Meghan

Meghan 🌻🌼🌻

her gorgeous curly hair, freckles, and beautiful inner confidence and ease in front of the camera shone through our entire shoot.
I loved her pale yellow dress and the summery sweet colors she chose to wear. This is Meghan in the summer before her senior year.

You can purchase a high school Senior session here

https://www.melissalazuka.art/product/the-classic-high-school-senior-photo-session

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The Queen family at their home in the summer

This was a very special session. My friend and fellow photographer contacted me this summer and asked if I would be available for a short notice photo session. She was facing a personal health crisis. Photos during this time would mean so much to her.
Of course I said yes. I knew how much photos meant to her through the years. She is the gifted sports photographer who had blessed countless families with photos of their athletes at our children’s school through the years. She had done it all for free and touched so many people with her gifts.
She later shared with me that she was battling lymphoma cancer; a diagnosis that had been given mid summer, with barely any warning. A battle she did not choose but has been fighting with so much faith & strength. She inspires me. She shares her journey in a beautifully written journal you can read here - personal details of her family, the brutal side effects of chemo, and her faith through it all. Please lift her and her family up in prayer.
You can see in these photos how much her family means to her and how much she means to them. ❤️
Here is the Queen family on a beautiful summer evening at their home.

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Elena

I had such a lovely shoot with Elena. We took photos at Fowler’s Mill golf course and there were so many scenic spots. The bridge was a favorite. The light was beautiful on this July summer’s night and Elena’s gorgeousness really was shining too. She was so sweet and completely comfortable in front of the camera. There were so many photos from the shoot that I loved! Take a look.

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Seneca

I met Seneca at Observatory Park. It was raining by the time I arrived but luckily, the sky cleared and we had a beautiful shoot. Seneca is the fourth of six gorgeous sisters that I have photographed. Each is uniquely beautiful. Seneca has the prettiest smile and was so lovely to work with.

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Emmy

I met Emmy on a beautiful September evening at Gilmour high school. The campus is classically beautiful and so is Emmy, so it was a perfect pairing 💛

Just a few leaves were changing, everything was crisp green, and Emmy looked gorgeous in a white summer dress ( Free People- I asked :) !)

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Fly Away # 14 at Grassi Museum Photobook Exhibit

For all those who have collected and enjoyed Fly Away, I wanted to share that book 14 of the series was included in a very beautiful and unique Photobook exhibit called “Photobooks. Art Page by Page,” The exhibition is described on their website: “The definition of the photobook is as broad as that of photography, and ranges from handmade unique objects to smaller and larger print runs, from self-publishing and zines to rare, elaborately designed and bound editions. The exhibition shows a selection of German and international photobooks from the last decades, with a focus on exceptional design and storytelling. Curated by Calin Kruse and Silvia Gaetti.”
the exhibit ran from 11/25/21 through 4/3/22. A beautiful catalogue from the exhibit is available including all the Photobooks exhibited and is in itself a work of art.

New Handmade Artist Book- “I am the vine. you are the Branches”

Hello! It’s been awhile. I took some time off to get adjusted to my new position as a Montessori teacher to young children. Art- making has been calling me back quietly, and a few weeks ago I felt inspired to make this book. I had been thinking about this passage all year, and it seemed to fit perfectly with some of the fall/ winter images I made these last few months.
( if you would like to inquire about purchasing a copy of this, or Fly Away or Song of the Cicadas, just email me! My shop is down right now as I somehow missed the notice to pay for my domain and it quickly got bought up :(….)

Here are some images of “I am the vine. You are the branches.”

“I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Without me you can do nothing”- John 15:5

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