Welcome to Babypalooza Day 3! And welcome to the world, Rhys!
When I met Rhys, he was so excited to have his photos taken that he hadn’t slept all that day! It’s so rare to see a newborn this awake and even smiley! He was super chill and go-with-the flow. He only gave me a sad face once, which I included below because I think it might be my favorite. He has the cutest outfits, but I made sure we showed of those chunky baby biceps as well. Towards the end of the shoot, our little model was worn out, so we were able to get some super adorable snuggly sleepy photos as well. Alison and Mark, thank you so much for having me as a part of your life’s most memorable moments. This little man is so lucky to call you both his parents! XO Jess
I had the incredible surprise and honor of swapping out an engagement shoot for a newborn shoot earlier this year. Madelynn’s parents are getting married this weekend and I truly couldn’t be more excited! Little Madelynn was born with a serious Congenital Heart Disease. She has already undergone one open heart surgery and will undergo another one shortly after her parents tie the knot. Because of the open heart surgery, she now carries a “zipper” scar up her chest, just like my son. I happen to think these scars are so beautiful. They are a testament to human courage, both for the child, the parents, and the medical teams that treat these beautiful little babies. I felt it was important to show it off a little, and not hide it. Her life story is so much more exceptional because of it. When we found out our son had congenital heart defects, the surgeon we initially met with described the situation in such poetic terms, and I often revisit what he said in my mind. He said something to the effect of, everyone has their own mountain to climb. While some people’s path is lined with stairs, some other peoples’ is lined with sand. The people who have sand need a little help along the way to reach the top, but they can still reach it.
And can we just talk for a minute about how freaking adorable she is? Have you ever seen such radiant eyes in a child? And SO much beautiful brown hair! I’m so honored this family came into my life and I can’t wait to watch her grown and thrive. Please say some happy prayers for this family as June will be a huge month for them in so many ways!
I think the 6 month mark for babies might be my favorite to photograph! The babies are usually interactive, smiley and super precious. What made this shoot even more fun, was the baby had a very proud older brother! This was an in-home session, which I adore doing when baby is small. It’s a lot more relaxed and less scary for the babe. Plus the photos reflect a true representation of their environment. One of my favorite photos of me when I was little was taken in my room. I get a kick out of seeing the posters that were on the wall and the types of toys I had laying around. I’m not going to mention what they were, as that will date me older than I’m prepared to share:) That’s the kind of stuff that’s real- that a posed or “perfected styled” shoot can’t offer. In an age of Pinterest overload, it’s nice to be reminded to be yourself sometimes. Make your own memories in your own environments. Don’t feel like you have to live up to some internet idealism that exists in photos of babies in a propped-out overload wonderland. That actually goes for all my photos clients- YOU DO YOU!!
Their grins are so huge and genuine- I dare you not to smile when you see these! It’s hard to believe that in a few short months I’ll have my own little roly poly little one.
The first time I met Han, it was over the phone and I could immediately hear her electric personality radiate through. When I was able to then meet her in person later that week, it was not only her personality, but it was her smile that shined ear to ear- especially when she talked about her (then) fiance Quyen and their adorable daughter. Like my last post with Adrienne and Jay, I did a pre-wedding family & engagement session with them. It was September (I’m running way behind in blogging if you haven’t noticed) and the weather was warm and the light was soft.
I’m starting to love engagement sessions almost as much as the wedding itself. It’s a great opportunity to show who you are on a more down-to-earth level: your day-to-day self and a more natural beauty. Weddings are a great place to show off that “done-up” look. And together, they show two beautiful sides of the same family. Below are photos from both their E-session and their wedding.
The wedding was extraordinary with course after course of traditional Asian cuisine. It was apparently the first time J.Liu had ever done a custom 12-13 course traditional meal for a wedding. White flowers created a fresh, light and romantic feel in the room. A towering white cake was so formal and elegant. J.Liu’s vaulted ceiling made for a refined and upscale setting.
As far as dancing goes, this wedding might tie for my “best dancing” award with Eric and Rachel’s wedding. Everyone GOT. DOWN. (including yours truly). Here’s a little known fact- I like to try to blend in at weddings so that means if you’re bustin’ out the moves, well, I’ll prob. get crazy right along side you to get that photo!
There was so much love in this room. It was such an honor to be a part of it all:) XO Jess
It’s February and thinking about Spring portraits makes me happy as I’m unpiling the 7 inches of snow off my car. In an effort to make you equally as happy, I’d love to extend this one-time-only offer to you and your families. Up until February 28th (OMG that’s a whole month!), I’m offering $300 off my complete portrait sessions. WOWZA! That’s only $200 for a 45-60min session, online ordering, and the digital files of 40-60 images (in black and whaite and color). Think Pets, Family, Gifts, Engagments, Portraits, Senior Sessions, Children, Maternity, etc. There is no minimum order, so contact me today! Sessions must be used before September 1st, 2014. Travel additional if outside Columbus. XO Jess
So in honor of this being the first week of the new year, I’m going to skip ahead some sessions and do a best-of 2013 post. I will continue to post 2013 weddings and session blogs in the coming weeks so keep checking back:)
At the end of it all, all I can really say is WOW! This has been Jessica Miller Photography’s busiest and most successful year to date. It has been such an honor to step into the lives of so many incredible people. I feel like my life has been so enriched by getting to know and share in the memories of my clients. I am a better person for having all of you in my life. I can’t thank you enough.
