Melissa McClure Blog

Things are pretty quiet on the wedding front around here!  I don’t have another wedding until March 21st so I plan on catching up on some blogging in the next few weeks!  I have a handful of weddings I have 2nd shot at for some good friends.

The first was from last September.  My good friend Nic at Tamarack Studios brought me along to shoot at Loren and Joe’s gorgeous wedding at Pala Mesa Resort.  Pala Mesa is one of my most favorite venues to shoot at, it’s so beautiful!

Please check out Nic’s blog from the same event!

The lovely bride getting her makeup on!

I tried to catch Nic in action, but he is too quick, he spotted me first!

Joe and Loren opted to see each other first which made the day so much more relaxed!

I love the details Loren added to her bouquet…

and her dress!

Larry Samuels is an awesome bagpiper, what a great addition to a wedding!

Got some new competition out there now…

Woza!  Look at that awesome cake!  

Thanks to Nic for having me along, its always a pleasure!

xoxo, M

At lunch today, my fortune cookie said “You will have many friends when you need them”. That couldn’t be more true today. The kind words I received today in emails, twitters, facebook comments and text messages really meant a lot.

Last night around 2:30am Tim and I were woken up by knocking on our door. My poor car had been hit by a drunk driver while it was parked on our street. He hit it with such force that it completely flipped my SUV. The driver (who I found out has multiple DUI convictions and was driving on a suspended license) was coming from a bar, hit my car, possibly rolled his as well and went home to bed. Hit and run. Thankfully he left a ton of clues behind at the scene (ATM statement, baby shower invite, hats and his headlight) and was arrested about an hour later.

No one was injured, we were asleep when it happened.  He may be injured but he was well enough to drive away.

This was what we walked out to find.  The debris in the front of the photo is from his Titan.

Here you can see the cement retaining wall that my car got smashed in to.  Luckily it barely missed the utility box!

Here is the tow truck tipping the car back on 4 (brand new, two week old, expensive) tires.

The major damage, where he hit the car.

Well, that is that.  Now I am playing the waiting game on his insurance company to get a statement when he is released from jail.  I am still pretty shaken up by this whole ordeal.

I’m home!  It was an amazing week at the largest Wedding and Portrait Photographers (WPPI) Convention!  It was held at the MGM Grand which was a fabulous hotel!

I actually didn’t take my big camera out at all until the end of the week, on the drive home.  I’ve always wanted to see what was down the road Zzyzx, off of the 15 freeway.

The answer is: Nothing.  

just kidding.  There is a large dry lake bed that is full of salt and a Desert Mines Study facility.  And a small lake.  That’s about it.

We pulled over to check out the salt lake bed, here is Emily and Kim, debating the ash vs salt theory.  (It’s salt – Emily tasted it!)

me, Ally and Kim, it was a bit windy!

Here I am, honing my skills as a landscape photographer and someone jumps in the middle of the shot!

Next stop: Calico Ghost Town!

It is actually owned by Knotts Berry Farm and it definitely has that feel to it.  A bit hokey.  Not at all what I expected.

My road trip buddies, Emily, Ally and Kim.

And some more for laughs…

My roomies and I did an impromtu bed jumping photoshoot!  Thanks Charise for putting together this collage and to Jen for shooting most of these! 

And the close up of me.  Rockin’ the Colorati shirt, no doubt! (Yes those are cherries on my pants!)

I absolutely cannot wait for next year…Look out Vegas!

XOXO, M

On Valentine’s Day Jennifer and Adam said their vows in front of a handful of friends and family.  The wedding was originally going to be a backyard wedding but Mother Nature hasn’t been cooperating lately, so the wedding was switched indoors at Ridgeview Church in Valley Center, CA.  

Jenn has two adorable daughters, here is Katelynn getting her hair done the morning of!

This is Jenn’s niece Bri, she is so adorable!

Jenn going to see Adam for the first time that day in her dress!

One of my favorites of the day!

Here is Jenn’s youngest, Annie, she wasn’t very happy that morning! 

Katelynn looking as pretty as a Princess!

Loved her flowers!

During the ceremony, they couldn’t stop beaming at each other!

Loved the little Valentine’s Day touches

They got each other good! 

During the best mans toast 

Adam and Jenn, I’ve had fun getting to know you two in a short amount of time!  Best of luck to you in the future!

XOXO, M

Enjoy your slideshow! 

