m+m Photography

Bud and Carol Celebrate their 30th

2010-09-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

While every portrait session or wedding or event is very special in its own way, once in a while as photographers you get to be part of something that really makes you stop and think - Bud and Carol's 30th Anniversary Vow Renewal was one of those times...thank you for letting m+m be a part of this moment!

A little change of pace...

2010-09-01T21:08:00.001-07:00

Remember that cool wall I talked about a few weeks (well, okay, months...) ago? Well, it sadly got a little bit of graffiti, but it is now part of a parking lot, so it won't be covered up again. It is perfect for that antiqued/grungy look...and Happy Birthday to Nick, who thought the wall fit his look perfectly.

This guy is such a natural model!

2010-08-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

Michael was a blast to work with - he knew exactly how he wanted to pose and went for it. He never had a bad moment, and nearly all his pics were "keepers." Michael - I'm glad you had fun cause we did too!

Michael - this kid's got style!

2010-08-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

Aidan's older brother is Michael - a guy with a great sense of fun. He was ALWAYS ready for the camera, but we managed to get a few action shots of him just playing. I love putting shots like this together in a collage "storybook." The viewer gets such a sense of a person through their expressions and movement and emotions.

Can't Help Being So Cute - Aidan

2010-08-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

Boy, if ever there was a truer saying on a t-shirt! We had a wonderful time with Aidan and his family last Sunday, both in studio and on the beach. Tomorrow you'll see some pics of Aidan's older brother - Michael...almost six years old and the consummate "young man."

Childhood beckons....

2010-08-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

wow - July was BUSY!!! Lots to catch up on, but wanted to share a sweet pic that just makes me think of childhood, summer, having all the time in the world, being close to the ground and seeing all sorts of wonderful things in the dirt....just those simple pleasures that are there if you just look for them...no matter what your age...but you have to look...

2010 YMCA National Gymnastics Championships

2010-06-26T23:10:00.000-07:00

What a week! The 2010 YMCA National Gymnastics Championships. Four days of shooting. More than 2,200 posed photos (yes, I said 2,200 POSED photos). Lots of laughter and fun. Assistance from a WONDERFUL team: Chris from Christopher Wood Photography, and Juliana and Patrick from Lani Ki Photography - you guys absolutely ROCK! Ben and Renee from Feriagrafix - we couldn't have done this without your advice and encouragement. Shawnee and Debra - you were willing and able to come provide help on extremely short notice. 15 hour days. Exhaustion. Bad head cold. 1,500 charming and talented athletes. Coaches and parents who support these kids to the nth degree. I've never experienced anything like it even though I've competed and judged at international karate tournaments.

Now the fun of post processing starts and will continue for the next few weeks. The pictures are spectacular thanks to these phenomenal athletes and our great team - and Mac and I want to share a few before we get entrenched in the order fulfillment process. Thanks very much to one and all! And special thanks to the Cameron Family YMCA for hosting this years event

2010-06-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

and more...

Beauty Revealed by Accident!

2010-06-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

Last fall, Mac and I took some senior shots of these beautiful girls. We have (had) a wonderful wall near downtown San Diego that was perfect for "grunge" shots - you can see that wall in the top two photos.
We drove by yesterday - by accident actually (gotta love that type of accident!) - and saw that the back wall and building behind it had been removed, and lo and behold look what was there! How old is this? And how fun is it! Sadly, it looks like they're preparing to put in a new building which will again cover up this great piece of history. Call us quickly if you want to have a photo shoot here!

Chandler's Pics

2010-06-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

Mac and I got to photograph a sweetheart yesterday named Chandler, and we got to try out a great newborn photo prop from Kelsey and Jonathan at Quietude Quilts - a wonderful Etsy shop with hand-crafted doll quilts and furniture. They make beautiful hardwood doll beds and when I saw one I had to ask if they could make one sized just right for newborns. As you can see - 15-day-old Chandler thought it was the best! Her mom McKenna picked out the lime and red color scheme, which just pops off the screen and is such a fun change from your typical baby colors.

