Sweet newborns
Kiddos
Couples 
Family
Posted on December 14, 2010
It has been crazy busy around here, both for Melanie Ashcraft Photography and my family. My husband just wrapped up his final (well, almost final) Fall semester, and he will be done in May. I say *almost* b/c he will be starting back up for his Master’s in the next year. He needs some time off, and we need some time for daddy/husband to be off. It’s been a fun last couple of months for Melanie Ashcraft Photography, and we’re so grateful to all those that have helped make this a success. We have some fun stuff coming for 2011, so be sure to keep up with us. The website will be having some updating going on, so be looking for some new pictures in the slideshow and galleries. Also, be on the lookout for some new products as well.
I will be updating the blog with blog posts, and also new pictures as the next couple of weeks go on, so be watching.
For right now though, I’m off to do some cleaning and organizing of my house.
Thank you again for a wonderful time! I’ve really enjoyed all of the families and kiddos I’ve had the pleasure of photographing. I look forward to seeing all of you in 2011!
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Posted on October 27, 2010
Wall Displays.
What are they? How do they work?
Those are two questions you might be asking.
Wall Displays are fabulous. They help me show my clients the possibilities that we can do with their wonderful images. I have numerous ones that I can show. It helps to also show that an 8×10 on a wall is just not big enough to an image justice. With framed artwork, frames that are big definitely help. However, if you have an image inside a big frame, it can still sometimes be swallowed by the frame. So showing these can also help you see how a gallery wrap, float wrap, or standout can look without the faming. Those 3 items are items that are meant to stand alone without a frame. My favorite product have been the float wraps. I also love the new product I’ve started carrying, which are the standout mounts. Gallery wraps have always been a classic to me. The float wraps and standout mounts are NEW and fabulous.
Newborn Wall Display- this option shows 12×12 framed images. However, you could do this also with 4 20×20 gallery wraps, float wraps or standouts for an even bigger statement. Obviously if you choose to the un-framed option, it would give you more space on your images as well, as you wouldn’t be covering up detail with the frame.
Until next time,
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Posted on September 30, 2010
My goodness. Time flies by and before you know it, a whole month has come and gone. My wonderful husband and I went on a cruise the beginning of this month. We went with another couple and had a blast. Lots of fun, but came back exhausted. Funny how that happens. Now it’s time to buckle down and start the fun times of the holidays. That means sessions, editing, Christmas cards, cute kiddos, and awesome products.
One of my favorite products to do is Christmas cards. I think it’s because you get to put this cute card together for clients and then they get excited to send them out. Also one thing I love is I actually get some of the cards I design sent to me by clients. That’s when you know you’re special. 
Another fun thing that I like about sessions, and especially the holiday ones…is helping clients with clothing suggestions. Now sometimes clients just want an idea of what to wear, and other times, they take your suggestion and buy everything.
Here are two What To Wear guides that I came up with recently.
One is called “Rock Star Siblings.” I loved this one, because it reminds me of something my oldest daughter would pick out. Her and my husband constantly “Rock Out” to music.
I would love to have my little kiddos dressed in something like this for a session. However, I don’t have a cute little boy to use. Ahhh….maybe one day.
My next one is the most recent one. I came up with it for a client, and it had great reviews. It passed the test. 
It is called Christmas Casual. I love it. Again, this is totally something I could see my husband wearing if we had two little guys. That won’t happen though, because we’re only going to have one more kid. In order to have the husband wear this with two little boys, we would have to have two more. Making sure everyone understood that. Plus, I don’t think Christmas Casual and Rock Star Siblings mesh very well. Who knows though…if you throw some pink in, instead of red, they could mesh okay.
As you can tell, the main color is this one is red. Red, Christmas, little kids, yep it works great. I’m going to be trying to do a weekly What to Wear guide. That way I can fulfill my need for shopping (well, kind of), and it can also help out my clients when they are needing some inspiration for sessions.
Also, since it’s time to play catch up. I have two sneak peeks from two sessions I did on Saturday. The one in the morning was a family session. This family was great and the kids were super sweet. The “O” family is big into football. They were ready to show their Cowboy love! Here is a sneak peek with the kiddos. You can tell that these siblings are close, which I think is awesome.
There was even an outfit change into a Cowboys cheerleader uniform.
My next session on Saturday was a pre-Homecoming session. A friend and fellow photog, Dayna Runge asked me if I wanted to come shoot. So of course, it involved, dresses, shoes, suits, cute teens, of course I said yes. So we did two locations, and one of them is a place I have been wanting to shoot at for awhile, the wonderful La Centera shopping center. It was a perfect place for this session.
Meet Mr. A, and Miss. M….they did a great job for us, and I definitely think that me and my friend had much more fun than these teens. They wanted to get to their dance, but let us have our fun first.
We finally wrapped it up, and let them be on their way. Thanks again Mr. A and Miss. M, and thank you Dayna for letting me come along.
My last update is of some more Christmas cards…we all know how important those are this time of year..so here is another sample that I have worked up….FRONT
Then the back…
I will also have samples on hand for clients to view at their ordering session. That way they can see the different finishes, and also see what they look like in person. I will also be coming back to show samples of the new, and unique cards I will be offering this season. Definitely something new, and fun. I’ve already decided I will be using them for my cards this year.
Until next time,
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Posted on September 20, 2010
It’s the most wonderful time….of the year! Well, it’s fall, and technically that song is talking about Christmas. You know what I mean though.
Ahhh…how I love this time of year. I love it for many reasons. One of the reasons is because it starts getting cooler. I can’t say cold, because in this part of Texas…it doesn’t really ever get cold. Just cool. So with this time of year, it means getting those Christmas pictures done. Which also means, sending out those wonderful Christmas cards. I love doing Christmas cards. They’re a blast to do for clients, and it’s so much fun to hear the reactions once clients see them. I’m going to uploading samples onto the site for the next day. Enjoy looking at them, and if you would like info on booking a session, feel free to contact me through my “Contact” section.
I hope this finds everyone doing well, and keep checking back for more samples!
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Posted on August 23, 2010
Say hello to the newest product that I will be offering. The Standout Mount. These babies are beautiful. They’re sleek, light, and look AWESOME! They’re very contemporary. Standout is the perfect contemporary mounting option that doesn’t require a frame to hang on the wall. It comes ready to display. Which makes it even more appealing! They come in two depths- 3/4 in., and 1-1/2 in. The different depths allow for different dimension on a wall display for mixing and matching. They also come in 3 different edgings, white, black, and stainless. I will be adding these my Á La Carte , so keep a look out for that in your inbox!
So now time for the long awaited image! First off, the cutie in this image is my niece, Miss “A”. This studio sample of the standout mount is an 11×14, and shows the stainless edging. I love this product! It’s so sleek, and looks fabulous in person. This product will be showcased on a multi-tiered shelf along with other fun studio samples..
Again, be on the lookout for the e-mail with the new pricing for these babies.
If you would like to be added to my mailing list, please go to the contact page and send me your info!
Have a wonderful night, and good luck to all those kiddos and parents that start school tomorrow. =)
