Melissa McClure Photography Blog

Drum roll please....NEW BLOG IS UP!

2008-03-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

Blogger has been great, but it was time to move on :) Head on over and let me know what you think! I will not be posting here any longer. (But all my old posts are over at the NEW blog!)

www.melissamcclure.net

Logan turns 2!

2008-03-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed up to Riverside to spend Logi-bears 2nd birthday at a bowling alley.

The birthday boy is checking out his balloons!

Not quite a stike!
I love this shot of him just loungin'

Jen (thats Logans mommy) during a rousing round of Happy Birthday!

Ready, set, BLOW!!

Devouring his brownie!

Aunt Courtney testing his gag reflex!

Shot by Tim:

Happy Bday little one!

XOXO,

Mary + Brandon are engaged!

2008-03-08T00:20:00.000-08:00

Mary called me the night before their engagement shoot in a slight panic. Brandon had a freak basketball accident and ended up with a black eye the week prior! The black eye stuck around longer than they anticipated, but fortunately it was barely noticable by the shoot! Mary has now forbidden basketball for the month of May! (ok maybe not, but we joked about it!)

We met Mary and Brandon at the train depot in San Juan Capistrano. I hadn't been to SJC since I was in my early teen years and was so stoked to get the chance to go back! It did not disappoint! We had a blast searching out different nooks and crannies of this town!

Can't wait for your May wedding, you two!

Doesn't Mary have an amazing smile?

This was my first attempt at textures. I'm thinking it looks pretty good...do you like?

Love train tracks! Tim was on official train lookout!
Yes I laid down on train tracks!
Makes me think of American Gothic.

There is this old jail cell in the middle of a bunch of houses! I thought it was fun!

Exploring the parking garage. I risked my life for this shot (kinda!)
More parking garage...

For the back of their engagement album!
Brandon, Mary, Tim (cute face, hun!) and me:

Wow monster post! Hope you enjoyed it!

XOXO,

Tagged by Katy!

2008-03-05T15:29:00.000-08:00

My friend, Katy Regnier is keeping this photographer game of tag going! How can I be the one to break the chain...?? I don't need any bad luck!

What was I doing 10 years ago?

10 years ago, I was a senior in high school! I was the Photo Editor of Fallbrook's Yearbook. I worked for Sourdough Pizza as a delivery girl. I spent a lot of time with my best girl friends...being a teenager! I was only 17 when I graduated from high school.

Things on my to-do list:

Today- Finish editing Mary and Brandon's Engagement session
This month- Go to WPPI in Las Vegas and make some awesome new photo friends!
This year- Book some more destination weddings...somewhere exotic please!
Sometime in my life- Get married next year, have a kid a few years after that, buy a home somewhere in between. And travel to the following places:
S. Africa
Ethiopia/Egypt
Austrailia/New Zealand/Fiji
Hawaii (again)
Ireland/Scotland (again)
Japan
India
(thats just my short list!)

Bad habits:

I stay up way too late. But I still tend to wake up before 9am every day.
Singing way too loudly in my car. Its not really a bad habit...but it sure is bad!

Places I have lived:

In order:
Arlington, VA (for 6 years)
Fallbrook/Bonsall, CA (for 11 years)
Peoria, IL (for 7 years)
Various cities in North County, CA (almost 4 years)

Things most people don’t know about me:

I think food tastes better when it is prepared for me. Even tiny things, like slicing apples.
I really can picture myself running off to Vegas to get married...but I know I would regret not having my family and friends there to see it.
I can't stand tomatoes, but I do enjoy ketchup!
I tried to learn Gaelic once...then I realized its a lost language and hardly anyone speaks it anymore!

I tag you!

Jen Harris
Tiffany Harrison
Michele Terry
My Mom
Tina Jean
Tobie Ashcraft

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

2008-03-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

There are so many different avenues you can take in photography. I went in to College with the plan to be a newspaper or magazine (preferably Sports) photographer. When that didn't suit me, I pursued weddings and fell in love with what I do.

But sometimes the oppurtunity comes along to explore the other avenues of photography. I did a commercial shoot this past Friday for the North County Transit District. The new Sprinter will be opening this coming Sunday (how exciting for North County!). I was hired to do some candid shots of the 40+ extras that day. I had a blast and look forward to exploring and expanding my portfolio in the future (But I promise, my true passion is weddings...I will never give that up!)

Since I don't have the model releases from the shoot (the client has them), I am just going to post the photos I took with no people in them! These were all taken at the Oceanside Transit Center.

The new machines!

Workshop with Bella

2008-02-28T21:46:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday I was invited to attend a workshop with Bella Pictures in La Jolla. I had a great time getting to know some OC and LA photographers during our day together!

I want to say that I have shot one wedding for Bella last year, but I do not and will not be working for them in the future. If you are a photographer and would like any more info about working for Bella, I will be happy to give you my personal opinion through email.

This shot was taken by the adorable Carrie Chow:

In the photo, Me, Claire and Monica

Claire, who is Joe Buissink's former assistant:
Cris, I can't find her website right now, but when I do, I will update!
Hillarious photo of Carrie Chow!
Monica, Carrie and Doug McNamee (the Bella coach), during a lighting demo:

Like I said, it was great getting to know everyone! I hope our paths cross in the future!
XOXO,
M

The Knot's Wedding Contest

2008-02-27T10:09:00.000-08:00

I just got an email from Clara and Todd. They were the couple that I photographed at the OC Trash the Dress last year. They are entered in the Knot's contest to win a Safari trip to Africa! How fun!

Now, I was not their actual wedding photographer considering I met them two days after their wedding! But they did use one of my photos for the contest! :)

Click the photo below to head on over to the Knot and vote for them! You do need to sign up to vote, but it just takes 1 minute and they promise not to spam you :)

Good luck Clara and Todd!!

View my Real Wedding Awards Nominee!

Cuties Leah and Leilani!

2008-02-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

When we were doing the album shoot from my previous blog I got to meet Jermaine's daughters for the first time. Leah is 4 years old and little Leilani is only one month!! They are so precious!

This was a quick impromptu photoshoot, I wasn't there to actually shoot them, I just got these will waiting for the guys to get ready!

Snow Day!

2008-02-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, I surprised Tim with a trip up to Running Springs, just below Big Bear. The Harris Family joined us for Tims first time ever seeing snow!

Jen's son Robbie (age 4) getting warm:

Jen's other son, Logan (age 2) loved the sled!
Jen's in-laws live up in Running Springs so we went by their house. Here are 3 of their 5 dogs.

Dudley, Bear (actually belongs to their son and his girlfriend) and Fiero:
Bear and Tim getting friendly
Tim checking it out for the first time.
Robbie sledding down the hill!
I love this one :)
Tim took a little hike down a huge hill by himself. He took all of these shots! I am so impressed!
The Harris Family:
Tim and me, photo by Jen!
Tim took this killer shot of me sledding in to a snow bank!
Photo of me, by Jen :)

We had such a good time and Tim adores the snow now...next up! Snowboarding trip! Who's in?
XOXO,
M

Photographer Meet-Up!

2008-02-17T23:28:00.000-08:00

Last week we had an awesome time hanging out with Brandon and Julia Williams. Tim and I met them down in Mira Mesa at the fountain where Tim proposed. They took some super cute shots of us, which you can see by clicking on Julia's name above.

This is where Tim proposed to me!

Waiting for them to show up...I thought this was a cool tree!
The lovely Julia:

Julia and Brandon:

I love this one!

Me and Julia (photo by Tim):
This was hillarious, Brandon lifted her up off the fountain, much to her surprise!

After, we headed over to Islands for fun, food and Photo talk!

(Photo by Tim)

And then bowling in Kearny Mesa!! Nice shoes (and socks) Tim!
I didn't bowl since I still had some pain from my surgery, but the 3 of them did great!
Thanks for the fun night you guys! I look forward to more in the future!

XOXO,
M (&T)

Happy Love Day!

2008-02-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! When Tim came home, he was bearing these beautiful red Tulips! So gorgeous I just had to share!

Since I am home before him, I wrote lots of little Love quotes on about 4 dozen post-its. I put them all over the condo for him to find! He loved it!

Hope your day (and every other day) is lucky in love!
XOXO,
M

Girls Night...with some crashers!

