Melissa is a wonderful person and a talented photographer! Having someone new come into your home during the early, raw newborn weeks can feel daunting, but she made us all feel so comfortable (including our overly enthusiastic dog). I had her site bookmarked for family photos a couple years before we even had a baby and I'm so glad I did. Our photos are beautiful! I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to document real, beautiful family life moments. read more

Melissa was such a joy to work with! She was thoughtful about walking us through the process and intentional about learning about our family before photo day. She sent an individualized plan with helpful guidance and ideas so we felt comfortable with the process before we even started. Within minutes of arriving at our home she had my four year old laughing and playing. I was unsure how my kids would respond to having someone take photos in our home and Melissa made them feel like they had a family friend visiting that they could show around the home and do their favorite activities with. We love how she captured candid moments, relationships, and our vision for the day. We will definitely be working with her again! read more

We hired Melissa to capture our early days with our newborn as well as family life with our 3.5 year old. I loved her documentarian style of photography that felt natural and authentic. Prior to the actual photoshoot she was responsive and communicative with what the process would be like and flexible in scheduling (much appreciated while adjusting to life as a family of 4). The photoshoot itself was smooth and relaxed--Melissa knew how to navigate and capture our 3.5 year old's boundless energy (and he felt comfortable with her right away), as well as rolling with the unpredictable schedule of a newborn. We're so happy with the photos and how she was able to document this special time in our family. We look forward to working again with Melissa in the future! read more

I have been working with Melissa from Icarian for 6 years and she is an absolute professional. She knows how to get the best out of wiggly kids, recalcitrant grandparents, and poorly behaved dogs to capture shots that are both beautiful and natural looking. Her creativity and easy-going manner allowed us to get so many amazing photos of us just being us. I highly recommend her! read more

We just took our at-home maternity photos last weekend with Melissa and we couldn't be happier with the whole experience. It was everything we imagined and more! When chatting on the phone a while back, Melissa had the idea of photographing us prepping the nursery, we were so into this thought that we made a strict project plan to get the remodeling done and 80% of the furniture set up. Looking at the photos now, I can totally recognize the glimpse of pride and the overflowing joy we carried. What a memorable milestone before our little one's arrival! Documenting these moments was truly meaningful to us and we look forward to watching her grow through Melissa's lens read more

We hired Melissa to do a family photo shoot with our 3.5 year old and 7 month old. Our 3.5 year old is very slow to warm and doesn't love the camera, so we were hesitant to spend a lot of money on photos that didn't show off his wonderful personality, and I spent quite a bit of time looking for a photographer that I thought would be a good fit. Melissa was great - she followed my son's lead with gentle encouragement, and got him comfortable playing in front of her in no time. We love the photos we have received so far, they really capture the kid's personalities. It really does feel like a snapshot into our life, which is what I wanted. I highly recommend Melissa if you want a documentary style photo shoot. read more

This is the second time my family has worked with Melissa and each time had been awesome! She is so easy to work with putting children as well as the photo-reluctant at ease. We are so happy with the photos. She captured real moments in a beautiful way that we will treasure forever. read more

Choosing Melissa as our newborn photographer was the best decision as I cannot say enough wonderful things about my experience in working with her. Initially we had planned a Fresh 48 session at the hospital, but I was too tired to think about photos after a long labor and delivery. Melissa was kind enough to switch to a newborn session at our home the following week instead, which I am so grateful for. At the start of our session, my family and I were nervous and didn't know what to do. Melissa's warmth and bubbly personality put us all at ease. She also showed such a high level of expertise and patience at her craft. She knew how to handle and pose both the baby and the adults, and her guidance led to capturing beautiful, timeless images of our growing family that I will treasure forever. Melissa also went above-and-beyond with her sweet gifts at the end of the photo session. Her thoughtfulness is just another example of how much she listens to and cares about her clients. I cannot recommend Melissa enough. Thank you, Melissa! We are so grateful. read more

