10 Reasons

I love my new 50mm 1.4 lens.

Catching Up

I'm sure it is obvious to anyone who frequents this blog that I have been one very busy lady but not the busiest photographer these last few months.

I wanted to post a little update only to announce the hiatus I will be taking from Melissa Lee Photography.

Life has taken some twists and turns and it became necessary for me to step back and take stock of what was most important.
Though it is a bit painful to put things on hold I know that is for the best and will give me the time I need to be spending with my youngest daughter before she starts school this Fall.

I know that photography is still very much a part of my future but, everything in it's perfect time right?

Anyone I have already booked previously to this announcement need not worry or think I am disappearing. I can't wait to catch up with some of you and photograph those babies!

~Melissa

Sena

I recently forced myself upon some dear friends requesting/demanding I be able to photograph their their adorable daughter. These were taken a few weeks back and each time I see her she manages to somehow be cuter than the last time. It literally makes me want to go over to their house every weekend and take more photos...but I guess that might get a bit annoying and place a bit of a strain on the friendship.
Thanks and congratulations you guys!

Change that is Good

I will be keeping this post at the top of my blog to let everyone know that due to our family moving soon (oh the madness that entails!) and the cold winter days I will not be scheduling any new portrait sessions until Spring 2009. Things may be a little slow or at a standstill on here for awhile. But only because I will be getting some much needed things done to make my business run smoother and more efficiently. A must for this busy wife and mother!

Anyone that has scheduled sessions with me that were are a part of my formerly offered maternity package need not worry, those will remain on my calender.

You can also expect a snappy new website, a photographer that actually handles her own prints and offers many fun products to go along with your orders. I can't wait to become a bit more professional as my dream business becomes more of the real deal (woot woot!)

I am so excited and tired just thinking about all that lays before me over the next couple of months.
Isn't that how it always goes?...with new beginnings and change comes hard work, excitement and even more hard work.

I want to say a special thank you to everyone who has allowed me to be their photographer this year. I never thought I would get to this point. For a long time I was so afraid to step out and actually began doing what I love. That has been made possible because of you and your beautiful families.

Thank You!

Love,
Melissa

Malia

These photographs will hopefully convey just how I feel about babies.
Because I have not had one in my daily arms for the last 5 1/2 years I may wax a wee bit more romantic compared to the tired mommy up late at night doing feedings and wardrobe changes. With my second baby I wondered if it would possibly be my last so I tried to soak up every last bit of goodness in her cuddles, long nights and imposed exhaustion...even still it was not enough. She broke my heart by growing up to fast and now prefers a good wrestle to a cuddle.
I miss it terribly.

It is my hope in years to come that I have the privilege of specializing in newborn photography.
I love how gazing upon a newborn baby can put life into perspective in such a beautiful way.

Before I get overly sentimental here (no such thing right?) I want to say a special Thank You to Jason and Jessica for introducing me to your beautiful Malia. You guys were great and she is perfect.

Love,
Melissa

If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite,
something that makes one feel aware of God,
one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper,
more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression
of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning
and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle.
~ Vincent van Gogh

It was the tiniest thing I ever decided to put my whole life into.
~Terri Guillemets

It is not a slight thing when those so fresh from God love us.

~ Dickens

Brand New

I am so excited to share on my blog some recent portraits of brand new baby Drake...what an expressive little guy! It seemed no matter how hard his mommy and I tried to trick him into being the "sleeping baby" in his portraits he was content to stay wide awake for his entire session...until of course, Daddy picked him up right before I was out the door.
Fortunately I was able to catch the moment and fell in love with the results!
It was so fun to show up at Brad and Michelle's and see him in all of his newness - the wrinkles, fuzzy skin, delicious baby smell. I was in baby heaven!

It was also amazing to witness at only 2 weeks into her new role what a natural and beautiful mother Michelle already was. Seeing how much she loved just holding him and being his mommy with such a calm and confidence about her had me a bit in awe of her.

Thank You Brad and Michelle for having me over to see your little man, I had a wonderful time and cannot wait to catch up with you guys in a few months!

Love,
Melissa

This one (above) makes me laugh!
He made so many faces!

Jessica

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Ours was simple, relaxing and wonderful which is good because we move in two weeks. I have so much catching up to do before our big day! Here are some portraits of the gorgeous mamma-to-be, Jessica. She was so relaxed and comfortable being photographed. I can't wait to meet beautiful baby Malia in a few weeks!

Jon Michael

When I first met this little guy he blew me away with his cuteness and ability to light up the room. I was so honored when his parents recently got in touch with me to schedule his 1 yr portraits. Boy had he changed! Besides being so big he also managed to be even cuter than before!

