...JENI AND DAVE...

not long ago, one of my best friends from high school (which was only like, umm, 3 years ago...) got engaged! her name is jeni, and i love her so so much! she is getting married to dave, and the two have a beautiful love story. i am so happy for them, and was lucky enough to have shot their engagement shots!

here are my favorites...

















xx

...SNEAK PEEK, DIANE AND ANDY...

i was lucky enough to get introduced to the wonderful diane through a mutual friend, and even luckier to be able to shoot her maternity pictures this past monday! diane and andy are the coolest couple - so in love, and fun to be around! andy is absolutely hilarious, and kept me cracking up the whole time. diane is obviously gorgeous, but she is so kind hearted and sweet, it almost doesnt seem fair to be that pretty, AND wonderful!

i am so excited with how these turned out, here is a little sneak peek of their images...









they're having twins!!! i will be doing their newborn shots too - i am so excited, especially because it will be the first time i have photographed twins! will be posting more soon!

congrats to diane and andy!!!

xx

...FLATTERED ISN'T EVEN THE WORD...

hey everyone!

check out the coolest thing ever!

a blog post about me!!!

thanks so much to bobby @ the hundreds!!!

xx

...BUSY, BUSY...

tomorrow is quite the busy day for me!

i have a meeting with a dear old friend, bobby hundreds, who is major, MAJOR in the streetwear community. the hundreds has grown into more than the t-shirt line it began as 6 years ago, it is a worldwide label, that includes cut and sew, shoes, sunglasses, and of course, fitted caps. they are so much more than a clothing company, they are a lifestyle. the hundreds has made it cool for nerdy asian kids that like sneakers, skateboarding, and punk rock (bobby), to get their law degree, run a huge company, and still celebrate the underground street culture that inspires them. even with his stuffy law degree, he gets to draw, skateboard, and wear t-shirts everyday...for a living. i admire him very much, and even with all his success, he is still the same bobby from before.

anyway, we are discussing something super cool, but i don't wanna say too much and jinx it...i promise i will tell you when it is in stone.

next on the agenda, im doing a maternity shoot! my fave! this time, i am lucky enough to shoot with model, diane sorrentino weiss, who is pregnant with twins!! we already booked to shoot her baby boys too, and i am so excited, since this is my first time shooting twins! will definitely post some images soon!

thinking about shooting my day tomorrow, since it is a busy one...maybe another 'day in my life' post??

let me know what you guys want to see, and hear about! if you have questions for me, email me! mariacarmelphoto@gmail.com

maybe i can do a q&a post!

here is an inspiration image for all of you to start your week off just right...
remember, the eiffel tower was not built in a day...



xx

...A DAY IN MY LIFE...

so, i got inspired by my friend rachel rose desimone to do a 'day in the life' post. so, here is my (yester)day...hope you enjoy!



wake up in the morning, feeling like p. diddy...not quite...







i woke up at 7am, to let luda out in the backyard to play...back to bed. up again at 8:30 to let her back in...she barks by my window to let me know she wants to snuggle again. after some snuggle time, we get up.





shower and coffee time...i would be lost without my french press! notice the mug...it is pictures of me, nick and luda - compliments of nick's parents. i have the best almost family-in-law ever!



i see this every morning in the kitchen. a great reminder, and how cute is our dia de los muertos heart?!







decided to make a yummy veggie scramble. seriously delicious.



a little note i wrote to nick when i was gone...it's on our fridge, along with tons of other notes, cards, and magnets of all the places in america he went on tour with his band, the delta fiasco. right now, they are in austin, tx, playing at sxsw (south by southwest), a huge music festival. i miss him.



after breakfast, i take my coffee and luda outside for a ball throwing session...













i noticed how beautiful my garden is looking from all the rain...the orange blossoms smell sooooo good! i think it's time for a bbq!



THEN i noticed the gardening luda decided to do when i wasn't looking....not happy.



scolded her, but went back to zen



then it is time for some computer work...



i am suddenly interrupted by my creepy neighbors watching some...ahem...adult films...LOUDLY! haha



got ready, and headed over to sarah's for a quick bite, and then we were gonna head to see our friend, and brilliant poet, sophie sills do a reading of her personal work. it was really amazing, and i am so glad that i went. by the way, isn't sarah's collage amazing?!





we ended our night at club tee yee, a dive i had never experienced before...it was a good time.



i ended my day in pj's, on the couch with my furry little monster...it was a pretty mellow day!

hope you enjoyed, i will be doing this every once in a while...you should try taking pics of everything you do sometime! you dont realize how much you actually do in a day, and all the beautiful things you see!!

xx

...HEARTBROKEN...

the scream, painted by edvard munch, totally describes the way i feel right now...i could scream...

today i was gonna post my images of the hike i took with nick and luda, but realized that i had accidentally formatted the card!!! not only that, i shot a job over it!!!

so sad and totally kicking myself right now...there were so many beautiful images!

let this be a lesson to all of us, to upload cards right away, and flip used cards in their holders - it can save you from being heartbroken when you realize those special moments are gone.

xx

...CASE OF THE MONDAYS...

had a great weekend, full of sun, dog-sitting, friends, and family!

today, i am back to the grind, and a little tired...i guess that's where the case of the mondays comes in. i am in full effect though, handling logistics for a shoot tomorrow in long beach, and simultaneously planning a wedding shoot in april.

wedding shoot, you say?!

yep! i am working together with some really great people to produce my first faux wedding shoot. i will get into more detail about the great people i am working with, when we are totally in business. until then, i can tell you that we are already planning two different shoots...one in the hollywood hills, and one in malibu. so excited to do it, and see what we get!

now, a different thought i had today...
have you ever felt completely paralyzed about what you are doing in your line of work? having no clue what to do next, and even if you did, you couldnt actually bring yourself to do it? this feeling is so natural, especially for us creatives!! every once in a while, we need to step back, and remember why we love what we do so much...sometimes, it its as easy as going on a hike and taking pictures along the way...urban exploration, if you will. dont stifle yourself with insecurities about your skill level, or your lack of equipment, just take pictures!! if you dont want to use your camera, use your cell phone, just look around and take pictures! make something out of nothing, find something interesting, steal a moment, a smile, an expression.

here is one of my favorite smiles...





go on a hike today, enjoy the sun. i am!

xx

...MY NEW FAVORITE THING...

BABIES!!!

i am obsessed! i love taking maternity pictures so much, it makes my heart smile. i am really focusing on that part of my business lately - building a client base, and shooting as many expecting mommies as possible. i love shooting maternity, because unlike fashion (i still love you), it is a warm, happy time in someone's life, and i feel such an emotional connection to my subjects! ok, ok, so my clock MIGHT be ticking loud enough so my own mother can hear it...give me a break!

here are a few of my favorite shots...













and dont think i forgot about the newborns...







if you, or anyone you know is pregnant, please pass my info along! it would make me so happy!

ps. thank you to all of my beautiful clients that have allowed me to document their new families! love you guys!

xx