Jesse was around 3 months during our session. She was all smiles and had the most beautiful blue eyes. Side note: I did NOT add makeup to that kissable face - those rosy cheeks, thick eyelashes, and rosy lips are au natural. Jealous, right?

This little miss is beyond beautiful, I can't wait to see her grow!

Isn't she a doll?

More photos coming soon - including a senior session, family session & an engagement session.
Stay tuned!

Look at her little nose, kissy lips & little toes - so perfect!

Adorable, right?!

gratuitous photo of Finn Wednesday

It’s a new year & I thought what better way to kick it off than with my first giveaway!  Inspired by Valentine’s Day, I’m giving away a free couples session to the couple who can inspire me.

Who can apply: two love birds – it doesn’t matter if you’re dating, engaged, newly engaged, or married, as long as you’re simply in love or two peas in a pod.

What: since Valentine’s Day is around the corner, the winner will receive a complimentary session which must be inspired by your love.  Dream up a creative {yet realistic} session that you’d love to showcase your love for one another.  Maybe you’re inspired by a vintage picnic on a country road, a handcrafted tent in the woods, dessert at an ice cream parlor, a French garden, or a voyage on the water. Maybe you want to put the wedding dress back on & play dress up, or your inspired by your favorite movie – whatever it is think setting & props.

The catch: whatever dream session you conjure up, you must re-create for me to capture. But don’t worry, I’m here to help you! Dream big, but keep it realistic. If you don’t know of a specific location but know what type of location you picture, I know some great spots for all backdrops.

How { three simple steps}:
            01. “like” Alyssa Ballisty Photography on Facebook here
            02.  email a photo of you & your other half to alyssaballisty@gmail.com
            03.  in the body of the email, describe the perfect session you’re dreaming of – don’t forget to include the dreamy backdrop, props & attire. Then tell me a little bit about yourselves individually & as a couple.

Whoever dreams up the most creative, fresh & inspiring session will win. But don’t forget; don’t go too overboard, because what you dream up, you must create for the session.  Here’s a tip – focus on props you’d love to incorporate in the session, they can be vintage, handmade, or modern. Use them to help set the scene, they’ll do wonders, trust me.

The giveaway will end on February 4, good luck love birds!

I firmly believe that any bride, whether only married a few days or 10+ years, has every right to put back on that glamorous wedding dress and get gussied up for a photo shoot.  And why not, your wedding day was pure bliss, wasn’t it? While this isn’t quite a “Day after Session,” it surely is a stunning&gorgeous-few-years-later-bridal session. 

Ladies, if you want to put that gown back on & have a rockin photo shoot {with hubby or without} - do it, it'll be something you'll never regret.

Gratuitous photo of Finn Wednesday
(iphone 4 photo)

(image via wehearit)

I hope to post updates once a week - stay tuned!

Below is theTemplo de Debod, a temple in honor of the gods, gifted to Spain by the Egyptian government. It was beautiful during the day, but at night, the golden glow was breathtaking. The temple resides on a high bluff park which overlooks Madrid. We spent a few hours relaxing on the grass, napping under the trees, and singing along with musicians at the park until the sun went down & I was able to snap the night photo.

Plaza de Oriente is this huge garden square built for King Joseph Bonaparte (Napoleon's brother) in 1808. It has statues, mini maze gardens & fountains and the beautiful backdrop is Palacio Real, the royal palace.

Palacio Real, the royal palace is huge and beyond beautiful. Photos don't capture the full essence of this place. It's a mid 18th century palace built by Italian architects for Philip V. It was intended to look like Versailles, but in the end, it resembled Spanish architecture.

Retiro Park houses a few amazing places, including Palacio de Valazquez which is adorned with beautiful ceramic tile work, a huge lake where one can rent a boat and float around all day, and Palacio de Cristal, the crystal house.