2008-02-13T22:18:00.000-08:00

My future sister-in-law, Melissa (yes in less than a year, I will share the same exact name with someone i'm close with...weird) decided it was time for a Girls Night at her house. So last Friday, I left Tim at home and walked all the way.......across the street!

Ok, I drove. Hey, its a busy street!

We were hanging out for about an hour when Tim found an excuse to come crash the party...so he became our official photographer!

Check out some awesome images he got!

Of course, we had Truth or Dare Jenga, card games and some adult beverages! Gotta love the pink cups!

I want to introduce my beautiful (other) sister-in-law, Kristina. She hates being in front of the camera and she may literally kill me for posting this.

That is Tim's sis Melissa on the left, lots of laughing that night!

Angela and Melissa have been best friends since they were babies (or at least close to babies!)

Oh and a few crank calls to boys! haha kidding.

The group: Tawna, Me, Melissa, Kristina and Angela!

Oh and one more that I shot of the Jenga...just to show how much I am digging my 50mm 1.4 lens. :) Yummmmmmmm

Thanks for the awesome night, girls!

XOXO,

Joe Photo cracks me up!

2008-02-07T22:08:00.000-08:00

So those in the "know", WPPI is quickly approaching...to my non-photo friends and clients, its the largest Wedding Photography Convention and Trade Show, ever! Vegas Baby!!!

So if you are one of the above mentioned, this video may not be funny to you. But it (and Joe Photo) is super funny!

Click To Play

Sunday fun - and some rain!

2008-02-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

For the Big Game, we headed over to my friend Ann and Kyle's house. They had a lot of people over there! My entourage included Tim, his sister Melissa and her daughter Jacie.

My view...

Jacie practicing for when she gets older...jusy kidding. It was Diet Coke, I promise!!
And on the way home, while Tim was pumping gas...would you really expect me to have anything else for an air freshner? The rain has been crazy this year. Some where I read that So Cal has had more rain than Seattle this year...not sure if this is true, and i'm having trouble finding stats to back that...but I could believe it!

Enjoy the rest of your week!
XOXO,
M

I thought Sundays were supposed to be lazy days?

2008-02-03T22:12:00.000-08:00

I'm exhausted. I was going to try and put up a few photos from the Superbowl party tonight, but I am seriously fighting to keep my eyelids open! So it will have to wait. :)

But I did want to thank everyone who wrote me emails and comments regarding the free photoshoot! I wish I could do it for everyone, but I do have to pay my bills! ha ha

The big winner (picked at random) was Alicia C.! I was happy when I pulled her name because she actually asked if she could donate her photoshoot to her good friend! I hope Alicia doesn't mind me posting this, but I thought this was so sweet what she wrote!

Alicia's email:
"If I win, I would like to donate my free photoshoot to my good friends Ella & Chris. They don't have any family pictures of them and their 2 year old and 4 month old baby. They are my role models of what a couple should be. Loving, giving, welcoming to their friends, family and community. And they are really cool, fun people."

So look for some awesome family photos of Ella and Chris in the near future!

Congrats!
XOXO and goodnight,
M

1 Year (plus a little more...)

2008-02-01T23:35:00.000-08:00

I got to thinking tonight...I've been blogging for awhile now. It must be close to a year. And I was right! January 16, 2007 I posted my first blog. I wrote a little over 160 posts in the last year. I'm very proud of myself!

Because of this accomplishment, I will be giving away a free photoshoot to one lucky blog reader. Yes I said free! As in no strings attached, no cost to you, free! It will include an hour of shooting time at a location of your choice and all the images on disc for you to keep!

All you have to do is send me an email. melissa@melissamcclure.com In the subject line, please put Free Photoshoot. In the email please tell me what you enjoy most about reading my blog (ie wedding photos, portraits, personal stuff, nothing...)

I will randomly pick one reader for a shoot! If you are a photographer and need a headshot, hit me up. If you are a bride or groom and need engagements, hit me up. If you need a new family photo...hit me up! If you just want a new Myspace pic..oh you get it by now.

Sorry, this is only valid in lower Southern California (San Diego, OC, Riverside and LA) unless you are willing to front my travel costs! :)

How easy is that? I'll announce the winner after the StupidBowl (sorry I'm bitter about my Chargers losing) on Sunday!

XOXO,

Love my new lens!

2008-01-30T07:34:00.000-08:00

So inquiring minds wanted to see some shots with my new 50mm 1.4!

Since I don't have children, you get to see my closest thing to it...my baby Makeda. She turns 13 years old this year. I've had her since high school.

Been super busy lately! Hope everyone is enjoying their New Year!

XOXO,
M

I won!

2008-01-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who voted on Pink Ink's Blog! My photo won for photo of the week :) Below is the photo that won!

Now I get to go shopping on them! :) Photogs: Check out Pink Ink to learn how to join their Flickr Group and possibly get chosen as Photo of the Day or Week!

Catching Up!

2008-01-26T14:13:00.000-08:00

Its been a lazy week! I am finally feeling better today, 6 days post surgery. I was told my recovery would be quick, but it lasted a little longer than I had planned. But I guess thats not something you really plan...is it?

Thanks to Tim's camera phone, he got this just minutes before wheeling me in to the operating room. Lovely, I know.

My parents live in a different country, so they didn't take the long trip. (It's cool, you can make it up to me next time I have major surgery, Mom. just joking) Of course Jen and her boys came in their absence.

I do have a nice size extended family in the area. My sister "from another mister" Beza came Monday night to check on me. She brought this beautiful bouquet (I love the colors!):

And on Tuesday, my gracious Aunt Rhonda called ahead and found out that I was having horrible bouts of nausea. She brought 7Up, saltine crackers (my life-saver!), a balloon and these beautiful tulips:

And for a little pick-me-up:

Since I introduced my loving fiance, Tim to my old and trusty 20D, its hard to get him to put it down! I had given him my old zoom lens a 28-105 to learn on. He noticed that I only shoot primes, and wanted to try my 50mm 1.8. Now we fight over that! (Of course, he always lets me win)

When the oppurtunity came from a photo buddy, Daniel Balboa to buy his old 50mm 1.4, I took it! Lucky for me, Daniel was upgrading to the 1.2. So now Tim will be getting the 1.8 for his birthday next week (Surprise!) and I have a new toy. Man I sound selfish. haha

But I do think I have created a photo monster in Tim. He now is asking for his very own Shootsac! Nice.

Thank you to everyone who expressed your concern during my sick time off. I plan to be back in full swing after resting this weekend.

XOXO,

Please Vote

2008-01-25T15:56:00.000-08:00

Click here to vote!

My Photo is in competition for photo of the Week on Pink Inks Blog. Voting goes until midnight tomorrow!

Please take a few seconds and vote, you don't need to register anywhere. I'm not saying you have to vote for mine, just vote for your favorite!

:)Thanks!

Robert and Theresa are Engaged!

2008-01-24T14:26:00.000-08:00

Theresa found my business card at It's A Grind coffee shop in San Marcos! Marketing of all kinds is alive and well! They hired me to shoot their engagement session.

I met this adorable couple at La Jolla Cove this past Sunday. We made sure to meet early enough to not miss the big game! The Charger pride was out, loud and proud that day!

These two are getting married on May 17, 2008 in Dana Point. Theresa is going to make an amazing bride!

Had to throw this last shot in here...another great one from Tim! I love the negative space on this one.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner...

2008-01-23T20:07:00.000-08:00

Photo of the Day on Pink Ink!

2008-01-22T19:07:00.000-08:00

I know, I'm supposed to be resting today...but how often does one get featured as photo of the day on Pink Ink??

http://pinkinkstudios.com/blog/?p=601

Check it out! Its a gorgeous shot I took of Jenn and John's wedding in Cape May, NJ last September. And check out Pink Ink while you are there...they have adorable templates and some awesome actions!

And a big shout out to my good buddy, Melissa Koehler who introduced me to Pink Ink!

"Vacation"

2008-01-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

I'll be unavailable for the next two days, Monday and Tuesday. Taking a few days off to sleep off some anasthesia. I'm having my gallbladder removed way too early tomorrow morning. If all goes well, I will be out of the hospital the same day!

Take care,
Melissa

ps Booooo Patriots. Boooooo Giants (okay just Eli) too. I don't have anyone to root for in the Superbowl and that makes me sad. :(

Eric + Nikki are Engaged!