Melissa is fantastic and we couldn't wait to work with her after baby 2 arrived! We had absolutely loved her work in 2020 and were thrilled that she would be able to capture our family in a newborn session this past October. I was nervous because our 3.5 year old won't smile at the camera for me these days but Melissa was able to connect with him so quickly and he just shined in the photos. Would absolutely recommend Melissa to anyone looking for a newborn shoot / family portrait with small kids! read more

We worked with Melissa based off a reference from another photographer whom we trusted. Melissa took photos of our family - framed around the addition of our newborn son - and, HOLY COW, they were exceptional. We were blown away by how accurately she captured our family. She was able to highlight the beautiful chaos of our life at home and she captured both emotion and feeling with impressive accuracy. We truly couldn't believe how well the photos came out. In working with Melissa, it could not have been easier. She put us at ease the moment she stepped in the door, and she welcomed the energy of our household with love and embrace. Our daughter, son and dog all felt instantly comfortable with her. She let us dictate where the photos were to be taken, and she used her experience and professionalism to suggest particular spots ('lighting better here,' 'expression will come out better if you turn his head a little that way', etc). We never felt like we were being ordered around and she really emphasized the beauty that already exists in everyday life. It goes without saying that we will work with Melissa again and again. It was a true pleasure and I can't wait for the next session. read more

What a treat! Our photos turned out gorgeous and Melissa was a blast to work with. She was also super understanding and flexible as I scheduled and rescheduled around some early parenting rollercoasters. Melissa started spotting great photos opps as soon as she arrived and was also open to my ideas. We captured a good balance of life at home, keepsake items, and out-and-about pics all in one session. I can't wait to work with her again. read more

With twins and a home renovation on the way, we thought it was the perfect time to document our family and how we've lived for the last few years. We worked with Melissa when our 3yr old was born, and it only made sense to work with her again. Her documentary style captured our lives so well! I know we'll treasure these photos forever. Working with Melissa is easy: she has sets up a call with you to talk through the session, understand what you're looking for, and set up a time. I sent over a few photos of our space and areas of the home we wanted to capture. On the day, she was here for about an hour. She has an easy going attitude, and clicked with our 3yr old immediately! read more

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At around 30 weeks pregnant I started frantically searching for a newborn photographer in the Bay Area. I stumbled upon Icarian Photography and quickly fell in love with Melissa's beautiful photography style and the idea of having photos taken while still in the hospital to truly capture the magic of those first few days with our brand new baby. I truly can't say enough good things about Melissa. She is so flexible, kind, funny, and shooting with her was honestly like having an old friend there. It was such a beautiful experience and the photos themselves are truly stunning beyond words. If you are at all on the fence please please book the shoot. We are so grateful to have these precious moments captured forever. read more

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Really enjoyed working with Melissa. She was fun but professional and gave us direction on how to get the best shot without the photos feeling overly staged. I told her that I liked light and bright with bold color and she really delivered! She was quick to respond and scheduled us her earliest available. I didn't schedule the shoot before delivery as I wasn't sure that I needed them / Covid, but once our daughter was born I knew I wanted to remember all of the moments. She was 2months for the shoot and she was able to capture beautiful photos of our smiley happy girl. She is more expensive than other photographers I reached out to, but it's worth it if you like her style of photography. read more

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Melissa took photos of our family at home a few weeks after our fourth baby was born. Not only are the pictures gorgeous and such a perfect representation of our family, she made the day feel special. We anticipated chaos and crying (4 kids 5 and under... lot of emotions) and instead it was fun, joyful, silly, and sweet. Melissa made everyone feel comfortable and connected with each kid. She spent extra time with us to make sure we got all the shots we planned for and then some. And she quickly turned around our sneak peek with sooo many pictures for us so we could send out a new years card. So grateful to Melissa for these pictures/memories we will treasure forever! read more

We took photos with Melissa at our house when my sons were 2.5 years old and 4 months. Although I thought her prices were a bit high, I couldn't find another photographer in the area that I liked the style of, as much as her. The photos didn't disappoint! I highly recommend for anyone looking for documentary style photography. read more

