Melissa Darst Photography

New Blog!

2010-01-06T22:37:00.000-08:00

I am finally a cool and hip photographer because I have a cool and hip new blog now! You MUST check it out and PLEASE let me know what you think by leaving a comment! Be sure to make note of the new address and know this one will be phased out:(

melissadarstphoto.com/blog

I have some fun giveaways planned for those of you that choose to follow the blog and become involved by leaving comments from time-to-time. For those of you on Facebook, I have also set up a fan page - note the key word "set up" as there is nothing on it yet but I have big plans for that too, so become a fan please and help spread the word about MDP!!!

The new blog is still coming to life and I'm still learning my way around Wordpress so if you see a "bug," let me know!! I have several housekeeping issues to address before I hit work again in full force, but I hope to be posting some new things to the new blog as I get caught up!

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-22T11:50:00.001-08:00

Wow. December has flown by. I never got around to giving the blog as much love as I had hoped. Oh well. Maybe I can make up for it in January. I did get to end the year with a precious little newborn boy, but you'll have to wait on a sneak peek because I am officially done with editing in 2009. Wahoo!!

That said, I wanted to say Merry Christmas and thank everyone who has supported me personally and professionally over this past year! It has been fast and fun and furious and full of new opportunities and challenges and I just am so grateful for so many things! Thank you to all of my clients, who are or are quickly becoming more than just clients, thank you to my friends that encourage me, thank you to all of you who inspire me, thank you to my family for the greatest amount of love and support and encouragement and who allows me to do what I do. I have the greatest husband ever who has taken on Daddy duty countless times and tackled the kids many weekends on his own so I could take on as many sessions as I did. I feel so blessed to be where I am, and I hope and pray that 2010 is another great year!

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas. Our card is below although these images do NO justice to the actual piece, which is a trifold. Many thanks to the fabulous Stephanie Davis for lending her talents to take MY family Christmas photos - might I add the first family photos EVER!! Another Merry Christmas to me! And how can I even do justice to the ridiculously awesome work of my designer Jill who made this card into such a piece of art? I love her and I am proud to share her with all of you.

Above: this is hard to describe but this was the entire outside spread when card was folded out. When folded, the far right panel is the front cover of the card.

Below: this was the entire inside spread when it was all folded out

Have a great Christmas and time with your families!! Talk to you in 2010!!

My Thanksgiving

2009-12-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

Before we hit Christmas, I had to post just one Thanksgiving entry in the spirit of playing catch-up. And since so many of you might be in the party-planning/entertaining mode, maybe this will inspire you!

Here are a few snapshots from our Thanksgiving 2009. I can take no credit for the decor - my mom did it all so this is one giant plug on her talent and what she could do if only the right person (other than family) would come along and convince her of how good she really is and inspire her to start doing this for work!! I did contribute the placecards, which I have been doing since age 5:) Oh, and a good deal of this stuff is from my wedding and the rest is from my Mom's garage, so this is again a testmament to Mom's creative abilities from turning what's laying around in her house into a masterpiece without buying new stuff. The crabapples, berries and some of the greenery were found out on the farm - Martha Stewart would be proud:)

We had about 25 in total attendance so we had to have stations of tables to fit all in, plus Mom set up a fabulous outdoor seating area full of couches, rugs, a firepit, washers and horseshoes, and music! The weather was perfect and I think we seriously were set for a wedding reception. Who knows, maybe there are event services in the farm's future??! Oh, and see how Miss Velvet was broken in with the whole gang (minus 5 people!). I have lots more to share in later posts!

Merry Christmas To Me

2009-12-07T15:33:00.000-08:00

Since I can't give myself more hours in a day (which seems like #1 on my wish list this year!), I settled for this new prop as the light to bribe me through the long holiday tunnel. She needs a name...maybe Miss Velvet? I am taking nominations:) I have been wanting a couch for so long and my aunt, the best bargain furniture finder you'll ever meet, scouted this beauty for me. I am proud to call it mine and can't wait to share it with all of you in 2010.

I have one newborn left this next week before I am all completely wrapped up with new sessions for the year, and technically, my doors are closed until January although I am still trying to wrap up with the last bit of holiday orders! Once that is done, I hope to give some more love to the blog and post some things I have been meaning to for awhile...no promises, but check back.

Thanks for your support and patience as I spend some much-needed quality time with my family. I will return emails and calls but response time may be much slower than normal. If you are interested in sessions for 2010, keep in mind I advise a minimum of 4-6 weeks lead time to ensure your ideal session date. Thanks and stay tuned...

Meet Mr. C

2009-11-29T23:32:00.000-08:00

After a sea of what seems like was mostly newborn girls, I finally got my hands on a little guy. Boy, was he worth the wait! This Mr. C belongs to this hot mama you might remember. I just couldn't believe the stories of how he can throw a fit, because look at what he let me do to him! He was pure angel for me:) This first shot might be one of my new favorites of the year and check him out in his little golfer hat below - SO CUTE!!! Don't you love Miss M sharing her sucker with baby bro? Gotta love it!

One More....

2009-11-23T14:11:00.001-08:00

I am still editing this session and I had to share this one. It is a signature pose I will have you do if you are on an engagement session with me. I just love it - what better way to capture being IN LOVE??!! Don't you just see it? And feel it? Too bad they're not doing a holiday card - the colors are perfect!!!

Miss Z is 3 Months!

2009-11-23T07:19:00.000-08:00

If you haven't noticed, I'm really into leaves right now in my pictures:) I can't imagine what I'd do if I ever make it up north for the fall like I want - never been! In any case, little Miss Z indulged me and lived up to her reputation of being a fabulous baby for the camera. You better get used to this face because she's going to be in and out of this blog a lot (4th appearance already in 3 months!) - that's what you get with me as your "auntie!"

Just Another Reason I Love Fall....