2008-01-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

Buckle your seatbelts, this is going to be a long ride!

Nikki found me through Myspace last year and from the first time meeting the both of them, I knew these were people I could get along with! Not only do we share the same taste in movies and music, we also have an Evan Rachel Wood fascination. Ok mine is a fascination. But we both saw a movie of hers on our first movie dates with our fiances!

Eric and Nikki live up in LA and are getting married October 4th at Forest Lawn. Tim and I really looking forward to spending another day with them this Fall, we had a fun time exploring Balboa Park!

Nikki was hoping for some leftover Fall colors. There weren't any, but I think this comes close!
These next two photos were taken by my gracious assistant (and future life partner) Tim. I love this one, so candid!Great smiles!!
Gotta love the shoes!

Thanks for the fun time, see you in the Fall!

XOXO,

I can breathe again...

2008-01-13T13:24:00.000-08:00

Wow, a great game! I don't think I yelled so much at my TV since...ok, since last Sunday.

Bring it on New England, we are ready for you!!!

The Melissa Club

2008-01-10T23:13:00.000-08:00

You wish your name was Melissa too!

Today I got to have lunch at California Pizza Kitchen with two fabulous ladies in the wedding industry!

On the left is Melissa Barrad of I Do...Weddings! Not only is she a wonderful wedding planner but she also happens to be my new friend and my wedding coordinator!

The of course there is my silly mug in the middle!

On the right is the awesome Melissa Koehler, photographer for hire! You will be seeing a bit more of Melissa K on my blog this year due to the fact she will be shooting several fantastic 2008 weddings with me!

I had a great time with you two today! Let's do it again soon!

XOXO,

Mary Kay and Jim are married!

2008-01-09T22:46:00.001-08:00

I had the pleasure of assisting the talented Deidre Davidson on 1-1-08!

Mary Kay and Jim were married at the Immaculata on the USD campus. This was my first wedding at this chapel and it was stunning!

The getting ready and the Reception were both at the Hotel Del Coronado. San Diegans know Hotel Del, but in case you aren't familiar it is one of the most fantastic places to have a wedding in the area!

Some getting ready details:

There were 1 million little girls in this wedding party. Okay that is an exaggeration, but at times it felt like a million!

Love this shot of the matron of honor, Mary Kay's sister...

The stunning MK:

See...a million!

The handsome Jim:
Two more flower girls that missed the earlier photo!
The breathtaking Immaculata!
Gotta love Catholic Ceremonies :)
Just after the ceremony:
Too cute!
Details, Details, Details!
The happy couple:

In front of the SD skyline:

Reception Details!
The Sunset was beyond belief:

Party time!
The fabulous Wayne Foster entertainment group was there!
The bride and groom taking a break!

Whew! Long day, but I got a fabulous Filet Mignon out of it! (My fav!)

Thanks Deidre, it was great to meet you!

XOXO,

Laura + Brian are married!

2008-01-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

My last wedding of the year! And it did not disappoint! Brian, Laura and their closest family and friends all travelled to San Diego for this beautiful wedding. Laura and Brian came from Texas.

I got the pleasure of meeting these two on one of their trips west, but I had a great time getting to know them better the day of! They are so perfect for each other, always making each other laugh. You can't help but smile when you notice how the look at each other!

Ceremony and Reception was held at the Sheraton on Harbor Island.

Answering Brian's phone call...good timing Brian!
If you need an awesome updo, call Freddie at Golden Touch Salon!
Flowers by Melissa Barrad:
I love this shot :)
The happy couple chose to see each other before the wedding. (Highly recommended for Winter weddings when the days are shorter!)

The bridal (plus me and Jen) party took a limo to Balboa Park
The supporting cast:

I saw this image in my head, just before we loaded back in the limo:

Just before the ceremony, Melissa Barrad, wedding planner extraordinaire and amazing florist on the left!
The greatest desert! So yummy! Ice cream filled chocolate with raspberry sauce and drizzled white chocolate.
The rings! They are placed on the favor, a Christmas ornament:
I love this shot, probably my favorite of the night!
Don't forget to check out the slideshow!

XOXO,

M

Ocean View Villas, 1 year to go!

2008-01-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

This blog is to showcase my latest photography work, and sometimes I throw in some personal work/writing. Since I am a bride-to-be I may talk from time to time about my own wedding. But I do plan on keeping it very minimal. In fact, I did start a personal wedding planning blog elsewhere.

But I did want to show you some shots I took of my Ceremony/Reception location. It is in Pt Loma, right on Sunset Cliffs and is actually a vacation rental property. It is called Ocean View Villas and there are 5 vacation rentals available year round.

I will be renting the entire place for the weekend of my wedding (1 year from today, 366 days until I am Mrs. Selenak)

This is the ceremony spot:

Down below is our own private beach!
Where you see the people walking is a public area.
This was the weekend of a huge storm, the tide is unusually high!

Standing in the spot where I will be saying my vows!

The kinda scary steps down to the private beach (which is currently under the water!)

The front entrance.

Whew! I know a lot of my friends and family were waiting to see this blog. :) I have a whole year ahead of me in planning...and I totally intend to enjoy every minute of it!

XOXO,

Colette Fashion Show!

2008-01-02T17:16:00.000-08:00

I'm not totally sure how I did it, but I completely forgot to blog about the fashion show at Colette Boutique! It happened on November 30th.

My very good friend, Allison, runs this adorable boutique in Temecula. It is located very close to the mall just across the street from Costco! You must check it out!

Hair by: Rylin Ashlee Hair Salon

Adult outfits by: Colette Boutique

Flowers by: Victorian Rose Florist

Children's outfits by: Cool Beans Kids

Food by: Killarney's Pub

Other Sponsor: Anela Apothacary

Allison put so much thought and detail in to this day!

They have trunk shows for jewelry quite often! Gift bags and the runway!
I love these clutches...can you spot my advertising in this shot??
A HUGE turnout! Precious :)

Colette Boutique
41785 Nicole Lane
Temecula CA 92591

Local:
(951) 699-7766

If you stop by, tell Allison that I sent you!

XOXO,

Joe + Erin are married!

2008-01-01T21:11:00.000-08:00

Surprise! I think Erin should write a book titled "How to plan your dream wedding in under 9 days!" Seriously. Joe is a marine and got orders to move to Japan. The only way Erin was going to be able to go was to push their wedding up - by over a year! They had already planned to get married in 2009.

Erin and I were friends in high school and I was flattered when she immediately thought of me for the photography. Thank you Myspace!

This was also the first wedding that my fiance, Tim shot as my assistant. He did a fantastic job, I am really pleased with how well we work together and his images!

I couldn't decide which shot of the flower girl I like better, this one:

or this one :) So I posted both!
The beautiful Erin:
We avoided outside as much as possible, it was pouring that day!

First dance:

2007 Wedding Review!

2007-12-31T23:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! Its been a wild ride this past year...here's to it only getting better from here on out!

Here is a glimpse to how my year went! My favorite shot from each wedding in 2007. I shot many many more weddings this year as an assistant, but I did not include any of those.

My first wedding of the year was Wendy and Jim in Pacific Beach on March 31. Their ceremony was at the PB Presbyterian Church and the Reception at the Butcher Shop.

Jen and Bill were married at the Bali Hai (got a few more weddings scheduled here in 2008!) on April 14th. Jen is one of my favorite people, we still keep in great contact, I just shot their family Christmas photos, shot her sister's wedding in July and may possibly be shooting her best friends wedding this November. :)

April 21st, I shot Mary and Casey's wedding at Rancho Guajome Adobe (one of my favorite North County wedding sites!)

Josh and Maryann were married at Presidio Park and had their after party at the Hilton in Mission Valley. Expect more of them in the future as well...I'm shooting Josh's brothers wedding in April of 2009!
Paula and Kane were married on May 19th at Marina Village. Its a hugely popular wedding site in San Diego. They were a lot of fun!

Caroline and Paul travelled all the way from Wales to get married at Paradise Point on June 1st. That was probably one of the most beautiful locations I have shot at to date.

