Inspiration to Feed the Soul - Week 11

Inspiration to Feed the Soul - Week 11

I love a good quote. Words can be so inspiring and motivating. Sometimes a few words is all it takes to change our perspective, or give us that little extra kick that makes all the difference. I believe that our perspective, our thoughts, our mind-set, greatly effects our reality. Quotes help me to stay focused, centered and inspired. I thought I would start sharing few of my favorites here, and we are now in week 11 of this series.

The words above really hit me like a ton of bricks when I read them. It is so easy to make safe choices. To quiet our inner voice. To ignore that spark within us when we are afraid of what the fire might bring. Speaking out about our ideas, our convictions, our beliefs, and our creations can seriously be terrifying in the face of failure and criticism. Especially if you are introverted, or have been scorned before. But, the thought of leaving this planet without having tapped into all that beauty, inspiration and possibility? Without having set one's soul free to fly? Well, I find that even more terrifying. 

I could not find an original author for this quote. I respect all creators and I always give creative credit when possible. If you know who authored this quote or have a reference to share, please let me know in the comments and I will gladly give proper credit. Thank you!

VA Wedding Photographers - Norfolk Botanical Gardens Wedding

VA Wedding Photographers - Norfolk Botanical Gardens Wedding

The Norfolk Botanical Gardens is simply gorgeous year-round, but oh! this fall wedding in the Bicentennial Rose Garden was absolutely dreamy! That golden fall color, the hazy, warm sunlight and the pops of flowering color made the perfect backdrop for Jackie and Craig's Norfolk military wedding.

Jackie's family comes from Hawaiian heritage, so the couple chose to incorporate flower leis into their wedding theme. They were beautifully made with the freshest florals and greenery.  What a delightful and unique touch! They even incorporated sentimental photographs to honor their loved ones who could not be present on their wedding day.

When I arrived Jackie, her sister and mother were finishing up their make up and dressing for the walk down the aisle. Jackie's strapless dress and simple veil were stunning on her - the girl is in crazy good shape! As they finished getting ready, Jackie checked in with Craig via text and then ventured down the hall to take a peek at their guests arriving. 

The excitement and anticipation grew as Jackie and her family gazed out at the rose garden. They all few silent for a few moments and I was able to capture this beautiful shot of Jackie in her final moments before the ceremony. 

Then is was time to make our way out to the rose garden. Jackie's mother walked her down the aisle to her handsome soon-to-be husband, waiting anxiously to see his bride. 

When I saw this moment coming together, my heart skipped a beat.

It was official - Mr. & Mrs. Ameduri were hitched!! After greeting a few guests and many heartfelt embraces, we headed on to photograph the family formals and then portraits of the bride and groom. Norfolk Botanical Gardens never disappoints - it is always an amazing setting for photos!

Jackie & Craig continued their wedding celebration with a reception cruise aboard the Spirit of Norfolk. If you would like to see more from this wedding, or find out more about our wedding photography services,  contact us today!

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If you are in the Hampton Roads, VA area and would like to schedule your unique portrait experience, contact us today: melissablissphotography@gmail.com

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Melissa Bliss Photography – Authentic Stores in Beautiful Timeless Photographs

Norfolk Wedding Photographers, Virginia Beach Wedding Photographers, Suffolk Wedding  Photographers, Chesapeake Wedding Photographers, Portsmouth Wedding Photographers, Sandbridge Wedding Photographers, Williamsburg Wedding Photographers

Family Lifestyle Photographer Norfolk - Virginia Beach - Chesapeake

Family Lifestyle Photographer Norfolk - Virginia Beach - Chesapeake

Fall may be creeping in, but I still have sand between my toes! Today I'm sharing sneak peeks from some recent lifestyle family sessions. September on the beach in Hampton Roads is just heavenly! Warm but not too hot. Golden sunlight, salty breezes, and no crowds! That's a recipe for some awesome family photos and here are some of my favorites from my recent sessions: 

Those golden summer days linger on into fall in Hampton Roads. I have even shot beach sessions in December. We are fortunate to have mild seasons and so many beautiful backdrops nearby!

Schedule your family, engagement or senior lifestyle sessions now. 2016 is nearly booked and I am now booking Spring 2017 sessions and 2017 weddings. 

Stay tuned for more family photo sessions and wedding peeks to come! Have a great weekend!

If you are in the Hampton Roads, VA area and would like to schedule your unique photography experience, contact us today: melissablissphotography@gmail.com

On location Lifestyle Portrait and Wedding Photographer

Melissa Bliss Photography – Authentic Stories in Beautiful Timeless Photographs

Virginia Beach, VA Photographers, Hampton Roads Photographers, Norfolk Photographers, Chesapeake Photographers, Suffolk Photographers

Fall Photo Sessions - Virginia Beach - Norfolk - Chesapeake - Williamsburg

Fall Photo Sessions Virginia Beach Norfolk Chesapeake Williamsburg

I can't wait for that cool, crisp fall weather! All that gorgeous warm color always steals my heart. I love boots & sweaters, leaves crunching underfoot, steamy mugs of spicy goodness and all things savory and warm from the oven. My appointment calendar is filling up with family sessions, engagement bookings and fall weddings. Snag your portrait session appointment now before they're gone. I can't wait to create some amazing memories together! Get in touch here.

If you have had a session with me in recent weeks, or plan to book one, be sure to follow MBP on Facebook and Google+ as I always post there first.

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On location Lifestyle Portrait and Wedding Photographer

Melissa Bliss Photography – Authentic Moments in Beautiful Timeless Photographs

If you are in the Hampton Roads, VA area and would like to schedule your unique portrait experience, contact us today!

