Two-year-old grown-up

On Saturday I got to photograph this beautiful boy who had just turned two. His mom wanted to capture him at this age so she could record how different he looked than when he was one. Even I am amazed at how grown-up he looks in these portraits! Childhood goes so fast, and I'm so glad that we are able to preserve these memories.

Beautiful baby boy

Winter is a-comin'....

As I type this, there is snow on the ground. Winter officially arrived yesterday with several inches of snow and a delayed start to school. But just a few days earlier, it was sunny and warm. Luckily, I had a photo session on one of those days. This cute family wore colorful scarves and hats and we had a great time in the setting sun.

Baby love

The day after Thanksgiving, I got to photograph a 3-week-old baby and his adorable cousin. My gosh, these are beautiful baby boys. I think you'll agree!

O.K., so I don't do weddings, but...

I have done some weddings for family members and desperate friends-of-friends.
("My friend is getting married at noon today and her photographer just cancelled. Can you do it?"
"Um, o.k. Can I bring my kids?")

The following are some of my favorites, which should not just be sitting on my computer, unappreciated.

And, because I can't help myself, I must offer a brief word about wedding photography in general. You should expect to spend at least $750 (that is the MINIMUM) on a wedding photographer. $2000 would be better. Remember in photography that you get what you pay for, and your wedding is not a time to skimp on the pictures. You can skimp on the cake--it will be eaten. You can skimp on the flowers--they will die. But your wedding pictures will last forever (that is, if you hire a great photographer who uses the best printing materials!) Please, please, do not hire your brother Joe's friend who "really likes to take pictures" and will give you the cd. It's the difference between art and snapshots. The pictures from your wedding should look like they could be hung in a gallery, not stuffed in a sight-seeing album.

As a final note, since I don't do weddings, I am looking for some good photographers I can refer people to when they ask me about doing their wedding. If you live in the Denver area and would like to be considered, please e-mail me at melissabhowell at gmail dot com and direct me to samples of your work.

It does not get any cuter than this

O.K. So I may be biased. This is my baby, afterall. But seriously, is there any way these pictures could be more adorable? I didn't think so! If you would like portraits like these, please let me know when booking your session. And if you're ever having a hard day and need a smile, all you have to do is come to this blog and look at my baby. There's no way not to be happy when her big blue eyes are twinkling in your direction!

Nostalgia

I was working on my daughter's school pictures today (What? Me pay for school pictures? It would be a travesty! I am a professional photographer after all!) and I had fun playing around with these vintage treatments. I think they go really well with her super-cute dress and hat.

Shake your bon bon!

I did a photoshoot with these two brothers down by a little creek. I had done portraits of the older one when he was much younger, and he was very uncooperative. This time, he was a little too cooperative (lots and lots of cheesy smiles). His younger brother took over the role of "I'm wholly uninterested in what this lady with the camera is trying to do, and I will not smile for anything." The only thing that would work is when his mom would say, "Shake your bon bon!" Then he'd do a one-second dance while smiling, and it was over. I had to be fast! I only got one genuine smile out of him the whole time, but I did get several sweet expressions that didn't involve teeth. Here are closeups of the two boys, plus my favorite portrait from the session.

Like mother, like daughter

I photographed a stunning family last week. I'm still in the process of proofing and editing, but I just wanted to post two of my favorite pictures. The mother and her daughter both have the most beautiful eyes. Wouldn't you agree?

Bath time!

Some kids love baths. Other hate them. My baby is in the former category. I am documenting her first year by taking pictures of her every month and then compiling them into an album. I decided to get some pictures of her in our big tub (no water, for those of you who are worried). She made the funniest faces which I turned into a montage. Click on the image to see it larger and to appreciate the full range of emotions!