Michele Whitacre Photography

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Kristin + Michael's Sneak Peek {Engagement Session}

I couldn't be more excited to share this sneak peek of Kristin and Mike's engagement photos! I know I say it every time I post engagement photos, but I just love working with couples. It's an honor to be able to capture such an important time in their lives and to preserve their precious memories for them.

Before the session, Kristin told me that they were up for anything and they weren't afraid to get a little dirty. Hearing that was absolute music to my ears! True to their word, Mike and Kristin really were up for anything I suggested and didn't bat an eye even when I had them sitting in the dirt, rearranging piles of rocks, climbing up a mountain, and dangling over the edges of overhangs. AND Kristin did it all in a dress! I can't remember the last time I had so much fun shooting a session, and it was a blast spending my Friday evening with them. If they didn't have plans scheduled after their session, I probably could have kept them there shooting for another hour or two.

So, please allow me the honor of introducing you to Kristin and Mike:

This photo was the very first photo that I took. Seriously, who looks that awesome in their very first photo? These two, apparently! Normally, it takes people a little while to warm up and relax before they start looking and feeling natural but these two were rocking it right from the very first second...

This is definitely one of my favorites!...

A fun little shot with Kristin's ring...

Another favorite...

I just love the dreamy look to these images in black and white! I know not everyone loves b+w like I do, so I only included one here, but take my word when I say the whole series is gorgeous if you're a b+w lover...

I didn't know it when I decided to toss in these scrabble letters at the last minute for a little fun with Kristin's ring, but it turns out that Kristin's family is big into scrabble. It was fate!...

Adorable, right?...

Kristin and Mike are planning on having a desert theme at their wedding, so they requested a location for their engagement photos that would really capture the amazing Arizona desert landscape. I think they picked a perfect location, don't you?

Another favorite! Not only because I love the image, but because Kristin and Mike were total rock stars to climb up the back of the rocks and out on that ledge!...

Kristin and Mike, thank you for allowing me to take these photos for you! It was amazing working with both of you, and thank you for being so awesome and up for anything I suggested. I wish you two a lifetime filled with love and laughter.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area.
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© 2013 Michele Whitacre Photography LLC

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Daisy + Gatsby's New Toys

Kevin's brother came to visit us back at the end of August, and brought some new toys for the kittens (and the dogs, but more on that later) along with him. Because we had been battling the ringworm infection that the kittens had when we adopted them, we didn't give them their toys right away. Instead, we wanted to make sure they were all better first.

As far as we can tell, we are all ringworm free so we decided it was time to spoil Daisy and Gatsby. I just love the toys that Kevin's family picked out for our new babies. The little mice couldn't be any cuter, and I love the fun, bright colors of the ball. It's hard to see in this first photo, but the other end has feathers on it, which Daisy is crazy about!...

Checking it out...

Daisy needs a little bath before she gets too into playing...

Watching her silly sister...

Gatsby's turn to play...

Daisy watching...

Time to switch toys...

Rest time...

Catching mice...

Silly kitties...

Sure looks like they love their new toys, doesn't it?

Friday, September 27, 2013

Birthday Bucket List | 2013-2014 Edition

Since my next birthday is a big one, I decided to go big with this year's Birthday Bucket List. Instead of my usual 12 items, I decided to go with a list of 40 things I want to do before my 40th birthday. (Unless someone invents the rewind button for life first, in which case the only thing I want to do is go back to being 25!)

Not everything on this list will be a ton of fun, but sometimes the end goal is worth the work. Plus, there should be more than enough good stuff on the list to balance it out and make me forget about the tough ones.

So here is my 2013-2014 Birthday Bucket List:

~~1. Perform a random act of kindness.~~.. CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~2. Tell someone that they inspire me~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~3. Tell someone that I admire them~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~4. Hike Camelback Mountain~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~5. Tube the Salt River~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

6. Have my handwriting analyzed

~~7. Go on a picnic~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~8. Watch a movie at the drive in~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~9. Watch a silent film~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~10. Watch, read, or listen to 40 things suggested by others~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~11. Read 40 new books~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~12. Watch 40 new movies~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~13. Write a letter to my future self~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~14. Write a letter to an old friend~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~15. Write a letter to a new friend~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~16. Find an awesome sangria recipe~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~17. Join a gym~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~18. Make a list of 50 places I want to visit~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~19. Make a list of 101 things that make me smile~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~20. Make a list of 200 words that describe me~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~21. Go social media free for 48 hours~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~22. Follow a sugar free diet for 30 days~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~23. Give up pop for 30 days~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~24. Kick my caffeine habit~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~25. Visit a farmers market.~~.. CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~26. Visit Jerome, Arizona~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~27. Visit Payson, Arizona~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~28. Buy a house~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~29. Start a love/gratitude journal with the hubby~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~30. Have new professional photos taken with the hubby~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~31. Plan a surprise for the hubby.~~.. CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~32. Make a list of things I love about the hubby~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~33. Look up the meaning/history of my name~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~34. Remove everything from my closet that doesn't make me feel beautiful~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~35. Attend a photography conference~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

36. Update my website

~~37. Purchase a marco lens~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~38. Photograph a maternity session~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~39. Photograph a trash the dress session~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

~~40. Photograph a wedding~~... CHECKED + BLOGGED

As I complete the items, I will mark them off the list and write a blog post about the experience. I'm a little nervous about my ability to complete all of these items in the next 12 months, but I am going to give it my best shot! I am really excited about some of this year's items, and looking forward to marking more things off of my Bucket List.

