alyssa miserendino photography : amimagery : little inspirations

jennifer hudson

a friend called me one morning and she thought she woke me. i was in fact, still in bed, but looking at my contemporaries online. there have been so many museums i've visited in the last 6 months. it's been a trip worth reliving and i will at some point relive it here. yes, i am bad at these posts. but this deserves a look. this is what kept me in bed that one morning (oh, by the way, i still haven't looked at that disk i mention here - jennifer was the critical mass finalist) the story from which this body comes from, is beautiful. enjoy....

our wedding photos published on 100 Layer Cake

Our wedding (sept 2010) captured by the talented One Love Photo and ceremony/reception brought to life by so many talented artists, in different ways, was published by 100 Layer Cake. Click on the image below and scroll to the bottom to learn about all the hands who helped us make this a very special day for Conor & I. t h a n k  y o u everyone!

and I found Heather published it here with our awesome friends who gifted us this.

image © One Love Photo

Greta de Parry - Sale!

Good friend of the studio, Greta de Parry is being featured today on Fab.com! Check out (and buy!) her amazing sustainable home furnishings, all handmade right here in Chicago.

Alyssa just wrapped up a shoot with Greta featuring her beautiful Coleman Stools, and patches the cat who watched her make these from scratch...

something old, new, borrowed & blue

perhaps Francesca doesn't remember because it was only in my head, but i often looked up to her in grade school through middle school. and i can't be happier to have met her fiancé, James, & been asked out of the blue to capture the two of them. we beat the rain & had a magical evening -- all thanks to them. thank you for driving in from wisconsin. the best part was the biggest hug we gave each other after perhaps 10 years! geez....

i adore how Franny fits in James' hands. life is beautiful and so are these two...

another scale of happiness

a few years ago, conor & i spent new years in berlin. as usual, while conor combs the guide books for a place to eat, i always look for the little unique boutiques. my favorites are always paper stores, & conor has learned he can't fight me on this one, otherwise i'll simply be moved to carry even more cards & paper items home. r.s.v.p. is that little place off the beaten path (and here is the best part) with a beautifully  p a r e d  down collection of paper, cards, calendars, & albums from artists (along with a few of the daily staples too). walking in, i was immediatly drawn to the simplicity of one woman's work, su-pyo, both visually & through her tag line that reads "another scale of happiness." i absolutely adore her phrase....

a couple of her intricate drawings with her tag line sits on my office shelves in white frames....

in the last year i have been following her online galleries, and this one by far is one of my favorites : Wandering into the Wall. enjoy!

playing favorites

i've had a pretty blessed year. perhaps it's because i've gotten married to my best friend for the second time, in an industry i never really believed in, which had driven me away from photographing weddings after almost 10 years. yet, i have created some of the most identity driven self portraits of myself through client's love (t h a n k  y o u to the below) - both in love of a partner or child  ... or in my personal work. but i get it now. or perhaps i just enjoy knowing myself through this lens. its like a secret i'm not sure how to tell  - but through loving myself more & more, i love my imagery more. and even when i dont know what i'm doing, even better:) i turn 30 in a couple of days & i couldn't be happier. in the most ironic of places, the work i've run so far from in order to do a better job, makes me smile again - who knows, perhaps i'll get to teach a class about it soon (live out loud).

happy birthday & t h a n k  y o u world. i look forward to growing old with you all.

a little help from my friends

 

this was the beautiful surprise our friends gave us ...

     

captured by our talented photographers, heather & jon

 

the nashville clothing drive

was a total success! i have over a half dozen bags of clothing for 44 families who have lost everything in the flood. and below is just one of the bags!!!! t h a n k   y o u to the green bean nursery, chicago green home daycare, and the little green tree house, and all those families & individuals who donated! 

 

our buildings build us

while at a lunch in Rio, around a table full of designers, i happened to be seated next to the quietest of them all. at one point my neighbor spoke up, "we may build our buildings, but our buildings build us." 

yesterday, i took a break to head outside while working downtown. i adore this city's parks & public places. without them, i would be without a never ending backdrop. i am proud to live in a city where both the old & young can play together. 

barefoot, i'm in with my camera playing. within two seconds someone taps me on the shoulder. "is your camera good enough to catch the rainbow?" turing around i see a couple, perhaps in their 80's, sitting on the bench staring & smiling. i want to hear them, so i take a seat next to them. we are all here to do the same. watch & enjoy. but not one word... not one. they laughed out loud, just once, breaking their never ending smile with an open mouth. then without saying a word to each other, stood up & walked away, hand in hand.

 

i adore

lula! not only have they been serving locally farmed, yummy, heart melting food, for y e a r s, they are the first public place that ever hung my thesis - 6 years ago, after graduating from college! they are an amazing advocate for local art here in chicago, which you can check out on their blog : 'lula's walls' & be inspired.

yesterday, a small portion of my chicago series, our world insideout went up, along with some wonderful work from alysia kaplan & david schalliol. come hungry & enjoy! 

t h a n k  y o u lula for the full circle of sorts:)

from my iphone....