Melissa Gale Photography

I am so happy to inform you all that one of my images has been selected to appear in Sunset's upcoming new edition of the Western Garden Book.I have been submitting images for the past few months, hoping that at least one would be selected and one of them did!

Photograph by photograph, book by book I am getting my name out there. I hope to one day be as successful of a botanical photographer as Saxon Holt. Thank you so much to Sharon Cohoon and Linda Peters at Sunset for helping me along my way.

April

2011-04-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

April showers bring May flowers, and photographs! All the rain we've been having this year has been great for the plants here in the nursery and countryside. I will be planning on photographing as much as possible this month and next, with an emphasis on actual landscapes as well as my close ups.

My bosses new book was released this month.

This is indeed the same book he got one of my photographs into. And here it is!

It made me feel really great to be a part of a publication, and I hope to do more in the future. I am going to send Thank you cards to all the people who were involved in making my first published photograph a reality. There is a rumor that Cachuma press may do another book in the near future so I will continue to expand my portfolio.

I have been continuing to contribute to Sunset's new Western Garden Book, but I believe they will let me know at a later time whether or not they have selected any of my photographs. I hope they do!

Plant of the Week Photographs - March

2011-04-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

Another month has flown by, my oh my.

Fuchsia thymifolia

Fremontodendron 'San Gabriel'

Geum 'Totally Tangerine'

Gaillardia aristata 'Gallo Dark Bicolour'

Photography Decision

2011-03-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

I have decided to keep this solely as my photography website. Everything else that is more personal or does not pertain to photography will be posted on my Tumblr.

Thank you!

Native Sons Plants of the Week - February

2011-03-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

Better late than never!

Lavandula stoechas 'Marshwood'

Euphorbia 'Rudolph'

Gaillardia aristata 'Gallo Red'

Lewisia 'Little Plum'

Native Sons Plants of the Week - January

2011-01-31T12:00:00.000-08:00

The Plants of the Week blog was on hiatus until the last two weeks of January (I am counting Monday the 31st as a week of January). To tell the truth, I missed getting out at least once a week and taking photographs in the field, I am glad we are picking back up for spring.

Erodium chrysanthum

Uncinia rubra 'Belinda's Find'

Wisdom Teeth

2011-01-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

My experience with wisdom teeth removal is not a pleasant one.
Ouch.
My surgery was Monday December 27th and a week later I was still in a decent amount of pain. I had a persistent ache to sharp pains in my lower jaw, that have finally started subsiding, although there are still some flair ups. Why not call the good Doctor you ask? Well I did, the Friday after my surgery, and his response was to take more painkillers. I ran out of Vicodin as of that Saturday, so I have prescribed my own painkillers. Two 500mg tablets of Tylenol, two 200mg tablets of Ibuprofen and liberal applications of Anbesol (numbing liquid). Now I am down to just the two Tylenol and it the pockets are beginning to close up, but I am sure I had/have dry sockets. Dry sockets is when the blood clot that is supposed to be protecting your open nerves and bone in the pocket, fall out. My advice to anyone else would be to make sure you are eating enough to keep your stomach settled under medication. I believe my troubles started after I got sick to my stomach. Oh well, now that I am beginning to feel better it seems like water under the bridge.

That being said I am convinced that this year will be even better than the last. Last year was one of the happiest I've had in a long time and it will only get better. I have created a To-do list for this year that is about a mile and half long and I intend on doing everything on that list. I have already started on a few of the projects, but my teeth predicament kept me a little delayed. Onward and Upward!

Native Sons Plants of the Week - December

2010-12-15T15:32:00.000-08:00

And so, Plants of the Week ends for the year. The nursery is slowing down for the holidays and the plants are slowing down for the weather. Sadly there are only two plants for this month. I always find it fun and challenging to take these photographs every week and I will miss doing it for the next few weeks.

Phygelius 'Passionate Pink'

Euphorbia 'Blue Lagoon'

We're Engaged!!!

