Melissa Jones Photography

Katelyn and Wes

2011-09-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

I remember the day I met Katelyn..in fact it was not hard to forget because when she walked through my door I saw her wearing a bracelet that represented a dear friend of mine who had recently passed. At that moment I knew she was going to be a bride of mine. I am not sure if I really expressed how I felt about it but we both noticed each other wearing them which struck up instant conversation. That day I felt like it was a sign.
Katelyn and Wes are such a fun loving couple. They had made great choices for picture locations and a great reception spot! They were spot on with her blue shoes and his cool socks. The bridal party was quite fab too and so easy to direct. I think the one thing I will remember most on their wedding day was our quick trip downtown worthington. Katelyn wanted a shot in the middle of the road and we got so lucky! As we were walking, a worthington cop just happen to be turning and stopped traffic for us to grab the bridal party shot. Perfect timing! The night ended perfectly with dancing and drinks.

Many Blessings to you both!

Sam and Brandon

2011-09-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

I was super lucky to have Sarah by my side on this trip. Just the car ride there and back was enough to write a short story on. I will sum our trip up in the car by saying the following...,Hansel and Gretel, yogi bear, getting lost, deer, pulled over by cops, thong and the 3am giggles.

Ok now onto the important stuff....

First I want to thank Brandon and Sam for being so wonderful and flexible during their wedding day. It was such a breath of fresh air to have so much time to photograph just the bride and groom. Next I want to shout out to Sam's mom Berny for being AMAZING to Sarah and I.

We started the day at Kellogg Manor house by photographing the emotional getting ready process of Sam.

Then we separated. Sarah went off with the guys and I took the girls. It was perfect outside with a slight breeze. The ceremony was beautiful minus my 70-200 fall off and me jumping to catch it (i swear i heard gasps behind me). Of course we finished pictures of family and enjoyed over an hour of photo time with the bride and groom. This was delightful! So relaxing and we accomplished so much. :)
The reception was at the Lawton Community center and there was a really neat museum inside.

All together a marvelous day!

Mackenzie and Josh

2011-09-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

So thankful for people like Mackenzie and Josh. They welcomed me with open arms during their wedding. Making it so easy to photograph them and their wedding. The scenery around the church was so fun as you can see. M and J may your lives be full of love and laughter!

Lyndsie and Soren

2011-08-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

When I first meet a couple the first thing I look for is the connection between the bride and groom to be. Some are shy and some are more open with their affection. Lyndsie and Soren were absolutely open with their affection and you could tell there was a huge spark between the two. The way he glanced at her, held her hand and the way he spoke to her. Their wedding day was no different. Full of love and sincerity. Best wishes to a fabulous couple.

Erica and Morgan

2011-08-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

I think of Erica and Morgan's wedding as the beginning of summer for me. Even though it was close to the end of May and summer does not officially begin until end of June. Just something about this wedding relaxed me and made everything seem smooth. Perfect in every way! Thank you to them for having me along for the day. Cheers to many years of happiness!

I'm Back!

2011-08-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes our summer break passed by quickly! I have several months of blogging to do now that the kids are heading back to school. (insert cheers!!) It was a wonderful summer of portrait sessions, MANY weddings and the BEST for last...spending quality time with my kids. Due to my husband being gone 16 hours a day we made the decision that I needed to be home more and cut my hours down until he finished his exhausting schedule. Guess what? In two weeks I will be opening up a few more time slots for sessions each month and my hard working husband will be finished with his tiring schedule. (So thankful for all he has done for our family)
So what did I do between work??? Visited friends, spent many hours with my grandpa, went swimming, vacationed to Florida, traveled to Michigan, visited Kentucky, got a new hairdo,attended a Britney Spears concert and back to school shopping. The one thing I have been doing that is not so fun..physical therapy! However the Drayer team have been good to me and my collar bone is finally starting to feel better. Who knew carrying gear would create so much wear and tear to my shoulder.

Alright so I think that is a pretty good summary of my summer. Now let's blog!

The G Family

2011-05-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

I really get excited when another photographer asks me to photograph their family. Especially Sarah's family! You recognize her, right? We have been working alot together this past year and have really created a great friendship. Not to mention working relationship too.
Sarah, Josh and their cutie pie Caelyn are very easy to work with. They came prepared and dressed beautifully! The day was a little warm but it did not phase us with the slight breeze hitting our faces. Thank you for a great session and I hope to see many of these images hanging in your home soon. :)

Sarah and family Please click to play slideshow

Ashlee and Dustin

2011-05-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day for Ashlee and Dustin during their April wedding at Oakhurst. The setting was perfect and the weather was just right. I have not only had the pleasure of photographing their wedding but several years back photographed Ashlee's sister Mallory's wedding. So thankful that they chose me to photograph such memorable events. Many blessings to Ashlee and Dustin on their journey through marriage.

Tiffany and Joe

2011-05-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

Fresh Face Winners 2011 and Kids Best Picks!

2011-04-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

Another amazing year for Fresh Face! Thank you everyone for participating and I still am in shock on how many records we broke this year. Including new visitors, breaking voting records and contest entries!

I am truely thankful to my wonderful photography community who were my panel of judges. There is NO way I could have chosen for all of the fresh faces.

Winner of the 3 and under category:

Winner of the 4 and over category:

Winners will receive 2 complimentary sessions (one being stylized by me), 1-8x10 print from each session, brag album, fresh face for 2011, cover of marketing materials, discount on prints and many more modeling opportunities!

Every year my children pick their favorite images to also be part of the marketing materials. Winners shown will receive a $250 credit toward any print collection. Congrats!

See you next year for another exciting Fresh face!

Shelly and Kevin

2011-04-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to MJP!

2011-03-29T18:16:00.001-07:00

Here it is! The new Melissa Jones Photography websites!!!!!!!!