2009-11-23T06:05:00.000-08:00

Fall has always been my favorite season. Love the clothes. Love the food. Love the weather. Love my hubby (Nov 1st anniversary!). Love the leaves. But my kids IN the leaves? What could be better. There are so many precious ones, but I had to take a few minutes away from holiday land to admire my cuties:) This was a couple of weeks ago (a rare well moment!) in grandparent's front yard. As I've said before, the impromptu shoots are always the best for my kids. It's like they can sense all the stress and planning we moms put in to "formal" pictures and then they just choose not to "perform" when we want them to! Here's to being more spontaneous....

The Soon To be Mr. & Mrs. M

2009-11-22T16:32:00.000-08:00

I have been drowning in holiday editing so what a fun creative release it was to take a moment out to photograph an e-session! These two are super special to me and what an honor it was for me to photograph this special occasion in their lives:) For starters, I used to babysit Miss N and her and my sister are best buds (Lauren will be the MOH). Mr. M practically grew up in my house as my bro's best friend (Jason will be best man!), so who would have ever guessed these 2 would have ended up together?? It is SO fun and I am SOOO happy for them! I love them both and just can't wait to watch their new life start together. Thanks for coming up my way for your session and I hope you enjoyed all this time to kiss on each other:) Hope the wait on your sneak peek was worth it!

Meet Miss T

2009-11-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

Another fellow photographer here - whew! What a week! JK. I finally got to cash on a barter deal (which I LOVE to do!) from back at my Miss M's party. You might remember her fabulous cupcakes here, which were artfully decorated by Miss T's mom, Tera of Bake Me Famous. We traded cupcakes for a newborn session! Dad is Evan of Evan Chavez Photography but it was his turn to be in photos this time!!

Would you look at her hair? Miss T was a precious little angel with her fair share of hair and who finally crashed on us for the end of the session, which gave me the first shot below! This one s my favorite of the entire session! Enjoy your sneak peek guys and I promise there are more good ones to come as soon as I get my head above water from the holiday madness:) Thanks for being so laid back!!

I promise she didn't do this the whole time but I just loved this shot...already showing off a personality:)

I love this expression of Miss T gazing into her parents eyes:)

Headshots for Holly B

2009-11-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

Taking pictures for another photographer is intimidating! I guess it helps though that I've known Holly since high school:) We had a great time together talking shop, squeezing in some head shots for her blog, and acting like a pair of highschoolers all over again, complete with a bag of Pepperidge Farm Brussels cookies!! Oh, and can I add critiquing our wrinkles and flaws at major magnifications to the list? This whole approaching 30 thing is so not fun to look at (or come to terms with) on your computer screen:)

When you work out of your house and are in business for your self, I can't tell you how nice it is to have a friend in the business to play that "co-worker" role we often need. Anyway, thanks for coming to play Holly and hope you enjoy putting these head shots to use!!

Holly works in the Austin area and you can check out more of her work here.

Holiday Card SALE!!!

2009-11-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

I am offering a 10% discount on all holiday card orders to those of you who booked a session with me in 2009!!! Who says you have to schedule a "formal" holiday session? Use your favorite photo(s) from ANY month of the year and let's turn it into a beautiful family card! Please inquire for specific pricing and all card designs. Here are a few peeks to get your mouth watering:) Sale ends Friday, November 20th!!!

Halloween Honies

2009-11-03T16:17:00.001-08:00

How backwards is it that I've posted all my holiday sessions and now I post Halloween? I did not formally offer a Halloween promotion this year but these are some of my Mr. D and Miss M's friends that came over Halloween morning to help me out with a little side project! You guys were so fun and thank you all for being such good sports!

My friend Lisa gets all the credit for the first board below - she found this hat on Etsy and came across the picture idea, so all I did was execute:) I love how they turned out and wished I had my little pumpkins captured this way as babies!!!

ETA: MANY thanks to Lisa who played my assistant for this day and acted like a crazy kid to get these smiles!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Baby pumpkin (below) belongs to boxer boy above. Looks like he picked up a few tricks, huh?!

I call this shot below "The Heisman" - Your Daddy will be proud!

My Maverick

2009-11-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

My Mr. D surprised me! He let me take some pictures of him on Halloween so I had to post to give him as much attention as Miss M in the last post:) You are the cutest fighter pilot in the whole wide world!!! I still can't believe you wore this helmet for me:)

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

From my family to yours, Happy Halloween!! We have a ladybug (or lovebug as we prefer to call it since that's what she has been since day #1) and a Top Gun Pilot (too perfect for his signature spikes!). These were Miss M's 15 month portraits, so that explains the mass...and the only reason Mr. D can even make this post is because he didn't know I was taking this picture! I camoflauged myself in the crowd of parents yesterday at their school costume parade. I cropped out the other kids for privacy reasons but too bad for this teacher's hiny!! Hee hee. There was just no way around it.

Your kid have a costume or dress-up outfit they just can't part with?? Bring it on! Who says they have to don the latest Gymboree line? I chose this for my Miss M's 15 month portraits because THIS is our girl in action and THIS truly captures HER at 15 months - our explorer, our priss who likes to get down and dirty, her sass that may take time out to smell/pick a flower but who is quickly up to start a game of chase, trying to run as fast as she can in her clodhopper rainboots away from you; our girl with her piercing blue eyes that sear straight into yours and tell you that even though she may only need 1 minute of snuggle time from you some days, she will always be our baby girl, our lovebug.

That's why I love these pictures even more - because there is a STORY behind them!!! That is my mission for all you too!!

Meet Mr. T

2009-10-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

So this guy kicks off the final round of holiday sessions for me! Whew. What an honor to be apart of so many families. I know you are just as worn out as me (and I can TRULY say that after trying to pull MY family holiday pictures together last week!).

Can we all agree this guy is TOO stinkin' cute?! Seriously, this boy has GOT it going on!! He was a pro and so great with me and the camera. I can't wait for Mom to see ALL the pictures and I don't know HOW you are going to choose, so beware!!!