2010-12-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

Cameron and I are engaged! We have talked about engagement and marriage before, but now it is official and I can officially start planning! He proposed at the perfect place, perfect time and with the perfect ring for me.

Friday, December 3rd, we went to Christmas Disneyland. Unknown to me, Cameron told my Mom and Sister that morning while my Dad and I were out getting breakfast. My Mom passed it along to my Dad, but they all kept it to themselves until later that night when Cameron popped the question. We crowded into a festive Main Street USA with thousands of the other guests to watch the Holiday fireworks over the Castle. After the fireworks ended, snow began to fall to one of the most beautiful renditions of "White Chistmas" that I have ever heard (an event I have always been fascinated with). Cameron pulled a little box out of his pocket, opened it and asked "So will you marry me?". After that what was said got a little fuzzy, I got very excited...yes of course I said yes!

The ring is a vintage ring Cameron's Grandma had given to him that had belonged to her close friends, in fact this ring had been their engagement/wedding ring I believe. He said he believes it was from the 30s or 40s, but it could be older (I would love to find out). Cameron offered to buy me a better one but I told him no way! Who wants a cookie cutter ring anyone can get from a jewelry store when you can wear something unique that is part of a story. What is even more amazing is exactly my size and I remember telling my coworker that I would love to have a ring with a flower or vine or leaves somehow worked into it, but I didn't want to tell Cameron because I wanted him to do his own thing. This ring is made up of a flower, with a sapphire in the middle. Absolutely my style and absolutely beautiful.

I am still letting it sink in that I am engaged, we haven't decided on a date yet. We want to get our finances in order, because as much as we both love family, we do not want to live with parents once we are married. I am guessing about a year or a year and a half.

Native Sons Plants of the Week - November

2010-11-24T14:19:00.000-08:00

Things are beginning to slow down here at the Nursery. This month I only took two plant of the week photographs. This week and next week the Plant of the week will remain the same and the photograph was done by someone else.

Bidens nudata

Phlomis fruticosa 'Compacta'

The work on my personal stock photography library continues. I have already cataloged and uploaded my first batch and now I am going through everything I had stored up on my computer for the winter. After I am finished, I will then put the Native Sons logo and the plant name for each plant on the corresponding images that belong to Native Sons and send them to the Website designer for the Annotated Catalog.

Progress!

Thankful

2010-11-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

I'm sure someone else out there does this, but I like to make a list of the things I am thankful for when Thanksgiving rolls around. It helps me realize how much I really have to be thankful about and enter the holidays a little more humble.

I am thankful for being alive and in relatively good health.

I am thankful for having food, water and shelter.

I am thankful for my family.

I am thankful for my best friend.

I am thankful for my boyfriend.

I am thankful for my Animals.

I am thankful for my Job.

I am thankful for my Camera.

I am thankful for my Computers.

I am thankful for my Car.

And the list goes on.

Christmas is Coming...

2010-11-12T16:23:00.000-08:00

This year, Christmas will mean a great deal me in so many ways. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. It's not the presents, it's the atmosphere. The Spirit of Christmas has been ruined for me on numerous occasions in the last few years and I am determined to get it back.
The Scent of Christmas Trees.
Cider, Cocoa, Gingerbread, Peppermint.
Bright Colors and Twinkling Lights.

Christmas in the Village.
Christmas Disneyland.
Love, Family, Gifts.

Native Sons Plants of the Week - October

2010-11-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

This was a month of challenging images. As the winter season closes in the plants become less and less photogenic. My favorite from this month is Asclepias curassavica. I am still learning the plant material, so before I go out to shoot I always google the plant so I know what to look for. I googled Asclepias and found these beautiful red and yellow blooms, but when I went out into the field there were only tightly closed buds. Apparently no one told these plants that their public awaits! I found one plant out of a block of 100 that had one flower open, thank goodness!