It's Coming!

2011-03-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

The relaunch of Melissa Jones Photography is almost here. As you can see the blog has been updated with the new logo and colors. Your input was the determining factor on what colors would be used. The top 5 words you described MJP as was fresh, vibrant, fun, playful and beautiful. From there I narrowed it down to what each picture really described. So THANK YOU! Want to see more? Check back in the next 24 hours for the new website launch. For now here is the new welcome page on FACEBOOK.

4th Annual Fresh Face Contest

2011-03-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

The time has come once again for my FAVORITE contest of the year! I can't believe this is the 4th year I will be holding this contest. Yesterday I launched the contest on FACEBOOK and I have already booked the 40 spots I had available. I am adding a few more session spots due to the demand of this contest.

Looking forward to meeting so many wonderful contestants!

Casting Call

2011-03-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

I am looking for kids to model Be So Beautiful spring clothing line! If you are interested please email melissa@melissajonesphotography.com with a picture and let me know what size your child wears. I am in need of the following sizes:
Boys- 2t
Girls-12m,18-24m,2t,3t,4t,4/5,6x,7/8
Sisters who can wear a 2/3 and 4/5
Sisters who can wear a 3/4 and 4/5

Coming out of hiding!

2011-03-12T19:55:00.000-08:00

I am back!!!!!! Sorry for the long break here but I have been working hard on the new websites, logos and marketing materials. Not to mention sessions in the studio! The next few weeks are full of just prepping for the 2011 wedding season and getting ready to launch the revamp of MJP. Above is a recap for the last month. Enjoy!

Your Opinion Matters!

2011-02-17T19:35:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick Survey to assist me in revamping MJP. Thank you in advance!

I love pink!

2011-02-02T06:28:00.000-08:00

I painted the wall in the studio pink for the Sweet Delight sessions and have really enjoyed it. Here is what I have been up to.

Best of 2010- 2011 Seniors

2011-01-11T12:29:00.000-08:00

Class of 2012 this could be you! Now searching for 2012 senior models. Email melissa@melissajonesphotography.com.

Best of 2010- Weddings

2011-01-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

Giving Is Awesome-Results

2011-01-05T17:48:00.000-08:00

Every year I do this it seems to get harder and harder. I had about 10 families get nominated. Inspiring stories each and every one of them. I ended up narrowing it down to 4 and then having a few friends help me pick 2. Thank you so much to all the wonderful people out there that shared these stories.

Thank you Leah for nominating Pat! Here is what Leah wrote:
Pat is the music teacher for Olentangy Local Schools Special Needs Preschool, where I teach preschool. Pat
works incredibly hard at her job teaching our children the love of music as well as functional and academic skills. Our children have a range oneeds from mild to profound developmental delays and she works so hard to not only include each child, but to teach and support needed skills for these children. Pat is grossly underpaid for the hard work she puts into her job. She gets paid much less then any of the teachers who are also underpaid. To make ends meet she works a second job on the weekends teaching music to toddlers with special needs in early intervention services. She has also created a CD and sing-along book for our students to help promote home carryover of the skills we work on in the classroom.

Pat pays for many of her supplies and materials out of pocket with love including instruments and art supplies, so that all our students can participate successfully and share her love of music and fun. Pat
is loved by all the preschool students on our district (which include over 900 students) and somehow she is able to call on each one of them by name. Pat is one of the most generous people I know. She would do anything to help out the teachers and students she works with even if it creates more of a workload for her.

Pat is a mother to 2 teenage girls and is recently remarried to a great man who also works very hard as a laborer making very little money.Pat was a single mom for a long time until recently struggling to make ends
meet for her family. She has shown her daughters the meaning of hard work and enjoying your job even though the pay does not compensate well. She believes in creating a strong loving family that shares the love of music with one another.They have such a loving family who support each other's interests and
creativity.

I believe in the power of photography to capture life's moments and create warm and happy memories. Pat deserves to be able to have beautiful family photos despite her financial hardships. When I read the
description of you being able to show someone's spirit, love and beauty, I think of Pat Stevens. She truly deserves so much. She is generous, kind and loving. Not only do I think that she deserves the gift of remembrance through photography, but I also feel that you would find joy in photographing her and
her family's joyful, music-loving spirit.

Thank you Beth for sharing Mark and Michelle's story! Here is what she wrote: First, thank you for this opportunity to nominate such a wonderful family. I am nominating my husband's cousin Mark and his wife Michelle who live in Westerville, OH. Their difficulties began a few years ago when Mark's brother was diagnosed with brain cancer. After battling for several years, Scott passed away in June of 2010. Because Mark and Michelle were expecting a baby, they hoped that this baby would be the healing balm that they all
needed so badly after such a tremendous loss. However, Michelle gave birth to baby Timothy Scott 7 weeks early (September 29, 2010). At first, it appeared that he was just a preemie and would need to be in NICU
for a few weeks and would be home by Thanksgiving. However, after just a few days in the St.Ann's NICU, Timmy was transferred to Children's NICU where physicians began run a litany of tests. Among other defects, they discovered that he has a level 3 Laryngeal Cleft...meaning the dividing wall between
the trachea and the esophagus didn't form completely. Everything he swallowed, including saliva, was going into his lungs and causing pneumonia and collapsed lungs.
This condition is extremely rare. So tiny and fragile, Timothy has gone through numerous operations and tests with multiple complications. He underwent one major surgery to repair the cleft in Columbus, but it was
unsuccessful bc he developed pneumonia again and had to be intubated and the new intubation tore the repair. Two weeks ago he was transferred to the Cincinnati children's hospital and underwent a second repair on Tuesday,which appears to have been successful. Mark is only able to see Timmy on the weekends, as he must work b/c he holds the insurance. They were expecting Mark to be able to get a better job, but Michelle was offered a great job in Washington D.C...to start in March. She was to be defending her
doctorate, but has since had to put everything on hold. (Side note- They spent 2 six month stents in Tanzania as Michelle researched an undocumented East African language. This will facilitate a better understanding of this language to aid in the translation of those documents that are valued by that people group such as the Bible and folk tales) That means that there is a chance that this job might not work out but they are still holding out hope that she will be able to accept it.
The proverbial rock-and-hard-place. The doctors are hopeful that Timothy will be able to come home once he is healed from this latest surgery. However, he has many more surgeries to come due to the other "issues". This is such a loving, giving couple. They gave up so much of their time to help with his brother, sister-in-law and nieces and have done all they can to help his parents deal with the grief of losing their son. Right now they are barely surviving and I think having a professional document their little one's life and have pictures of their sweet family would mean so much to them. Their hearts have been broken over and over and over again, some healing would be so nice. I have attached a couple snapshots of Baby Timmy so you can catch a glimpse of his cute face!