Thanks to Chandler for posing so perfectly, thanks to McKenna for the opportunity to take pictures of her sweet little new one, and thanks to Kelsey and Jonathan for such a great newborn photo prop. Check out the fun things in their shop (the bunk beds would be absolutely the bomb for twins), and call m+m Photography for your San Diego newborn photos.

Hint hint: If you call and tell us you're having twins - we'll make sure we get that bunk bed set for your photo shoot!

Love working with friends!

2010-06-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

Our friend Janet is over learning some Photoshop tricks. We worked on this gorgeous shot she took on a recent trip to Cambodia. I think this is a phenomenal environmental portrait!

2010-05-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

Mac and I finally got time to stop by Urban Barn in Escondido today. They used to be in Temecula as La Maison Rustique and were only open one day a month. Now they are open Wednesday thru Saturday every week!

Vintage, funky, eclectic - think the Paris Flea Market transported to sunny Southern California. The owner - Linda - has always been great about letting us take photos and here are two collages I created from the wonderful, one-of-a-kind items in her store. Urban Barn also has great classes and fun events, so check them out at 155 W. CREST Street, ESCONDIDO, CA 92025 WED. - SAT. 10-5; 760-743-7225

Donation!

2010-05-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

m+m Photography is proud to donate a $350 photo session to the Santee-Lakeside Rotary club's silent auction. The event is called Symphony at the Lakes; An Event Benefiting San Diego's Young Artists Symphony
and the Santee-Lakeside Rotary Clubs Youth Outreach Programs.

Vintage Flowers

2010-05-23T19:30:00.001-07:00

I got some beautiful flowers at Wholesale Flowers in San Diego yesterday. We try to go a couple times a month and see what's in stock. This trip I got white hydrangeas and some red dahlias just tipped with yellow. I love seeing fresh flowers on the dining room table, and I love photographing them. Tonight I antiqued the photos a little for something different. Enjoy!

Excelsior Academy Aloha Nights!

2010-05-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we got to shoot the graduation party at Excelsior Academy, which was attended by students in all grades and their parents. It was an absolute blast - a real "family" affair - and we got to dress up our onsite studio with Hawaiian themed props for the photo sessions. With the fan blowing and wearing our Hawaiian shirts and leis, we (almost) felt like we were in the tropics. We got some fun and beautiful photos, and some really silly ones too (sometimes those are just the best).

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to all the graduating seniors - what a great way to end the year!

A big shout out to our good friends Juliana and Patrick from Lani Ki Photography for their invaluable assistance and (as always) great company. And so many thanks to Laura and Joanie for helping make this possible.

Welcome to the world!: Peyton Marie

2010-05-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

m+m photography had the pleasure of photographing Peyton Marie last weekend. Just 10 days old she came into the world at 7 lbs 9 oz to the proud parents, Nichole & Matthew. She was such a sweet little charm to work with too! I have to say this was one of our best newborn sessions ever. Since the optimum window for newborn photography is under 10 days old you never know what to expect. This is the time when they are the most "curly" and we can just about move them into any position for those cute images. Peyton requested only 4-5 breaks in the session while she took refreshments - not bad at all - what a sweetie! Mac

5/17/10 Update - This fun picture of Peyton Marie waiting at the door is the Best Overall Design Winner in the PhotoDuds design contest. Woohoo - what an honor! Love, love, love PhotoDuds!

Renaissance Fair Photo Contest Garners A First Place!

2010-04-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

One event Diane & I attend annually is the largest Renaissance Faire on the West Coast. Held in Irwindale, CA, it's called The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire and is a purely great time to walk the pathway until our feet are killing us. At the end of the day (loaded down with heavy camera gear), I am usually heard complaining in the parking lot that I need to find a lighter hobby. Not even a few adult beverages or turkey drumsticks can ease my aching feet...on a brighter note we also enter the faire photo contest each year....

Well, we have great news again this year! We will not be paying for tickets ($25 ea) because Diane took a first place in the general fun category. That makes 3 years in a row we have won free tickets. Diane will receive 10 free tickets and 2 of the 2010 Mugs (we need larger cupboards to store all the mugs- lol) and the second year in row for her. So I guess we are off to the faire some time this month.
You have to hand it to those people. Seven long weekends the participants partake in this great event. Some of the "tribes" actually have a camp inside the venue there - complete with period tents and cooking equipment and they live with only the same amenities that were available in earlier days. Here is the winning image and a few more that we entered. Congratulations to Diane!

