This is proving to be difficult with how busy this year has been.

This is a good thing, of course, but it has meant temporarily putting the blog on the back burner until I can catch up.

~~~

I have been able to shoot some product shots of my very favourite products found within The Gold Collection.

With the way photography has changed, so has the products we have had to offer. At first, I hated the thought of giving my digital files away.

These are my little pieces of art, and I worried if put into the hands of my clients, they may alter my visions and/or  print in less than perfect photo labs;

then showing these to their friends and family, without the MellanieD approval I put into everything that is given to or shown to my clients.

That is my name that is being altered and printed through labs that may not care on quality.

Finally though,  I did have to break.

After being asked for the 100th time, I decided I did have to make changes to better cater to my client and so

My Digital Collections were born.

Each Digital Collection comes with the very minimum of a 5×7 proof.

WHY? You ask.

You go it! Because quality is *that* important to me.

I want you, the client, to know…should you print professionally through me, then this is how your little piece of art *should* look.

If you print your photos and it looks nothing like the Proof I have provided you with, then you know it is the lab you used.

I really mean it when I say: every detail matters.

….

Take a look for yourself ))

Have a happy weekend.

Thank you to all for  sending their thoughts and prayers our way, please continue to do so, my dad’s surgery will be done  this Thursday

and we are hoping and praying for a successful surgery and quick recovery.

xoxo

there are many projects and big plans for Mellanied Photography…

I just can not wait to share with all of you.

I hope to continue with a line of “Newborn Art: by Mellanied Photography” and have it published: so stay tuned for some details on that.

Everyone knows how much I love babies, how I love to spend hours perfecting the shots and loving on all my babies.

A newborn baby,

is a piece of art

all their own.

Each and every newborn baby I meet

allows me

to create beauty.

I feel so very blessed to do what I do.

I wish each and every one of you happy holidays, a Happy New Year and love lots love xox

Why have times changed so much, what is so different now than it was back then?

In a world with instant gratification, with literally anything at our fingertips, has this made us more lazy?

Less capable?

Less family oriented?

I know I constantly hear (and say!) how kids are just so different now, how we were outside at the crack of dawn until our parents would be yelling at us to come in. Yet our children now have to be forced to play outside and use their imagination.

But who is really at fault?

Is it us?

Is it society?

Or is this just how the world is progressing?

These are questions I constantly wonder about and would love to hear your opinions.

That being said, everyone knows we have a ton of kids in our home, and I always have a soft spot of any other large families. So when Cassie asked me to be part of her 4th baby’s arrival, I was thrilled.

A perfect addition to a perfect family.

Congrats! You are all beautiful.

Not only beautiful but she was so good to me too. She let me do whatever I wanted.

She must take after her older sister, if you remember she was the natural from the maternity session, who was even helping me and guiding her mom into poses.

She told me at this session that she wanted to be like me when she grew up and she wanted to take pictures too. ::smiling:: Again helping me during our session.

I had so much fun getting to know your family Vanessa, just hearing you and T interacting with your older daughter while I quietly worked away with the baby was so touching. There is so much love.

A real Love,

a bond,

that left me feeling peaceful.

Keep loving one another because family is so important.

I smile more often,

I anger a little less quickly,

the sun shines a little brighter,

and life is so much sweeter.

For being with you takes me to a different place: a place called love.”

Doesn’t the meaning of love just hold a whole new meaning once you’ve had a baby?

I mean, everyone believes they have loved as much as they can possibly love

but then-

THEN-

something indescribable happens.

That-very-first-moment,

the moment you see your brand new baby,

as they lay her on your chest.

As I have told so many of my clients…cherish that very first moment.

THAT moment, I know for me, is when I became a whole person

and I really understood what unconditional love really meant.

Congratulations to C & A…. your baby girl is perfection.

xoxo

We need to find God,

and he cannot be found in noise

and restlessness.

God is the friend of silence.

See how nature

-trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence;

see the stars, the moon and the sun,

how they move in silence…

We need silence to be able to touch souls.

(Mother Teresa)

How can I photograph these brand-new-little-perfect human beings and not believe.

Impossible.

I believe…

I believe that children are given to us to remind us not to take life too seriously,

to remind us to love one another,

to give us hope, and strength.

I believe in Miracles.

I believe in God.

Of course their baby girl gave me smiles too.

I have a hard time believing that a newborn doesn’t “really” smile.

Seriously,

I have captured it too many times to *know* it is real….

a newborn does smile

for real.

REAL smiles.

Just wish I knew what they were smiling at in their sleep.

I like to believe it has to be the angels they are remembering.

Makes it that much more special.

How beautiful are these girls? Seriously. WOW. Daddy is going to have to chase the boys away when they get older.

You will recognize the gorgeous mama from our maternity session, also the rep for the Westmount Welcome Wagon baskets.

If you haven’t heard about this wonderful service, become a fan on facebook, tell all new moms you know,

it is a wonderful basket given to all new mothers filled with all sorts of goodies.

Plus it is given to you completely FREE.

Yes, FREE.

Not too much in life is free anymore, so as soon as I was approached, I was so happy to become sponsor. I have included a gift and a gift certificate for the basket along with many other amazing vendors!

Seriously, there is nothing more rewarding to me than giving. And it doesn’t have to cost anything.

Give love,

give inspiration,

give a compliment,

give advice.

Just give.

Just be nice.

I promise it will make you feel great. You may not even realize the impact it has on someone.

Recently, a cherished client of mine, reminded me of something I had said to his wife, he told me, she still tells people to this day how I touched her and made her feel better. This was over 2 years ago.

I really had.no.clue. But hearing that I had such an impact made my day. Really. Made. My. Day.

Why not take a moment, right now, and give something, anything, even a hug, to someone who really needs it.

XOXO

Enjoy Catherine, your family is beautiful.

Her parents, the sunshine radiating warmth, love and sheltering their baby girl with brightness.

This family without doubt will grow into something special. I felt it the moment I met the, at the (maternity session shown here ) .

Enjoy! Your little sneak xoxo

I am sure I sound like a broken record by now but have I told you how much I love being able to grow with my families. Not only do their children grow, but so do I-  as a photographer and as a person. I look back at their previous sessions and realize just how far I have come, just how much I have grown into my art, into the photographer I strive to be.

Thank you to all my returning, loyal clients…for allowing me to grow, just as your beautiful children grow. Without every session under my belt, I would not be able to grow as a photographer, and I would not be where I am today — living my dream come true.

All my love to each of you xoxoxo.