Ken + Holly {Wedding}

Please join me in wishing Ken and Holly a huge congratulations on their recent wedding, which I was lucky enough to photograph a few weeks ago!

Individually, Ken and Holly are both such wonderful people. Ken is one of the most generous people I've ever met (and I'm speaking from grateful experience, as Ken has helped us move not once, but twice, since we've been in Arizona!)  Ironically, Holly and I graduated from the same high school two years apart, but I didn't have the privilege of meeting her until she started dating Ken a few years ago.  She is one of the most fun loving people I've ever met, and I don't think I've ever seen her without a huge smile on her face.  Together these two are such an amazing couple, and it was an honor getting to witness the joining of their lives during their wedding ceremony.  As you will quickly notice from their photos, these two love to laugh and have a good time.  It is so obvious how happy and in love they are, and how much they enjoy their children.

So, without further ado, please allow me to introduce you to Ken and Holly, and their family!

Before their ceremony we met at a nearby park for some photos.  This first one shows the happy couple, and their kids: Maddie, Anthony, Lizzie, Paige, and Tori...

Holly with her son and daughter...

It took a little bit of convincing for Anthony to kiss mom's cheek for this photo, but I'm so glad he agreed.  I simply adore this, and I imagine Holly will too...

Ah, sibling love, at it's best...

Ken and his daughters...

Awesome! (See I told you how fun this family is!  I especially love Tori's face in this one.)...

There are not words for how much I love this image.  Holly, you better frame this one!!!...

Call me crazy, but I think they're in love...

Beautiful!...

Holly told me she loves black and white photos, so I tried to include a bunch for her in their post.  This next one was Holly's idea, and I think it turned out beautifully...

Ken and Holly's wedding ceremony took place at a sweet little wedding venue in Gilbert...

Anthony walked his mom down the aisle...

Is Holly not the most beautiful bride?...

Ken and Holly wrote their own vows, and Ken even brought a few props that got a good laugh...

So sweet!...

Now that's what I call a kiss!...

Their cake topper is so unique, and I instantly fell in love with it...

A few of their first dance.  Holly, you are so radiant and gorgeous!  I just love how much you light up when you and Ken are together.

And one of the kids getting crazy on the dance floor, just for fun!..

Ken and Holly, I am so happy for you two!  Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special day and for trusting me to capture these memories for you.  I'm so excited for you both as you begin down this new path toward an amazing future together.  Congrats!!

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area.
Visit Michele's Website | Like Michele on Facebook | Follow Michele on Instagram | Follow Michele on Twitter

© 2014 Michele Whitacre Photography LLC

April + Derrick's Sneak Peek {Engagement Session}

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of taking April and Derrick's engagement photos. All I can say is that these two were an absolute dream to work with! They contacted me with plenty of time to arrange their session, knew exactly where they wanted their photos, responded to every communication immediately, and even picked out awesome outfits!  Not to mention that they are one of the sweetest couples I've ever worked with.  Everything about their session was utter perfection....

Right up to the moment we stepped out of the car and were greeted with an insane gust of wind that kept us company for almost their entire session!

The weather isn't something that I've had to worry much about since moving to Arizona, so I wasn't really prepared for the shock of having to work around the insane bursts of wind.  We had to get a little creative with their photos and try to grab shots in between the wind covering April's face with her hair and getting crazy with her dress.  As a result, their photos have a fun, playful, carefree feeling to them that I just adore.

So, please allow me to introduce you to April and Derrick and share some of their photos with you!

The couple got engaged back in December at Estrella Star Tower and wanted to have their engagement photos taken at the same location.  How awesome is that? If you've never been there, the tower is right in the middle of a large area of open desert, and these first few photos were taken just off the path heading to the tower...

By now we all know how I feel about hand photos, right?  So of course I had to grab one during their session...

This is an absolute favorite!  I just love April's expression...

A few from the top of the tower...

Perfection!...

Is anyone surprised to find a shoe photo in here, too?  I didn't think so.  And this is one of my all time favorites!...