In early 2013, I traveled to WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) with a few friend-tographers and spent three days in some intensive business classes. I had wanted to attend this conference for the last 3 years, so it was very exciting to finally get there. I came home with a laser-focused drive that I’ve never felt before. It has definitely propelled me forward in not only my business, but also my everyday life. My work was published a few times in 2013: once in The Knot Ohio, once in Curve Magazine, once in Business First, and a photograph I took is now on the back of over 10,000 bottles of Via Vecchia wine. I was able to branch out and team with other local vendors for three fashion editorial shoots- two in the spring, and one in the summer. In 2013 I was the contributing photographer for Craftin’ Outlaws and I also established my own booth to sell prints at both their spring and winter shows. I acted as the in-house photographer for Bartha, a national events and production house, where I photographed over 25 live events. Jessica Miller Photography expanded in 2013 and now offers photography for high school Seniors looking for a more fashion-forward and creative experience with their Senior Photo shoot. Something that I’ve been so grateful for here in Columbus is my family of fellow wedding and portrait photographers. In business and in life, they have been there every step of the way. This year, I was able to have some insanely talented people shoot along side me as second shooters. A special thank you to Nick Fancher, Carmen Hall, Melissa Jones, Sarah Williamson, Mike Stempler, Zak Kelly and my husband Scott Ingraham for your beautiful work!
So without further ado, here are just a sampling of my favorite photographs I took from 2013. I’m so excited to turn the page on another year! Happy 2014 everyone! XO Jess
I thought I would bring back a little summer fun with today’s post.
Turning ONE is a big deal. You get to smash cake in your face an no one will judge you- in fact, it’s encouraged. You can crawl or drag yourself through the house, and again, no one will judge you. There are usually lots of balloons and tons of people come out to give you loads of cool gifts that make noise (because it’s always fun to give other people’s kids gifts that make noise). And at ONE, it’s the perfect time for a photo shoot. You’re almost a toddler, but you’re still a baby in a lot of ways. What a fantastic milestone age…and literally up until age 29, you only get to celebrate each birthday only once.
What makes birthdays even more special is when you can share them with family. I remember when Addie was all but a toddler herself, and now she’s helping usher in that era for her little sister, Jordyn as she turned one. Neither of these two are scared of the camera which I, of course, adore. Cute and colorful outfits were expertly matched for this summer at-home session. It was a hot summer day so we divided the session between indoors and outdoors. Addie took me on a mini tour of all the things she loves in her life from Soccer, to the large outdoor trampoline, to the neon bracelets that she bought with her own money! Jordyn’s face lit up when her big sister was in the room. She enjoyed being dressed in frilly skirts but also loved getting messy with her smash cake. I can’t get over how cute these two are. I hope these pictures help you remember the simple joys of being a kid at summer time without a care in the world! All I know is I turned 32 ( errr…29 for the fourth time) last month and I wish I could have had a smash cake, too!
How quickly a year goes by! Last year at this time, I took Audrey’s newborn shots at her home. Lots of changes happen in a year. It’s so fun to watch my client’s kid’s grow up right in front of me! I consider capturing these years for my clients one of the great privileges and honors of being a photographer. This year, we ventured to Jeffrey Mansion in Columbus, Ohio for some beautiful spring photos and sunny snuggles. I just love capturing this age. This was right after Audrey had taken a few steps at home, but had yet to really walk on her own. One of my all-time favorite pictures of this age is when the parent’s hand comes into the frame for a bit of safety/stabilization. I find it to be almost poetic- that our parents are always just out of frame, ready to reach in and stabilize us when we need it (at any age).
At her one year old photo session, Audrey was so curious and just LOVED rolling around and playing with pink paper pom poms. She’s also not afraid to get dirty and she showed me nearly every stick Jeffrey Mansion had in their back wooded area. She has such and infectious smile and giggle. Her arms jump up and down when she’s really excited, which is so entertaining and you can’t help but smile ear to ear with her. She absolutely loved mommy-daughter time and I think the feeling was very mutual.
Not more than two weeks went by after this shoot when I saw her again, and she was practically running from room to room on her own and grabbing everything in sight. I’m sure her parents are getting great workouts from chasing that little speed demon around the house these days.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend with loved ones and great food! My belly is STILL stuffed, and Easter was three days ago! I am now officially in my post Easter- pre- Fourth of July diet. It’s time to get active, feel some sunshine on my face, and make sure my pants fit properly. Today I’m posting about a session I did way back in December. I am slowly climbing out of my to-do list from the past few months.
Architecture has always had a special place in my heart, as my Dad is an Architect and when I was little, he tried to get me to become one as well. I remember one children’s book he gave me had a woman architect on the cover and the title of the book was “You Can Be An Architect, Too.” Needless to say, times were a little different then. Although that never panned out, I did work at an architecture firm here in town, Moody/Nolan, in the marketing department for 6 years during my breaks from undergrad and graduate art schools. So when a family of Architects contacted me for photos, I was extremely excited. Since both of them are practicing Architects, they decided that the perfect backdrop would be The Ohio State University Knowlton School of Architecture. For those of you who haven’t been in or seen this building, it’s most impressive. It sits near the OSU Football Stadium with a grand corner presence. The inside is very distinctive with its exposed concrete hallways, tall ceilings and tons of natural light.
Scott and I both agreed that when we have children, we want them to be just like the Boyer’s. These kids were polite, smart, funny and oh so cute! Scott and I were treated to a live reading of Frog and Toad a few times throughout our session together. It was by far a family favorite! I hope you enjoy these photos as much as we did taking them! XO, Jess
