Ava {Pet Portraits}

What a beauty!! Ava was rescued by her mommy Lark from a pretty bad situation and thank goodness! What a great dog and what a gorgeous breed, the Siberian Husky. While Ava had a few moments where she couldn't sit still (and what dog doesn't?), she is such a sweetheart and I loved working with her and Lark today.

Dogs are so funny. I can sit there and make every obscene noise in the book and jump up and down and not have them flinch. But god forbid someone (a stranger, or someone they haven't seen yet) walks by or says one word, they all dart their faces in that direction...haha..I think it's hysterical. I've joked with the past two clients how I'm going to start hiring the bystanders to dart out at any given moment to get the dog to look in the right direction! lol. As for this session, we didn't need to come to that...Ava was very patient and I got a lot of great shots this afternoon. Here are a handful of my faves!

For this first photo, I just want to make it a point to say that I have not touched this photo with any editing software, well besides my tag on it, but that's it! I just wanted the raw image straight from the camera to give you the most crystal clear idea of just how beautiful this dog is.


Here is Ava and her mommy Lark!


Say hello to some gorgeous Christmas cards!




Just stunning!


I am so thankful for all of the photo opportunities I have had in the past few months. I want to thank Lark and Ava for spending a somewhat chilly afternoon with me. I hope you have a wonderful holiday and Christmas cards and photos to remember!!

The Loftin Family {Portraits}

Boy was it chilly today!! It's finally starting to feel like Christmas (and not only in the shopping malls!). This afternoon I had the pleasure of photographing Megan and Patrick with their two dogs Amos and Caden. Todays shoot consisted of muddy paws, funny noises and yes, even waving a large stick (didn't quite work out like I'd planned-apparently little kids running around are more interesting!) ;) In the end, I got some great shots and we had a darn good time doing it!

I laughed as soon as I took this shot of Caden and had to show Megan and Patrick on my camera right away. What a ham!!






Wow, what a gorgeous family!! ;) Thanks so much for letting me capture you all. It was great working with you and I know your Christmas cards are going to be adorable! Happy holidays!!

The Mitchell Family {Portraits} take one

Wow what a week!! I should so be in bed right now but I had to blog at least a couple of photos from todays shoot. For five hours sleep after a 12 hour night shift, I'd say these aren't half bad. ;) Robin and Mitch and their dogs Boss, Chappy and Wrigley decided to pose for me on this most beauuuutiful fall day. Robin and I went to nursing school together and have been through so much...I was thrilled when she asked me to take some family portraits. To me, pets are like family, so that's how I categorize these photos as well. ;)




Off to bed and a hellacious day of an 8 hour class, nap and then a 4 hour shift from 7p-11p. Hope to have some more teasers up soon!!

It's Holiday Time!

Well, for me anyways! We are doing Thanksgiving a few days early to help accommodate my hospital schedule. We are headed down to South Florida where my family is meeting at my mom's place. I am THRILLED to see my 18 month old nephew, Cayden. We plan on taking him to the beach for the first time!! So glad I get to be a part of another one of his firsts. Last time, while visiting NC, was his first time in the pool at our place.

Just wanted to let my clients know that I have finished editing, burning and packaging everyone's CD's!! I'm about to run to the post office, so you should all get them before Thanksgiving!

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, even if it is a little bit early! And what am I thankful for? Well, I'm thankful for a lot this year. But I am really thankful for all of my clients that have entrusted me with such special moments. I'm thankful to have had a hobby that I'm so passionate about, that may have the possibility of it turning into something amazing. What are you thankful for?

Caleb {Child Portraits}

About a year ago, shortly after I got my DSLR camera, I emailed Becky about taking Caleb's portraits. Life got busy with Becky having a newborn and me planning my wedding, so finally once I really decided to take my photography to another level, Becky and I set a date to capture this gorgeous little man. Caleb has the sweetest disposition and is such an easy going baby. Becky and Glen are such great parents and they make such a cute little family. ;)

Meet Caleb!!











Thanks guys for spending time with me this afternoon!! It was my pleasure! :)

The equipment bug has bitten...and then some

Can't. Stop. Buying!!!