Everything about this photo session was relaxed and and wonderful. Jon Michael lit up every room he was in (again) and there was no shortage of closeness and love in this family for me to capture.
I really enjoy going into the homes of clients and witnessing the everyday moments we can sometimes take for granted. Specializing in lifestyle photography allows me to capture those moments so they are not forgotten or skipped over in our memories.

Thank you Blake and Elizabeth for having me come spend some time with you guys! Your family is beautiful and Jon Michael continues to inspire me with his adorable smile and incredible story.
He is amazing!

Love,
Melissa

Pregnancy is Beautiful

I love it when I get so excited about a photograph that I just can't wait to share, even if I've yet to finish up my editing. So stay tuned for more and enjoy a sample from a recent maternity session...I can't wait to share a few more of this beautiful mother to be!

Golden

This probably shows in my work but I truly love the warmth of golden sunlight...the afternoon glow and flare of the sun is probably my favorite time to schedule sessions not to mention it beats waking up with the sun which would involve losing sleep and faking some morning cherriness. Ugh! I hate mornings, have tried in vain to love them but Mr. Nighttime woos me every evening and I give in to his request to hang out.

This afternoon in particular was especially golden and thankfully warm. And, once again narrowing down my favs was difficult! Abby and Elizabeth were so easy and fun to photograph that the time flew by and I had a hard time saying no to just one more photograph....okay maybe just one more was what I kept saying to myself. I completely lost track of time!
Thank you Greg and JoAnn for giving me the opportunity to photograph your beautiful family...you guys were wonderful! I hope you enjoy the photographs as much as I do!

~Melissa

She can drive already!?! and I love that she has learned in her grandfather's old bronco...awesome.

There is no denying it...

I am a bad blogger.
I tell myself over and over again to do better but obviously to no avail. My updates on here are often rare and short. Maybe this is my New Years resolution in the making.
My absence on here though does not reflect my schedule, I am photographing like a mad woman these days and excited about new opportunities that keep coming my way!

I am heading out of town tomorrow with my handsome hubby for three blissful days of no kids, no responsibilities and a wedding that is sure to be gorgeous and fun...that also means no time to sit chained to my computer with eyes glazed over, carpal tunnel, piles of photo editing and no recollection as to of whether or not I have eaten today.
I get really focused okay?! If it were not for my kids I would forget to get up and move around a little. :)

Here is a little sneak peak for my friend JoAnn. I had such a pleasant and relaxed time photographing this beautiful family. I can't wait to share the more from the session later.
Have a great weekend!

Happy Autumn!

Fall is in the air which means I should probably start my Christmas cards in order to get them out by new years. Is anyone else amazed that it is the end of September!?!

I am loving the cooler mornings, afternoon breezes, open windows and loads of fresh air...it feels like Outside is nagging me all day to come out and play but I am stuck inside sitting at this computer! I guess I better start taking Mr. Outside up on his offer though because the days are already growing shorter (sigh! so lame). I am one of those that mourns the sun's disappearing act and resents our need to do all of this "necessary" orbiting.

None of this is making for very intelligent writing so I will end with saying that though I adore beautiful delightful wonderful Fall, I deeply dread and lament what he brings behind him...
Ahhh Winter! why can we not be friends?
You are most unwelcome and disappointing to me.

Maybe I suffer from S.A.D.

This is the point at which my husband rolls his eyes, tosses me a sweatshirt and then sets to making plans for me to retire in Arizona.

Here are a few photos from a recent session with Steven...so cute!

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To know her is to love her

Some of these photos might seem a bit odd unless they are viewed with a sense of movement in mind.
My sweet Ella Rose is our little fire cracker, especially on the day of this photo shoot! She was running, jumping, dancing and giving me what we like to call her "crazy eyes."

The purpose for the session was to photograph the lovely Leo the Lion Coat and Jeans Designed by the equally lovely Rachel of Mamma Made.
If it were not for my Mamma Made sessions I would probably never get around to taking portraits of my own children... a sad fact I hate to admit and plan to change.

It was fun to catch Ella Rose being nothing but herself in such an adorable and original outfit.
Once at home where I could review what I got I could not help laughing, which is exactly the gift this crazy little girl gives to me each day as her mamma.

I tried to narrow it down to only a few favorites but that is always harder than I think and as usual I just give up and put 'em all on here. It's harder still when the photos are of my girls. I have got to get better at that!

Thank You Rachel for another opportunity to showcase some of your beautiful creations!

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Congratulations Luke and Amanda!

