Sarah Glamour | Mikaela Joy: El Paso Portrait Photographer

Into the archives! I can't believe I haven't shared this session yet!  This was my first studio session after the move to El Paso, and it was such a fun session!

I met Sarah while working a military ball.  She was wearing this beautiful dress and looking all around gorgeous and all I could think was how great she would be to photograph.  When we got to talking and I found out that she is a makeup artist as well, I knew we had to work together. 

We had a great time with this shoot, and I feel like it really shows in the photos.  Doesn't she look gorgeous?

If you are interested in your own glamour portrait session, please contact me to schedule your complimentary consultation

Laura Babywearing | Mikaela Joy: El Paso Portrait Photographer

It's been a long, stressful couple months.  Since I last posted we packed up all our stuff, sold our house, and moved to El Paso Texas.  As you can imagine,  that was a lot to happen in a very short period of time and I got a bit behind on blogging. 

So it's time to catch up!  Over the next span of weeks, I will be sharing lots of older sessions, mixed in with the newer ones.  This one is from 2016, but its one that I'm still very excited about!  We had so much fun!

At the start of this session I had a very specific vision.  I had recently received a woven wrap (Pavo etini magnolia, in case anyone is interested) that I thought would go perfectly with my newest tulle skirt creation.  I had the image shown above in my head and sought out to create it.  But with such a beautiful family in my studio, I obviously couldn't stop there.  We had a lot of fun with some family shots and individual portraits as well.

Aren't these girls just wonderful?!

If you are interested in your own babywearing or family session, please contact me to set up your complimentary consultation today.

Julie Babywearing Session | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Portrait Photographer

You all know I love babywearing sessions.  There is nothing more beautiful than a bond between mom and baby and there's something really special about the way that babywearing helps strengthen that bond. So of course I was excited to work with these two for a studio babywearing session. 

This little guy, on the other hand, wasn't all that excited.  Luckily he had his mom close for lots of cuddling and tickling to keep his mood in check.  Aren't they cute?!

If you'd like to book your own portrait session please contact me to set up your complimentary consultation.

Alexis Glamour | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Portrait Photographer

I've got a fun one to share!  This was a really awesome session for me because it was a chance to let loose and be creative.  I love doing client work, but every once in a while I just need to shoot something that's 100% for me.  This was it. 

worked with Alexis a while back (see Alexis at the Beach) and I knew I needed to have her in my studio.  I told her that I was going to wrap her in tulle and do a glamour session, no extra details.  She was a total champ and went right for it!  I think she may have doubted me for just a second as I was wrapping a bolt of tulle around her like a mummy- "Have you done this before," she asked.  I hadn't, but I think the results speak for themselves!

Another awesome thing about this shoot is that for the tulle photos, everything was created by me.  I hand painted the backdrop (see DIY Painted Canvas Backdrop), made the floral crown, and made the dress on the spot in the studio. 

We had so much fun with this session, and I think we made some truly gorgeous photos.  See them for yourself!

If you'd like to book your own glamour session, please contact me to schedule your complimentary consultation today!

Riley 18 Months | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Portrait Photographer

My little man is 18 months old (well, he was a month ago.  I'm a little slow to share).  I can't believe how fast it's all gone by.

As of right now, Riley is obsessed with wearing other people's shoes, so this photo session seemed like the perfect way to remember this stage in his life.  He's got some big boots to fill!

Helen Family | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Portrait Photographer

It was such a pleasure to have Helen and her two boys in my studio.  This was my second session with Helen, and I already knew her youngest was a blast to work with.  But this time she brought her oldest as well.  We were able to get a great family portrait, some brothers shots, and and some solo portraits of each of the boys.  One of these shots even ended up working perfectly for my display at Tater Bugs!  

This family was a blast to work with, as usual.  I can't wait to do it again!

Gwen | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Portrait Photographer

When I first met Gwen at a birthday part, I knew I had to get her into my studio.  She is two, and already a perfect model.  She's got bright blue eyes, an adorable smile, and she LOVES being in front of the camera.  As soon as I held up the camera her eyes would light up and she'd strike a pose.  Immediately afterwards she would run over to see the back of my camera.  I don't normally show sneak peeks, but when someone this little and charming asks, I can't say no.  

It turns out Gwen loves being behind the camera, too.  She spent almost as much of the shoot playing with my backup camera as she did modeling.  Time to train up a new assistant?  I think so!