Devon and Doug were married on June 2nd at the Catamaran Hotel. These two were wild! I'm sure you can tell by the beer pong before the ceremony!
Elizabeth and Nathan were married in an intimate ceremony on the most popular date ever, 7-7-07. This was my first of two weddings that day! They were married at Embarcadero Park and had their breakfast reception at a little restaurant in Sea Port Village.
Matt and Rachael tied the knot at Sycuan Resort and Casino. They were married the night of 7-7-07! Fastest ceremony I have ever shot! I got the kiss from behind, which I ended up liking a lot. They also had a photo booth - my fav!
Kika and Jeff joined together at the Bali Hai on July 28th. Kika's family from Brazil was able to make it up, and they loved to dance!!
Heather and John were married at a hotel on the Oceanside Harbor. Heather is an old friend of mine and I had the honor of shooting her special day. The reception was at John's parents home in Oceanside!

Kim and John booked me without ever meeting me - since they travelled here from England! John is originally from San Diego. Kim and I became pretty close that day, I turned in to a personal assistant/photographer! haha They were married at Bernardo Winery on Wednesday August 15th. (1 wedding booked there already for 2009)
Alison and Rob booked me so far in advance for their Thursday Aug 16th wedding at the Grand Tradition (in my hometown of Fallbrook!) that by the time it came around I was so excited. They truly cared about capturing some great photos that we spent extra time just shooting and exploring the Arbor Terrace Grounds!
This was the one Bella Pictures wedding I shot in 2007. There may be more in 2008, not sure yet. Diana and Greg were married in Julian at Angels Landing on August 11.
Over Labor Day, I flew out to Chicago to visit my best friend. We then drove down to So. Indiana to shoot my good friend Rachel (and Ryan)'s wedding. They were married at the Leavenworth Inn. It was so pretty, right on the water!
The very next weekend, I shot Jenn and Jon's wedding at the Handlery Hotel in San Diego. This is my #1 favorite shot of 2007. I hope to enter it in some contests in the next year.
I once again hopped on a plane and headed to Cape May, New Jersey to shoot the wedding of my friend Jenn and her hubby John. They had a gorgeous wedding right on the beach! The Reception was at the Grand Hotel. I had a fun time exploring Philly and Jersey by myself!
My lone October wedding was Lauren and John (note, this was my 5th groom this year named Jo(h)n)!! I got along so well with this couple, they were fun to be around and so in love - I didn't want the wedding to be over! They were married at a gorgeous mansion in Pacific Beach.
Adam and Tiffany were kind enough to fly me out to Texas to shoot their November 3rd wedding! It was held in Adam's hometown of Littlefield. They were married at the Catholic church and had the ceremony at Zeke's. I had a lot of fun on that trip and made a new photography friend (Tiff is also a wedding photographer!)
Erin is a friend of mine from high school! She married her marine, Joe on December 8th. They were married at their church on base, and had the reception at Mulligan's Golf Course. It poured the whole day, but that didn't bring them down at all! Blog coming tomorrow or Wednesday!
Whew, the last wedding of the year! Laura and Brian were married this past Saturday at the Sheraton on Harbor Island. They travelled here from Texas to get married and had an intimate ceremony with their closest family and friends. This is not my fovorite image from that wedding, I am still sorting through them all! Expect a blog very soon!

Well that was my 2007! Happy New Year everyone!!
XOXO,
M

Gallery Wraps are awesome!

2007-12-28T22:19:00.000-08:00

One of my brides ordered a gallery wrap from me and I wanted to share with you how awesome it looks! I am really happy with the new professional lab I am using for these. This particular one is a 16x20. (The yellow and white is my bedspread) :)

The prices are as follows:

11"x14" - $100.00
16"x20" - $150.00
20"x24" - $200.00
24"x30" - $250.00

Please let me know if you are interested in one for your home!!

The quarter is to show you the thickness!

It comes ready to hang...just add the nail and the wall!
Above my fireplace :)

Ready for 2008!

2007-12-27T10:22:00.000-08:00

My first Christmas with the Selenak family :) I'll have one more before I officially become a Selenak myself!

The man of the house, Conner! He belongs to Tim's brother and sister-in-law:

Tim and his nephew:
My contribution was the chocolate rice krispie treats in the front:
Jacie (Tim's neice) opening her American Girl doll. She named her Abby.
Jacie, Melissa (Tim's sister) and Abby:
I hope you all had a wonderful day and spent time with your family or friends! 2007 is almost over, which I am thankful for. Business-wise it was a fantastic year. On a personal level, I went through a lot of heartbreak with the loss of a family member and an old friend. I have a lot of positive feelings and hopes for 2008!

XOXO,
M

Sea World at Night!

2007-12-22T18:08:00.000-08:00

My future sister in law, Melissa, (see I told you I would give you a shout out!) gave us free tickets to Sea World. We used them last Friday after Tim got off work.

I have always loved experimenting with my photography, and this was the perfect oppurtunity to play around with some night shots! I purposefully left my flash at home and I really put my 5D to the test. :)

We didnt put up a Christmas tree this year because we are moving today, so I like to look at other ones!

I've never actually been up this thing at Sea World and when we went to go up it, they shut it down!
We spent a long time just watching the Orcas before the big show
I thought this was sweet, Tim scribbled Love You to me in this glass. He did not draw the Shamu though. haha
Night shot from the Sky Ride over the Bay:

Us!
Merry Christmas!!!!

XOXO,

Little Will turns 2!

2007-12-22T16:11:00.000-08:00

A few Saturday's ago, Tim and I headed to Jen and Bill's new home in Santee to help celebrate their son, Will's 2nd birthday. After the party, we did a short Christmas Card session, but Will was way too warn out to take photos!

Regardless, I got some great images of him playing with his friends:

His new car!
He was so good at sharing all his toys with his buddies!

Jen had kid-friendly food only!
Finger painting!!

What a little artist!
Jen and Will:
So excited for his cupcake!

The Fam:

The Christmas card photo:

Thanks Jen and Bill for welcoming us in to your home!

XOXO,

I Love the Zoo!

2007-12-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, after a shoot at Balboa Park, Tim and I decided to use our free passes to check out the San Diego Zoo! I haven't been to many zoos in my life, but SD Zoo is hands down the best one in the world! :)

We brought both the cameras with us and had a blast photographing all afternoon!

The sign, shot by Tim, while I drove through the intersection!

I normally refuse to go in to the reptile section. But I'm glad Tim dragged me kicking and screaming. It was neat! And gross.

(photo by me):
This was probably the coolest thing I saw all day! This snake was shedding. That is his skin peeling off under his head! He was that really dark color before, and the pretty brown/gold color after! (photo by me)
Tim on the skyfari!
I love the Pandas! (photo by me)
For Photography sake, I wish the fence wasnt there. But for my safety, I'm glad it was! (next 2 photos by me)

We watched this guy for a long time!
(photo by Tim):

I call this one "loungin'"

Photo by Tim:

I think I will be starting a tradition to go visit my grandmother's name on the wall to honor her memory. This goes for the Wild Animal Park too.

XOXO,

Kyle + Ann's Spectacular Christmas Party!

2007-12-20T12:48:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, my good friend Ann asked me to come and photographer her Christmas party that she and her fiance, Kyle were throwing.

Everything was decorated so beautifully! I loved this sign in their front entryway:

Yum!!
The gracious hosts, Ann and Kyle:
The night consisted of many rousing games of Flippy Cup! This is how the girls celebrated their victory in that round:
And this is how the guys celebrated theirs:
Then it was time for the gift exchange!
The Fallbrook girls, Ann, Kristen and Cassie:

Thanks for the fun night!
XOXO,
M

Haji + Araceli: A Wedding!

2007-12-17T21:29:00.000-08:00

In my busy schedule, I completely forgot to post this wedding from last October! At Haji and Araceli's wedding, I assisted the very pregnant (at that time!) Brittney Pecore. These two were married in Riverside. It was a nice intimate ceremony, and the families seemed to get along great!

This is 8 month prego Brittney. Preston Dean Pecore has since joined us in the world. Both mom and baby are happy and healthy!

Haji and his entourage!

My fav shot of the night:

Adam + Tiffany: A Wedding!

2007-12-15T13:51:00.000-08:00

I met Tiffany on Myspace awhile ago. She is also a wedding and portrait photographer and is based out of Lubbock, TX. She and her now husband Adam were looking for a photographer for their Nov 3 wedding in Littlefield, TX (birthplace of Waylon Jennings).

I was honored they wanted me as their photographer, knowing how important my role was in their day!