Did you miss my 2012-2013 Birthday Bucket List? You can find it here. Or my 2011-2012 Birthday Bucket List? You can find it here.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Self-Portrait | September 2013

I used to be a chronic sufferer of "I'll Be Happy When" Syndrome. You know the one, it goes something like this: I'll be happy just as soon as I... grow up, graduate from high school, graduate from college, get a job, quit my job, become my own boss, go back to college, lose 20 lbs, get married, get divorced, buy a house, sell a house, live where it doesn't snow, adopt a dog, adopt a cat, etc, etc, etc, etc.

For years, I actually believed that I would, in fact, be happy once I had traversed my way through whatever hardship I believed was keeping me from my happiness. I would picture my future self on the other side of the perceived obstacle full of contentment and be sure that if I just hung in there that perfect life was waiting for me.

But no matter how hard I pictured that perfect life, it never showed up.

There was always something else waiting right around the corner that I needed to "get through" before I was going to be truly happy. As the months turned into years and the things I had managed to get through began piling up without resulting in the happiness I was positive was coming, I starting losing faith in the notion that I ever would be happy and content with my life.

Because let's be honest for a minute. After you've moved across the country FOUR. DIFFERENT. TIMES. in search of a happiness that you never found, you can't help but realize that perhaps there is a major flaw in your theory.

Once I realized that the happiness I'd been promising myself wasn't actually waiting around the corner like I'd always believed, I just gave up. I quit believing. I quit hoping. I quit dreaming. I quit planning. I quit living. And I've been doing nothing but going through the motions of life ever since.

Only I didn't realize that I was doing it. Until now.

So, why the wake up call all of a sudden?

I just turned 39 a few days ago. 39!

And I just might be a wee little bit freaked out about that.

When you reach the point where you no longer know if you have more years ahead of you than you have behind you, it changes the way you view things. I'm starting to realize that I need to take a good hard look at my life and decide what needs to go, what needs to stay, and what needs to change. I need to figure out how to find peace with myself and my life because I refuse to enter the first year of my 40s the same way I entered the last year of my 30s.

Did you miss some of my past self-portraits? Clicking here will take you to all of my self-portrait blog posts. Clicking here will take you to my self-portrait Facebook album.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

BBL 2012-2013 | Become a Regular

#1 BECOME A REGULAR

Why did I include this on my Bucket List?

I've been struggling to feel at home since I relocated to Phoenix, and I thought that if I started visiting some place on a regular basis where I got to know the other people who were also regulars (or workers) there maybe it would help.

Was the experience what I had hoped it would be?

I didn't accomplish this in quite the way I imagined, so it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. However, it still feels great to feel "at home" some place.

The details...

When I put this on my Birthday Bucket List, I was thinking something along the lines of becoming a regular at the gym, or a yoga class, or a book club, or a hiking club, or the library, or maybe a Saturday morning brunch spot. It wasn't until I was looking back over my 2012-2013 list in preparation for my 2013-2014 list that I even realized I had accomplished this item without even intending.

Oddly enough, the place where I have turned into a regular is the spa where I get my nails and toes done every few weeks. After being a client there for the past 8-9 months, I am greeted by name when I walk in the door. They know when it has been longer than usual since I've been in and comment that they haven't seen me in a while. They know what services I usually have done, and even know what polish colors I usually pick - like at my last visit when I picked out a color much lighter than I usually do and the technician painted one nail, only to stop and say that it was too light and went over and picked a darker color that was the exact color I had in mind only the one I picked had been deceiving in the bottle.

Do you want to see my entire 2012-2013 Birthday Bucket List? You can find it here. Or did you miss my 2011-2012 Birthday Bucket List? You can find it here.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Phoenix School of Law | Student Head Shots

I once again had the great privilege of returning to Phoenix School of Law to take head shots for more of the dedicated future attorneys who attend school there. This is only a portion of the photos from my visit, so stay tuned for more head shots coming soon.

It was such a pleasure getting to meet and chat with all of these awesome individuals, and I just want to tell them all thank you for allowing me to take these photos. Good luck with the rest of your law school studies and future careers, everyone!

Meet Kelly...