Posts

bisexual lighting with anonymous feeling tossing hair© mellBella Photography, 2022

Something New for 2022

I’ve been working for several weeks on a new logo for mellBella Photography. This will be the third edition of the logo since the mellBella brand was officially founded The name mellBella includes my name, BUT I didn’t want it to be just me. Bella is a nod to the Italian roots of my husband’s family who started Richard Bell Photography who gave me my start in photography. PLUS, Bella means beautiful. The first version of the logo was retro feeling, and of course the B was capitalized. Our colors were hot pink, black, and silver.

original mellBella logo

She was a good logo and the B changed colors to red and purple depending on the photo shoot too. However in 2017, we changed to something more flowy, modern, and sleek. It took some time to find the right fonts and color, but she was professional, curvy, and cute. 2017 mellBella logo

BUT over the last few years, mellBella Photography has grown in so many ways, and this logo didn’t fit the brand anymore. mellBella is so much more than professional, curvy, and cute. Soooooooo much more than where we started…. the logo needed to be more and different. So in February, I emailed my designer, Andy, who is also a Bell, to figure out a new look. It had to FEEL just right.   For the record, it’s really hard to describe something that you can’t picture in your head as the final look but you have lots of ideas, feelings, and an instinct that go into it. I’m so thankful to Andy for helping me through this process, listening, and translating it ALL into an actual design.

bisexual lighting with anonymous feeling tossing hair

This portrait was the INSPIRATION behind our new logo.  For her most recent shoot in December 2021, she asked if we could do some images with bisexual lighting. This lighting incorporates a blue gel and a magenta gel and where they meet creates purple lighting. The colors are on the bisexual flag, give an 80s retrowave vibe,  the three main hair colors I’ve had in recent years, AND are used throughout tv shows and movies as well. And if you know me, you know I love to PLAY with LIGHTING and COLOR.

This lovely woman has trusted me to photograph her and embrace who she is. She gave me permission to share this image without her face and a few details about her story. She was my very first trans client, and she even used the photos we created from her first portrait session to come out to her mother. Wow, just wow. I’m so grateful to her because trans people face high levels of discrimination and violence,  AND she’s not alone. To be clear, trans rights are human rights.  She is inspiring…  watching her confidence and comfort in herself grow over the years is indescribably beautiful.  Of course, there’s SO MUCH MORE to it all… so much more detail, history, struggle, growth, and most importantly, LOVE. SHE is the phenomenal muse behind the new logo.

The new logo is dedicated to-

  • The FANTASTIC woman in the above photo, of course.
  • ALL of my clients (past, present, and future) whose trust I value immensely.
  • The awkward, the in-between, those who have been told they’re less than, those who have been told they’re too much, those who feel out-of-place, and those who are still figuring it out.
  • Creating, Collaborating, and Caring.
  • Being a Whole Ass Person.

Check out the NEW look in the video below-

I wanted a logo that would be….

  • Slightly more modern but not stiff; still curvaceous
  • Upscale, high end but still relatable and friendly with some whimsy
  • NOT perfect
  • Vibrant, Bold, Fun
  • Androgynous, Feminine, and Masculine
  • A gradient of colors
  • Enchanting, Welcoming, and Balance
  • Something that feels like me
  • Something that when you look at it doesn’t look nor feel like every other photographer out there

I was finally diagnosed with ADHD later in life, so I lived most of my life feeling Out-of-Place without understanding who I am. I felt Awkward, Too Loud, Too Random, Out-of-Place, Weird and Clumsy in my Brain and Body, Forgetful, Lazy, and Not Good Enough. BUT as a child, I would watch Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, and I always knew that Mr. Rogers liked me exactly as I am. No qualifications… no buts…. just how I am. Growing up, I wondered so many times– IF I was loved by my mother, IF I was unlovable, IF I could do anything right, IF I could ever decide what I wanted to do with my life, IF I was good enough, IF I can change myself enough to fit in, IF… IF… IF!!! I think that’s why the following quote is a huge part of my values:

“You are a very special person. There is only one like you in the whole world. There’s never been anyone exactly like you before, and there will never be again. Only you. And people can like you exactly as you are.” -Mr. Fred Rogers

This new logo feels right… it feels fitting… it feels like it reflects the changes and growth in mellBella Photography. It feels retro and modern. It feels masculine, feminine, and androgynous. It feels welcoming and fun but serious and professional. It’s a balance and whimsical. 

mellBella Logo 2022

My goal is for the art I create with my clients to show:

“As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has or ever will have something inside that is unique to all time. It’s our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression.”  -Mr. Fred Rogers

So….. what’s next? The website. It’s a process, but it will be worth it.

