The day set record high temperatures in the California Central Valley (over 110 degrees!) but it was a beautiful ceremony filled with love, family, and smiles. The venue is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the views from the ceremony site were gorgeous.
This day was special in so many ways- it would have been the bride's maternal grandparents' 50th anniversary and the whole day was about family- the bride's Uncle officiated, and her stepfather and father walked her into the ceremony. Many of her siblings (and one of the groom's) and her cousins made up the wedding party. The groom's family traveled from Texas to be a part of the big day. Huge congratulations to Kaitlin and William!
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I had meant to share these pictures last year, but as usual, time got away from me. But this trip meant so much to me that I don't want to just forget about it, so here they are. I hope you enjoy!
Stillwater, Oklahoma is the place of my birth. My parents met at Oklahoma State University and then moved out to California (where my Dad is from) when I was about 3. I am Oklahoma born and California raised... and both states have a big part of my heart. I returned to Oklahoma at 19 to attend OSU and to be closer to my Mom's side of the family. This part of Oklahoma still feels like home to me, even though it has been nearly 20 years since I moved back to California. I loved watching my kids explore and fall in love with it as much as I have. While visiting, I took everyone to the University and we wandered around the campus. Visiting the library, student union and Theta pond brought back so many memories! Of course we had to make a stop at Eskimo Joe's (a local bar and grill)... if you live in Oklahoma, you know Joe's. My Mom also let us know about a couple of new sites to go check out. The two transformers were a hit with my kids, they thought that we should go look for more! I'm hoping we make another trip this summer so I can show my family that there is so much to love about Oklahoma. At the beginning of 2017 I decided to make a goal for my personal photography- I wanted pictures of my family doing out everyday thing. Nothing fancy, just documenting our everyday life. I was sure it was a project doomed to fail. I've tried things like this before and never got to a half-way point... I'm not sure why I thought this would be any different, but it was. I documented our family with both digital and film cameras (waiting for film scans was torture but always worth it). Now, I am at the end of this project and I have this incredible amount of pictures from the last year. I haven't quite figured out what this year's project will be, but I know I want to do another one! The best thing that came out of this project are all the little everyday moments- that I might have forgotten about- are captured for me to remember. Here are a few of my favorites from the last year.
I was so honored to be a part of Rachel and Tyson's evening. We met up before they went to dinner (pizza!) and took pictures of the two of them.
Portra 400 shot on Mamiya 645, developed by Pro Photo Connection Words cannot express how excited and proud I am of this beautiful lady. My youngest sister, Meredith, has completed her Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts! “Believe in your greatness. Because what you believe is what you become.” ― Udai Yadla I've said it before, I have a special place in my heart for blended families. I come from one and now have one of my own- so they are near and dear to my heart. It was such a pleasure to meet this beautiful family. We had a great time wandering around Simonian Farms in the early morning on a Sunday a few weeks ago.
Portra 400 shot on my Mamiya 645, Ektar 100 pushed +2 on Minolta Maxxum 7000, and HP5 pushed +3 on Pentax K1000 developed and scanned by Pro Photo Connection When I initially met Marc and Brittany they stressed that they wanted their day documented with as many candid moments as possible. As someone that loves documentary type of work, I was over the moon for this opportunity and couldn't wait for their big day. They exchanged vows at the beautiful Nonini Winery in Fresno County and it couldn't have been a more perfect day. Both the bride's and groom's families were so wonderful and genuine and the entire day was about the blending of two families. Congratulations to the Armstrongs!
Film shot with Portra 400 and 160 on Mamiya 645, developed and scanned by Pro Photo Connections |
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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