Best of 2010- Couples

2011-01-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

Here are most of the wonderful couples I will be photographing this year! Woohoo!!!

Best of 2010- Family

2011-01-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

Best of 2010- Children

2011-01-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

Best of 2010- Babies and Bellies

2011-01-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

2010 was an AMAZING year for me and I am so thankful to have photographed some of these wonderful babies and bellies.

365 Project-Day 1

2011-01-01T18:23:00.000-08:00

For the last few years I have seen many people participate in the 365 project and thanks to my friend Jody I have decided to give it a try. What is the 365 Project? You basically take a photo a day for one year. It is a great way to improve your photography skills, get inspired and so fun to look back on!
So day 1 is titled- Something Old
This is basically some of my old items I have collected and placed in my home office. This is taken with just the light from my lamp. Still trying to decide if I want to fill the frames with pictures.

Cheers to a new year!

Giving is Awesome 2010

2010-12-27T16:53:00.000-08:00

You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.

You know someone. I guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography -- $1500 worth, to be exact.

Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a $200 print credit. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people?

The rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-vacation-home in Paris does not qualify as sincere financial need.)

* The nominee must reside in Columbus,Ohio. Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

* You must e-mail me the full story : melissa@melissajonesphotography.com.

The winner will be announced on 1/4/2011 -- get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season -- and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

To check out the families who won last year go here: 2009 Giving is Awesome

Melissa

My Faves!

2010-12-19T19:32:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to the following wonderful vendors for participating in the last two weeks of giveaways!
Calecamo http://www.calecamo.com/
The Village Merchant http://www.villagemerchant.blogspot.com/
The Candle Lab http://www.thecandlelab.com/
Be So Beautiful BSB Facebook
Maya's Curls http://www.mayascurls.bigcartel.com/
Bead-Jeweled Facebook Page
Have your cake and party Too http://www.haveyourcakeandpartytoo.com/
Citefuzz Citefuzz
Beautimarkedbykelli http://www.facebook.com/BeautimarkedbyKelli
Twister Sister Hair Facebook
paisley Belle Tutus Etsy

My favorite gift to give!

2010-12-19T12:30:00.000-08:00

During the holidays the #1 gift I give to my close family and friends are pictures! This year I focused on albums. One is a 5x7 album and the smaller one is what I call a brag album. The brag album is very easy to make and is perfect for the purse. I love carrying my own little brag album and pulling it out when I want to show off my kids.

The inside of the brag album (2.5x2.5)

For the brag album I add about 8-10 pictures to a 11x14 print layout and send it in for printing. Once it arrives I cut everything out and round the corners. Then I use 4 adhesive dots on each picture to stick on each page.

14 Days of Christmas- Giveaway day 9

2010-12-13T05:58:00.000-08:00

What is it that every girl would love to learn at some point in their life? How to apply their own makeup properly! This giveaway is one of my favorites because I need a little help. :)
Anyway Kelli is a wonderful makeup artist with a variety of experience.
Kelli has had a lifelong passion for beauty and making people FEEL beautiful! She has been trained by several celebrity makeup artists, such as Jon Hennessey who has worked with celebrities such as Alicia Keyes and Cynthia Nixon. Kelli also spent time training with MAC Pro artist Matthew Militello. Her focus has always been making skin look luminous and flawless. Kelli is available for weddings, family photos, professional portfolios, commercial, and print. She also loves doing makeup lessons. Kelli will help you utilize what makeup you have by learning proper techniques, tips and secrets to flatter YOU!

So what is Kelli giving away? An in-depth makeup lesson for 4. Value of $300. In studio or private home within Columbus. She will go over each person's 'perceived problem' area, color theory and application. Kelli will also give product suggestions from my vast knowledge of most professional product lines.

How to enter: Go to BeautimarkedbyKelli and become a fan. Comment on her page that I sent you and then head over to my facebook page Melissa Jones Photography to leave a comment stating you like her page. Winner will be announced tonight at 10:30pm.

14 Days Of Christmas Giveaway- Day 6

2010-12-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the lack of blogging these features.

Today is an awesome giveaway from CaleCamo. It is a sterling silver initial pendant. This is a classic gift anyone would love to wear! Shelly describes her designs as modern and organic focus on jewelry with meaning. Her inspiration came from her second son Cameron and his strength and courage during his health battle. The jewelry is created from rough metals and texture. All of the pieces are custom and made for the person purchasing.

So you want to get in on the giveaway today? First become a fan of MJP (ME) MJP FACEBOOK then become a fan of CALECAMO CaleCamo and finally go back to the MJP fanpage and find today's post to comment on. Winner is announced on facebook at 10:30pm.

