...Waiting for Palmer...

One of my favorite things to photograph is pregnant women, especially a first pregnancy. It's such a special time and definitely should be documented. A lot of women feel funny about having maternity photos. They feel too big or unattractive but it's one of the most important times in your life. To me, every expecting mother is absolutely beautiful!

The following images are from Lauran and Shane's maternity session. Talk about a gorgeous pregnant woman! And Shane's not too bad either. :D This will be their first baby girl, Palmer, due in July. I can't wait to meet and photograph her!

Spring Sessions and Great Gift Ideas for Mother's Day and Father's Day!

Easter, Mother's Day, and Father's Day are right around the corner!

Looking for a great gift for Mother's Day or Father's Day? Whether you book a new session or order from your previous sessions, photo products are the perfect gift for your loved ones. If your family is looking for a gift for you, ask for gift certificate!


Great Photo Gifts:

• Gift Certificates
• Accordion Books (Set of 3)
• Prints, Gallery Wraps, or Stand-outs
• DVD slideshow (I can also make slideshows with your own personal images as well!)
• Memory Books

Now that the weather is getting nicer and flowers are in full bloom, it's time to book your spring portrait session! April and May are filling up fast so call or email today to schedule your session!


info@imagesbymichele.com or 704.584.9516

A Lot Has Happened in 5 Months

I cannot believe it's almost March and I haven't written a single post in 5 months! A lot has happened during that time:

1. My sister (one of the 7) Terri got married
2. The busy season was awesome, busier but smoother than the year before
3. Pretty relaxing Christmas and New Year's (spent in NC...a little sad I didn't get to see my family but I needed some rest)
4. Attended Imaging USA in New Orleans (AWESOME!!! I got a great new gadget to help me entertain the little ones while I'm taking their photos)
5. Painted and redecorated the Gallery (not totally finished but it's going to be AMAZING)
6. Got a new car (Toyota Highlander, which I will be adorning obnoxiously with the Images by Michele logo!)
7. Jessy got her license! Ahhhhh!!!! I'm pretty sure I have a whole head of gray hair! She's actually a really good driver but I still worry like crazy. 

That pretty much sums up the last few months. I also discovered that I am gluten and dairy sensitive and that if I eat anything with either of those, my immune system gets thrown into a hiatus. Needless to say, once I gave up all of my favorite foods, I lost 10 lbs! :D I actually feel great and even though it's been rough, I've found lots of substitutes for some of my favorite eats. 

On a photography note, here are a few newborn images that I've recently taken that I love..yup I have baby fever!!:

Fall 2010 Promotion - Mini Family Sessions

It's that time of year again! Fall is just around the corner and it's one of the best times of year for family portraits. Everything from the colors, weather, to clothing, is just perfect! From now until November 19th I'll be offering mini sessions for family portraits. The session includes 15 edited and retouched photos, fit to a slideshow, plus 25 custom-designed fine-art holiday cards!

Spaces are limited so call or email to book your session today! 

Carolina Beach - Labor Day Weekend

We try to visit Wilmington at least 2 times a year and now that I'm living here too we try to visit more often. In the past we've always gone to Wrightsville Beach but the last few trips have been to Carolina Beach. 

Our friend Brad owns Surfhouse Cafe and Surf Shop in Carolina Beach so we get to visit him and the shop while we vacation. The food is phenomenal!! A personal favorite is the Turkey Cuban sandwich...it's to die for. In November his shop will be featured in the prestigious Southern Living magazine! In winter months they serve specialty hot chocolates that have gained crazy attention. They also bring back their mushroom sandwich which I've been craving since last year! Needless to say I'm already planning our October trip back! Here's a few images from our recent trip:

My Trip to Guatemala

A few months back I decided to surprise my best friend Tiana by showing up in Guatemala a few days before her 30th birthday. She has been living there since last October and she was a little sad that she wouldn't be able to spend her 30th with her close friends or family. For my 30th birthday, she made me the most unbelievable YouTube video and I decided immediately after watching it that I needed to go to Guatemala and surprise her.

Tiana had some slight suspicions but I called her the day before my arrival and threw her off my scent. She was totally surprised when I showed up...it was perfect! We spent the next few days hanging out in Quetzaltenango (Xela), walking through the town, picking up food for dinner in the markets, drinking "atol" (hot, sweet, corn drink), going on hikes, and just catching up. 

At 6:00 am, on the day of her birthday, we hiked up a mountain with Don Carlos, a Mayan spiritual guide. We discovered that morning that based on the day I was born, my Mayan spirit (nahaul) is "Aj" and it was actually that day, Tiana's birthday! A coincidence? I think not! The ceremony was awesome and I could write pages and pages on it. I actually journaled almost every detail of my trip and I'm going to create a book with photos. We ate cheese and crackers and wine, then went to a spa for 3 hours, got ready and went to her friend Willy's opening night of his new restaurant. It was a perfect day and night and I was so happy to be able to celebrate with her. 

We spent a few days at Lago Atitlan, which took 3 "chicken buses" and 3.5 hours to get to. The buses are so named because there are often animals accompanying the passengers. We stayed in a really nice hotel the first night and spent the next day taking a boat ride around the lake and visiting 3 different villages. It was awesome! The night before I left we decided to stay in a cheaper hotel...not the best decision! We discovered a huge spider problem and at 2:30-6:00 in the morning, about every 30 minutes, we were abruptly woken up to cackling roosters. If I didn't physically see them in the courtyard, I would have bet my life they were actually in our room! Hahah! It was a great trip and I had sooo much fun...even the roosters just add to the story!

Take a look at a few of may favorite photos from the trip and Tiana's birthday video:

Crazy Weekend!