I had a great time getting to know Tiff and Adam in my 3 day stay in Texas!

They were married in the same Catholic church that Adam's parents were married in!
Post-ceremony hug with her best friend/maid of honor, Randi.
Adam's dad was nice enough to share his car! (ps can you spot me?)

Tiffany laughs hard and laughs often. Good thing Adams a funny guy!
They can be serious too...

The reception was inside a huge barn structure thing, I'm not sure what to call it. I learned a lot of new things in West Texas, like they have horrible huge cockroaches!!!
Mother and son:
I also learned what the Cumbia was! (quick lesson from Wikipedia: Cumbia is a autochthonous dance and music from the Caribbean Coast of Colombia, with variants of equally folk in Panama. Cumbia began as a courtship dance practiced among the slave population that was later mixed with the European instruments and influence.) Now you know!
Thanks to my new friends, Tiffany and Adam and also to their friends and family, I had a great time getting to know everyone!

Click here to take a look at their slideshow!!!

The song playing during the slideshow was their first dance, and a personal favorite of mine!

Happy Early Christmas to me!

2007-12-13T15:25:00.000-08:00

Yay, UPS man is my new best friend! Today he brought me my very own 100mm 2.8 macro lens! I used my buddy Ian's lens at Jenn and John's wedding in New Jersey.

Since then, I just had to have one! Canon is having a phenomenal rebate, so if you are in the market (or need a cool Xmas gift) check out B&H Photo.

Looking forward to getting my first offical chance to use it at Laura and Brian's wedding later this month!

On a personal note, Tim and I went to see a movie in Mira Mesa last night and outside the theatre there is a really gorgeous fountain. Tim pulled me over to the fountain, got down on one knee and presented me with a ring. So, we are offically engaged and now I get the tedious (just kidding) task of choosing a wedding photographer! haha :)

XOXO,
M

John + Lauren: A Wedding

2007-12-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

When I met John and Lauren, 2 hours flew by like nothing. It was my longest first meeting ever. The same happened at their engagement shoot. I could sit and talk with these two for hours! They are so fun, so entertaining and so in love!

Lauren is a fashion photographer and John is a fabulous writer. They were married at a private residence in Pacific Beach in October. Even the morning rain didn't get these two down!

How could you not fall in love with this face?

First Dance:
I had a lot of fun playing with the lighting outside:
Sparklers! This is an awesome idea for an outdoor wedding!

I'm so glad that I met you two, good luck in your careers and your new marriage!

Click here for your slideshow!

XOXO,

Technical Difficulties

2007-12-06T13:03:00.000-08:00

I am having major email issues at the moment. I havnet been recieving most of my emails that are sent to info@melissamcclure.com

My hosting company sold my account, among others to a new company that doesn't believe in answering phones or basic customer service.

I am switching hosting companies right now, so if i did not answer an email of yours, I probably didn't get it!

Please feel free to use meldell@gmail.com until I get this figured out!

Sorry for the confusion!

Melissa

Anthony + Shannon

2007-12-06T09:52:00.000-08:00

Last week, I met with Shannon and Anthony at the beautiful Balboa Park. Shannon was the hair dresser from a wedding I shot last April. She found me on Myspace and asked me to take some Christmas shots of the two of them!

Shannon works at An Experience, a full service salon and spa. She is also available to do you wedding hair!

Thanks for the fun morning at Balboa you two! Tim and I had a blast!

This was the one Fall-like tree we found! Anthony loved it!

Gotta love that sky!

These last two photos were taken by my wonderful boyfriend, Tim. I seriously just gave him the camera, schooled him in the basics of ISO and warned him to stay out of my shot! He got some awesome angles, even ones that I didn't see! He is shooting his first wedding with me this Saturday!

Phil + Jen: A Wedding!

2007-12-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

Once again, I got the opportunity to second shoot for my best friend, Jen in November. We shot the wedding of a lovely couple named Phil and Jen.

They were married at a church in Redlands where Phil works. The reception was at a cafeteria, also in Redlands. Yes, a cafeteria. It looked so classy and beautiful, you would never have guessed!

The oh-so-excited Jen:

They decided to see each other before hand, here is their first glance!

They did a dance routine to Michael Buble's Everything. SO cute!
Best Man Speech:

Chris + Carol: A Wedding!

2007-12-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

In the end of October, I shot a wedding with my dear friend Jen (check out her brand new blog people!). The couple was named Chris and Carol, may I add they were a very good looking pair!

They were married at a church in Riverside on a rainy Saturday afternoon. But that didn't dampen anyones spirits! We had a break in the rainfall to spend quite a bit of time at a business park (sounds romantic, eh?) with a beautiful river front walk.

Carol looks so nervous, but trust me, she was ready to marry Chris!
Sign here, please.
She was all laughs during the formals!

And this was the practice dip! They got it on the first shot!
Yummmm...I thought this was neat, it was all their favorite engagement shots (shot by Jen of course) on the table. The jars were for putting in the paper that had your personal marriage advice.

The night sky was so beautiful! I just had to share with you. And show off my fisheye of course!

Sydney's Super Sweet Bat Mitzvah!

2007-12-01T16:53:00.000-08:00

Last month, I had the pleasure of working with the very kind and very talented Darin Fong. He was looking for an assistant to shoot a Bat Mitzvah and I stepped up since I had never experienced one before!

I was shocked at the effort that was put in to making Sydney's 13 birthday and Jewish tradition perfect! The ceremony was held down the street at the Congregation Beth Israel and the after party was down the street at the La Jolla Hyatt.

The colors were pink and brown, and the Hyatt did a fantastic job at everything! You can tell there is so much planning that went in to this!

Act 1 was the cocktail party:

mmmmmm...my favorite....
Smoothies for the kids!
Lots of games, like DDR, Wii, Motorcycle games, etc:
Each guest got their name airbrushed on a pair of pink shorts:

You sit in front of the green screen and it puts your head on a dancing body! The birthday girl is in the middle:

Guests could custom make bracelets with their names:
On to Act 2! The adult's tables:

The bar area:
Sydney getting down with the Wayne Foster Entertainment Group!

Sydney's grand entrance: Horah time!

Showing off her moves! (she had shorts on underneath!)
My dinner! haha The kids had choices between chinese food, jack in the box, pizza and a few others!
The fun props from Wayne Foster:

Sooooo many kids! 200 were there!
The kids food area:

The proud mom and dad:

I had such a fun time! I'd love to shoot any Bar/Bat Mitzvah's in the future, if anyone is looking for a photographer!

XOXO,

Jenn + John (yes I know they have the same name as my last couple!)

2007-11-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

Two Jenn and Jo(h)n's were married within 1 week of each other! Another crazy thing is they are friends! John and Jon are in the Coast Guard together.

Jenn and John were married on a gorgeous Fall day in Cape May, New Jersey. I can't believe how adorable and quaint this little town is. My parents took me there as a very young child so it was fun seeing where my family vacationed in the 80's.

The wedding was held at The Grand Hotel right on the beach. Jenn and John used to live in So Cal with me, but have since moved to chilly Seattle. Jenn and I met online when John was deployed.

Here is Jenn (with Donne in the back) playing on the Wii beforehand:

Jewish tradition is to have both the parents walk the bride down the aisle:
I love this shot of the maid of honor, Liz just before walking down the aisle:
How much prettier could this possibly be?
I've never seen a bride quite this excited for the kiss!!

I love how her dad is looking at her:

Jenn, John and me!

Here is your slideshow!

Shout out to Ian from Nemisis Photo for assisting me on this day!

XOXO,

Jenn + Jon

2007-11-27T14:39:00.000-08:00

Jon and Jenn were married in September at the lovely Handlery Hotel in Mission Valley.

It was a daytime wedding, and after the reception everyone was invited back to their parents house for the after party! What a great idea for a day wedding!

Jenn has quite a few sisters that have all done the wedding thing already...

A family hankercheif, beaded bracelet from a neice and a medical tag (Jenn is a nurse!)

How cute were these flower girls?
And of course, the handsome ringbearer shouldn't be left out!

(Photo by Jen Harris)
The beautiful bride:
The handsome groom:

Their family is very close, and very emotional!
Married!

Killing some time in the stairwell
Speech time:
Jon picked the cake out, Jenn never even saw it before today!

Father/Daughter Dance. I told you it was emotional!