14 Days of Christmas- Giveaway #2

2010-12-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

Paisley Belle Tutus- Paisley Belle Tutus (etsy) and (facebook) fan page. Become a fan on her page and then head over to the MJP fan page facebook and get entered to win one of 2 tutus.

A little about Cassie:
I'm the mom to one little guy and three little chicks. I began making tutus for my girls after I searched all over for an affordable tutu for my youngest to celebrate her birthday in. I could not find something we loved that was priced within my budget. And so it is...Paisley Belle Tutus! My girls give me fun ideas and are happy to act as my models or "safari girls" as they call themselves"... =)

14 Days of Christmas Giveaway Day 1

2010-12-05T15:44:00.000-08:00

Just to refresh everyone's memory about this designer! Perfect gift for your own little girl, a friend or yourself!
Maya's Curls Hair Bows and Accessories

Don't you just get excited when you find a product you love! As always my search for fun accessories never ends. I found designer Juliet and her amazing talent through Maya's Curls Hair Bows and Accessories facebook. The best thing is...she is local!

Juliet describes her accesories as modern and chic. her designs are versatile. You can use her clips on headbands, bows, hats or even pin them to dress up a shirt! She loves to mix and match or even make to match. She adores color and you will notice how beautifully her accessories pop with color in pictures. She expresses herself through art and her children. Juliet is always looking for ways to incorporate color in her life. As any small business owner she hopes to have her designs in boutiques VERY soon!
Who inspired her designs? You got it...her beautiful daughter Maya!

Check out the website http://www.mayascurls.bigcartel.com/ . Get entered to win by becoming a fan on her facebook Maya's Curls and let her know I sent you! Then head to my fan page MJP Facebook and comment on the post! Winner announced tonight!

Emma turns 7!

2010-12-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

I remember being told over and over again how special your 1st child is. You truely don't understand until they are in your arms. Emma was a blessing in many ways to us. We are thankful for such a beautiful, healthy and high spirited child. Happy 7th Birthday princess!

Mattie and Tony

2010-11-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

Mattie and Tony shared an intimate day together with a small group of family and friends gathered by their side. We started the day at Mattie's parents home. Absolutely gorgeous cabin tucked away in the country. The weather was delightful with clear skies and the sun brightly shining. I think one of my favorite moments came when Mattie walked through the hallway into the entrance of the living room. Her close family laughed, smiled, congratulated and took many pictures of her. She was a breath of fresh air. Hair.Makeup.Dress.Perfect!
We headed over to Dawes where the ceremony took place. She had chosen the Japanese garden and wow it was a sight! The leaves were changing and everything was just lush. Once the ceremony was over we gathered for pictures and then headed back to the cabin for more pictures. I can't get enough of Bride and Groom moments!

Mattie and Tony thank you for making me feel like family for those short few hours in October. Cheers!

Christina and Eric

2010-11-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

June 18th was the day I met Christina and Eric. I remember this day quite well. Why? It was my grand opening! Christina must be one of the nicest gals I have ever met. She was open to my ideas and even agreed to meeting Eric before the ceremony for pictures. The weather was superb and the lighting was fantasic!
Ok so I have a little story to tell really quick. The cake fell before it made it to the table. Ouch! Thank goodness for backups. The end.

Enjoy the pictures!

Whitney and Sean

2010-11-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

I am such a lucky girl to have met Whitney and Sean. They really were such a fun couple to work with. Gorgeous dress, makeup, hair, location, flowers and yes I could go on and on!

Enjoy these images!

Jen and Adam

2010-11-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

Last year I met Jen through a mutual friend of ours and I instantly knew when I walked in the door she was awesome! Jen is so outgoing and we talked for quite sometime about her wedding plans. The one thing that I loved about her and even Adam was that they knew what they wanted. They had ideas for pictures and places picked out. They were both very organized! Wedding day arrived and we were blessed with fabulous weather. Jen and Adam decided to meet before the ceremony to allow for plenty of pictures. LOVED THIS! I was even lucky enough to have photog friend Sarah Gaylor come along to second shoot. We stopped at Harding Memorial which was awesome and the lighting was gorgeous. After we headed to All Occasions to complete the rest of the evening and a few more pictures. In all it was a great day.
Cheers to a beautiful life together and congratulations on the upcoming arrival of your little one!

Brookside Wedding

2010-11-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

Jenna and Mike had a beautiful wedding at Brookside Country Club mid September. I have only seen Brookside from my in laws backyard for the last 8 years and when Jenna told me about her wedding my eyes lit up knowing I would finally get to see the entire course. It met every expectation and the staff was absolutely wonderful. The weather was perfect, the leaves were starting to change and I was blessed to be a part of this day! Here are a few of my favorite images including the largest cake I have seen in sometime. Best wishes to Jenna and Mike!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful turnout at last week's Fall Party. Yummy treats and children in costume. There were some awesome costumes! At one point we had a line out the door to enter!!! AMAZING. Thank you everyone who attended and I hope you all had a blast. Here are just a few shots from the night.

Fall Party Tonight

2010-10-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

Seniors 2011

2010-10-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

It has been a whirlwind year and it is not over yet! One of the biggest factors in deciding to open a studio were my senior clients. Last year I photographed 50 seniors. That was double from the year before. I could not handle the traffic through my home and I'll admit...either could my family. So this year I knew it was going to be another busy year and maybe even busier since I had an actual studio space outside the home. As I wind down on my senior season I thought it would be fun for a recap of some of my favorite sessions. Now I am unable to post everyone's picture but at least you get and idea of the fun I have had!!

Designer Spotlight- CaleCamo Jewelry Designs

2010-09-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

I apologize for such a long break in blogging. I have had quite an interesting week and half. Including a computer crash. Everything is up and running at the moment!