One of the photos from this session actually ended up being the star of a display I put up at Tater Bugs in the Tanger Outlets in Pooler.  Here's a shot of the whole display:

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If you'd like to set up your own portrait session, please contact me to schedule your free consultation.  I can't wait to here from you!

Eryn Glamour | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Portrait Photographer

It's been a while since I've done a glamour shoot.  It's been even longer since I worked with Eryn (remember our pinup shoot?)
Eryn has been working on some lifestyle changes and getting into shape (which she is doing a killer job of) and wanted to commemorate that by doing a session in her newly-fitting prom dress.  Of course I was all over that- a studio session with a pretty dress and a model that can do her own makeup?  Yes please!

Eryn looked gorgeous as usual, and was a blast to work with.  I love how confident this girl is. She's got it and she knows it, and she killed that prom dress!

Kristin Motherhood Session | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Portrait Photographer

Breastfeeding photo sessions always end up being my favorites, and this one was no exception.  Kristin and her little boy are coming to the end of their breastfeeding journey, and wanted to commemorate the bond they shared with some photos.  It's a bond like none other and deserves to be remembered. 

Breastfeeding is a lot of things.  It's full of drool, and spit up, leaky boobs, and getting kicked in the face.  It can be frustrating, painful, and monotonous, whether it's the hours spent on the pump or when baby wants fed for the third time in an hour. But it's so much more than all of that.  There's something so amazing about being able to provide everything a little person needs from one's own body.  It's about those late nights when the baby falls asleep on your chest and sweetly suckles in his sleep, or those moments when you make eye contact and he smiles up at you.  Breastfeeding is a crazy, frustrating, never-gonna-end/is-it-over-already roller coaster.  And it's damn beautiful, too.

I'm so happy that Kristin trusted me with these memories.  It was so wonderful to meet these two strong, beautiful people and share this time with them, because moments like this shouldn't be forgotten.

DIY Painted Canvas Backdrop | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Portrait Photographer

I've been busy making things again!

I'm a DIY kind of girl.  I look at things I like and my first thought is often to figure out how to make it.  Paired with my fix-anything husband, we are able to create just about anything we want/need.

My latest project was to make a DIY Oliphant style backdrop. 

Oliphant backdrops are the thing to have in portrait photography.  Annie Leibovitz is known for using them in much of her fashion work, and many other famous photographers and big productions utilize them regularly.  They are hand painted, beautiful, and very expensive.  A three day rental alone with cost you in the triple digits.  I'm determined that I will own one someday, but until then I plan to do my best to make my own.  Armed with online inspiration from Sue Bryce who is the queen of DIY studio backdrops, I decided to go for it.

The Materials

• 9x12 Canvas Dropcloth
• 1 gallon of main color paint (I chose a dark grey)
• 1 quart of each accent color (I used light grey, a peachy gold, and a green grey)
• paintbrushes
• roller
• Socks or old rags (I used these to create texture)
• A bowl to hold water
• Plastic sheeting (for underneath.  I didn't use these since I used our driveway which will be pressure washed shortly, but if you have any concerns aboout getting paint on your work surface, you'll need these).

The Process

How to create a DIY Oliphant Style canvas backdrop for photography.

I am not a very patient person when it comes to projects like this, so I decided to just go for it.  I painted the dark grey around the edges and the light grey in the middle.  I then used a wet sock to blend the colors together.  Once that dried, I used the sock and water to dab the accent colors around the center and blended towards the edges.  

Of course Riley helped me test it out.  I'm so excited with how this turned out!  I can't wait to work with it in a portrait session.  Stay tuned for the results!

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If you are interested in booking your own portrait session please contact me to schedule your complimentary consultation today!

Riley in the Studio | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Portrait Photographer

Have you been following my 365 Days of Riley project?

I can't hardly believe we are already 6 months in.  This kid is growing up WAY too fast. 
And I'm happy to report that over 175 images later, I'm still not tired of taking his picture.  He's my favorite model!

Throwback Thursday: Retouching Re-do

I'm going to make it a quick share today.

I recently got a new hard drive and revisited some old RAW files as I was transferring and backing everything up.  I was inspired by this photo, so I pulled it back into photoshop for a re-edit.

I took this photo during an impromptu photoshoot that involved black paint and inspiration from random shadows on the dining room floor. I liked where this photo was going at the time, but wasn't able to make it look quite how I wanted.

