Okay, my annual list of client superlatives isn’t *actually* as coveted as the Best of Boston’s list or anything, but it’s prettyyyyy close (insert sarcasm here). Before reading, please note that I had SO many other ideas for categories, and initially wanted to come up with something for every single session, but what I have here took me hourssss to create and I just had to call it quits at a certain point :).
Best Golden Hour
As any Boston area photographer will tell you, sunsets with good golden hour light were few and far between in 2023. A couple of my clients scored some good ones though!
Awesomely Overcast Sessions
It was much more common to encounter overcast skies this year, but as long as it wasn’t raining, that was fine by me! If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve probably heard me say that I often like overcast light as it makes colors pop more. This was certainly true for the sessions below!
I also love overcast in the spring. The softness of the light works beautifully with the soft colors of spring flowers.
Moodiest Light
I most often find myself shooting in either overcast/even light or golden hour light, but sometimes I feel the urge to embrace some different types of light (dappled or direct!). And when indoors, I often have no choice but to lean into darkness and create moody images. It’s always challenging but I usually end up loving the end product! What do you think of the images below?!
Can’t forget this moody maternity session!
Most Dramatic Skies
Snuggliest Mama Moments
I’d like to present this next category with a little disclaimer! I am 99.9% certain that I have at least a dozen other beautiful snuggly motherhood photos, butttt I don’t go through every gallery with a fine-toothed comb to come up with this list. SO, please forgive me if you don’t see yours in here :).
And one more set!
Biggest Family
With the addition of baby #5, this crew officially maintains their status as the biggest in the Melissa Rabbitt Photography family :). I look forward to seeing them again this winter!
Sweetest Siblings
Much like the “mama snuggles” category, I am certain I have more where these came from, but these were a few of the photos that first came to mind :).
And these siblings, too!
Most Energetic Sessions
Fun fact: I *love* high energy photo sessions :). They make for some absolutely fantastic, memorable moments. I actually find subdued children so much more challenging to photograph. If you look closely at the collage below, you’ll see a photo that doesn’t include a child at all. Buddy the dog was one of my most energetic subjects of the year, so I just had to give him a place here ;).
Best Expressions
It’s no secret that in addition to big ol’ belly laughs and smiles, I love me a good pout or weird kid face during family photo sessions. These three come to mind for the “Best Expressions” category. From pouty toddlers to a silly first grader (zoom in to see the awesome expression on the little girl in the purple jacket), these photos were all keepers in my opinion!
Most Dramatic Session Ending
In August of 2022, I had a little boy who sliced his chin open and gushed blood everywhere during our session. In August of 2023, a little boy hooked his finger with a fishing hook on the banks of the Sudbury River. He was a total trooper and only cried for a few minutes (and then snuggled with his family as seen below), but I’m thinking maybe I should stop photographing boys during the month of August?! Ha.
Most Dapper Dudes
I’m a sucker for suspenders. If 2024 wants to bring me more suspenders, I’m cool with that. After I made this collage, I remembered I actually had one other little boy who wore them, but I’m tired so this incomplete collection will have to do ;).
Longest-to-Edit Image
This one! It’s a composite made of 3 different images! I liked the father and daughter in one image, the mother and son in another, and the angle of the bridge in a third, so I combined them. I think it took me about 30 minutes to create this one image, but it was worth it!
Most Precious Pups
This isn’t the first time I’ve had this category in my annual superlatives, and it won’t be the last :).
And we can’t forget these senior pups <3.
Most Unique Sessions
I said I’d be down for more suspenders in 2024, but I’d also be cool with more vehicles and horses! These sessions were so, so much fun for me! Please reach out if you have access to either of these and would like to incorporate them into your photos!
Best Accent Walls
Feast your eyes on these beautiful (and remarkably similar!) nursery accent walls :).
Most Memorable Session
Suzy the dog and her humans have been with me for 6 years now, and she decided that this year, at age 11 (I think she’s 11?), would be the time to escape during a photo session. She wiggled out of her little harness and took off running at lightning speed. I captured the first part of the chase and then panic actually started to set in, ha. Don’t worry, her marathon runner parents caught her, and they later used this photo on their holiday card!
9.9 billion hours (and photos) later, that’s a WRAP! If I had unlimited time, I would have added so many more! I had ideas for best black and whites, most wonderful woodsy sessions, most iconic city photos, and many more! Maybe I’ll whip up a part 2 in the coming weeks, who knows ;). If you’re interested in seeing last year’s superlatives, click here. Until next time, my friends!
