Shelah Photography Blog

A baby bump and some bubbles

08.25.2011 Posted in Family * Kids * Maternity

She shy, he loud, and a toddler leading the way. It was our maternity session-turned family session-turned toddler session! Full of bubbles, feeding the ducks, a sword fight and some kisses, this was a precious session to me of a family who is like family to my heart. We ran this way, we jumped that way, as toddler R led the way! He really did just take the shoot into his own grubby little hands, which was okay by me. I’ll enjoy the bubbles and the sword fights right along with him!

Here are the faves! CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST!

by Leila Shelah Dali

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When you know… you just know.

08.23.2011 Posted in Wedding

Gerardo. He’s grounded, unmoving, focused. Things don’t easily sway him. He’s just that kind of guy. Solid and centered. Yet has this flare for extreme adventure….

Which came his way when he met Amy. =)

They had known each other for a few years, having met before. But the stars just weren’t aligned back then. It took a few more years and a “remeeting” for their stars to align this time! Gerardo was actually supposed to be meeting a potential romance and Amy was the friend of this friend aka body guard for this friend. She was coming to be the second opinion of what this Gerardo was like for her friend. After the meet was over, the friend asked Amy with a quizzical eye, “What about Gerardo …. FOR YOU?!?!”

Within days Gerardo and Amy were dating. Within weeks they were engaged. Within months, their wedding happened in a whirlwind.

Talk about adventure!!

But they were made for each other. I’ve known Gerardo for a few years and within that time have had a chance to get to know this magnificent man. I don’t always trust people who say, “When you know, you just know.” because I have seen that terms used for justification purposes. But when Gerardo told me she was the one?! When GERARDO told me that everything just fit? I too KNEW. When you know, you just know. And I knew that Gerardo knew, so that meant I knew too.

I finally got to meet Amy, this infamous girl who was the perfect match for Gerardo. And within seconds, I too, KNEW. I KNEW IT. I JUST KNEW. WOW did I KNOW!! She was everything he needed, wanted, and desired– but BEYOND. And He was and is everything that is good in a man– and he was hers.

And together?!?! It’s as if they were made for each other.

Because… they were.

And I know it.

Please celebrate with me that which is the newly married Markoch family! Gerardo and Amy… what can I say. When you know… you just know.

CLICK HERE to see the rest of the sneak peek.

by Leila Shelah Dali

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He brought the world to me….

07.25.2011 Posted in Sharing my heart * Wedding

I secretly (well it’s not a secret anymore) asked God if I could travel the world and see all the various cultures there within. I asked God if I could celebrate with the Indians, laugh with the Asians, grin with glee with the Latinos, shout with joy with the Middle Easterns. I wanted to travel the world and CAPTURE the greatness and beauty that is culture. I secretly asked God for this. I wondered how God would do it. How would God take me to travel the world… how?

It was in the middle of yet another cultural wedding, me crouched on the ground of the reception floor, laughing behind my camera because of the JOY that was bubbling up within me. Belly dancers were wowing the crowd with their beautiful dance, their cultural heritage– and I, wearing all black, crouching low to the ground as to “blend in” somehow, was amongst the beauty, the culture, the joy. It was then that I realized that God was answering my prayers.

I asked God to let me see the world… God brought the world to me.

My heart grew soft and thoughtful. I knew deep within my being that God had just answered my prayers. God, the Being beyond words and comprehension managed to take the cultures of the world and lay them at my feet. My exact prayer was being answered: I got to capture the beautiful culture of this world.

I love culture. I love who people are, where they’ve come from. I love their makeup, their cultural trademarks of beauty– from tatoos all over their face, to braided hair, those wonderful idiosyncrasies that make their culture unique: I love it all!

And in my job, the job that God hand picked and gave to me (not without a LOT of hard work on my part!!) would have it that I get to see the world, and capture it with my camera.

What a God I serve! WHAT A GOD!

Here is the wedding I did when I realized that God brought the world to me. This was a traditional Orthodox Middle Eastern wedding, complete with belly dancing at the reception. I’m half Middle Eastern, with a Middle Eastern name, Leila, and what do you know? During the reception, they played MY SONG!! It’s an Arabic song that says “Leila” all over it. My dad used to — wait, my dad STILL sings it to me! It was great!

Here are some of the faves! CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE ALBUM!