Truely excited about CaleCamo Jewelry Designs. I met Shelly through the last two fabulous designers I blogged previously. She makes the most perfect gift any mother would want. Her personalization is what makes this so special. Shelly describes her designs as modern and organic focus on jewelry with meaning. Her inspiration came from her second son Cameron and his strength and courage during his health battle. The jewelry is created from rough metals and texture. All of the pieces are custom and made for the person purchasing.

So you want to check more out? Head on over to CaleCamo !

Handmade bracelet and ring (stunning!)

Hand stamped necklace

(myself wearing an initial ring and stamped bracelet)

Fair Fun Continued

2010-09-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

Remember back in August I spoke briefly of my fair trip with Sarah Gaylor and her engagement couple? I finally have found a quick moment to post some of the images I captured that night!

Designer Spotlight: Be So Beautiful Children's Gifts

2010-09-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

Well I hear good thing's come in 3's. It is soooo true! When I spoke to Juliet for the first time she informed that she had two dear friends who were also artists. Really how lucky can one girl be?! So excited for my partnership with these beautiful women.
Erin is so dedicated to her passion of clothing design. She really spends so much time putting eclectic outfits together. I enjoy all of her creations and I know you will too! Erin uses this as an outlet for her creativity. Upcycling is something she is VERY good at. She can take a not so good looking dress and turn it into an amaing top or pants into something way girly. Take a moment and check out her website Be So Beautiful. There is something for everyone! Blankets for babies, adorable outfits, dress up tutu's and she even makes bags!!!

Find her on facebook also.

How cute are her daughters?!

Personalized Buckeye Collection

Custom Blankets are divine!

Designer Spotlight- Maya's Curls Hair Bows and Accessories

2010-09-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

Don't you just get excited when you find a product you love! As always my search for fun accessories never ends. I found designer Juliet and her amazing talent through Maya's Curls Hair Bows and Accessories facebook. The best thing is...she is local! So I contacted her and found we had so much in common. She introduced me to several of her fabulous designer friends (which will be spotlighted soon!) and we collaborated to produce beautiful images.

Juliet describes her accesories as modern and chic. her designs are versatile. You can use her clips on headbands, bows, hats or even pin them to dress up a shirt! She loves to mix and match or even make to match. She adores color and you will notice how beautifully her accessories pop with color in pictures. She expresses herself through art and her children. Juliet is always looking for ways to incorporate color in her life. As any small business owner she hopes to have her designs in boutiques VERY soon!

Who inspired her designs? You got it...her beautiful daughter Maya!

Meet Maya

An Unforgettable Wedding

2010-08-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Erica and Marshall had a beautiful wedding at the Brookshire. I totally recommend this venue to brides. Everything was gorgeous from the clean designed cake to the pop of color as their centerpieces. I adore the style of chairs in the reception area.

This was such a touching moment. The commitment to one another and a kiss on the hand.

One of my favorite candids is when the bride and groom are announced. I love how Marshall is being attacked by falling rice and Erica still looks stunning through it all.

Best wishes to this beautiful couple! Thank you for allowing me to capture your day.

Birthday Bash and OSU Sessions

2010-08-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

The Studio and what it takes!

2010-08-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

I take great pride in what I do. It is my baby and I am constantly nurturing it. I have received many questions about how much my studio costs per month, how much it cost to setup shop and for the grand opening. Here is a simple breakdown of those costs. This does not include cost of equipment owned previous or how much it actually cost me to run the business.

Deposit at lease signing: $1400
Bathroom remodel: $100

Studio basics per month:
Rent and utilities: $900
Random bills: $100
Supplies: $15

Frames,prints canvas and albums for studio: $2600
Seating (also used for props) $500
moveable wall: $125
backdrop box: $75
tables and storage: $500
props including backdrops, pillows,rugs,etc.: $1200

Grand Opening: $637

You should have at least 6 months rent saved when walking through the door.

Gremadcha (Designer Spotlight)

2010-08-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

Super fan of Etsy here! I am constantly on that site browsing and I can get sucked in to the madness of color and creativity by designers! Awhile back I happened to stumble upon Greta's shop Gremadcha. Completely fell in love with her designs. The simplicity and vibrancy of her headbands (she offers a variety of different designs and very cool jewelry) wowed me. So one arrived in my mailbox a few weeks ago and Emma modeled it. Really fit perfectly on her and we used it several ways. You must go check her out and did I mention one of her pieces would be a perfect detail to your session outfit? It would! http://www.etsy.com/shop/gremadcha

To learn more about Greta visit www.gremadcha.blogspot.com

Wedding Streak

2010-08-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

June and July were busy months for weddings. I had never covered a wedding in July until this year. In fact I covered a wedding every weekend in July this year! I must be making up for the previous years. July is hot! But somehow for Rindy and Austin's wedding we got lucky on the heat. The bride and groom met up for pictures before the ceremony which I love!
I had Austin standing outside for what seemed forever as Rindy slowly came behind him. I absolutely love this moment. Rindy is an amazing person and I felt to blessed to be there that day.

If you notice above she has a book in her hand. A few weeks before she met me for a bridal session so she could gift this book of images to him. It was quite touching. Little details like this are fun! She also made her programs for the ceremony, her mom made her flowers and their reception centerpieces.

So after the ceremony and reception we walked out for Rindy to toss the bouquet and jumped in a limo for a spin around the block. As we drove around I decided we need to stop for more pictures. So glad we did!

Finally the entire bridal party ended the day with me at Glacier Ridge Park for the last round of pictures. Everyone loosened up and just had!

Rindy and Austin, I can't thank you enough for including me!