Meet the B Family

2009-10-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

I loved this family's wardrobe!! Aren't mom's boots to die for? And in case any of you out there want to know, Mr. T's ensemble is from Nordstrom's and apart of Tori Spelling's line. I love it!!

Poor little Mr. T (or should I say parents?) decided to wake up at 5:30 on picture day and considering we did his pictures at 11am, he was just a LITTLE tired! He wanted no part of our bribes or efforts, and I think he had a case of my Mr. D's "bye-bye camera" mode, so we had to be sneaky!! I hope there are some surprises for you:)

The C Family

2009-10-27T15:24:00.001-07:00

This mom has quite possibly the craziest schedule I know! Whenever I am "woe is me," I can just think of her and rest assured she is whatever I am feeling x 1000!! She works full-time, has 1 special needs child, juggles 4 kids' activities and appointments AND I'm pretty sure her hubby is still in seminary:) Wow! This is such a special family and I can't wait for you to see all your pictures and pick out that long-awaited new picture for your house!

Meet Miss C and Family

2009-10-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

This is one talented family! Mama C is a gifted seamstress who made my Miss M's baby bedding....AND her and hubby both sing and act (see Dad's new headshot below)!! Little Miss C happens to be named after a famous Broadway musical character, so I think it's in her future between that and her sweet smile and sass below. She was a joy to photograph!!! Thank you guys so much for your support and friendship!

Meet the C Family

2009-10-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

Mama C has been SOOO good to me! I always want to get the best pictures for her as a small token of thanks for all the many referrals she has sent my way:) Luckily, her two children are full of energy and faces and FUN and I had a blast chasing them this past weekend. The sled shots are some of my favorite - thanks goes out to MY mom for the new vintage prop:)

PS - I am in LOVE with little Miss C's eyelashes, which was the inspiration for the BW shot below....

Meet the H Family

2009-10-27T14:27:00.001-07:00

Aren't these 2 the cutest? They had the best time on these stairs!! And doesn't little Mr. J look JUST LIKE his Daddy? Mama H deserves many kuddos because her and her sister (above) are running the White Rock 1/2 marathon this next weekend - I am SOOO impressed! Good luck ladies and enjoy your sneak peek....

Sisters COMBINED!!

2009-10-27T14:16:00.001-07:00

See both Miss L's families combined below!! Again, another set of 2 sisters I envy for having such a great set-up. They live only 2 miles apart and their kids can grow up as best buds!!

This is the 3rd time I have combined their kids for a group shoot (2nd for all 8) and it is always a ZOO:) They all have the best attitudes ever and are SO go-with-the-flow, but these little kiddos never want to stay in my perfectly crafted "windows". Oh well. Like I told the photographer that shot my family last week, all of us sitting perfectly still and smiling would NOT be us or capture our REAL life, so that is truly the motto I live by (and photo by). I love all the expressions and activity in these little rascals.

Mama K & Miss M

2009-10-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

It only took 3 tries to FINALLY have this session - between me being sick and having sick kids, I had to pray baby K didn't come before I could get out to his mama!!

Mama K is one of my dearest friends from back at my HMG days and she is about to have a little boy in a matter of weeks (and Miss M is almost 2). Special thanks to Lisa who took on my 2 kids (on top of a newborn) so that I could take these pictures:)

Here's the latest top picks and additions to my "growing" maternity portfolio....

Meet the O Family

2009-10-21T11:03:00.001-07:00

This is a long post, I know, but what can I say? I am partial to family. These two are my cousins and we took a special trip into Navasota while we were out at the ranch to get their holiday pictures made. What a goldmine it was!! I have never photographed there before and I just couldn't stop! And a new trade secret to share for kiddos this age (5 and 7) is just talk POOP the whole time to get these great expressions and smiles!!! Oh, and leave their mom at home because that is just "cooler." So hubby joined in this one and just talked tiger turds and bird poop sandwiches the whole time and I did my thang:) You would never believe these 2 were bro and sis, right? Love you guys and have fun picking out your holiday card photo from this MASS!!

THe N Family x 2

2009-10-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

Whew! Get ready to look at these crazy pictures because you will be tired when you're done looking at them. HA! But not as tired as me or all the mom and dads that pulled out ALL the tricks to get these 4 to stay put and still!! We had so much fun acting silly and getting creative and singing and dancing and here's what we got:) I love all the "action" in each of them, because that is REAL and what this stage of running around as 4 cousins all under the age of 4 is all about!!! And look at how good the 2 boys were to cooperate:) These guys are best buds and I am jealous that they all get to live 2 minutes apart and hang out all the time!! The first board is my favorite - love the light!

Meet N Family #2

2009-10-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

This is the other 1/2 of the greater N family! Thank you Dawn for dragging your SIL & BIL out too!! These poor guys had a flat tire on the way out to their session but I promise it will be worth it and will forever go down in history when you see your pictures!! Just look at the first one of Miss R below. This very well might be my new favorite picture and I'm definitely thinking she's going to be one of my new poster children!! And isn't Mr. J a cutie pa-tootie?! I had so much fun with you guys - thanks so much!

Meet N Family #1

2009-10-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

What a treat it was to have the N family out! Their mama and I go all the way back to highschool drill team together, and I had yet to meet her boys, so it was a super fun session for me:) Aren't these guys SOOO cute??!! The older Mr. C is a sucker for candy corn pumpkins and giggling about "medicine" and baby Mr. C is just ALL smiles! Thank you guys for coming out and being so fun!!

Meet the W Family

2009-10-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

This family drove in to Anderson all the way from Wimberly!! Thank you guys so much!! What a joy it was to meet them and photograph their GORGEOUS family. And look at how in love mom and dad are:) They made my job so easy and I had such a great time with you all! Thank you guys for being so patient and hope you enjoyed hanging with my crazy family!

Meet The M Family

2009-10-21T10:32:00.001-07:00

These kiddos' mom and dad have done so much for my grandparents and the ranch! We can never seem to thank or repay them enough, so I wanted to take these pictures for them as a small token of our gratitude. Little Mr. M is only 3 months old and just wants to eat all night long and keep his mama up!!! And Miss G and J are just the sweetest little sisters and helpers ever!

