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Dallas Senior and Portrait Photography bio picture

Welcome to my Blog!

My name is Melinda Leal, and I am a wedding and portrait photographer. I have done photography since I was in high school using a dark room and 35 mm camera! I LOVE photographing love and life because it's a beautiful thing! My inspiration and drive comes from my husband and children. Jonathan and I have been married almost 9 years and it has been a great ride! I love him with all my heart and soul....and can't imagine my life without him. We have 3 children together, soon to be 4 and let me tell you, each one is a ray of sunshine in my life!

Before I decided to do photography, I went to cosmetology school at Ogle. Then shortly after that I enlisted in the U.S. Army. That was one of the BEST decisions I have ever made. It helped shape me to who I am today. Some of the things I love: fajitas, Don Pablos chocolate volcanos, my kids cheeks, their laugh, my husbands eyes, softball, ANY military movie, chick flicks and most of all MY LIFE! Please feel free to contact me with any questions....I hope you enjoy my work!

Class of 2012: Sammy’s Senior Session

I had so much fun shooting Sammy’s senior session! We met up at Deep Ellum with his parents, which I LOVE when parents participate! I like to see how much parents support their children, and Sammy’s were no different! As his dad lugged around his clothes and shoes, I had great conversation with Tammy, his mom.  It didn’t take ANY time for Sammy to get the swing of having me shoot hundreds of photos!! He was such a natural!

Sammy was SO sweet and probably the most respectful teenager I have encountered thus far! :) He played baseball for Sunset High School and plans to major in pre-med!!!!!! What an AWESOME future for Sammy!!! I can’t wait to see how far he goes in life, I know he will do so much as he has a great foundation. Hope you enjoy his session as much as I did!

Miss Dallas County 2012

As I met up with Mary Martha at Fair Park, I knew she was going to be a BLAST to shoot!!! From the first exchange of words, she was all smiles and giggles! As kids, my sisters and I would watch the beauty pagents on TV and say one day we would be Miss America! Little did we know we would have to grow a little more than 4′11″!!! LOL

Mary Martha is everything a pagent winner should be. She is a 20 yr old nursing student with plans on opening her own assisted living home to help care for the elderly diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease. Mary Martha is currently Miss Dallas County and recently competed in the Miss Texas United States Pageant. In her spare time she reads, shops, participates in pagents and LOVES spending time with her family!! Iam honored to present my session with Miss Dallas County 2012, Mary Martha!

My FAVORITE picture! She looks FIERCE!

Natalia - I so love these pics! You did an awesome job and you can tell how much fun you had. It shows :)November 3, 2011 - 3:45 am

Because I Love You: Mando & Amie

I had the opportunity to shoot a session with Mando and Amie a few weeks back. This was just a shoot because they are in love and just wanted to capture their feelings! Mando is my husbands cousin, and I have known him almost 10 years and it’s awesome to see him grow up into a young man! Amie is just AWESOME, I love everything about her and what she represents as a young woman! Needless to say, this is one of my favorite sessions because they are SOO much in love, and I LOVE to see how they interacted! :)

AAANNNDDD….one of my favorite pictures!!! I LOVE THIS ONE!! They are tooo cute!

Monica Salazar - I LOVE the last shot!October 10, 2011 - 4:55 am

vanessa hendrickson - awwww young love!!!! great session!!October 10, 2011 - 5:18 am

marlainaortiz - They are so cute together!!!!!!!! I def love the last one also!October 10, 2011 - 1:50 pm

Seniors:Kortney Class of 2012

I’m BAAAACCCKKK….!!!!! I have been gone a while with a new baby, but now I am back! :) I couldn’t have been more excited to start my come back with a BEAUTIFUL senior, Kortney! Here are some of my favorite shots from her shoot. We ventured to Downtown Ft.Worth and found some great spots! I am glad she was up to a little hiking because I found a KILLER spot! I hope you enjoy…..

Carrie - MELINDA!!! GORGEOUS!!! I love them! You did a great job, and your so professional! I can't wait to see the rest of them!September 26, 2011 - 4:02 am

marlainaortiz - Good job Mel!!!! I can def see you bringing out the fun almost "adult" side of seniors. Kortney was def a good pick for you to start with!September 26, 2011 - 12:57 pm

Kortney - I LOVE THEM!!! I had so much fun and CAN'T WAIT to see the rest!!!:)September 30, 2011 - 5:33 pm

Rhonda - This shoot was a blast, Melinda! The photo's are so much more than what I ever expected!! You did an AWESOME job and I can't thank you enough!October 22, 2011 - 11:54 pm

A Day with Grace

This year I choose to give a photoshoot to one of my sons FAVORITE teachers! She is super sweet and he said without hesitation that Mrs.Garetson was the winner for the photoshoot! I will say that little Miss Grace was just the cutest little thing! She was SOOOO cooperative and I didn’t even have to tell her how to pose! She’s a natural. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from her special day.