Norfolk Photographers, Virginia Beach Photographers, Suffolk Photographers, Chesapeake Photographers, Portsmouth Photographers, Williamsburg, VA Photographers, fall sessions

Chesapeake Photographers - First Birthday Photo Session

Chesapeake Photographers - First Birthday Photo Session

This little cutie had a birthday! Mom and Dad wanted to celebrate with some portraits and a cake smash session. I was happy to oblige, of course. I met this sweet family last year for a spring mini session and Austin was just sitting up and learning to move around on her own. When I saw them again, a lot had changed! She was running, exploring and full of giggles. Toddler is absolutely my favorite stage of human. It was awesome to see them again and mom did a fantastic job on styling this session.  Here are the peeks from our first birthday cake smash session in Chesapeake:

If you have had a session with me in recent weeks, or plan to book one, be sure to follow MBP on Facebook and Google+ as I always post there first.

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Melissa Bliss Photography – Authentic Moments in Beautiful Timeless Photographs

If you are in the Hampton Roads, VA area and would like to schedule your unique portrait experience, contact us today!

Norfolk, VA Photographers, Virginia Beach, VA Photographers, Suffolk, VA Photographers, Chesapeake, VA Photographers, Portsmouth, VA Photographers, Smithfield, VA Photographers, Williamsburg, VA Photographers

A Lens on Love - Week 9 Winners

A Lens on Love - Week 9 Winners

Sheryl Fish, of Oobaloos Photography, Jen Fredette of Mountain Pearl Photography and I have joined forces to create a place that celebrates wedding photographers. We created a space for members of our industry to learn, grow, support each other and build relationships. A Lens on Love is dedicated to all things wedding photography with some of the top wedding photographers from around the world participating in weekly themes. We also have amazing guest judges sharing inspiring work and selecting the top images for each week.

Our awesome guest judges, Danielle and Emily of Deerlace Studios, based on Ontario, ON joined us this week and shared some background about their engagement and wedding photography business:

“ We’re photographers who decided to team up two years ago and start a wedding and engagement photography business together. We love meeting new people, having fun, and having the chance to get creative with young, adoring couples in love!
We love every aspect of the wedding day - it’s such a monumental life event, and so much planning, preparation, and love goes into that one day. Having beautiful wedding photos is important to us, because after the day is over, the photos are sometimes the only thing you have to look back on to remember everything.
We’re inspired by the love between our couples. We always end up working with such fun, open-minded young couples, and they way they look at each other and interact with one another always amps us up! ”

We are so grateful to these talented ladies for spending time with us this week! Be sure to check out more gorgeous work from Deerlace Studios on their blog!

And the winners for the "Simply Sweet" theme are: 

1. Four Dots Photography "A timeless image, so beautifully captured. Every bride wants a moment like this on her wedding day!" - Danielle & Emily

2. Codi Shandel Photography "Romance at its best! A vineyard, a gorgeous couple, a sweet, private moment...Perfection!" -Danielle & Emily

3. True Era Photography "Beautiful colors, a sweet moment between the soon-to-be Mr. & Mrs., and beautifully edited." -Danielle & Emily

Congratulations winners! We applaud your work!

We had an awesome turn out last week. Many thanks to those participated! We truly love seeing your images come in each week! Don't forget to submit for this week's theme "Come Rain or Come Shine." Happy shooting! 

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If you are in the Hampton Roads, VA area and would like to schedule your unique portrait experience, contact us today: melissablissphotography@gmail.com

On location Lifestyle Portrait and Wedding Photographer

Melissa Bliss Photography – Authentic Stores in Beautiful Timeless Photographs

Norfolk Wedding Photographers, Virginia Beach Wedding Photographers, Suffolk Wedding  Photographers, Chesapeake Wedding Photographers, Portsmouth Wedding Photographers, Sandbridge Wedding Photographers, Williamsburg Wedding Photographers

Norfolk - Virginia Beach Documentary Photographer

Norfolk - Virginia Beach Documentary Photographer

Documentary sessions are near and dear to my heart. That's why I love wedding photography so much. And it's why I spend the majority of time during my sessions just documenting families as they naturally interact.  Photographing a pose may yield a pretty photograph, but it lacks the soul of a natural moment. Humans are so much more than just their likeness on paper. Documentary photography allows their personalities and uniqueness to shine through. 

This at home documentary couples session was one of my favorites to date! The Hardy's had spent most of their married life separated by miles and military service. They were reaching the end of yet another deployment cycle, and the end of both of their military careers. They wanted to document their homecoming in a meaningful way and settled on an at home documentary photo session.

I spent a few hours with them documenting their lives and interactions as they went about their favorite activities. They love to cook together and enjoy great food. They love to take time to reconnect at the end of the day, with a glass of wine and no "electronic" distractions. They love to just enjoy some quiet at home, or walking their neighborhood together, since they are so often away from home. 

The bond they share and the strength of their love is evident in their images. It was a joy for me to document this time in their life story and I am grateful to them for letting me into their private lives. Here are the highlights from Jamie and Andrew's Story of Us Documentary Session:

If you have had a session with me in recent weeks, or plan to book one, be sure to follow MBP on Facebook and Google+ as I always post there first.

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On location Documentary Portrait and Wedding Photographer

Melissa Bliss Photography – Authentic Moments in Beautiful Timeless Photographs

If you are in the Hampton Roads, VA area and would like to schedule your unique documentary photography experience, contact us today!

Norfolk Documentary Photographers, Virginia Beach Documentary Photographers, Suffolk Photographer, Chesapeake Photographers, Portsmouth Photographer, Williamsburg Photographers