Winner:

A couple more of our entries:

San Diego County Fair starts soon!

2010-05-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

The San Diego County Fair opens on June 11th - just two more weeks! Taking photos on the midway at night - with all the colorful lights and rides spinning around - is an absolute favorite of ours.

Red Light District Photo shoot

2010-03-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

Had a chance to shoot some local models in a downtown restaurant called the Marble Room. I'm a member of the San Diego Modeling and Photography Group and they had a "Red Light District" shoot last weekend..... What blast! The Marble Room is
located in San Diego's Gaslamp District and modeled after a late 19th/early 20th Century bordello. The models were dressed in attire representing that period and what a great job they did! Complete with a couple of the group make up artists, we had a wonderful time and felt very "period" all afternoon. I had even more fun processing some of the images in antique style - reminiscent of that "old time" in history. Well, enough yappin' here's the snappin's:
-Mac

P.S. The entire gallery can be found HERE

Fusion Video: The Donley Wedding

2010-03-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

Finally, out of m+m Photography editing room; a 6 minute fusion of still photography and video. Ken & YuChen Donley were married on NAB San Diego (The Navy Seals Base) on Coronado Island. Just south of the famous Hotel Del. The wedding took place at The Chapel From The Sea and was a very pleasant and non military-ish experience. Thanks Chris and Mr. & Mrs. Donley for having us!
-Diane & Mac

Hi Definition version here

Photography & Video by m+m Photography and Photography by Christopher Wood Photography.

San Diego Senior, Sierra Ivy, Patrick Henry High

2010-02-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

Sierra's session was a pure blast! Sierra Ivy, currently a Senior at Patrick Henry High School wanted to have her sister, cousins and best BF with her for a session at the beach and then downtown in Little Italy. We all met at Wind'n Sea Beach in La Jolla. The weather turned cool and overcast as the marine layer came in but not to worry! We had our Alien bees lights and portable power and hauled it to the sand. It really helped make this session a success. Then, moving downtown to Little Italy we found this cool parking lot with killer brick walls. This really allowed us to get creative for some night time shots. I love the one of the 4 girls against the wall lookin' slick! -mac

Fusion Video: Cami's 17th Birthday party

2010-03-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

Cami's 17th birthday party was so much fun. Cami and 12 of her friends from Francis W Parker School in San Diego met at the Hilton Bayfront and more specifically the Fox Sports Grill for dinner. We arrived early to capture the girls meeting up and having some fun conversations, photos and gift giving as the setting sun provided some great lighting. We made copies for all the girls and hope to see them again soon! Thanks Cami and Dixie, Diane and I had so much fun and hope to see you soon!
-Diane & Mac

Hi-Def version here

m+m Photography picture published in LA Magazine!

2009-08-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

m+m Photography had a small image published in the print version and the on line version of L A Magazine's August issue. It was in the calendar section of things to do! "Every year (except this) we shoot the Manhattan Beach surf festival on the first weekend in August. m+m is really proud that the magazine found our image and published it!" Said Mac.

Article here - Los Angeles Magazine: scroll down to The Charlie Saikley 6-person volleyball

See more from past years volleyball tournaments here

Shared via AddThis

2009-07-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

Emily & Shane enjoy an afternoon at The Marston House for their engagement photos. We then headed over to Balboa Park for more images. Thanks Emily & Shane. Diane & I had a blast strolling through the Prado with you!
Emily & Shane

Autumn & Joe

2009-07-08T21:20:00.001-07:00

Autumn & Joe traveled from their home in Oregon City OR to tie the knot in Pt Loma at the Thursday Club. Despite the overcast the day turned out wonderful for everyone. Autumn & Joe decided that the guests should use a photo booth to take images of themselves and past the images in her scrapbook. What a great idea, it was a huge hit with everyone! The special day ended with Autumn & Joe speeding off on a motorcycle and side cart.