Updated review: I can't even... l mean... Me: "l really want to get family portraits. But wait, first l want to lose 30 pounds. But mini-sessions are open now. Also, I want to try and get family portraits every year. How am I going to lose 30 pounds by next week? Ahhhhhhhh!" I'm getting a little off topic, but the point l am meandering to is this: Melissa is an extraordinary photographer who captures beautiful and amazing family moments, letting her subjects shine. No matter how you're feeling about yourself you will love the way you look in her photographs. I promise. And your child, she knows just how to get them to smile that smile you know so well but can never yourself capture on (digital) film. Getting my hubs on board with family photos with a photographer is a monumental feat (sitting in front of a camera is just not his jam), which is another testament to Melissa's skill as a photographer. We all love the documentary style photos she takes, and we are thrilled to have found a photographer who does this so well. Maybe 30 minutes feels like a little too long of a session for your family? Or you want to try a smaller scale session to start and see what you think? Keep your eyes open for her super-duper-mini-sessions. _______________________________________________ I just can't say enough great things about Melissa. It's difficult to find someone who hits the mark on what you want in your family photos, because often we think we know what we want because we saw someone else's family photos, but... do we really? I wanted a photographer that captured beautiful moments of our family, rather than static portraits. Melissa has taken absolutely beautiful photos of our family on more than one occasion. They're treasures to our family. She is an incredibly skilled photographer, and works amazing magic with little ones... like she can get your toddler to look into her camera and smile the most lovely and natural smile ever (something I have been unsuccessfully trying to do for my little one's entire life). Every time we get a collection of photos from her we purchase each and every one. If you're looking for a more "photojournalistic" look, or documentary style, or someone who captures your family naturally she's your photographer. read more

Melissa is an extraordinary, talented, gifted artist. I asked her to photograph my family four years ago. It was an amazing experience. She captured beautiful moments between my 1 year old daughter, her grandparents, my husband and I and our dog. Each photo told a beautiful story of the love shared in our family. Two of our family members died over the last two years- my father in law and our dog. We used a couple of Melissa's photos in my father in law's funeral program. She captured his love for his granddaughter in every shot. I recently hired Melissa to capture moments of our family four years later. We have another daughter and a new puppy. As I expected, Melissa captured so many moments of the love shared in our family in every photo. Each photo tells a story. Melissa asks each of her clients to do a detailed questionnaire before the photo shoot. The questions help her get to know the family in a more intimate way. By the time she comes to the photo shoot, you feel like she is part of the family. We will definitely ask her to come back and photograph our family in four years. read more

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Melissa was amazing to work with. We have a bit of a crazy schedule and live all the way in Santa Cruz, but she was so accommodating and easy to work with. Her research and prep in the lead-up to the session was impressive--she understood what we wanted, and she made a plan to set us up for success. There was enough planning beforehand that it felt structured but not overbearing. On the day of the session, she had such a good energy that our usually skeptical 15-month-old immediately wanted to play with her. She was able to capture everything that we had envisioned, and the whole process of the shoot felt smooth and comfortable for all of us. And the photos turned out amazing! Melissa captured all the little special moments of interaction in our family in a way that feels really authentic. The photos are beautiful, and she made all of us and our house look great! The results feel realistic and true to our life, but, like, the best, most ideal version of it. Overall, we got everything we wanted from the experience, and the photos were even better than we could have expected. read more

Hello, repeat customer here with nothing but more positive things to say about Melissa! We recently had our third baby and there was no question about hiring Melissa again to capture some precious newborn moments with the family. And even with THREE kiddos/babies to handle in this shoot, Melissa worked her magic once again! She went with the flow even amidst the chaos of two rowdy toddlers and a newborn and seamlessly and effortlessly took gorgeous shots we will cherish forever. To reiterate what I've said previously about Melissa - she sees the beauty and human nature in any moment and knows how to capture it. This takes a skilled and artful eye and what truly separates her from the rest. read more

WILDLY satisfied with our experience with Melissa. Not only was it a joy to spend time with her, we absolutely love the photos she captured. We really don't like cheesy, staged photos so her documentary style photography in our home really appealed to us. It's so apparent that Melissa truly loves her work and this comes through in the images she creates. Thank you, Melissa! read more

my favorite pics of our family ever. Melissa does a great job putting kids at ease, even our very squiggly 2.5 year old.