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This post happens to contain images from a recent wedding I helped photograph. It by no means should confuse any of you into thinking I am considering becoming a wedding photographer :)
Over the course of the weekend I discovered my camera wanting to follow the children around continually. When I got home to go over the photos it was evident that the deal was sealed. I without ever consciously choosing am a children's photographer at heart. I can't help it!
Don't get me wrong though, this wedding was Beautiful and Amazing! I felt privileged just being there to witness the love and joy between not only the couple but the families coming together that day.

The bride was gorgeous, the groom looked like a prince from one of the Disney movies (sorry Luke but it's true :) and the entire wedding party and family was so fun! I was overwhelmed with it all and realized that just being there was a gift.

I could not have had more fun being a second shooter for my friend Sarah Doty. I learned so much from her passion for photography as well as her natural talent and ability to handle the event with ease and laughter. You wedding photographers deserve some major props here! What a workout!

Thank You Luke and Amanda for having Sarah and I photograph your day. It was an incredible experience I will never forget!

I rushed about like a mad women tossing things off this couch so I could snap a few photos of Amanda in her gorgeous dress before she walked down the isle. She in comparison to me was nothing but calm and happy, literally glowing which shows in these photographs.

Stuck at Home

After experiencing a wonderful whirlwind 4 days of exhausting bliss with my dear friend Sarah, which also happened to involve photographing my first (possibly only) wedding, I have been very happy to have been home for the last few days. Having time to catch up and enjoy little things like the blaring of U2 as I get some cleaning done, sidewalk chalk, time on our porch swing, watering plants, spending time with my husband and kids. We had a great weekend stuck at home, the kind of weekend I wish we had more often. So because of our productive and restful weekend I am now able to get my poor blog caught up with some favorites from a past session.

Leaving Town

Very Busy with life right now...back to school, new computer, new schedule, errands,errands, more errands, re-connecting with dear friends, helping shoot my first wedding, enough to make me go AAAHHHH!
But then I pause and look at this photo and am overwhelmed with how much I really, really love being a photographer, even if it does seem to make my life a little busier and messier than usual.
I'll be posting some updates on here soon of recent sessions. But for right now this will have to do. I am going to be spending the next few days laughing with my dear friend Sarah whom I have not seen for 9 years!
It's been a long time coming - us finally getting to see each other. I expect her to make good on her long absence in my daily life and I also plan to make the most of it by enjoying all the immaturity and laughter that the last 9 years apart and adulthood has robbed us of.

"You can kid the world...

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but not your sister." ~Charlotte Gray

While mulling over these photos from a recent session I was reminded of the gift of having a sister (or 3 in my case!) These girls were wonderful to photograph as I spent some time chasing them around. I enjoyed observing how different their personalities are which reminded me very much of the differences in my own two daughters.

So, I thought I would make this post a tribute to sisterhood - the unique and incredible bond between girls who evetually become women together. Who have spent much of their relationship being allies, partners in crime and rivals. It is with our sisters that we can not only whine, cry and complain to, but only a sister never seems to tire of us talking of our memories or of being young once. Sisters have a way of becoming the best friend you are finally thankful to have had forced upon you for all those years. They are that forever friend, a deep comfort and nuisance you cannot imagine your life without.

She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child. ~Barbara Alpert

Sisters annoy, interfere, criticize. Indulge in monumental sulks, in huffs, in snide remarks. Borrow. Break. Monopolize the bathroom. Are always underfoot. But if catastrophe should strike, sisters are there. Defending you against all comers. ~ Pam Brown

If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child. ~ Linda Sunshine

Of two sisters one is always the watcher, one the dancer. ~Louise Glück

If your sister is in a tearing hurry to go out and cannot catch your eye,

she's wearing your best sweater. ~Pam Brown

Sisters don't need words. They have perfected a language of snarls and smiles and frowns and winks - expressions of shocked surprise and incredulity and disbelief. Sniffs and snorts and gasps and sighs - that can undermine any tale you're telling. ~ Pam Brown

These last two never fail to make me laugh!

Kate...

... is a baby is so beautiful she almost passed for a little doll in her photo shoot. With all the sleeping, smiling, yawning and fussing she enabled me to catch all sides of her cute little self. Even when she was crying all I could do was laugh because somehow she managed to make even that adorable.

I still cannot get over how blessed I am to be doing something I love and enjoy so much!

Thank You Kathryn for allowing me to photograph your newest addition!

Toothless Beauty

Recently the toothfairy made a visit at the Gossard home. It's too bad that it's only when you are this age that losing a tooth is not only financially profitable but is also seen as so adorable that the mere flashing of your gummy smile earns you loads compliments and attention.

Congratulations Anna!

Thank You Lord for the golden hour and beautiful people who don't take themselves too seriously!

