Nekoda Mattox Photography

Hair and Makeup for your Photo Session

Having your hair and makeup professionally done for your photography session can make a huge difference (yes, even for the men and children!). A great portrait is all about the small details - which is exactly what a hair and makeup artist focuses on. They can enhance natural features, such as making your eye color pop, or help minimize frizz and fly aways for a cleaner look. They can create a “makeup-free” natural look, or go for a glamor or more creative style.

I am now including a professional hair and makeup artist with each portrait session. They can either come to your home, or stay with us in studio in Orange County or LA to change up the look with each outfit.


Baby Fairy Girl

Baby girl as a fairy is probably one of the cutest things I have ever seen in my life. The image of little girl was taken in studio, simply being held by her auntie. I transferred the picture to the one with the flowers, and did some post processing work - cutting her out, positioning the wings, a few color grading and lighting tweaks, and - magic! She became a fairy in a jar. Her three year old brother loves it, but keeps asking me why his sister is in there.

This was so much fun, I’m going to make fairy portraits a regular portrait for us now. My three year old and I have been fun searching for “fairy hiding spots” to take photos of. I also have some adorable miniature scenes dreamed up, along with some incredible fairy gowns for both little girls and the grown women who are fairies at heart. There are plans for the guys, too! I am really excited to start down this path. My mom has been in love with miniatures for as long as I can remember, and I’m finally realizing how amazingly cute and incredible they are. Keep an eye out for the adorable scenes coming!


Invisible Mothers

Black and white portrait of myself, a white mom with a short pixie cut in pajamas, holding my mixed nine month old daughter who is wearing a zebra print onsie.

My second child, my little girl, came into the world on April 2, 2021. I have taken easily 2,000 images just of my family since she was born. Scrolling through my phone and camera images, there are so many incredible moments that were captured. But - I’m missing from almost all of them. With my baby came new insecurities about my appearance, lots of bleary eyed no sleep days, days covered in baby spit up, and days where even just jumping in the shower was a triumph. There were so many days with so many reasons to avoid being in front of the camera.

My three year old son is already starting to look for me in photos with baby him. Someday, my daughter will, too. However we look, we are incredible and not only deserve to be celebrated in photos - but also absolutely should be. To stand by my words, I’m putting up a photo at night, in my pajamas, with me and baby girl. I am not going to be an invisible mom in the pictures she looks back on.

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