When I think back, I am pretty amazed of my journey in the realm of photography. Just the thought of where it has led me to and where it will take me makes me so excited. I am so thankful to the many people who have supported me,encouraged me and continue to do so on this journey. Without them, I am just another person with a camera. But, most of all I thank GOD for the many blessings and for instilling faith and artistry in me.

Because I am somewhat a control freak, there I said it......really? Ya, I think I have a little of that in me, lol! Only........ because the quality of my images and my clients are everything to me. I decided to have my very own STUDIO space. I wanted a space where my clients can feel comfortable. It took me awhile to decide on how I wanted the space to function but like most things I own, it needed to be multifunctional. Aesthetically it needed to speak who I was as an artist and my brand. With that, I present to you a preview of my work in progress Photography By May's Studio. More needs to be done however, I am proud of the base I have to work with. My large wall canvases are not in yet but will soon fill the bare walls.

Already, I find so much solace and pride in this space.  I feel so blessed that I get to work in a space like this and to be able to share it with my wonderful friends and clients, puts a smile on my face every single day (can you see it? I am all teeth and no eyes right now, hehehe!).

My poor blog, I have been neglecting it for a while. So much has been happening here at Photography By May and something had to give to where I was not sacrificing my time with my precious family and unfortunately it was my blog. So with that, I wanted to continue on the road trip we took this past summer...yes, I did say summer and yes, I know it is fall now, lol!....If you missed my blog post on Road Trip Across America Part one, do check it out.

This blog post is going to pick up on our trip in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It's my very first time there and I must say it has an interesting landscape. A lot of brown everywhere until we got to the other side of the Sandia peak and then there was more green all over. We decided to take whatever available time we had to check out the Sandia peak and parts of the city around the University of New Mexico campus. The trek up Sandia was pretty long. In fact, it was 2.7 miles long. It was Daniela's second time on a tramway but fun nevertheless.

See all the brown....
 Getting a little greener...

 That shadow aaaaaallllll........ the way down there is our tram car
 Isn't it beautiful? This is at the peak at 10,378 foot above sea level.

In pursuit of excelling at my craft and passion of photography, I decided to attend a photography conference in Las Vegas, NV. Yes, I put myself and work out there for the experts to review....nail biting!!! (more on this in a future post). Here is the first installation of our journey/vacation, business/pleasure trip.

What was to be a 3 day 2 night time away from home turned into a 10 day getaway. How?! The hubs and the kiddo COULDNNNNN'T stand to be away from me even for a day.....................was, what I wanted to say when in fact, the hubs and I just love to travel. We always have. When the opportunity presented itself, we toyed with the idea of turning this into a road trip. It really didn't take us long to make up our minds. We have flown to Vegas many times and while still fun, we've pretty much seen most of it. This time, we wanted a difference experience. Oh! and yes, we took our toddler along with us. Crazy?! But of course!!!! It's me, y'all(oh! the texas drawl is rubbing on me, ha!). Nothing more fun than driving across 4 states and 3 time zones with a toddler, LOL! Seriously, we would not have done it without her. It was an aaaaammmmmazzzzzzing trip and we had blast. To be able to share this experience with her and make memorable memories together is a blessing and we would not trade it for anything.

There were so many places we wanted to visit on this trip. It was hard to choose, but we finally plotted our route and the must sees. First stop, Amarillo, TX. What stood out for us in Amarillo was the Cadillac Ranch. For those not familiar, Cadillac Ranch is located out in cow pasture where a number of Cadillac automobiles are half buried nose first into the ground. It is an iconic roadside attraction not to be missed if you are in that part of the country.

Whoo! Hoo! Off we go....



Since the Cadillac Ranch is a public art installation, guess who was all over it with creativity?






OH! and YES! we did leave a telltale sign that we were there. If you are ever in the area and you can find it, take a picture of yourself next to it and I'll give you a prize* ;) Good luck!


* Prize has no cash value. It is at the discretion of the author on what the prize is. The first person to submit their findings will win the prize. Winner is responsible for any taxes or cost associated with the winnings. I just give you the prize.

Today, I wanted to share with you a super talented individual who I believe has the potential to take her art many places. Her attention to detail is just superb. Her name is Allison and she happens to be my niece. Am I biased? Of course!!! I am, but I also think I can recognize talent when I see one. We had a chat about her art and her inspirations. Don't miss the artwork she did of Daniela at the end of our chat. Click on each of the images to view a larger version of it.

May: When did you first know that art was a passion?

Allison: I always have to stop and think a bit before answering questions like this, because art has really always been my outlet, the activity I love to do most. I guess you could say the moment I knew I was serious about it was only after a good while of exposing myself to what was out there, who was out there, and researching the possible fields to find out what works for me so I could put that passion in a direction. I'd say that's when my drive began, but I'm still always learning.


May: How old were you when you first started drawing?

Allison: Like most toddlers, I probably picked up a crayon at the age of 2 or 3 and scribbled on some paper. Then I kept at it!

May: What/where/whom do you draw your inspirations from?

Allison: Sometimes the cozy atmosphere of anything with an old English feel or maybe my fascination with Asian folklore inspires me. Maybe the way the light plays on passing objects while on the road could direct my next piece. Pretty much anything and everything, whether it be books, movies (I have to say, these are huge), animations, experiences, etc., etc., etc. As far as artists go, I could list names indefinitely, but I'll name a few of my favorites.

One inspiration that's been with me a long time is Kazuo Oga, who can make fantastical worlds seem realistic. Noah Bradley I've discovered recently, but he's been a huge inspiration -not only from the scale and drama in his art, but as a mentor from the loads and loads and loads of artist resources he provides. Other big inspirations include Theo Prins, Paul Kidby, and Alan Lee.

May: What are some of your artistic achievements and/or accolades?

Allison: My digital painting take on Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 got "Best in Show" for the Media Fair competition which encompasses all uses of digital software. On deviantART, I placed in a competition and got to have my artwork featured in a private artbook. I've also had a number of my paintings in local museums very recently -the Arlington Museum of Art and an exhibition at the Arlington PDC. More recently than that, however, I collaborated with my great friend Anh and we placed in a statewide business competition for our logos and advertising design.

May: Where can people find more of your work?

Allison: You can find my portfolio here: http://allisonchin.daportfolio.com

I also have a Facebook page where I post updates of my work, sketches/smaller works, or my art process: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Allison-Chin-Art/152211571491685



May: Are your artworks for sale? 

Allison: Most of everything I post on my website is available for print. I'm available for any freelance work or services as well! You can contact me through my email: allisonchinart@gmail.com, or you can just drop me a note on Facebook.

There's more, but that gives you the gist of it!


A couple of years ago, I had her illustrate a picture of Daniela. I gave her the picture and said do as you please and below is what she came up with. Isn't that awesome?! An anime version of my daughter. Now, that's original and which kid wouldn't like that.

Original snap shot

Allison's artwork

Now that it's officially summer, more and more people are out and about to have some fun before the scorching Texas heat gets unbearable. Oopss! wait it IS already unbearable. We had taken advantage of some cooler evenings to hang out in the backyard before it got too hot. Texas has some really awesome places for kids to go and have fun but, sometimes the best place is right in your backyard. When you have a toddler, believe me you will look for activities to let them burn out their never ending energy. What is your backyard fun like?!

"...till death do us part". The promise of a lifetime together is such a beautiful thing. The beginning of an amazing journey with your love and partner. The wonderful memories where two souls come together to create and share is priceless.

I had the privilege to capture Alden and Jeff's engagement pictures earlier this year. We had an amazing time doing it. Alden had also wanted to create a special gift for her husband to be and so, she had me shoot a contemporary portrait session. Bless her heart, she really loved the way I had captured her beauty and who she is as a person. She had wanted me to capture her wedding; but, due to other circumstances and scheduling conflict, I was only able to capture her bridal prep that wedding morning.

It was a beautiful day. Couldn't have asked for better weather. Alden was pretty relaxed yet full with anticipation for the ceremony. The atmosphere in the bridal room was light and full of laughter. Alden's beauty really just pours out onto my camera. She was totally radiant. Ever said, "GOD is unfair..." then wait till you see her mom and sister too. GOD was really unfair to the rest of us this time around, ha! He blessed this family with so much beauty that it makes you want to throw out your mirror(just sayin! don't do it, no really....DON'T). Judge for yourself...














Hair by: Jennie Aven
Venue: Arborlawn UMC
Flowers by: Cityview Florist Fort Worth

So, I get this call and my client goes, "Hey May, I want to take some pics as a wedding gift for my husband to be." I was like, "Awwwesome!" What a great idea right?! Seriously, I think every bride to be should consider doing this. It's just an awesome gift whether its for yourself or your significant other.

Immediately after the call I went into action planning out her shoot. I knew right away that I wanted something classy, timeless and editorial for her. We had soooooo... much fun doing the shoot. I have a feeling my camera is in l.o.v.e with her. Every shot I got of her was just stunning. Wish I could show you all of them. With that, I am proud to share with you some of the images we shot that day.

Don't you think she belongs on the cover of a magazine?