(old door photo above on the right taken at Plaze de la Villa)

Plaza Mayor is Madrid's main square and is extremely colorful, lively and oh-so-cute.

On Calle Carmen lies the biggest square of them all, Puerta del Sol. At night, this place is packed with people who well, people watch.

Next up is art that we found walking down alley ways. While Barcelona & Italy are filled with tagging graffiti, Madrid had some pretty creative art on garage doors & walls...my favs below.

If you're thinking of heading to Europe, we highly recommend you visit España & spend some time in Madrid. It's a beautiful place and easily became one of our top 5 favorite cities.

Micaela & Kevin Sarazen's wedding

Laniece & Kevin's e-session

AND to top it off, I'm offering a Christmas mini-session for all those family photo Christmas card lovers - more info to come on Friday!

Book your mini-session today before time runs out!

Antoni Gaudí was an architect during the Modernism period. Not only is his work featured all over Barcelona, but they are so intricate and unique that it's easy to spot. When we first arrived in Barcelona, it was a few hours before sunset, so we decided to only visit one hot spot - La Sagrada Familia. We took the metro from our hotel in the marina inside the city, walked up the steps to the street, turned around, and there it stood, this massive church. My mouth literally dropped open. I'm not sure if it was the size of the church, the intricate carvings, or the uniqueness of this structure that had me in awe, but this was the one place in Barcelona that grabbed my utmost attention. The photos below do this beautiful church no justice whatsoever.

La Sagrada Familia - Gaudí began work on this cathedral in 1883...and it's still not completed. It's said that the cathedral may not be finished until 2026. Seriously?! He designed it to have 18 towers, 12 for the 12 apostles, 4 for the 4 evangelists, one for Mary and one for Jesus. When Gaudí died in 1926 the cathedral was only 15% or so complete & he left no blueprints of his plans, making it extremely difficult to finish this cathedral under Gaudí's artistic ideas. The controversy lies within the details as Barcelona argues over how the Cathedral should be finished. The front side of the cathedral was crafted by Gaudí, the backside is not, showcasing a less intricate, modern feel.

(The back entrance door - above & below)

I'd love to tell you why the inside is crafted as seen below, but I can't. I think my mouth dropped open again when we walked inside. The tall walls & ceiling reminded me of a ribcage - that sounds odd, I know.

The photo below to the right shows the intricate details that were crafted to the towers. Every crafted detail was different, it was extremely overwhelming.

The photo below is the view from the top of two towers overlooking Barcelona. When we purchased our entrance, we were told the tower lift was closed - bummer! But while we were lurking in one of the wings, we saw two guys pay a guy in the elevator - so we ran over and joined them. The views were incredible - to one side was Barcelona, the other side encompassed the rest of the cathedral (also under construction).

The downside - 400 tiny spiral steps down...in the dark. Not quite what we signed up for, but for the views it was worth it.

(three photos above taken with iphone4)

Palau Güell - This mansion designed by Gaudí was closed due to renovations. These are two of the designs around the gates.

Casa Milà - The only Gaudi housing structure we toured was incredible. The rooftop alone was worth the steep entrance fee.

Casa Batlló (above left)

Park Güell - A huge park designed by Gaudi. We took this incredibly steep journey uphill to get to the top of the park, only to realize that there was an easier entrance below (which we took back to the hotel - ha). The stone benches are one of Barcelona's trademark tourist spots & it was so crowded we had to wait ten minutes just to get a photo of us sitting on a tiny piece of bench.

Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (aka: the Barcelona Cathedral) - a magnificent cathedral in the heart of Barcelona. To say it was beautiful would be an understatement.

Snapshots from around Barcelona -

Did I mention our hotel had a rooftop pool? Not only had I ever stayed in a hotel which had one, but the view was awesome!

How gorgeous is this couple in these field shots? Romance, yes please.

Meet Louie, their cute little pup. I love that he looks back at them!

These photos bring a smile to my face - I absolutely adore this session {and this family}!