31 Gamechangers for Photographers Workshop

Earlier this month I had the a-mah-zing opportunity to attend a two day photography workshop lead by Trevor Dayley of Trevor Dayley Photography.

I have to confess that prior to attending his workshop, I had never heard of Trevor.  I'm relatively new to Phoenix and I don't photograph weddings so I had somehow managed to miss out on the awesomeness that is Trevor Dayley prior to a few weeks ago.  Now I'd have to say that I've been converted into one of his biggest fans!

I heard about his workshop when a fellow local photographer, Ryan Nicole Photography (who is also amazing btw), suggested I attend.  After checking out the workshop itinerary, I decided that it sounded right up my alley and signed up.

Words really cannot describe how wonderful the experience was to learn from Trevor.  For two straight days he poured himself into sharing every detail of his business philosophy and his shooting and editing strategies.  He answered all of our questions with the patience of a saint, and somehow managed to do it all without losing an ounce of his energy or enthusiasm.

The amount of material that Trevor shared with us (and continues to share) seems never ending, and here I am weeks later barely scratching the surface of the notes I took during the workshop.  I feel like I learned more in those 2 days with Trevor than in the past 2 years from all other sources combined.

All of that would be pretty freaking awesome all by itself, but the most incredible thing about the experience was that spending 16+ hours with Trevor Dayley quite literally has restored my faith in humanity.

I. am. so. not. kidding.

Trevor is an incredible photographer, but he is an even more incredible person.  He is one of those rare people who would go out of his way to help anyone in need. Kindness and compassion emanate from him, and it is impossible to be in his presence and not be impacted by it.  Not only did his workshop make me a better photographer, it has made me a better person.  Watching Trevor give so much of himself to us during the workshop, and continue to do so weeks later, has inspired me to try to do the same in my interactions with those around me.

OK.  I'll stop gushing now and share a few photos that I took of the models that posed for us during the workshop.

The stunning Kimberly....

And the gorgeous Tarah...

I am absolutely in love with how the flash shows off the fabulous colors in Tarah's hair...

I wish I had a photo of Trevor and the other wonderful people I met at the workshop, but sadly, I don't. Eight photographers, and not a single one of us thought to take a photo of the group!

If you are a photographer and ever have the chance to learn from Trevor, grab onto the opportunity with both hands and don't let go. Seriously, you absolutely will not regret it.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

And I'm Back in the Game {MWP is Open for Business!!}

I am so excited to announce that MWP is officially open for business in Phoenix!  This announcement is long over due, and I can't wait to start booking new clients.  If you are interested in scheduling a session, options and pricing can be found here.

I have decided that there are going to be a few changes for MWP as I once again begin shooting:

• First and foremost, Michele Whitacre Photography is getting a new look!  I am still in the process of working with the designer to put the finishing touches on many of the branding materials, but I just couldn't resist sharing a peek at my new logo along with my big announcement.
• In celebration of my grand re-opening, I will be hosting some fun contests, giveaways, and specials for the next few months.  I will be announcing many of these only on facebook, so if you aren't already a fan, swing on by and "like" my page to stay up to date on all the happenings.

I cannot wait to get back into shooting again, and I am so thrilled and excited to once again starting taking portraits.  I love being able to capture special moments for clients! :)

As always, thank you for stopping by, reading my blog, and viewing my photos.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Photography Goals | 2012

New goals for the coming year on February 1st instead of January 1st?

Yep. Cuz that's just how I roll.

I could start off by making the classic joke about one of my goals being to stop procrastinating, seeing as how I'm posting my goals a bit later than one might expect.  But the truth is that I'm just insanely busy, so I haven't had the time to dedicate toward deciding what I want to accomplish in the coming year until now. Which does bring me to goal #1...

2012 Photography Goals

1. Dedicate more time to photography

I can't believe that I've lived in Phoenix for over 6 months and I still haven't opened up my shooting schedule and started looking for new clients. This makes me very sad and I really miss taking photos for others. But sometimes life doesn't turn out quite like we expect it to, and we have to play the hand we've been dealt.  Moving here didn't go quite as smoothly as I'd hope, and it has delayed my anticipated schedule a bit.

The good news is that I've started down a new path that will allow me to start spending more time behind my camera and finish up the final things I need to do to reopen MWP here in Phoenix.  So, sometime this Spring, you can expect to see an announcement that I'm once again open for business.  Of course, that's when the real work will begin!  I have to admit that I'm terrified about how I'm going to get started when I don't know anyone here.  Eeeek! But others before me have relocated businesses, so I know it can be done.  Right?  Please, oh please, someone tell me I can do this! :)

2. Get outside of my comfort zone, and start exploring more areas of photography

Put a willing person in front of my camera, and tell me to take their portrait, and I'm all over it.  I love taking portraits and I'm comfortable doing it.  Put me in the middle of downtown, and tell me to photograph the buildings and I'm going to stumble.  I don't know the first thing about photographing architecture.

