PINUP SHOOT 2011

Made it in under a year...

Welcome to 2011. I made it back to the blog in just short of a year... funny for someone who likes to write. I guess time or well... just taking the time is just hard to do sometimes. The last year is not one I would have wanted in print anyway. It was an interesting year to say the least and as much as I try to enjoy day to day life I am glad it's over. I know changing from 2010 to 2011 does not mean the hardships we have been facing are over but for me it's a way of looking at a new beginning. We are together, happy, and healthy and that's all I need.

Updates :)

Ian is doing really well and growing more EVERY day. All A's and B's on report card as usual. Currently playing basketball and wanting very much to play football and I don't mean the one referred to as soccer but the beat the crap out of your body one :( I hold out hope he changes his mind before sign ups.

Austin my sexy as always hubby is almost finished with school. Only two quarters left and he will be in HVAC :) WE are super excited... one because no more school and two because the line of work will be much more exciting. He hopes to be working with a new company as early as March/April.

And then there is me.... I am currently full-time at Kennesaw and after being part-time this past year it's really a change. It will still be sometime before I graduate but if I keep plugging away it will get done. :) I don't make resolutions but I will try and update this blog more often. I really hope to have exciting updates on the photography soon. I am currently revamping everything so stay tuned or check the web page :)

It's been awhile again ...

I told you I was never good at keeping up with things like this. I promise I will try harder :)
In other news ... I am very excited I have a wedding coming up in March that is one I am really looking forward to. I met Jocelyn and Josh in May of last year when we did their engagement pictures in Florida. They are one of the cutest couples I have ever met. And on March 6 they will say I do in Arkansas. It is a love that has carried this photographer to three state and I can not wait till the first little ones come along... Here are just a few from their engagement shoot. Enjoy ....

Time Warp

Sometimes life spins you out of control ... be it a rough day at work, a person you called a friend breaks your heart, the loss of a loved one. In these times you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and somehow get through the next day. Then the next and the one after that, and slowly over time the pain gets less. the wounds heal, and you grow as a person. I seem to always be going through one thing or another and I thank God everyday for the friends and family in my life that love, and support me. I grow everyday as a person and as a photographer and now it seems once again as a college student. In case you have not heard I have lost my mind and I'm going back to school for nursing... something I did not have the drive or the guts to do before though I was interested in it. It will be a long road and I know I can't save everybody but maybe the ones I can will do some good in the world with their second chance. That's what I'm trying to do.

MIA

I never have been good with keeping up a diary so I'm not sure why a blog would be any different ... lol
Anyway I've just come through a wonderful weekend of Pinup shoots and I'm coming into a great weekend of Wedding and Family shoots. I will try and get better at posting ... maybe then I will remember how to sign in!!

Laila

Tonight I got to meet a wonderful baby girl just 1 day shy of being a month old. It was a breath of fresh air compared to the day I've had. Yet another reminder of how the world keeps turning. We lose people we love but we gain these beautiful children. They grow and learn and it is so fascinating to watch. Here are my favorite so far ... but I am not done editing yet :)

Just getting started

I'm new to this site and hoping it will become 2nd nature as soon as I can figure out how to make the changes I want. A little about me... I love photography and have since I was 6 and my mom gave me my first 35mm camera. I quickly filled the back with small beads and closed it shut ... never to get it open again. I was still fascinated and started studding to use my Dad's SLR around the age of 8 or maybe 10. I was not allowed to touch it but then again what he didn't know didn't hurt him. I only read the book and changed the settings but that was enough for me. My grandmother gave me a 110 film camera around the age of 10 and I took it everywhere. Much to the dismay of most of my friends. Over the years I added different and better 35mm's and eventually bought my own SLR in the late 90's. I loved it. It was around 10yrs old when I got it and came with everything a budding photographer oohs and ahhs over. I still have it even though I retired it about well over 8 yrs ago. It sits where I can see it and reminds me of how far I've come. I moved onto a SLR Minolta after that and still have it as well ... really I need to pass it on to a budding photographer. It's a great teaching camera. As soon as the DSLR's hit the shelf I was drooling but also trying to stay on the side of what I believed in so I avoided them for almost 3 yrs and stayed a film girl. Then I got my first semi professional Nikon D70 and that was it, I was hooked. It cut cost and I went from shooting 400 to 600 shots in a wedding to over 1200. Next was a Nikon D300 and I still love that camera. I'm now a Nikkon girl all the way ... really always was just took a few years to afford what I wanted.



I have a passion and when I'm behind the camera it shines. I love seeing the tears when I hand over a wedding album and the fresh face of a newborn baby makes me crave one more. Just one more minute, one more smile, one more look, one more photo. This business has it's ups and downs but it's what makes me who I am. Next to my husband and our son it is what I live for. I will start adding photos here soon as well but for now you can check out www.melissagilbertphotography.com for more.

Thanks for reading,
Melissa