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Posted in family,little angels,personalTags: ,,,,
baby, cupid, unique, valentine

five month old baby in unique valentine’s day photos. he’s a baby cupid

Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m spending mine with my fellas – there are THREE of them this year! I did a similar shoot with Little G when he was four months, and now Rhys here at 5 months. Rhys isn’t quite as chunky, though!

I’m a fan of less is more when it comes to photo shoots. You don’t have to go overboard with props – sometimes just a couple carefully planned and placed items will do the trick. In this case, mini feather wings and a wee naked baby. (I had a red bow and arrow for Rhys, too, but seem to have misplaced it in the move.)

Clean, simple cute, unique, valentine

Clean, simple cute, unique, valentine’s day, toddler, boy, not cheesy, kids, picture ideas, fun

Here are a few other tips for creating a unique Valentine’s Day shoot at home:

1. Go for simple to really let your little one shine. Even giving them a pair of fun heart-shaped sunnies to put on can be really cute and get you some great shots while keeping them occupied. See Little G’s simple string of plush hearts above. Get creative!

2. Tickle your child, make silly noises. It gets them laughing every time and in a good mood. Who can resist?

3. Textures. Use a textured rug or blanket as the backdrop. Here I could have zoomed in or cropped around Rhys so that you only see the feathers surrounding him, but for my shoot, I intended to show Rhys as Cupid and the full glory of his wings. So play around with shooting at different angles or close-ups, and remember, editing is your friend!

Happy Valentine’s Day, to you and yours!

xo, Melissa

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Posted in engaged!!Tags: ,,,,,
picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

They could be at some cute cabin in Vermont, the way this idyllic, pristine scene is set up. Rather, Busse Woods provided the backdrop for a lovely engagement shoot for Lauren and Drake. Here in Chicago it feels like we had just experienced the snowstorm to end all snowstorms (except for the other snowstorms). The day of our shoot was -10 with wind chill. This had us running back to the car every few minutes for respite from the bitter cold. Not exactly ideal for an outdoor shoot, but Laura had her mind set on shooting in the snow – and the result was winter wonderland perfection.

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

Doesn’t all this make you just want to crash their picnic and grab a mug filled with something warm and boozy?

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

Lauren is a teacher and Drake is an insurance man. Her dad is a dentist, and the husband of one of the girls that works for him is a photographer whom I’ve assisted in the past. Super sweet and all smiles despite the cold, together the pair adds up to more than 12 feet of adorable-ness! (Drake making up more than half of this equation, of course – he’s the equivalent of my Giant, to Lauren!)

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

Their shoot was spontaneous (snowball fight, anyone?) and it’s because of that that I didn’t mind shooting in subzero temps. Photo shoots don’t always have to be posed – and bonus points if you play off or accentuate the elements of your environment with some simple but clever props.

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

picnic in the snow

a romantic and fun picnic in the snow session while it’s sub zero temperatures!

Looking back at this wintry shoot, I’m ready for a warm fireplace and bear rug. You, too?

Lauren and Drake, I’m looking forward to your wedding in October! (When it’ll surely be warmer!)

xo, Melissa

 

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Posted in engaged!!,familyTags: ,,,,

Do you believe in fate, or are certain things just happy coincidences that add up to make life a little more special?

arlington heights family photographer

I believe in Happy Coincidences. Allison is one-half of this hip couple. She’s a past client of mine, and came back over the holidays to visit the Windy City from the West Coast, where she and new fiancee Matt (plus 1 adorable mini-me named Max!) now reside. Ironically, the same day she reached out to me to shoot their family session, Matt proposed to her! See? Happy Coincidence #1.

arlington heights family photographerThey asked for scenic recommendations to shoot both indoors and outdoors. Knowing that their little mini-me can’t withstand the cold for long periods, I suggested the Hilton on Michigan Ave, which has the best of both worlds – classic backdrops inside which I knew would be unexpectedly offset by their cool, hipster vibe and a gorgeous, natural setting just a hop, skip and a jump away across the street.

Happy Coincidence #2: This happens to be where Max was conceived! (The hotel, not outside in the street.)

arlington heights family photographer

Happy Coincidence #3: I asked Allison to pose on top of the baby grand – and that’s when I learned that Matt also plays! He broke out a tune when she laid out on it, a bit like Jessica Rabbit.

arlington heights family photographerarlington heights family photographerarlington heights family photographerarlington heights family photographer

Now, not everything was posed, and as we all know, usually the BEST moments are not. Case in point – impromptu feeding session, followed by post-spit-up! Max was asleep for much of the shoot, but we did dash across the street for a little romp in the snow.

stunning beautiful nursing mother photo picture uniquearlington-heights-family-photographerarlington-heights-family-photographerarlington-heights-family-photographer

family snow photos pictures session photography picnic snow bunnyfamily snow photos pictures session photography picnic snow bunnyfamily snow photos pictures session photography picnic snow bunny

It’s the curious case of Happy Coincidences, all adding up to something a little bigger. I hope when Allison and Matt look back at this shoot, it will remind them of the special meanings in their life together!

xo, Melissa

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  • LindaJanuary 25, 2014 - 6:47 am

    What gorgeous photos. They’re all beautiful. And I love the matching daddy and son shirts. Too cute.

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