melina desantiago

365 Project
Day 43 Title: “Lighten the Night” Bring light into the dark. See the beauty in the world another way. It may be difficult at first, but once your eyes adjust, everything around you will become bright and beautiful. © Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 43

Title: “Lighten the Night”

Bring light into the dark. See the beauty in the world another way. It may be difficult at first, but once your eyes adjust, everything around you will become bright and beautiful.

© Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 42 Title: “Running with the Wind” Be one with nature, run wild and free alongside the wind and just let go. Let the cool breeze brush against your skin, let your hair down and flow in the air, and leave your worries behind. Be yourself and never let anyone hold you back, not even for a moment. Stay true and live for the moment. © Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 42

Title: “Running with the Wind”

Be one with nature, run wild and free alongside the wind and just let go. Let the cool breeze brush against your skin, let your hair down and flow in the air, and leave your worries behind. Be yourself and never let anyone hold you back, not even for a moment. Stay true and live for the moment.

© Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 41 Title: “Leaving No Trace” Sometimes it is okay to be alone. Leaving no trace for the world to find you, just so you can have time to yourself. Pondering about life, taking a step back and eventually deciding where to go next. All in good time, life will run its course, so there is no need to rush the life that you have. © Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 41

Title: “Leaving No Trace”

Sometimes it is okay to be alone. Leaving no trace for the world to find you, just so you can have time to yourself. Pondering about life, taking a step back and eventually deciding where to go next. All in good time, life will run its course, so there is no need to rush the life that you have.

© Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 40 Title: “The Journey to the Other Side” A journey can be long and treacherous, but when one has enough determination and goes the distance, it can all be rewarding in the end. © Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 40

Title: “The Journey to the Other Side”

A journey can be long and treacherous, but when one has enough determination and goes the distance, it can all be rewarding in the end.

© Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 39 Title: “Left in the Rain” Alone in a deserted place, rain starts to pour and the feeling of loneliness starts to grow. Everything appears dark, all becomes silent, yet one must look beyond the darkness and find light in the midst of it all. Even pleasant surprises can be found in the darkest of times, even if one is left alone in the rain. © Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 39

Title: “Left in the Rain”

Alone in a deserted place, rain starts to pour and the feeling of loneliness starts to grow. Everything appears dark, all becomes silent, yet one must look beyond the darkness and find light in the midst of it all. Even pleasant surprises can be found in the darkest of times, even if one is left alone in the rain.

© Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 38 Title: “As Free as the Little Caged Bird” This may sound a little weird, but sometimes I feel like a bird with wings ready to fly, but feel trapped as if I were inside of a cage. Sometimes I feel like I’m being held back by something I can’t seem to figure out yet.. Maybe it’s my struggle financially, maybe it’s the work load I take on, maybe it’s the wall I create for myself in order to take a step outside of reality, whatever it is, I wish I could figure a way outside of this invisible cage and move forward with my life. I wanted to create that feeling for this image here; I intentionally did NOT put my model inside of an actual cage, I wanted to express that she may look free, but she is only as free as the little caged bird that she is holding. I didn’t want this photo to be too literal, but something to figure out, at least with the title I gave it. Hope you like it! © Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 38

Title: “As Free as the Little Caged Bird”

This may sound a little weird, but sometimes I feel like a bird with wings ready to fly, but feel trapped as if I were inside of a cage. Sometimes I feel like I’m being held back by something I can’t seem to figure out yet.. Maybe it’s my struggle financially, maybe it’s the work load I take on, maybe it’s the wall I create for myself in order to take a step outside of reality, whatever it is, I wish I could figure a way outside of this invisible cage and move forward with my life. I wanted to create that feeling for this image here; I intentionally did NOT put my model inside of an actual cage, I wanted to express that she may look free, but she is only as free as the little caged bird that she is holding. I didn’t want this photo to be too literal, but something to figure out, at least with the title I gave it. Hope you like it!

© Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 37 Title: “In a Vulnerable State” I Love this large, open, flat surface I have near my home. It’s nothing but dirt, with the exceptional trees and mountains in the far distance, but I can do so much with it. I decided to go a different angle and play with my depth of field on this one. Working on so many shoots all the time, it’s nice to try something different every so often. Once again, I was shooting at sunset, so I had a limited amount of time to use the light that was provided for my shoot. By the fourth shot, the wind had hit my dress just right, and with the sun casting such beautiful shadows, I had gotten my shot. Being out in the open like that, not only was it a moment to be captured forever, but a time and a place where I was once at peace, just enjoying the little while I had to do the shoot, feeling the warm breeze against my skin, sinking my toes into the cold dirt, losing sight of all my worries and frustration. Until that moment has passed, I can only wait until next time where I go on another adventure out into an open field or explore a creek, somewhere beyond the hills outside of where I live…for now, it’ll only be those places within the boundaries of which I can explore. © Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 37

Title: “In a Vulnerable State”

I Love this large, open, flat surface I have near my home. It’s nothing but dirt, with the exceptional trees and mountains in the far distance, but I can do so much with it. I decided to go a different angle and play with my depth of field on this one. Working on so many shoots all the time, it’s nice to try something different every so often. Once again, I was shooting at sunset, so I had a limited amount of time to use the light that was provided for my shoot. By the fourth shot, the wind had hit my dress just right, and with the sun casting such beautiful shadows, I had gotten my shot. Being out in the open like that, not only was it a moment to be captured forever, but a time and a place where I was once at peace, just enjoying the little while I had to do the shoot, feeling the warm breeze against my skin, sinking my toes into the cold dirt, losing sight of all my worries and frustration. Until that moment has passed, I can only wait until next time where I go on another adventure out into an open field or explore a creek, somewhere beyond the hills outside of where I live…for now, it’ll only be those places within the boundaries of which I can explore.

© Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 36 Title: “Running Away to Find New Adventures” When I came up with the idea for this image, I really had been craving to do a shoot with my sister, Christina. I didn’t have much for wardrobe at the time, except for these two long, flowy gowns that I thought would work perfectly together. It was getting late and Christina and I had to walk through this field of itchy, dead grass while holding up our dresses so they wouldn’t tear at the bottom with all this dead grass pulling at them. Once I had my camera set up on my tripod with my settings and timer adjusted, Christina and I were running back and forth into the shot as many times possible before the sun went completely down. So we had a strict time limit, and all I needed was a shot where we both were looking back at the camera (and no funny faces), a shot with our dresses flowing back showing the movement of us running away into the distance, and to make sure, overall, every part of us looked decent. Running in dirt that sinks, grass that has been long dead and is now extremely itchy to the touch, while throwing our dresses back in soon to be darkness was a challenge no doubt, especially with our dresses going in every which direction not cooperating in every shot. Overall, I am happy with the final outcome of this image, but I had shot this so long ago, if I were to do this shoot over again, I would come better prepared and not have so much of a challenge getting the shot. That’s why I am doing this 365 Project, to keep pushing myself and keep learning with every shoot that I do. I may not always like the outcome to every shoot, but I post anyway to show my weaknesses, my strengths, and my journey during this project. © Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 36

Title: “Running Away to Find New Adventures”

When I came up with the idea for this image, I really had been craving to do a shoot with my sister, Christina. I didn’t have much for wardrobe at the time, except for these two long, flowy gowns that I thought would work perfectly together. It was getting late and Christina and I had to walk through this field of itchy, dead grass while holding up our dresses so they wouldn’t tear at the bottom with all this dead grass pulling at them. Once I had my camera set up on my tripod with my settings and timer adjusted, Christina and I were running back and forth into the shot as many times possible before the sun went completely down. So we had a strict time limit, and all I needed was a shot where we both were looking back at the camera (and no funny faces), a shot with our dresses flowing back showing the movement of us running away into the distance, and to make sure, overall, every part of us looked decent. Running in dirt that sinks, grass that has been long dead and is now extremely itchy to the touch, while throwing our dresses back in soon to be darkness was a challenge no doubt, especially with our dresses going in every which direction not cooperating in every shot. Overall, I am happy with the final outcome of this image, but I had shot this so long ago, if I were to do this shoot over again, I would come better prepared and not have so much of a challenge getting the shot. That’s why I am doing this 365 Project, to keep pushing myself and keep learning with every shoot that I do. I may not always like the outcome to every shoot, but I post anyway to show my weaknesses, my strengths, and my journey during this project.

© Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 35 Title: “Far from Home” With this image, I wanted to express a lost princess far from home, which can lead her to new adventures that can be both frightening and exciting for her. As she finds herself in a new world, she is forced to step outside of what she is use to and adapt entirely to new ways of being, in order to survive a mysterious world unknown to her. Life challenges can be necessary to learn and grow from; you can become the better you that you can be, if handled the right way. © Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 35

Title: “Far from Home”

With this image, I wanted to express a lost princess far from home, which can lead her to new adventures that can be both frightening and exciting for her. As she finds herself in a new world, she is forced to step outside of what she is use to and adapt entirely to new ways of being, in order to survive a mysterious world unknown to her. Life challenges can be necessary to learn and grow from; you can become the better you that you can be, if handled the right way.

© Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 34 Title: “Til Death Must We Part” Creating this image was quite an experience. I felt very spooked the entire time doing this shoot, thinking there might have been someone else there lurking in the distance watching my every move, aside from my boyfriend, Lonnie, there to be a part of my shoot. So I limited my time to get this shot within literally a few minutes so we could get on out of there. I visualized Lonnie and myself in black clothing for more of a funeral look, expressing a death taking place. Then I created a glow of light in the midst of the clouds faintly glowing down towards the couple, showing it was their time to go, given a pathway to leave this world. The usual saying goes “Til Death Do Us Part”, but finding true love can be one of life’s struggles, it’s difficult to understand why one would consider parting with their other half even in death, if they had finally found their true love. © Melina DeSantiago Photography

Day 34

Title: “Til Death Must We Part”

Creating this image was quite an experience. I felt very spooked the entire time doing this shoot, thinking there might have been someone else there lurking in the distance watching my every move, aside from my boyfriend, Lonnie, there to be a part of my shoot. So I limited my time to get this shot within literally a few minutes so we could get on out of there. I visualized Lonnie and myself in black clothing for more of a funeral look, expressing a death taking place. Then I created a glow of light in the midst of the clouds faintly glowing down towards the couple, showing it was their time to go, given a pathway to leave this world. The usual saying goes “Til Death Do Us Part”, but finding true love can be one of life’s struggles, it’s difficult to understand why one would consider parting with their other half even in death, if they had finally found their true love.

© Melina DeSantiago Photography