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Back in December I did my first gender reveal session with this Deanna and Joe.  I had a great time with them and was looking forward to meeting sweet little Adaline.   She made her appearance on 27 April at 2:04p.m., 6 lbs 12 oz., and 19.5 inches long.

My newborn session with them was 10 days later.  It was another first for me and they were kind enough to let me into their home to photograph this sweet little girl.  I had some ideas going in but really just wanted to capture them spending time with her.  Plus, as with all babies, I was on her terms.

She was very content in her bouncy seat when I arrived.  Mom is an aspiring photographer and a few days earlier had taken pictures of her in various outfits.  Well, I think she figured that was it for awhile and did not appreciate having me there subjecting her to her first Groundhog Day moment.

Dobby had to make sure that everything was okay.

Mommy’s magic touch calmed her down.

Unconditional love.

I adore this family.

Daddy’s little girl.

Is it time to eat?

Baby fuzz.

One more family shot.  This time Dobby was not distracted.

Once we took a few of all of them together we moved up to their room for some images with a different look to them.  I just wanted them to be comfortable.  One very important element when photographing newborns is time.  You must go in with plenty of it since you will be on their feeding and napping schedule.  I had all kinds of time and was in no rush to get the shot.

Pure sweetness.

It was now time for an outfit change.  Every girl needs more than one outfit for a photo session.  I have a great red, white, and blue outfit and knew that this was the perfect little girl for this one.

I’m pretty sure she was trying to figure out why I was hovering over her.

Deanna and Joe asked me if I could get some images of their rings on her toes.  I was feeling pretty good at this point and was quick to say sure, no problem.  Well, little did I know that this little girl has some seriously wiggly toes.  We figured it out and I was able to get the shot.

This is so beautiful.

I love how she has a good grip on Daddy’s ring.

A different style but it worked.

Once we were done with these great images it was father/daughter time and mommy was able to get a quick break.  I love when a little girl has her daddy wrapped around her sweet little finger so quickly.

She knows that he is all hers.

I think the party is over.

Our time shooting ended way too soon.  I could have stayed all day following them around with her.  Thank you again, Deanna and Joe for your kindness and generosity.  You have a beautiful family and I can’t wait to see what is next for all of you.

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Let me start by saying that I am by no means an Equine photographer.  I have been spending quite a bit of time at the stables where I live since my daughter has been taking riding lessons from Desert Riders and I always have my camera with me.  I have gotten to know several of the owners out there as well as their horses.  I love going out there and getting to know these beautiful and giving creatures.

Magic is one of the horses that used to be next to the ones Karina rides.  I never really got to know Magic as he was always in the back of his stall.  It turns out that Magic was the “old guy” out there.  He was 30 years old and showing the signs of being the oldest one.  He was arthritic and had trouble getting up most mornings.  On one particular morning is was worse than usual and Nicole, his momma, had to make one of the toughest decisions that an owner ever has to make…she knew that it was time to end his pain.

I was already on call to come out and photograph the upcoming birth of a foal so every time my phone would ring and my caller ID said Tennessee I would get excited thinking it was time.  Well, this time it was to ask me if I could come out to the stables to get some images of Magic with Nicole and her daughter, Maddie, before heading down to the vet.  I didn’t hesitate and told her I would be right there.  While crying, I hate when this time in an animal’s life arrives, I got ready and headed down to the stables.

As soon as I arrived I was touched by the support from the others there at the stables.  They were all there with Nicole as she groomed Magic and spent some time with him.  The first thing she told me was that she wanted some photos with Maddie and Magic together so as she moved them around I did my best to capture the moments.  Most people tend to be very conscious of the camera at first and  move around with that knowledge but after a while they get so caught up in what they are doing and I am able to get them in their natural state.

Maddie looks a bit worried that Magic may mistake her for hay.

Holding on to two of her loves.

Maddie is such a happy baby and she was born to be on a horse.

She grabbed on and was all giggles as she watched Magic eat.

If she was walking I’m sure she would be leading him all over the place.

So sweet.

Love!

Time to take the lead.

Nicole has two other horses, Jesse and Daisy, and wanted to make sure that Magic’s best friend, Jesse, could see him one more time.  Daisy kept her distance the entire time they were in the turn out together.  The walk to the other horses was so emotional that halfway there she suddenly stopped.

Best friends.

One more stop.

Jesse was a bit standoffish with Magic but eventually gave in.

One of his favorite things to do was play in the water bucket.

Check out that smile.

I guess he’s done.

The hardest part came when the realization that it was time to leave hit.  They made there way out of the turn out and headed to the trailer for the trip to the Vet.

Jesse walked along with Nicole and Magic.

One last glance.

Nicole’s support system were with her the entire time.

Thank you so much for asking me to come out and capture these wonderful moments.  I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to photograph such beautiful creatures but you have made it possible by trusting me.   My only goal it to make sure that I am able to show the important role that these horses play in their families lives.  They are not only a best friend but they are a confidant and give unconditional love.  RIP Magic.

An embrace between two souls who have shared life lessons, laughter, tears, and joys that will live on in the heart of a girl whose life was enriched by his hoof beats.
~ Karen Stafford ~

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  • Jamie - you are a horse photographer Melinda. your soul guides you to take the best picture possible. Awesome picsReplyCancel

  • Nicole Graham - I love it!!! Very moving!! Thank you so much!!!ReplyCancel

  • Karen - Amazing photographs and the words you use really bring them to life. Such emotion. Jamie is correct you are an equine photographer now.ReplyCancel

  • Terri - Melinda, You captured it all. You truly have a gift with your camera and imagination.ReplyCancel

  • Shaaron bangs - You so beautifully captured the love between Nicole and Magic and the joy of that love passed down to Maddie. Thank you.ReplyCancel

Every photographer should be in front of the camera at least once.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!  Alice is a fellow photographer and like most of us is more comfortable behind the camera.  She was always telling me that she isn’t photogenic and I was determined to prove her wrong.   I’m sure you will all agree that I succeeded.