This past weekend I ventured north for 3 photoshoots! I was so crazy busy that I literally had to schedule sleep! My journey began on Friday at 6:00 am...I had an early flight to Connecticut and as soon as I landed I sprinted to Hertz to get my rental car. I then drove to Milford, which is about an hour away.

The first photoshoot was awesome! Jen was looking to update her publicity photos and wanted some natural shots. Although it was cold, we went to 3 locations, including the beach. The clouds in the sky were really cool that day...streaks of white against extreme blue. I had to take a photo of it!

I left Jen and headed up to Waterbury to go to a Hibachi restaurant for my brother-in-law's birthday. It was awesome! Can't beat beer and wine, sushi, salad, soup, hibachi shrimp, and fried ice-cream for $35 (including tip!)

Saturday morning I had breakfast with my mom before she had to go to work and I had to travel onto my next photoshoot in NYC. I've photographed Marcella's wedding and separate reception so when she asked if I'd photograph her 2 baby showers I was thrilled! The first baby shower was in Brooklyn and it was unlike any baby shower I'd ever attended! It was held at Poppa's Place (Formerly Red Bamboo) and there must have been over 90 people at one time. The food was great (buffalo chicken wings and coconut shrimp were to die for!)!

After I snapped my last photo, I headed back to CT to hang out with another sister, brother-in-law, and nephew. On the way back from NYC I stopped and picked up a pizza from Vito's in Wolcott. After all, I'm not sure when the next time I'd be able to get it!! It was DELICIOUS!!!

I woke up early on Sunday and met my sister Jackie and niece Amanda out for breakfast. Although it was a quick visit it was awesome to catch up! Before the next baby shower, I stopped by my mom's to say goodbye and then headed to Naugatuck to check out Jessy's dad and his fiance's new business location. It's TLC Homecare LLC and they service the elderly, new mothers, recently injured, and also have a home-cleaning service as well. I'm so excited for their new storefront. It's in a great location with lots of traffic.

The final photo shoot of the weekend was really nice. It was different from the party the day before, but it was anything but traditional. Again, the food was outstanding! From fried cheese balls, to fruit salad, lasagna, meatballs, chicken wings, etc., I was a happy camper! The house was filled with love and of course, awesome music! They even hired someone to play the congas!

You'd think my weekend was over by this point, but I still had one stop to make. I met my friend (and fellow photographer, from Impressions Studio) Cindy out in New Haven at Ivy Noodle. They had some awesome noodle dishes for realllly cheap! While we were chatting and going over photography ideas I got an email from US Airways telling me my flight was delayed for almost and hour. I thought, pretty cool, now I don't have to rush. About 15 minutes later, I got another email telling me my flight was back on for 7:00! Ahhhhh! I had to rush out of there, drive from New Haven to Hartford in the rain, stop and get gas, and return the rental car. I made it just as they started boarding! We boarded on time, but the plane was delayed on the runway for 25 minutes. Once we were in the air I started editing the weekend's photos and right at the time we were originally supposed to land, the pilot let us know that we're in a holding pattern for at least another hour! Apparently there were crazy thunder and lightening storms plus a possible tornado watch in Charlotte! The good news is, we had enough gas to hold us over, I edited almost alllll of the photos, and we landed safely at 10:30 pm. I did see some lightening as we landed which is pretty scary from a plane!

What a whirlwind weekend! I needed sooo much sleep over the next few days and I'm just now back to my usual self! I had such a great time photographing beautiful events and getting to catch up with some family and friends! Below is a photo from Friday at the beach. I'll be uploading some photos from the other events next week.

Giuseppe 02.20.2010

Giuseppe has been a frequent visitor to the studio since his birth...and oh wait...even before he was born! This time I wanted to focus on him alone and capture some more creative photos. My intention was to have some sleeping photos but when this cutie came in he did not want to sleep! The day before I texted his mom and asked her to bring some hats. That day she had just received this adorable hat! When I saw it I wanted to die...it was the cutest thing!

Here's a few favorites from that day:

The Parisi Family

This is the 3rd session with the Parisi's. The first session, Giuseppe wasn't born yet...but for the 2nd and 3rd he became the star of the photoshoot! Of course the first thing you notice about this angel is his hair...so wild and crazy. But it's his eyes that draw you in...

Check out a few photos of this gorgeous family:

 

A day in the park with Reese...

Reese is one of the most adorable little girls I've ever photographed. She reminds me of Michelle Tanner (the Olsen twins) from Full House. We went to the park and I basically chased her around wherever she went. Her favorite thing to say was "UP!" I could photograph her allll day long. I did need a nap afterward...

A link to the slideshow:
http://www.imagesbymichele.com/slideshows/Mapel-01-25-10-web/

Here's a few of my favorites:

Kimberly & Mike Kochanny December 12, 2009

On December 12th, Teddy and I drove to Raleigh and then flew to Chicago. We had about a 2 hour layover and then flew to Detroit. Once we got to Detroit we drove to Harbor Springs, Michigan...which is about 4.5 hours north. As some Michiganers, Michiganites would say...it's at the top of the mitt. We hit crazy weather once we got close to Harbor Springs...I'm talking a full blown blizzard!!! At one point we just started laughing because we had no idea whether we were still on the road! The great news is, the next day was the wedding and there was no snow, blue skies, and the temperature hit 26 degrees...it still sounds cold but we were thrilled. We were able to take some awesome snow photos and the rest of the day just kept getting better and better. Kim and Mike and the entire wedding party and guests had a blast and here are a few shots from their perfect wedding day.

Below is a slideshow of more images from that day: