Melissa McClain Photography

Introspective Views of a Professional Photographer

2011-01-10T18:27:00.000-08:00

Last evening we finally stopped punishing our Netflix subscription and watched the highly anticipated (in the McClain household) Annie Leibovitz Life Through A Lens DVD. It was an extremely interesting perspective into the makings of a professional and very well known photojournalist (photographed the Rolling Stones in their prime while on tour, very last images captures of John Lennon 5 hours before he was shot, and photographed next to all the A-listers in Hollywood) who helped to bring her style into mainstream photography of today. It took the viewer from beginning roots at Rolling Stone Magazine to Vanity Fair, including perspectives from clients in regards to their shoots.

For those who know me well, I'm a huge fan of her work and style and have been for some time. I find inspiration in her vivid way of capturing life in it's raw state and love the creativity she brings to personalize each shoot.

One thing that stuck with me from the DVD was when she was talking about her own life. She mentioned that as a photographer it is very easy to get caught up in your subjects, capturing them and seeing pieces of their lives and personalities, so much that you forget sometimes to live your own life. How crazy is that?! And in some cases can be held true. Which is why finding balance in your life is an absolute must that I'm sure many photographers struggle with, me included! It's definitely something that I plan to keep in the front of my mind as we expand on our careers in this crazy and exciting world of photography!

For anyone who is unfamiliar with Annie's work I highly recommend at very minimum a Google search and definitely recommend reading into any of her books.

Heather and Bill August 21, 2010

2010-08-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

So many plans, so many details go into making a wedding day spectacular. The venue, the cake, the DJ, the dress all have to be perfect in the eyes of the couple. For Heather and Bill everything was perfect, including the love they have for each other which was captured in their amazing images. Heather and Bill's wedding was also unique in that they were the first winning couple of 2010 for a free studio photobooth! Congratulations to the fantastic couple!

Laura and Brett August 14, 2010

2010-08-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

The bigger the bridal party the better in my opinion. Laura and Brett had 18 members in their bridal party, and where some may think chaos, it was anything but that! Spending time with the girls prior to the ceremony, while performing their getting ready shots, sheds light on the dynamics of the group. Are they friends, do they know each other, should we expect cat fights at the reception? Thankfully that has never happened at one of the weddings we've attended:) This is also a minor glimpse into how creative we can be with the bridal party during their creative shots. Laura and Brett's group were awesome to work with. Everyone was very laid back and excited to be working with us on creating unique images for the newlyweds. Hands down I must give props to that group for being one of the best large wedding parties we've every worked with! Congrats Laura and Brett, one of our favorite weddings of the year and another very compatible couple!

Portrait Models

2010-08-11T18:16:00.000-07:00

A photographer friend had recently told me a great piece of advice, "To keep your wedding eye fresh, you should shoot other medias". With that said we are a constant learning house that works with local models or friends for practicing poses and studio portraiture. Friends of ours, Steph and Cindy were able to join us in Hershey for a fun sunset shoot while we worked with some new lighting techniques. The outcome was spectacular and the ladies have some great images to take from our learning lesson:)

Hunter's Senior Shoot

2010-08-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

I love weddings. They are amazing, tons of fun, and definitely my passion, however there is something special that can be created for portait sessions. With portaits you're working one-on-one and there is ample time to try new things including creative lighting techniques.

One of my favorite portrait sessions are Seniors. They're always willing to do anything for a good shot, hence Hunter. Hey Hunter.. can you climb up in this huge truck.. how about the silo.. can you climb that.. see that old milk truck.. let's get you up there too. I think all those climbing for creativity skills paid off! You be the judge;-)

Jennifer and Stephen July 24, 2010

2010-07-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous day, beautiful couple, and very special words were just a few fabulous notations of Jennifer and Stephen's special day. Despite being a short photographic venture, we were able to capture some breathtaking images at the Hotel Hershey. My favorite part of the day had to be when we were "mock" cutting the cake and Jas said `Okay. I want you to go psycho for this next picture.' Which was indicated in reference to going psycho on the cake, turned into this fun image which is sure to be a crowd pleasing sample image for our albums! Congratulations Stephen and Jennifer!

