The blog portion of this website has been on a bit of a hiatus lately, hasn’t it? I’ve missed writing, and with all of my focus geared towards clients, it’s time to learn a bit of balance.
If you follow me on instagram, you’re a bit more aware of some of the adventures I’ve been having lately. If you don’t no worries, you can follow me HERE, and know that I’ll be updating you all slowly and surely, here on millistephania.com
Thank you to all of my readers, may it be by you tuning into the blog, following via email or even by sending me a coffee! I appreciate every single one of you….
Meeting Virgina + Allan was so heartwarming. They’ve known each other since 4 years old, and started to date at the age of 23. Now at this stage of their love, the love has blossomed with their newest addition, Brooklyn.
Virginia wanted to capture Brooklyn in her first days, to have that memory forever. I was so proud and humbled to be the one to do that for her. These are the moments that remind me how much I truly love my job. What a blessing.
Brooklyn, with her tiny little fingers, and cute button nose, was absolutely precious. I didn’t have to do much to show off how cute she was. She was a doll!
If you’re interested in having a family session of your own, please feel free to reach out to me today!
Want to know one of the perks of following me on Instagram, you get information first!
At the beginning of the holiday, I announced a giveaway session. Anyone who decided to participate was automatically entered into the raffle, as long as they followed the simple prompts, like following my photography Instagram account. Which you should definitely do here.
Three winners will be chosen, two winners will receive a free session and the last third person would get 50% off of their session. I mean that’s a great deal!
After a week, winners were chosen at random. Jayson won second please, and he wanted to redeem a session as a couple portrait session. We started our process and had all the details ready to go.
He and his girlfriend have been dating for five years and when I asked him what did he want to remember when he wanted to look back at the memories we created together, his answer was simple—–he just wants to remember how young they were—- how adorable! How could I not be excited to be part of such a loving journey?
We met at our agreed-upon location and I’m not going to lie, it was extremely cold this day! Especially since we were so close to the water. Mirtha was such a trooper and I feel bad every time she trembled. I even offered my scarf and gave her a huge chunky blanket in between shots. Good thing this session was only for half an hour, and that’s all we needed to create some magic. Despite our hurdle, my beautiful couple was on a mission and they look good doing it!
So my advice is to follow me on Instagram because you just never know when you can win a session of your own.
I was committed to this session like nobody’s business. It was my goal this year to photograph a family in a sunflower field, and I couldn’t have asked for a better tribe. Kathleen + Edwin are expecting their baby girl, and it’s time to capture their memories.
We arrived at Happy Day Farms, a sunflower field in New Jersey. The drive went by pretty quickly, which I was grateful for. I tend to get really car sick on long car rides— but only when I’m in the backseat! Weird.
We quickly realized how hot this day was as soon as we stepped out of the car. Moods changed and I was just secretly hoping that wouldn’t reflect on camera. Both Kat + Ed were on a mission to get the shot.
I absolutely loved the final product of these images + was so eager to deliver them.
You have got to give credit where it’s’ due. Thank you K + E for being such troopers, and being fabulous at the same time, I’m so grateful.
If you’re interested in having a maternity session of your own, I’ll be so happy to provide that memory for you. Reach out to me by using the button below!
It’s that wonderful time of the year again. And after the year that we have had, We need all the positivity and enlightening spirit we can get.
This year has made you realize the things that truly matter. It’s not fancy clothes, going out and spending money at the clubs, it’s pending time with love ones and not taking them or their time for granted.
We never really know when it’s going to be the last time we see that favorite cousin, that uncle that always makes you laugh, or your grandmother who spends all her days in the kitchen making your favorite meals.
No matter the age, I’ll always be daddy’s little princess.
Family feeds your soul, they are always there to bluntly tell you the truth even if you don’t wanna hear it, and always be the ones to have your back in public, and then yell at you about in private.
It’s all love.
This session was so heartwarming for me to do, I’ve known my neighbors for almost 20 years, (Damn I’m getting old) And I’ve never seen My neighbor Liz, once show off any family photos.
Which is why this year I told her that nothing would make me happier than gifting her a family session with her family. Her daughter who’s away at college, her teenage son who is almost about to finish high school and her loving husband of many many moons.
They’ve been through so much this year, and if I could bring a little joy into their lives I was going to do that.
As soon as I told her the news she got so excited, and straightaway knew that she wanted everybody in pajamas, at home, all cozied up together. It was perfect.