Tampa Wedding

2010-08-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

Last month I traveled once again to my favorite state (besides ohio ;) ). This was my second wedding in Florida in less than 10 days! I was so excited to cover Amber and Jesse's exciting day. Amber had kept me up to date all year on what to expect and all of the beautiful details she was planning. They even agreed to meet before the ceremony that way they could enjoy their own cocktail hour. It was very humid and like usual a threat for rain. As we drove to the meeting site we covered Jesse's eyes with a towel (quite the site and I was laughing the entire way) and Amber sat in the front seat not looking back. Pictures before the ceremony are so emotional! The bride and groom are soooo nervous before they see each other and once they do tears can form and huge smiles turn contagious. It was overall a beautiful night filled with close friends and family. All of Amber's hard work and planning paid off. A night never forgotten!

Best wishes to two beautiful people inside and out!

Staycation day 5,6 & 7

2010-08-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

So my staycation is winding down. There really is not much to talk about. The last several days were spent going to birthday parties, hanging with friends, finding bugs, driving to marysville for some AWESOME cupcakes and painting. Wait I forgot one more thing. Yesterday I photographed the birthday bash session with 4 adorable one year olds!

Here are a few pictures!

Staycation day 3 & 4

2010-08-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

Days 3 and 4 of my staycation have been pretty good. Not much going on honestly. NOT! So much has been going on. Let's start with yesterday. I watched Josh start on our upstairs hallway. We are painting and remodeling so I can finally hang some beautiful images. I will have to post before and after once we are finished! So after that the kids and I went to my moms and jumped in the pool and walked through her backyard. I love her yard! I am thinking come fall I will use the following items for the kids pictures.

A little trail

branch that is twisted

Love this!

I can see Brody sitting here with his army jacket.

So later in the evening I ventured out and met up with my photographer friend Sarah Gaylor and we photographed her clients who are getting married next month. Such a fun night at the fair. For now I will share a few fair pictures and one shot of the beautiful couple.

Now onto today.....well things could have gone a little better in the morning. My backup computer got attacked by a virus! So I am now without it for a few days. After I dealt with this it was time to play. The kids, their friends and I went to the "bunny fountains." It was a blast watching them play and giggle. Once we soaked in some sun I decided that we all needed sno cones! There is a great little sno cone hut here in town and they have soooo many flavors. We have been going several times a week. Here is a picture of Emma with her bestfriends Zach and Maddy. Really wish the light was better because this would have been an adorable image but I still think all the kiddos are cute.

Finally to end this evening I went to dinner with some fabulous friends who always make me laugh. Came home and finished painting baseboard. I am looking forward to the next few days and to get back to work!

Staycation Day 1 and 2

2010-08-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

I have waited all summer to have time off and just to get things done. You know the things you put off during the winter and the things that you procrasinate doing? Not to mention I have not had any quality time with the kids and it was about time we had some fun! So day one of staycation was spent at the fair. They were geeked up to go and that's all they had been talking about up until yesterday. It was family day and crowded. We had planned to just spend a couple hours there and ended up staying 5 hours. The atmosphere sucked us in! The kids rode on the rides, we ate all kinds of food, played games and checked out the animals. It was an overall great trip except that I took the wrong lens with me! Noted for next time.

Winner

Fun Rides

A baby born monday morning

Where are the owners to this horse?

Day 2

So far today we have...ok I have watched Josh mulch the flowerbeds and work on the upstairs. Lot's of remodeling going on!

I will leave you with pictures of Brody and our new mulch.

A Girl With A Glue Gun!

2010-07-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

Emma and I have been crafting away the last few weeks and hopefully I will get to share many more projects that are fun to do! This week I am sharing decorative frames. I love frames and the one thing I have around my house is extra everything! So we decided to take our "extras" and glue it to a frame. Back in May I went to a few garage sales and found 8x10 frames for $.25 each. I painted them and used them for Brody's party. But now I wanted to dress them up. Add some memories to them and our extras.

What we used:
hot glue gun
fabric
straight razor
shells
frames

The first frame we worked on was our memory frame from Emma's vacation. This was the easiest project. We started with cracked shells and flat shells. Gluing them side by side. We finished it off with taking the nice shells and gluing them in the cracks. Sadly we ran out of shells but we can add more next time!

Final Result with one of my senior models as the example.

Ok for the last project we covered our frames with fabric. I have so much fabric left from sewing projects and thought it would be great to use the "extra" to jazz up the frame. First I hot glue all around the front of the frame. Then I wrap the fabric around the front opening and stretching it around to the back. Fold in the sides of the fabric and glue along the edges. (you could cut the outside edges and then fold in as a different option). Next I take a straight edge razor and cut the opening where the picture shows. Finally I cut small slits and glue the inside edges in the frame. Set to dry for 24 hours.

So you don't want to use it as a frame.....then do not cut the opening and make several of them to hang on the wall. I will show my final results once I get mine up!

My 2nd Home

2010-07-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

As many know my family and I travel to Clearwater, FL. several times a year. I have always wanted to do a wedding on the beach there. It is like a 2nd home to me. So inviting and just a sense of calmness. When I found out Nicole was traveling there to have a destination wedding I knew now or never! Chatted with her on facebook quite a bit and finally we signed a contract! So June arrived and I flew down there for a quick 24 hours. It was such a great time and reassured me that destination weddings were another area I wanted to cover!

The weather was perfect, well almost perfect! It was slighty cloudy with a nice hint off sunshine. Everything ran really smooth up until the bride was getting ready to walk down the aisle. What do you know?! It decided to rain, but only for a few minutes. Typical Florida weather!!! The coordinator wiped the chairs down and everything restarted. Nicole glowed and smiled ear to ear as she walked toward Tony. They are quite adorable together! From there we walked the beach with the bridal party and really enjoyed the light we had. I captured so many beautiful images. Look on the website soon and you will notice a their very own gallery!
Congratualtions Tony and Nicole! I wish you many years of happiness.

DIY- Tissue Flowers

2010-07-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

I love making tissue flowes for parties. It is simple yet festive!