Correa pulchella 'Pink Flamingo'

Erodium 'Maryla'

Convolvulus cneorum 'Snow Angel'

Asclepias curassavica

Ceanothus thrysiflorus var. griseus 'Diamond Heights'

Productive Absence

2010-10-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

I have been neglecting to post for awhile due to intense productivity.

I am incredibly blessed to have this job and these bosses. They have been extremely supportive when it comes to my career as a photographer. Now as i've begun to expand there have been questions regarding my photography rights. Recently they have gotten back to me and I feel the situation is very agreeable and quite wonderful actually. Summed up, I take photographs at work and I show the photographs to my boss. He chooses which he would like for the company, and everything else I can use for my personal stock library on the understanding that 10% of what I make be given to be paid to the company. Anything taken on the property on my own time, with permission, is fully mine. Anything shot on my own time elsewhere is fully mine no permission needed.

Of course this has spurred me to do some intense reorganizing of my photography. I have gone through everything that I have stored and edited thusfar, separating and assigning stock numbers to each. Now I am in the process of reorganizing my Flickr and uploading any of my own files that were missing. Tedious, but necessary!

On another note, I was published in the Sunset Magazine's blog again. Totally made my day.

http://freshdirt.sunset.com/2010/10/basically-black-foliage.html

Sharon Cohoon, one of the writers for their blog, has taken a notice to my photographs posted on the Native Sons website and has now begun using them from time to time.

Native Sons Plants of Week - September

2010-09-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

These are the photographs I took for Native Son's Plant of the Week for September 2010. My favorite is the Agonis 'After Dark'. We have to take horizontal photographs for the Plant of the Week blog, so doing anything tall is a bit of a challenge. These Agonis stand about 5 feet tall in their pots with a greenhouse behind, I remember viewing them and thinking eeeek. I started moving around and getting a variety of shots. The best were when I hunkered down and looking up into a clean sky background. The sun was rising so I got a few shots with the sun glowing through the foliage, showing off the beautiful color.

Disneyland

2010-09-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I went to Disneyland with my family and boyfriend. I can honestly say it was the best visit i've had in years and THE best visit i've ever experienced with a boyfriend.

There is nothing worse than going somewhere with someone when they don't want to be there. The trip becomes about pleasing them rather than being pleased together. I've been to Disneyland (among other places) with significant others and I can honestly say I'm confused as to why they agreed to attend in the first place. They've complained about getting up early, the people, the lines, the rides, staying too long, the prices (even when I paid) and so on. It left such a tarnish on my experiences for the past 6 or so years that I was losing interest in one of my favorite places.

Then Cameron came along. Cameron is a different breed of man altogether and definitely my match. He was excited before, during and after Disneyland. He woke up before I did and got ready in a hurry. We dodged people and strollers and kept each other entertained in line. There was one ride he refused to go on and one ride I refused to go on so we compromised. We stayed until after closing and had a blast! I can't wait until we go back for Christmas Disneyland, our favorite holiday and place!

I took some photographs when I went, sadly my camera only gets to about 1600 ISO so my goal of taking more photographs on the dark rides didn't come into play as much as I wanted it to. All the same I managed to get a few photos that I like.

Native Sons Plants of the Week - August

2010-08-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

These are the Native Sons Plants of the Week photographs I took for the month of August. My favorite one to take was the Sidalcea hickmanni ssp. anomala. This is my boss's favorite plant and he was ecstatic over the image. He had me send the photograph to him immediately and even said he would make it his new desktop photograph. Later that day he came back in and told me that was by far the best photograph i've taken. Talk about a self esteem booster!

Sunset on the Horizon

2010-08-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

Last week my boss called me after hours to tell me that she had seen one of my Plant of the Week photographs featured on the Sunset Magazine's Blog. She suggested that I write the author who had written the blog and introduce myself as the photographer. I followed her advice and included a link to my online portfolio so the author could see my other work. In almost no time at all I received an email back saying that now she knows who the photographer is she will make sure to give me credit in any future blog entries.