Well two years of photoshop tutorials and practice editing hundreds and hundreds of photos, I finally got it where I wanted.  It's definitely not my usual look, but I'm inspired to do something like it again.  I can't wait to see where it goes!

Erika Glamour | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Portrait Photographer

I love working with Erika.  I have done quite a few sessions with her and her family, throughout her pregnancy, and after with her little girl.  But this session was unique for us.  This was all about her.  And isn't she gorgeous?

It's so easy for us moms to get in lost in the identity of being a mother, so this was a great opportunity for me to showcase Erika for who she is as an individual.  We had so much fun with the hair, and makeup, and twirling around in a tutu, and although she was a bit nervous at first, she warmed up to the camera quite quickly.  

And of course her photos turned out gorgeous! How could they not?

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Interested in your own portrait session?  Let's chat!  Contact me to set up your free consulation today.

Jen Glamour | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Portrait Photographer

Let's just say this.  Jen ROCKED her photoshoot.  

Seriously. She's gorgeous. 

She showed up at my studio with approximately a weeks worth of outfits to choose from and her hair and makeup already on point.  And she brought me a bagel, so she gets points for that, too.

There's really no need to say a lot about this shoot, because the photos say it all.  So let's just see them!

Studio Glamour Portraits with Mikaela Joy Photography

Really, though.  Isn't she stunning?!

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If you'd like to book your own portrait session, please get in touch!

Meg Glamour | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Portrait Photographer

It's been a few years, but I finally got Meg in front of my camera again.  When I was just starting out as a photographer I shot a photo of her with the sunlight through her hair (above) and it's still one of my favorite shots.  I've tried to re-create it several times, but nobody does it like Meg does, I guess.

I've been wanting to get Meg into my studio for glamour portraits for a couple of reasons.  For one thing, she is not a girly girl.  I see her in her police uniform all the time, but never in a dress.  In fact, you should have seen her face when I showed her the outfits I had in mind for her.  "You want me to wear a dress?!" And makeup? Forgettaboutit. So it was fun to transform her from a southern girl in her flannel (nevermind that she's not actually from the south), to all dressed up with curls and pearls.

The other reason I've been wanting to photograph Meg is because she just does so well in front of the camera!  She think she's awkward, but there's something model-esque about it.  Maybe it's because she's built like a model: tall and lean.

I had a really great time working with this gorgeous girl!  Check out the video below for a look behind the scenes at how it all went down!

Uploaded by Mikaela Joy Photography on 2016-02-04.

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To book your own portrait session, please contact me today!

Renata Glamour | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Portrait Photographer

Look who's in front of my camera again, it's Renata!  This girl should be a model because she photographs like a dream.  Seriously, she's gorgeous.

This shoot was an absolute blast. She let me dress her up, and was totally open to all my crazy ideas ("Oh, you want me to spin in circles in a makeshift dress while you point a blow dryer at me?  Sure!")

These studio sessions have been such a departure from my normal work, and I'm really excited about them!  There is just something so special about the experience of it- you dress up and I do everything I can to make you feel like a superstar, and in the end we are left with gorgeous pictures to commemorate an amazing day.  You really can't beat that!

Check out the great shots we got from this session! (Like I said, she's gorgeous!)

Uploaded by Mikaela Joy Photography on 2016-02-08.

Angel Glamour | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Glamour Portrait Photographer

Earlier this week I showed you my retouching process for the above image, now it's time to show you the rest of the shoot!

As usual, Angel and I had a blast during this session.  We did up her makeup, raided the studio closet for clothes, jammed out to some good music and had ourselves a photoshoot!

Here are some of the final shots!

She makes it so easy for me.  Seriously, she's gorgeous.

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If you are interested in your own glamour portrait session, please contact me to schedule your complimentary consultation. I can't wait to hear from you!

Elliott | Mikaela Joy Savannah Newborn Photographer

I have another fun share today- more baby photos!  Recently I had one month old Elliott in my studio for some late newborn photos.

Generally, you are supposed to do newborn photos within the first two weeks of life, so I was a bit nervous about little Elliott coming in at over a month old.  It turns out, though, that I had absolutely no reason to be.  This little man was a dream to work with.  He fell asleep easily, posed well, and then woke up for a few bright eyed photos at the end.

With his red hair and blue eyes, this little guy is certainly going to be a charmer! I had such a great time working with him and am excited to watch him grow up.  What a sweetheart!

To see the rest of his photos you can visit my website here.