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Combining a fine art background and the heart of a storyteller, Michelle has a strong desire to love people as they are, and enjoys making honest, artfully composed images that feel fresh, personal and full of energy. Michelle has been working in the professional photography and art worlds for 20 years, and was the first female, fine art, digital, “lifestyle photographer” in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Since then, her work has been featured in and on the cover of several local and national photography and art magazines, as well as local, regional and national musicians’ and organizations’ promotional pieces, and has dozens of local and regional fine art exhibits and festivals on her resume.

When it comes to influences, Michelle feels like every aspect of life influences the kind of art she makes. While she does appreciate other artists’ work, she often finds the biggest inspiration from other creatives like musicians, writers and other public figures in the entertainment world. It may feel random at first, but if Mr. Rogers and Pee-Wee Herman had a love child, it just might be Michelle. Upon further examination, Mr. Rogers’ desire to genuinely love his neighbor, and Pee-Wee’s campy, quirky, and often goofy approach to the world round out how Michelle navigates through her own life, which influences how she interacts with others in and out of her photography sessions. Still, visually, her biggest inspirations are currently Kristi Odom (for her meditative, artful photographs of animals), and Weegee (a street photographer who created artful compositions in the faces of mass chaos). Michelle also initially learned photography on film cameras, and still loves creating images that look and feel like film-either through editing techniques or by still using 35mm or Polaroid film.

Michelle loves, like Weegee, to find beauty in the chaos. Live events, concerts and chasing small, carefree children bring Michelle to life. She also loves working with people who hate having their picture taken. Bringing her heart to every shoot she does, photographing families and individuals that feel anxious about their experience are another type of session very close to Michelle’s heart. These sessions often involve taking a little extra time to relax, share stories and talk about happy memories, helping everyone to see that her photos of you are really a showcase of your best self, and the way the people who love you see you.

If you’re:

-Seeking a photography experience that is comfortable, personable, and showcases your best self

-Seeking professional, energy-filled images of a concert or other live event

-Seeking something different and refreshing, like a documentary of your own, personal life

-Seeking an artist that sees you just as you are, cares about you, and wouldn’t change a thing

You’ve come to the right place. Contact Michelle now for your next photo experience