Mindy Leigh Photography - Grand Rapids & Holland Wedding & Portrait Photographer

Mandy | Trash the Dress

Mindy — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:39:30 +0000

Last fall I photographed Mandy and Jeff’s wedding, which was so much fun. Even though it was pretty windy and chilly out, we still got outdoor portraits, and Mandy looked absolutely gorgeous on her wedding day! However, I was excited that she mentioned a “trash the dress” session she wanted to do a little later… so we set up a date, and she found a great farm called Thomet Stables. We had perfectly beautiful weather, and Mandy was so relaxed… perhaps because the potential stress and busy-ness of a wedding day was not a factor, perhaps because we didn’t have a schedule or a timeline, or a lot of people around. It was just for fun, just a chance for her to feel beautiful in her wedding gown one more time before having it cleaned and packaged. And, it was so much fun for me to spend time with Mandy and Jeff, taking these photos, talking, and enjoying the beautiful property (and the friendly horses). Mandy, thank you for being so willing to take these photos, wade in the creek, and get a little dirt on that dress. You look so stunning. Here are my [many many] favorites:

It looks like Fred the horse was excited about the photoshoot – he’s actually smiling at the camera!My favorite photos of the day: the light in this barn was gorgeous.

Tulip Time 2012

Mindy — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:00:18 +0000

Last week I went to Tulip Time with my mom, and the kids. This was probably the last time they will go wearing Dutch costumes and wooden shoes. It was a beautiful day to be in downtown Holland, although sadly, most of the tulips were gone. There were a couple small patches of color, and a lot of patches of dirt. Of course, visitors could still enjoy the Dutch dancers, carnival food, and awesome restaurants and shopping in downtown Holland. Here are a few photos…

Mandy | Trash The Dress Preview

Mindy — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:15:39 +0000

Yesterday I had a super fun session with Mandy, who’s wedding I photographed back in October. I remember her mentioning a “trash the dress session” back then, and I am so excited that I finally got to do a shoot like this, and with such a gorgeous girl. I can’t wait to share more! Here is a sneak peek:

Super Moon

Mindy — Sun, 06 May 2012 03:42:00 +0000

Here is my attempt at tonight’s “super moon”. I didn’t try to photograph it right after moonrise. I figured it was too cloudy. As we sat on the couch, I noticed a glimpse of moonlight through the slider, and grabbed my camera. I took this photo only minutes before publishing this post (11:40 pm or so). I can tell the moon is closer, but wish I would have seen it earlier in the evening. I’m very glad I was able to capture some of the detail of the surface, which is truly magnificent and awe-inspiring… although maxing out at 200mm, I had to crop this in a lot. Here’s our beautiful moon, closer than it will be all year. My husband (who hates flying), would love to visit… I, however, am content to stay here for as long as possible.

May 5 | Bird

Mindy — Sat, 05 May 2012 23:29:21 +0000

Today’s subject for the May Photo A Day was “bird”… and while I love nature, I don’t often photograph wildlife. I’ve seen countless photos of beautiful birds, the truth is, I really didn’t want to approach it the same way, with a detailed closeup. Besides, my 70-200mm lens will only get me so far. So, after a long day, a good run, and a big dinner, I decided to just sit on my front porch and wait for movement in the tree tops. I know I’m supposed to post a photo a day… so the top one would be it. However, I’m including one of the outtakes… what looks like a tropical fish bombing my photo. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

May 4 | Fun!

Mindy — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:37:56 +0000

Last night it stormed, it rained… it only just stopped raining after I got Lucy on the bus… in fact, the sun is starting to come out! No sooner than the rain stopped falling, Henry was begging to play with bubbles outside. Wet deck, wet table, and you can see the rain drops still on the slider… but he’s out there with all his bubble stuff, having fun! I don’t know who is more thankful for the nice weather, us, or the kids! “Fun” is an easy theme for us to capture. All day, every day, the kids just want to have fun, and we follow along…

May 3 | Something I Wore Today

Mindy — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:29:33 +0000

Today’s topic was “Something You Wore Today“, which doesn’t lend very well to being artistic… but I understand that purpose of the photo-a-day challenge, to try to look at even everyday things in a new way. I actually did wear this bracelet today… the teal matched my dress. I remember buying it – I was shopping at the mall with my sister, and we found ourselves in the kind of store that carries clothing made for women about 10 years younger than us… I can’t remember if we were able to find anything wearable for grown-up women, but we noticed these bracelets in a little canister at the checkout counter (which makes me think at least one of us found something cute). Either way, I did not want to leave empty-handed, and we thought it would be fun to each buy one for the upcoming trip to Mexico, and I wore it in Kelly & Heath’s beautiful beach wedding, back in June of 2009. Someday, we’ll fly back down there…

May 2 | Skyline

Mindy — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:39:56 +0000

When I think of the word “skyline“, of course I automatically picture tall buildings… Chicago, New York, or even Grand Rapids come to mind. A skyline is usually defined as the line where the sky meets the earth, or the outline of buildings or mountains against the sky. I’m stretching the definition here, as you can see. The tippy-top of the trees reaching skyward, from a vantage point that is just too convenient: my driveway. I did want to think outside the box (hence the trees), but considering I didn’t have to go anywhere to take this photo, I wonder if I could come up with something better. Blame it on the weather, or my son feeling under-the-weather, but this image captures the mood of the day – a little dreary. I still like the simplicity.

May 1 | Peace

Mindy — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:01:29 +0000

As part of a little photography project, I am doing A Photo a Day for the month of May and sharing them here! Each day there is a different subject, and you can try to capture that idea any way you like. My friend Rose shared the list on Instagram a little while ago, so impulsively I decided to go for it, and even though May 1 is coming to an end, you can still jump in and share your photo on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, or your own blog! I have never done a Project 365 or anything else like this, but I thought it would be a nice change of pace to deliberately pursue the creation of a photograph. Most of my photography is very unposed and often unplanned. Chasing a toddler around isn’t quite the same experience as setting up a tripod at the beach.

When I saw that day 1 was “Peace”, I immediately knew that I wouldn’t be able to take my photo during the day… it would have to come as the sun was going down, and it would have to be at the beach. This is my happy place. When I have peaceful memories, moments in my past that I look back upon, drawing all the way from my childhood years to my college years to my grown-up years, we return again and again to the big lake, the pink sky, and the soft sand. This was taken tonight in Grand Haven. I kept the colors muted and the lighting low. The solo fisherman, small in the frame near the horizon line draws your eye and you can almost feel the serenity he is experiencing. I considered removing him in post, perhaps to make the photograph even cleaner, but adding a character gives this image more of a story. I hope you like it.

Alida & Kinley | sweet sisters

Mindy — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:55:19 +0000

I had the privilege of working once again with one of my favorite families – Kim, John, Alida, and Kinley (who I last photographed when she was only two weeks old. Now Alida is three and Kinley is about 6 months old. I have been taking their photos since summer of 2009 (Alida’s first time at the beach!), and it is always so much fun! I am so glad to know this family, and thankful they have chosen me to take their girls’ photos so many times! This time we went to the dune park near their home… such a cool place, and I had never been there before so it was really nice to discover a new location, I’d love for my own family to go on a little hike among the dunes and pine trees. Here are my favorites… have a great weekend!
Alida is such an incredible little girl. She is so full of personality… I have truly loved seeing her grow into this smart, spunky kid!… and I love that wispy blond hair that just goes wherever… Little sister Kinley is starting to show her silly personality… and her tummy!… that little grin is too cute!John and Alida running down a dune – of course Alida was all about going as fast as possible and wanted to do it again and again!