As I walked to my chair to sit down and write this post, I felt the familiar crush of a Cheerio beneath my shoe, called the dog to come clean it up and wondered how on earth we got our closest friends to follow us into this beautiful mess.  We haven’t exactly made it look easy, our entry into parenthood was less than graceful and its the people closest to us that have born the brunt of our complaints about lack of sleep, freedom and privacy in the bathroom.   They have ignored moody outbursts while stepping over mine fields of toys to access a fridge with sticky handles, turning a blind eye to the dirty diaper sitting on a piece of furniture that somehow never made it to the pail.  But I guess they have also watched us glow, laugh, cuddle, sing, smile, rock and coo while getting stupidly excited about the small things in life, like the way my son says, “belly button”.  I guess that these are the impressions that stuck since one by one, ready or not, our favorite DINKs (dual income, no kids) are dropping like flies.

Enter Dan and Erin who rented an apartment from us while relocating from New Orleans to Richmond after Katrina.  They were the Ricardos (young, riotous and shenanigan prone) and we were the Mertzs (a little older, a little grumpier, equally shenanigan prone) and life as we knew it in Richmond hasn’t been the same since they came.  Many years, travels, life changes and shenanigans later, we are family.  We were so happy when they announced that they would be joining us in the beautiful mess.

If you read my post on Olivia’s belly portraits this past summer, you already know that I arrived at their house with my equipment, some excitement and quite a bit of dread.  Taking pictures of people I love is always infinitely harder than photographing people I have just met for reasons I haven’t entirely figured out.  The sun was not cooperating as the sky continued to darken and threaten rain… so much for good light.  Poor Dan had been up all night working and fell asleep in the nursery during a costume change!   Erin was every bit as nervous as I was and its probably good that photos can’t reveal the occasional irreverent conversation amidst our chatter.  Mostly we talked momma stuff and despite the awkwardness, it was nice to get Erin to myself for a little while without the men folk or the ankle biter.  The house was quiet and dark and warm like a favorite cup of tea.  She and I weren’t nearly as quiet as the photos look but if they feel pensive, that was real.

If there’s something I really like about belly portraits and first time mommas, its the quiet before the storm.  Pregnant women in their final trimester, if left to their devices, are a flurry of nesting activity, whirling dervishes of laundry and preparation.  So its nice to press the pause button and allow the calm, confidence and readiness to rise to the surface: which is exactly what I see in these photos of Erin.

Even Sienna Brulee is ready.  Reluctant maybe, but ready…

Erin and Dan welcomed Charleton Fisher O’Regan to the world a week ago yesterday and are doing fantastic together.  Dan is already a master swaddler, as we got to see during a brief hospital visit the day after Charlie was born.  Welcome to the world, sweet Charlie.  D&E, welcome to the Beautiful Mess.  And to all three of you, welcome home.

Posted by Mel @ 6:29 pm, in Bellies, Personal, Portraits, Wee Ones | No comments | Permalink

When I heard that Brayden, now two, was going to be a big brother, I was over the moon.  And even more excited for the opportunity to document Baby Reese’s first year just like I did for Brayden!  We decided to start the photo fun early, before Reese’s big debut.

When I arrived, Brayden said, “Hi Mel!” and ran for his camera, still wearing his Elmo slippers.  We were ready to play.

Then it was time for Brayden to get dressed and show me the baby’s nursery.  When Amy and Jeff learned they were having a girl, they decided to embrace the pink full throttle!   The nursery is painted in two rosey shades and Brayden loves to climb into her crib, give her bear a hug and hang out.  Something tells me he will have a love/hate relationship with these photos someday.

We got a lot of sweet photos of both Amy’s belly and the whole family in the nursery….

When Amy was pregnant with Brayden we took this belly photo by her antique piano.

Since then she has raised a baby and taught him a few things about music, including how to play “Twinkle, Twinkle.”  How could she have imagined, back then, that this is what the follow up photo would look like?   And who knows what the next follow up photo might be?

I love this picture.  If I had to give it a title, it would be, “Here We Go Again!”

Brayden got a kitchen set for Christmas and made me some breakfast since it was a morning shoot.   What a sweet kid!

Here’s a slideshow and the online gallery too.  I’m waiting for some good news any day now, I’m looking forward to meeting Reese very soon!

