NEW BLOG!

Alright folks, I have a new blog and I'm jumping with excitement!
www.melindahollandblog.com
is the place to be!

So head on over to the new blog and check out the improvements! Larger photos, better search capabilities and Oh So Awesome!!!
I love it and I hope you do too!

So what are you waiting for?!! Go! www.melindahollandblog.com

Website Down!!

UPDATE: Thanks to the marvelous folks at Bludomain, the site is back up!! They resolved the issue wayyyy faster than my hosting company (which I'm now thinking of switching away from...)

Way to go Bludomain!!! If you're an artist or photographer, I recommend Bludomain's website templates. They're easy to set-up and Blu's service has been absolutely fabulous. Go to their website!!
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Hello Everybody! Yipes! The website is currently down due to several frustrating reasons. I hope to get this all resolved soon.

Little Lela

Five day old Lela with Daddy Jack and Mommy Nikki. Beautiful!

My first time photographing such a young baby and they were all wonderful during the shoot. Very accommodating and relaxed. Mom and Dad were so very calm, self-assured and laid-back. You'd never guess this was their first baby!

Nikki and Jack: Thanks for opening up your home and for sharing Lela's precious early moments with me. What a privilege and blessing!

Dogwood Blossoms

This has got to be one of the most gorgeous blooming trees in existence. I drove past these blossoms on a rainy day last week and had to come back for a few shots. It was a good thing I had my rain jacket with me because it was pouring, but the rain made for some nice "dew" on the petals though.

My Latest Craze

I don't know what it is with overexposure and zebras, but I totally dig these white-hot glowing stripes with the black bands. I shot these zebra photos a while back and they remind me of a printed t-shirt.
I always did like the look of screen prints...

Holland Boys

Okay, so the above photo isn't all that nice as far as resolution goes, but sometimes the only camera you've got is the one in your phone. And when there are moments that demand photos, a camera phone will have to do.

I took this in a hotel room to document three sons hanging out & kickin' back with the old man. I love it.

A Photo Salad...

I've been meaning to update...so here goes a medley of photos to show you what I've been up to; a "photo salad" so to speak.

A wolf named Yazhi peers up at me while on exhibit at the Oregon Zoo. It was (obviously) an extremely cold day. My hands usually do pretty well in the cold, but--whew!--they were suffering! These beautiful photos made the suffering well worth it though.

I don't know why, but the falling snow in the photo below reminds me of a Coca-Cola Christmas commercial...I know, I can't explain it...

A polar bear licks cream cheese off the exhibition window at the Oregon Zoo during St. Patrick's Day festivities.
An intriguing shot from the amazing Timberline Lodge in Oregon.

the mailboxes in one of Timberline's hallways

a detail...

From my recent trip to Sacramento. Such fantastic weather. I went jogging in the park and never have I felt happier during a jog. It was absolutely beautiful there.

And then some belly shots from the maternity shoot I did yesterday.

There are more photos...always more. But I've gotta run! I'll be back.

Oregon Zoo

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of photographing visually impaired students from the Columbia Regional Program at the Oregon Zoo as they touched a 400 pound anesthetized Amur tiger during the tiger's annual physical. It was a great opportunity for the students to experience a tiger up close and gain a greater understanding of animals whereas normally a trip to the zoo would encompass mainly animal sounds and verbal descriptions.

Pictured above are Isaiah Dinsmore, 9, of Boones Ferry Primary School in Wilsonville, OR and his vision specialist Deirdre Luke-Brown.

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...And just a few of the many great animals I've had the privilege of photographing in the last few weeks.

Bull Asian Elephant in the snow

Absolutely gorgeous Golden Eagle

A curiously cute meerkat

It sounds hokey, but it was really enchanting to watch this sea lion swim graceful patterns in the water.

There are more pictures and I hope to get them posted soon.

Minestrone Soup

Cold days call for hot soup.

Lemon Cake...w/Carrot Cake in the Bkgrd

Oh, this lemon cake was sooo good. Light, fluffy, lemony...Ummm. The carrot cake: not so good.

Multnomah Tunnel

The tunnel leading from the highway to Multnomah Falls in Oregon was especially intriguing as I left the falls last month....and here's some of the beautiful surrounding greenery dusted in snow...

Dreamscape vs. Realscape

The Dreamscape...-Versus-
The Realscape...
The top photo was taken from a moving vehicle off of I-5 coming into Portland, OR. The bottom photo was from an excursion to the WSU Vancouver campus during one of the snow days. Both were taken before Christmas in December 2008.

In this case, I'd have to say I like my "dreamscape" better than the more realistic "realscape." Sometimes I get tired of the same 'ole same 'ole. It revives me to create something different.

Multnomah Falls, Partially Frozen

Footage of Multnomah Falls in Oregon on December 17, 2008 in the midst of an unusual amount of snow. Thanks to Jon for this nice video.

And now for some photos...

So, uh...yeah...
When you're standing in front of a tourist destination such as Multnomah Falls and you ask a bystander to take a picture of you, you'd expect they'd obviously know to include the tourist attraction in the background, right?

