MTV's Mia Carruthers for Eliza Magazine

If you've seen MTV's Taking the Stage, you certainly have noticed Mia. Mia Carruthers is the ultra talented singer songwriter that has taken the show by storm and made a name for herself.

Recently Eliza Magazine editors contacted me to shoot Mia for their Winter issue. The issue just hit the newsstands and I'm so excited to finally be able to share some shots from our shoot.

Mia and I had a blast creating just the right mix of her wardrobe and a few things from the "studio closet". She is so down to earth and low key, even more beautiful in person than you could imagine.

Then we hit the ground running and took to the streets. We hadn't been out of the car for more than a minute before she gathered a crowd. Cincinnati has really fallen in love with her and the fans kept honking and cheering as they drove by and recognized her. (Maybe someday they'll drive by and recognize ME, but until then I'll keep shooting...)

Check out the magazine online at elizamagazine.com and look for the Winter issue. You can also purchase your own copy at most Barnes and Nobles locations.

More on Mia to follow....

Miss Ohio USA

Here's a few more of the fabulous Amanda Tempel, our current Miss Ohio USA. Be sure to watch her compete at the Miss USA Pageant live from Las Vegas on NBC Sunday May 16th. For more on how you can be the next Miss Ohio USA check out www.missohiousa.com.

When life gives you snow...Miss Ohio USA

I've been looking forward to our photoshoot with Amanda Tempel Miss Ohio USA and we've had to reschedule several times with her busy schedule preparing for Miss USA. So we finally have our shoot scheduled (two days before her photos are due for "the donald" and NBC) So when life gives you 8 inches of snow..you shoot anyway. Cincinnati has just been that way all winter, we've had snow and grey FOREVER. Luckily Amanda has been modeling for several years so a little blowing snow and cold mean nothing to her....she can make anything beautiful.

Her "sister" queen Miss Ohio Teen USA Bridget Linton joined us for all the fun too. Bridget will compete at the Miss Teen USA pageant this summer so there will be more shots of her to come a little later. We decided shooting in Vegas in May sounded like more fun.

You'll have to wait a couple more weeks to see the final shot of Amanda that will be featured on the NBC Miss USA website Be sure to cheer her on at the Miss USA Pageant May 16th on NBC.

Miami...

So just last week I flew down to Miami to shoot

one of my favorite (okay and my husband's too) models, Kelly Gaudet. You can always tell when I'm editing Kelly photos because he is sitting right next to me. He met Kelly

many years ago and hasn't been

the same since. Best part is she's

just as beautiful on the inside so I kind of let him slide.

Normally

flying to Miami is pretty fun, you're greeted with sun and you make your way to South Beach, camera in hand, ready for action. The locations are great,

the light is beautiful and well...it's Kelly...

So next time I try this...remind

me not to fly in the morning after the Superbowl.

The terminal was packed with hung over guys in football gear, baggage was a sea of high heels and designer luggage and the rental car counter was a comedy of people who either trashed their car or couldn't find their car.

Three hours later, with camera in hand and the sun going down I headed to the beach.We shot at night..we shot at sunrise in 40mph winds..hardly perfect

conditions but still had fun.

Here's a few my husband liked...

More Michigan USA

Miss Michigan USA

For the past several years I've been the official photographer for the Miss Michigan and Miss Michigan Teen USA Pageant. We have a great time with the title holders creating their headshots for the national pageant as well as shots for their publicity, website and modeling portfolios.

The team Proctor Productions has put together is right up there with the best I've worked with. Figo salon has been amazing with hair and makeup for all the shoots, and our location this time was the new Greektown Casino in downtown Detroit.

We always take the usual crown shots and

traditional pics they will need for the year, but this year, pageant director (and one of my favorite people ever) Melissa Pitchford let us go a little crazy. The girls will be featured at a magazine launch party in March (www.944.com/detroit/)and we wanted something a little less pageant for this event. Here's a few that are in the running for the shot....

Our beautiful Miss Michigan USA is Rima Fakih, and Michigan Teen USA is the equally fabulous Catherine McGhee. For modeling assignments they are represented by the I Group in Michigan (www.theigroup.com) and New View Management Group in Cincinnati. (www.nvmodels.com).

To book the title holders for appearances or find out about entering next year's pageant, contact the Miss Michigan USA Organization. www.missmichiganusa.com.

Mario...

Mario...

Miss America week in Las Vegas is always one of my favorites of the year.

And this year was no exception.

With press pass in hand I was ready to cover the events for Four Points magazine.

The judges panel was an interesting mix including Rush Limbaugh, and gymnastic and Dancing with the Stars Champ Shawn Johnson.

Sitting front row at my first press conference of the year always gives me a crazy rush. Robin Leach (yes he REALLY talks that way) was on my right and the usual mass of cameras, reporters and film crews packed the room behind me.

I seriously wonder some days how I got so lucky.

Then it happened...I have to admit after all these years I actually became starstruck.

I've watched him the last couple of years, and I'm pretty sure he's the player we all would be if we looked like that too, but when Mario Lopez walked in the room I was toast. It was all I could do to just keep shooting so the camera would hide the glassy eyes and dazed look. (Okay, not sleeping gives me that same glassy eyed dazed look too, but this one belonged to Mario)

He's so soft spoken in person, and I'll never watch EXTRA the same way again.

Loved this final shot I snapped right after Caressa was crowned and was being interviewed by Mr Wonderful.