 

2022 Intentions- W A P

Every new year, I choose words or phrases as my intentions for the year. I really liked last year’s intentions which were: Inclusion, Creation, and Innovation. I feel like mellBella Photography is on the right track, and we made some progress. I’m continuing my education in photography which goes far beyond camera and lighting gear. I’ve been reading, listening, and learning about fatphobia and diet culture as well as continuing learning about the “isms” (racism, ableism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, etc). I think the following quote sums up what I’m trying to do:

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” Maya Angelou

With the last few years, dramatically changing us all from figuring out life and daily tasks to exhaustion to mourning to anger, and to finding some joy and hope.  I’m struggling as a parent of a toddler and elementary school student. I’m struggling with my PMDD and ADHD and possibly have endometriosis too.  My PMDD causes me all kinds of problems and negative symptoms for at least 2 weeks out of every menstrual cycle. Time feels different. My ADHD is a beautiful but difficult conundrum, and allows me to pay attention to almost everything at the same time which makes sitting down to focus my attention difficult at times but it’s the best thing for a photo shoot because I’ll notice the mood, the lighting, the temperature, personality, changes, noises, etc. Now those are health struggles… and there’s so much more that goes into the day to day.

So what does this have to do with intentions for 2022? I am a W-A-P.  For 2022, my intentions for mellBella Photography can be summed up by those three letters– WAP.

I am a WAP. Everyone you see or meet is a WAP. Each human is a WAP. You are a WAP. A WAP is…. a WHOLE ASS PERSON.

You are supposed to take up SPACE. Almost every person, who comes to my studio for the first time, is so nervous, and they shrink themselves at first. But throughout the photo shoot, it’s a discovery of seeing themselves as worthy of taking up space… of being a WAP– WHOLE ASS PERSON! Being a Whole Ass Person does NOT include being unkind and disrespectful. Basically, DON’T be an Ass Hole Person to yourself nor others. And as a Whole Ass Person (WAP), you are going to have feelings that might change daily about how you look or feel in your body. When you feel a disconnect or uncomfortable in your own body, it’s soooooo easy for the negative self talk to take over and the feelings of self worth plummet. Maybe you feel bad because you “should” look a certain way and don’t. There’s no one right way to look, BTW. You are worthy of LOVE because you exist. It’s inherent.

“You must want to spend the rest of your life with yourself first.”    — Rupi Kaur

You bring your baggage literally to the photo shoot, and there’s so much going on inside of you before you arrive. I don’t know your history, but sometimes you share part of it with me before your shoot day. Maybe you’re recovering from an illness, accident, or surgery.  Maybe you’re celebrating your birthday, anniversary, or surviving and leaving a bad relationship. Maybe you were raised to believe that your body is shameful. Maybe you’ve always felt self conscious about your body or that you feel awkward in it. Maybe you’ve done a photo shoot with us before and you want to try something different or bolder this time because you’re less nervous and more excited. Maybe you had a baby and want to celebrate or appreciate your new body.

“Radical self-love demands that we see ourselves and others in the fullness of our complexities and intersections and that we work to create space for those intersections.” —  Sonya Renee Taylor

I don’t know what happened right before you arrive at the studio. Maybe traffic was bad. Maybe you got in a verbal argument with someone important to you. Maybe you struggle with depression or anxiety and struggled even getting out of bed today. Maybe you’ve been caring for a sick loved one. Maybe inside you’re scared about hating photos of yourself… again. Maybe you were taught growing up that loving yourself/feeling good about yourself is selfish and you’re struggling with those conflicts still today. Maybe that person who was supposed to be safe and loving told you horrible lies about you and your body which you are still carrying with you. Maybe your kids were incredibly difficult to interact with that morning. Maybe you couldn’t sleep the night before your photo shoot. Maybe you want to do something just for you because it’s well past time you did and you need something to put back into you.

“You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously.” ― Sophia Bush

When you arrive at the mellBella studio, I want you to find a breath of fresh air, a place of comfort, a safe space, and a ton of joy. I want you to relax and be in this moment right now… not the past… not the future– but right now. I want you to set some of your baggage down, and take a little break from it. Maybe you have to take some of that baggage with you when you leave, but maybe just maybe, you can leave with lighter bags. I want you to feel more free and confident to be you, yourself, and your WHOLE ASS PERSONHOOD.

