The Circle

As most of you know, I love telling a good story. This is what makes my life so fulfilling, not only watching my own family's story play out but yours as well. Weddings are so much fun, but what is even greater is getting to photograph the new babies that follow those weddings. These past couple weeks I had the privelege of seeing two such stories in action. Both couples have boys with great names and they are both sooo adorable. Meet Micah (Andrew and Kelsey Spradlin) and Levi (Jonathan and Kayley Price). Here's a couple images, but you can see the rest on my website. I have a lot of faith in both these young families, they are good people in the stitching of their makeup and I saw first hand how great these parents are going to be. Good job guys!

Greenfitti Jungle

I'm a little behind on blogging (surprise surprise), but I wanted to go back and highlight this hike we did in LA. My sister has been doing this hike for a while and from her pictures I knew it was somewhere I wanted to visit with all of my equipment. So a couple weeks ago when I was down in OC for some shoots, I decided it was time to make that 3 hour hike. What an amazing place! I'm not allowed to give specifics on where this location is, but I'd like to describe it to you as a place where the Garden of Eden meets West Side Story; where graffiti is not only acceptible but part of the allure. It was almost too much for a three hour time period. I plan to go back with different eyes.

In addition to my amazing sister, we invited three actors to take the hike and I was worried about that being too many, but now I wish we'd taken more and so wish we had taken at least one girl! So, I'm making a list for the next times I visit. I've decided that I would like to go back there once with a senior (boy and girl), once with the right engaged couple, once with a dancer or several dancers, another time with two little girls in white dresses, maybe once with a little boy in overalls and his favorite pet, for sure once with an entire band or orchestra, and I have to go once with my photographer friends for play date and oh yeah my own family for a picnic. It holds so many different possibilities. There's so many spots to shoot there, not just the graffiti art. Then to finish off the hike, the plush meadows and running creek are almost overwhelming to the senses.

The hike was finished with perfection: A huge orange tree free for the taking which made me smile to think that God also took that hike with us. It does remind me of what life must have been like before we desecrated much of the beautiful land God gave us. But, I know that the earth will return to this beautiful state someday and I can't wait to introduce my children to it.

If you'd like to hike this with us next time, shoot me an email and I'll keep you updated as to the next trek we make there. I plan to make one more visit this Spring. Thanks for letting me digress...

Love Bakersfield Style

If you love Bakersfield, it doesn't get any better than this. A ranch with horses and goats, wagon wheels, high weeds, rusted metal--ah I love the smell of rusted metal in the morning. Ha ha. Honestly, I could shoot this kind of location anytime or at least until the cows come home. Anthony and Ashleigh are one of those couples that every photographer falls in love with. Absolutely adorable and so in love--very easy to photograph. We had a lot of fun last weekend tromping through these dusty trails letting creativity be in charge. You can check out the entire shoot on my website, but here's a couple of my favorites. Thanks guys! Loved it!

Love is in the Air

This is the season of LOVE right before the season of WEDDINGS. I love this time of year in Bakersfield, chilly air and scattered rain to keep the skies clear. My last three Engagement shoots have been such great fun! I can't wait til these weddings, which are right around the corner. For these shoots, we took to the great outdoors:

Stephen and Alaina we simply hit the beautiful agriculture in Southwest Bakersfield where the grass is as high as an elephant's eye--not really, but close enough.




Carlos and Lindsay we took to the almond orchards where the blooms are bursting. This blooming season is coming to an end quickly! We also got the edgier side of the orchards, at the railroad tracks--this is always so much fun for me, especially when you have a couple willing to get a little dirty with train oil!



Then Robert and JulieAnn--we had a lot of fun in my old stomping grounds. Back to Costa Mesa at Back Bay Natural Reserve--I used to walk it in college and was so in love with it (when my allergies could handle it). I always remembered it fondly and wondered how a photoshoot would do there, well now I know. The yellow wildflowers were only more perfect when JulieAnn showed up in an adorable yellow sundress! Crazy coincidence? It was perfect.




You can see all of these photoshoots under the "proofing" category on my website at http://www.mistydameron.com/, but here's a couple to get the idea. Thanks all of you beautiful couples, I cannot wait for the rest of the story!