WPPI= EXHAUSTED

Exhausted, worn out, weary, fatigued, dog tired, dead beat, bone tired, ready to drop, drained, zonked, wasted, jaded, bushed, whipped, pooped, tuckered out....the list could go on!! I do this to myself every year at WPPI, but I think this one takes the cake!

I didn't take pictures while I was there so these images are from some of the great photog's who also came to wppi-las vegas this year! If you have pictures, send them and I will gladly post them with a link to you :)

SO, here's a couple of images from the weeks events...the bowling party up in the KingPin suite at the Palms, David Jay's awsome seminar and some late night rockstars!


My favorite girls!!




This one is of some of my favorite photog's from the Mike Colon's Intensive I went to in February!! This image is from Tiffany Aicklen



The Blu Party

Image from [B]ecker's blog


David Jay's seminar--there's me in the front row with the hat :)

Hope Litwin had her camera there (also in the front row...so David himself took this photo)

WPPI - LAS VEGAS LIVE SHOOT!

My good friends Brittany Hanson and Mike Larson are doing a live shoot on the roof top at PLATNIUM on Wednesday...it's INVITE ONLY and I have passes, so come to find me during the trade show and I will make sure you get an invitation!!

Don't miss it!

Their amazing photographers and amazing people!! Come out and see what all the fuss is about!

THE HIT LIST

COMING SOON....STAY TUNED!

ohhhh..I love spring!!

I know it is offically spring in the Colorado Rockies when the Blue Heron's come home!! We have a beautiful pond across the street from our home and last year 3 Heron's made their nest, had babies, and learned to fly!! The best part is that my husband and I got to watch the whole thing! It's rare in today's world to be able to see this kind of thing happen right before your eyes! So, their BACK! Yesterday was their first day! it was good to see!

Happy Spring!

Melissa :)

Designer Gown Buzz

image courtesy of Pronovias




This time last year I was preparing for my own wedding. Getting all of my last minute details taken care of, all of my loose ends were being completed and I was flying back and forth from Las Vegas to Denver for my final dress fittings...all the while photographing several clients spring nuptuals in Las Vegas and California. I was so excited to see my dress when it first came in to the boutique!! Pronovias was my designer and my dress was a simple one layer, raw silk with delicate gold embrodering, lace and beads. I was married in Maui so I wanted something simple and elegant-and something very light so I could run around in the sand with ;).
Pronovias recently released their 2007 collection, and it is beautiful!!!!! I get so excited when I see new gowns, I want to try on all the new designers styles every time I pop into a boutique or see a fashion release on the runway!! Wedding Style Magazine has a fantastic selection of the most amazing designers of the latest 2007-2008 trends and styles of gowns (including Pronovias).

Being Grateful~

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about being grateful in life. My husband Ben and I have had some really good talks over the last month in particular about being grateful and being grateful from the HEART. We have kept a list over the last 30 plus days of simple things in life that we are grateful for. It has brought our relationship closer (not that we weren't close already). It really has opened up our eyes to be consciously aware of all the wonderful things in life, and to acknowledge them...daily. So here is my list of what I am grateful for...I would love to hear feedback and hear what you are grateful for too :)

~My hard working husband, inner peace, our 2 soft fuzzy kitties, the warming sun, DANCING!, my health,
my ability to surrender, the journey, morning love :), this moment, creative juices, breath, clean water,
I can still make myself laugh, music, family, laughter, sunshine, my bestfriend (Ben), Spring!, my heath, learning,
moisture in the air, inspiration, being humbled, humility, the ability to start again, my business, knowledge,
light, longer days, snowboarding!, healing hotsprings, my funny husband, our amazing neighbors, Grandpa.~

This is a small and wonderful list of things I am grateful for! I hope you have a warm healthy day full of love and prosperity!

