This is my sweet, beautiful, new, tiny, cute nephew, Scoooter! I had been planning for months to come and photograph his birth and be there as my little sister welcomed a new baby boy into her family. She was induced this morning and I was keeping track of how far a long she was. I got a text around 1:00 that she dilated to a 4, so I decided to drop my daughter off at a friends and head to Murray so I’d be there with enough time to spare. I hoped in the car and headed North. I decided to make a QUICK stop at Kid to Kid (and it was quick, I was there for 5 minutes TOPS) and then headed to SL. I got a text that she was at an 8 and thought “oh my gosh, that was fast!” and around 7200 South I got a call from my sister saying I’d better get there quick! I was literally 2 exits away (10 minutes) from the hospital. I made it to labor and delivery JUST as she was delivering and they wouldn’t let me in the room! I couldn’t believe it…how heart breaking! Not only was I bummed I wouldn’t be there to take pictures (says the photographer in me), but if you have ever witnessed a birth, you know how AWESOME and AMAZING it is! To have this new body come into the world is simply a miracle and so beautiful! And although I missed it, you bet you’ll be seeing MANY more pictures of this little guy! He’s now my new “model” for newborn pictures! (be prepared Mind…I need to practice lol)! Love you guys!

This is my older sister, Amy, and her family. I think it’s funny…as a photographer I show up to many photo sessions. Some go great, others I have to work for. You’d think that 4 teens and 2 adults would be easy right? No running around after a toddler right? I had to giggle at my cute family because it seemed impossible to get them all looking at once lol. I had to  remember how much I loved to have my picture taken as a teen and to be honest…how much I just love to have my pictures taken now (which btw, if you didn’t catch that sarcasm, I was being totally sarcastic) . It’s hard work to be in front of the camera!  he he…But we ended up getting some really great ones! I think a lot of people just kind of “skip” photo sessions when their kids are older because everyone is so busy and there is so much going on, but at any age, I think it’s just so important to have family pictures!

By this point 1/2 of the group was done…they stuck it out oh so well, but I thought it would be fun to do a “mock photo booth”…you know, try and loosen up the kids to get some fun expressions from them…and it worked! The two who agreed to humor were cracking me up!

And last but not least, I love this one. I love when I can catch a moment that just SCREAMS  “we totally love each other (even if we’re trying not to act like it”!

So here we are at Fashion Friday again! Wow, that week flew by! So most of my post have examples of  families that might have younger kids, but not all families have little kids anymore. How do you dress your teens?! What if you are a casual family and don’t really “dress up” but would still like to look good for pictures? Well, it’s simple. I tell people to choose their fave 3-4 colors and go from there. Today is all about blacks, grays and reds. Three simple colors and as you can see, nothing is over done below…everything is still really casual. When I say to add “layers and texture” I mean with simple things like a shirt under a different colored buttoned up shirt….necklaces…buttons….doing different patterns rather than all sold adds texture..! Just because you have a color scheme doesn’t mean everyone has to show up in the exact same plain shirt to match! And as you can see, the reds aren’t all the same. Some have a little more pink in them and the grays are different too. Easy to keep it simple, yet still look great!

Okay, so I had the wonderful idea come to me today! A recent client of mine, Audrey Mann, excepted my friends request on Facebook (which btw, feel free to come be a FAN of Melissa Davis Photography..I love me some fans!). I, of course, was checking out her profile, because I’m snoopy like that, and saw a link she had to a cute little Etsy shop called AUDZIPAN. This is when I came up with my fun idea to do client spotlights for those who are like me…being creative and trying to make a little extra money for their families. So my first spotlight goes to Audrey!

audzipan design {screenprinted lovelies by audrey mann}

1. Where did you come up with the name “Audzipan” for your Etsy store?
“Audzipan” is a nickname I acquired in college. Simply put, it is a mixture of my name, Audrey, and marzipan, the almond paste. My roommate had a friend named Mariah that she called Marzipan, so it just got transferred to me and adjusted to my name.

2. Where do you find your inspiration for your designs?
A lot of times my ideas come to me a while after I start thinking about them. I see something that I really like, and it’s like my unconscious mind stews on it for a while until it just comes to me.

3. how did you get started making your craft?
I got started screenprinting after I had my baby and finished college, but I have always been doing some art or craft as long as I can remember. I ordered a starter kit online, did a little research, and just jumped in! I have a lot of fun with it, and it’s so satisfying when something works well!

So there you go! A little bit about Audrey and her fun designs! Go check out her Etsy store! Audzipan!

I’m sure these cuties look familiar right? They are my good friends little ones and I am lucky enough to get to photograph them often! They crack me up because they are at those ages where 1. they don’t want to be in pictures 2. they for sure don’t want to be in a picture TOGETHER and 3. they just don’t want their pictures taken period. lol. You’d never be able to guess that though! and that’s what’s great about getting your kids pictures taken. You come to a photo shoot, kids are running around…crying…hitting….etc, but when all said and done…you get pictures like these and are able to enjoy those cute little faces!! For those of you on the fence about last minute fall sessions, I’ve still got spots open, so don’t miss out on your chance!

Alright, here we are again for a Fashion Friday! Everything today comes from American Eagle Outfitters. I love AE and have for many years. I’m not a fancy, dress up short of girl. I love their causal, yet trendy looks.  I love that they now have a line for kids called 77kids which means you can shop their for your whole family for pictures! YAY!  Again, taking a color scheme you love (I puffy heart blues, greens and grays!) and adding layers and texture really pulls together the whole look and looks GREAT in pictures!