She said yes! She said yes!

What fun I had shooting this adorable couple.  We flew out to San Diego to get some beach shots because they really REALLLLLY love the beach… and HELLO San Diego! The beaches there are gorgeous, as well as all the other venues we drove through…we shot on the beach near the cove (the cave?? what was it?? It was gorgeous, whatever it was!)…. the old “barrio” neighborhood (and had some FABULOUS marlin tacos from a great little taco vendor on the street)….Balboa Park (LOVED it!)… etc. etc. etc.

So many great shots that show their personality – they are full of laughter and love, and were a total pleasure to work with.  Can’t wait to shoot their beach wedding in a few months!

Other photographers dread family sessions. So many people, expressions, attitudes, and such. Pshaw on that, says I! Sure, family portrait sessions can be intimidating and serious and stuff but not with Priceless Reflections by Melissa! We have F*U*N!

I do believe we have a future golf pro in the making here. Love capturing his serious expression and concentration.

A little brotherly love… say it with me now… “awww…” and their sweet, rough and tumble, wee one.

Daddy, best get your shotgun ready now. One day she’ll leave her glorious princess bedroom for a date with Prince Charming. She’s already a heartbreaker!

This little princess has been a Priceless Reflections by Melissa client since she was just a few days old. I’ve had the pleasure of watching her grow and the honor of documenting her life through portraits for her family. On this day, she was real trooper and full of laughs, giggles, and that batting eyelashes look that every little girl seems to master to get what she she wants.

Recognize her from the top of the Smugmug site where you view your images after the session? She’s growing up!

I can’t leave my Ohio peeps out of a contest so let’s do something a little… different. Send me your favorite FUNNY FACE snapshots. The ones you’re going to embarrass little Tommy with at his high school graduation, the one of your husband singing into a brush in the bathroom mirror, kids sticking their tongues out at the camera, you get the idea. The winner gets a session with moi and one to gift to a friend as well.   Same details as the PHX Kahn-test (details above)… the deadline for submitting images is TUESDAY JUNE 15th .  Send the images to Melissa (melissa@pricelessreflections.com)  with the subject line: FUNNY FACE …. images will be posted on the blog for Joe Q Public to vote on… and the winner receives a FREE FREE FREEEEE session with ME ME MEEEE during my next Ohio trip (9/30-10/7).  So let’s see those funny faces!

It’s time to show me your favorite summer places in/around Phoenix. Submit snapshots of your family enjoying the best of what Phoenix has to offer in the summer and you’ll have a chance to win a full Priceless Reflections by Melissa session AND a session to gift to a friend. Is it the pool? DC Ranch? Free movies? Water Park?

Here’s the 411:  send in your photos to Melissa (melissa@pricelessreflections.com) with the subject line: PHXKAHNTEST.  All photos must be submitted by TUESDAY JUNE 15th. Start sending them today! (Today! Today!)  The photos will then be placed on the Priceless Reflections Bloggity-Blog (www.pricelessreflections.com/blog)  for the general public to vote (that’s when you quick forward that link to ALLLLLL your friends, family, postal workers, nurses, and hair stylists).  Voting will be open for one week (one vote per ISP) and then the super-duper KAHNtest winners will be announced.  The winner will receive a FREE SESSION for themselves, and one to GIFT to their BFF! If that doesn’t make you jump for joy, I don’t know what will!

As Mom to two boys, I can relate to that incredible bond between mothers and sons, and this session really rocked my socks because I got to focus on their relationship. No distractions, no other STUFF, just mom, son, and me… along with some seriously killer light.

That’s not to say it was all serious and deep – we have too much fun for that!

Mom’s got a heartbreaker on her hands. Oh, those eyes!

Piece of really cool but totally useless trivia: Mom attended college with my husband in Carbondale. How cool is that?  Let’s all bust out in a chorus of, “It’s a Small World!”

Well with all the AWESOME traffic my blog is getting lately – I’m doing a “silent special!”  This is a non-advertised (except for right here, you betcha!)…. special.

Cincinnati peeps – I’m just coming off of an AMAZING seven-day stretch of shooting some GAW-GEOUS kids and families… and while the buzz is all … well, all a’buzz….. let’s go ahead and do a special!

Book your OCTOBER ‘10 session (week of 10-18 thru 10-24) and receive  $50 photo credit to your order!

Sessions must be booked by Thursday, May 6th.  Offer void where prohibited. (ok ok, it sounded fun to say that like they do in the commercials…)

I met this charming West Side couple at the Civic Center in Scottsdale for pre-wedding portraits.

They were getting married at the courthouse but still wanted fabulous engagement-style  portraits to remember the day. They’re super sweet, so very much in love, and they made my job so easy.

Just look!

They celebrated the big event at a small Brazilian restaurant with family and close friends and I can’t wait to show them the rest of their images !

“Where’d she go?”

“Has anyone seen Melissa?”

“Hello… hello… hello… ::echo fades into the distance::”

That’s me. MIA. Missing in action. Gone. Absent from the blog. I’m so sorry!! It’s just that life and work got hectic and something had to give. Couldn’t be family. Couldn’t be friends. Couldn’t be clients. Couldn’t be the holidays themselves. That left the poor blog.

My New Year’s Resolution?  You’ll be seeing a lot more of me in 2010! (now, is that twenty-ten or two thousand ten…. the things we have to ponder!)