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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!
I was SOOO EXCITED to shoot tonight’s session!! It was a Senior prom night and I met Cersten, Chris and Jade at the Renaissance Hotel in Dallas for a some pre-prom pictures. I uploaded the pictures tonight and couldn’t help myself, I HAD to post a sneak peek! They were SO FIERCE in these photos…..I was going crazy to find just 1 I liked! Anyhow, I’m off to eat my sundae but hope you like this little teaser 
I generally do High School Seniors photo sessions, but when Ashley called me to do her COLLEGE graduation photos, I was SUPER STOKED!!! This meant that I was able to take the photos up a notch and show case Ashley as a woman, not just a senior. Ashley will graduate with her Bachelors of Science from UTA and will go on to get her certification in elementary education this July. Along with getting her certification, Ashley will be working on her Masters degree in Psychology. Upon entering college, Ashely wanted to be a Nurse, however quickly realized that her calling was to teach! For fun, Ashley loves sports, running and hanging out with family. Outside of school, she is a workaholic!
When I asked Ashley what type of session she would like, she quickly mentioned that she had boots to wear. Of course, I had the PERFECT location!! We headed to Downtown Ft. Worth to start her Senior Session off! She was a little shy at first, but quickly got into the groove! I was SO impressed with how quick she got comfortable behind the camera. Here are a couple of my favorite she took in the 1st 10 min of shooting!!
After we shot around a little at the train station, we decided to her her Senior shoot to other areas in Ft. Worth that would fit her style! I LOVED all of Ashley’s Senior portraits and couldn’t pick out the ones I wanted to show the world! However I managed to pick some of my FAVES!!
Finally, my FAVORITE picture of all! I think…….:) I asked Ashley if she had any words of advice for those High School Seniors who will be entering college in Fall of 2012 and she said, ” Take every class seriously because time FLIES! Graduation will be there before u know it!” Congrats Ashley for hanging in there and for being a part of our childrens future! I wish you the best!!
- Lovely photos!!! I love this look and the locations as well. You rock! And congratulations to Ashley too!May 10, 2012 - 1:25 pm
I have known Evelyn since she was in elementary school!! Her mother, Yvonne, and I have been great friends for years!! I was SO excited to get the phone call asking to photograph Evelyn for her Senior pictures! As you can see, Evelyn ROCKED her Senior pictures like no other!!
Evelyn is a Senior at Plano West High School. She is above average when it comes to her studies and plays in the Plano West High School Band!! In her free time, she gives her attention and time to her community. After graduating, Evelyn will be leaving to the Air Force where she will continue her education in Mental Health Services. I am sooo excited for Evelyn and her new chapter in life! Here are some of my favorite pictures from her Senior photography session!
My favorite picture would be this one, with Evelyn and her mom, Yvonne.
- Melinda, thank you so much...you are such an awesome person inside and out!!! love you to life girl! you are sooo good at what you do!!! Thank you so much for doing Evelyn's pictures.April 16, 2012 - 3:29 pm
I have been gone for a while, taking a break from updating my blog. However, I thought I would start my 2012 blogging with one of my favorite Seniors! I have known Evelyn since she was a young girl, and now she’s on her way to the Air Force! I abosolutely LOVE her Senior portraits as we picked the best spots in Downtown Dallas. Please come back and visit to see Evelyn’s entire Senior portrait session. You won’t be disappointed!
- Melinda...you are friggin' awesome! I wouldn't use another photographer...you've watched my baby grow up...and I'm honored to have you take her photography pics each time she has something come up. You totally capture her beauty. thank you so much!!!April 5, 2012 - 2:56 am
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!
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!
- 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
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!
- I LOVE the last shot!October 10, 2011 - 4:55 am
- awwww young love!!!! great session!!October 10, 2011 - 5:18 am
- They are so cute together!!!!!!!! I def love the last one also!October 10, 2011 - 1:50 pm
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…..
- 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
- 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
- I LOVE THEM!!! I had so much fun and CAN'T WAIT to see the rest!!!:)September 30, 2011 - 5:33 pm
- 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
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”
- OMG Mel this is so cute!!! She was a really good model!!!!!July 14, 2011 - 3:18 pm
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!
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