ST. PETERSBURG · CLEARWATER · TAMPA BAY
Choose the session that fits your story.
From quick beach pop-ups to a personalized beach experience, every option includes relaxed direction, beautiful Gulf light, and photographs made to feel like you.
SUN, SAND & SMILES MINI SESSIONS
20-minute beach pop-ups: Pass-a-Grille on the 2nd Saturdays and Sunset Beach (Tarpon Springs) on the 4th Saturdays of every month. Includes 25+ lightly edited images, detailed retouching for 5 images of your choosing and an online gallery.
20 minutes · $150
PERSONALIZED MINI SESSIONS
A relaxed 30-minute session for up to 6 people, with greater flexibility in choosing your location. This personalized mini session includes 50+ lightly edited images, detailed retouching for 5 images of your choosing, and an online gallery.
30 minutes · from $250
PERSONALIZED FULL SESSIONS
A fuller 50-minute session for up to 8 people, with time for more combinations and movement. Includes 75+ lightly edited images, detailed retouching for 10 images of your choosing, and an online gallery.
50 minutes · from $350
Ready to Choose Your Session?
Sun, Sand & Smiles pop-ups are offered at set locations for a flat $150. Personalized sessions allow you to choose your location, so pricing varies by service area to account for travel time. You’ll find the Local, Extended, and Greater Area guide in the FAQ below.
Planning Farther Ahead-
or Dreaming Up Something Different?
Let's Connect
Booking more than three months ahead, coordinating a large group, or envisioning something beyond the listed options? Contact Melissa to discuss availability and custom pricing for multi-location adventures, surprise proposals, vow renewals, extended-family portraits, and other one-of-a-kind sessions.
How It Works.
1. Choose Your Moment
Browse the available sessions and select the option and service area that best fit your plans. If you need something beyond the listed options, contact me before booking.
2. Confirmation
Complete the questionnaire and contract through the online booking portal. If approval is needed, I’ll confirm the location and timing. Your session is reserved once your booking is confirmed and payment is received.
3. The Big Day
Arrive ready at least 10 minutes early, then relax and enjoy the experience. I’ll guide you through natural movement and easy prompts while we make the most of the light.
4. Your Photos
Your lightly edited images will be delivered in an online gallery. You’ll choose the included favorites for detailed retouching, and you can view, download, share, or order directly from the gallery.
Preparing for Your Session
A little preparation helps your session feel relaxed from the start. Browse the tips and FAQs below for guidance on what to wear, what to expect, editing and retouching, weather, service areas, and more.
FAQ
To-Do Suggestions
To-Avoid Suggestions
After Your Session
Editing & Retouching
My Style
Services Offered
Prints & Products
Weather & Rescheduling
Which service area should I choose?
Still have a question?
FAQ
To-Do Suggestions
• Comfort first. Choose outfits you can move in; restrictive clothing will show in the photos.
• Maternity tip. Long, flowing dresses look incredible in the coastal breeze.
• Add personality. Jewelry or accessories add a unique touch.
• Makeup helps. Even minimal makeup smooths skin tones and adds vibrance.
• Hair prep. Beach winds are real—bring hairspray or ties for long hair.
• Coordinate colors. Bright tones (coral, cobalt, yellow, fuchsia, purple) pop against sand and sea.
• Group sessions. For reunions, each family wearing a different color palette helps each group stand out.
• Sunscreen. Apply reef-safe sunscreen early to avoid tan lines or sunburn.
• Relax. Be yourself, have fun, and enjoy the moment—the best photos often come from natural movement.
To-Avoid Suggestions
• Short dresses/skirts (limit posing options).
• Khaki or muted tones that blend with the sand.
• Busy patterns (keep to one person per group).
• Solid black or solid white (hard to capture detail).
• Overly matching outfits (coordinating looks more natural).
After Your Session
How long does it take to get our photos delivered?
• Most galleries are ready within three weeks of your session. If I expect delays, I’ll let you know.
Do you deliver every image you shoot?
• No. I remove duplicates, test shots, out-of-focus images, or unflattering expressions to deliver only the best.
Editing & Retouching
What is the difference between Touch-Up and Post-Edit?