Tiffiny and Josh July 10, 2010

2010-07-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

Pretty in Pink.. not only a movie but our fantastic bride and her gorgeous princesses! Tiffiny had one of the most unique and personalized gowns we've seen thus far. Tiffiny had a very nice ball gown and had her unique hot pink toule as an underlay. Set at a family estate this was a truly personalized wedding. Congratulations Tiffiny and Josh! Thanks so much for allowing us to be a part of your day and making us feel a part of your family!

Testing... Testing.. Stand by for the Studio Photo Booth Premier!

2010-07-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

I personally love change. I love taking on new projects and re-creating old ones, bringing traditions back to life. For those of you who are at least as old as me and well.. some a tad bit older, you may remember Friday nights at the local mall with your friends, waiting to see a movie, scoping out the guys or girls, and doing your best not to scare off the actual shoppers. One of my favorite things was the Photo Booth..cramming in two, three, seven of your closest friends to make four goofy faces and instantly having your memories to split between everyone instantly!

Here is our recreation courtesy of Jason, Scott, and Vinny's excellent craftsmanship! Coming to a weddings and events starting later this year is the Studio Photo Booth where you have the personalized touch of a friendly photographer snapping away pictures of you at your best dressed and for some, your most inebriated states! Here are a few results of today's practice session! Three lucky brides have been selected this year for a free studio photo booth to appear at their wedding! For those selected we'll be contacting you soon! MMP's studio photo booth will roll out in our new 2011 services starting September 1, 2010.

Lorie and Jim July 3, 2010

2010-07-20T18:54:00.000-07:00

Classic love. Proof that marriage is a gift and extremely precious, however it's love that carries a couple through everything. Lorie and Jim are definitely an example of classic love, now formalizing their bond through vows. Lots of guests had smiles on their faces and sombrero's on their heads as this long awaited celebration carried out! MMP wishes the very best to the two of you!

Courtney and Tom

2010-06-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

What a day! Beautiful skies..fantastic location..90+ degrees.. and 3 photographers dressed all in black! Thankfully we had a fantastic couple who was extremely easy to work with, shade, and a nice breeze! Courtney and Tom were married just outside of the PA border at a gorgeous pond that looked more like pool water than the normal cloudy, algea filled, mosquito pits we have in the area. Surrounded by their wonderful families they exchanged their vows to each other and then surprised everyone by taking a dip of the pier! A photographers dream! Ladies.. I'm happy to shoot any dress trashing desired:) Congrats to the fantastic couple!

Erica and Bo

2010-06-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

All couples desire a fun filled wedding, where the atmosphere is warm and inviting, the food is fantastic, and the guests get absolutely crazy on the dance floor! This was one wedding that will go down in MMP history as an incredibly awesome event! Erica and Bo held a magnificent event that many of their guests, ourselves included, will hold high and remember fondly! One of the best creations brought to life was the excellent lighting provided by their DJ, Burning Spear Entertainment. Erica and Bo were also full of zest and kept all of us on our toes with their sparking personalities and bright smiles! Congratulations Erica and Bo!

Lindsay and Matt

2010-05-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

Kicking off the 2010 wedding season we were ecstatic to be a part of Lindsay and Matt's wedding day! Despite all the cuts and bruises from a guest falling and another cutting into his finger rather than a piece of ribbon, everyone was in high spirits! Best wishes to the fantastic couple!

Baby Bella

2010-05-15T19:26:00.000-07:00

Miss Bella has been one of MMP's first carry over maternity shoots to where we had the pleasure of photographing a very pregnant mommy and then a few short months later, the lovely Bella herself! One of the greatest things in life is a child's laughter and smile! Such a little heart warmer! Enjoy!

Nicole and Don Engagement Shoot

2010-04-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

I know, being married myself, that many men really aren't that much of a fan of the whole engagement shoot prospect, dealing with someone who you barely know who is in your face for upwards of an hour or two telling you to smile...smile wider.. no teeth.. less teeth. What a pain in the butt! Thankfully here at MMP we attempt to make an engagement shoot as painless as possible for everyone involved and will never tell you to smile!

We met up with Nicole and Don, a fantastically compatable couple, at Italian Lake then on to Fort Hunter for a special engagement shoot. Their engagement shoot was gifted on behalf of Jason and Myself and the wonderful husband and wife team, Coleman Videography- Ben and Heather Coleman also of Harrisburg. Coleman Videography was collaborating a Love Story video for the couple along side MMP for still engagement photos!

