Kicking off the New Year at Fall Creek Falls

2017 is well under way, and I've been staying busy with clients, photo shoots, in-depth social marketing management, and new projects. It is really exciting to be this busy, especially as I'm entering my second year of being fully self-employed. 

Of course, I have all sorts of plans for the New Year, and am focusing heavily on marketing and expanding my music business network. Today, though, I want to share some images from our New Year's weekend. 

My best friend and her husband came to Tennessee to spend the holiday with us, which was so much fun. We had the opportunity to attend Bluegrass Underground at Cumberland Caverns, as well as the Underground Countdown at Fall Creek Falls State Park for New Year's Eve. 

The suspension bridges over the rushing waters are always a hit!

We love showing off the beauty of our adopted homeland, and either of these two destinations are a sure-fire way to get people to fall in love with Tennessee. Both of them, though, were the perfect combination to make a fun weekend awesome. 

We attended the Friday night Bluegrass Underground show, and were lucky enough to get a private tour of a part of the cave used for tours and educational purposes. I took one photo in the cave, but this is the first time I've ever seen the stage from this angle, and, though it's not my best work, the iPhone photo works just fine to show the view.

The crowd looks so small, but it was a packed house!

On New Year's Eve, we spent plenty of time lounging about the cabin and eating a delicious soup Bill made, but we did make it out to get some air and take in the sights.

One of the deer we saw every day outside of the cabin.

It's hard to really get the scope of the terrain, but this view of Bill, a few boulders below me, gives you a little idea.

Overlooking Buzzard's Roost. Photo by Bill Davis.

Buzzard's Roost

If you've ever seen Fall Creek Falls, whether in a photo or in person, you know they are usually a "bridal veil" falls; the New Year's weekend was rainy, so the falls were rushing like mad, and so huge!

Piney Falls

View from a suspension bridge.

For the Underground Countdown, we dressed up and had a ball! The music was a Bluegrass tribute to The Grateful Dead, so we were certainly the most dressed up people there, but we loved the compliments and the chill, welcoming vibe of the crowd.

It was a perfect evening to dress up and ring in the New Year!

New Year's Day was another great day for exploring the last falls in the park, Cane Creek Cascades. The suspension bridge was a little bit of a challenge between the drinks from the night before and the dizzying rush of the water below, but we all made it to the other side!

Cane Creek Cascades

Bill looking over the Cane Creek Cascades

The view over the cascades.

The opposite view from the suspension bridge.

A view of the cascades from the other side of the suspension bridge.

All in all, it was a perfect weekend with wonderful friends. As the year continues, I hope everyone is feeling the excitement of the possibilities of new beginnings.

Produce in the Studio

For those of you who don't know, I am fond of gardening, and this year has been the best garden yet. 

I took some of our bounty and used it in the studio. The colors are just glorious!

Cucumbers, hot banana peppers, Chocolate Sprinkle cherry tomatoes, Yellow Pear cherry tomatoes

Clockwise from left: cucumber, Black Prince tomato, Cherry Bomb hot pepper, jalapeño pepper, Candy Land mini cherry tomato, hot banana pepper, Yellow Pear cherry tomato, Chocolate Sprinkles cherry tomato

After shooting several  layouts on white/light backgrounds, the colors against the dark background jumped out beautifully. 

By far one of my favorite shots of the summer

A dinner creation by my charming husband, Bill

We planted new-to-us peppers this year, and these Cherry Bombs are now a Davis favorite. I especially like them stuffed with goat cheese and grilled.

We always plant heirloom tomatoes, and we tried a kind called Old German. A medium-size, they are so sweet and delicious, and their color is gorgeous.

My first attempt at preserving was a success! Bill will be making delicious soup base out of these jars when cooler weather comes around.

If you're a gardener with a blog or looking to start one, or even if you just want some pretty shots of what you grow, don't hesitate to contact me for pricing on garden photography. 

Swimming At Whites Creek

In late August, Bill and I took a trip out to East Tennessee with some of the ladies of Tennessee Parks and Greenways. We went to the home of Steve Scarborough, which sits on a 1500 acre property at the base of the Cumberland Plateau.
Steve's land is protected by a conservation easement put in place via Tennessee Parks and Greenways.

Here is Bill at the base of the Cumberland Plateau. That's the edge of the Plateau on the left of the photo.

Whites Creek runs right through Steve's land, so we took the day to hike and snorkel.
The distance of the hike was only about 1/4 mile, but the drop was about 200 feet, so it was decently steep. The path we walked is a mining road built in the 1940s.
It rained a bit and the water was murky, but it didn't stop us from swimming, hiking, and enjoying the flora and fauna of the surrounding natural beauty.

