The Studio Comes to You!

It's been awhile since I've posted a blog entry, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been doing photography!

I have been lucky and had sessions with some fun families. I don't have a studio space at the moment, so I make myself highly mobile and take the studio on the road. Though, in one situation, I invited a new mom and her baby to my home for a small portrait session. I set up a backdrop in a room that had been empty (that has since changed).

Mercedes welcomed her baby girl into the world very recently.



Ayla was 11 days old, which works out to be a great age! They're still small and sleepy. Babies grow and change so fast. Parents really should take the opportunity to get portraits made during this special time.



A short time later, infants are actively kicking and stretching and being little wiggle worms. And that's a special time to document too!! :D

Grandma and Great Grandpa were on hand for a photo time, for a great generational opportunity.



Having a photo session in your own home allows people to hang out and be comfortable.

Portraits in your home also allows children to be comfortable in the 'studio'! They can play quietly with their own toys while they wait their turn. Sometimes they might have an idea for something that they would like to do during the session.

I travelled to Orange City to create a portrait session for this family. As I hauled my flashes, lightstands and umbrellas into the house, Mr. M. expressed interest that I had, indeed, brought the studio along. Well, of course! :-)



This cutie isn't quite old enough to have school portraits done. Her grandmother requested a photo to hang with the rest of her cousins. Easily done with a portrable backdrop!



The family also wanted to have a portrait with their tractor... While it wouldn't be impossible, it would be tricky to haul this piece of equipment to a studio. Nothing says winter like a crew ready for snow!



Finally, I will include images from other recent on location sessions. One at the family home, the other at a park selected by the group.



Instead of a generic Christmas tree, document your holiday decor for the year!!






Just because it isn't spring, doesn't mean that we can't create some wonderful portrait opportunities!

It's snowy out now. What better weather for colorful sweaters, mittens and perhaps hats? A dusting of snow makes for gorgeous scenery...



Plus I could even bring a thermos of hot chocolate to share during the photo session. :D



Merry Christmas to all of you. Thank you for sharing your milestones and family with Sieversma Photography!

Life Events

I love photography of all sorts. I really enjoy documenting life events and milestones for people. Everyone loves a good story and these occasions are what make the stories that you share with your kids or reflect upon when you gather together with loved ones.

Two weeks ago I created the bridal portraits for Toni and Jon as they celebrated their vows with family.





Last week I was a second shooter with Cathy Logue for a wedding that she was involved with. It's a lot of fun working with a friend. Even better when the clients are totally caught up with each other and their wedding day! Laughter was contagious and everyone expressed their happiness for the couple.





This past week I had the priviledge to photograph Cara during the final weeks of her pregnancy. Maternity sessions are fun! Images offer a chance to share with your children this once in a life time period in your family's life.





I'm so glad that I got to be a part of the journey in each of these occasions.

Portraits of People Doing What they Love

If you follow either of my blogs (also sieversmaphotos2.blogspot.com), you may notice that I do a lot of different kinds of photography. I think that being diverse helps keep your skills fresh and allows me to be flexible during a session.

I'm often planning photographs in my mind and enjoy practicing my skills in a wide variety of situations. A couple buddies like to come out to our place to work on their cars with my husband. I like to work on action photos and people at work, so it was a great opportunity for me!



Wednesday night I hung out in the pit while the guys competed in the Figure 8 race.


Jake Bickett


Tyler Lewison


Jake Bickett


Tyler Lewison

I have more photos of people doing what they love and other candid images here.

Activity sessions are a wonderful way to capture people that you love doing the things that they enjoy the most. They are a low key way to capture part of who they really are. Consider a senior photo session that combines a portrait session of your student looking their best, plus photos from an activity that really defines a high school experience.



Or consider a portrait session in your home for your family. Sometimes a 2 year old may not want to have their photo taken, but are still interested in playing with her parents. Its a win win, the child is happy and you get a family portrait experience not duplicated in a typical studio setting.





I really enjoy photojournalism and trying to capture people as they are. Sometimes you can request that a person turns in a certain direction a little more, but I try to remain authentic. I really do work to represent a person in their environment in the best possible way. I work to interfere as little as possible, except to perhaps move a light to a more favorable position.

Practicing this also allows me to pose people in more controlled environments when the opportunity occurs.

Wedding with Cathy Jo!

It's no secret, I'm into photography. I really enjoy it all, scenic, portraits, action, weddings. So, imagine how fun it is when you get the opportunity to work with a friend!!

I was able to shoot with my friend Candy Acosta for a couple years, be sure to check her out her web and facebook page!

Sadly, Candy and her husband moved to Seattle. I don't get to work with her now, but if you are in that region - be sure to look her up!! She and her husband are very talented!

Cycling is a hobby that I've been into for a few years now too. A couple of my friends from that activity are photo enthusiasts as well. Cathy Logue is another good friend that I've had the opportunity to work with recently. We haven't been on a bike ride together for awhile, but get to catch up on a photo outing here and there.

I was so glad when she was able to attend a wedding that I booked in May. This weekend I accompanied her as a second shooter for the wedding of Kim and Tyler.

Fortunately, we work pretty well together and compliment each other's style. One photographer is good, but having the ability to follow seperate groups on such a momentous day is wonderful. If you are seeking a photographer, please consider someone who at least has the option of a second shooter to document multiple angles of your festivities.