The end result was nothing short of spectacular, especially from our wonderful friends at Coleman Videography! Nicole and Don had a blast with both teams to the joy of hearing from Don "This was Cool! I can't wait for you guys to shoot our wedding!"

That my friends.. is what makes this whole business worth everything we put into it!

Please be sure to check out the videography side from Coleman here:
Nicole + Don :: Love Story [&] Melissa McClain Photography :: The Promo

Matt and Lindsay Engagement Shoot

2010-04-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about spring is everything is fresh and new, trees and flowers are in full force and love of course is in the air! Today we met up with a great down to earth couple, Matt and Lindsay to get some great engagement photos to preview at their upcoming May wedding! With associate photographers, Scott and Vinny in tow, the paparazzi headed off to Pinchot Park where we got some fantastic shots of the lovely couple! Looking forward to their May 1 wedding!!

A Winter Off? No Way!

2010-04-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

So to be completely honest Jason and I figured that at the end of last year's wedding season in October we'd have a bit of a break considering most people don't have weddings in the winter or have many portrait sessions scheduled.

Wow were we wrong!

Between November and April we successfully met with so many fantastic couples marrying in 2010 and 2011 which resulted in almost tripling the amount of weddings we captured in 2009, gained three wonderful associates (Scott Bostjancic, Christin Lopez, and Vincent Gross), and gained a few more marketing tools to keep our business rolling!

We also managed to shoot a few pictures for some fantastic events and awesome people! After all.. we're here for the pictures first and foremost!

Enjoy the winter images and here is hoping for a wonderful 2010 wedding season and much happiness to every couple and family we have the privilege of working with!

Millennium Music Festival

Millennium Music Festival
Wedd-Snader Engagement

Wedd-Snader Family

Vincent Gross Production Head Shots

Vincent Gross Production Head Shot

Harrisburg Saint Patricks Day Parade

Harrisburg Saint Patricks Day Parade

Janna & Don

2009-10-30T14:02:00.000-07:00

Our last wedding of the 2009 season was for Don and Janna held at Ski Roundtop Resort. What was planned to be an outdoor ceremony was unfortunately moved indoors due to rain, however in our opinion rainy day weddings make for some of the best pictures, especially in the fall months with the great color combination of the foliage! Janna was sure to grab enough black umbrellas for her crew which created some fantastic and classy outdoor shots! Post dinner their reception was hopping with some great music by one of the groomsmen and a break dancing display! What an awesome celebration for a fantastic couple!

Danielle & Jason

2009-10-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

After having such a successful engagement shoot with Jason and Danielle, we knew they're wedding would be spectacular! Danielle and Jason were married on the Pride of the Susquehanna with pictures being taken prior to departure on City Island! One of our favorite images from their wedding was sneaking into one of the snack shacks to get a totally unique and awesome couple shot! Danielle and Jason by far have been MMP's most famous couple of the year by appearing in many of our advertisements, as well as having multiple vendors contact us for use of their images! Wonder who will be our famous wedding couple of 2010?

Lisa & David

2009-09-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

I love meeting new people. I especially love when meeting new people turns into creating a friendship and in terms of wedding photography being able to feel like a part of someone elses family for a day! Lisa and David held their ceremony and reception at the home of family which had created a warm and comfortable celebration! They had also decided to see each other prior to the ceremony which allowed us to create a great photo segment for the both of them which had kept David in suspense until he was able to turn to see his beautiful bride. The emotions ran high for the whole day making this one of our most romantic weddings thus far!

Alicia & Kevin

2009-09-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

Half the fun of getting married is the celebration and this couple definitely had one heck of a celebratory bash! Alicia and Kevin chose a great classic church to hold their ceremony and despite the few rain drops that fell had a great back drop using the local grounds. Definitely one of the liveliest weddings yet! Best wishes to the happy couple!!

Danielle & Jason Engagement Shoot

2009-09-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

Okay.. not sure what it is however we LOVE photographing red heads.. male or female.. doesn't matter. Turn up the vibrance setting a little bit and touch up any coloring needed on his/her eyes and it's truly beautiful regardless of the setting. Enough of my soapbox chatter:) Danielle and Jason had contacted us about shooting their wedding in October and were also in search of some engagement pictures. With a great balance of a beautiful blue sky and fantastic rock structures, Rocky Ridge Park in York County was the perfect setting to make this happy couple look great!