Surprise surprise! That was not all! The next day the photo editor of the garden department of Sunset Magazine contacted me and told me they would be willing to have me submit my work for future issues of the magazine with full reimbursement!

They will email me sporadically but continuously asking if I have certain shots and if I do I am to submit them in lo resolution files to the magazine. If they use them in their layout they will request a higher resolution. They will then reimburse me depending on the size of the spread.

This is so wonderful! I can barely contain myself!

Love

2010-08-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

"Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perservers. Love never fails." -1 Corinthians 13:4-8

By far my favorite quote about love and my favorite quote from the Bible.

I believe that once you are with someone and this statement rings true, you are truly in a loving and healthy relationship. Different people have different needs, but no one needs to feel exhausted, mistrusted, rejected and/or damaged in their own relationship.

If your significant other throws tantrums...

If your significant other is rude to everyone but you...

If your significant other is cheating on you (its up to you as a couple to define cheating)...

If your significant other won't commit to just you and you want commitment...

If you love an activity (within reason) and are no longer "allowed" to do that activity...

If you aren't "allowed" to go to social events...

If you are afraid to go to social events and the resulting fight...

If you cancel long standing plans with others at the demand of your significant other...

If you fight in public places...

If you fight loud enough for neighbors to overhear you...

If you have had to give up your friends...

If your significant other has treated your friends wrong...

If you have had to give up your family...

If your significant other has treated your family wrong...

If you are afraid to talk to members of the opposite sex (or same sex) and the resulting fight...

If you are being slapped, grabbed, shoved, choked or otherwise physically abused...

If you are being told information or called names to make you feel less worthy or otherwise verbally abused...

Run!

Watch the movies "He's Just Not That Into You" and "500 Days of Summer" and "High Fidelity". Three very insightful movies, i'm sure there are more and i'll work on making a list. If you watch any of these movies and think to yourself...that is what's happening to me...RUN!

Autumn

2010-08-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

Autumn is my favorite season. A succession of my favorite holidays; Halloween, Thanksgiving and most of all Christmas!

I am of the notion that this Autumn will be the best I have experienced in a long time. New love and new outlook. The following is what I plan to do/accomplish this Autumn.

~~Go to Halloween Disneyland.~~

Go to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios or Knott's Scary Farm.

Make a Kick Ass Halloween Costume (not to be confused with the movie, just an awesome costume).

Go to the Avila Barn.

Help Stock Firewood.

Make a Dish to contribute to Thanksgiving Dinner.

Spend a Wonderful Thanksgiving with My Family.

Cuddle in front of a Fire.

Drink Hot Apple Cider and/or Hot Cocoa every cold day.

Make Out Christmas Cards.

Make Amigurumi for some Christmas Presents.

Go to Christmas Disneyland.

Go to Christmas In The Village and Carol.

Watch Christmas movies and Specials with my Man.

Make a Dish to contribute to Christmas Dinner.

Spend a Wonderful Christmas with My Family.

Watch Christmas movies and Specials.

Make Natural Recycled Paper.

Edit Plant Photography.

Edit Vintage Photographs.

I'm sure there will be much more to do in the coming months, but these are things I definitely want to do! I can't wait!

July Plants of the Week

2010-07-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me that I should start doing these by month instead of randomly, so I will save them all up and post them at the end of every month.

Take a look: Native Sons-Plants of the Week.

Echinacea purpurea 'Little Magnus'

Ozothamnus diosmifolius 'Rose'

Euphorbia 'Blackbird'

Plants of the Week (Catching Up)

2010-07-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

I believe it's time for an update of the "Plant of the Week" Variety. Here are my photographs for the Native Sons Plant of the Week. Featured here.

Some plants are photogenic, some not so much, but it's my job to find the beauty in them all.

Omphalodes cappadocica

Teucrium majoricum

Gaillardia aristata 'Gallo Dark Bicolour'

Clouds part 2, Revenge of the Altocumulus!

