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!

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!”

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:

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.

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…..

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!

So judging by the email response, apparently you like learning my deep dark secrets… or at least where to get good ice cream! Here’s another food-related secret and a local treasure to match: I don’t cook. Ick, gross, blech, phooey. So when the kidlets are hungry and the pantry is empty and Mama needs to get a meal on the table (preferably someone else’s table) we head for Colors Cafe in Mason for some “Good Eats and Sweet Treats”.

Locally owned/operated by a cool husband and wife team, Colors Cafe features delicious homemade food (and ice cream!) served by friendly people in a kid-welcoming environment. Since I have 4 kids, this is a must!! Nothing like looking forward to dinner and being sneered at when you walk in the door with little people. It ain’t gonna happen at Colors Cafe, peeps.

Take a look at their menu here: Colors Cafe Menu Even UrbanSpoon gives ‘em a big snuggle for food and service: Review and Metromix Cincinnati lists them as well: Listing

Yep, you got it! Local favorite UDF (United Dairy Farmers) is my go-to spot for ice cream and my favorite flavor is Caramel Cone Crunch. Yum! Click here to find out more about the history of UDF, nutrition information about their products (nah, who really cares anyway?), even a “how our ice cream is made” game for the kids!, as well as a store locator. Here’s this month’s lineup of flavors: UDF Hand Dipped Flavors for June

Stay tuned for more “Secrets about Melissa” and local favorite hot spots, recipes, etc. Have something you want to share? Email me!  melissa@pricelessreflections.com