Carol & Tom

2009-08-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Some of the best things about being able to photograph weddings is being able to see everyone at their absolute best, complete raw joyus emotions, and the blessing of having your closest friends and family able to share in your celebration. One of our personal joys at MMP was the privilage to photograph our Aunt's wedding held at her daughter's house in Dover, PA. It was a small intimate ceremony to which despite this not being the first marriage for Carol or Tom, still brought on the raw emotions shared by those going through his/her first or third marriage. Always remember to keep your big day focused to the two of you, never getting caught up in the wrong color of flowers, a stain on your dress, or the song being played. You'll find that during your celebration, as shown with all of our fantastic events thus far, as soon as you see each other it just doesn't matter:)

Kayce & Brett

2009-08-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

What an AWESOME couple! Both Kayce and Brett were fantastically photogenic and definitely shed a musical influence into each detail! Despite the smoldering humid day we were able to capitolize on the great elements found in the local church landscape.. i.e.. the detailed skate ramp! MMP wishes the two of you only the best!

Hassinger Sisters at the Capitol Complex

2009-07-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we had the fortunate pleasure of doing a portrait session for the Hass sisters who were looking for a surprise for their parents wedding anniversary! A late afternoon jaunt around the capitol complex created a fantastic backdrop to create some free spirited poses while catching some beautiful natural light. Enjoy!

MMP's Senior Portrait Special for 2009

2009-07-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, nothing is worse than paying too much for a cookie cutter photo session with lukewarm prints to show for it! We've done our research and again, will remain stuck to our passion of providing great photographs for all, regardless of budget, unlike our friendly local competitors! Three of the top local cookie cutter photo studios are offering seriously overpriced senior packages ranging from the minimalistic shoot of one pose and sixteen prints for over $100 dollars (not including the sitting fee mind you) to the outrageous "premium" package (with limitations of course) for only $475 dollars!

So here at MMP we've accepted the challenge and are extending a senior portrait package that exceeds in both price and comparison. Here's what the premium package at Big Al's* (Name changed to protect the innocent) Photography located in Central PA, consists of for your hard earned $475:

Senior Package Special at Big Al's*
Session includes:
• Studio fee + 3 outfits
• (1) 11x14
• (2) 8x10s
• (6) 5x7s
• (96) wallets
ALA CARTE
• 11x14 $56.00
• 8x10 $19.50
• 5x7 $16.50
• 4x6 $10.00
• 3.5x5 $6.75

WOW! Here's the same package plus some additional perks through MMP!

Senior Web Special $225
*Unlimited Time and Outfit Changes
*Outdoor Location of Your Choice
*2 Photographers
*(1) 11x14
*(2) 8x10’s
*(6) 5x7’s
*(96) Wallets

Senior Ala Carte Imaging Special
4 Wallets: $3.50
4x6: $3.00
5x7: $5.00
8x10: $8.00
11x14: $15.00
16x20: $30.00
20x30: $42.00

Please email mmcclainphoto@gmail.com or visit our website at www.melissamcclainphotography.com to gain additional details or set up a portrait session! We're looking forward to working with you!

Family Ties

2009-06-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

I love my family. Not only because they call me when they need photo's done but because I can ask them to do pretty much anything for the sake of a beautiful photo and they graciously comply! My oldest cousin Christina needed some shots done for her mother showcasing her recent accomplishments taken home from a baton competition. So of course this turned into a semi-looking senior portrait session even though.. well... she's only 15.. and not yet a senior. These were taken at my favorite backdrop, the family farm in East Berlin. Enjoy!

Oh Baby...

2009-06-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

MMP held their first maternity/family shoot with the Lugaro family on the state capital grounds this week! The entire family was versatile with MMP's creative ideas which allowed us to capture great moments of their fantastic personalities, including the unborn Isabell due in September. See for yourself :)

A Walk In The Park

2009-05-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

...Gifford Pinchot park to be exact. Our latest shoot was with the Gibson family who was kind enough to get a little wet for some great photography! Kasey and Allison had a blast splashing around in the lake, overall a fantastic shoot with a fun family!