Second Street Creative, who is designing my new brand, tweeted this today, "Quit being afraid to fail. It paralyzes growth and makes you complacent. JUMP."

I couldn't agree more, and that's exactly what I'm going to do: JUMP.  Maybe not off the buildings, but headlong into photographing them, and every other subject that I haven't tried shooting before.

3. Create more emotional and symbolic personal photographs

In my Intro to Photography class, we were given an assignment to capture symbolism in a photo.  I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the concept, and I crash and burned on the assignment.  When we shared our images, one of my classmates had taken photographs at a cemetery for fallen soldiers.  All of the tombstones were the same and her photos of row after row of graves were stunning.  The composition of her images was gorgeous, and the symbolism behind them was amazing.

Ever since then, I have known that I wanted to work harder to add more symbolism, and emotion, into my own photography.  I know this won't be the easiest thing to do, especially when embracing the less happy things in life, but I want my images to feel real and to evoke feelings and emotions in those who view them... even if it is only me, and my memories and feelings that are brought back.

In the spirit of symbolism and emotion (and because I don't feel right about a blog post with no photos), I want to share these two images that I took last February when I was participating in a month long online photography class called "The Joy of Love" hosted by Willette Designs.  When viewing wedding photos of others, I'm always drawn to the photos of the rings.  Some photographers have the most amazing and creative ideas of how to photograph them!  So, for the class I decided to try my hand at photographing our wedding rings, and this was the result...

I do like the composition of the photos, but what I like even more is what the photos mean to me, and how they make me feel when I look at them. My wedding day was the most amazing and magical day of my life. Not because I had a fairy tale wedding, and I felt like I princess, but because it was the day that I joined myself to the person who I was made to walk through life with. Our wedding rings are a symbol of what we have together, and nothing could ever be more precious to me.

And, there you have it, my 2012 goals.  Since we are already a month into 2012, I guess I better get started!

If you've made it this far into the post, I thank you for sticking with me.  I do try my best to aim for more photos and less words, but I realize I didn't quite succeed with this one.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

The Best of 2011 | Furry Friends

I couldn't let the people have all the fun, could I? Here are some of my favorite dog photographs from 2011, in random order...

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

What Makes You, You?

As a photographer, it is my job to figure that out.

My goal for each of my portrait sessions is to get to know my clients and find out who they are inside.  I want to know what makes them tick, and then figure out how to show that uniqueness in their photographs.

For example, here are a few photos of my past clients where you get a great glimpse at what makes each of them the unique and wonderful people that they are!

Tammy has a sassy side and is always up for anything (for this photo, she jumped into the middle of the street, struck a pose, and told me to take her picture!  So, I turned around and clicked.  I love when clients do stuff like that!)...

Vicki needs her yoga to remain balanced in her life...

And Kelli is happiest with her nose buried in a book...

That's all well and good, but what's my point?  The point is this... I've been so busy getting to know my clients that until recently I never realized that I had been leaving out a very crucial piece of the puzzle.

What makes me, me?

Like the fact that my favorite time of the year is fall for lots of reasons: I grew up in the Midwest, and love the fall colors that you can find there.  My birthday is in September, and I'm one of those people who looks forward to celebrating every year.  Also, I always loved the start of a new school year when I was a kid, and even though I'm not in school anymore the feeling of the fall being a time to embark on new things has stuck with me....

(This photo was taken by my husband in our neighborhood in Indiana last October. We decided to stop for a few quick photos as we were on our way to a wedding.)

As I've been working with the designer on the brand for my business, he has been asking me a lot of questions about who I am, and about what makes me unique.  Quite frankly, the questions haven't been the easiest to answer and he's really giving me a lot to think about.

You see, being a photographer is different than other occupations in many ways. We are our business, and there is very little separation between the two. So, when you market a photography business, you market the photographer. In some ways that is really fun because I pour my heart and soul into each session that I shoot, and I leave a little bit of myself in each photo that I take. But, sometimes that makes it difficult to separate myself from my work. When people don't like the style of my photography, it is hard to remember that doesn't automatically mean that they don't like me.

When I made the decision to keep the blog strictly business, my thought process was that by doing so I would be keeping things professional and not be boring everyone with incessant photos of my dogs or ramblings about my boring life (and anyway, isn't that what twitter is for?). Now I realize that I was also avoiding putting myself out there and allowing everyone to get to know me out of fear. We never really grow out of asking ourselves, "But what if they don't like me?" Or "What if I say something that upsets someone and they stop following me?" Or "What if I pour everything that I have and everything that I am into my blog, and my business, and I fail?"