Meet the B Family

2009-10-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

This family helped me kick off round #2 of holiday mini-sessions. We come to you live from Anderson, TX...home of my family's ranch and just about 30 miles outside of College Station, TX. These guys are some fellow Aggies who decided they wanted to get DIRTY for this year's holiday card. I love it!! Thanks Jason for scouting mud puddles for me!! I enjoyed meeting you B family and hope to see you again next year for our annual holiday event:)

Tu-Tu Cute!!

2009-10-20T20:33:00.001-07:00

For any of you out there still looking for a holiday wardrobe idea for your little girl (or just an excuse to spoil her!), check out Twirlie Girlies! They offer high-quality custom tutus at GREAT prices....AND they just featured some MDP images on their site!! Thank you Jennifer:) You might remember the fabulous S crew from last month, and this is where their mama got the goods!!

Meet Mama N

2009-10-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

Another mama with twins in her belly that is tiny!! She thinks she is big but she is NOT!! I am in love with her dress and I can't wait to meet her BOYS!! Poor Mama N is on bed rest so this was her 1 activity since last Tuesday, if I remember right. So rough!! Big Sister Miss A was a "camera hog" as her mama put it but that's just what I want:) We had a great time capturing some special last moments as her as only child and then Dad jumped in at the very end! Enjoy your sneak peek...

The K Kuties!

2009-10-12T14:08:00.001-07:00

The best part about holiday sessions is getting to see all my great families! I have so much fun with all of you, and I especially had fun with my beloved Miss A. Too bad it was so cold out for her Bubby...I'm going to get my hands on you for longer in no time:) The fur coat sequence is my personal favorite, but so hard to narrow them down when I've got full-on cooperation from Miss Model herself. Enjoy!

Meet The M Family

2009-10-12T13:57:00.001-07:00

This family is SOOO dear to me!! I don't even know where to start except for as much as I've photographed Mr. B, this was the first time for me to get to photograph the whole gang!! Mama M has one in the oven, but you'd never know it, right? She is 5 months along and I already can't wait to get my hands on the little angel:) So back to their holiday session, another shout out to another well-coordinated family! I love it:) And I especially loved chasing Mr. B around (aka "Bulldozer") because he was in a GREAT mood! I could hardly decide which ones to share!

Above: Mr. B "getting" me!! Below: the "authentic" Mr. B smile!

I LOOVE this one below! I'm calling this Mr. B in learning mode. I think we were calling out alphabet letters!!

Above: if Mr. B could narrate, I'd like to think he would have said, "Sure, Mom, I'll stay put right here for just 1 picture and just for you." Below: Mr. B in true form - hanging and on the loose!

The Mr. B guilty faces

The Mr. B "Daddy!" face!

Mr. B pointing to the baby:)

Meet Miss S

2009-10-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this little girl look straight out of an ad for a Parisian dress maker? I think so! But ssshh, you can get the dress at Janie & Jack! I guess it is the beret that makes me go French. In any case, I LOVE the all red - just look at how great it photographs. Miss S was a star performer at her smiles and giggles and poses - just can't believe it considering she is the same age as my Mr. D! I pray I am as lucky for our holiday shoot but like all you moms out there, I'm trying to have no expectations when it comes to my toddler:)

Meet the B Family

2009-10-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

Isn't this a super cute, trendy little family? I loved their color scheme - another purple, gray, black-and-white ensemble - and Dad should get extra special kudos for pulling this all together! Little Mr. B did not want to let go of his beloved pancake, so we had to get creative with our posing, but you can't tell, right? I just had to let the cat out of the bag for a good laugh and to preserve the memory:)

Meet the L Family

2009-10-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

This sweet family set out to capture some family portraits but also some special moments with their "first baby" and dog who is getting older. It has been awhile since someone has brought their dog along to a session and I loved the opportunity! I was so impressed with how great Miss C did for our time together and I hope your family will treasure these photos for many years.

Meet the G Family

2009-10-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

Another special family to me and another hot mama who doubles as my assistant!! Thanks Katie for being my go-to girl on Saturday and for all you did to make the day a success. These guys take the award for fastest holiday session - just minutes flat - and this first one is my favorite. Maybe it was the start of the A&M game that snapped the boys in shape?!!

Meet the M Family

2009-10-12T13:20:00.001-07:00

Some of you loyal readers will recognize this gorgeous family from the past. I can never get enough of these cuties! And you might recognize this hot mama who has been known to play "assistant" to me from time-to-time. She will be making her next "appearance" at my Las Colinas canals sessions!! Again, this is a great example of a family that has pulled their wardrobe all together and as Mr. T put it, "Mom, why'd you have to dress us like Gators!!?" What do we girls know about that? We just go for what we like, right? Thanks M Family for being so precious to mine and for being such great subjects!

Update

2009-10-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

I'm back! So much has happened since I last wrote...let's see, I've come down with the oink-oink flu AND so have my 2 kids. Prayers hubby still stays in the clear (and praises for all that he has done to play Mr. Mom, might I note very impressibly!). I realize there are probably lots of variations of that nasty bug, but let's just say that mean thing WHIPPED me! I was dead to the world for days. I hope all of you stay well!! I have also kicked off my holiday sessions in full force. I am about to do a monster update so watch out and stay tuned!

The Stylish & Stunning S Family

2009-09-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have so much to write about this sweet family!!

My husband was in their wedding years ago and their families go way back and are best of friends! The S family has been so good to us whether hosting wedding showers, helping us house hunt or playing my ultimate go-to girl for all great recommendations. Mama S is who led me to my favorite pediatrician and OBGYN (not to mention a fair share of clothing tips like Frogs and Frills!).

