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.

The Best of 2011 | Portraits

Do you ever feel human beings are pre-programed to be too hard on ourselves? It seems so easy for us to look at where we are at in our lives and feel like we aren't enough. We aren't talented enough, pretty enough, thin enough, rich enough, or smart enough.  We look at those around us, and feel that we don't measure up no matter how hard we try.  The lives of others seem so much more exciting and successful than ours do in comparison.

Each new year, we vow that things are going to be different in the coming year. We promise to improve ourselves, and correct whatever it is we feel is lacking in our lives.  We resolve to work harder, be more organized, stop procrastinating, and to lose weight.  But, have you ever stopped to wonder why we never bother to look back at the road we have traveled and acknowledge how far we have come?  Why is it so hard for us to feel proud of ourselves? To pat ourselves on the back for a job well done?  To feel like we deserve everything we have, and more?

As a photographer, it is incredibly easy to look at the photographs that others have created and feel like you fall short. It always feels like there is someone out there that is more talented and more creative than you will ever be no matter how hard you try. It's easy to feel like everyone else is more successful than you are, and it's easy to wonder if you should keep going or just hang up your camera and quit. I've certainly thought all of those things a zillion times in the past year. But no more! 2012 is going to be my year to stop all of those negative thoughts. My motto from here on out is I am enough. I am smart enough. I am talented enough. I am good enough. I deserve to be happy and successful, and so do you!

Two years ago, I had never held a DSLR camera or used photoshop.  Since then I have spent most of my free time reading every book, article, and online website I can get my hands on.  I have looked at thousands of photographs taken by others, and I have taken thousands myself.  I've taught myself an overwhelming amount of things in a relatively short amount of time.  When I stop and I look back at how far I've come, I can't believe it.  I really do have a lot to be proud of!

So, please join me for a short look back at some of my favorite portraits of 2011, in no particular order.  All of these people are wonderful and amazing, and I owe a lot to them for taking a chance on me and helping me get started.

Thank you for joining me on my journey in 2011, and I am looking forward to see what 2012 has in store for me.  Best wishes for happiness and success in the near year to each of you, too!

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 Power of a Kind Word

I'm giving forewarning that this is an insanely long post.  If you suffer from a short attention span, it might be best to go ahead and jump ship now.

For those of  you still with me, you might want to grab yourself a cup of coffee, or better yet a glass of milk and a couple of cookies, and make yourself comfortable.

Do you remember being a child and chanting, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?"  That sure sounded good back then when another kid was calling you names, and maybe it helped take a little bit of the sting out of their words, but the plain and simple fact remains that words can, and do, hurt people.

On the flip side, words also have the power to help people.  Have you ever had a stranger give you a compliment, and it brightened your mood for the entire day?  Or how about when your spouse noticed your new outfit, and told you how nice you look in it?  Or maybe your best friend told you how much she loved your new hairstyle?  If so, then you know exactly what I am talking about.

As the final step in the process with each portrait session that I shoot, I send an email to each client thanking them for allowing me to share a tiny bit of their lives with them through their photographs, and asking them to consider writing a review of their experience that I can post on my website to share with future potential clients.

Every time someone takes the time to write something, I'm always astonished and flattered by the kind things that they say!  And I have to admit that most of them bring a tear to my eye.

I want to share with you a testimonial that I received from a recent client.  This testimonial was written by Brandon after I took photos of his two little girls as a Mother's Day gift for his wife.

At the end, I will explain why I am sharing it (and get to the ultimate point of this post)!

Here is what he wrote:

First and foremost, please take the time to read this, as you will see what a satisfied customer Michele has made my family. 

There are some people that try at a hobby or profession and struggle with it no matter how much they like it and want to try and be good at it, and then there are some people who are just naturals.  Michele is a natural when it comes to photography.  Please take the time to look at her pictures and you will see what I mean from her different perspectives.  She sees things through the lens like no one else. 

