Photographer Meet-Up!

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!

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!

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,

M

Joe Photo cracks me up!

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!

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?

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...)

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,

M

Love my new lens!

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!

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!

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,

M