I love my husband.  He is so good to me.  He lets me run off to Vegas all week with my photography friends even if it means I miss his birthday! awww

Anyways, today he turns the big 26 years old and I can’t be there with him!  I wanted to publicly tell him how much he means to me and how grateful I am to have such a sweet and supportive person in my life!

I love you Tim!

xoxo, Your wife

And of course, a hot photo of him on our wedding day taken by Michele Terry

It’s that time of year again!

The time when all the top wedding and portrait photographers in the world get together in Vegas and learn, socialize and shoot!  It’s the WPPI convention held at the MGM in Vegas!

I will be hitting up the classes Monday-Thursday and also a few photoshoots!  And of course all the fun parties at night!  

If you are out there, or even just curious about my week, you can follow me on Twitter to see what I am doing.

My 10 year high school reunion was this past November. I was busy shooting a wedding that night but snuck out for the last hour of it at Pala Mesa.  I saw some familiar faces, most of whom I hadn’t seen in, well, 10 years!

Back in 1998 our ASB had us write a letter to ourselves and they were given out at the reunion. My friend Amy didn’t know I was coming so she grabbed mine and took it home.  I just got it in the mail the other day.  What a trip!  

I had written a little bit about myself back then (who my friends were, some strong beliefs I had).  I also included what I want to accomplish in the last 10 years.  A lot of it was eerily  close to what my life is now.  I didn’t predict having my own business, but I still wanted to be in the photography field.  I mentioned being married and having kids.  Half of that is true!  I named off 4 people that I would still be in contact with and it is true w

ith all but one person!  Pretty trippy.

My best friend Nichole turned me on to a website that does this sort of thing for you!  You write an email to a future you and decide when you want it sent!  I think Nichole does this on a yearly basis.  I wrote one to myself to receive in 5 years from today.  I highly recommend visiting FutureMe.org and writing yourself a note for the future!  Trust me, you will thank me in about 10 years!

And of course, I had to include an embarrassing photo of myself from high school!!

I’m on the right side and my best friend Allison is on the left, this is the day we graduated!   Allison and I are still close friends, she has made a few appearances on my blog recently!  (sorry for the bad scan! Haven’t hooked up my new printer/scanner yet!)

XOXO, M

This past Saturday my friend Carrie got married in the same location that Tim and I tied the knot last month!  She helped out a ton at my wedding so I returned the favor and helped the fabulous Brenda Swann with the setup and breakdown of Carrie’s wedding.  I brought my camera along, of course!

Malgorzata Czarny was Carrie’s wedding photographer, I was only there as a helper/guest/wedding crasher!  :)

I love all the details Carrie envisioned.  It all worked so well together.

The beautiful Carrie!

I bet this place looks familiar to alot of you!

So last weekend it poured. It hailed.  It didn’t stop.  Except for the 40-ish minutes Carrie needed for her ceremony!  The skies were amazing blue and sunny!  It was amazing since it literally was hailing in North County!

We now pronounce you man and wife!

A little quiet time…this is when the rain started! 

They had Soup Plantation for dinner!  It was delish!

Love this shot of their first dance.

A couple of my girlfriends getting freaky on the dance floor!

This shot is similar to one that my photographer took and I loved it!  :)

Carrie, thank you for letting me be part of your special day!  You and Chris have so much love for each other it just radiates out of you.  Have a blast in Hawaii!!!

xoxo, M

Last Tuesday I got to be involved in something new!  Well, new to me.  Shannon and Tim have done this two times now.

Tim was in the Marine Corps and was stationed overseas a few years back.  He got out, found a great job and was enjoying life with his wife and two little boys.  Then last year, the Marine Corps called him back to active duty and sent him abroad for the second time.

Shannon found me on Myspace and hired me to shoot Tim’s first moments back after 7 months.

Tim’s mom (and dad) and good friend Andy came out to California to surprise him.  Shannon flew out from Virginia.  We were waiting a few hours before the 200 men and women were dropped off at Camp Pendleton.

Shannon was super anxious!  Tim kept texting her from the bus.

They have to march in before they are excused to find their loved ones

Shannon didn’t want to let go!

A few days later I met up with Tim and Shannon at the Oceanside Pier for some fun beach shots.  Its not often that they get to spend so much time alone without their sons, so they took advantage of it!

Tim is a very private guy, I’m glad I captured him laughing.  He was probably laughing at me, people tend to do that often.  :)

Shannon I had so much fun getting to know you and your extended family!  I know if you lived closer, we would be good friends!

See you in DC!

xoxo, M