Her favorite toy is her bear, he didn’t have a name….just “Bear”

marlaina - OMG Mel this is so cute!!! She was a really good model!!!!!July 14, 2011 - 3:18 pm

Engagement Session: Jonathan + Abby

I want to say first and foremost, that I just LOVE Jonathan and Abby. They have got to be the CUTEST couple ever! From the first consultation to the engagement session, they were soooo lovey dovey. I just love to see couples IN love! I met Jonathan and Abby downtown and thank goodness there was some cloud cover. We all might have passed out!

I quickly learned that since Jonathan has the same name as my husband, I would call him names like my Jonathan!! lol So I had to apologize for calling him “Jon, Jonny Boy or Love” kidding on the love part…but I quickly named him JON! haha. He was such a sport. Here are some of my favorite pictures from their session. I can’t WAIT to shoot their wedding.

We moved to the Old Red Museum for these shots. I LOVE THEM!!! This is my FAVE!

OK, I lied, this is my FAVE! Abby you are FLAWLESS GIRL! :)

Happy Fathers Day

Todays post is for two VERY important men in my life. The first is my father, Mario Ortiz.  There is SO much I could write about my dad; the way he thinks, his views on life, how generous he is with people less fortunate, his drive, how humble he is or even how EVERYONE thinks of him as their own dad or “papa” .  My dad never ceases to amaze me, he has such wisdom and way to look at life that makes me rethink my own views. His road of life is full of twists and turns, bumps and cliffs, that I can’t even imagine. I know that long rough road led him to what we know today as the best dad ever. My dad doesn’t pass judgement on the man or woman next to him, and has taught us to do the same. Since we were kids, we have always known him to be a great humanitarian and it’s something that dwells within us. I am proud to have a father who leads by example and someone that my kids LOVE!

I will say that when it comes to the grandkids, he’s SUCH a push over!!! LOL. All the grandkids can eat candy for breakfast, honey buns for dinner and pretty much rule his universe! This fathers day is special because my dad contiously amazes me. He’s getting married this year, which is the best thing I could wish for and to top it off….he’s on his way to getting his BA. With that being said, this photo is courtesy of Celina Gomez Photography, it is the most recent picture of my family!

Lastly but DEF not least is my husband, Jonathan. Not only is he the greatest husband EVER, he’s such a great father to our 3, soon to be 4, children. He does so much for me and for the kids, I can’t imagine how I got so lucky! I think it’s because in my last life time, I did something REALLY GOOD…..so I was able to marry a SUPER HOT SUPERMAN! :) **Jonathan doesn’t like to toot his own horn, so I will do it for him** I am so thankful and blessed to have a God fearing man as the rock of our foundation. Here is another photo courtesy of Celina Gomez Photography. I am pregnant so I tried to hide behind him :)

Sherrie Jones - Love this post Mel...your family is too cute!!! God Bless You all! :)June 21, 2011 - 11:47 pm

Eric & Aleyda: A Parkland Hospital Wedding

I really didn’t know how I was going to start this post. I am so moved by the love Aleyda and Eric have for eachother, that the tragedy  turned triumph story is more significant than how they first met! 

For the sake of telling their story, I will briefly tell of their fairy tale intro :) After seeing Aleyda at a sports bar, Eric  would return in hopes to see her again. Finally, a month and a half later, their paths crossed. They exchanged numbers, and as Aleyda told me….he called her “bright and early the next morning” and the rest is history! I have known Aleyda since we were in 7th grade, and I KNEW she was waiting for the day Eric would ask her to marry him! The day came and she said “YES” of course! They were in the process of planning a destination wedding when tragedy struck.

Eric was in an accident and burned on a large portion of his body.  He was in ICU @ Parkland when Aleyda called me to tell me of the news. I could tell in her voice that something was wrong because she is the most chipper person I know! After she explained what happened, she followed with “I have a favor to ask. Eric is going into surgery tomorrow to have some skin grafts done and if he’s well enough, we would like to get married this weekend. I wanted to know if you would take pictures for me. It’s nothing big, but it means a lot and I want to have pictures.” WITHOUT hesitation I said “YES”!!! 

