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Stephanie + Kevin: Engaged! 05.20.11 | Portsmouth, NH Wedding Photography

melissakoren — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:03:35 +0000

You know, its nothing new,
Bad news never had good timing,
But, then the circle of your friends,
Will defend the silver lining.

Pain throws your heart to the ground,
Love turns the whole thing around,
No it won’t all go the way it should,
But I know the heart of life is good.
“The Heart of Life” ~JM

Stephanie’s emails close with these John Mayer lyrics. And its completely obvious that Stephanie + Kevin most certainly know that the heart of life is good. The way they love and laugh with each other is phenomenal.

After postponing due to a billion soggy days, we finally had some nicer weather and met up in Market Square to shoot their engagement photos.

When I asked them where they were thinking, I was pleasantly surprised when they were more interested in shooting IN town than in Prescott Park. I love Prescott Park with all my heart — but the chance to adventure around Portsmouth itself was SO exciting! And just look at all the fun we found!

They indulged my craziness as we snuck down a new stairway and I saw this little peek through. It’s kind of like their baking in a brick oven, but I love it anyway.

They are absolutely sweet to each other. And snarky. Sweet and snarky are two of my favorite characteristics.

Bow Street, Ceres Bakery, Decks, Tugboats– we wandered all over to see what we could see, and I loved everything I saw!

Thank you thank you guys for a spectacular evening. I’m super excited for your wedding next month at the Moffatt-Ladd house in Portsmouth, I just know it will be smashing!

Paul 05.20.11 | Exeter, NH Casual Head Shots

melissakoren — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:29:21 +0000

Paul emailed me on a Tuesday hoping to get some head shots for networking and beyond before he moved to New York City.… on Sunday. Head shots in a hurry? no problemo! And although the weather seemed to be refusing to cooperate, we planned to meet up Friday morning in Downtown Exeter.

It was overcast and misty but it was perfect for what we were looking to do. Relaxed, casual, head shots. The clouds diffused the sun perfectly and the mist kept us cool ‘vegas mist @ the flamingo’ style. We wandered around for half an hour talking and laughing. Paul is super easy going in front of the camera.

He reminds me of James Van Der Beek - and seeing as how I’ve watched the entire series of Dawson’s Creek (twice ! (And I do <3 Dawson, but in my heart I’ll always be a Pacey & Joey fan) and Varsity Blues (more than twice) — that’s not a bad thing at all.

These next two are my favorites — I said it as soon as I took them too, after asking him to “you know — crouch down like boys do…” hence forth named “the boy crouch”

“the boy crouch with brick”

Then we took a quick ride to NYC to grab a few more with a hint of authenticity. What? no? ok fine — but we walked 15 feet and got a little more urban up in this piece.

Congratulations Paul on your move to the Big Apple! It was great hanging out with you on a dreary Friday morning!

I’m having a lot of fun with this new area of MKP and would love to help you or your business with a professionally relaxed image revamp! 1/2 hour, whole hour, or many hours + high res images on dvd for your use in advertising and promotion.

If you’re looking for professional head shots with out the stuffy feel, please be in touch!

Morgado Family Photos 10.31.10 | Exeter, NH Family Photography

melissakoren — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 20:42:47 +0000

I have been known to donate gift certificates to a few of my friends who are involved in various charities. Jess won one such certificate in a breast cancer fundraiser last spring. I was excited to meet her and her family for some awesome fall photos downtown Exeter.

I’m pretty sure her boys didn’t want to dress up as models for halloween, but they were the BEST listeners and great fun!

Of course, it’s easy to have fun when there are mounds and mounds of leaves around.

and then the lady with the camera tells you to go ahead and throw them RIGHT AT HER. He looks so determined.. and SO pleased with himself!

They really were the cutest little goober munchkins!

Thank you Jess for your support in the fight against breast cancer, and for sharing your amazing family with me!