One of the gorgeous green views.

This little lizard greeted us first thing.

As we were hiking down to the creek, Steve pointed out a bald eagle through the trees and across the creek. I whipped out my handy 70-300mm zoom and was able to get this shot.

My first bald eagle sighting. Pretty amazing.

The first swimming hole was a pool at the edge of some low falls. We swam across and sat on the rocks with the water running around us. It was beautiful and refreshing. We swam back to shore through a straight-down rain.

The second swimming hole was just a little way down the path. People waded on the shelf and swam in the surrounding pools. We saw fish and fossils and frogs.

When the creek is higher, it's perfect for kayaking and canoeing.

These frogs are little, most under an inch long. They have great camoflauge. 

A little slice of heaven.

Everything was so green, colorful details like this fallen leaf became high profile.

On the hike back to the house, I noticed this large boulder in the trees that I hadn't seen on the way down. I love the placement of this large, unyielding stone among the lacy green of the understory plants and small trees.

When we got back to Steve's house, he had hot dogs and beverages for us all, along with stunning views. It was the perfect end to a beautiful day away from the city.

Want to learn more about opportunities like this? Follow Tennessee Parks and Greenways on Facebook and subscribe to their events. 

Radnor Lake, May 21, 2016

I usually shoot in controlled environments, like my studio or garden. On Saturday, though, I went on a hike with my family at Radnor Lake, and decided to try my hand with my long lens.
I took a lot of shots, but I only have a few that I like. Props to photographers who shoot nature or sports: it takes patience, paying attention, a steady hand, and quick reflexes.

This heron never moved a muscle.

This heron was quite active, and I photographed him from all kinds of angles; this exercise proved that I need to further accustom myself to the long lens. 

This young deer grazed alongside us as we walked on the trail.

It's always good to practice different kinds of photography, and this was the first time in a while I've done this sort of exercise. It felt great, and, though I didn't get a bunch of amazing shots, I got out of my comfort zone.

MAW's latest photos and design

2016 is flying by! I have stayed busy booking new clients, nurturing current professional relationships and building my catalog of product photography.

I've had the pleasure of working with several artists this year, including (clockwise from top left) Olivia Molinaro Landry, Kris Prunitsch, Charlotte Terrell, and Miranda Herrick.

I've also been working on independent projects, both for practice and to show samples of my studio work.

 

I've had plenty of design projects to keep me busy, as well, including several ongoing marketing projects for The One and Only Bill Davis and Very Entertaining Records.

The color photo below is a portrait taken by me, which came out so much better than I expected. Photo credits for the other images go to Miranda Herrick for the photo of Bill and me and Brett Schenning for his photo of Jeff Blaney.

You are seeing that right! I've been joining my charming husband for most of his gigs over the past six years or so, and am now fancy enough to be in photos with him! He's always been very encouraging, but I've kept myself in the background for multiple reasons, one being that it's hard to be in a photo when you're the person photographing.

While the above images are all being used for digital marketing, I have also had the opportunity to create some physical promotional products, as well, including these cards for Kris Prunitsch and Miranda Herrick. 

 

It's been a wonderful year so far for MAW Studio, and I'm looking forward to sharing more with you soon. Contact me if you'd like pricing for any photography or design projects.

MAW Studio - How It All Began

As soon as the door closed on 2015, 2016 was in full swing for MAW Studio. This is MAW's first year as a fully independent business. It's been an exciting (and sometimes harrowing) three years, and I am (mostly) ready for the next chapter.

Of course, there's nothing like the future stretching out in front of a person to make her want to look back, and I find myself reminiscing about Autumn of 2012. Bill and I had been married for about six months, and had spent most of the year financially treading water and trying to pick away at our debt. Then, I cracked a tooth. A molar fractured, and the pain was unbelievable.

Here you go, dentist and endodontics specialist

After a long period of forgoing maintenance, I had fortuitously made an appointment with a dentist, so I called and moved it to the next day. I went in, had a full-on assessment, and came away with a five-figure "get back to dental health" plan, one third of which was immediately due (go to the dentist regularly, friends!).

I panicked. We had so little in savings. Our job situation was steady, but not good. We already had plenty of debt. What was I supposed to do, invent a way to make money?

Well, I am an American, right? And what does America need more of? One of my favorite words: gumption.

So, I invented a way to make money. I started out by editing and laying out six months worth of photos in albums for a friend who had lived abroad. I added to that working with a fine art painter, photographing her art and maintaining her inventory, social media, and website. I started investing more time in my design skills and worked with several small businesses and local artists on advertising and marketing campaigns. I continued to work at a local gallery, photographing the art and updating the website and social media, which I molded into a higher-paying contract position.

