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!

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!”

How can you resist smiles like this?

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 !

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

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.

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.

The evergreen selection is more traditional without screaming “HELLO THESE ARE OUR FAMILY HOLIDAY PORTRAITS” and the contemporary lines of the clothing keep the colors from being stuffy. The blue monochrome set in the middle takes it a step further with contemporary lines AND a fun, bright color. With the navy/raspberry set at the bottom, you step back to a more traditional color with navy, pop it with the raspberry and again with the striped dress, but the lines of the clothing choices themselves are more simple and traditional. Easy peasy!