A beautiful service blending together two families. The bride sang to her groom as a surprise to him as she walked down the aisle. The pair of them teased and kidded each other through the evening and old friends became husband and wife, making their two families into one. Thank you to Krista and Danny for allowing me to capture your love and this very special day. Congratulations!
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This session is incredibly personal and I am just bursting to share it! This last Mother's Day my husband and I got a wonderful gift and surprise... We found out that we would soon be Grandparents! When my step-son and daughter-in-law told us we were ecstatic... little did we know that we would soon be sharing some similar news with them a couple of months later. Yes, we found out that I am also expecting. Much like a made for t.v. movie I will have not only a new grandson but also a daughter born within a month of each other. I made Alicia promise to have maternity pictures taken- even if it wasn't by me (they live in Los Angeles). I think it's such an amazing time in one's life, and you really need to make sure to have pictures that you can look back on and share with your kids. When they came to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with us we went out and shot these. I will be forever grateful that I got to share this time with the two of them. And I can't wait to meet their little boy! "Being a parent means loving your children more than you've ever loved yourself."
"Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty , as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale." -Lauren DeStefano
A beautiful little family session at Woodward Park. The changing colors made for some pretty backgrounds (and foregrounds too!). We had a small problem with a mad duck that tried to run us out of the space. I even caught little Victoria having fun with her Mom and Dad a couple of times during the session. On a beautiful day in November, Victor and Michele said their vows and blended two families into one. The rain the night before gave us a beautiful sky and light to usher in their new life. Congrats to the happy family and a lifetime of blessings for all of you!
It was so wonderful to see the Alcala's again this year. The most wonderful thing about my photography business is the ability to reconnect with old friends and watch their families grow. Since I last saw the Alcala's, Nicky has lost a couple of teeth and Gabriel is now walking (running actually!). Our session at Woodward Park was fun and relaxing. Thank you so much for allowing me to capture these moments.
Last year at this time Liz and Mitch had their maternity session. They thought it would be fun to have some family portraits a year later at the same location, Single Palm Pumpkin Patch. Little Victoria had lots of fun playing in the dirt and discovering the pumpkins.
Such an exciting time for our family! My cousin Michele is getting married and blending her family with her fiance's. We met up in Visalia with the entire crew to get some pictures of the couple and the family for their invitations and to celebrate two families becoming one. Congratulations you two, I can't wait for the wedding!
I love photographing families and I'm so excited to offer two days of Fall Family Mini Sessions in October. Bring the kiddos (dress them up if you like) and come enjoy some family fun at the Pumpkin Patch!
I know I mention this quite a bit, but I am ever so thankful for my photography business because of the friendships that have come out of it. This past weekend I was excited to see a former classmate from high school and meet his beautiful family. The boys are adorable... Gabriel didn't mind when I held him so everyone could get situated and Nicky even gave me a big hug goodbye. Working with people like the Alcala's makes my heart happy!
Many think of today as a hallmark holiday. I think of it as a day to celebrate the love around you. I will be spending my day with my little valentine, my son, and making a special steak dinner for my husband. Nothing too fancy just dinner and a movie (that isn't Disney or Pixar if we're lucky!). This last week I went to visit my Grandfather who is currently residing in a rehab hospital. It's been a long six months since his fall. I wish I could say that he is back to his former self, however, I can say that the love that he and my Grandmother share is the same. He can't always say it, but I know she can feel it. Their love story is 65+ years in the making. It started with a letter to former classmate who was at war. I'm not sure why my Grandmother chose to write to him (I need to remember to ask her next time I visit), but I'm glad she did. My Grandfather once told me that when he read that letter and looked at that pretty girls picture he knew what he was going to do when and if he got home... marry her. My Grandmother, unaware of my Grandpa's intentions, had other plans- she was going to become a nun. Luckily for me he changed her mind. They married in 1948,had five children (one of them is my Dad), worked hard in their orchards and watched their family grow. They are now Grandparents to 13 and Great-Grandparents to 19, with another great-grandchild expected later this year. Long before I met my husband, I once asked my Grandpa what the secret was to a long marriage. He told me, "The secret is to take it one day at a time and it will just add up. It sounds simple, because it is... you just have to take it day by day." I always remember this advice, especially on the days when everything seems to go wrong even more when everything is going right. Happy Valentines Day to you and yours! My Grandfather, Luis (left) coming home from WWII in 1946 and my Grandmother, Marie (right) at home in rural Central California Grandma caring for Grandpa earlier this week
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AuthorHi, I'm Melissa. I am a wife, mother, step-mother, Gigi (step-grandma) and a photographer. I started out as the family member always asked to bring my camera along and it has turned into my life dream. I just love being able to capture moments for others that they can always cherish.This is my little corner to share my sessions, projects, and a little piece of our daily life. Thanks for stopping by! Archives
July 2021
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