I arrived at Parkland and Aleyda was vibrant as always! She got ready on the 2nd floor bathroom and waited in the hallway as close family and friends filled the chapel. As she came in, Eric had the BIGGEST smile on his face! Of course, Aleyda was in tears…..I LOVED IT! Even though Eric was in pain, he managed to stand for the ceremony and keep a smile on his face the entire time! So here’s to my friend and her new husband. I LOVE to see people in love and better yet, I am moved when love is an “act” and not just a “saying”. God is good and I am thankful for the opportunity to witness true love.

Aleyda was sooo beautiful!!! Just want to throw this out there….as long as I have known her, she has ALWAYS had flawless skin!!! :)

She has two of the cutest kids! Little Gabby is SO SWEET, while Gavin is…..well…..just a HOOT! He is my daughters good friend, and let me tell you….I can say they go together like peas and carrots!! lol

I LOVE the look on Eric’s  face as he sees Aleyda for the first time! His smile is soooo HUGE!

Here is one of my FAVE first kisses! :)

Monica Salazar - Aww. Melinda, you just had me in tears. I love this love story and your images demonstrate all of their love for one another. The best wishes for your friend and husband!June 1, 2011 - 3:54 am

marlaina - Mel you did a really good job!!! You cant even tell it was in Parkland!!!!!June 1, 2011 - 12:41 pm

Sherrie Jones - Mel...you know how to bring the tears! You are so right, Aleyda has always been bubbly & beautiful ;) Congratulations to them both! (And may God be a healer in Eric's Journey!)June 7, 2011 - 5:06 pm

vanessa hendrickson - Melinda what a moving story!!! I LOVED every single picture!!! thank you so much for sharing!!! Lots of blessings to the new couple and pray for a speedy recovery!!!October 10, 2011 - 5:17 am

Class of 2011: Ra’Kia Waters

This Senior session was especially fun for me because Ra’Kia was venturing out a little by wearing heels and a dress! She’s very much into basketball, and I could tell she is passionate about what she does. She brought her mom, Gayla, and her little sister along for support as well as for ideas! We did a lot of laughing, as they all had a great sense of humor.

Ra’Kia plays Guard for Wakeland High School, she’s on the American Sign Language honor roll and Magna Cum Lattee.  After graduation, she will be attending A & M University majoring in Pre-Med!!!! Let me tell you, she’s a power house! I wish you the best of luck Ra’Kia, and hope all your dreams come true!

You would have NEVER known this was her first time wearing heels! She WORKED THEM!

I loved her little sister. She’s in the 8th grade, and I can see her following big sisters footsteps!

Ra’Kia said they were going to do an “atler ego” type of picture. I was just playing with the two images, but this is what they had in mind! I thought it was SUPER creative…something I have never done before.

Natalie - Melinda these are so good! I love everything about them, the colors, her outfits, I can really see you enjoyed this shoot. You shone through! And wow shoutout to her being into ASL, so awesome!May 23, 2011 - 12:53 am

marlaina - Love them Mel! The alter ego pic is great!May 23, 2011 - 1:00 pm

Tonda Cohen - Super cute!May 23, 2011 - 2:41 pm

Ocieanna Taylor - I love the alter ego pic!May 24, 2011 - 4:08 pm

Chris Senior Session: Class of 2011

I met with Chris and his family in Downtown Dallas for his Senior session. It was a pleasant surprise to see his entire family with him. His father, Chris Sr., was on the sidelines shooting his own footage and his mom was there to ensure he was looking great for every picture. He even had his 2 younger brothers there for support. I love when I see a family unit that is strong and supportive of eachother! I was super excited to get these pictures up because Chris was a great sport and everything I asked him to do came naturally!

Chris, congrats on one of the most biggest mile stones in your life! Now off to college for the next chapter in your life. Good luck!

Jennifer Taylor - Great job Melinda! My favorites are 2: love how his red shoe laces pop the red circles on the gate, 5: love the angle from his letterman to his face, and 6: great creativity!May 4, 2011 - 2:13 pm

Tonda Cohen - Melinda once again you did an AWESOME job!!! I was so pleased with the senior pictures you took of my daughter last year, I proudly recommened you to my cousin for her sons special moment. YOU ROCK!!!May 4, 2011 - 2:31 pm

Sherrie Jones - Mel, these shots are on point... Keep doing what you do! You definitely possess a gift!May 10, 2011 - 9:34 pm

Life with Kaishon - He is so handsome! Wishing him all the best as he is starting his future : ) So exciting! Beautiful work.May 16, 2011 - 3:26 pm