Here is what you need:
scissors
tissue paper (8 sheets per ball)
piping or ribbon (i use ribbon)

Step 1) Stack your 8 sheets of tissue and fold accordion style
Step 2) fold in half to create a crease
Step 3) Tie ribbon or piping in the middle to create a seperation
Step 4) Trim the edges by rounding or triangle
Step 5) Start closest to middle by pulling the tissue paper gently up and toward the ribbon

Step 6) Repeat

I LOVE Bella Beads!

2010-07-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

So I love to browse etsy and find beautiful creations! I talk about etsy all the time and if I love the design that much then I will contact the artist and ask to photograph their designs. Sometimes it's the opposite. About two months ago I found Kris from Bella Bead Studio and just oozed over her designs. She came to the studio and had a case full of designs. What made it so perfect is that I had a bridal session setup and she agreed to model a few bridal pieces. Of course she offers everything and I mean EVERYTHING!

Here are a few of my personal favorite designs and a few from the bridal shots.

Nadine and Steven

2010-06-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

My wedding season officially kicked of at the begining of June and of course it was AMAZING! Yes it was hot, yes it was stormy and yes we did not have air anywhere we went. With all of these conditions we still managed to create beautiful imagery. I have knocked on wood and will say I have yet to this day have had rain ruin pictures!
Nadine and Steven wowed their guests with beautiful details everywhere. Stunning colors and beautiful flowers. There was laughter and smiles throughout the day. I could not have asked for a better bride and groom. Did I mention that we met up the following Monday for a bridal session?!

Congrats Nadine and Steven!

GRAND OPENING THIS FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-06-16T15:01:00.001-07:00

Brody's Birthday

2010-06-13T18:50:00.000-07:00

I remember 3 months ago I started planning Brody's party. It started off simple and then dreams started. Circus tent, cotton candy machine, popcorn machine, costumes and lots of guests! Within that first week or maybe two my dreams came to a complete halt! Yep my family brought me back down to ground. Have you ever tried planning a studio opening and first birthday within a week of each other?! Yikes what was I thinking?! So I did a major scale back and decided there were certain things that were most important for his party. Number 1 was cake and you know I LOVE cake. Then came the other little details to bring it together. Tissue flowers to hang, vintage toys, and PICTURES. Had to have pictures of my little guy everywhere.

Thank you to all of our family who came and ate cake. We have tons left but I am NOT sharing.

Happy June!

2010-06-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

June is here already! Yikes!!! I am horribly behind on posting. So hopefully I can catch up after the Grand Opening June 18th. For now here are a few bridal sessions I worked on a few weeks ago. Thank you to Nancy Dye for hair and Mary Hammer for makeup!

Happy Birthday Brody!

2010-05-26T05:22:00.000-07:00

This past year has been a whirlwind. I keep looking back through my archives thinking "really he is ONE, no this can't be?!" It seems like just yesterday I was checking into the hospital for my quick delivery, bringing him home, waking up in the middle of the night, watching him roll over, his first smile, andall of those other amazing firsts. My little baby no longer resembles a baby but he will forever be my little one. my youngest, my love. I was very curious what his personality would develop into as he has grown. He is such a relaxed curious little guy. He giggles when his brother and sister walk into the room and chuckles when daddy gets him in the neck. He now walks with that mummy stumble which always gets a laugh out of everyone. One day I will pull out all of his pictures from his first year and show them to him. He will probably think I am crazy for the thousands of pictures I have of him or appreciate that I captured him in a different way everyday. I am one very lucky mommy to have a healthy beautiful child!

Happy birthday to my Brody!!

Brides Galore!

2010-05-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago myself and fellow photographer friend Danielle Neil team up to start working on off camera flash. I am personally gearing up for my weddings this season and working on my new lighting to offer to my clients. Something more dramatic. I also was lucky enough to have my friend and hairstylist Nancy come in to do hair. I think we will all remember that evening well with the chill in the air and the crazy crazy winds. All 3 brides really worked it out and we came home with some awesome images. Here are just a few!

Hard Work Pays Off

2010-05-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Handwashing the floors!

Moving props from one side to the other...What a mess!

Trying to beat a 2 second timer....this should tell the story.

Friday evening was spent with 4 wonderful ladies who volunteered their time to help me in the studio. We spent 4 hours washing 700 sq ft of floors, touching up paint and most important staging the studio for the upcoming Grand Opening. Hard work really pays off! I hope to see many of you at the studio Friday June 18th between 6-10pm.

GRAND OPENING!

2010-05-16T18:41:00.001-07:00

Casting Call!

2010-05-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

Fresh Face Winners 2010

2010-05-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you everyone who participated in the 2010 Fresh Face Contest. We have two beautiful girls who won this year. Josie who will represent the 0-2 year category and Madison who will represent the 3-10 year category. I am also teaming up with Julie Martin of ZoZoBugBaby who will be designing an outfit for each girl for their cover shoot.

Fresh Face Voting 2010!

2010-05-04T05:12:00.000-07:00

FRESH FACE VOTING WILL RUN THROUGH FRIDAY ON FACEBOOK. To vote go here FACEBOOK and LIKE the Melissa Jones Photography page. Then go to the albums labeled FRESH FACE and "like" your favorites!

Winners will receive bragging rights, 2 sessions, prints and more!

Fresh Face Preview Part 2

2010-05-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

Hey Hey Everyone! Another day completed for the fresh face contest. Today was CRAZY BUSY. Let me sum it up like this....Sprinkling, break from rain, pouring, pouring, and break from rain! Ok no really it was an amazing day today. Such great images and moments were captured. Thank you for everyone's patience as we started outside, moved inside and back outside we went! Here are just a few teasers!