• Touch-Up: Every delivered image receives professional adjustments to color, exposure, lighting, contrast, tone, and clarity, along with black-and-white conversions when appropriate. These adjustments create a polished, consistent collection while maintaining the natural beauty of each photograph.
• Post-Edit: Reserved for your selected favorites, this involves more detailed retouching, including blemish removal, skin smoothing, softening fine lines, taming flyaway hairs, and removing minor background distractions when feasible. My goal is to enhance your photographs naturally while preserving the features and expressions that make you uniquely you.
Do all my images receive editing?
Absolutely! Every image delivered in your gallery receives a professional Touch-Up. However, detailed Post-Editing is reserved for your selected favorites, based on the number included in your photography package.
How do I choose which photographs receive Post-Editing?
Once your gallery is delivered, you'll have the opportunity to select your favorite images for additional retouching. After all, you know your own smile, expressions, and favorite moments better than anyone! The number of included Post-Edits depends on your selected photography package.
Can I request specific retouching adjustments?
Of course! I'm happy to consider requests such as blemish removal, softening skin, reducing temporary imperfections, or minimizing small distractions in the background. Every photograph is different, and certain adjustments may be limited by lighting, positioning, image quality, or overall complexity. All requests are evaluated individually to ensure a natural, professional result.
Can you swap faces or bodies?
Minor head swaps may be possible when angles, lighting, and positioning align. Body swaps and complex alterations are not included. Additional editing fees may apply.
My Style
I love to look through the lens with a photojournalistic eye, while also being influenced by fine art and fashion photography. I use creative lighting, unique perspectives, and artistic post-production to bring out the beauty and emotion of the day.
Services Offered
I photograph a variety of sessions, including:
• Families & Groups
• Couples & Anniversaries
• Engagements & Proposals
• Portraits & Senior Portraits
• Maternity
• Boudoir
• Events & Parties
• Rental Properties
• Pets
• Plus graphic design services: logos, apparel, social media branding, and print materials
Prints & Products
Yes! I have an online store where you can order prints, canvases, acrylics, photo books, and more. Everything is produced by high-quality labs and shipped directly to your preferred address.
Weather & Rescheduling
Florida weather can change quickly, and brief showers or cloudy skies do not necessarily mean your session will be canceled. I monitor the radar and local conditions closely and will make weather decisions as near to your scheduled time as reasonably possible.
• When conditions remain safe, we may wait out a passing shower, adjust the start time slightly, or move to a nearby location.
• If lightning, severe storms, unsafe winds, flooding, beach closures, or other conditions make photography unsafe or unsuitable, I will reschedule your session for the next mutually available date.
• Please do not assume your session is canceled based on the forecast alone. I will contact you directly if a change is necessary.
• Any payment already made will be transferred to the approved rescheduled date. Client-requested changes when conditions are otherwise safe remain subject to the cancellation and rescheduling terms in your contract.
Which service area should I choose?
Choose based on where you would like to be photographed. Travel times are estimated from Downtown St. Petersburg and may vary due to traffic, parking, and beach access.
• Local Area
South Pinellas, generally up to 25 minutes: Downtown St. Petersburg, Old Northeast, Gulfport, South Pasadena, Pinellas Park, Tierra Verde, Fort De Soto, St. Pete Beach, Pass-a-Grille, and Treasure Island.
• Extended Area
Central Pinellas and the mid-beaches, generally 25-40 minutes: Madeira Beach, North Redington Beach, Redington Shores, Indian Shores, Indian Rocks Beach, Seminole, Largo, Belleair/Belleair Bluffs, Clearwater, Clearwater Beach, Sand Key and Safety Harbor.
• Greater Area
North Pinellas, the outer beaches, and selected Tampa locations, generally 40-60 minutes or involving more complicated bridge or beach travel: Dunedin, Honeymoon Island, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs - including Sunset Beach Park and Fred Howard Park - Downtown Tampa, Davis Islands, Bayshore, and Ballast Point.
Not sure?
Contact Melissa before booking and she will help you choose the correct area. Locations outside the Greater Area require a custom travel quote.
Still have a question?
Contact Melissa for help choosing the right session, service area, or location.