2010-06-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought the clouds had run away, never to return (until fall that is)! Yesterday I was walking home from work and saw these gorgeous clouds spanning the sky. I looked them up and they are called Atrocumulus Clouds! I find clouds so fascinating, it's probably the day dreaming side of me.

Native Sons Website

2010-06-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

At my job, we undergo a yearly employee evaluation. This year my supervisor discussed taking more photographs for the Native Sons Website and Plant Database. We had discussed this right before Christmas, however during the winter season nothing was looking photogenic, I had to put my project on hold. I've started taking photographs again when the conditions are right and i've already transferred a large amount of them over to the web designer. He contacted me back within a few days and said that he was almost done uploading them to the annotated catalogue, on top of that 2 of my photographs are displayed on the main page!

My photographs are the main large one (Leucodendron 'Jester') and the small middle one on the top bar (Carex praegracilis).

Native Sons Wholesale Nursery

These are examples of how my photographs are viewed on the website. You could also just explore around on the website yourself.

Native Sons Annotated Catalog

Scroll down to the bottom where you will find the plant categories.

If you are really interested in seeing which photographs are mine here is a list of the ones i've contributed that have been posted.

Abutilon palmeri (under the "luminous gold flowers" link)

Achillea x lewisii ‘King Edward’

Agave funkiana ‘Fatal Attraction’

Aquilegia canadensis ‘Little Lanterns’

Berberis ‘Ken Hartman’

Buddleja ‘Silver Anniversary’

Carex praegracilis (under the "large drifts" link)

Carex testacea (under the 'tangerine-colored blush" link)

Ceanothus ‘Tuxedo’

Convolvulus sabatius ‘Compacta’

Convolvulus cneorum ‘Snow Angel’

Coprosma ‘Evening Glow’

Coprosma ‘Fire Burst’

Coprosma repens ‘County Park Red’

Cuphea hyssopifolia ‘Red Compact’

Cuphea hyssopifolia ‘White Whispers’

Delosperma sphalmanthoides

Echeveria ‘Afterglow’

Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae

Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’

Euphorbia x martini ‘Red Martin’

Fremontodendron ‘California Glory’

Fremontodendron ‘Ken Taylor’

Fremontodendron ‘San Gabriel’

Gaillardia aristata ‘Gallo Dark Bicolour’

Gaillardia x grandiflora ‘Oranges and Lemons’

Gaura lindheimeri ‘Lillipop Pink’

Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Rainbow’

Geranium sanguineum ‘Vision Violet’

Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘St. Ola’

Lavandula x intermedia ‘Provence’

Leucodendron ‘Jester’ (and on front page)

Lewisia ‘Little Plum’

Origanum majorana

Penstemon ‘Apple Blossom’

Penstemon ‘Pretticoat’

Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Gold Star’

Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Jade’

Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Marjory Channon’

Polemonium ‘Brise de Anjou’

Salvia ‘Hot Lips’

Salvia darcyi ‘Vermillion Bluffs’

Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’

Sedum ‘Hartland’

Sedum acre ‘Elegans’

Sedum rubrotinctum

Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’

Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’

Sempervivum ‘Kalinda’

Sisyrinchium ‘Californian Skies’

Westringia ‘Wynyabbie Gem’

Customer Service

2010-06-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

Customer service is not for me this week. I seem to be a magnet for the most incompetent of souls who (whether they realize it or not) seem to be on a mission to send me hurtling through hoops. I am trying to get a handle on my feelings of anger and mistreatment, I love my job and I won't let a few inconsiderate people ruin it for me, however i'm having major flashbacks to working retail after these last two days! Frustration!

Onward and Upward!

2010-06-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

I am pretty impressed with Blogger at the moment.

I myself only recently discovered the "Pages" element. Blogger pages let you to publish static information on stand-alone pages linked from your blog, very similar to regular websites. There are many freedoms to having your own domain name and website. However, when you are just starting an online presence there really is no point in having them. Blogger allows you the basic design elements needed to begin on your way.

