Mike Meyerdirk Photography

Nick and Kristi's Engagement

2010-09-20T03:02:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned in previous posts, incorporating elements of each individual's unique and special personalities in their photos is one of the best parts of photography. Last weekend, I had the privilege of joining my friends Nick and Kristi on Vashon Island for an engagement photo shoot. Not only is Vashon a beautiful setting, it is home to Camp Sealth, the "birthplace" of Nick and Kristi's romance. Both Kristi and Nick have a passion for the outdoors and the couple holds this island and beach especially dear to their hearts, making it an ideal place for the first round of their engagement photos. Kristi also has some creative ideas for a second round of photos which require a different environment, so stay tuned for those photos as well!

Here are a few of my favorites from the day. Enjoy! And again, comments, criticism, and questions are always welcome and helpful.

Thank you, Kristi and Nick, for allowing me the opportunity to celebrate your engagement with you!

CONGRATULATIONS NICK AND KRISTI!

Dori Fights Like a WOMAN

2010-09-06T01:51:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful blog fans,

I am taking this opportunity to introduce the "other" brain behind Mike Meyerdirk Photography. I am his business partner, his photography assistant, his financial adviser, his personal shopper, his task master, and his biggest fan... you guessed it, I'm his wife. You may remember seeing me in previous posts, as I occasionally serve as Mike's loveliest model... this is me:

This particular post is special to me because it involves a dear friend. Dori Greenaway is an astonishing woman currently confronting the unthinkable: a battle with stage three breast cancer. I should qualify that statement: she is not only "confronting," she is squashing, trampling, embracing, living, glowing, mastering, fighting, and well, she's kicking cancer's butt.

To get the full force of the pictures Mike took this weekend, allow me to provide a brief background. Dori is one of those strong, loving, successful, and beautiful people that we all strive to be like. She is brilliant and bold. She says what she thinks, and fights for those who find it difficult to fight for themselves. Professionally, she is a therapist, educator, and advocate for women's health. She is a vibrant 26 year old woman. And she was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma two months ago. Her doctors quickly began an aggressive treatment plan that began with a double mastectomy. As soon as she had recovered from surgery, she began chemo. After only one round, her hair began falling out in clumps. And that's where Mike comes in!

They say, "Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain." In Dori's case, she must pass BOULDERS in order to cross the mountain, but you better believe, she is leaping over those boulders. One such battle entangled in this war is loosing her hair. For obvious reasons, this can be a somewhat unpleasant experience... However, Dori managed to turn it into a party! She fondly referred to it as her "Buzz Brunch" and enjoyed mimosas and bagels with her sisters and her husband. She even made a cake! (Which she insisted on finishing before she took herself to the ER the night before for a blood clot scare). There was no chance for this "hair loss" business to call the shots. Dori claimed the experience as her own and made the best of it.

Mike and I tagged along to document the event! Here are some of our favorite shots. Please take a look at Dori's blog; it's an amazing, soulful, honest portrayal of her thoughts and emotions as she walks, skips, crawls, and is carried by those around her, down this path.

http://lumpsandlipstick.blogspot.com

Meet Dori and her equally awesome sisters, Kristi and Kerri.

"Helping one another is part of the religion of sisterhood."

- Louisa May Alcott

Meet TEAM DORI!

Kerri rockin' the
"Donate 2 Dori" hat

Kristi taking some
warmup swings

Scott (husband) and Lucy
trying on Dori's new scarves

Ready or not!

"Let's make hair mustaches!"

(They decided not to due to weirdness factor.)

It was general consensus that Dori looked pretty hard core with a mohawk...

or was this the mullet phase?

Is solace anywhere more comforting than in the arms of a sister? ~Alice Walker

The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak, became a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong. ~Thomas Carlyle

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,

while loving someone deeply gives you courage." ~ Lao Tzu

Accessories: a cancer patient must!

I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!
~Dr. Seuss

Of course, Scott was not about to be left out of the accessory fashion show!

"I will be your bra..."

"... and I will let you have the last hot pocket."

~ True Love ~

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."

~ Mahatma Ghandhi

Fear can keep us up all night long, but faith makes one fine pillow. - Philip Gulley

As Dori continues her balancing act with emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual health and wellness, please keep her in your thoughts and prayers! If you feel so inclined, Dori also has a donation link on her blog which will help offset the costs of her treatment.

Stay strong and beautiful Dori!

Oldies, but Goodies...

2010-09-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

Stumbled across a couple photos of the Tacoma area while organizing folders on my computer. Enjoy!