I can't believe I haven't reviewed Melissa and Icarian Photography yet! We have had family photos done twice and both times were incredibly fun and easy. Melissa is amazing at getting natural photos that totally capture the amazing distinct periods of a family's history. The photos we now have are among my most prized possessions. She is worth ever cent. You will never ever regret having invested in family photos and you will absolutely regret not doing it. Thank you so much Melissa, every time I look at my beautiful pictures my heart sings. read more

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Thank you, Melissa, for beautifully capturing our family's precious moments!

Melissa was great!! We really appreciated her taking our fresh 48 photos. Baby was a few weeks early and we had easy communication with Melissa who worked on coming to the hospital when we needed. She was enthusiastic and was willing to work with us to get the types of photos we wanted with our family. We would definitely recommend Melissa and would work with her again. read more

Melissa came to our home to take family photos. It was a big crew: a 6 month old and parents, a 5-year-old and parent, and two grandparents. Melissa has such a relaxed and warm way of moving things along and getting all of the shots without it feeling staged or forced. We knew as she was taking photos--sometimes showing us the preview in her camera--that they would be wonderful shots. She just sent us the first round of shots and they are beautiful. Melissa's style captures the love of the moments. These were a gift for the grandparents and they are already thrilled. We can't wait to see the rest. read more

I looked for a long time for the right photographer for us for a family shoot -- I wanted to capture "a day in the life" type photos but also some where we were sitting and smiling together as a family -- but nothing staged. We were referred to Melissa by a photographer we trusted and upon chatting for the first time knew we had found "the one" haha. Melissa brought the BEST energy into our home, making it so easy for our 2.5 year old and 7 month old to act totally natural in their best moods! The results are photos that capture the essence of our lives and of their little souls. I am so happy that we found Melissa and look forward to more memories captured by her. If you're thinking about doing this -- just DO IT, you won't regret having priceless photographs of your special ones. read more

Melissa did an in-home shoot of our family when we brought our twin girls home from the hospital and did phenomenal work. She deftly maneuvered around the many obstacles strewn in our nursery and was able to capture beautiful, spontaneous moments with our girls. She had a clear idea of what shots would look good and how to pull them off, and it showed in the resulting photos. As an added bonus, she brought a special book to give our girls and read it to them which was very sweet of her. Melissa's passion for photography shone through and her personality was super easy to work with. We plan to use her for all our future event photography needs read more

Melissa has been capturing our family for the past 6 years and she is exceptional. We are always blown away by her ability to capture emotions so naturally. She has also become a dear friend of our family - we love her authenticity and are always in awe of her ability! read more

Melissa was wonderful to work with and fabulous with a toddler. Her flexibility, upbeat demeanor, and informal approach created a relaxed, smoothly run session. I am so happy with the final photographs. They capture the moment beautifully. read more

Our photos turned out awesome, and we had a fantastic experience! During our initial consultation, we knew right away that she would be fun and easy to work with. On the day of photos, my baby girl immediately felt comfortable with her, which allowed her to be her usual silly self in front of the camera. We also really appreciated the thoughtfully put together guide that she provided to help prepare for the day. Would definitely work with her again and highly recommend! read more

Wow! Melissa is amazing and so wonderful to work with. Her photos are not the typical cookie cutter style and she really makes each session tailored to you. The time went by so fast and even my fussier kid had a blast. She gave great directions for how to capture the best photos but nothing felt staged. I'm so grateful to have photos that capture this time in our family's life. I *almost* wish I were having another baby so I could have a newborn session with her. read more

Melissa was fantastic to work with! We scheduled a newborn photo shoot and she was great with the logistics, shoot plans, and ensuring that we were setup for a successful session. The session itself went great. She vibed with our elder daughter who is typically very shy, but got her to open up, have fun, and have a wonderful session. We love her approach towards journalistic photography, and that we were able to be very relaxed during the shoot. The photos reflect our comfort with Melissa, and we're really enjoying and love looking at how she captured our life in photos. Thanks Melissa! read more