I realize that having all the equipment in the world, doesn't make you a better photographer. But I promised myself this is the LAST purchase until the new year. I need to start focusing on my business plan, website and marketing materials so that I can adopt great business practices. Which, right now, is a little more important and filling up my plate. I need to build a ground to stand on before I go all nuts buying every new toy and gadget. (Which quite honestly is being funded by my day job since I am offering such great rates to build my portfolio!) :)

I think the excitement stems from my first wedding being in the works!!! Yes, you heard me right. I have four months to get my butt into shape for it, and I'm SUPER excited! I hadn't planned on doing weddings quite this soon, but my client, and personal friend, buttered me up real good with a very sweet email. Hey, what can I say? I'm easy. ;)

Oh and what did I buy? A Canon EF-S 55-250mm lens which I DEFINITELY had on my wish list! I whipped it out for a little while during Wendy + Tom's engagement shoot and fell in love with it!

Getting real excited for Caleb's 9 month portraits today! In another announcement, due to daylight savings' swift change of heart, all sessions will start a 3pm. If you have already booked with me, you will be getting an email with the change in time. It's amazing what two weeks can do to the sunset!!

Wendy + Tom {Engaged!}

Let me start off by saying what a great time I had with these two this afternoon! Many laughs were had...I have the blurry pictures to prove it (well, not anymore). ;) Today we went to West Point on the Eno to capture the engagement of Wendy and Tom. These two are so cute together and they compliment each other so well. Tom was so excited and even had a bunch of great ideas for poses/shots. I love it when couples know what they want and take the lead.








I think this last photo is my favorite. SO sweet! ♥

Congratulations Tom and Wendy on your engagement and happy wedding planning! :)

New Gear!

Realizing for a long time now, the limitations of my kit lens (18-55mm), I went ahead and purchased another lens that isn't on my wish list-but something I was keeping my eye on as a "transition" lens. I just bought a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II. The lens is only about $100 (yes, that's cheap in the world of lenses!) but I could use a decent portrait lens that gives me the 1.8 aperture that my kit lens is lacking. I'll look at this as a baby step into buying an army of equipment that could cost as much as a down payment on a house (ok, maybe I won't go that crazy!) It will arrive in time for Thanksgiving where I plan on testing it out on my family. We are gathering in Florida at my mom's house the weekend before Thanksgiving to accommodate my unforgiving holiday work schedule (hospitals never close you know!). ;)

More particularly, I'm looking forward to photographing my adorable growing nephew, Cayden, who I haven't seen since the wedding. I'm sure he's grown so much and I already have pressure from all sides of my family to take a bazillion portraits of him while I'm there. I can't wait to see how much the little guy has grown...and for the life of me I will get him to say my name!!! My brother and his family live in Oklahoma City, so visits are usually once or twice a year if we're lucky. The last time I visited OKC, I had just purchased my DSLR and I can't wait to take my new found knowledge and capture some really great moments of my own family. That, I am definitely thankful for.

Design, Discounts & Deets

One of the first steps in creating a successful business is to come up with a strategic marketing plan. That is why Melissa Berg Photography has teamed up with a designer on Etsy to create logos, watermarks and business card designs. If you have never heard of Etsy, I highly recommend checking it out. Etsy is a great place to find handmade custom items for just about any occasion! Two local artists I highly recommend are AlloverArt and graceuga's shop Crafts by Castellanos.

I am also in the process of designing a home website to tie into this blog, where I will still blog about all of my photo adventures with you. The URL will have to change once that process is complete, so make sure to become a fan of Melissa Berg Photography on Facebook to stay up to date on all things new that are happening!

I hope to have all these changes into effect by January 2010 as I move along in the process of starting my photography business. Speaking of, did you know I am still offering portfolio building discounted rates!?!? So if you missed my "FB Fan Special", you can still take advantage of my current special. Act fast, because I will only be offering these rates until December 31st, 2009. If you are interested, please email info@melissabergphotography.com for availability and special pricing.