Posted by Mel @ 8:05 pm, in Bellies, Portraits, Wee Ones | No comments | Permalink

You might guess that its easier to take pictures of family members than clients, at least that’s what I would have guessed, but Sam and I talk often about how its the opposite for us.  We wish we knew why.  Is it knowing too much about someone?  Wanting to say too much about someone?  Are we relying less on instinct with someone we know?  Are we afraid of showing them how we see them?  All of thee above, maybe, but mostly I just can’t maintain a professional self with my family and friends, I become a fit of giggles holding a camera.  But I wanted so badly to take photos of Olivia, good photos, something for her husband and son to remember this time by.  So I asked if I could try.

Olivia’s husband Lincoln has been Sam’s brother since they were nine, blood is a mere technicality.  Lincoln lived with Sam’s family through high school and just about every story Sam tells begins with, “My buddy Lincoln and I….”  When I was first dating Sam, Lincoln was the person in his life that I was the most nervous about meeting for the first time.  So if that gives you any idea how important these folk are in our life, well, you know how difficult this shoot should have been for me because Olivia has become my sister too.

But it wasn’t really that hard.  For one thing, Olivia is gorgeous so that was easy.  And I didn’t have to direct too much, I just kind of watched her be.  We both laughed a lot because it was a little awkward and strange, to play model and photographer for an hour like little girls role playing.  But I’m really glad we did it and I was happy with what I got.

When you pull up to Lincoln and Olivia’s place the driveway winds your car around the cottage like a hug as the sun dances through the trees. Its one of those places that has good energy though I’ll never know if its because it was always there or because Lincoln and Olivia put it there.  I’m slightly obsessed with the shed out back and the barrel rings that hang on the side, rough with rust but round like a baby bump.  The garden was feeling a little too cliche but I liked the tomato shots anyway.  The daisy shots were my favorite though because they were the most Olivia to me.

I worked on this edit yesterday while Olivia labored with Milo Arthur, who joined our world at 11:57 weighing 7 lbs, 11oz.  I’m so tempted to share photos we took at the hospital yesterday but I think they should be the first to post pictures when they can.  So stay tuned for those, we’re just so thrilled to have Baby Milo here.  Something tells me that an adult Fiver will start a lot of stories with, “My buddy Milo and I….”

Posted by Mel @ 5:46 pm, in Bellies, Personal, Portraits, Wee Ones | 3 Comments | Permalink

Today’s rain may have thrown a monkey wrench in my portrait plans for the early part of this week but I’m making the most out of this dreary day by catching up on editing.  And just in time…I definitely wanted for Natalie and Craig to see these before Baby Boy arrives!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: belly portraits are the hardest thing I do.  Its not for a lack of great subjects (I truly have the best) or because I don’t love the maternal form (I definitely do) but because its so hard to do in a way that is artistic without being cheesy, emotional without being over the top, and most challenging of all – unique.  While I’ve never really succeeded with it (by my own standards), I get a little closer every time I do it.  Natalie and Craig’s photos are the closest I have come yet.

Natalie and Craig built the house that has become the hub of their life so it only made sense to take photos in this very special place.  The couples’ dog, Hilton (as in Hilton Head where the couple was married, not Paris or Perez), was a very willing participant and all I had to do to get her to look at me was say the word, “ball”.  I often joke that my job is like taking a test you can’t study for: each shoot offers the gift of serendipity, particularly when I shoot for a client for the first time.  So I was pleased to find so many intimate and welcoming details in Natalie and Craig’s home that I could use to frame this special, happy time in their lives:

I couldn’t decide which close up I liked better so I included them both!

Its kind of creepy (or maybe just cool) that the specular highlights on Craig’s shirt and the couples’ profile mimic the look of their baby in the ultrasound.  I didn’t intend it but I liked it:

I find myself drawn to the same things over and over again when I do belly shoots: clocks in the background (tic tock!), open windows letting light in, and items that lay in wait for the tiny person they belong to.   I always hope that loving anticipation comes through these photos.  There are both excited moments of chatter and quiet moments of pause on a belly shoot.

Sam made fun of me for wishing Natalie a “powerful” birth earlier today, he called me a hippy.  Guilty as charged, minus the patchouli.   Good luck to you both in the days to come, enjoy those first sweet moments of parenthood and I can’t wait to meet Baby Boy on our newborn shoot very soon.  In the mean time, here’s a slideshow and if you would like to check out their online gallery, click here.

Posted by Mel @ 8:39 pm, in Bellies, Portraits, Wee Ones | No comments | Permalink