Bryan & Lily Engagement Session | Johnson Locust Hall Farm | New Jersey Engagement Photographer
New Jersey Engagement Photographer | Johnson Locust Hall Farm
Working during a pandemic… one thing we all never thought we would do. And for service based careers business came to a halt in March in the North East. We lived in a limbo of “um, what next” for a few months until states started to begin their phases of reopening businesses. We are still living in the new normal of wearing masks to work and social distancing to keep ourselves and others healthy.
When restrictions started to ease up I received an inquiry for an engagement session from Bryan and Lily. Bryan is an Air Force pilot and Lily just finished training to become a police officer! Talk about authority! I was so thrilled when they contacted me for their session, I love working with couples so much. I asked where they might like to have their session and they mentioned a farm would suit them well as their wedding will be at a farm. Well, I knew just the place! And a place I have been wanting to shoot at since moving to New Jersey.
Johnson Locust Hall Farm seemed like the perfect location for these two! We had a great time starting with a casual walk through some trails and the peach orchard, finishing up in the sunflower field during the beginning of golden hour. And then things took a fancy turn involving a little black dress, dress coat and the original 17th century barn.
Congratulations Bryan and Lily! Cheers to starting your lives together as one!
SPRING TIME IN RURAL IDAHO | ENGAGEMENT SESSION | NEW JERSEY PHOTOGRAPHER
philadelphia photographer | New Jersey photographer | couples photographer
Oh goodness… don’t look at the date of my last session shared. It’s embarrassing! So many memories were captured in 2018 and I’m just getting to share them now. I was in a really weird season with the move from Spokane to Oklahoma to New Jersey PLUS being pregnant with our little man. I was so sad to leave my community of friends and creatives behind to enter into the in between limbo of a PCS that I fell into a huge business funk. But my couples and families don’t deserve that! Their stories need to be shared.
And so let me introduce you to Hannah and Leonard, college sweethearts that are getting married (they are married by now though!).
These two cool cats stumbled upon me on Instagram (shout out to my fave platform EVER!) proving that hashtags and geotags really do work friends. Hannah grew up in Idaho, Leonard in Virginia and now live in the Seattle area doing great big adult things. They were home visiting relatives for a weekend in May and scheduled their engagement session for then.
May is always hit or miss in the inland Northwest so I was elated when the weather for the entire weekend was forecasted to be gorgeous. We met (dragging my husband with me, I call them date days) in a small rural town where everyone knows everyone and there are bullet holes in the stop signs.
Speaking of bullets, our first stop to take photos was a beautiful field that was was across the street from a home. We got out of our cars to start the session and no more than one minute later we heard 2 gun shots and took them as warning to get off the property. So we promptly got in our cars and found another field. However, little does the renter in that house know that Hannah’s family owned that piece of property. Jokes on that guy!
Aside from the bullets we had a fantastic time! Meeting Hannah and Leonard was a joy. You can tell from these photos that they have just the best time with each other and are game to try anything I asked them to. We played some music and made them dance monkey dance! And no engagement session is complete without a good old fashion high five.
Thank you Hannah and Leonard for such a fun and memorable evening capturing your engagement session. You’re wedding is coming up on the blog soon! Promise! :D
If you enjoyed this session you might also want to look at:
Sarah and Ryan’s Golden Hour Session
A PERFECT GOLDEN HOUR COUPLES SESSION | RYAN + SARAH
Colordao Springs photographer | couples photographer
I absolutely loved how busy my shooting schedule was this spring into early summer in Spokane. I tried to get in as many sessions as possible before we left. And now I’m officially mourning not being able to have a fall mini-session with my clients. So to distract me from missing my favorite season in the PNW I’ll be feeling baby kicks and posting old sessions.
Ryan and Sarah were the winners of my couple session giveaway back in February. We just were never able to get it on the schedule until July. Oh the busyness of life. I’m so glad we waited because the light during our South Hill Cliff Park session was simply beautiful.
I actually met Sarah through a Spokane Foodie Insta-meet back in early 2017. She’s the ring leader of foodie things in Spokane through Gather & Savor. She is connecting the Spokane women creative and entrepreneur scene as we speak. Sarah’s Instagram is all things Spokane’s local food scene (which is the bomb!!!). She’s the reason why I got hooked up with so many ladies in the area. I am so grateful for her willingness to create an atmosphere of community instead of competition in our Spokane community. I can only pray that I can find a community like that in New Jersey.