This is probably one of my favorite shots of 2007:

Don't forget about your Slideshow!!!

XOXO,

Got Friday Night Plans?

2007-11-25T23:19:00.001-08:00

Now you do!

The Ultimate Runway Fashion show featuring:Hair by Rylin Ashlee Salon, Children's Apparel by Cool Beans Kids ,and Women's Contemporary Fashion by Colette Boutique!

Colette Boutique Invites you to RSVP for up to 4 guests!
DATE:November 30th Friday
TIME: 4pm - 9pm
LOCATION:Colette Boutique

Entertainment, DJ, Refreshments and Food Provided by Killarney's Pub,Speciality Jewelry Show, TONS of Drawings and Giveaway's, On SiteFashion Photographer, Runway design by Victorian Rose Florist

Please RSVP by Nov 27th for you and up to 4 guests @
Colette Boutique 951-699-7766
Cool Beans Kids 951-587-2227
Rylin Ashlee 951-695-5575

Stop by and say hello to me, I will be photographing the event!

Happy Turkey Eating and Football Watching Day!

2007-11-22T10:01:00.000-08:00

I've always loved Thanksgiving. Hanging out with cool family, eating awesome food and football during the week - what could be better than that!

I am so thankful for my family, my friends and my health. I hope all of you know how much I appreciate you even if I can't find the words sometimes.

Last night, Tim and I stopped at KFC to grab a quick bite to eat. We were sitting in a booth enjoying our bisquits when two men walked in. I didn't notice them since my back was to them but Tim was watching them the whole time.

When they parted ways Tim pointed out to me that one of the gentlemen was homeless and the other just bought him a hot meal. It warmed both of our hearts. We talked about how thoughtful that was and that more people should think that way on a daily basis.

After the meal, I went to wait in the car to make a phone call while Tim went back for another round of bisquits. From the car, I watched a different homeless man (I say man, but he couldn't have been older than me) walk in the KFC to use the restroom.

Tim noticed him too, and while the man was in the bathroom, Tim ordered an extra meal for him. When he came out of the bathroom, Tim had it waiting for him. He was very thankful.

I hope everyone will find a random act of kindness to perform this holiday season and even after the holiday's.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Mexico Wrap Up!

2007-11-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

We spent our last full day in Mexico exploring the town of Pozos. Its a town that basically became a ghost town, but is now rebuilding itself and becoming a tourist spot. Its known for its mines, which we had a little trouble finding and gave up! haha

Like mother, like daughter:

Tim took this photo of a fake snake spitting out water!

Love the textures that Mexico has!
Another one for my Jen :)
My dad and mom at Casa Montana. A bed and breakfast we ate lunch at:
No camera tilt, the roads are that steep and all full of cobblestones!
The view from a different B&B:

me and Tim:
Me and my mom:
I loved these lights in the bar!
One last super cool door!
It was a super fun vacation, we saw a lot but also got to relax and get away from normal life. Now its back to work, more wedding blogs coming soon!

XOXO,

Ryan + Rachel

2007-11-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

I'm slowly playing catch up on wedding blogs! This wedding is from September 1, 2007. I spent the week in Chicago socializing with old Bradley friends. On the weekend I made the trek down to Leavenworth Indiana (near Kentucky!) to shoot the wedding of Ryan and Rachel.

Rachel and I have been friends for several years now and I feel so lucky to be chosen to photograph their most important day!

Rachel's princess dress:

I love this window can you tell?

I don't normally post formal shots, but this was too funny not to.

Waiting for his bride:
I love how happy couples always look coming back down the aisle:

My favorite shot of the night:

Thank you Ryan and Rachel for flying me out to shoot your happy day! I had a blast!

Your slideshow is waiting!

More from Mexico!

2007-11-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

I honestly haven't left the house too much the last couple of days. But I am starting to feel better today, all those drugs are working!

I love my parents roof top. You can't keep things up there because it gets super windy, but watching the sunset is a lot of fun! Here is Tim and my mom!

My dad and mom:
On Sunday night, my parents friends and neighbors, Yoli and Victor hosted a get together of about 13 of us. Yoli (below) is a gourmet cook and made us yummy food! There were plenty of margaritas and cerveza to go around as well...too bad alcohol isn't included in my sick diet :(

Salsa!

Last night we walked down to the main "jardin" to attend a photography lecture put on by the Santa Fe Workshops. Here is a night shot of the Paroquia:
We saw two fabulous photographers speak, although one was more interesting than the other. Aurthur Mayerson
The lecture hall (photo by Tim):

After we went to this restaurant that is famous for its churros and hot chocolate! The man sugaring the fresh churros:

Yummy hot chocolate!
The main course :)
Our happy tummys!

We extended our trip until Thursday since I was so sick for the begining part!

XOXO,

First 2 days in Mexico!

2007-11-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

***First, my website is currently down at the moment, I'm waiting for the hosting company to answer their phone, but I'm not having good luck. It will be back soon, I promise!***

Our flight out of Tijuana was delayed 4 hours and it definitly isn't the most exciting airport to be stuck in. But we managed to make it to Leon at around 10pm. My parents were there to pick us up and we drove the 1.5 back to their house.

This is the street my parents live down:

The front of my parents home, they completely remodeled it:

The view! The main church in San Miguel de Allende, my parents can see this from their roof! (photo by Tim)

Another view of the Paroquia:

A cross on the hill by my parents house:
This is for Jen: Tim and me in front of the Paroquia:

Tin work is all made by hand, its a traditional craft in San Miguel. My parents have pieces like this all over the house. This is looking in to a local shop:
Photo by Tim:
Photo by Tim: (he is getting really good with the camera!!)
I told him not to squint! ha! I'm so mean, I had the sun glasses!

This was our first full day in San Miguel. The streets here are as steep as San Francisco, and all cobblestone! My calves are killing today!

Today was a little more low key. I've been having some health issues for over a week now, so we decided to go to an english speaking doctor in town. We spent most of the day in the hospital running various tests. I left without really knowing much, just a general idea, and lots and lots of drugs. I hope these drugs work, I don't want to deal with this back in the states.

I'll post more photos after tomorrow!

Out of the country again!

2007-11-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Tim and I are headed to Mexico tomorrow morning to visit my parents. I've never been that deep in to Mexico and haven't seen their new home yet. If you want to read more of the adventures of my parents, you can read their blog here.

I circled San Miguel de Allende on the map so you can see where we will be until Monday. I will be accessible through email all weekend, but my phone will be off!

My father in front of their home that they completely remodeled:

Nichole's Trash the Bridesmaid Dress

2007-11-01T23:56:00.001-07:00

My best friend Nichole lives in downtown Chicago and she was nice enough to put me up (or is it put up with me?) for a week in September.

She was a bridesmaid in her best friend Rachel's wedding and wanted to wear the dress again for one of my "trash the dress" sessions. We stayed in her neighborhood and found a few fun fountains to get our feet wet!

Please leave a message after the beep...

2007-11-01T22:56:00.001-07:00

I'm out of town again. This time I am in Lubbock, Texas. I'm shooting the wedding of Adam and Tiffany. I will be out of town until Sunday evening. I have internet access, but it is limited, so if you need to get ahold of me right away please be patient.

I am an avid watcher on Prison Break on Fox. (although I have to admit that its been harder to get in to this season...) In the past two weeks I have seen two of the stars of the show in random places.

Lane Garrison (Tweener, former cast member) was eating and watching UFC at Buffalo Wild Wings in Murrieta a few weeks back. I doubted myself if it was really him or not because I thought he was in jail. Turns out he went to jail just yesterday! I know it was him!
Today at the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport Robert Knepper (T-Bag) walked past and smiled at me. Okay maybe he was smiling in my direction, I guess I will never know for sure.

Its kind of surreal seeing someone from a television show because you can't quite place where you know the person from at first. Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield) better watch out...if I run in to him he is not getting away so quickly! I have such a celeb crush on him!

XOXO,

Fire in the Sky

2007-10-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

Since I have a nasty smoke allergy, I holed myself up in the air conditioned house all day Monday and Tuesday, only emerging when necessary and always with my smoke inhilation mask!

But on Tuesday my boyfriend Tim and his buddy Kevin decided to take a little drive around the area and headed up towards Fallbrook on the freeway.

