziness.

I want to remember Park's spunk. I had a wardrobe all planned in my head and guess what? Park didn't wear ONE thing that I wanted him to wear. And I let go of my control and told him to wear whatever he wanted. (After hiding the "happy 90th birthday grandma" t-shirt that he wants to wear every day.. baby steps people!)

Unfortunately, I'm not crazy about these pictures. Our first spot was too sunny so we drove around until I found another spot. Next time I not going to a place surrounded with birds, cars, and trains. You can imagine how awesome it was to try and get my boys to pay attention to each other when there was that much going on!

But I'm getting closer. And these pictures reflect my boys better than any other pictures I've taken. I'm just going to wait until Luke isn't in a Tasmanian devil phase and try again. :)

I know.. I can't stand when people spell words wrong on purpose. But I love the color!

I am laughing out loud

2009-06-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

as I sort through my session with this family. They were putty in my hands and so so fun! It is the best feeling in the world to sense that a family is relaxed in front of my camera and completely comfortable just being themselves.
I am in LOVE with this picture with all its sun flairy goodness..
Now do you see why I'm laughing? This was towards the end and I told them to do whatever they wanted.
I love that they requested the blue wall. It never gets old to me.
I love this picture. The girls are posing away and Sam is like, "hey are we done yet?"

I can't wait to edit more and put them up here. You're going to love them Stephanie!

Thanks, H Fam!!

Kaylee (Utah Children's Photographer)

2009-06-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

This morning I had a mini session with the lovely Ms. Kaylee. She is only a month younger than my little boy and it was so funny to see the difference between girls and boys. For example, I don't think Luke would ever stop to admire his footwear. :)

Check out her loooong eyelashes.
Thanks Marissa! Kaylee was great!

A few more

2009-06-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

from my session with the S fam. :)

My Heroes

2009-05-31T20:52:00.001-07:00

I met Ashley 20 years ago when she moved into my neighborhood. (Ash, can that be right? 20 years!?) We became fast friends and I refuse to believe it had anything to do with our trampoline that Ashley adored, and everything to do with my dazzling personality. Regardless, this girl has stuck by my side through everything. And I mean everything. And to this day Ash and her mom are a couple of my heroes.

I was able to take pics of Ashley's family yesterday. (While dodging a random downpour in Murray. What the...)

I called Ash and told her we were going to have to ditch our first location and I would think of something great as I drove to her house. (This is so not like me. I usually get to my spots 30 minutes early to check things out!) I remembered a little field a few minutes away from their house and lead the entourage while praying to high heaven that it was still alive.

It was alive (mostly) and worked out perfectly. Phew! I have a lot more to post, but wanted to get a few up tonight.

Good luck choosing one of Brookey. I'm pretty sure every single one is this cute.
When I got home, Parker came out to greet me looking like this.
Who says band-aids don't work for bloody noses!? :)

Love you, S Fam!

Oh, Fer Cute

2009-05-19T21:30:00.001-07:00

Did anyone else's grandma say "for cute" on a regular basis? Man, I miss my grandma!

Today I was able to shoot a couple of mini sessions with these cute kids.

I want this print in a giant canvas.

Do you guys remember this little guy? It's amazing how much a baby can change in 7 months!

And here is proof that I am always able to work my magic with kids.
Sorry Allison! It was too cute not to post! :)

5 or 6 Sessions Left

2009-05-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to let you all know that I only have 5 or 6 spots open before I move 2,000 miles away.

Call me and we will talk. (About a session, that is. I am pretending like the moving 2,000 miles away part isn't happening yet.)

Good Day.

The Deets

2009-05-08T20:43:00.000-07:00

Here are a fewe of my favorites from Scott and Christina's wedding. I hope I captured just how happy they are. They had to have had some sore cheeks going on. Smiling this much takes a lot of energy!
I got to hang out with these cool people all day:

Gotta give a shout out to my rock star second shooter! Les was SO awesome and calmed my crazy nerves down.

Congrats guys! I can't wait for you to see the rest!

Scott and Christina (Married!)

2009-05-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

I had to get a picture up here today to prove to everyone that I survived my first wedding. It was great. A beautiful day with a beautiful family. And maybe.. just maybe.. I'll do it again. :)

We are nerds...

2009-05-06T11:13:00.000-07:00

Last Friday my mom and sisters and I got together for a super fast mother's day mini session. Though it was really fun, I learned some disturbing things about myself.

Here is our before pic. I'm only looking like big bird a LITTLE bit here.

Seriously.. Tara (on the left) and I are the same height.. why do I look so tall?

Now tell me if you pick up on a recurring theme in the next pictures. And just in case you don't know who I am.. I am the crazy ape looking one on the right.

I love that Em and Steph look like they are about to drop a brick. :)

Unfortunatly, my memory card went crazy and a lot of the files corrupted. But I promise you that I looked like an angry ape in every single one of them. Why can't I jump with a normal expression on my face?

And who says white girls can't jump!?

Kelcey and Ben

2009-05-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I found myself emotionally and physically drained. A and I have learned that moving across the country is not for the faint of heart! (Have I mentioned I'm moving to NC? Well, I'm moving to NC in 3 months.) We have had some looong nights and busy days as we've tried to hammer out the logistics of moving across the country.

Thursday night I had a session with Kelcey and Ben. I secretly worried that I wouldn't be able to pull anything from my fried brain and I wondered if the inspiration would flow as usual. My work is very personal to me, and I usually come home from sessions mentally exhausted.

It was a tender mercy from God to work with these two for a couple of hours!

Can I tell you something terribly cheesy? I teared up when I looked through my viewfinder and saw this shot. (Sleep deprivation makes me emotional, okay?) I just love how peaceful and happy she is in her fiance's arms. Beautiful.

I came home from this shoot feeling more energized than ever and feeling grateful for my job.

Thanks you Kelc and Ben!!