Our overall experience with Icarian Photography was great. Mellisa was able to connect with our 5 year old daughter amazingly, which helped make our photograph session go smoothly. We loved her warm and authentic style and believe it fit our family vision. We are in love with our photos. read more

WHAT A JOY! I would HIGHLY recommend Icarian Photography! Melissa is the real deal. She is down to earth, professional and so easy to work with. She made the entire process carefree and fun. Her energy set the tone for the entire photoshoot and our 17 month old had the best time. We didn't want a "say cheese" experience. We wanted a in the moment capture of our family and she delivered. I was stunned when I opened my gallery. I can't wait to hire her year after to year to help us keep our family memories alive forever. read more

We LOVE Melissa and she does an amazing job capturing our family. It is so hard to choose our favorites. She has done our family photos for the past five years and can not recommend her more. read more

This is our third time getting family photos taken by Melissa at Icarian Photography, and I imagine she'll be taking our photos for years to come. She's documented our older daughter's growth from age 1 to age 6, and was there to take our pictures when our younger daughter was just a couple of weeks old. We love the pictures, which hang on our walls and our parents' walls. We've also ordered holiday cards from her. Our kids adore her, and we do too! read more

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I spent a lot of time looking for the right fit for a photographer to capture the precious moments of time that go by so quickly with an infant! After lots of research, I came across Melissa's portfolio from a blog and immediately fell in love with her work. I wanted documentary style, more organic photos as opposed to the super posed, typical straight on photos. Melissa's portfolio showcased the ability to capture organic moments while still looking flattering (unlike the photos my partner would capture for me on his iphone). I reached out to her and she was a joy to speak to! She was very warm and patient with me throughout the process. I lost my grandma right before our booked session and she was super sweet and flexible about timing. I ended up not rescheduling my session because I wanted to just get it done and I'm so glad I did because she did a great job capturing as many of our moments as she could! Moreover, on photo day, my baby had skipped her nap and was in a fussier than usual mood but Melissa was really accommodating and came full of energy. I highly recommend her for capturing your sweet family moments! read more

I cannot give enough praise in a review for Melissa of Icarian Photography. This was by far one of the best investments I've made. Melissa's talent is clear from her website, but something I was pleasantly surprised to discover was how well she runs her business and how at ease she makes you feel. I felt so well taken care of and in such attentive hands with Melissa from the very first consultation call up until the final hour together. My partner and I hired Melissa for her in-home newborn photography session. Since this was our first child, I wanted the photos (and then NEEDED the photos after seeing Melissa's images) but I was also unsure of how to plan for being a potentially exhausted and overwhelmed new parent. I questioned if trying to take photos would just add stress I could use to recover and bond with baby. Turns out I was exhausted and overwhelmed and thrilled to have hired just the right photographer for this time of life because Melissa made the entire experience not just easy, but pleasurable. By the time she left our home, I felt like I was saying goodbye to an old friend. She went above and beyond to address our needs and concerns and it always felt authentically in her pleasure to do so. I'm just so impressed. I must also say that she also has such an eye for capturing stunning images. Being 3 weeks postpartum, I'm surprised to see images I love of myself because post-baby healing time is like getting hit by a truck, but Melissa was able to find the true beauty that exists and her images all feel so authentically us. I wish I had a better command of the English language and a clearer head than this sleep-deprived new mom does, because I think Icarian Photography needs to be celebrated as it deserves and I struggle to find the words to do her justice. If you're reading this review to decide if you want to book a session, do it, you will not be sorry! read more

This is the second time we've had Melissa take pictures at our home and each time she's taken pictures we will treasure forever. She is phenomenal with children, bringing a huge amount of energy and excitement that really brings out the best in our kids while ensuring everyone is comfortable and at ease for the whole session. She has captured some truly wonderful moments with our family that will hang on our walls for years to come - thank you Melissa! read more