Wrong.
Apparently, we expected too much of the three gentlemen--all friends--hovering around the Falls, each of them with a camera (they even had tripods so it wasn't just casual shooting...) We figured we were in good hands...but no. This is what we got:
Oh yeah. That's nice. A picture of us in front of some greenery. Thanks.
Frankly, we were flabbergasted. How very odd. We figured we could do better than that and hence ended up with this:
And then one of me flying solo:

Luna Restaurant: Private Wine Cellar Tour

When my friend Rachelle and I lunched at the fabulous Luna Restaurant in Spokane, WA back in October, we were invited by the staff to take a private tour of their wine cellar. It was completely unexpected, but we delighted in the opportunity to see the work going on underneath the lovely decor of the dining room.

This is Dave, our knowledgeable guide, underlining the many varieties of wine that Luna serves.



The photo below is from a wall covered in corks depicting a wine bottle.
If I remember correctly, it was the handiwork of a manager with far too much time on their hands....and a shot of the beautiful Luna Restaurant. If you're wondering why it looks empty, it's because all the lunch diners have already left.
Love this whimsical display! It's the kind of thing my brain dreams of at night yet rarely designs in real life.

I love the decor. I'd love to own a home outfitted in Luna style.

Sweet Funkylicious

I love it when I happen upon a completely funky home interior. While this may not be the funkiest of funkies, I have to give it kudos for that sweet collection of real paintings hung all over the wall. Definitely the focal point. Who knew I would happen upon such a treasure of a room? All I wanted to find was the bathroom and yet I found so much more...

A walk in Nine Mile Falls

Brody the Golden Retriever, Nine Mile Falls, WA

Jeremy Camp: The Response Video

Ha! I posted a video a few days ago where we recorded singer Jeremy Camp wishing our friends a Happy Thanksgiving. Turns out those same friends went to his concert two days after we recorded the video and they got Jeremy to record a video for us. That's awesome. Too funny.


Jeremy Camp from Donald Hughes on Vimeo.

Portfolio Trip: Walking in Walla Walla

An impromtu portrait before we ventured out into beautiful Walla Walla, WA.


It was the perfect time of year (October) to be walking around Walla Walla. The leaves were in full color and the sun was bright. I felt like I was walking around the set of Anne of Green Gables. A completely gorgeous fall day.

Tyler

My nephew Tyler. If ever there was a good kid, this would be one of them. Well-behaved, intelligent and sweet as can be. He's got a good heart.

Jeremy Camp

Singer Jeremy Camp and I at DFW Airport

On our flight into DFW for Thanksgiving, Jeremy Camp and his band were on our plane sitting all over coach with the rest of us common folk. Jon stepped out of the airplane toilet closet only to come face to face with a very familiar looking man waiting for the next vacant bathroom. Taken aback, Jon stopped and stared the stranger down thinking, "Is that?..." before going back to his seat.

Meanwhile, I'm in the bathroom opposite with no idea that there's a SUPER STAR right there. As I'm headed back to our seats, there's Jon standing up next to his seat, looking down the aisle toward me. I get closer and he goes, "I think Jeremy Camp is on our plane."

"Nuh Uh. Where?!!" We're in the second row of coach and I start peering down at all the seats behind us, both of us still standing while tons of people stare back at us.

"I ran into him coming out of the bathroom," Jon said. "You'll see him. He's got the big muscles and everything. --There he is!"

We banter back and forth, all the while speaking in hushed tones, as this trendy looking guy comes down the aisle from the back of the plane.

"No it isn't!" I say, scrutinizing the guy's face.

"That's him, " Jon says.

"No it isn't." I maintain. His hair is darker than I remember and he's wearing glasses. Two things he didn't have the last time we saw him in concert. "That's not him," I say.

"Yes it is. That's him." Jon's totally confident now. Nodding his head.

"No it's not," I continue to say, but then the guy gets closer, "--OH! Maybe it IS him!" Suddenly, I'm sure of it, too. WHOA, I think to myself, THAT'S JEREMY CAMP!

As soon as the plane lands, we hurriedly get off and wait for him like a bunch of stalkers.

I must say. Jeremy Camp is so nice and genuine. He was about to get on his phone when we accosted him, but he stopped and took the time to talk and tell all about why he was in town and what he was up to for the next few days. Truly such a kind individual.

He and his band create music that is worshipful and from the heart. Jon and I were greatly impressed with his depth of character, but listening to his lyrics and his life story told us that already. It's a great thing, though, when you actually meet the person behind the music and find out that the genuine & kind person on stage and the person in real life are one and the same. Awesome.

The video below was Jon's idea. We have friends who are super-fans of Jeremy Camp, so we had him record a Thanksgiving message for them. Wasn't that sweet of Jon? What a thoughtful guy. I do wish I was in the video though...just for selfish reasons. But I'm happy I got a photo with him.

UPDATE: See the video response our friends got Jeremy to record for us after attending his concert 2 nights after we recorded the video above for them.