I was looking for a different Mother’s day gift for my wife.  I have a two and four year old daughter, and Michele and I talked and came up with what would be the best gift I could have given her.  I left all the planning to Michele as she is the expert, and I went along for the ride.  She discussed a few ideas she had, and gave me a list well in advance of what I should bring.  She helped with the outfits (as being the dad I am not the best at that).  Her communication before the shoot was impeccable. 

The day of the shoot came, and I was nervous, as it hit me, I was taking a two and four year old with attention spans of a millisecond outside for photos.  I started to worry if this really was going to be a good idea.  Michele was already there scoping out the landscape and looking for great areas to shoot in.  I am used to the professional dress environment and Michele showed up in casual, which later I found out why. 

Michele took the time to get to meet the girls and see that they had distinct and different personalities.  Then the photo shoot began.  I have to compare her photo shoot to her going through army basic training.  She would lie on the ground, army crawl, and contort her body to get what would later to be shown as phenomenal shots. 

I was nervous because the girls would not always pay attention, or listen and they were running around.  I was getting more and more nervous as time went on because I did not think they were paying attention long enough, but as it later proved Michele’s camera is faster than the girls!  The shoot was done in what felt like a blink of an eye.  I would not have believed that an hour would have gone by so fast.  I kept on asking if she thought there were any good ones, and she told me not to be so nervous.  Michele left and the shoot was over.

Within a few days she sent a sneak peek of the pictures and I was in awe of how great she captured their personalities on camera!  Then I got the CD with all the pictures.  WOW, is all I could say as I looked through them.  I invite you to look through the pictures Michele took of my children and see how unique they are, and how you can see their personality in the pictures.  Since Mother’s day wasn’t upon us yet, it took every bit of will power I had not to show the pictures early. 

The most wonderful thing about pictures when done by Michele is the moment is captured for a lifetime. It will never fade away, and can always be looked back upon, no matter the event.  I can assure you, if you get a photo shoot you will not be disappointed.  It is not something that should be put off, because the longer you wait, the more memories pass that are not captured.

The unique thing about her shoots is she does them in an open setting where the fun can be captured, unlike a studio.  I am sorry to see her move to Arizona, and hope she will be back from time to time to be able to get some more from her.  Arizona, you are lucky to get such a gifted photographer, and I really hope you take time out of your schedules to capture the most important thing in your life - your family and each other - with photos.  Memories fade, but what Michele captures is the moment that will last a lifetime, and can be passed down to each generation.  She has a wonderful gift that she is willing to share with people, please do not pass it up.  I cannot tell you the expression on my wife’s face when she opened up the pictures and viewed each one of them over and over again! 

In summary, Michele offers a great service, is very accommodating, talented and worth your time to hire for your photography service. Her photos speak for themselves."

Obviously, he had a lot of really nice things to say about my work, and obviously it would be wonderful if someone out there reading his words decided they wanted to hire me to take photos for them.  But that has nothing to do with why I am posting this.

So, why am I posting it?

Because his kind words made a difference.  A very big difference.

When Brandon sent this to me, I was going through a particularly rough point where a lot (and I do mean A LOT) of things were going wrong with almost every aspect of my life.  My husband's car had been totalled in a car accident (he is fine!), the company we had hired to move our stuff from IN to AZ more than doubled the quote they gave us two days before we were due to move, the deal on our house fell through AFTER we had packed the entire house and I had given notice at both of my day jobs, and the new day job that I had lined up in AZ "fell through" (their words not mine).  So, Kevin and I were facing trying to figure out how to get all of our stuff across the country, and trying to survive with one car, no jobs, and two sets of bills.  Needless to say, I was terrified.  I was feeling beaten down and broken, and I didn't know if I had what it was going to take to keep putting one foot in front of the other.  I wanted to curl up in a ball in the corner and never get back up.

But then a funny thing happened.