 

mellbella virtual session art

Now Offering Virtual Photoshoots

It’s official… we’re NOW offering Virtual Mini Sessions. All you need is your phone, a strong WIFI or Cell connection, an outfit, and a great attitude! A Virtual Photoshoot is a beautiful way to create one-of-a-kind fine art portraits AND practice social distancing. Each image is crafted to create a custom work of art. All images in this post were inspired and built from a mellBella Virtual Photo Session.

mellbella virtual session fine art


Our Virtual Art Package is $300 and includes:

  • 30 min virtual session
  • Three 4×6 Torchon Fine Art Prints (including these three digital files)
  • 30 min online photo reveal and ordering session

It’s so hard to convey digitally how these look in person as seen below. OMG they are gorgeous!!! They are printed on Torchon by Hahnemühle, which is a watercolor paper with a distinct textured surface. It’s one of the highest quality of fine art paper.

fine art torchon portraits

At your photo reveal appointment, you’ll have 10-15 portraits to review and pick your favorites. Additional products or fine art prints are available for purchase. Again, each of these images will be personally photographed and edited by Mell Bell (me!) Results will vary.

Click HERE to Book your virtual session NOW!

Support Small Business Contest by mellBella

Support Small Business Contest

Like many other small businesses, this time has been rough and scary … so we wanted to bring you something happy and make some lemonade out of these lemons.

So, welcome to our Support Small Business Contest! We’re teaming up with 
Bits of Lace and Sipango Restaurant to bring you some awesome prizes.
Winners will be chosen on May 1st!

You can enter on Instagram or Facebook. Here’s how to enter….⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

1. Post a photo on your profile that we’ve taken or you OR a selfie ⠀⠀⠀
2. Follow and tag each of us
On Instagram,
  @mellbella @bitsoflacefinelingerie @sipangochs
On Facebook,
mellBella Boudoir & Pinup Photography, Bits of Lace, and Sipango Restaurant
3. Be sure to include these hashtags on your post for your entry. #supportsmallbusiness and #socialdistancingissexy⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
***Note if your profile/posts are set to private, we won’t be able to see your entry. You may post up to two times a day which will give you 2 entries per day.

You could win one of these prizes…

1. A FREE session with us, including professional hair & makeup styling
2. A $50 gift card to Bits of Lace
3. A $50 gift card to Sipango Restaurant

And because we have the BEST clients ever, we have a special prized just for our previous Bellas who could win our gorgeous new product, the Legacy Box (pictured below), with 10 matted images from your last photo shoot with us.

She's My Hero project highlights

She’s My Hero Event Highlights

What a whirlwind! On Wednesday night at Boone Hall, we had our BIG reveal at the She’s My Hero Calendar Launch Party to benefit the Center for Women. The weather threatened rain(and lots of it) earlier in the day, but we said RAIN or SHINE… it’s on! It turned out to be a warm evening with a cool breeze outside where guests enjoyed the marsh view on the Cotton Dock and the delicious paella, tacos, and noodle dishes from the Dashi Food Truck.  Throughout the night, guests enjoyed the music and the magical lighting from Lowcountry Entertainment.  Lovely flower arrangements in purple and white from Petaloso decorated the tables, and Justin Wham Weddings and Events helped coordinate, set up, provided the cozy seating area near the fireplace, and made sure the stage and the whole space was beautiful along with the rentals from Eventworks. And who doesn’t love something sweet?  Sweet Lulu‘s Bakery, Cocktail Caravan & Pedal Pub brought the wine, sangria, and a mouth watering selection of mini desserts.

Here’s just a quick look at some of the highlights:

It was only fitting that our Emcee was Erin Keinzle of Lowcountry Live, as she helped announced the contest that started it all back in February.  At the event after welcoming everyone, Erin introduced Lisa Dabney, Executive Director of the Center for Women, who talked more about what the Center does for women in business and their upcoming conference in November. Then, we (Wanda and Mell Bell) shared some personal stories and the WHY behind this whole event– to celebrate women, of course and tell their struggles and their stories. We also thanked several of the sponsors, such as Skirt Charleston whose mission is to celebrate and empower women with attitude.

And finally, it was the time we have been waiting for ALL YEAR LONG… revealing the hero photos to the women in the calendar and the whole world. Their reactions were heartfelt and priceless as they saw themselves as their heroes for the first time! The calendar sales opened, and the silent auction continued NOW with the canvas portraits of the Heroes as part of it.

100%… yes all of the proceeds of the silent auction and calendar went directly to the Center for Women. And at the end of the night, we raised almost $5,000, and it’s still climbing!

 

The fund raising continues as The She’s My Hero Calendars will be on sale for $20 each through the Center for Women. Get your calendar at their conference at Trident Technical College on Nov 15 and 16th or contact them for more info.