here.today » the buzz

melissa — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:10:39 +0000

I make a living artistically, I post images that I take to make a living on the internet and I run the risk every time that someone may “steal” that image, share that image, take that image as their own, print it without paying me. I would rather take that risk a million times then suffer an internet where money buys silence and the strong can stifle the weak. contact your representative and say NO to SOPA and PIPA.

“When ideas are blocked, information deleted, conversations stifled and people constrained in their choices, the Internet is diminished for all of us.. There isn’t an economic Internet and a social Internet and a political Internet. There’s just the Internet.” – Hilary Clinton on SOPA

educate yourself = PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Take Action

looking back at two thousand and eleven

melissa — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:57:14 +0000

I really cannot stand these “best of” end of year, beginning of the new year blog posts… I mean, how can I be expected pick and choose from all the weddings and all the portrait sessions and pick just a few to somehow sum up all the year meant and all the people and photographs that touched me. I can’t, honestly, but I love to look at these posts and so I’m breaking my normal routine and I chose some (just some) of the images that I took this year that meant something to me. We didn’t travel to Guatemala or Mexico this year, instead we stayed on the continental US, Alaska, Chicago, Detroit. Meeting and connecting with all kinds of people and families, celebrating who they are and the big and the little moments in their lives. Happy New Year from my family to yours may it be a blessed, peaceful, and fulfilling two thousand and twelve.

the brides project

melissa — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:33:49 +0000

When I was asked to participate in the Brides Project http://www.thebridesproject.org/ I was thrilled.. . the organization accepts donations of gently worn and unworn wedding gowns and sells them to soon to be brides. The proceeds help the cancer support community of greater Ann Arbor. It’s a really wonderful group of people doing really amazingly important things. Being there and feeling the warmth and comfort the group provides to those going through such a stressful and scary time was a great experience for me and I know it is much needed and appreciated by the people who are helped.

Def take a minute to take a look, the new site is fantastic and the photos are pretty nice too :)

teaching photography . tecumseh art center

melissa — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:23:43 +0000

I don’t know how many people know it but I studied to teach. I love it. The only thing I love doing more is of course shooting and being a photographer. I wanted to share what I have learned and share my love of photography and the best way I know to do that (other then this here blog) is to teach, so when the Art Center in my town asked me to teach I was beyond excited to be part of their program. The third session starts this month a self portrait workshop! and “a photographers eye – photo 101 starts in July. I thought it was about time I shared some of the amazing work that was done!

images credit : Shanan Wellman, Kyle Banas, Brandon Baier, Alison Lara

It takes a lot to bare one’s soul through art, the self portraits especially can be hard, but the reward for that opening up of self is so worth it, and I thank all my students for being part of such an important and wonderful process.

and finally a last day of the last class portrait :)

If you are interested in signing up for the self portrait workshop (June 15th runs for three evenings Wednesday nights for three weeks) or the Photographers Eye (July 13th five evenings for five weeks) you can sign up online @ www.tecumseharts.org

my skies

melissa — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:21:23 +0000

I have been shooting film this last few months much more than I have in a long time and have come to the conclusion that on film my skies do not look better then they do in digital, but the fact that I can capture them this way is somehow, annoyingly, more magical

excited to be incorporating that magic into the weddings I am photographing this year…

we love japan – art auction for japan tsunami relief

melissa — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:46:09 +0000

I was invited to participate in an auction to raise money for Japan after the devastating events of this month and the ongoing nuclear and humanitarian crisis they are suffering. I do personal work as well as my professional work and I chose to donate a piece I shot this winter that means a lot to me.

There are many more pieces from amazing artists at the “we love japan” site please check it out, get an amazing piece of art and help a very important cause.