Anyway, onto the couple! Ryan and Sarah were so stinking cute! The scheduling of the session worked perfectly for celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary. They claim they were nervous and awkward in front of the camera but y’all they were the most comfortable couple I’ve had in a long time! You can definitely see it in all these photos.
Thank you Ryan and Sarah for being such incredible clients and playing along with all my suggestions during the session, no matter how silly. You are amazing! I miss you like crazy.
VALERIE + TYLER MATERNITY | LONG ISLAND MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY |
Long Island maternity photographer | New York maternity session
I have been just waiting to share this post with y'all. No reason I've been waiting except I'm still pregnancy tired and unmotivated to post sessions. But that needs to stop... eat a snack and write the post Meli!
Tyler and I have known each other from the womb. Legit... I'm about a month older than he is and our mothers are best friends. We would vacation together annually from elementary through high school and enjoy parties at each other's homes for New Years, birthdays and just random Saturday night dinners. He was always the cooler twin brother I never had growing up. His wife Val grew up right around the corner from him and so I have known her since around middle school age. Childhood sweethearts who didn't even know it!
So when I was at Val's baby shower for their sweet boy back in June we of course set up a really impromptu maternity session. On my bucket list photography location list of mine has always been a couples beach session at sunset. Well, Val and Tyler made my Long Island summer photographer dreams come true. Beautiful sandy north shore beach at sunset and a couple who loved getting their feet wet! Not to mention Val looked like a mermaid glowing in the sun while splashing around.
Val & Tyler welcomed their sweet little Weston on July 5, 2018. I haven't had the delightful pleasure of meeting the little guy but I cannot wait to when we move back to the East Coast! Congratulations my dear friends.
If you enjoyed this session you might also want to look at:
ELIZABETH + PAUL | LOVE STORY | SNUGGLE SESH | IN-HOME COUPLES SESSION | SPOKANE WA | MELISSA BATZER PHOTOGRAPHY
spokane engagement photographer | spokane wedding photographer
This time last week I was having the best time with these two sweet friends of mine and their two pups! We have been neighbors with Liz and Paul for nearly two and a half years! Paul is also a pilot but a helicopter pilot. He and our other neighbor who recently moved would freaking fly over our houses in the middle of the day and what I though was too low, shaking our house. I always felt awful for the families with napping kids because it would always happen around 130-2pm. Just the worse when I would try to nap then too.
Anyways, this in-home snuggle session we had in their home was a blast. They snuggled, whispered "I love you" and smooched while I oh so discretely snuck around with the camera getting all up in their business. The session started with the pups seeing whats up and finished with a play sash for them! But in-between it was all Liz and Paul.
This in-home session was such a dream come true and I had a blast with Liz and Paul capturing their fun, tender love for one another. I cannot wait to photograph more in-home couple's sessions.
Thank you Paul & liz for choosing me for this session. I had such a freaking fun time with you. I hope you love this sneak peek!
JEREMY & LAUREN | COUPLES SESSION | SPOKANE, WA | SPOKANE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
If you don't know this little huge fact about my family you are about to learn it. We are a military family. Life doesn't look quite like Army Wives for us but pretty close! My husband is in the Air Force and we had to leave our east coast world to serve our country. When we left our world east of the Mississippi we we left family and friends who were embarking on their own journeys that I so desperately wanted to still be involved in. To be honest, as much as I am grateful that we get to serve our country and experience different places I miss being deeply rooted somewhere. Our lives change every couple years and we get to make new friends and style new houses.
Don't hear me wrong, this is an adventure with my husband that I wouldn't trade for the world! I love him, I love this life and this country. It's worth the sacrifice. And those who have a relationship with us sacrifice that too. My parents sacrifice, my siblings sacrifice and my friends sacrifice nearness to us.
But then God does something amazing and the military becomes really small!