My parents own a classic mustang parts and renovation business and need to bring it to the next level. They had had a website before and the progression of it was not discussed or acted upon. It stayed static for quite some time, not helping their business in the way it should. I have decided to take the reins and create a page for them here on Blogger. There is little on the page as of right now, but you can see the basic design. I plan on sitting down with them this weekend and discussing what else they would like to include as far as pages and what kind of content they would like to post in the blog section..

Berard Pony Enterprises

As for me, I redid the design of this blog and began slowly adding my own pages. It remains to be decided on whether or not to create a whole different blog for my photograph restoration work, or just designate a page to it here. Hmmm... we shall see! Onward and Upward!

Cloud Fiasco, on to Trees!

2010-06-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I fully intended to begin this business of photographing clouds every day. However, the day after we had a heat spell....no clouds! Bah Humbug! So i'm thinking of changing my tune until interesting clouds come back out to play. My new inspiration is trees!

About a month or so ago I took a trip up to Figueroa Mountain in Santa Ynez California to photograph the wildflowers. Much to my disappointment there were hardly any wildflowers in sight. Lupins were still present everywhere, and they are one of my favorite flowers, but you can only photograph a lupin so much! Instead I turned my attention to the many trees populating the mountain. Trees have so much personality when you really stop to look at them, especially oak trees! Here are some shots I took from Figueroa.

Convolvulus sabatius 'Compacta'

2010-06-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

This is my Plant of the Week photograph for Native Sons Wholesale Nursery, Inc for June 7th thru June 11th, 2010. It can be found here.

Compact morning glory. An evergreen perennial growing up to 8" tall with trailing branches spreading to 12". Deep lavender purple flowers are shown from Spring-Fall. Grows well in light gravely soil with good drainage, but will tolerate clay soil if not over watered. Use for small ground cover areras, rock coastal gardens as well as for container planting. Hardy to 25F.

Clouds

2010-06-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

I was in ROP Photography my senior year of high school when we learned about Photograph Collections (and/or sets/series). At the time I had immediately thought of clouds. Different varieties of shape, luminosity and opacity. Being a daydreamer, I always had my head in the clouds anyways.

Then I attended Brooks and that idea got pushed into the background of my mind (the effect of rules being put on creativity, but that is another story).

Well, I have found my forgotten ideas for collections again. I have decided to start photographing clouds every day to see what the outcome will be. It will keep me on my toes and inspire me to pick that camera up every day for something other than work.

Of course the day I decide to begin this project of mine there are no clouds to be seen... I did have time to get one this morning.

Not a bad start, I just wish there were more!

Plant of the Week Collection

2010-06-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

Again i've been busy and haven't gotten around to posting in quite awhile here is another collection of plants for the Native Sons Nursery Plant of the Week Website. They can be found published onNative Sons - Plant of the Week.

Lewisia 'Little Plum'

Sisyrinchium 'Californian Skies'

Aquilegia 'Little Lanterns'

Geranium x cantabrigiense 'St. Ola'

Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Oranges and Lemons'

Gaura lindheimeri 'Passionate Rainbow'

Back on Track

2010-03-12T15:36:00.000-08:00

I realize I haven't updated this site in quite awhile. I have been distracted with some life changes, here and there. The following is a collection of my Plant of the Week photos for Native Sons Nursery, Inc.

They can be found published on Native Sons - Plant of the Week.

Coprosma 'Fire Burst'

Carex testacea

Convolvulus cneorum 'Snow Angel'

Rosmarinus officinalis 'Mozart'

Fremontodendron 'San Gabriel'

Delosperma sphalmanthoides

Westringia fruticosa 'Wynyabbie Gem'

Festuca californica 'Scott Mountain'

Berberis 'Ken Hartman'

Geranium sanguineum 'Vision Violet'

Plants of the Week Project

2009-11-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

My friend and coworker normally takes the photographs and writes the descriptions for Native Sons Plant of the week. Recently, when he's been out of the office i've been writing the descriptions and taking the photographs and loving it! Now that he's back, I think he can tell I enjoyed taking the photographs, so i've continued doing those while he writes the descriptions. They are published at the end of each week to the Native Sons Plant of the Week Blog and the Native Sons Facebook

Euphorbia x martinii 'Ascot Rainbow'

Found here and here.