It was great to see everybody laughing, and enjoying themselves at the session. John and Liz even showed me their last portrait session taken 17 years ago, when the kids were so tiny. It was taken at Sears and it was hung up on the living room wall and you can instantly see the style of the 90’s.
I laughed and joked that it was about damn time!
They both mentioned they couldn’t wait to get their new ones printed and framed to show off to anyone that walks in through the doors.
Once I delivered the gallery, I received messages of praises. This is one of the best feelings that comes with job, making those memories tangible.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and cherish the ones you have next to you.
Feliz Noche Buena! It’s here guys we officially made it, it’s the holidays! It hasn’t been the easiest year, but it’s time to celebrate, we definitely deserve it.
I have about 3 to 4 years working with Darlene from Suitheelscurves , my favorite blogger. She focuses on everything from lifestyle, family and plus size fashion. She’s so freaking sweet and every time we work together, it’s always fun!
Since we like to work together in batches, let me explain, we take one day, with a whole bunch of outfits, and create content in bulk. So to me I didn’t think it was out of the ordinary to show up and go in one a few concepts today.
Little did I know that’s Arlene, had a pretty nice surprise up her sleeve, or should I say in her belly!
Creating these announcement images for Darlene was such a blessing, I definitely jumped up and down and gave her a huge hug! Now Michaela is going to be a big sister and her excitement is nothing short of enthusiastic.
Dear Santa, this year, a family of 3 will become a family of 4!
I’ve been itching to photograph a Daddy + Me session. As much as I adore documenting mother’s I’ve been wanting an intimate session that captures the love of fatherhood. So when I was blessed with the opportunity to photograph Mo and his son, Hunter, there was no way I was saying no.
Our day started with some brisk air, which I was worried was going to be a little bit too cold for Hunter. We decided to shoot full force right under the sun to keep warm, which ended up making things perfect, while I promoted Dad and little man to run around and play.
Once Hunter started skipping, chasing daddy and playing tag, his shyness quickly faded.
One of my favorite prompts for toddlers, “Show me your muscles!”
What a great mini session with father and son. As always, I’m honored to be that fly on the wall with my camera. You don’t always need a special occasion to hire a photographer, it’s those little movements that matter the most.
If you’d like to reach out to me and have your loved ones photographed you can do so by clicking the button below.
Completely swooning over this dreamy engagement session with Patrick + Sade.
Let me tell you, I was so honored to be the one to capture this couple’s love. I used to work with Sade at a non-profit last year, and she and I bonded immediately. All our lunches were spent together gossiping and talking about our love life (which mine is a disaster), God, and practically hashing out situations from other coworkers in the office. It was the best hour of my 9-5.
Now Sade is happily living in North Carolina and it’s safe to say that I miss her and our talks. I told her when she comes to visit, she better make some time for me. Little did I know that I was going to greet her with open arms, and her with a big old rock on her finger. I was so ecstatic for her and quickly told her she needs to get her things together so I can document this newest chapter of her life.
Meeting Patrick and seeing Sade be so comfortable and silly with him, only showed me how much love they have for each other. Which only made my job behind the camera so much easier. Sade was a little nervous at first, but once I played a little music for her to relax, we were in the groove. This session is easily once of my favorites.
Thank you so much for trusting me to document your love. I wish you many years of happiness.
If you’re interested in your own engagement session, or if you want to document your love with your spouse, please feel free to reach out to me. I’d love to be part of the process.
You know that feeling where you’re somewhere new, and all restrictions go out the door? Well, that was definitely my mindset for this vacation. The twins were out and breathing! I guess they wanted to feel that Bermudian breeze. Getting around Bermuda was pretty easy, not only was everyone extremely helpful and friendly…. the offline map I downloaded before landing has been on point! (See more tips for traveling here.) I’m roaming around everywhere like this is my home town. Except there are no angry New Yorkers anywhere, yay!