This photo shoot was full of laughter, ridiculous ideas, loads of fun and some great sideline mocking from her younger sister (whom I employed as my assistant). Anna and I both reminded her that one day it would be her turn and I will be asking her to be the one channeling her inner Tyra Bank's "fierceness" or to pull off some crazy cartwheels and poses for me.

Anna graduated a week ago with honors and some mad majorette skills...hence some of the poses I asked her to strike. On top of being beautiful, Anna is constantly laughing and making all those around not only adore her but also roll their eyes at her goofiness. Basically.... she's tha bomb and totally awesome!

She is leaving for college in August and I am so sad that she will not be around to show up unexpectedly at my house and hang out. I will miss all the getting ready for prom/homecoming moments and the way she reminds me of my old age by teaching me the proper pronunciation of words like "krunk."

Thanks Anna for always being yourself and for being someone I am going to miss dearly. The huge gas bill I will incur by visiting you in college will be worth it!

Love, Melissa

You are my sunshine

My only sunshine.

You make me happy when skies are grey.

You'll never know, dear, How much I love you.

Please don't take my sunshine away.

Peter Leo's Parents

Recently my brother and his wife payed us a visit. Because they live somewhat far away it was the first time we were able to meet their new son Peter Leo. Not only did my brother manage to find a cute, wonderful, adorable wife but he somehow pulled off having the cutest little boy ever!

With all the rolls, bubbles, drool and constant smiling it was hard to share the little man with anyone else. And of course, it goes without saying that I am counting down the days until I see him (jed and megan too) again. I am very blessed to see our family not only grow in number but also in love. This little family clearly has that in abundance.

Sooo cute!

YAY!

Finally, finally, I am putting up some favorites from my photo shoot for Mamma Made. I was so excited about this opportunity and enjoyed the learning experience it was for me as well. Not to mention all the fun photos of my girls and beautiful new dresses they get to wear this summer.

The whole way this opportunity came about is very randomly awesome.

My brother is married to the adorable Megan (formerly) Smith who happens to be a creative part of a children's clothing company called Mamma Made. All of the designs and creations are done by the women of "The Danielson Famile" band. The clothes are high quality, fun, unique, pieces of art completely designed and handmade by them.

One day I received a comment on my blog from a girl named Rachel. She left her email address in the comment and asked me to email her. When I saw her username I realized right away that this was Rachel, my sister-in-law's sister from Mamma Made. I responded to her comment with a short email giving her my email.

Now, all along I was assuming that she knew who I was and that because we were already distantly related I also assumed that must be how she found my blog (via my brother etc..)

Very shortly after I received a reply email informing me that she had randomly come across the blog, loved the photos and felt led to ask if we could do an exchange of sorts...photos of my girls in their clothing in exchange for me KEEPING the clothes ( a sweet, sweet deal for me!).

Of course I agreed and then mentioned that I was assuming she knew that we were sorta related and is that how she found the blog?

SHE HAD NO IDEA!

It was hilarious and amazing. The world wide web is a small world in which God can cross paths in such random wonderful ways. Needless to say Rachel and I clicked right away, I feel like we are old friends now and look forward to all the great things that are ahead of us as we endeavor to grow small businesses and balance being full time mammas. You can read Rachel's blog here for some fun and creative advice and ideas on sewing. I enjoy seeing all the designs and things she comes up with. She is so creative and passionate about what she does, it's inspiring.

Here are some of my personal favs and a slideshow.

I really love this one of the girls talking.

Luke & Alexa November 2007

This is a very overdue but special post for me. In November of last year I did three different sessions all of which happened to be of my siblings. I am the oldest of seven so three photo shoots didn't even scratch the surface when it comes to photographing family members.

Here is a peek of the first one I did. Luke and Alexa are two very unique and hilarious kids. Our family would not know what to do if we did not have them around to keep life interesting and fun. Both of them were born after I was out of the house and off to college. (Luke was literally born the night before I headed off to school in Southern California). I have been very blessed to now live close by and get to know them better. Having such a large age gap has made it very fun to have them around to play and look out for my own daughters. In my girls opinion there is no one more cool and amazing to them than their Uncle Luke and Aunt Lexi. Of course, I had a lot of fun with this session. Most of all I was surprised by how well their individual personalities really showed through in the photos.

Luke is a serious, reserved, independent guy who blesses others all the time with his sweetness and thoughtfulness and willingness to help.

Alexa is goofy, sweet, funny and very affectionate. She always has something to say and one must never underestimate her abilities! She is not one to back down from a challenge whether it be an arm wrestling match or word battle with anyone in our family. She keeps her much older brother Levi on his toes.

Luke, Lexi, you guys rock and are such a blessing! I love you!