Fremontodendron 'California Glory'

Found here and here.

Funny story about this photograph. The plant has very small hairs on the leaves that rub off and cause extreme irritation and itching. I was unaware of these little hairs and went wading into the crop of 5 gallon Fremontodendron. To get the best shots I was moving the pots around and crouching down into the rest of the surrounding plants to get on their level. I had long sleeves and jeans on, but I began to feel an itching along my arms. When I got back over to the office, everyone told me I was covered in the hairs and that it would be near impossible to get them off. I changed into my sweatshirt and my skin was irritated but there was no lasting rash. My boss told me to wash my clothing separately from any other clothes otherwise the hairs may spread to other things in the washer....goodie. It was worth it though, I really like this photograph. Fremontodendrons are beautiful...as long as you dont touch them...

The happiness of a full plate...

2009-10-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a Melissa and she was given many tasks to complete...

My boss told me that he was going to compile a list of addresses around the county and when the time was right, send me out to take photographs. He recently finished writing a book about plants that would make good lawn replacements and now needs the photographs to illustrate. My photography will most likely be featured in the book! I'll be published in print! (can you tell i'm excited?)

My bosses wife has asked me to create a walkthrough presentation of the garden and nursery for her mother-in-law, who can no longer visit the area herself.

A landscape designer, has a website in the works and has asked permission to use my photographs in the layout. All of the photographs will be credited and linked back to me, so if someone is curious or wants to use my photographs they will be able to get in touch. He also mentioned having me go out and take more photographs of select plants.

I work at a wholesale nursery that grows the modules for LiveRoof. My boss and office manager have asked me to help them create a powerpoint presentation, 6 postcards/pdfs for each of the different themes, and 3 large banners that we set up at our presentations. All either featuring my photography and/or my design.

I'm very excited and happy that I am being given these opportunities to do what I went to college for.

Some personal projects of my own -
My own website up and rolling
Restore more vintage photographs
Home made Christmas Cards

Rude People

2009-10-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

I don't understand certain peoples fascination with being rude to others.

Earlier today I received a phone call from a customer at work and he was extremely rude with me. When my kind words and helpfulness are answered with words dripping with disdain and sarcasm, I don't feel like helping anymore. If he had called in and said almost the exact same thing with a different tone of voice, I would have felt sorry for him and done what I could to help and meant it. Instead I was polite and robotic, I did what the job required and didn't go above and beyond to please him. Rudeness will not get you far in my world. I will tolerate it for awhile (someone might be having a bad day), but I can feel myself shutting down to the person and as I mentioned before becoming polite and robotic.

He is not the first nor sadly the last rude person I will ever have to deal with, but it reminds me of how I never want to be.

On another note here are some sky photographs for day dreaming and forgetting people.

Cloud Kissed

2009-10-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

My Dad has fallen in love with cruises, so it's become a tradition every year to go on a cruise around May or June. Last year the Swine Flu broke out in Mexico which was our intended destination so the cruise line quickly re-routed all of the cruises north instead of south.

Our new stops were San Francisco, Victoria and Seattle. On the way home we were at sea for 2 days straight and that's when I got these photographs. The sun broke through the clouds about mid morning and it was so beautiful I couldn't resist.

Rainy Days and Sleepy Thoughts

2009-10-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday it started raining for the first time in a long time.
I have to say I missed it.