Melissa

Steamboat Springs

Last week my husband Ben and I went to Steamboat Springs to enjoy some spring skiing & snowboarding. IT WAS AMAZING!!! It was so amazing, that I forgot to take photos on most of the trip. (oops). We stayed less than 2 blocks from the gondola at our friends amazing condo. Asta Loevlie, owner of Java Mountain Roasters has been a great friend of mine since highschool and we have been snowboarding together for over 12 years. Check out her coffee shop next time you stroll into Idaho Springs...she won't let you down!! Our other friends Annelise Loevlie and Ben Anderson showed up and showed off some of their fantastic new ski's! They are some of the founders and owners of Icelantic AT Boards. They have the coolest new ski's!! You must check them out and see for yourself- their amazing, I promise!

After the most amazing day on the slopes, good weather, good music and good fun..we were in need of a good hot springs soaking! Strawberry Hotsprings is a great spot to soak your bones. I managed to bring my camera that day...so here are a couple of the hotsprings!

Top of the Industry!

I am super excited to announce that I have been asked to join Grace Ormonde's exclusive Platinum List! It is the "ultimate resouce for the style conscious bride." It is a true honor to be among the elite of this industry nationally! This publication is the essence of high-end wedding fashion and design. It is also the ultimate resource for a bride looking for the most exquisite vendors for her wedding day!

Photographer Listing

Be sure to check out the latest copy of Grace Ormonde Wedding Style! And be sure to look for me in Fall/Winter issue coming out in July 07!

Winter Wonderland!

Yesterday, we shot an beautiful wedding in Tabernash, Colorado at Devil's Thumb Ranch. I met Jennifer and Cody in the early fall of 2006 and I knew right away how great of a couple they were! They had a simple and elegant wedding at the ranch surrounded by an intimate group of family and friends.








The ranch sparkled from all of the recent snow and it was a full moon, so as the sun set over the candle lit ceremony, all of the surrounding snow covered mountains shined brightly! They danced the night away with family and friends and made their escape as their guest tossed birdseed gently in the night air!

They are on their way to Thailand for a truly exotic honeymoon!! It was an honour to work with two of the most down to earth and wonderful people I have had the pleasure of photographing. You can check out some of their images
here.

Melissa :)

What are you grateful for?

So, I try in my life to always be conscious of my actions and be fully present. If now is all we have then you must make the most of it...right? Photography for me creates this crazy energy buzz through my body and usually through all the wonderful crazyness of a wedding I find myself very still and calm. When I photograph people or nature or just photograph in general I feel really PRESENT! It's amazing. I think that it is part of the reason I am drawn to photography so much. I find myself saying after a wedding "WOW! I'm so exausted and I have never worked so hard and had SO much fun at the same time." Weddings always seem to trigger a place for me to remember how grateful I am for this life and how precious it is. And all the while realizing all these amazing moments that I am so blessed to capture are tangible memories for the people I photograph. I find myself often getting emotional during the Father/Daughter dance, or a ceremony or the pure look on a grooms face when he see's his wife to be for the first time in her wedding gown, and sometimes brought to tears and I can recall being completely present experiencing the amazing moments that are happening in front of me.
So through all of this...I was thinking, how can I bring that feeling of 'presents' to my day to day life when I am not behind the camera? I love yoga and when I practice I often find myself in that space, but how about while I am driving or while I am filing papers or cleaning the house? My husband, Ben and I started a list 3 weeks ago of what we are grateful for. We promised eachother we would do this for 1 month to see what happens. I feel like I will just keep doing it after the '1 month' is up. It has been a real eye opener- to consciously stop, every day, and physically write down what I am grateful for in that moment! It has been fantastic! I usually look at things on the bright side but this has brought that to a whole new level! When you practice the art of consciously creating good in your life, it will manifest, it will fall into place! I am watching it unfold before my eyes! There is the saying "what you resist, persist" and I have also watched that happen in my life. So, we are really beginning to consciously create grateness in our lives by keeping a list of what we are grateful for!
Next week I am going to post everything my husband and I are grateful for over the last month! I would love to hear what you are grateful for in your life!