~melissakoren

Billy: Class of 2011 | Stratham, NH Senior Photos

melissakoren — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 19:56:35 +0000

Billy antagonizes me like a little brother. I love him and his family (the beautiful people behind Valerios Kitchen in Stratham and Annie’s Angels) to pieces — I’ve known them since 2006, and in 2007, his sister Stephie, was my first ever bride and let me tell you, nothing adds to a brother-sister dynamic like a weekend wedding road trip to NJ…

When his mum called and said they needed senior pictures in a hurry! (senior pictures in a hurry?…I digress) I was more than happy to help them out!

He wasn’t what I would call excited to have his pictures taken, but he whole heartedly agreed that at least it was “only me” and better yet he didn’t even have to leave his front yard to have them done.

Dad made me promise we’d get at least one with out the hat. We got at least 2! Mission accomplished.

These are my favorites. I asked Billy what he wanted to do and he said, snarkily, climb that tree. So I called him on it. woot!

Once I was sure we had enough to make mum & dad happy I released him from my wrath.

Another ‘little’ kid I’ve known for a while growing up and graduating. Enough already!

happy senior year Billy <3

~melissakoren

Allison + Tim = Baby! 10.30.10 | Exeter, NH Maternity Photos

melissakoren — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:44:23 +0000

Two of my favorite people, made a person. And he was almost here! But before his grand (and very late) arrival we took advantage of a beautiful late fall day to do some maternity photos for these two soon to be parents.

One of my all time favorite maternity photos!

And my new favorite staircase!

ooooh color! I remember color! It’s just starting to make it’s appearance back around here — you can feel the life coming back into the air!

For 38 weeks pregnant, Allison looked AMAZING. She was ALL baby.. and just wait — because he’s one of the cutest babies you’ve ever seen!

You know, once he finally got here!!

Prepare to Wed — myKateParkerWedding educates

melissakoren — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:59:43 +0000

Late last fall I had the pleasure of photographing an event for the stupendous Kate Parker of Prepare to Wed & Kate Parker Weddings. Brides to be were invited to come to Madeleine’s Daughter in Portsmouth for an fun get-together full of fabulous food and information.

The Madeleine’s Bridal Salon is gorgeous — and looked great with all the vendor stations set up for their presentations.

The one and only Kate Parker & the radiant Joanne McDunough from Joya Beauty.

Beautiful dresses! Something about being in a dress shop makes the inner girly girl in me start screaming out to put on a fancy dress and twirl!

Champagne and goodie bags waited for the guests arrival.

Kate never stops working — here she’s looking at some proofs with Whitney & Sam from Gus & Ruby Letterpress in Downtown Portsmouth.

The tuna crudo appetizer from Bonta restaurant in Hampton, NH was a huge hit.

The guests started to arrive and mingle,

and Kate explained how the evening would work.

First up was Elizabeth, the owner of Madeleine’s Daughter who explained the different fit and fabrics of wedding gowns. There’s so much to consider and Elizabeth is definitely versed in the answers!

Then Sam & Whit from Gus & Ruby explained how custom invitations can fit into any budget.

More Food! Probably THE BEST tomato soup I’ve ever had — I can’t wait to get over to Bonta and have some more.

Liz, Kate’s right hand lady explained the first of two giveaways from Miss Now Mrs. — a super affordable, easy way to help with all that name change paperwork if you decide to change your name when you get married.

an OMG good lemon panna cotta with fresh blueberries.

Next Joanne from Joya Beauty gave an awesome demonstration on airbrushed makeup — I was amazed at how affordable it was, and how fantastic the results are!

We all watched on as one lucky bride to be got a free demonstration and amazing results in just 3 short minutes!

One side done–

Both sides done (well, the quick and dirty version done — Joanne explained that a few more layers would go into the process but such awesomeness with just a quick demo!)

Then Jessica, who’s personality is just infectious, told us about the amazing treats, desserts & cakes she creates at Nothing Bakes Like Parrott

And her cake pops were evidence in and of themselves.