There's nothing like being wrapped up in a warm bed on a cold and rainy day listening to it patter outside your window and on your roof. Dressing in warm clothes and holding a mug of hot chocolate to warm your fingers and stomach. Getting wet outside letting the rain bead in your hair and tickle your face, then going inside to take a hot bath or shower and getting into pajamas. Sitting next to a fire reading, watching tv, playing video games or cuddling with someone special.
Such good feelings.

On another note,
I'm contemplating asking to buy the camera I use at work so it will be really and truly mine. I have my own from years ago that just doesn't cut it, and i've fallen quite in love with the one I always use. I'd like to buy myself a macro lens, but I don't want to buy a lens for a camera that isn't mine, that'd be sort of silly.
I've realized looking at other photographers blogs and pages, that I am severely lacking in photography equipment. =(

A little break from plant material - JELLYFISH

2009-10-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

I do a great deal of Plant Material photography, but I do enjoy taking pictures of other subjects. These are shots I took on a family trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium a few years ago. There was an exhibit that featured many different types of Jellyfish under lights that made them glow. They are so beautiful and graceful, I'd love to go back and take more photographs someday.

Bishop's Peak

2009-10-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

Bishop's peak is one of the nine major peaks that extend from San Luis Obispo to Morro Bay. Named by the Mission San Luis Obispo, the peak was thought to resemble a Bishop's miter. It's rocky peak is the largest of the nine with an elevation of 1,559 feet above sea level.

My boss is a professor at California Polytechnic State University and oversaw the planting of the California Natives Selection at the Leaning Pine Arboretum. He sent me on an assignment to photograph some of the area he helped create. These are all my shots that feature Bishop's Peak in the background.

Fremontodendron

2009-10-03T20:12:00.001-07:00

Botanical name: Fremontodendron

Common Name: Flannel Bush
Taken at the Leaning Pine Arboretum in San Luis Obispo, CA

Botanical name: Fremontodendron

Common Name: Flannel Bush
Taken in the Native Sons Garden in Arroyo Grande, CA

Succulent Centers

2009-10-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

I've begun "walking the field" at the Nursery where I work to become more familiar with some of the plants i'm expected to know and sell in the office. Succulents have become quitefascinating to me. I love getting right over them and photographing down into their centers, it could get rather pokey though =) Here are three of my favorites.

Botanical Name: Sempervivum 'Kalinda'

Common Name: Hens and Chicks

Botanical Name: Agave 'Kichijokan'

Common Name: Century Plant

Botanical Name: Dudleya pulverenta

Common Name: Chalk Lettuce

Validation

2009-10-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

More and more often these days students go off to college, they graduate and then they get a job doing something completely different than what they majored in. I attended Brooks Institute of Photography and received my Bachelor's Degree in Visual Journalism. However, after graduating, I toiled away a year in a pet shop doing absolutely nothing I had gone to college to learn. I just felt....uninspired. There's only so much you can teach an artist about technique and form, then you need to let their unique sense of creativity bring something new to the table. Brooks was very good at teaching technique and form, however when a student tried to bring something new to the table, often times the own personal taste of a professor would give them a less than admirable grade. I saw many students, frustrated in their own loss of unique style, quit Brooks without that sought after degree. I adapted and graduated but I didn't feel passionate about art anymore.

Now I work for a Author/Professor/Nursery Owner who is a self taught photographer himself. He's accumulated a walk in closet's worth of slides during his life and needs me to look to them. Organizing, scanning, restoring (using Photoshop), organizing and storing the digital files and then placing them into powerpoint presentations for his college classes. This coming spring he's teaching two classes and is sending me out to photograph new material for his presentations. His wife also utilizes my skills, I photograph plants for her Botanical writing service (which writes patents for plants).

Whether its his camera (Canon EOS 40D), the serenity of nature photography, restoring photographs like I love doing or all three, my passion for the visual arts has finally woken up again after being constricted to an almost dormant state.

There are so many things I want to do. I really would love to restore photographs for a museum. I would love to break into wedding and child photography, there is so much love and happiness there. So many dreams, I better get started!
Thank you for reading,
Melissa