Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Do it yourself hair clip!

Ok so this has to be the easiest DIY project out there. I love headbands and flowers. In fact you can find them at any store and prices can vary. So what I did is create my own!


What you need:

You can find everything at Michaels.
1) flower $.25-$1
2) 8 Hairclips $1.99
3) glue gun $2.99
4) glue sticks $1.99
5) scissors
6) ribbon (optional)
7) headband $1-target or michaels

How to:
1) if you are using ribbon take glue and glue on top of clip. twist your ribbon around the top part of the clip and then glue on the end to the inside of the clip.
2) Cut the flower off the stem and trim the bottom of the flower to make flat.
3) Glue the flower onto the top of the clip.
THAT IS IT! HOW EASY!!!


Monday, March 29, 2010

My Family Session Process

This past weekend we finally were able to meet up with one of my wonderful photographer friends Danielle Neil for our family session. We had originally planned our session for December but due to weather the session had to be cancelled. It was a beautiful day and I was very happy with our choice of location.

I always receive messages from clients and friends wanting to know my process and what I do to prepare for my own session. The questions really rolled in this time when I posted the below image of our outfits I had planned. Danielle was nice enough to send me two of my favorite images to share as a final result of my planning. We are very lucky that Danielle allows me to plan everything out because she knows what and she is amazing at doing her job. I honestly believe the more prepared you are the happier your photographer will be, the less stress you will feel and the end result is beautiful!

So here is my process this time around:
1) I schedule the session with Danielle 5 weeks in advance. This gives me plenty of time to prepare everything.

2) I have an advantage as a photographer when it comes to location. I am always keeping an eye out for locations that a client would appreciate. So when it came to deciding on where to go I based it on several things. a) If it is sunny will there be a few areas that will still provide nice lighting?  b) Will it create the look I want?  c) Will we be able to stay in a very close area to get more coverage?

3) Shopping for outfits. I always think to myself....."I am making an investment into my portraits", they will be displayed on my walls for several years. So investing into clothing is just as important. Tying the outfits together really helps pull your family portrait together. I know my location and now I need to pick clothes that will help make everything flow or even create visual appeal. My kids are usually the easiest to dress. I first go to their closets and pull pieces that may be potential winners. (Now I know I wanted to be photographed in black or at least a tone similar. As a family we would never really look good in all black. So I have to think of us as a whole and go from there. We chose to be photographed in two outfits,) Here is what I found in my childrens closets.
Emma- Boots,hose,jeans
Aidan-shoes,jeans,vest and collared shirt (we got lucky with him)
Brody- Overcoat, jeans and shoes
Josh- Jeans,dress shirt, undershirt,shoes
Me- Jeans,blazer,undershirt,jewelry,heels
So now it is time to shop for the other items. I hit every store possible and look first before I buy anything. I make a list of stores that I saw key items that would work. I believe I am the hardest to shop for EXCEPT this time around. Walking through Macys I found a dress that screamed my name (it had pockets and a nice color that would help with my fair complextion) and from there the outfit fell together quickly. Booties and fishnet hose was a must to complete the look...plus a few acessories. For Josh I found a charcoal Blazer that blended well with the boys' outfits. All I need was a skirt and top for Emma. Gotta love Target. That is where I found her first outfit!

So here is the total we spent on clothing:
Emma-$45
Brody-$17
Aidan- $0
Josh-$70
Me-$150

4) Three days before the session I iron everything, lay out all the outfits to reveiw and snap a picture to make sure I am not missing anything later.

5) The night before the session the children are bathed, nails trimmed and any last minute fixings.

6) The morning of the session we wake up 2 hours before our session time. I shower and get myself almost ready (I actually dress after I have everyone else dressed), assign the kids to their outfits except brody, and finally we pack up the car or in this case truck. We had to pick up my white chaise to take with us.

7) We arrive 15 minutes early and joke about when Brody will crack and really laugh about how patient Danielle is with our zoo. Hahahaha. So we are still stress free. We get out of the car and ACTION.


I hope you enjoyed reading my process. I promise it works!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

A Mans Laugh


Typically when I photograph an engaged couple, I have the male whisper into the female's ear. This time I reversed it. Could his reaction be anymore genuine?! I am still dying to know what she said. Congrats to Jenna and Mike on their engagement. I look forward to photographing their beautiful day this coming September.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Bunny Ears Contest

Enter your child in the Bunny ears contest to win HUGE discounts! Email me your picture melissa@melissajonesphotography.com by march 21st. Open facebook voting will begin March 22nd.


Feel free to make your own ears (like I did), buy your ears or give your child finger ears!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

2011 Senior Model- Beth

This past weekend I kicked off my 2011 senior model sessions. It is going to be a busy season this year for seniors. Last year I had the pleasure of photographing 50 seniors from different schools in Franklin County. This year I have set the bar higher! Here is to a great 2010/2011 senior season!!

Meet Beth. She attends Central Crossing high school and plays basketball plus she is in the marching band. We had a great session both in studio and in the chilly outdoors. Here are a few of my favorite images.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Crazy for ZoZoBugBaby!

I just have so many great things to say about Julie Martin's ZoZoBugBaby line. I had a wonderful time hosting the trunk show last week and was so sad to ship off to the next hostess. Good news though! Julie will be designing one of a kind outfits for my studio!! Here are several girls who came over and played dress up. Along with the trunk we received The Emma dress (yes named after my Emma) from our winning fabric choices. It is sooo beautiful!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Hello Studio, Goodbye Home

I have waited for this day to come! I just had to take the leap after growing so much last year in my home studio. Yesterday I picked up the keys to my STUDIO! Wooohoo!!!! I took a few snapshots from yesterday and then today I had beautiful Ella come in. The perfect way to test the lights and the natural light that was streaming in from the window. Terri (my one on one client) drove all the way from Indy and we spent an hour playing with Ella.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Do it yourself Flower Mat

As a photographer you know that your business is a big investment. I am constantly finding new things to spend my money on. However, it looks easy to make then I go for it. The flower mat is popular among some photographer's. I use mine maily for backdrops.

Here are the instructions on how to make one!
Everything can be picked up at Michaels.

1 package of FELT (46"x44") $2.99
1 bottle of spray adhesive ($7.99)
2 flower vines ($3.99 ea.) or 12 fluffy flowers by the stem ($2.50 ea)
Wire cutters

Step 1
Take the flowers off the vine your purchase and cut the stubs off with wire cutters. This will allow for a flat surface and will stick better to the felt.

Step 2
Spray adhesive starting with one row and pushing flowers in place. I prefer to work front to back but it does not matter. Keep doing this until your felt is completely covered. If you are using fluffy flowers I suggest keeping a small middle spot open for your subject to lay. Then also hold back a few spare flowers to place on top of baby if needed.

Step 3
Lay flat to dry 24 hours




Here is Brody with my flower mat being used at a backdrop. Just something different to try out especially because I don't normally put boys laying on the mat.