Speaking of clothing, THIS is a perfect example of how to dress your children for portraits. Way to go mom!! You've got coordinating colors (but no matchy-match), bold colors, textures, layers, hats, funky shoes...what more could a photographer want? OK, maybe their 3 GORGEOUS faces and expressions!!! What a HUGE treat it was for me to spend some time with them. Thank you all so much for a super fun session (kicking off the holiday sessions for me!).

Starring the eldest, Miss A, a red-headed natural at modeling with a wide array of perfect faces!

Introducing middle child, Miss C, who I hear is a star athlete and soccer pro, maybe following in her mom's footsteps?

And rounding out the S crew, here is Mr. W who has the most amazing blue-green eyes EVER!!

There are really SOOO many good ones of the whole gang, but for whatever reason, this might be my favorite. I just love ALL that is captured here - the secret, the smile, the embrace!!!

Here are a ton of boards to show off just a "few" of all my top picks from our time together!!

Meet Mr. C

2009-09-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite families has a new addition! Meet the handsome Mr. C. Poor little guy has some raging reflux but he hung with me and did a great job!! He's got a proud big sis who loves him so much and who joined in the fun!! Hope he learns to love the camera as much as her and join her in the ranks of being one of my website poster children!! Allergy head make me indecisive so here's a bunch of my top picks.

Know of Anyone?

2009-09-24T14:37:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year where the cycle of sickness begins around our house. I have had little time to work these days between cycling through fever, snot, allergies, viral infections, hand-foot-and-mouth outbreaks at MDO and now croup with my Mr. D. So, please bear with me on the work front until things level off!

That said, I am looking for some part-time child care assistance. It would be between the hours of 8-5 (not necessarily that entire chunk of time) on weekdays only and on an as-needed basis. I do not want to use a nanny service or pay a finder's fee and I do not want to use Craig's list, so I'm tapping into all my fabulous clients to see if this small world of ours leads me to a truly great person that just might be looking for some extra cash here and there! Oh, and must have a heart for kids of course:) And be willing to take part in our crazy household:)

Please send all ideas or inquiries to me at melissadarstphoto@yahoo.com

Meet Miss C

2009-09-14T01:12:00.000-07:00

Meet the newest little baby girl to grace my camera! Miss C was such a trooper for me, even though Mom and Dad aren't sure if her latest reflux meds were doing the trick:) My heart just breaks for all you reflux parents out there because how WELL I know (x2) how hard it is. Hang in there!!!

Miss C has super nice parents AND they had a really fun house for a photographer, complete with this cool round ottaman and a grand piano. Aren't they a cute family?!! And I have to include that she peed all over her Daddy and can I say for the record that it is always the girls for me that sprinkle and not the boys?! Ha, ha.

What I love about this first one is Mom's expression where it looks like she is sniffing Miss C and soaking up all the goodness of new baby smell:)

To Be in Love...

2009-09-12T18:00:00.001-07:00

Here is a play session from my time with family over Labor Day weekend. This is my sister, Lauren and her boyfriend Thomas (or Ta-Ta as my Mr. D loves to call him, his BEST FRIEND!).

Meet The T Twins

2009-09-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

I have been looking so forward to meeting these angels for the longest time now! You may remember their beautiful mom from here and look at her now?! Doesn't look like she just had twins, right?! After 3 tries for our big photo day, Miss A and Mr. H finally cooperated and came home from the hospital!

Miss A reminds me of my Miss M... a champion sleeper, dead to the world in the deepest state of beauty rest:)

And then there was Mr. H, just like my Mr. D as a baby....wiggly and squirmy and NOT a sleeper! Still an angel but poor Mom.

He refused to sleep for our session, despite all our patience and all our tricks, but Mom decided this really just captured her Mr. H in all his glory at this stage...wide-eyed!

I am in love with their front door....

A few other sweet moments...

MOD - Designer Camera Straps & More

2009-08-31T06:34:00.000-07:00

So finally I can let the cat out of the bag and reveal to you one of those exciting projects I have been talking about and working on for awhile!!!

I am exited to present to you MOD - a super cool line of designer camera accessories for SLR and digital SLR cameras. This new line of trendy, bold fabric straps and bags and dazzling cap savers is brought to you by one of my good friends, Amber Clay and her mom. I was fortunate to get in on the launch and help them out with their product shots and it was a BLAST! Special kudos to intern Whitney, the MOD star model, for lending her talent to the project!!

I promise this is going to be your new favorite gift idea! Seriously, every time I am out and sporting my strap, I am ALWAYS stopped by someone to ask me where I got it. It seems everyone has a nice camera these days, so you can't go wrong with giving these away (or buying one for yourself)! Your only problem will be choosing which one you like best!

And the best part about MOD straps is their signature minky backing, which means it is super soft and plush against your neck AND it is super durable, holding up to 90 lbs. I have bought other straps before and nothing compares to the quality of MOD, so be sure to check this out!

www.modismodern.com

The H Family

2009-08-29T13:38:00.001-07:00

This family was SUPER fun!!! I had never met them before our session, but man, did I get lucky in choosing Deep Ellum for their location! It was perfect for their style...converse, kinda punk, can't you just see it?! These guys were the lucky winners from a silent auction giveaway I did earlier this year at Stonewall Jackson Elementary in Dallas, and now I'm the lucky photographer who got to capture an hour of their life together! Thanks for a great session H family!

This last spot might be my favorite of the session...maybe they were all warmed up:)

I ADORE their expressions here...

Meet Mr. G - 5 Days Old

2009-08-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

This little dude officially wins the award for the most hair on a little boy I have ever photographed!! He's got a real "hawk" to prove it...so as much as I love little newborn hats, how could I cover his spikes up? I did for just one:) Mr. G was such a sport!!

Miss Z - 6 Days Old

2009-08-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is little Miss Z who I posted a few days back and who is now home from the hospital! Here she is at 6 days old. Her mama let me come play dress up with one my new props, this angelic cream cocoon set! I was so excited to break it in and get to try it out on a little angel (and yes, it is up for grabs for any interested parties). I can't tell you the last time I was around a 6-day old, so it was good practice for me to get in some good "molding" time before a few newborn shoots I have coming up! This first shot is my new personal favorite...and if you couldn't tell, I had a hard time narrowing down my top picks to share. Isn't she beautiful??!!!

