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.

Miss America Goes Green

Miss America goes green....

I had the chance to shoot Miss America Katie Stam on several occasions this past year and it's always an adventure. (And it all started with tulips in Pasadena...)

So we recently got together to shoot a new campaign for one of Miss America's newest sponsors, Nature's h20. Nature's Bottles are made from plants, not oil and are 100% renewable and recyclable. Check them out at naturesbottles.com.

We had about 30 minutes....some bottles, a crown, a fountain, the usual crowd that gathers whenever she's out and about....and 100% humidity in the Florida heat. Not a problem...

We also shot all 53 contestants by the pool a little later....when it had REALLY warmed up.

Katie is such a dream to shoot, always gracious and beautiful.

The contestants were amazing and found humor in watching me try to line them up by state (I only missed a few and studied that night).

The photos will be featured in press releases, national ads, and were also featured on the national Miss America telecast on TLC.

Go Green with Miss America....

And so it begins...

And so it begins...

I've had a great time over the years shooting some of the most interesting people, places and things. There always seems to be a story and I figure it's time to share some of them as I go.

Just remember, I'm a photographer not a writer (that is probably painfully obvious already) so I'll try to entertain, but I hope the stories are in the photos so here it goes.