I hope to be able to work with Photography by Cathy Jo more often!! Be sure to check her out as well!

Kim and Tyler were such a goregous couple and surrounded by people who adored them. I love a good wedding! They are infectious and you can't help but feel warm and fuzzy after the event. Everyone was in a great mood and truly embraced the newlyweds.

Contest Results

Here are all entrants that I saw after reviewing my page/notifications this morning. So, I told Random.org that there are 11 possibilities.



It spit out.... drum roll please...



The number 1!

Julie Madden, you win!!

Happy Birthday to Me: Portrait Session for You! ($75 Value)

My birthday is tomorrow, July 6. I would like you to celebrate with me! Its pretty common to share baked treats in honor of one's birthday. But, for the fans of my facebook page, I'm offering a portrait session give away!

Become a fan and 'Like' my page on facebook. I will post this blog entry there. If you want to participate, please be sure to COMMENT on that post. I will use random.org to generate the winning entry. The first person to comment will be considered entry #1, and so on.

What you win: I will offer a portrait session up to 1 hour in duration at the location of your choice. You will receive an 8x10 print of the pose of your choice! That's a $75 value!! You also have the option of purchasing the photo disc or ordering ala carte prints.

Beresford, SD is a central location for me. I will travel to Sioux Falls, Sioux City or Yankton for no additional mileage. That doesn't mean that folks in the outlying areas are banned from participation. We can schedule a day when you'll be in the region, or I can charge .25/mile beyond the home area.

I do on location photos. You may book your session for any time, though it works best for everyone if we schedule before the snow flies, or even before school starts.

I will take entries until midnight CST, 7/6/11 and will draw on Thursday morning.

TDK11 Photos & MS Society Fundraiser

I've loved photography for a long time. Over the last six years I've come to love cycling too. I've participated in portions of two Tour de Kota events, breaking my collar bone on one trip. I finished the whole tour three years ago, all bones whole. I've ridden a few centuries and made lots of friends. I haven't been riding as much as I would like, I've been devoting time to photography and some other things a bit more lately. Still, I try to catch up with my cycling friends whenever possible and show my support of them while they pound away the miles.



It wasn't an easy spring to train for the Tour de Kota this year. Many of my friends rode it. Vermillion was an overnight town, so I made some photos between rain drops as riders came into town. Friday of last week I photographed riders as they came by Hub City on their way to Sioux Falls.



I didn't see all of my friends, but I was able to photograph many of them. Here's a link to the full album: http://sieversmaphotography.zenfolio.com/tdk2011





Another ride that I'm fond of is the Bike MS event for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. I've ridden it twice, once with my husband. I've also volunteered as an emcee at the finish line and donated other years when I was unable to ride.

I don't want to make money for myself from these Tour de Kota images. I would like to offer them in exchange for a donation to be given to the MS Society. If you see an image of yourself that you like, please consider ordering a print. Proceeds will be combined and Sieversma Photography will make a donation to the North Central States Chapter whether I complete the ride myself or not.

I leave the decision to donate up to you. I've created a coupon code to allow print orders at base cost: TDK2011

Once again, here's a link to an album with the rest of my photos:
http://sieversmaphotography.zenfolio.com/tdk2011

I'm sorry that I wasn't able to get a shot of each and every rider.

Happy trails,

Melissa
Sieversma Photography

Memorial Day Weekend

I had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, and I hope that you did too.

I was honored to photograph Mike and Emma's wedding near Huron on Saturday.



My good friend Cathy Logue also joined me for the photo event.



Cathy did a wonderful job capturing many unique images. I hope to be able to work with her again in the future!

Sunday night friends joined us for a really large bonfire. Everything went smoothly and I believe that all had a good time. The kids got to eat way more chocolate and marshmallows than they probably should have and the adults were all in good company. And everyone stayed warm.



And to those in the armed services, thank you for your time. I do appreciate it. I wanted to also share the story of a veteran featured on the Memorial Day edition of the Today Show. This man was part of a crew of five in a military humvee attacked by a roadside bomb. He was the only survivor. This man experienced burns to 30% of his body and endured numerous surgeries and physical therapy. Now, he's turned his experience into material for stand up comedy. This segment will choke a person up, but its phenomenal. Please take a moment to check it out on the Today Show website.

If you spent the weekend remembering someone you've lost, my sympathy to your family. We've all lost loved ones. I think that spending time with people that you care about is the best way to spend holiday weekends like this one. Its about creating as many memories as you can.

Activity Session for Your Senior!

High school seniors have worked their way through four years of school, leaving a trail of activities they've loved. A senior photo session reflects the individual.





An event session helps document the activities that may have consumed their time and occupied their heart.

I would love to highlight what makes them tick in their portraits. Then we can book an extra session where I attend an activity to capture images of your student at work.

Composite images are also created from the resulting photos.





For details regarding a session and how to book it, please visit my website.

Chickies at Spring Event

Be sure to read my previous blog post below regarding event details. I will bring along 2-3 chickies for your children to check out at the Alcester Trade Show. The chickies will be available for your portrait session too. Baskets will be available so that a child may sit next to and look at the chickie if holding it is too much.

Hand sanitizer and wipes will also be available so that fingers may be clean following the session!! :D

In case you aren't familiar with Alcester, the Auditorium is at the corner of 2nd & Broad st. West side of biz district http://bit.ly/eEIEK6