Brand New Baby Girl | A Berkeley Fresh 48 Documentary Photo Session

Meet the Meakins Family; Andy, Brook, and brand new baby girl, Coral:

I had the pleasure of working with the Meakins Family after the birth of their first child, Pacific, where we did an in-home newborn session. For the arrival of their sweet baby girl, Coral Valentine, the family opted to do a Fresh 48 session instead. One thing I am in awe of from this session was just how SUPER CHILL the parents were! Classic second kid, no worries vibes. No worries over every little sound or movement the baby is making, because it's familiar territory. Coral was definitely already a real mama's girl, too. She was the calmest anytime she was in mama's arms. So sweet.

Fresh 48 sessions take place within 48 hours of your baby's birth, and they might be my favorite type of session. There's something so special, so real and so priceless about these very first moments of life. 

“From the moment they placed you in my arms you snuggled right into my heart.”

— Unknown

Waffles and Music | An Albany Family Documentary Photo Session

Meet the Lee Family; Jason, Jane, Elyse, and Andrew:

I met Jane over four years ago when our girls were mere months old. We were actually in the same moms group, so you can imagine how excited I was for this in-home session. Elyse, the older daughter, was so adorable, and so confident. Seeing a confident girl is seriously the BEST thing in the whole world! She started off the session making waffles with dad, and then the whole family ended up playing music together in the living room, which was so sweet. Elyse was incredibly content in creating music and playing her ukelele, putting her fingers on the correct strings, and going from chord to chord. Very impressive! You could tell Dad was so proud of her, and it was such a beautiful moment to witness. Later in the session, Elyse took a picture of her mom, and she really took the time to compose it correctly, which, as you can imagine, I totally appreciated ;)

“Music is the song the heart sings.”

— Unknown

En Esta Casa | An Oakland Family Documentary Photo Session

Meet the Rico Rangel Family; Alma, Roberto, and cutie pie Carlos Amari:

This session was so much fun for me because I got to do something I don't usually do during typical family sessions. Alma wanted to highlight Oakland and where they live before making the transition to move to Texas, so we got to explore the town together. Our session started at Roberts Regional Recreation Area, which is just phenomenal for a rustic, natural feel. These beautiful redwoods are so accessible, yet they feel like a million miles away! Gorgeous AND easy for a family with young kids to access?! YES PLEASE!

After the redwoods, we dotted over to the grizzly bear murals in the Laurel District, dubbed the "Laurel space bears" because of the galaxies painted within the silhouettes. (These murals are actually part of a national campaign to save endangered species and reintroduce them back to their former habitats. Super cool!) 

Once back home, the little guy, nicknamed Pollito (little chicken), snacked on some broccoli and had fun playing guitar with dad. He was in the best mood during the entire session. Well, maybe except during diaper change, but that was very quick. Even his little cry face is sweet, though!

“It’s the love of a family that makes a house a home.”

— Unknown

When Siblings Meet for the First Time | A San Francisco Fresh 48 and Baby Naming Documentary Photo Session

Meet mom, dad, big brother and their brand new baby girl:

Anytime a special activity can be incorporated into a session, something that goes above and beyond the everyday, makes me SO EXCITED! For this family, it was big brother meeting little sister for the very first time in the hospital, and it was an incredibly sweet moment. Big brother was very curious at first, and then like a typical older sibling, he got a little confused and upset. Mom and dad were super laid back, though, big brother was very happy when mom let him have her big water bottle! It's truly the small things that can bring on the biggest smiles for kiddos, huh?

Fresh 48 sessions take place within 48 hours of your baby's birth, and they might be my favorite type of session. There's something so special, so real and so priceless about these very first moments of parenthood. 

I also had the honor of documenting the baby naming ceremony, which is a beautiful and vibrant Jewish tradition, where Dad shared the meaning behind the baby girl's name. The ceremony was full of love and family - and nobody knew what the new baby girl's name would be until it was announced! How fun is that? Can't wait to work with this sweet family again over the summer! 

An Endangered Species | A San Francisco Newborn Family Documentary Photo Session

Meet the Bellona-Wong Family: Dad, Mom, and new baby, Remy:

Okay, this new family of three is SO CHILL. If I just met them at a park, I would definitely think they were second-time parents. But alas, adorable baby Remy is their first, easily making them an endangered species!  

During our session, Dad, David, busted out incredible documentation genealogy logs from his family. How incredible of a gift to have this for their son?! But what touched my documentary heart the most was when he showed me journals his mom wrote during her pregnancy. Such beautiful memories to have! 

“What good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is usually best after all.”

— Benjamin Spock

New Bundle of Joy | A San Francisco Newborn Family Documentary Photo Session

Meet the Gagliardi Family; Dominic, Lauren, and new baby, Elena:

Back in early December, I had the honor of photographing Dominic and Lauren's maternity session. Even then, I could sense these first-time parents' profound anticipation of wanting to hold their baby girl so badly. So I was beyond delighted to see them and their sweet new bundle of joy, Elena, in their loving embrace.

Two-week-old Elena was the sweetest thing ever, wrapped up in her swaddle and wearing her little headband. And with two weeks of parenthood under their belt, it was a blessing to see some of the new routines Dominic and Lauren developed; enjoying a cup of coffee together, sorting through some of Ms. Elena's adorable outfits, milk-coma snuggles, and the timeless new parent ritual of watching baby's every movement, hiccup, blink or yawn in sheer amazement.