My husband and Jeremy were roommates in college. But they even knew each other well before then! They actually met when they were both living in Germany. Attending middle school and hockey practice together they quickly became great friends. Jeremy is also in the Air Force and when it got time to move from his last base they ended up here. Oh and they live around the block from us so it feels like college again!
Jeremy and Lauren dated most of college and got married right after Jeremy graduated. She is a physical therapist, loving what she does and her patients with all her heart. Lauren is also an instagram famous runner and love to inspire her followers to push themselves and achieve their dreams! You can check out her page here! We love these people and needless-to-say we are more than ecstatic that they are up here exploring the PNW with us.
This session was the first time the sun was out in what seemed like weeks! I miss shooting in the sun... anyone else have grey day photo problems!?!?! Give me all that golden sun glow. Spring get here asap please!
TOP TEN COUPLES FROM 2016
There are so many ways to love friends! I wish we had different words for the love we wish to express in English. But no matter what for of love you are experience today it is reason to celebrate!
Happy Valentine's Day friends!! In honor of this day of celebrating your love I'm sharing my favorite images of couples from 2016! Whether you have a boo, a bae or nothing at all there is always room to grow in your relationships you have and do them well! Did you know there are four different Greek words for our one English word of LOVE?
Agápē -the love that God has towards man and the love than man has towards God
Érōs -a passionate sexy kind of love
Philía -a brotherly or sisterly love, a friendship
Storgē - a parent's love for their child
There are so many ways to love friends! I wish we had different words for the love we wish to express in English. But no matter what for of love you are experience today it is reason to celebrate! Love doesn't just have to be confined to a romantic relationship but for the sake of sounding super cheesy, it is all around you all the time! So go love on someone tonight... ie. text your mama or papa! And before or after you do that check out me TOP TEN couples images from 2016 below! Maybe you'll make the cut in my 2017 edition. ;)
There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.
1. Back in November I had the opportunity to be a second photographer for Amber Tyler Photographer. I was so excited because I was able to go off and get some different perspective images. This of the bridal bouquets was one of my favorite detail shots I got. If you want to see my entire collection from this wedding click here! Or visit Amber's site here!
2. The summer in the Inland Northwest is what I imagine heaven's weather is like. Long days, dry, a perfect 85 degrees during the day and cool enough to need a sweatshirt at night with no bugs! So this summer I grabbed a couple of friends for some bridal sessions! I love the sun peaking through the trees and the elegance of her draping dress.
3. John and Tyler got engaged the day after Christmas. Taylor's mom asked me to come to their home for a family session and asked if I would be able to capture some engagement photos! Well these snowy photos came out so beautifully and if you want to see more visit the post this post! But here is my absolute favorite from their session!
4. This photo of the beautiful bride and groom in the wheat field might my absolute favorite of all time! Not just because its beautiful but because these hot people are my neighbors!! The wheat fields up here are plenty and I knew I wanted to photograph a couple in them. We drove just a few minutes northwest of our home and miles of wheat was all you could see! I may be posting this bride & groom session from last year up on my blog again soon!
5. This couple will always hold a special place in my heart and business! They will be my first solo wedding couple! I love this photo and this session because I they are truly in love and so excited to start their life together as one unit! Cheers to the Petersons!
6. If you haven't noticed already that I love candid, real life photos then this image will lead you more in that direction! My friends Ashley and Tyler are the sweetest couple and really know how to have a good time with each other. You can tell that their love for the Lord radiates through their relationship not just with each other but with everyone they interact with.
7. Ahhh, Liz & Paul's Luxury Couples Session was a dream! As soon as she mentioned she had a long pink dress picked out to wear I was even more eager to get this session going! I love everything about this image. Their pose, the depth of the background, the golden hour! All of it was perfect!!
8. Isn't Spokane just beautiful?? Not to mention this couple couple is straight out of GQ! The sweet demeanor and the adventurousness of this couple had us in Bowl and Pitcher Park. I have to let you know that I did nothing to the saturation of water in this photo... isn't that amazing!?!
9. This is one of my favorite homecoming photos ever! The look on her face is what ever longing spouse has when her man comes home from war. It is joy, relief and peace all in one.
10. This pose is my favorite! Its such a simple pose but it says so much. It speaks love, protection and nearness. The giant glass garage door behind them reflecting the snow and light is eye candy too!