Stay tuned on the blog as I will be posting about upcoming contests that you don't want to miss! This weekend I will be featuring Wendy + Tom {Engaged!} and Caleb's {Child Portraits}. Can't wait to work with you guys and hallelujah for the gorgeous weather this weekend! :)

Off Camera Flash

I like to call this dabbling in OCF since I did it in less than 10 minutes, terrorizing my cats (or more so they were interested in the strobe) for quick practice since I got my new triggers, what a month ago?!?! Well insomnia did it for me, and I decided to finally break my triggers out of their box from China and scrounge batteries out of every remote control and back of every drawer in the house. I was just happy I have a working flash setup (minus the light stand and umbrella...lol) but it's a start to practice with! I'll be the first to admit I had no idea what I was doing, mostly trial and error with my camera settings since its not TTL compatible. For my first few shots, I think they are ok.




The light is really harsh because I had to hold it at an arms distance and I haven't mastered my ancient Nikon Speedlight from the 80s (I had to download the manual from the internet). I also practiced a little back lighting on Cooper while he went to town on Whisker City. ;) This was more of a working setup practice. I press the shutter button and OH MY the flash actually goes off. haha. Very exciting stuff.

Lighting Class 001

The photography club that I belong to was holding the first free lighting class today of a series. Today was all about realizing what you already know about lighting. We see light every day and already know how it can change the way a scene looks...the qualities of different light, harsh or soft, from which direction it's coming from and it's effect on colors and details. I didn't realize what I already really knew. I was too quick to think I didn't know anything about lighting and that someone needed to teach me...when really all along, it was there. So today our assignment was to go out in groups and take pictures OF light, letting the light be our subject. I can't wait to see everyone's perspective on this, but here was my take on the assignment.

Tar Heel Boxer

Saw this gorgeous boxer today outside the meeting place for the lighting class I went to today (pics to follow of assignment). Can you believe he was actually riding a skateboard?? By the time I had asked permission to take his photo, he was more interested in the group than his board. I think one of the other people in class may have gotten a good shot of this though! Too cute.

New Partnership with Pictage.com!

Recently, Melissa Berg Photography has partnered with Pictage.com to offer clients an online viewing gallery with the ability to purchase prints and products. As soon as you book with Melissa Berg Photography, you will receive a link to your pre-scheduled event where your photos will be uploaded. Share your event with family and friends by adding their email addresses, so they can view your photos and order prints!

I am sincerely excited about this new addition to my ever evolving business plan. Hopefully at the beginning of 2010, I will have Melissa Berg Photography up and running as a whole business. Partnering with Pictage is definitely a big step, but I have LOTS to go and lots to learn still.

I want to thank my clients for trusting me with their special moments and helping me build my portfolio. It's been so much fun and I can't wait to photograph the sessions I have coming up!!

Sara + Jon {Engaged!}

I swear, my fingers couldn't type the code for this blog entry fast enough!!! Congratulations to Sara & Jon on their engagement! You guys were sooo much fun today, I had an absolute blast. I can't wait to get the rest of your photos to you!! There were so many more I wanted to blog but I could have been here all night...lol.

I can't believe how much I learn during just ONE photo session. I just keep building and building on what I've learned from previous experiences. Today was different, for sure. This was my first engagement session ever and the chemistry is totally different than anything I've ever shot before.

Sara & Jon were willing to give me a sneak peak into their lives together, and I am so grateful for that. Thank you so much for sharing a couple of hours with me and letting me photograph your love for one another. <3

Become a fan on Facebook!

Become a fan of Melissa Berg Photography on Facebook!. Get connected and get up to the minute news and specials. I have some exciting announcements coming up soon and you don't want to miss it! :)

Check it out at: http://www.facebook.com/melissabergphotography

Child Portraiture Portfolio

The Fried Family {Portraits} Take 2

So my body is on this night shift thing and I had plenty of quiet time last night to finish editing the Fried family portraits. I have learned so much just in the past few days, its amazing. Thanks to Lauren and Jason for giving me the opportunity to shoot their family portraits. I just know your family is going to LOVE their Christmas cards this year!!



















All photos © Melissa Berg