Weddings

2009-05-25T19:46:00.001-07:00

WOW! Jas and I can completely understand how photographers fall in love with shooting weddings. As photographers I believe we appreciate and capture all of the great details and time consuming plans that couples share for the big day. Weddings are definitely an adrenaline rush and a great way to let your creativity shine while documenting one of the best days of a couples life. MMP was thankful to share part of Tina and Ben's wedding day held at Founders Hall in Hershey. Both were wonderful to work with and had a little fun during the shoot. Congratulations Mr and Mrs Mowrey!

Warrington Sporting Clays

2009-05-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

Recently Jason and I met and decided to partner with Warrington Sporting Clays to provide professional photojournalistic services for their club members. Warrington has asked for MMP to be the official photographers for any sport shooting needs including groomsmen parties, tournaments, and family outings. Of course we kindly obliged :)

Warrington Sporting Clays Club is a stone's throw away from where I grew up, near the Rossville/Wellsville, PA Area. The club is managed by husband and wife team, Jay and Tereasa Forbes who strive to make each member feel as if they are a part of the family. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and kept in tip top shape. I highly recommend checking out the organization. http://www.warringtonsportingclays.com/

Jere, Jennifer, and Amara

2009-04-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

What a cute family! Amara's photo shoot couldn't have happened on a more perfect day.. a few more puffy clouds would have been nice but that's why we have photoshop:) We started our day at Italian Lake and then worked our way to City Island. End Result...one of the McClain's favorite sessions. Beautiful pictures and great settings.. what more could a photographer ask for. Enjoy- I know that we did:)

The Drunken Parade

2009-03-22T13:08:00.001-07:00

Oh St Patrick's Day...the time when everyone has a little Irish ancestry, cravings for green shirts and pints of Guinness, and the Harrisburg Parade. As a member of the Harrisburg Camera Club, we were invited to shoot the parade in exchange for some free publicity and experience! What an experience it was! Thousands of Central PA residents crowded the downtown improvement district decked in their finest green! In my opinion, the crowd was one of the best parts of the parade.. well that and all the pipers and kilts :) Thankfully, I was able to share the day with my fantastic husband who also had been branded as an official parade photographer. Enjoy the shots!

Moving Out

2009-03-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

Oh no.. the McClain's aren't moving yet, but Kathleen and Dave are very soon! Kathleen (KP) and Dave, two of our close friends, are celebrating a new abode! Today's photo shoot in Harrisburg was filled with talks of furniture purchases and plans of making their new home together! Today was also an earmark day for the McClain's since Jason had taken on the new role of Asst Photographer by shooting on a Minolta film camera. As much fun as shooting on a film camera can be, he's eagerly anticipating the fullfillment of the Canon 50D fund so he can shoot digitally as well.

www.melissamcclainphotography.com Exists!

2009-03-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

Praise the geek gods, a website finally exists! Dave H. aka Guru of HTML, has been extremely helpful in getting MMP.com set up and in decent appearance. There are a few things that still need to be ironed out but the galleries are in place and new images are constantly being loaded!
Thanks for checking out the blog and the site! You're support is appreciated!

Part of the Family

2009-03-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

I love my family. Let me preface that we are tight-knit to the point that I'm actually the one who is located the farthest away, which is only an hour. My Aunt and Cousins are more like sisters, so when I called them up last minute to participate in a shoot, they kindly oblidged. This shoot took place on the family farm which provided a lot of really nice ops and textures. Enjoy!

The Birth of the Blog

2009-03-02T18:28:00.000-08:00

Welcoming and embracing unknown technologies has been quite the challenge for me over the past few weeks. It's all about the HTML code, linking up sites and pages and galleries.. all fine and well but I'm an artist.. not quite the coding guru that is assisting me with all of my technological endeavors.. so let's talk pictures!

Over the past few weeks while getting everything started with MMP, I was able to shoot two fantastic sessions. My first was with Sindi and her beautiful son, Malik, shot at the possibility place in Harrisburg. Malik was fun to work with but despite his "cheese" he wasn't a big fan of looking at the camera. However with a few creative decisions we pulled it off!

My next session was with Todd and Angelique, a fun father daughter team, shot on the Walnut Street Bridge. Angelique is a natural with having her pictures taken and together they had some great poses to show off.

Hopefully soon, all technology stars will be aligning for MMP and the website will be up and running :)