I was thrilled to be able to take part in this event — everything Kate and her team put their mind to is phenomenal.

If you’re looking for help planning your wedding or event please check out preparetowed.com — “the ultimate wedding resource and vendor directory developed and designed by a wedding planner for the chic and savvy couple.”

Lauren & Patrick: Engaged! 10.22.10 | Concord, NH Engagement Photos

melissakoren — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:00:40 +0000

Lauren & Patrick are fantastic. Hands down just good people to know. I was overjoyed when they asked me to be their wedding photographer and elated when they wanted to take advantage of some fall fun at Carter Hill Orchards in Concord.

I loved that they came ready for anything and fully embracing the slight chill in the air.

Everything including almost sitting in rotting squashed left over fruits Thanks guys!

I’m always (quite pleasantly!) surprised by how mountainous the Concord backdrop is.

I have a tendency to follow the sunset — in doing so we wandered down the steep hill and past a fence and stumbled onto this beautiful little pond.

And into some forest. I can’t get over how easy these two are in front of the camera.

Patrick accused me of being distracted from the task and taking photos of only the trees; when I showed him the photo on the right he was surprised they were in the shot too. Go go gadget wide.angle.lens!

Full color or black and white, these two are superstars!

Thanks for a great afternoon guys — next time I need to not forget the whoopie pies!

~melissakoren

Sarah & Sofia L.O.V.E shoot 10.22.10 | Durham, NH Couple’s Shoot

melissakoren — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:28:12 +0000

Blogging along, blogging along on the bottom of the beautiful briny sea…

Well, beside it anyway.

Up next in MKPland are Sarah & Sofia. This delightful duo were looking for some l.o.v.e. shots and I was happy to oblige. We ventured out to Adams Point in Durham, NH for our adventure.

Many thanks to Sarah for enduring a few overly zealous waves that kept coming up behind her to say hello

So cute and so sweet with each other.

Uh, most of the time…

Ah, there we go — that’s better. (hello sunshine! hello warmth! hello color! we miss you around here!)

Sofia wasn’t so sure about the photos with the swamp. I tried to assure it her it was a marsh and thanked her for playing along. It’s one of my favorites!

Oh sunlight, how I love you so!

Thank you both for the opportunity to gallivant around the point on a beautiful day!

~melissakoren

Reed & Eliza 10.20.10 | Exeter, NH Children’s Photography

melissakoren — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:06:48 +0000

These kiddos hold a special little place in my heart. Miss 7 month old Eliza and Mr. I’m a big guy who doesn’t really need to have his pictures taken this time Reed.

So we decided to start with Eliza and she was more than happy to take the stage. Look at the dimple! I simply cannot get past her cuteness.

Reed is a very doting big brother however, and eventually we convinced him to come over and get us to help her smile. She just LIGHTS up when she sees him.

My favorite favorite. FAVORITE.

I don’t remember this one sticking out to me when I post processed but I’m totally in love with it now. Maybe I just miss baby toes & green grass…

Brother!

Shortly after the glee and happiness in the above photo, Eliza got a good fist full of Reed’s hair and — yank. There were tears; and laughter; and when everyone regrouped they looked just like this. <3

We were also finally able to convince Reed that he could star in a few photos alone too — just get him to tell a story and all is golden!

These were the last shots. I was just about to wrap it up saying goodbye and we looked over and found this — classic Reed.

Pam & Mason, you have some amazingly gorgeous perfect sweet wonderful lovely kids. Thank you for allowing me to share in a moment of their lives!

~melissakoren

Nicole & Haven: Engaged! 10.18.10 | Exeter, NH Engagement Photos

melissakoren — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:02:46 +0000

Nicole & Haven and I met up at Applecrest Farm Orchards for some engagement photos. Usually it takes a little while for people to warm up to the camera — but right out of the gate Nicole had her ANTM face on.

They are two of the sweetest people ever. And so made for each other!