Sharing a sweet moment with grandma....

Look at those little piggies peeking through!

The only and only shot Hope would allow. She didn't know what all this mess was about!

Meet Whitney...Say Goodbye

2009-08-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

I spent the whole summer intending to sit down and find time to post and introduce the beautiful face behind Whitney, my intern, and finally I did it! Of course, this was literally taken on her last day with me this week for some last minute head shots she needed. Boo hoo. It was a sad day around my house. Whitney was a lifesaver and the only reason I have survived this summer. She is FABULOUS with my kids, smart, detail-oriented, organized and has a GREAT eye for photography herself (even though she is a math major!). And as you can see, she is also a cheerleader for TCU in her 3rd year and serving as captain of her squad! She's got it together, huh? I will miss her terribly but hopefully she will be back at some point and hopefully to help me out with holiday sessions!

We also worked on one more exciting project on her last day here that I can't WAIT to post and share so stay tuned!

Miss K is 6 Months Old!

2009-08-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest angel baby, Miss K!! And look at how much she has changed since hernewborn shoot. It is always a pleasure to get my babies back again to capture the many milestones in their first year. Miss K is quite the pro in front of the camera - we whipped this out in no time, complete with many outfit changes, and I had so many favorites! I love me some baby legs and funky hats:) You make your mama proud, Miss K!! How is she going to pick?!!

Miss S is ONE!

2009-08-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

Meet the stunningly gorgeous Miss S! I don't know whether it's her eyes I like best or her dainty little figure or her sweet smile, but it really doesn't matter because she was a joy to photograph. She had so many expressions that were priceless although I'm always a fan of the serious face like the first one below that shows off those big eyes that stare straight into your soul. Happy 1st birthday Miss S!

The sun hit a piece of metal just right when I snapped this image and look at the spotlight it created on them! It's different but I kind of like it!

Meet Tiny Miss Z

2009-08-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

I come to you from the halls of Medical City in Dallas to share the new life of Miss Z! She is just 1 day old in these pictures and this is what I could snap in a quick hospital visit to see my dear friends, who I remind you I photographed in a maternity session just TWO DAYS before Miss Z graced us with her birth! I guess making her mama tramp around in some fields might have helped work her out some:)

I wish I had more opportunities (or rather schedule capabilities) to photograph events like these - just drop it all to run to the hospital and photograph a baby's first moments! If I ever have another baby, I am SO going to bring a photographer in to capture it all:)

I am so excited to have you here Miss Z and I can't wait to watch you and my Miss M become best friends...and I can't wait for you to let me dress you up to indulge my photo visions.

Love, "Auntie" Mel

Isn't She Lovely?

2009-08-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

Miss N wasn't sure what to make of this whole photo mess. A friend encouraged her to update her executive portraits...and look where we took it a few twists and turns later! I even had a woman approach me during the shoot to ask me if she was a model?!! I only wish my figure was as long and lean as hers. I had a great time with you, and I hope you enjoy these pictures and can see that you don't look ackward AT ALL!!

DFW Holiday Sessions are FULL!

2009-08-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for the exciting response to the holiday sessions!! The DFW sessions are now FULL and there are only 3 spots left in Anderson!! Waiting lists are up and running - if you wish to be added on should additional spots open or come available, please email me at melissadarstphoto@yahoo.com.

Thank you guys for all the support! I can't wait!

2009 Holiday Photo Sessions

2009-08-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it's time to start planning for the holidays?!! In an effort to keep the holidays free for my family this year, I will not be working the month of December and all holiday sessions will take place in the month of October. Click to view images larger and for a rundown on the MDP holiday package. Spots are limited so sign up TODAY!!!

Miss L at 36 Weeks

2009-08-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

Meet Miss L, one of my old college roomies and one of my very best friends! She is pregnant with her first baby and it's going to be a girl! We are dying to know the name but they're keeping it a surprise:)

We set out to capture her belly in all in its glory this weekend - she is 36 weeks along and set to have a c-section in less than 2 weeks unless baby girl comes on her own!

I haven't done many maternity sessions - many of you ladies think there is absolutely no way you want to forever preserve what you think is a whale-like state of cankles and fat face, BUT the truth is, you will like having this one day. I promise.

I am not asking you to buy a wall portrait to hang above your fireplace - just to simply HAVE the pictures taken so that one day you can show that inquisitive little angel of yours what you looked like pregnant...or to pull out for yourself when you want a moment to reflect on your life that is flying by. I did maternity pictures and while I do cringe at my puffy face, I am SO glad that I have them.

So that is my only goal for you and for my friend, Miss L - that you will one day tell me I'm right:)

Now that I'm off of my soapbox, here's a few of my favorites. Remember, I'm still finessing this area of my portfolio:) The first one I just love because I think she embodies the radiance of a pregnant woman so well!! And then I'm a sucker for silhouettes so lots to choose from....

Our Children's House at Baylor Grapevine

2009-08-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of taking on a very special and unique photography project for Our Children's House at Baylor Grapevine. Our Children's House at Baylor is a licensed pediatric hospital dedicated to giving quality care to children from infancy to age 18 who need medical care and treatment for developmental and birth disorders, traumatic injury and severe illness.

The project has been awhile in the making and the big shoot finally came! More importantly, I finally worked my way through the mountains of pictures and have a very small sampling to share.

I photographed 24 kids in 3 hours, which meant cycling 3 kids through every 15 minutes. We had a set of twins, a set of triplets, a baby and then all kinds in between! The goal was to capture images that OCH could use for display around their office, and ultimately, we threw a portrait event at their office to do just that! This way, parents could take part in the deal and get some updated photos of their children AND I was able to generate some buzz about MDP!

