Melissa’s photographic style is natural and realistic. She captures the energy and personality of the child/children, even when working with larger groups.

Your portrait session will take about an hour, which allows for enough time to do several poses or even a clothes change. Melissa will work with you to determine the best time for your session; especially with young children and babies it's important to pick the right time for them to be at their best.

Simple outdoor props are provided, such as wagons, flowers, baskets, hats and antique toys – if a child has a special toy that he or she wants to hold in some photographs, that often works well.

If there is a possibility of rain, a decision to reschedule will be made a few hours prior to the appointment.  Cloudy skies are good for photographs and very few sittings are canceled due to weather.

After the session your pictures will be posted on a password-protected website. There you can view the pictures and order your prints from the convenience of your home.  Melissa can provide you with both black & white and color photographs, along with fine art retouching of the photographs.

Clothing Tips ~ Clothing is the ‘key’ to a successful portrait. The important thing to remember is to keep it subtle and consistent so that the portrait calls attention to the faces and not to the clothing.  Even in black & white pictures, colors don’t show, but the tones do. It is recommended to wear colors that are all in the same grouping, avoiding stripes and prints for group portraits. If the weather cooperates, Melissa will often take some shots without shoes, which tend to ‘date’ a portrait.