She has a great laugh — and she’s not afraid to use it!

The photo on the left looks like some spoofed studio shot. I assure you, they picked their own flower and we were hiding in an alcove right off Rt. 88!

Um, Haven? Whacha doin?

We played until just about sunset — And I loved every minute of it.

They both work at Mombo Restaurant in Portsmouth and casually mentioned we should come over sometime for a drink. Well, little did they know — - we’ve since spent two AMAZING evenings at Mombo and I can’t even begin to put into words the quality of the food. From appetizers to dessert everything is fantastically conceived and executed. If I could, I would eat there nightly. And Nicole is one of the best bartenders I know! I HIGHLY recommend the experience!

I’m sure I’ll be seeing them again before their, what I’m sure will be exquisite wedding on 09.10.11!

Lots of love guys!

~melissakoren

Hampton Inn & Suites | Exeter, NH Commercial Photography

melissakoren — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:46:39 +0000

Shannon & I are both members of the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce and when she needed photos of the new Hampton Inn & Suites where she’s sales manager, I was happy to oblige. I mean, who wouldn’t want a sneak peek into this gorgeous new hotel!?

Continental breakfast (with waffle station!)

Coffe & tea all day

Part of the main lobby (i love the floors!)

That’s a salt water pool — so cool!

Mini kitchen area in every room.

The breakfast/sitting area

We had way to much fun — and it really was a great experience to see all the different rooms and amenities this hotel has to offer!

~melissakoren

Wilson Family 10.17.10 | Holderness, NH Family Photography

melissakoren — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:15:20 +0000

Happy Valentine’s Day! I share with you a little of my family.

B and I took a trip up to the Squam Lake Science Center with my brother and his family.

This is my nephew Killian. He’s smart beyond his years and a little bit eccentric. (A quality I hope he never loses!)

And my niece Avery showing me the owls.

See? Owls!

On the left is the gorgeous morning sun, and on the right is my gorgeous all the time son.

Mama & her babes.

The boys — I gasp when I see how tall my kid is; my brother is something like 6’2″ — and Benjamin is only 10! The photo of Killi & Daddy makes me all proud older sister like.

My baby brother (who just turned 29!) I’m going to have some serious anxiety when he turns 30. Yikes.

Avery with her boys.

More of the animals that they have there. (It took all the restraint I had to not put this on the above photos too )

The grandchildren. I’m sure he’s channeling Gilbert Godfried.

On the way home I tortured Benjamin with a few senic shots -

I’m a sucker for a covered bridge!

Thanks for the adventure family!

~melissakoren

Amanda: Class of 2011 | Exeter, NH Senior Photographer

melissakoren — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:45:28 +0000

Amanda is a gorgeous girl who braved a rather chilly October day for her senior photos. She did a spectacular job looking warm and we had a good time wandering around Exeter

Good Luck Amanda!

~MelissaKoren

Darcie: Class of 2011 | Hampton, NH Senior Photos

melissakoren — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:18:21 +0000

Darcie is absolutely adorable — full of personality and smiles. She also introduced me to Fuller Gardens in Hampton — all these years living here and I’d never been. Being the first week of October we’d missed “peak” but what was there was stunning and I can’t wait to go back this summer and see it in full bloom!

Thank you so much Darcie for asking me to shoot your senior photos! I hope senior year is going smoothly

~MelissaKoren

Lockner Family 10.02.10 | Hampton, NH Family Photographer

melissakoren — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:37:36 +0000

There are only a few ways to say it — I love my job. For the 3rd year in a row I got to meet up with this awesome family and have some fun.

The boys are getting so big!

Still Hugging <3

Deep in thought.

They really are such a great family.

So in love with each other and their boys — this must be where they learned the hugging from

I wish for everyone to have photos of them as kids being silly with their parents.

And sharing moments like these.

Thank you, again!

~melissakoren

Awesome pics, its going to be tough to decide on just a few to hang on the walls. ~ John