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 !

A few weekends ago I photographed a lovely Bat Mitzvah at Temple Emanuel in Tempe, and followed the party to the Kiwanis Indoor Wave Pool – talk about a FAB place to celebrate! All of the kids  enjoyed swimming and games of tug-of-war while grown up family and friends had time to sit down and catch up.  The best part about a pool party in Arizona — the weather!  A gorgeous day – sunny and 70`temps made this day a joy, from the wee hours of the morning, til the partying was done!

If you know of someone in the Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale area planning their Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah, be sure to tell them about Priceless Reflections by Melissa at 623.239.2437.

“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!)

What do you get when you take a family of 16 from all over the United States, mix them with a venue that’s off-the-chain gorgeous (The Phoenician, in Scottsdale), and top it with a session full of laughs? You get this:

Gloria & Family…. thank you so much for making me a part of your family holiday get-together.   It was an honor and a pleasure… and a lot of fun!

Sometimes you can’t go wrong.  Take a gorgeous, sunny, bright Phoenix day, add in the mix a fun-loving, beautiful family, and what do you get??  (Ok, don’t guess, I’ll tell ya)  You get the most amazing photos of a family that truly eminates love and happiness.  What else can I say??  LOVED this session that we shot in downtown Phoenix near Cooperstown and Copper Square.

You guys have been so patient and I **so** appreciate it!  I’m working feverishly (still!) to get all the sessions from Cincinnati previewed and proofed !  There were SO many gorgeous kids, families, babies, seniors, etc…. here’s a small sampling of what I’ve got previewed so far… more to come, I promise, I promise!  :-)

See!  I really wasn’t kidding – so many beautiful clients! More to come… soon… I promise!

Previewing another session from my marathon-shoot in Cincinnati a few weeks ago… these girls were beautiful, and ready to pose for the camera!  A photographer’s dream come true – they were fun, sassy, and adorable!  Just one preview for now as I work up a few more to share…..

To personalize these simple and timeless looks you need accessories. Accessories = fun, eclectic, classic, bold, delicate, etc. This is where each member of the family gets to show a little of their own personality without taking over the portrait. It says ME without screaming… and that’s where we can help.

For the girls in the family, it’s easy! Jewelry is usually the first way to personalize your portrait look. Start with what you wear every day and never take off: wedding rings, lockets, etc. Then add anything else that has special meaning and suits the look of the day. If your outfit still needs a little oomph, the first two sets above will look great with chunky, natural looking pieces, and for the third set, try pearls or long, multi-strand colored “gemstone” necklaces.

For guys, add a tee under a sweater or shirt, try a great belt, pay attention to your shoes, and choose jewelry that matters to you as well.

Another amazing family…. another rainy day in Cincinnati!  I had the pleasure of photographing Lora’s family again… this time in downtown Cincinnati!  She paid close attention to our conversation on “what to wear” and with the help of her awesome hubby….. came up with a wonderful look for the whole family… fun, colorful, but not too busy!  Downtown was the perfect venue for this urban chic family session!

Let’s go over some simple hair do’s and don’ts for your portrait session!

Do -

• style your hair in a way that’s “normal” for you
• choose hair accessories that complement your clothes
• use a moderate amount of hair styling product
• bring extra hair supplies (product and accessories) to your session, just in case

Don’t -

• decide to get a new style right before your portrait session. You won’t look like YOU.
• do the helmet head hairspray look
• go overboard on the hair accessories. Bows the size of dinner plates are never appropriate.