I now know that by not sharing more about myself, I am doing a disservice to my clients and to myself.  How can I expect you to open and up and share who you are with me, when I'm not willing to do the same in return?  And in all honesty, wouldn't everyone be better off if we realize upfront that we aren't a good match?  If you hate dogs, and even hearing mention of them sets you on edge, I'm probably not the photographer for you because my dogs are the light of my life and it's impossible for me to refrain from talking about them all the time.

The truth is that everyone isn't going to like me, and I'm not going to like everyone I meet in life, either.  It's no big deal.  If that happens, then we just politely go our separate ways - no harm done.  For every person who won't like me, there are probably five who will, but how can you decide if I don't share with you who I am?

Well, from now on I'm going to do just that!

And the first thing to know is that I'm an explainer.  No, not a complainer.... an explainer, meaning that I don't really like surprises all that much and I don't like to surprise other people, either. So instead of dropping in and changing things all around with no warning, I will usually explain what I am going to do before hand.  In keeping with that idea, here are a few new things that will be popping up on the blog in the coming weeks and months:

1. I think it is important for me to never forget what it feels like to be in front of the camera, so each month I will be taking a self-portrait and posting in on the blog.

2. I will be sharing my Birthday Bucket List with you, and adding updates as I experience each of the items on my list.

3. I may or may not decide to add some sort of weekly or monthly feature, but I'm still tossing around ideas and open for suggestions!

4. I'm going to be sharing A LOT more photos from my personal life, especially of my hottie husband and my cutie patootie dogs, so prepare yourself!

As always, thank you for reading!  I love to hear from you, so feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, or suggestions in the comments at any time.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

I'm Back!

Wowsers, I never planned on my blogging hiatus lasting quite this long!

After all this time, how about if we just jump right in with the good stuff?...

First, I have done a complete update on the content of my website, so swing on by and check it out!  I've added lots of new photos, and tons of information.  But, that's not all!  I've decided to have a brand designed for MWP!  The new logo should be completed early this fall, and once it is finished my website will be getting a new look to go along with all the new content.

Second, Michele Whitacre Photography LLC is officially a legal business in the great state of Arizona, and I couldn't be more excited!  The final step is to have a handful of legal documents drawn up, and MWP will be ready to start back up in Phoenix.

Now that both of those huge steps are behind me, it is time to turn my attention back to the blog!  So, here I am!

I still have to do some major clean up on my blog to fix some broken links and missing photos, but no reason why I can't do that and add new content at the same time, right?

As I redirect my focus back to blogging, I've decided to make a few changes to how I do things around here.  If you've been a reader since the beginning, then you know I've always kept the content of the blog strictly business, so to speak, but I think it's high time for us to take our relationship to a new level, don't you?

As a start along that path, I'd like to share with you a few photos from my wedding day. Kevin and I just celebrated our one year wedding anniversary earlier this week!

We were married aboard a cruise ship in Nassau, Bahamas. The good part about that was that our wedding was a 4 day floating party, and too amazing for words. The bad part was that we weren't allowed to choose our own photographer, and the photos of our wedding day are mediocre at best.

However, we did end up with one amazing image....

Since I knew I probably wouldn't get the best photos of the wedding itself, I took my camera along so that I could get some shots of us at the Atlantis Resort after the wedding.  I basically did my best to set up the shots, and handed my camera off to a friend to snap the photos.  Together we managed to get a few cute ones...

This one is my absolute favorite!...

I just want to say Happy (Belated) Anniversary to my hubby, Kevin.  He is the most amazing and supportive husband, and I'm so very lucky to have him in my life!  My wish is for everyone in the world to experience during their lives the kind of love that my husband and I are so fortunate to share with one another.

Stay tuned for more details about the changes you can expect to see here on the blog!

I'm so happy to be back, and I can't wait to open up my session schedule and start shooting again!

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Please Excuse My Mess

I'm so happy that you are here! However, you've caught me in the middle of a temporary blogging hiatus.

Kevin and I are in the middle of our huge move from Fort Wayne, Indiana...

to Phoenix, Arizona...

and I am taking some time off while we get settled in our new city.

I don't know how long I will be gone, but don't worry.... I will be back!

While I am very excited to get my business going again in Phoenix, I have lots of legal ducks to get in a row...

before I can open my photo session schedule.

I will also be busy scouting out new shooting locations in and around Phoenix, so I will be ready with tons of great ideas as soon as I am able to start accepting clients again.

In addition, I will be busy writing a series of blog posts that I have been planning for a while now, sharing tips on how to take better photos and detailing my method of shooting in manual mode.  I may even toss in a post or two on what I've learned so far about starting up a photography business while I'm at it.

I will be making major updates on my website...

