Wedding Photographers Chicago | Melissa Diep Photography | Blog bio picture

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Remember the scene in Sex and the City the movie when Louise from St. Louis gives Carrie her Love charm? That’s Melissa Diep. She’s in love with Love. She’s the kind of gal who wears her heart on her sleeve and cries a little when her brides and grooms take their First Look. She loves the thrill of photographing the magic that exists between her couples, the innocence of a sleeping newborn, and the simplicity of a family in their own backyard.

Melissa is always on the hunt for the new and interesting in her hometown of Chicago, by way of Saigon, Vietnam. It is because of her family’s hardships and tenacity during their flight from the communist North––spending 10 days on a cramped fishing boat, then living in a refugee camp in Thailand for nearly two years––that have shaped who Melissa is today as a woman, wife, mother and photographer.

Armed with only a handful of pictures from her early childhood––one single baby photo and just a few as an infant in her family’s camp––it’s easy to understand why Melissa employs a photojournalistic approach behind the lens. She aims to deliver photo memories with stunning visual impact; natural and unscripted while telling your story effortlessly.

Melissa’s upbringing motivates her to live fully and to appreciate the grand, the small, and the in between. In her everyday, Melissa rocks girly dresses with blazers on photo shoots and drinks Vietnamese coffee. She believes in finding beauty in unexpected places, always doing her hair and lusting over shiny red Minis (regrettably, but dutifully, she upgraded hers to a more baby-friendly vehicle).

Melissa lives in Chicago with The Giant and Little G, also affectionately known as her husband and one year old son, of whom she religiously takes one 100 photos a day.

Lake Tahoe Photography | Lola’s First Vacation

July 27, 2010

My girlfriend Tiffany invited me on this trip with her to Lake Tahoe while her husband Ly’s attending an all day conference. As soon as I got the invite from her, I jumped on that chance right away. This is a first trip to Lake Tahoe for all of us. I rarely have so MANY pictures of me because I’m so used to being the one behind the lens. Tiffany and I went on this photography tour called Lake Tahoe Photographic Tours. A big thanks for my Giant for discovering this tour for us on Tripadvisor. This tour is an absolute MUST. The price tag to this tour may sound pricey at first but once the tour guide takes you to your first off-the-beaten-path location, that alone was worth the money. This is a four-five hour tour that take you to the most scenic places around Lake Tahoe. Like I had mentioned earlier, our tour guide took us to places that you wouldn’t be able to find yourself if your life depended on it. Hehe. But seriously, as you’re about to see for yourself with these pictures, the views and locations were breathtaking.

So here are some pictures from this amazing trip. I’ve been to about 27 states here in our beautiful country and I must say, Lake Tahoe is hands down the prettiest place I’ve visited! Thanks Tiffany and Ly for having me on this trip! Can’t wait to do it again!!! This time, we have to go tubing down the Truckee River!!

I’ll be posting my night pics taken by Lola tomorrow. You’ll seriously be blown away by the clarity and sharpness to these images!! Stay tuned!!