I got in touch with my friend and awesome makeup artist, Mariel, and set a date and location.  We finally headed out to Rainbow Basin.  Alice had never been there and since Alice is a true photographer she brought her camera along.  Yes, I allowed a Nikon into my car.

As soon as we turned onto the scenic trail we saw a Desert Tortoise lounging on the side of the road.  We immediately stopped, quietly so as not to scare him, and Alice quickly took some pictures.  I will no longer keep my camera in the very back of my Expedition on a photo shoot.

Image by Alice Adler Photography

Picture op over, we headed to our first location.  It was time for Alice to get into her first outfit.  I was also going to try and get a few shots for her to use as her business profile.  I brought along Katie, a budding photographer, to help out with lighting, a reflector since the winds were too strong for anything else.

Alice found out just what it feels like to not only be in front of the camera but to also receive direction from me.  We laughed a lot and got into some interesting predicaments which will remain with us.  What happens at Rainbow Basin… Well, you know the rest.

She has a beautiful smile.

She should be in front of the camera more often.

I had to get one of her without her camera.  A real beauty.

That location was done and we piled back into my Expedition to find our next spot.  We didn’t have far to go before I found the next location and Alice was once again changing her clothes.  The first spot was to steep so I had her move over about 20 feet.  Still steep but at least she had something to hold on to for balance.

Here she is trying to get her balance since the winds were strong and it was quite a drop.

I love this place and she rocked it!

She had to help keep Katie from flying away with the reflector.

As we were walking back to the vehicle I had her stop for a quick shot in this little walking area.  Imagine my surprise when she lost her balance in heels on this flat part and not when she was up on steep cliff like areas.

Love those shoes!!

As we arrived to the overlook area we were surprised to see several vans and trucks from Cal-Poly.  There were students climbing all over the place and we decided to just work around them.  Alice changed, again, and we grabbed some props and were off on a little walk to find the perfect spot.  We found it and set up while the students pretended to not notice us.  Alice was a trooper and we got some great shots.

So serene.

I would rather not know what she is thinking in this one.

We collected all of our stuff and headed back to where I had parked.  It seemed a lot closer when we were going in the other direction.  We made it back, loaded up and we were off to what we thought was our last location.  Another change took place along with a makeup adjustment so that we could get some shots in this great outfit she had hidden away in her closet.

This was by far my favorite outfit.

B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L

There was a student taking a break around the corner and was kind enough to stay there while we shot some images that I promised would not be shared.  You’re wondering about those images aren’t you?  I will say this, they are AWESOME!

Before heading home Alice changed a-g-a-i-n.  This time it was back into her clothes for the day.  We put everything away and we were off.  Well, until I saw this great big burst of color and just had to stop.  I told Alice to grab her camera and pose for just one more.  She graciously cooperated or she could have just been humoring me, whatever, she got back in front of the camera.  With bees buzzing around her she smiled a few more times for me.

Bees were everywhere but somehow managed to stay out of the picture.

Thanks again to Mariel and Katie for their help on a crazy windy day.  A huge thanks goes out to Alice for giving in and accepting the daunting task of being the center of attention for a few hours.  You rock!  I can’t say it enough, everyone deserves to be spoiled and made to feel beautiful and special.

If you would like to see more images from the session, head over to my Facebook page and click “like”.

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  • Allison - Beautiful photography. Beautiful subject. That first photo of Alice makes me so happy because I can feel her happiness through the photo. I love seeing her stunning smile holding her “baby.” Thanks for sharing!ReplyCancel

  • Nancy - GREAT FANTASTIC job, Melinda!ReplyCancel

  • Bitsy - You have done a great job capturing my beautiful daughter! Thank you.ReplyCancel

I recently joined up with a great group of photographers and models for a photo shoot.  I am part of a group of photographers who get together to learn and grow.  I was unable to attend their first outing but , luckily, I made it to this one.  We shot in a studio setting as well as natural light.  Since everyone has their niche and comfort zone this was a great way to not only try something new but also bounce ideas off of one another.  I love being able to see how others work and direct.  I had a great time and wanted to share a few of the images from that day.

Nadine is one of the models that has an edgy look about her and I was determined to get the softer side of her.  She was so easy to work with and was able to figure out exactly what I wanted from my weird directions.

Army wife, mom, & aspiring model

I went with a magazine cover girl look with this one.

This is the tough look that everyone is used to seeing.  I like both.

Alice, one of the photographers, found out that we were still in need of models for the shoot.  She put a message out to some friends and Amy agreed to come and try it out.  She was great at taking direction from all of us in an unfamiliar area.  Thanks Amy!

Army wife & mom

Katie was another first timer in front of the camera.  She also responded to Alice’s message and was looking forward to learning more about photography.  She wanted to see how it all came together in a studio setting.

Army wife & aspiring photographer

Getting the hair to fly is always fun when there is no wind or fan.

Caitlin was the one who suffered the most with my whims.  I gave her a scarves to work with and spun her on chairs while others were shooting.  Through it all she laughed and somehow managed to always get the look everyone wanted.  Not bad for her first time out.

Army wife

She laughed quite a bit when I gave her direction for this shot but she nailed it!

So relaxed.

I am looking forward to another photo shoot with this great bunch of folks.  I will end this post with a couple of outtakes from the day.

Alice watching as Liz (the arm) gives Amy some ideas.

Photo Bomber James

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