One afternoon, I opened my inbox and saw Brandon's email sitting there containing his kind words.  I had actually received the email a few weeks earlier and had it sitting there as a reminder that I wanted to add it to my website as soon as I had time.  Something made me open the e-mail and re-read what he had written, and then the tears started to flow and I had a hard time stopping them.

Amidst all of the terrible things that were happening in my life, there was proof that I had brought joy to someone and his family through my photos.  It made me feel like I made a difference, and I could continue to do so.  It reminded me that I didn't have control over the actions of others, but I do have control over my own.  And that reminder helped me pick myself up out of the shambles that my life had become and refocus on moving forward.  It got me motivated to begin working towards establishing Michele Whitacre Photography in Phoenix, because it was the ONE thing that I could do and that I did have control over.

So, what is my point?

My point is this... Your words have a power beyond measure, and you never know the huge impact your kind words may have on someone else's life, if you just take the time to share them.   So in the future, whenever you have the opportunity to share a genuine, kind word with some, please do so.

And to Brandon, Thank You a hundred times over for making a difference in a way that you never planned or intended!  Your kind words brightened my world, and continue to do so.

Has a kind word ever made a huge impact on your life?  I'd love to hear about 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.

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.

Saying Goodbye

For the past 11 years, I have called Fort Wayne, Indiana home. It's been a wonderful place to live, and I've meet a lot of amazing people here. But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and my time to move on is quickly approaching.

It is with very mixed emotions that I write this blog post.

As I spend my final days putting everything I own into boxes, and sealing them with tape, it is impossible not to reflect on the life that I am leaving behind, and to look forward to the one that I am about to embark on.

I have always had a restless soul. I've never been a person to fear change, instead I constantly crave it. I get bored easily and feel a need to continually reach for the next new thing in my life.

In many ways being like this is a blessing. It allows me to roll with the punches of life, and to easily adapt to the world around me. It forces me to constantly seek new experiences and to learn new things. I'm constantly striving to be more than I am today. I refuse to settle for the status quo, when I know that there is more of life to experience on the other side of every door, if only I turn the key and walk on through. That need is what lead me to start my photography business to begin with, and without it I doubt I would be sitting here writing this post to all of you.

On the other hand, I constantly live with an inability to really relax into a comfort zone. I'm constantly looking for the next challenge, the next new thing to do, to learn, to experience. No matter how happy I am with my life today, there is a constant restlessness bubbling under the surface and I know that it is only a matter of time before it will break out and lead me down a new path. It gives every stage of my life a feeling of being a bit unsettled that I don't always love.

And here we are with the perfect example. Even though I really like Fort Wayne, and think it is a wonderful place to live, I've always known that I would never stay here indefinitely. As I've walked the walk of my daily life for the past few years, I've barely been able to contain the restlessness of my soul fighting to break out. Those who know me IRL, know that the reason I am still living here is because I have been waiting for my husband to graduate with his Bachelors Degree so we could begin planning this move. Now that it is right around the corner, I can barely contain my excitement. So many of the things that I am about to leave behind are the last remaining remnants of a life that ended a long time ago. I'm ready to move on.

While it is time to begin a new chapter of my life, I can't help but stop to reflect on everything and everyone that won't be joining me on this new journey.

The past year has been an amazing one for me, as I've started my photography business. Many of my friends and family went above and beyond to help me get things up and running. I've also met so many wonderful new clients, as well. Life in Arizona just won't be the same without all of you there to share it with!

To all of you, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I will carry a small piece of each of you with me wherever life takes me. I am richer for having known you all!

You all rock!!

I hope that each of you will keep in touch, and continue to follow me on my path as I grow my photography business in Phoenix. Please do not hesitate to email, call, or leave a comment here or on facebook! I'd love to hear from you!

And if you happen to know anyone who leaves in the Phoenix area, please send them to check out MWP. :)

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer currently located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Michele will be relocating to Phoenix, Arizona during the summer of 2011. 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.