One of the hand-written album layouts for the first MAW job

It took perseverance and hard work, and I'm happy to say all debts are paid (except the mortgage), mostly thanks to the income brought in by MAW Studio. It's a big step to become an independent entity, and I am nervous, excited, and trying to proceed as if I can't fail.
Here's what's on my plate so far for 2016:

• More photography than I've ever done (I have a studio that gets better by the day, and Horse Trails to Highways is calling me back for more) 
• Actively listening to and promoting more music
• Expanding my knowledge of marketing via social media and blogging 
• TRAVEL (mid-year is going to be a whirlwind) 
• Working with artists and makers of all kinds to expand my reach and test my limits 

A last tidbit: where did I come up with MAW? I love this acronym because the M and W create symmetry without repetition. Melanie At Work seemed to fit. Maw is also another word for mouth, which is how this whole adventure started, so it seemed right to give a nod to the catalyst.

I feel like I should have a platinum and diamond grill, but I'm happy with my pearly grill.

2015 Holiday Market and Pop-up Shop Guide

The holidays are here!

Not that there's any reason to panic. I mean, there are weeks left before Christmas. Although, my niece's birthday is on December 15th, and my nephew's is on the 20th. My brother's birthday is right before Christmas on the 23rd. I have a holiday party to attend, so I need a hostess gift, and gifts for clients...

Yikes!

Those two weeks in the middle of December leading up to Christmas are always the marathon in our families. I stopped writing everything that's happening in those two weeks because it has to be taken in shifts, mentally.

It compounds so fast, it can spiral out of control before you know it! If there's one thing I recommend at this time of year, it's LISTS. Gifts, holiday cards, and important ship dates are three great lists to compile for the holiday season. Check off each gift as you buy it, and scratch it off when it's been given. If you send a lot of cards, get names and addresses compiled into an Excel document and print the addresses onto labels with your printer, and order return address labels from online resources such as Zazzle. For your important ship dates, USPS has a great resource on their website, which is a good way to ballpark when to purchase or order the gifts that need to be shipped. 

Click here to go to the USPS web page with this and other helpful information about shipping and holiday hours.

People are making more efforts to support small makers and locally-owned businesses. Luckily, Nashville is abound with people making great products, and there are markets throughout the holiday season that will satisfy everyone on your list. 

Where to shop

Holiday markets are everywhere, and these four are a great place to start:

Gift Horse Pop-up Shop (Opens November 28 at 10am)
Jessica Maloan of Pine Street Makery has put together a great roster of items from makers of all sorts. The list of brands and products represented is well-rounded, and there is sure to be something for everyone.
Look for Hello Soap (best lip balm on the market) and Corbé Company ceramics.
Located in the Sawtooth Print Shop at 604 Gallatin Ave, Suite 215, 37206

This little dish by Corbé is perfect for salt or as a jewelry bowl.

All natural and so flavorful, Hello Soap lip balms are second to none when it comes to moisturizing and flavor.

Studio Be Holiday Artist Market (December 4th 12-9p & 5th 9a-4p and 11th 12-9p & 12th 9a-4p)
Local artist Cindy Wunsch is putting on a two-weekend market featuring all kinds of different artists and makers. Each weekend will be different, and both will be a great opportunity to purchase a wide variety of goods.
Look for jewelry designer Beth Lawrence of Freshie & Zero representing her brand the second weekend.
Located upstairs at 4908-B Charlotte Ave, 37209

A selection of my own collection of Freshie & Zero earrings

WeHo Market and Art Crawl (December 5th 10a-6p, Art Crawl 6-9p & December 6th 12-5pm)
Clothes, coffee, gourmet dog treats and more: the WeHo Market is going to be a great place to meet some makers.
Look for Blackjack Wax & Co. Hand-poured candles from Georgia make a great hostess gift or stocking stuffer.
Located in the Track One Building, 1211 4th Ave S, 37210

Porter Flea (December 5th 10a-6p)
Celebrating it's tenth show, Porter Flea has relocated to a bigger space to accommodate even more makers (over 140!). Not into rubbing elbows with the hordes? Purchase tickets for their preview party on the evening of December 4th.
Look for Elizabeth Foster's booth of fine art. She has everything from cards to original art, and her imagery is gorgeous and well-executed, but not overly-serious.
Located at Silver Point Studios, 10 Quality Way

The detailed and jovial works of Elizabeth Foster are definitely worth checking out at Porter Flea

There are dozens of other pop-up shops that will be happening over the holiday season. Even when the season gets overwhelming, I hope each of you can take the time to meet some craftspeople and discover a new brand (or several!) that keeps your interest and inspires your loyalty for years to come.

Cheers to the start of a wonderful Holiday Season!