La Dolce Blog | Nashville and Destination Wedding Photographers Melanie & Bradford Watson » portraits

Nate & Ian… Just for Fun | St. Augustine Photographers

Melanie — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:37:07 +0000

Our good friend Nate of Studio222 Photography asked us to shoot him and his pal Ian just for fun one day. We couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday traipsing around St. Augustine with these two bearded bozos. Yes we mean bozo in the endearing kind of way. Although this shoot was just for fun with two crazy guys, it got me thinking. As we grow up we rarely have photos of ourselves with our closest friends. No, iphone photos do not count as legit memories (this is a lesson I really need to take to heart.) I’m talking photo albums, real pictures you can hold and look at and show off without squinting at a tiny screen. Its a shame that we can flip back through old photos from middle school or high school and find an abundance of snapshots with the people we grew up with, but what about as adults? Often our closest friends become our family and they are the people in our lives who encourage us, inspire us to dream bigger, share in our heartache, keep us laughing and are the people we most cherish. So why not document that? Just because we are “grown up” doesn’t mean we can’t have fun and run around uninhibited anymore. It means we probably need it more than most. I’m so glad we had the opportunity to shoot this session with Nate and Ian and that they were free to be their natural selves in front of our cameras. We explored St. Augustine doing exactly what Nate and Ian love best; taking pictures, drinking craft beer, playing on the ipad, eating spicy foods and just enjoying life. Nate and Ian, you know we think you guys are pretty awesome and your wives are smart ladies for having married such kick ass fellas. Becka & Dana… we heart you girls too!

Enjoy something a little different… and a lot awesome.

I shared this before, but here is a favorite from this shoot

The Barker Family Portraits by the River | Jacksonville Lifestyle Photographers

Melanie — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:20:37 +0000

We love Jen & Bert and have worked with them several times in the past for their wedding and engagement session. We were so excited when Jen wanted to set up a family portrait session this summer to shoot some beautiful new pieces for the art wall she was creating in their new home. Now that their little man Pierce was getting older they wanted some updated images of their family to add life to their new space. Pierce is such an awesome little guy. He is 4 years old and 110% boy! He loves exploring nature, finding bugs and spiders, practicing his Batman stance and rough housing with his dad. He is full of life and energy and has the cutest mischevious little smile I have ever seen. We had so much fun with these guys rolling around in the grass and traipsing around the banks of the St. John’s river. We hope you enjoy some of our favorites from their session.

Thank you Jen & Bert for letting us continue to watch your sweet family grow. We adore you guys!

Five Minutes Old | Jacksonville Birth Photography

Melanie — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:38:29 +0000

I just had to share this favorite from the birth story I’m editing right now. I love this shot of mama and baby just a few short minutes after he entered the world. Such a beautiful moment.

Christiana & Mark’s Jacksonville Portraits | Jacksonville Lifestyle Photography

Melanie — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:32:05 +0000

In April we set out to a shoot a portrait session with Christiana & Mark. They are both musicians and artists so they were completely open to shoot wherever we wanted. We were so excited because we had the perfect spot picked out that we had been eyeing for quite some time. It wasn’t anything fancy but we knew with the setting sun it would be beautiful and we were right. We shot their entire session on a simple pedestrian bridge and it was exactly what we hoped it would be. We loved how staying in one location gave an unbrokenness to their session and allowed them to relax and stay comfortable in front of the camera. They have a shy silliness to their dynamic that was so refreshing to be around. We love what we got at their session and hope you enjoy.

Christiana & Mark… thank you both for trusting us and opening up in front of our cameras. You two are phenomenal.

Love this action shot. So them.

Chrissy has the most beautiful tattoo of her mother that I just fell in love with.

Favorite!

Jennifer’s Maternity Session | Central Florida Lifestyle Portrait Photographers

Melanie — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 18:33:22 +0000

We shot Jen & Matt’s wedding back in 2009 and have stayed in contact via Facebook ever since. When she and Matt found out they were expecting their first baby she quickly emailed me to set up a newborn shoot. After scheduling the session for sometime in January when little baby Elayna would be arriving Jen got to thinking… she really wanted a maternity session too. So on a beautiful Fall day in November we met her and Matt and their firstborn fur baby Roxy in a great open field near their home in New Smyrna Beach. We loved being able to be part of this family’s life once again. Since shooting this maternity session we shot baby Elayna as a newborn and just recently a six month session for her and the family. Its so amazing to be there to document this little family and watch them grow. We truly are blessed with the work we do and the people whose lives we get to share in. Here are a few favorites. I will be posting little baby E soon. She is a cutie!