Here are a few shots Tim took to give you an idea of how smoky it was. They couldn't get past the 76 exit, so no real fire damage shots of Fallbrook. I'm planning to head out there this week to try to get a glimpse at my grandmother's old house that is no longer standing (she did not live there anymore).

The sun was amazing on Tuesday, bright red and so smoky you could stare right at it.

Tim's sister Melissa, Tim and me with our sexy masks!

Mary Kate and Steve's Wedding

2007-10-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

You may notice a little change to my blog look! I'm tweaking a few things here and there, please let me know if you see any broken links or something that looks off!

Steve and Mary Kate were married in early October at The Witherby in downtown San Diego. I was assisting Michele and Carie from Captured Forever Photography on this day.

Steve and his men. I love this shot!

The couple saw each other before the ceremony, and we headed to Balboa Park, one of my favorite places to shoot!

Kayleen's Trash the Dress Shoot!

2007-10-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend I was in the Midwest to shoot a wedding for a good friend. I spent the week in Chicago with another friend and took advantage of meeting some photographer buddies for a shoot!

Kayleen and I met on Myspace and she is a photographer from Rockford, IL. She was married last year and always wanted to have a trash the dress shoot! We met in Millenium Park in downtown Chicago. I brought along an old photog friend that I met at a Women in Photojournalism conference years and years ago, Tina Wagner.

The Bean. Can you spot me??

Gotta love parking garages!!

This is actually a fountain thing in Millenium Park. It shoots water out and changes backgrounds, as you will see below.

A shot of Tina getting her own angle!

The crew: Tina, Kayleen, me and Kayleen's mom (who made a great assistant!)

I had such a blast that day, thanks for being such a trooper in that heavy dress, Kayleen! It was great to finally meet you!!

xoxo

Quick Fire Update

2007-10-25T00:22:00.000-07:00

I am back in my house, no threats at this time. Thank goodness.

Tim (my boyfriend) and his buddy Kevin went driving the other night and he took some photos. I'll be taking a look at those tomorrow and posting any that might give you an idea of what has been like around here since Monday!

Thanks for your offers and concerns. I truly feel blessed by how many caring people I have in my life, and for still having a home.

Fallbrook (my hometown) is still in horrible shape as of now as well as some other areas. If you are able to donate anything to the Red Cross, please do so. The link is here.

xoxo
M

Birthday Fire!

2007-10-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

This is from my upstairs window facing East!!!!! Its about 3 or 4 miles away right now. The smoke is quite overwhelming even in the house. We dont have to evacuate quite yet, but Tim and I are packing some stuff in the car right now just in case!! I have all my camera equipment, backup photo files and my cat!! Don't be worried :)

Photo by me:

Photo by Tim:

Cynthia + Dan ~ Philidelphia Wedding

2007-10-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

I am still playing catch up on past weddings, I have a few more to blog!

I had the awesome oppurtunity to assist Ryan Estes when I was in Pennsylvania for another wedding last month.

He was so easy and fun to work with, too bad we don't live closer! He does some amazing work as well, you can check out his blog from the same wedding here.

Cynthia and Dan were married at the Park Hyatt-Bellevue in downtown Philidelphia. I got to drive Ryan's car all over the city, in rush hour Friday night. It was an experience, I even got to honk the horn once! haha Their ceremony was at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, such a cute place!

This is the groom whispering to his best man's son:
The men: Cynthia arrives in style!

Lots of laughter heard that day!
The beautiful Cynthia used to be a model if you couldn't tell:Gotta love a girl and her shoes!

This was the sign on the women's restroom. I just loved it!

The bride and groom overseeing their reception room:

Thanks Ryan for letting me be a part of this fun day, I had a blast!

2007 Cruise to Cabo (Supersized with Many Photos!)

2007-10-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

Whew, get ready to sit back and enjoy a lot of photos!

To be totally honest, I didnt take that many photos. I had my camera on me a lot, but only took it out of my Shootsac a few times. All I really did was relax and sleep. The ship rocked a lot...rocked me right to sleep a few times a day!! I have never napped so much in my whole life. The food was exellent in the dining room, and the staff was enjoyable. I met some really cool people and I really appreciate Wedj.com for setting this up!

I didnt get to many seminars, but its okay. I learned a lot about myself on this trip, learning and meeting new people was worth the experience!

Its very hard to see, but in my photo I am wearing a sombrero. Yes I am a dork.

Leaving San Diego.....
The front of the ship!
Mini golf course and jogging track. So neat!
Loungin'
Michele on night one. Who says no to free drinks??

This was my first experience trying escargot. Yes, mother, I ate snails and I actually really liked them! Very garlic-y and butter-y!

Okay funny story time! Carie walked in on a gentlemen using the restroom. This was her reaction after she saw he forgot to lock the door!
And his reaction realizing we were still standing outside!
Carie and Michele:
Sunset on one of the nights after we left Cabo:

Melanie and her crew sat at our dinner table, they were so much fun!

This photo was taken by me, in the mirror in the elevator. I love the mans expression of how crazy I look right then. Yes, that is a cocktail in my hand!
Carie, Michele and me goofing around with the fish eye!
Dawn, our waiter Robert and me!
My roommate Dawn and me!
My new friend Carlos (he is a DJ from Escondido) and I taking a tequila shot at Cabo Wabo in Cabo San Lucas:

Photo by Dawn:
Photo by Dawn:
Our ship, the Elation by Carnival:
The very tip of Cabo, photo by Dawn:

Hope you enjoyed the blog, it was long overdue I know! :)

Kirsten + Brett's Engagement

2007-10-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

Okay this is going to be a long one! Meet Kirsten and Brett. Kirsten is my sorority sister and one of my very best friends. Brett is her long time beau who followed her all the way to Florida and back out of love!

They are getting married June 14th 2008 and have chosen me to be their photographer. I was out in Illinois for another wedding over Labor Day weekend so it gave us a chance to get together at Brett's parents house for their Engagement session! The little white one is Louis, their Bichon Frise.

Can't wait for the wedding!!!

Back from Vacay!!

2007-10-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

I made it back safe and sound with no sea sickness! I will do a larger blog with more photos once I get them edited. For now, I have 2 weddings in the next 2 days! And an engagement session that is long overdue to blog about.

Teaser time! (photo by Dawn Malone):

I'll be gone until Friday!

2007-09-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

I leave tomorrow morning for a 4 day cruise to Cabo San Lucas! The ship above is the exact one I will be on. Woo Hoo! I am going with my friends and fellows photogs, Dawn Malone and Michelle Terry.

I will actually be in Cabo on Wednesday, so think of me drinking a margarita on the beach. :) haha

Jen will be answering any emergency emails since I will be without phone or internet (by choice) for 4 days.

Talk to you after Friday! Bon Voyage!

Networking rocks!

2007-09-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

Melissa Koehler and I had been planning to get together for some time now, but those who know me, know that my life is a little crazy at the moment!

On Thursday, Melissa, Jen and I finally got to sit down at Panera at talk shop. They brought their kiddos along too, Melissa's son and Jen's oldest son and I all share the same birthday. Weird!

A bad pic of me and Jen (she just got done running 4 miles, I have no excuse):

Melissa and Melissa (M&M):

It was so great to finally meet you! We must hang out again, very soon!

XOXO

Lauren + John Engagement

2007-09-24T01:25:00.000-07:00

I could talk to Lauren and John for hours. In fact, I have on two occasions! They are such a warm, caring couple they really compliment each other perfectly.

Lauren is a photographer, so its always an honor to be chosen to shoot the wedding of another photographer!

I met the two of them downtown San Diego. They wanted a more urban, city feel! I look forward to shooting the wedding on October 13th!

Baby Adeline

2007-09-21T23:46:00.000-07:00

My freshman year of college, I went half way across the country to go to school. I didn't know a single person, so I was really nervous to meet my roommate. Nikki and I hit it off right away. We grew apart as the year went on, forced in to different social circles. But I feel very lucky now that we have kept in touch all these years and she is still in my life.

Nikki married her college sweetheart, Matt. This past June, they created their own little miracle, Adeline. What an adorable baby! She loved the camera and was so expressive! I can't wait to shoot her 1 year old photos next June when I get back to Illinois!

I think this may be my favorite shot of the day:

It was so great to see you Nikki, and your wonderful family!

Kiss and Showit Party!