Fresh Face Preview

2010-04-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

Well I ended this weekend with the first day of fresh face contestants. Great first day turnout and very impressed with these fresh faces so far.
I have to admit I was crazy worried about the rain because I did not want to go into the studio! Yes, yes I love the studio but I want to be outside for this contest! It was a little chilly and rained off/on. That did not stop us! All of the children did so well and there are so many great images! I am very thankful for Julie and Liz for volunteering their day to assist me. Liz worked on signing families in and Julie took a few photos of me in action (Julie, notice I only put the super close pics up.hahaha). Julie also made an amazing cheescake for us to enjoy after!

Here are a few fun pictures to hold you over until this weeks last 2 days!

Seniors 2011 Part 2

2010-04-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

Woohoo made it through all 12 senior model sessions! We had an amazing time and were very lucky the weather cooperated.

Senior Models 2011

2010-04-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

Tis the season for SENIOR MODELS! It has been incredibly busy which is always good. I have a wonderful selection of girls this year to represent my business for 2010-2011. The sessions have sailed smooth and I could not have asked for a better bunch of models. I have went on different adventures with each one and many laughs along the way. I look forward to meeting more of my models this coming weekend. As for now here are Alisha, Carly, Elly, Lynn and Shawney.

Fresh Face 2010!

2010-04-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

Full of Smiles

2010-04-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had the most enjoyable session with little Talia and her parents. From the moment she walked in she was full of smiles. I even received several hugs! Love the following picture of her...

Do it yourself hair clip!

2010-03-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

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!!!

My Family Session Process

2010-03-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

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!

A Mans Laugh

2010-03-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

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.

Fabulous Family Contest

2010-03-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

Bunny Ears Contest

2010-03-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

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!

2011 Senior Model- Beth

2010-03-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

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.

Crazy for ZoZoBugBaby!

2010-03-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

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!

Hello Studio, Goodbye Home

2010-03-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

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.

Do it yourself Flower Mat

2010-03-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

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.

ZozoBugBaby Trunk Show March 4th-8th.

2010-02-25T19:45:00.000-08:00

Please email me melissa@melissajonesphotography.com to schedule your viewing!

Newsletter Signup

2010-02-23T11:55:00.001-08:00

Have you signed up to receive the Melissa Jones Photography monthly newsletter? If not, sign up to the left of the page. March newsletter goes out soon!

Raining Babies!

2010-02-21T20:09:00.000-08:00

It has been raining babies for the last two months ......wonderful little babies.

Happy Birthday Ella!

2010-02-17T17:57:00.000-08:00

Happy 2 years Ella. My has she grown into a darling little girl.

Class of 2011- Accepting Model Applications

2010-02-15T20:34:00.000-08:00

When It Snows

2010-02-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

I had a chance this weekend to go out and photograph one of my favorite spots with a client of mine this weekend. For the last 4 years I have captured this area during every season, during sunset, sunrise, etc. This past summer I thought it was going to be demolished but it still stands!

Babies,Babies,Everywhere

2010-02-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

January was a huge HUGE month for babies! Here are just a hanful of my favorites.

One on One Mentoring- Spring Class

2010-02-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

Do you own a Digital Slr? Do you always use it in auto and just can't figure out the manual functions? Do you tend to let that the pop up flash....well pop and flash! Do you want to take better pictures?

Well if you answered yes to these questions you are reading the right blog!

I am offering a spring class (scheduling for march)with winter One on One mentoring (Booked Now) becoming such a success. The One on One is a great chance for you to allow me to teach you how to properly use your camera and take better pictures. This is 3(2 hrs per class) week program customized to fit your needs. You will learn how to use your camera, exposure, lighting, composition,etc. Assignments will be given every week to help you become a stronger photographer. Want to know more???? Email me melissa@melissajonesphotography.com

Best of 2009- Family

2010-01-31T19:59:00.000-08:00

Again I thank everyone for a wonderful 2009. This is the last best of 2009. Starting tomorrow will start my new year! Many new adventures for 2010.

Best of 2009- Versions of Black and White

2010-01-31T17:34:00.000-08:00

So this year I really was into different conversions of black and white. Here are a few of my favorites!

Littlest Heroes Project

2010-01-31T06:56:00.000-08:00

I am now a participating photographer for the Littlest Heroes Project!

Best of 2009- Seniors

2010-01-29T11:28:00.000-08:00

I promised myself in 2008 that I would double my senior sessions in 2009. I did it!!! Woohoo for 50 senior sessions! Here are just 4 of my faves. Three very fun females and one all american guy! Thanks for a great season!

Best of 2009- Oh Baby!

2010-01-29T10:35:00.000-08:00

2009 was a huge year for newborn and baby milestone sessions! I think I doubled my baby sessions in 2009. Must have been something in the water. I know it was in my water! Many of my clients were blessed with beautiful little ones including myself! I just could not pick 3 and decided on 5.

Lindsey- 6 months

Brody- Yes he is mine! 4 days old

Braylon- 3 months old

Brenneck- One week old

Sam- One week old

Best of 2009- Children

2010-01-28T09:48:00.000-08:00

A child's expression means everything to me! It really shows who they are in that moment. Throughout 2009 I had several standout expressions that just made me laugh!

Silas- I remember this session like it was yesterday! This image was displayed at the 2009 DDAF at CSCC.

Carter- He has such a personality. I asked him to sit in front of the door and the end result was the below image. Love, love, love it so much that I ordered a 20x30 for myself!

Little Lauren- She really stole the show during her family OSU session.

Best 0f 2009- Weddings

2010-01-27T16:42:00.000-08:00

Three wonderful couples and three amazing locations. Thank you to all of my brides and grooms who allowed me to photograph their important day!

Erin and Jason- Smith Bros. Venue

Stephanie and Sean- Pinnacle

Ashton and Max- Confluence