Kat and I roamed Saint George’s, really wanting to see the famous unfinished church. It has these gorgeous archways with no ceiling covering anything. The beautiful blue sky shines between each pillar. The church was never finished and it’s now used for events like weddings…. check this out. I’m sure it’s a pretty penny, but those wedding pictures will be completely worth it! (Look at me talking, like I even have a boo) We tried our best to peak through different archways. We couldn’t really get in. We ran over to St. Peter’s Church real quick, where I figured my boobs needed to be covered a bit.. luckily for me Kat had a shirt I could throw over my dress before going in. The church seemed old and small. Soon enough we were running back to Town Hall. We saw a posting for a glass-bottom boat tour and we wanted every single part of it. We were escorted to the boat that was waiting for us, already inside were two ladies who we found out later were from Jersey. We also met Philip, aka as Phoopa and his skipper. Oh my, guys… let me tell you how amazing this experience was. The wind was blowing in our faces, the little droplets of water hit our skin, the sun is beaming, the music is blasting while we’re in the open sea. We stop by a drive though sort of thing, but for boats. Kat and I order a 6 pack of beer. The girls across from us do the same after thinking about it twice. Phoopa gives us some history about Bermuda, and then proceeds to tell us why he’s considered everyone’s uncle. After a few minutes of spending time with him, I can see exactly why. He is so endearing and his energy is just gravitating. In the water we see the famous golden mermaid, it’s a tiny statue that sticks out of the water. Phoopa doesn’t really explain how it got there, and once I got home and started googling, I had no luck either. My only guess is that it’s from one of the shipwrecks, and that tiny piece just happens to be sticking out. There are so many shipwrecks here, I had so much fun trying to find different boats in the water. I’m sure it wasn’t that fun for the poor sailors who had to abandon ship. Phoopa kept playing Chronixx’s song, I Can…. this was the first time I heard it.. and it wasn’t the last. The song was on repeat the whole time and I wasn’t complaining. By the time the 3-hour tour was over, Kat and I knew all the lyrics. It was so catchy! When the tour was over, Phoopa dropped us off at The Grotto Bay Resort. Our Airbnb host provided us with towels, and luckily for us, it matched the hotel’s perfectly. Which only meant we blended right in. We walked about 15 feet until Kat realized she forgot her phone on the boat. She had left it charging near the captain’s steering wheel. We remembered Phoopa had mentioned he had an evening cruise pick up, and we ran back to luckily see him there. He put on his favorite song and we danced while at the dock. He invited us back into the water, and mentioned how much he liked our energy, this sunset cruise will be on the house… or (cough cough on the boat) We gladly said yes, and hopped right back in the boat! Though we didn’t get to see the sunset because it was pretty overcast, I didn’t think anything could compete with the view we had in the morning. Bermuda at night is magical. The stars were shining so bright in that dark sky. I kept looking up, and was just awe at how breathtaking life is. God, I’m so lucky. Phoopa threw the anchor in the water, and his handy skipper jumped in to bring the boat a little closer to shore. We all stripped down, and he explained a workaround on one of the Bermudian Laws. It’s illegal to come up to land on a private beach in Bermuda….. but not by open waters! We pulled up to the private island, that we passed by earlier and was filled with models. The clothing brand Revolve was there earlier, and all I saw was beautiful people in bathing suits playing volleyball and blasting music. Now the tiny beach was empty, silent, gorgeous pink sand just staring back at me. Yes, you read that right, the pink sand was absolutely gorgeous. It’s not as vibrant as we see in pictures, but from far you see the pink tones glisten, and from up close, when you hold the sand in your hands you see the tiny little pink sand blended with the beige sand and it just looks so cool! The sand feels like cotton on the bottom of our feet. Phoopa screamed at me” You’re wearing the right colors!” and I laughed and said, ” I keep getting that, I don’t get it” He told me there was a big cricket game going on, and the team everyone roots for is blue. When he saw Kat step out the boat with a red bathing suit, he yelled out” Omg, what are you wearing!?” She could only yell back, “I didn’t know!” This has to be what a Yankees and Red Sox fans feel like.
This past summer, in between all of the madness of Covid, my beautiful friend Kathleen was going through her newest chapter in motherhood. I was so excited to help plan her session and to document her journey with her soon to arrive baby girl.
We made our way to one of my favorite hidden gems, making this the perfect location to document her in all her glory.We had briefly talked outfits prior and as soon as I saw Kat in her pastel-colored tulle maxi dress I knew it was going to be a really good session. This gown was to die for!
I mean look at all this detail. All that fluff! Can I have one in every color please?
I know she told me she was practicing her expressions in the mirror, since she was a little nervous, but that quickly went away! Can we talk about how gorgeous Kat is looking, I mean!
Are you, or do you have a loved one who’s expecting? I’d be honored to be the one to document their journey.