2007-09-21T01:35:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night last week, David Jay and KISS ALBUMS threw an awesome party at Blue 32, in Hermosa Beach. Jen and I went and had the best time!!! Not only did we get to hang out with tons of cool photographers, but I was able to meet some of my photog IDOLS!! It was a blast! Thanks DJ and Kiss for the great party!!

Jen, the amazing David Jay and me:

Jen, me and Jasmine Star (love her!)
This was in the foto cabina. It is so awesome and if any brides are interested in having this photo booth at your wedding, let me know.
Jen, David Baxter (another San Diego photog and all around nice guy) and devilish me!
Ok, this photo just cracks me up. While we were waiting for the limos, Jen and I took a ton of fun awesome photos of each other. I think I will save them all for another post, but I had to share this one. Its my new favorite pic of me!

Alison + Rob

2007-09-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

Wow, what an amazingly beautiful wedding! Alison and Rob were married on August 16, 2007 (a Thursday!) at the Grand Tradition in my hometown of Fallbrook, CA.

It was a warm day, but nothing could wipe the smiles off of Rob and Alison's faces.

Her beautiful gown:

Zipping Alison up!

The stunning Alison:
The handsome Rob:Exchanging of rings:

A different take on the ring shot:
I love this one. My favorite of the day
Yum!
Grand exit!

Thank you to Alison, Rob and their lovely families. Jen and I had a great time at the wedding!

Enjoy your slideshow!

Quick blog before I crash out...

2007-09-14T00:13:00.000-07:00

Its 3am in Philly and I just had the longest day of my life (or so it seemed)

I wanted to share 2 shots from the plane landing in Minneapolis/St Paul (Layover stop).

These clouds were amazing!!! I'm not really sure why they look like that...maybe all the planes coming in and out of the sky? It was a neat site :)

Kim + John ~ Bernardo Winery

2007-09-13T02:51:00.000-07:00

I leave tomorrow morning for Philidelphia and New Jersey, but I wanted to get this up before another adventure!

Kim and John were married on Wednesday, August 15 at Bernardo Winery. It was my first visit there, and I was so impressed by the location. Gorgeous spot!

Kim and John actually live in England, but decided to forgo the rainy UK weather for a sunnier San Diego (John's hometown). The day was so beautiful, but it sure was hot! Kim was such a trooper even though I know she was melting! :)

The couple has two adorable children, here is Holland:

Kim & John:

Kim has gorgeous eyes!

This is their 6 month old, Mia. She was such a good baby!
I just love this special moment between mom/child:

Slide show coming soon...

Back in town...for now!

2007-09-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

I made home safe from my week long stay in Chicago. I have 8 days at home finally. (well, in between a wedding, engagement shoot and portrait shoot. Oh an lots of laundry!) I leave again on Thursday for Philly/NJ. I have many many blogs coming very soon. So check back soon and often!

Here is a trash the dress teaser from yesterday in downtown Chicago:

Junior + Angela

2007-08-29T23:51:00.000-07:00

On Friday August 17, I second shot for my good buddy Jen in Riverside. It was the wedding of Angela and Juan (better known as Junior). They were great sports, willing to pose any way we asked them to, without complaint!

This was in the middle of the ceremony, so funny!

Diana + Gregg

2007-08-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

I recently started working for Bella Pictures in addition to moving forward with my full time business.

On August 11, I shot my first wedding for Bella with the talented James Hickey from LA. Diana and Gregg were so much fun, very down to earth and super friendly. She is a triathlete and they both enjoy the outdoors. Angels Landing was so perfect for their big day. It's located in gorgeous scenic Julian overlooking a valley of golden pasture.

The maid of honor doing her own makeup:

I love this shot of Diana watching Gregg and his mom dance. So sweet.
My ring shot for these two running fiends!Angels Landing:
This guest was having a great time dancing!One last shot of the happy couple:

Heather + John

2007-08-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

My good friend Heather married her soulmate John on August 4th in an intimate ceremony. The wedding took place at the Oceanside Habor, overlooking the water. The reception was at John's parents home in Oceanside.

I met Heather and John back in 1999 when we all started working for Best Buy. Heather and I both moved to the Midwest and lost touch (even though were only lived 2 hours away!) We re-connected after I moved back to Cali, and she and John got engaged.

Heather's gorgeous dress!

The girls getting ready in the honeymoon suite:

Love the detail on the bridesmaid dresses:
The bride, did the hair for everyone, including her own!

The good looking wedding party:
Mr and Mrs Castro:

My infamous ring shot. Heather helped me pick the spot because she loves all my ring shots. John and Heather both have an affection for dolphins (you should have seen Heather's old room!!):

Beach get-away:

This fits their personality so well:
Us!
Special thanks to my assistant that day, Angel:

Congrats you two, here is your slideshow!

It's here...

2007-08-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

After patiently waiting by my front door for the Fed-Ex man, it arrived. My new baby. 12.8 megapixels encased in black matte plastic. Never thought I could be so in love with an inanimate object. The Canon 5D. Oh how I love thee.

Shots taken with the new camera and my 85mm 1.8:

My baby Makeda

My roommates dog, Baron:

Carolina + Anthony

2007-08-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

On July 20th, I assisted Michele of Captured Forever at Anthony and Carolina's Wedding. It was held at the Bahia in Mission Bay. I love this location, it has such a romantic feel!

Isn't she beautiful?

Last minute touch ups:

Bling bling!

The best part about assisting others is that I can spend the time experimenting with lighting techniques. Here I used an off camera flash to creat some dramatic lighting on each of them. What do you think?

Tag, You're It!

2007-08-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by fellow photographer friends Tiffany Harrison and Dawn Malone. I figured what the heck, even Jasmine Star did one of these! :)

I am supposed to write about 8 things that make me unique, so here goes!

1. My favorite condiment for hamburgers is Peanut Butter. My family has been doing this since I was a child, so it is totally normal to me. Apparantly, nobody else thinks so!

2. I joined a sorority in college because growing up I wanted to be just like my godsister Michele. This is also the reason I played soccer through college.

3. I don't know my multiplication tables (other than the easy 1's and 0's). My friends love to bring this up in public by throwing random 8x12's equal and 4x9's equal at me and laughing at my wrong answers.

4. I am addicted to watching shows on weddings. I can't get enough, I love my job!

5. I have lived on both coasts of the US as well as the Midwest.

6. I partied with Vanilla Ice a few years back. Its a funny story, we shared a bottle of Redrum.

7. I have really cute feet. I actually looked in to becoming a foot model at one point in time.

8. I love becoming friends with my clients. It happens quite a bit too! I also am huge in to networking with other photographers, its one of my favorite things to do!

Okay, now I get to tag other photographers!

Jen Harris
Angel Barnes
Tina Jean
Rowena Curtis
Jeanette Sanchez
Loren Scott

Kika + Jeff

2007-08-17T00:29:00.000-07:00

Kika and Jeff were married July 28th, 2007 at the Bali Hai Restaurant in San Diego. These two are so in love and it shows in how they look at each other. Kika's family flew up from Brazil for the big day!

Thank you two so much for the great day that Michele and I got to spend with you. You are such a beautiful couple, here's to many years of happiness!

Scroll all the way down for your awesome slideshow!

This is the extremely popular photo guest signing book that I make for most of my clients. It includes photos of your Engagement session and is always a hit with your guests!Kika's mom made these yummy Brazilian candies!
They did their grand entrance on this boat! How cool!

Please click here to enjoy the slideshow.

Karina + Matt

2007-08-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

I'm almost embarrased to admit how far behind on blogging I am! But I am making an effort now to catch up after my week away in Oregon.

Karina and Matt were married in a lovely ceremony on June 14, 2007. They both come from very loving and traditional families. For this wedding, I was second shooting for my good friend, Michele of Captured Forever.

Planning the entry...

Success!

The church was located in Escondido...love it when the wedding is just down the road!

I love this stolen moment of the two:

The bride surprised her husband by seranading him to Michael Buble's Everything. She had a great voice!

Both the bride and groom are very religious, so I love this moment during the dinner prayer.

I highly suggest a shoe change for the reception! How cute! The groomsmen doing their job!

Me and Michele:So I saved this image for last...this is Karina's 90 something grandmother. She left a bit early but not before getting down on the dance floor. Right here, and I swear I am not making this up, she is showing Karina how to "Lean like a Cholo". I just had to share that with you!