Melissa Gidney Photography

Name: Melissa Gidney Photography
Address: Los Angeles, CA, US
Telephone: +13109901840

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Melissa Gidney Photography

Lifestyle + Wedding Fine Art Photography

08/24/2026

Sicily & Egadi Islands • Like much of Europe, Sicily was deep in a heat wave, with forest fires burning in the distance and winds making the final days of our sailing trip unpredictable. We were looking for somewhere sheltered, and I had stumbled upon the Egadi Islands—somewhere I knew I wanted to see, especially not knowing when we’d be back.
We began in Cefalù, tucked beneath its dramatic cliff, with morning swims, family jumps, pistachio croissants and a beautiful little wine bar. Then the wind arrived. Seasick kids and rougher seas eventually led us to Castellammare, where a three-night detour of waterfront dinners, cobblestone streets and slow mornings turned out to be one of those unexpected gifts of travel.
Finally, we took our chances and headed west, towards the Egadi Islands. Quiet, wild and beautifully unhurried, they felt like exactly where we were meant to end up.

08/21/2026

The Aeolian Islands have a way of making time slow down.
Ancient history carved into volcanic islands, a quietness that seems to settle over everything, and days so hot that the only place to be was in the water. Hours and hours of swimming and exploring the sea with my boys, just as I did at their age on our many family adventures. We met local fishermen who sold us fish for one of the best dinners of the trip. An unpredicted storm had us scrambling to get to the other side of the island in the darkness, our anchor dragging through the night, forcing an early departure for mainland Sicily. Every moment, the peaceful ones, the playful ones, the stressful ones, all become part of the adventure.
Simple days. Long days. Days that felt suspended in time.
Some of my favorite days of the summer.

08/17/2026

Isole Pontine • We were excited to return to the Pontine Islands, and this time around was made even better with the discovery of a little bay with cliffs that reached the sky that became one of my favourite days of the summer.
The water was crystal-clear with rock rock canyons and hidden caves. I napped on warm sand beach with the water gently licking my feet. We finished the day with a magical sunset and a night swim that felt almost otherworldly.
Our other new discovery was Ventotene — a place I could happily spend a week. What makes these islands even more fascinating is what lies beneath their beauty. For more than 2,000 years, people have been carving their way into the volcanic rock — Roman harbours, tunnels, fish farms and vast water cisterns. On Ventotene, an entire port was carved from the rock, with some 60,000 cubic metres removed by hand. It’s extraordinary to think about what it took to build these places so long ago.

08/10/2026

Portofino — impossibly pretty, undeniably crowded. Cruise ships, endless people, and still somehow a little magic around every corner. One of my best dinners of the summer at Hotel Splendido, which made it all worth it.

08/07/2026

Cinque Terre • I’ve always wanted to visit this area, but I never imagined my first time would be by boat.
It’s a beautiful coastline, though not the easiest to explore. Anchoring is heavily restricted in many areas, often limited to mooring buoys that are few in number and frequently reserved for smaller boats. As a protected park, an overnight permit is required, although no one came to check ours.
Some of the villages have strict rules and you can’t always take your tender ashore, so instead you have to hail down a local boatman to collect you and row you in. But I think this is actually part of the fun.
Overall, I found it much busier and touristy than I prefer, with that said, I still loved sinking into the village for an afternoon of swimming, exploring the the shops, enjoying a delicious fish dinner, and watching the evening unfold with a beautiful sunset.
Would I go back? Probably not. But I’m grateful to have experienced it at least once.

07/26/2026

Porto Venere, Italy • An unexpected favorite.

A stunning seaside waterfront, great restaurants, plenty of places to swim, and so much history—but what stood out most was the atmosphere. Families on the rocks, teenagers swimming until dark, Aperols before late dinners. No one seemed to be in a rush to go anywhere or do anything beyond what they were doing. What a special reminder of how a holiday should be.

07/19/2026

Corsica. As with any island, our route and schedule are always dictated by the wind, so we didn’t have as much time here as we’d hoped. Even so, every visit leaves me wanting more.
For nearly 1,200 years, Bonifacio has guarded one of the Mediterranean’s most important sea routes, its medieval citadel perched dramatically atop 70-metre limestone cliffs. I am in awe of this city every single time we visit.
This trip also brought a new discovery: a beach with the gentlest, shallow water where Remi could play freely for hours. Somehow, spots like that are harder to find than you’d expect.
Our first big crossing couldn’t have gone much better. Calm seas, dolphins, a beautiful sunset, and returning to one of our favourite stretches of desolate beach surrounded by giant granite boulders.
We hit our first “extreme weather” situation enroute to Elba. Big winds, rain, and lightning dancing around us. We were lucky 💛

07/12/2026

Mallorca —> Menorca
We left behind the dramatic cliffs of the Tramuntana for our nearby friend, Menorca.
There’s something about crossing that short stretch of sea that feels like a reset. The pace softens, and we find ourselves looking forward to returning to our favorite discoveries from over the years.
That first week on the boat always feels like one long exhale.
After months of pouring ourselves into projects, last-minute repairs, wrapping up the school year, and navigating the beautiful chaos that always seems to come before a trip, it feels good to simply… depart. Or is it that we finally arrive?
No agenda. Just slow mornings, salt on our skin, afternoons exploring hidden coves, and the kind of family time that somehow makes everything else fall back into perspective.
Rémi had his first ice cream (well, technically frozen yogurt). Everything is running smoothly with the boat. It was a great first week 💛

06/09/2026

How sweet this life is. 💛 We’re in those last days before summer fully takes hold—wrapping up fútbol and padel seasons, the final chess tournaments, squeezing in boat days, and embracing the occasional lazy afternoon. School is winding down, and there’s a collective exhale in the air. Looking forward to less rushing, fewer schedules, more room for slow mornings, salty hair, and long evenings together. Ready to settle into summer.

05/12/2026

Limestone caves, carved rock platforms and pools, bright umbrellas lining the beach clubs, or a narrow stretch of sand tucked beneath a city wall just wide enough for a few chairs and towels.
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Swimming, long lunches, and slow afternoons by the sea are deeply part of the Puglian rhythm—and they do it very well. Here are a few of our favorites from this beautiful coastline.
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1 - Grotta della Poesia Piccola
2 - Polignano a Mare
3 - Cala Fontanelle
4 - Cala Porta Vecchia
5 - Cala dell’ Acquaviva
6 - Beach Tricase Porto
7 - Bagno Marino Archi
8 - Castro Marina

Address

Los Angeles, CA

Telephone

+13109901840

Website

http://www.melissagidneyphoto.com/

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