Melissa Miller Photos

A New One

Seven days new, in fact.  This pretty little week-old baby was so cooperative.  The very best time for newborn portraits is in the first 14 days of life when babies are still scrunchy and new and sleepy and just go with the flow. Newborns' looks change so quickly, so capturing those early days is important.

Check out little Miss E in her first week in the world:

Isn't she delicious?

New babies are irresistible for at home photo shoots, especially with a first baby.  A few tips for getting better results with point and shoot cameras:

*Simple backgrounds: throw a blanket over the couch, car seat, or bouncy seat for a simple, solid backdrop to place the baby on.

*Use window light: Make use of the natural light coming in the windows.  Less flash and more natural light makes for prettier pictures and better skin tones.

*Get close: Capture all the newborn features that quickly change: tiny ears and toes, newborn fuzz, umbilical cords, and itsy bitsy diapers

Hip Head shots

I take a lot of head shots for my mom-preneur friends, for clients starting up websites, and for clients needing personalized business cards.  What I love are hip head shots that show personality -- forgoing the traditional, formal poses for more relaxed ones.  Which is exactly what this session was about!

This is the purse lady, for all you craft fair/home show addicts out there who recognize her.  She has an online business also (with store coming soon), Purse-a-Nality, and sells the coolest bags, purses, wallets, and more at great prices.  It is worth a click over to her website, http://purseanalitygirl.com/, to check it out.

Some head shots with pizazz:

 

And some hip head shots of her pretties:

(For those in the business world, I also take head and shoulders formal head shots as well! )

Gift Wrap Happy

Wrapping presents makes me happy.   So does gift wrap.  It makes a fabulous backdrop for close-up portraits.  I've used many rolls of wrapping paper for fun, bright backgrounds with my kids --- bold, graphic designs with big patterns work best.
This green dot pattern is my favorite wrapping paper this year -- just a cheap roll from Walgreens -- and makes for some great 'thank you' pictures to mail out after the holidays.

 

For you do-it-yourselfers, my set-up is simple.  Tape gift wrap to wall in well lit area (entry way, wall in front of windows) and skip the flash to avoid a shadow halo on the paper.  

(For photographers: SOOC, 1.8 , 100 shutter, 400 iso)

I challenge you to have a fun wrapping paper session of your own, especially when stuck inside on an ice day and bored to tears! 

More Holiday Do's

Here are more examples of clothing Do's for portrait dressing.  If you missed my earlier post, you can find more samples HERE.

Lots of Do's here:  Layering, textured cords, and cool Converse. (Bonus points here for matching hair color to the corduroys!)

Black: Black/darks are always flattering.  Solid white can wash out skin tones, especially now that summer tans are fading. 

Color accents:  I love the mix-and-match black and white solids here with a punch of red for color. Some of my favorite children's outfits are classic clothing with crazy colored bows/shoes/hats.

Simple is good: Comfortable clothing in basic solids makes brother/sister matching easy.

Skip the shoes: Consider going barefoot-- tight dress shoes make kids crabby and little feet are always fabulous.

Holiday Do's & Dont's

I'm busy as a Christmas elf preparing holiday schedules and backdrops and Christmas cards already.
It's still early in the season, but the most frequent question around holiday time is what to wear for Christmas Card pictures.  I know what a pain it is to shop for and dress the little people,  so here are a few things I've learned from my clients:

1. Simple is good.
You can't beat jeans and solid colors. This family looked great, and the black made for stunning fall foliage shots. Khakis and tops from the same color family works well too.

2. Holiday wear
White trimmed dresses & santa hats are timeless and look ridiculously cute on little ones!  
Bring the kids in Christmas jammies and holiday slippers, OR
Bring your stockings from the mantle with their names on them, OR
Bring funky snow boots and stocking hats.

3. Same colors, unique outfits
These girls look adorable and not too matchy-matchy.  Same colors, simple styles, beautiful look.

4. Texture
Knit sweaters and thick, textured scarves look amazing below.  How about everyone in the family wearing a big ol' scarf that suits his/her personality?  Or sweaters with blue jeans/khakis?

 

More texture in my most favorite holiday photo. The hat/scarf are obnoxious but they frame her rosy cheeks and make her blue eyes pop.

5. Mix and Match
Red & black are perfectly suited for this family -- everyone is at ease and wearing comfortable clothes that coordinate well. 

 

And the DON'Ts:

• Plaids are tricky.  A plaid polo sticking out from under a Christmas vest? Good.  A bright colored plaid on Dad in the Christmas pic? Bad.  Crazy patterns draw attention from the face and directly to the shirt.
• Overalls are tricky too.  Overalls are work (especially on babies)--they often bunch, or the straps are too long/too short, or they bulge at the side when kids sit. 
• Don't dress your child in tulle/flannel/tight dress shoes and put them in a car seat.  They will be done by the time you arrive at the studio and have the "itchies" or a serious attitude.  If you pull your crew out of the car half dressed or in pajamas, and dress them here, no problem.

Feel free to leave a comment below (click blue "comment" word below post) with any other suggestions.  I would love to hear more ideas.

Sapulpa Senior

More senior portraits and tips to share! This Sapulpa senior was easy going and photogenic--a great combination.  He even followed all the suggestions below.  Here is a sneak peek for you, P:

And one with lil' brother:

Do's and Don'ts for Senior Guys:

• DO bring a range of clothing from casual to dressy.  The goal is for your style to show in different outfits.
• DO bring your clothes on hangers for quicker changing and less wrinkles.
• Stubble shows, so if you want a clean look,  DO take extra care when shaving.
• DO bring a sibling or parent along for a few shots.

• DON"T get a haircut the day before your session, especially during the summer months when the tan lines will show. 
• DON'T forget to check your hands -- clean, cut nails will look much better in portraits.
• DON'T be late! Every minute counts when planning for indoor/outdoor shots.  

 
 

Senior Portraits

This Berryhill senior brought a non-stop smile, a great friend, and some fabulous Charlie Brown shirts for her portraits this week.  We braved the heat at Woodward (luckily BEFORE the rainy days) earlier in the week, then finished studio shots the following day.

A sneak peek for Ms. B:

   

Thanks for being a champ this week.  Your gallery will be emailed to you next week! 

Tips for senior girls:

-Pay attention to your nails -- chipped polish looks horrible on camera! (look how fab B's look above)

-Sparkly eye shadow looks good in person, but can look like blemishes on extreme close ups.

-Try to schedule indoor/outdoor shoots on separate days to maximize more "looks", for different hair/makeup styles.

-Think about undergarments while you are preparing your outfits-- do you need a strapless for a dress, or light colored bra underneath a white shirt?

-Bring a prop to work into a few photos to show "YOU", like a mascot, sports jerseys, instruments, etc....

-Bring your makeup/lipstick for touch ups.