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!”

Our own Smushie graduated from Yad B’Yad Preschool at Temple Emanuel and through the tears (and laughs… preschool graduation, enough said) I was able to capture some great images for the families.

And here’s our girl. We’re so proud of you, Smushie!

I can’t say enough great things about Yad B’Yad and Lynn, Denise, and Leslie! Thank you so much for the wonderful education, guidance, and friendship you gave to our daughter and all of the children in her class. We’ll miss you!

Oh me oh my! What an incredible week I had last week, shooting literally thousands of photos of some of Cincinnati’s best and cutest families, kids etc!  From eensy weensy babies, to big kids and their parents, what a week it was!  Here’s just a sneak peek preview of some of the FUN we all had last week!

Huge SHOUT OUT and Mega-THANK YOU to Dana and Ben, who were my assistants.  Ben took some awesome shots – and Dana, as always, was the best assistant of all time!  Thank you to both of you for the help!

Without further adieu.. check out some of the fun from last week:

One of the best parts of living here in Phoenix is our proximity to all things “Western” … cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and big belt buckles.  Coming from Cincinnati… well, it’s taken some time to get used to seeing these things frequently, but it’s really cute how all the little ones get into it!

This little cowboy was SO very excited to sport his brand new cowboy hat … so during his photo shoot of course we had to bring it out for a few shots…..

Photographing this family is always a treat – whether in Cincinnati – or here in Scottsdale!  I love it when my clients from Ohio end up vacationing in Arizona, and call me for photos!  I’ve had the pleasure of photographing Caleb and Campbell for quite some time now — and with every session, I just love them more and more!  (Plus it helps that their parents are really AWESOME too!)

I photographed the twins in Old Towne Scottsdale and then we went to the Sugar Bowl (haven’t been? I highly recommend it!)…. for some ice cream and of course, more photos!

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 !

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.

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!

Big ol’ Priceless Reflections by Melissa thanks go out to my friend Lisa Dillon of Portland, OR for her amazing talent in dressing seniors. Just look at what she selected for my senior girls!