34th Street Bridge

Port of Tacoma

Mike and Michelle's Engagement

2010-09-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Love is in the air! Mike and Michelle volunteered to have their pictures taken for my first engagement shoot. They are a fun and adventurous couple who wanted to capture their unique personalities by touring around the industrial and urban areas of Tacoma, WA. It was exciting to watch my ideas come to life and to create some great images which I hope they will enjoy! I've posted a few of my favorites, so let me know what you think. Comments and criticism is greatly appreciated as I continue to refine my skills and artistic style. And if you like what you see, or have some unique ideas of your own to try, don't hesitate to contact me.

...and a big thanks to Mike and Michelle for allowing me this opportunity.

Congratulations Mike and Michelle!

James and Lindsey Evans' Wedding

2010-08-29T00:54:00.000-07:00

I recently took some pictures at my friends' wedding at Laurel Creek Manor in Sumner, WA. I was blessed with the opportunity of being a groomsman in this wedding, so the photo selection is limited to a few key moments. It's hard for me to not bring my camera to events like these...and once there, it's impossible to not take pictures. I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoyed taking them and being a part of this beautiful wedding. Thanks James and Lindsey.

A Few From a Recent Basketball Game

2010-08-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

These types of shoots are a lot of fun for me to be a part of because I enjoy the action and the realism of a candid shot. It's also fun for the person on the other side of the lens. They get great pictures of themselves doing something they enjoy that is rarely photographed. Here are a few examples from that game. They turned out great and the team won! What more can you ask for...?

Keep this in mind for senior portraits as well!

Thoughts on Portraits

2010-08-24T22:34:00.000-07:00

Kate and I recently spent some time touring around Tacoma and Seattle to find some good places for portraits. In my opinion, prospective clients should be able to enjoy photos of themselves in unique locations. I look forward to getting to know individuals and to photograph them in locations that fit their personalities and interests. Not only is this more fun for me, but it helps everyone feel more comfortable and natural, which achieves our ultimate goal: producing a tangible reflection of personalities, love, and action. If I meet someone who really enjoys skateboarding, we'll go somewhere and photograph him/her skateboarding. If a newly engaged couple wants an urban look, I won't put fabric made to look like brick behind them, we'll walk around the city and find unique angles and backdrops. Whether it's for senior portraits, or engagement photos, families or couples, we'll work together to find a way to capture moments which can be looked back on and treasured.

For All You Seattle Fans

2010-08-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been fascinated by the look and feel of panoramas. In the past week, I've given myself a tour of Seattle from every angle. Exploring places I've never been or just pulling off the road and stopping to actually take in and appreciate a view that I have seen and taken for granted so many times before. As I stood there on the side of the road, camera perched on tripod, I tried to picture in my mind the best way to capture what I was looking at. A standard image of the Columbia Tower or The Space Needle just wouldn't do it. I had to spend some time on it and take many shots which I would later stitch into a panorama in order to convey to someone looking at the print what it actually feels like to stand in that very spot. I feel like panoramas present an image more closely representing what the human eye sees than your standard cameras aspect ratio, yielding more pleasing and encompassing pictures.

Taken from the West Seattle Bridge overlooking the Port of Seattle

Cloudy summer morning in West Seattle

Seattle as seen from Beacon Hill

View from Gasworks Park

On a summer night that started out with clear skies, I waited for the clouds to roll in to maximize the reflections of the lights off the water.

I-5 is still busy in the late night hours as viewed from Beacon Hill

Yakima Nation Panorama

2010-08-23T03:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend my wife and I went camping with our friend Kerri at an RV park in Yakima, WA. I couldn't help from stopping to take pictures when we came across this view...

I thought it was an excellent perspective when I just saw Mt. St. Helens at first, but I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed that Mt. Rainier's peak was poking up over the corn stalks on the right.

Let's Get Started

2010-08-23T02:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the blogspot for Mike Meyerdirk Photography. After much research and encouragement from my wife, Kate, I have finally decided that a blog would be a wonderful way to share my pictures, receive comments/critiques from viewers and, if luck may have it, sell some of my work.

I have had a rapidly increasing interest in photography since our honeymoon two years ago. I have been spending a lot of time learning my equipment and various post-processing software in an effort to create photos that resemble on paper what my mind sees. I have a virtually limitless variety of interests as it pertains to photography. Basically...I will take pictures of anything and enjoy every minute of it. Luckily for me, I have a patient and supportive wife. She not only stands by my side as I rattle off 100 pictures of the Seattle skyline, but has volunteered on numerous occasions to model for me as I practice with new equipment, software, lighting, weather, etc.

Lately, Kate and I have been talking about making my/our name known locally for portrait services such as senior portraits, engagement photos, family/couples as well as weddings. Unfortunately, we missed this past years senior portraits season, but I'm very excited for my first engagement photo session with Michelle and Mike next weekend. I have some fun ideas and am confident that the photos will turn out great.

In the meantime, I will upload recent work. Please comment/critique. It can only benefit me to hear your opinions.