Printing Your Portraits | RALEIGH WAKE FOREST NEWBORN AND BABY PHOTOGRAPHER

I wanted to share some information on the importance of printing your portraits from a recommended photo lab. Below is a side by side comparison of different print labs. You can easily see that the professional printing lab most closely matches the original (top) image and can therefore be hung in your home and viewed as it was intended by the photographer. The “cheap” labs don’t even come close. In fact, the Kodak Easyshare photo on the bottom right sorta makes me shudder. It’s awful. The colors are bad in all of them, the shadows are bad. Just all around BAD.

For my clients who have purchased digital files from me – I highly, highly recommend printing those files through a site called mpix.com. Their lab is extremely close to professional quality. Otherwise, you’re not doing your portraits any justice! Thanks for listening! 🙂

*images provided by photographybycarlise – a big thank you!

Melissa is currently booking into 2013 for maternity, newborn and child photo sessions in the Raleigh Durham Wake Forest, NC area. Be sure to contact her early to reserve your space!

Contact Melissa for a Session | View Melissa’s Portfolio | Follow Melissa on Facebook

2012 Holiday Mini Sessions

Book SOON for your holiday mini session — there are a limited number available this year. These are short versions of my normal sessions — designed primarily for those who want a few photos for their holiday cards. And a perfect and affordable way to get an updated photo of your family or your kids. Please contact me if you have any questions! 🙂

We’re Nominated! | Raleigh Durham Child Photographer

What an honor it is to be nominated for Favorite Family Photographer by the local organization Triangle Moms on Main! Two years in a row, how exciting!

I’d love your vote in that category, and be sure to vote for your other favorite local businesses! Just follow the link below — it takes just a moment to complete. Thanks so much! 🙂

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2012MomsChoice

Baby Natalie and A New Look | RALEIGH DURHAM NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER

These past few weeks I’ve been working with a very talented designer (Megan of Kaylee Bug Designs) to transform my “look” here. And we’ve really succeeded! I’m so excited about the new logo she created for me and the way she’s re-vamped my branding. I think this new look is more “me” and I couldn’t be happier! Hope you all like it as much as I do!

And you know I can’t post without photos. This is the sweet Miss Natalie at 13 days old. Very girly and cute!! She was one of the babies I met back in the fall at the Keri Meyers workshop – I’m clearly very behind in posting the images! 🙂

Contact Melissa for a Session | View Melissa’s Portfolio | Follow Melissa on Facebook

In Action! | Raleigh Durham Newborn Photographer

I have to share this image that my friend Kathy snapped of me last weekend. I had a twin newborn session and she was gracious enough to come along and be my extra set of hands — I didn’t want to be outnumbered by the babies! Here I am soothing the babies into a pose. And in case you’re wondering, my iPhone has a white noise app and was helping me get them to sleep!

Thanks Kathy! 🙂

Contact Melissa for a Session | View Melissa’s Portfolio | Follow Melissa on Facebook

Holiday Mini Session Information | Raleigh Durham Family Photographer

Once a year I hold holiday mini-sessions that are just perfect for getting an updated family photo or for getting your holiday card photos done. This year I’m holding these sessions on two dates – Saturday, October 29th in Raleigh, and Saturday, November 12th in Wake Forest. Both locations are favorites among my clients.

This year two package options are available. Both offer high resolution digital files at a SIGNIFICANT savings. The higher package provides you with custom designed holiday cards. I have a huge selection of adorable cards – all are high end, 5×7 double sided cards. You won’t be disappointed!

Mini Sessions are filling up quickly, but I do have a few slots still available. E-mail me today to get on the list (melissadevoephotography@gmail.com)!

Contact Melissa for a Session | View Melissa’s Portfolio | Follow Melissa on Facebook

Nicole & Justin | Raleigh Durham Wedding Photographer

Nicole and Justin were married in downtown Durham on a beautiful sunny day. They had a fabulous church ceremony and their reception was held at the American Tobacco Campus. We had a blast roaming the streets of downtown Durham after the ceremony and got a TON of great shots with the most unique backdrops. It was a fun wedding and I was so honored to be there!!

Many congrats to Nicole and Justin!

What’s a wedding in downtown Durham without a stop at the Bull? 🙂

Memorial Day Sale on Organic Bloom Frames!

Today only we’re having a sale on Organic Bloom Frames. Purchase a 5×5 or larger Johnny (circular) frame and receive a FREE 5×5 Johnny – in your choice of color! These frames don’t go on sale often, so take advantage of it now!

Here’s what the Johnny frame looks like:

It comes in a FABULOUS selection of colors – I just ordered FOUR for my own walls! 🙂

I recently got in a huge shipment of frames for my clients and snapped a few pics of their beauty:

They are completely fabulous and so very popular – they’re hot sellers. And justifiably so – they’re well made, durable, and come in every color imaginable. My walls are quickly being overtaken by these frames, and I LOVE IT. Everyone who sees them in person ends up ordering some… they’re THAT fabulous!

Here are two I just hung in my bedroom of my own kiddos – the Lucy and the Gilligan in the color Parchment:

Pretty, huh? Please contact me today to place your order for your free frame. You do NOT need to be a client of mine to place an order. Just send me an e-mail at melissadevoephotography@gmail.com. I’ll be happy to send you more details.

Happy Memorial Day!

Contact Melissa for a session | View Melissa’s Portfolio | Follow Melissa on Facebook

Photography Workshop with Audrey Woulard

I am beyond thrilled to be blogging about a workshop I attended last week in Chicago given by the amazingly talented and successful Audrey Woulard. It was a very small and intimate workshop (the best kind) with a great group of women from all over North America. They were the type of women that I just clicked with instantly, and I know I’ve made lasting friendships!

The workshop far exceeded my expectations – we were able to watch Audrey photograph several children, see her post processing and workflow steps, discuss marketing, branding, pricing, and I even got to sit down with Audrey for a one-on-one mentoring session during the last day of the workshop.

I honestly learned more than I ever thought I would. There’s a reason Audrey is so successful – these things don’t happen by accident. Not only is she a talented photographer, she’s smart and an amazing businesswoman. I am striving to run my business as smart as she’s run hers!

As I mentioned, we had several kids come join us during the workshop and were they ever cute!! Here are some of my shots:

And here is a group shot of us girls at the workshop — somehow I ended up smack dab in the center of the photo! Thanks to Patti Hale for taking the picture for us!

If you’d like to visit the blogs of some of the other girls who attended, and hear their thoughts on the workshop, here are their links:

Red Wagon Photography

Chosen Moments Photography

Many thanks to Audrey for a fantastic workshop!!

Contact Melissa for a session | View Melissa’s Portfolio | Follow Melissa on Facebook

Fix-It Friday

I decided to participate in this week’s Fix-It Friday. Nevermind that it’s actually Saturday…!

I think I’m in the minority when I say that I actually enjoy editing photos. I feel like an artist creating a masterpiece, bringing out colors, cropping, sharpening, etc. I know most people hate the editing, but I really enjoy it. I can sit in my pj’s with my big glass of Crystal Light Iced Tea (I know… so sophisticated), maybe a snack, and get ’em done!

For anyone curious, I use Photoshop CS4 for my editing.

Here’s the original photo (provided by I Heart Faces):