“The littlest feet make the biggest footprints in our hearts.”

— Uknown

Double the Sweetness | A San Francisco Family Documentary Photo Session

Meet the Alperin Family; Jordan, Erika, and one-year-old twins, Elliot & Lars:

This family is so near and dear to my heart. Not only have I had the pleasure of working with them for three sessions, from maternity to newborn to one year later, but this sweet family also has TWINS! You may or may not know this, but the twin thing is a big part of my personal narrative - being a twin, having twin brothers, and also having twin daughters. I know, those are some crazy twin genes!

It has been so remarkable witnessing this family grow. During their newborn session, the twins were so itty bitty. Getting to document them a whole year later, with full-on personalities, completely melted my heart. Lars was the most charming little guy in the world, continuously giggling and smiling. Elliot, the fierce little lady, was so happy to be back home after our first portion of the session, pushing her cart around with a huge smile on her face. Clearly a homebody (girl after my own heart)!

The last bit of our session took place in the nursery. We ended up taking pictures within the same space and frame as we did during their maternity and newborn session, which warmed my heart SO MUCH. This time the kids could sit up all by themselves on the couch, serving as a beautiful reminder of how quickly time flies and children grow.

“A child’s laugh could simply be one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.”

— Unknown

The Biggest Little Personality | A Berkeley Family Documentary Photo Session

Meet the Patch Family; Dave, Stephanie, 9 month old William, and golden retriever, Chloe:

The star of this session was William, of course, and (as you'll see) he was immeasurably adorable. At nine months old, his personality is really beginning to develop, and it was so fun to see the different elements of his shine through. This cutie took so much pride in picking himself up, cruising along the couch, and feeding himself like a big boy (maybe with a little help from dad at times). Needless to say, this was a fun one!

“Childhood is the most beautiful of all life’s seasons.”

— Unknown

22 Hours New | A San Francisco Fresh 48 Documentary Photo Session

Meet the Figueroa-Mills Family; Jason, Illeana, and their brand new baby:

Welcome to the world! Sweet baby boy made his grand entrance on January 22nd at 3:01pm, and is already so very loved. Jason and Illeana decided to keep the gender of their baby a surprise until the birth, but they were so sure they were going to have a girl. What a wonderful surprise this baby boy was! I had the honor of meeting him when he was only 22-hours-old. So fresh, so tiny, so new! He was very calm, and only really fussed when he was not in the comfort of his swaddle. 

Fresh 48 sessions take place within 48 hours of your baby's birth, and they might be my favorite type of session. There's something so special, so real and so priceless about these very first moments of parenthood. 

Jason and Illeana, congratulations on your new bundle of Joy! Thank you for inviting me into your hospital room to document your very first moments as a family of three. It was such an honor.

“A new baby is like the beginning of all things...hope, a dream of possibilities.”

— Eda LaShan

Walking on Sushine | A San Francisco Family Documentary Photo Session

Meet mom, dad, and their adorable son:

This one year old is the sweetest, silliest, most expressive little guy EVER. We started out the session with snack time, which was his first time ever feeding himself with a spoon. Such a monumental occasion to capture! He was so proud, as he should be!

After snack, mom put on some music for the family to dance to, and I was totally expecting to hear children's music. But then all of sudden, "Walking on Sunshine" comes on! Everyone is jammin' along, and the little guy starts swaying side to side, trying so hard to snap his fingers. It was such a hilarious moment!

Thank you for the warm welcome and the delightful music accompaniment, too! Pretty sure I've had "Walking on Sunshine" stuck in my head for the past two weeks. 

“Music is what feelings sound like.”

— Alexander Mall

When Three Becomes Four | An Alameda Newborn Family Documentary Photo Session

Meet the Wu Family:

I had the pleasure of capturing these beautiful human beings when they were a family of three, soon-to-be a family four. And to get the opportunity to connect with this family again, with a precious newborn babe in the mix? How lucky am I?! 

Congratulations on your new bundle of joy! 

“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”

— A.A. Milne

Capturing Childhood: Fall Workshop

Now back-to-school isn't just for the kids. Grab your camera and get yourself in the classroom. $175 + 4 hours will change how you document your family forever! Only $50 to reserve your seat today!

Details, reservation and contact info below.

Contact Melissa >here< with any questions. Reserve your seat >here<. Space is limited.

Mini-Session Wrap-Up

What do you get when you mix a beautiful California fall backdrop, one super goofy photographer (a couple rad assistants I might add), a bunch of cutie patooties and their amazing families? Any guesses?! Some INSANELY FUN mini-sessions, that's what!

Here's a little sampling from my fun fall sessions at The Little Farm at Tilden Regional Park and UC Berkeley. Be sure to drop me a line >here< to stay up-to-date on future mini-session dates and other offers.

Enjoy!

As you can tell, I LOVE what I do!

Yay For Local Business!

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Click >here< to begin your custom order. Offer ends midnight PST on Monday, November 30th.

37/52: Bokeh

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"In photography, bokeh (Originally /ˈboʊkɛ/, /ˈboʊkeɪ/ BOH-kay — also sometimes pronounced as /ˈboʊkə/ BOH-kə, Japanese: [boke]) is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens. Bokeh has been defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light"

Single hibiscus. Lovely bokeh.