I will be busy updating my photo galleries, and reworking my session and print options.

I will also be doing a bit of clean up on my blog, as I have recently realized that I have a lot of broken links and missing photos from when I moved over from another blogging program.

I've also decided that it is time for MWP to have a logo. So, I will be trying on some different options to see what feels like a good fit. Don't be surprised if you stop by one day and see a blog that it purple and green, only to find it red and orange the very next day. I'm going to be playing with colors, and styles, and fonts, and layouts, until I find one that feels like home. Once I do, I will be having a logo designed to compliment it.

So, please excuse my mess while I make all of these much needed changes and updates.

If you want to see what I am up to, you can always check out facebook or twitter, where I will continue posting updates while I am on my blogging hiatus.

As always, thank you so much for stopping by! I love hearing from readers, so while you are here why don't you leave a comment and say hello? :) If you are a fellow photog, please leave me a link to your blog and I will return the visit.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Michele Whitacre Photography is on the Move!!

For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with palm trees.  If I had to guess at the reason behind this fascination, I would say that it stems from the fact that palm trees are usually found in warm places and I have spent my life fantasizing about living in one of those places.

I'm one of those people who is ALWAYS cold, no matter how many layers of clothing I put on. Sometimes during the winter months I feel like I spend weeks on end unable to ever really get warm.

Three years ago during a particularly bad snowstorm, I was outside shoveling my driveway, cursing Mother Nature for piling the snow on faster than I could take it off, and I finally reached my breaking point.  It wasn't a pretty moment for me - there was lots of cussing and shouting, a lot of tears, and perhaps the tossing of the shovel a time or two.  I decided that perhaps a change was in order before my neighbors called the cops and had me hauled off to the looney bin.  In that moment, I decided that I didn't have to spend the rest of my life freezing to death, and I began plotting my escape to a warmer climate.

But fate had other plans in store for me.

About the time that I would have considered getting my house ready to sell, I started dating my husband, who had just started working on his undergraduate degree.  I knew almost instantly that the two of us were destined to be together, and therefore, I was going to have to put up with a few more long Indiana winters.  I told him that I would stay here long enough for him to finish his degree, as long as he did it as fast as possible, and was willing to move with me to some place warmer once he graduated.

True to his word, my husband completed his degree in 2 1/2 years, and when it came time to apply to law schools, he only applied to ones in the southern half of the country.   After several months of waiting to find out where he was accepted, and discussing where we wanted to relocate to, we've settled on Phoenix, Arizona.

We are both ridiculous excited about our upcoming move, and can't wait for this new adventure to begin!  Several things are still up in the air, as we wait for our house to sell in Fort Wayne, and I begin the process of looking for a new optometry position in the Phoenix area.  But what is definite is that come August, Kevin and I will be sunning ourselves in Phoenix!

What does this mean for Michele Whitacre Photography?

That's a good question!  For now it means that I am going to spend the next two months wrapping up business in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  I will be accepting clients, and scheduling photo sessions through May 31, 2011.  After that time, I will focus my attention on our upcoming move, and I will no longer be available for photo sessions.

If you have contacted me recently saying that you want to schedule a spring photo session, please contact me ASAP to set up your session!  I only have a limited number of photo session spots available, and when they are gone, they are gone.  So please don't wait to contact me!

If you have won a photo session giveaway, or if you volunteered to be a subject for a free photo session this spring, please contact me as soon as possible to schedule your session.  Don't worry - a photo session spot will be reserved for you, but the longer you wait to contact me the more limited your options will be!  All time slots will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

Once Kevin and I get settled in Phoenix, I will slowly re-open for business in our new location, which will be exciting and scary all at the same time!  All of my friends and family have been such a wonderful source of support as I have started this business.  Branching out on my own in a city were I won't know a soul is going to be challenging, but I'm looking forward to embracing that challenge as I see what new things are in store for me in Arizona.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Welcome!

Welcome to Michele Whitacre Photography's home in blogland! I'm so excited that you are here.

I have always had a great love for pictures, and an interest in photography. Even as a child I was fascinated by taking pictures, and I can still distinctly remember the first camera that I owned.

Over the years, I’ve thought about purchasing a DSLR camera and taking classes to learn how to use it, but life always seemed to get in the way. I was too busy, or the camera was too expensive, or the idea of learning seemed too overwhelming. One excuse after another stopped me from pursuing my dream of becoming a photographer.

Until now.

I finally decided that it was time to make that dream a reality, so I purchased a DSLR camera, took a photography class, read everything I could get my hands on about portrait photography (and continue to do so!), and decided to start Michele Whitacre Photography.

This blog is where I post sneak peeks of client sessions, and other businesses related details.  I will also post some of my other photographs from time to time.

I hope you’ll stop by again soon.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.