Most people do not realize that "therapy" actually means playtime! OCH has a giant play area and kids LOVE it! They also have a therapy dog, Walker, who took part in all the fun. So we put them in their element and I ran around like a crazy person trying to snap away. These kids WORE ME OUT! The fact that I even got multiples in the same frame within a shared 15 minute time block is unbelievable looking back. And I was able to end all the chaos on such a sweet and perfect note with angel baby, Miss A, below. She is a miracle and I pray for her sweet life!

OCH has been (and is) a place near and dear to our family for over 1 year now since both my Mr. D and Miss M have been/are patients there too. Again, I was honored to help them pull this off and I can't wait to decorate the place with photos! And THANK YOU for allowing me this opportunity once again!

Mr. L is Turning 3!!

2009-08-04T06:19:00.001-07:00

This little boy is one of the sweetest little boys I have ever met. I can't even think of the best way to sum it up except to share a recent story his mom had on her blog - one night when she was putting Mr. L to bed, he looked up at her and said, "Mom, you are a cutie." OMG - I think I would have hit the floor in tears. He is just like that - always making your heart melt. Which is why it was such a joy to get to take his 3-year pictures!! At first he wasn't sure what to make of the firetruck, which is how I get the wonderful, yet somewhat fearful first eye shot below:) But then, he got REALLY into the firetruck...and the chocolate mom brought for bribes. And to quote Mr. L on chocolate, he actually said "I need it. I can't live without it."

Isn't his outfit the cutest? Mom dresses him so well. And thanks to grandma for bringing his cool shirt back all the way from London:)

And look at outfit #2. Have I mentioned I am a SUCKER for little boys in ties! And button down shirts! And plaid shorts! See, boys can be just as fun to dress as girls:) THIS is how I recommend you dress your boys for photos.

Love the lighting of this one

My Favorite Models on My New Favorite Find

2009-08-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

So here's the session I drug my kids back out for...

On my shoot with Miss A below, we stumbled upon this old fire truck - I shoot at this spot ALL the time and have never seen it before, so it was like Christmas morning for me! I love anything old and beat up and vintage-y but what I think I loved most about this fire truck is the symbolism it would capture for my kids at this stage. They both will make the most adorable fire truck siren impression upon cue - Mr. D has taught Miss M and it is a new "trick" for her.

So couple the perfect photo day with this perfect new "prop" and my kids were SO getting drug around....have I mentioned that Mr. D sees the camera now and says "Bye-Bye" (like put it away!!!). This only happened because of Whitney who indulged my idea, actually inspired me, that all the effort would be worth it. It was. I am always beat down after photographing my 2. But whenever I don't try or plan and do things on the fly, the best pictures come. This was literally put together in less than 15 minutes, I made Miss M skip her morning nap and I can't believe they sat together, still and didn't scream and pull each other's hair. Forgive the many photos but I'm partial. And these are completely un-edited but I love them a-la-natural in all their glory:) The first one is MY FAVORITE!! And for once, I got more of Mr. D than Miss M!!

Rock Star Baby Shower

2009-08-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

Party #3 has come and gone! I am officially back to photography full time now...well not full-time, full-time but full time of my part time:) Here are a few highlights....

Meet Miss A

2009-08-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

Wait til you meet this Miss Priss! Miss A is a red-haired, blue-eyed, almost 1 year old and she drove all the way up from Houston for her shoot with me...thank you guys!!! We had THE PERFECT DAY for photos (literally, I drug my kids out for photos right after this session) despite the random sprinkles of rain, so thank you Lord for watching over me:) I kept telling her mom that she was such a perfect subject for me because what other 1 year old do you know that would stay put on top of this train without crawling right off (mine wouldn't!)? And did I mention that she is walking? Such discipline. She has the greatest expressions...and longest eyelashes...and I had so much fun with her!

The G Family

2009-08-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

Look at this precious family and look at how much brother and sister look alike:) Their blue eyes were killers AND they were so well behaved for the session!! Such a treat for me...and we missed the rain by just minutes!

Miss P, The Ballerina

2009-07-26T06:56:00.001-07:00

I have been dreaming of photographing a ballerina and I finally got my chance thanks to the beautiful Miss P! She goes to my church and has been dancing for 16 years. Miss P currently dances with Ballet Academy of Texas in Coppell AND she is a semi-pro international ballroom dancer too!! Miss P is transferring from the Art Institute of Dallas where she is pursuing graphic design to North Texas where she will major in dance and hope to teach.

This was a dream shoot and such a pleasure and I secretly want to live through her....what girl doesn't want to grow up to be a ballerina?? Only 1 more year until my Miss M can start dance lessons!!

I have way too many favorites so just bear with me....

Love the shadow on this one below!!!

Debuting Paige - AHS Senior Rep 2010

2009-07-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

Meet the the beautiful, the talented, the sweet, the ever-so-graceful Miss Paige!! Paige is going to be a senior at Arlington High School and will be serving as one of my senior reps, which basically means she's a spokesperson for me - she helps spread the word about MDP...and gets special deals!! Please inquire to melissadarstphoto@yahoo.com if you know of anyone who might be interested as serving as a senior rep at another DFW area highschool.

Here's some of my top picks from our shoot earlier this month. We were going for a sort of '40's inspired look and how lucky was I to stumble upon this super cool cab THE DAY of the shoot?!! I love it...and hope you do too:)

[Sorry if you can't click to view all these larger - I'm trying all the tricks I know... unsuccessfully.... so sorry. Blame it on Blogger. Just 1 more reason why I want a cooler blog.]

Jill-E

2009-07-20T20:52:00.001-07:00

While we're on a party roll, this is the perfect time to feature some work of my new partner designer, Jill-E. Stay tuned for more samples of her snazzy style but just look at what she created as an invitation and party sign for Miss M's party (be sure to scroll WAY down for that post!). Isn't this just fabulous?!!! She is so doing our family Christmas card....and she can do yours too!!! Speaking of Christmas (which is never to early to start thinking about!), keep your eyes and ears open for mini session dates this fall!! Sessions will be limited!

Baby Showers!

2009-07-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

Tis' the season for parties at Casa Darst. Here's party#2 that has kept me busy and away from work (I have one more coming up on 8/1!!). This one's a baby shower and we called it "Apple of Her Eye."

These are two paintings I did for my friend's nursery:

Birthday Parties

2009-07-20T12:48:00.001-07:00

Here are a few details from my Miss M's party. The theme was "Cupcakes and Cocktails"...I know, not traditional, but Mom gets to pick the 1st birthday party theme:) As much as I love to photograph people, I must admit I love to capture the inanimate objects of a party!!! That might be the part of wedding photography I'd enjoy most:)

I love parties and decorating and my Mom taught me all I know!! Many props to her, the lead tablescape artist (she's available for hire!!) and my partner in crime. Without her, this would party would not have been possible (seriously).

Don't forget that Melissa Darst Photography is available for hire for birthday parties!! I know it's hard to play cook, hostess, photographer and mom all at the same time during a party, so turn over the photography to me! Please inquire about specifics at melissadarstphoto@yahoo.com

My Miss M is ONE!!!!

2009-07-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

So I've had to ignore the blog lately because there has been a lot going on in my personal life - nothing bad just hosting all sorts of parties and showers on the weekends. I tend to get consumed with these types of events - I LOVE them and get sucked into all the details and the presentation - so work got put on hold:) I will have to share some pictures later...

But the most exciting event to report of late is my Miss M's 1st birthday!! I can not believe it!! She is my love, my angel, my princess and the greatest surprise of my life!!!! We haven't done her full on one-year shoot but here are some I snapped for display at her party. The first one has now been turned into a gallery wrap canvas for my house - I LOVE IT!! (but not as much as I love her:)

Miss R is 3!!!!!

2009-07-09T22:07:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to start with this post. Miss R is so near and dear to me!!! She is almost 3 and truly a perfect child. She loves my Miss M, lives down the street from us, goes to church with us and has a fabulous set of parents who I happen to adore:) I also happen to babysit her from time to time as part of a little date night trade action we have going on, so here's what I got last night from our dress up session. Keep in mind Miss R had gone to bed refusing picture time only to wake up 45 minutes later to tell me she wanted to have her picture made. I was only allowed 2 (which turned into 50) and she then asks me "Are you happy now?" LOL! There is a very funny and long story behind this all of which stems from a hot pink pettiskirt in Deep Ellum that rubbed her the wrong way. So screw the skirt. We went for a less "planned" approach and did all this in her bedroom!!! The very first one was from our Dallas attempt, which I just had to include because these "evil" eyes of hers are killer gorgeous!!! Oh, and love the hat, huh?!

All BOY!

2009-07-04T22:40:00.000-07:00

Mr. S is 2 years old and a friend of my Mr. D's!! So like I told his Mom, his lack of interest in me was all too familiar:) Lucky for his mama, Mr. S can be bribed!!! Mr. D can not:( So we picked a spot he would like (loves trains!) and out came the promises of balloons (or maybe it was ice cream??!!). Here is what we got....and I have to mention that this little cutie is ALL boy. These are his first pair of boots (can we all say ADORABLE??!!) and my personal favorite...notice that he is stuffing his pockets with rocks!!!!

I'd like to title the one below "Who, Me?"...I am in love with this face.

I love profile shots of little kids at this age...perfection:)

Melissa Darst Photography at Baylor Grapevine!

2009-07-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

I am so, so, so excited about my latest partnership!!! I now have some of my work on display at the office of Dr. Rost at Baylor Grapevine!! He is a fabulous OBGYN (delivered my Miss M!!!!) and if any of you happen to live in the greater Grapevine area, I'm sure you can vouch for me. It seems everyone knows him and loves him as much as I do..and lucky for me, so many of his patients have now been clients to me, so I could actually feature some of his babies on the walls!! Here's a few snapshots of some of the patient room displays....

Miss A is 6 Months Old!

2009-07-04T22:23:00.000-07:00

Miss A is one of my favorite babies to photograph! She is beautiful and laid back and her parents are just such great people! Plus, she always has cute outfits:)

We braved the heat one morning at the Dallas Arboreteum for this session, and of all the times I have been there, I have never been so lucky! Miss A must have looked super cute...and SO hot, because one of the grandma volunteers took pity on our poor souls and invited us into this old house that serves as their break room. It was a photographer's dream inside!! I could have had a hay-day but I tried to be respectful (plus Miss A was on the downhill side) and look at this first shot below. I just love it and I love this bench that I found in corner (I wish it was mine!!).

Happy 6 Months Miss A!!

Meet Mr. B

2009-07-04T22:02:00.001-07:00

Mr. B is 6 months old and almost sitting up! Good thing his Mommy had this awesome mod chair for me AND to help him sit up:) Oh, and isn't "big sister" Chelsea super sweet??!!! There is no way my dog would have ever done this....I just loved it!! And to top it all off, these guys were Aggies:)

Dr.Pepper Darlings

2009-06-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

I have been dying to photograph some kiddos in this new find of mine! I actually tried my two and it was a giant BUST. Luckily, Mr. L and Miss. F finally brought my vision to life:) These two were perfect subjects, even in the 103 degree heat today. I am in love with their curls...and that silly tongue of Mr. L's in the first one below. Seriously, it is like he is licking his lips for some Dr. P!! And what captures a 3 year old any better than his messy shirt (aka his "towel" for washing his hands before we got started)?! Gotta love it!

Introducing the LOVE family!

2009-06-22T21:44:00.001-07:00

Here is the winning family from My Mother's Day Promotion!! Meet Rachel Love and family. Can we all just stop right now and give her the "Mom of the Year" award?! Let me remind you...1 year old triplet girls and a 2 1/2 year old little girl. I don't know how her and Jason survive. I am so intrigued about how their household functions. I am so impressed! I had a great time trying to squeeze all their silver slippers into my camera frame:) Here is your sneak peek (click to view larger)!