Is this not adorable!  (And a huge testament to just how insanely windy it really was!)...

I love how relaxed and comfortable they look with each other here.  You can tell that they have been a couple for years and are at ease with one another...

April said she picked blue because it brought out Derrick's eyes.  She wasn't kidding!  Look at those gorgeous baby blues...

I had to sneak in another hand shot!...

After their session, April and Derrick were kind enough to allow me to practice some off camera flash techniques on them with some new equipment I recently purchased.  We were hoping to grab some sunset shots, but mother nature just didn't have it in the cards for us.  I think the wind blew all the clouds away so the sunset was rather unimpressive.  Instead we decided to take some photos of them in front of the lit tower, and I wanted to share a handful of these as well!

So sweet!...

Love. Love. Love!...

This one is my favorite!  The wind was actually working in our favor with April's dress and spread it out just perfectly behind her...

April and Derrick, Thank you so much for allowing me to take your engagement photos and for posing for extra photos at the end while I experimented with my new equipment.  It was wonderful spending my evening with you both and getting to know you better.  Congratulations on your engagement and up coming wedding.  I am so happy and excited for you two!

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area.
Visit Michele's Website | Like Michele on Facebook | Follow Michele on Instagram | Follow Michele on Twitter

© 2014 Michele Whitacre Photography LLC

BBL 2013-2014 | Watch a Silent Film

#9 WATCH A SILENT FILM

Why did I include this on my Bucket List?

I've never watched a silent film and I simply wanted the experience of watching one.  With today's incredible (but maybe a bit over the top) movie special effects, I couldn't imagine how the stories were told back in the day of silent films.  However, I wanted to find out.

Was the experience what I had hoped it would be?

I really wasn't sure what to expect, but I did think that I'd have a hard time following the story line without any dialog.  Surprisingly that wasn't the case at all.  The story was definitely simpler than most movie plots today, but I had no problem following along with exactly what was happening.  I even found myself laughing out loud at many parts of the movie.

The details...

Since I wasn't familiar with any silent films, I did a brief google search and found a list of the top 10 silent films ever made.  From there, I went down the list until I found one that the local library had and checked it out.  I ended up watching City Lights starring Charlie Chaplin.  It was actually quite good and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.  I definitely would watch more of his films if I ever get the opportunity!

Do you want to see my entire 2013-2014 Birthday Bucket List?  You can find it here. Did you miss my 2012-2013 List? You can find it here.  Or my 2011-2012 List? You can find it here.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area.
Visit Michele's Website | Like Michele on Facebook | Follow Michele on Instagram | Follow Michele on Twitter

© 2014 Michele Whitacre Photography LLC

Arizona Summit Law School | Student Head Shots

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of returning to Arizona Summit Law School (Formerly Phoenix School of Law) to take more student head shots. As always, it was awesome to meet these students and capture their photos. Please allow me to introduce you to these amazing future attorneys!

Meet Sarah...

Frank...

and Patti...

As always, thanks to everyone for allowing me to take your photos!

P.S. I will be back at the school at the end of the month for another set of photos, and I still have a few openings. So if you are an ASLS student wanting photos, please contact me for details and/or an appointment.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area.
Visit Michele's Website | Like Michele on Facebook | Follow Michele on Instagram | Follow Michele on Twitter

© 2014 Michele Whitacre Photography LLC

BBL 2013-2014 | Plan a Surprise for the Hubby

#31 PLAN A SURPRISE FOR THE HUBBY

Why did I include this on my Bucket List?

I've always wanted to pull off a really great surprise for someone, like a party or a trip. When Kevin finally finished the bar exam last week it seemed like the perfect opportunity! He's spent the past several months studying non-stop and hasn't had a moment of free time to do anything else, so I thought this would be a fun time now that the stress of bar prep is finally over.

Was the experience what I had hoped it would be?

We had an amazing time at the party and Kevin claims he was totally surprised. Although, I find that hard to believe because I almost blew it on several occasions! I'm not very good at keeping secrets or telling lies.

The details...

A few days before hand I sent out an invitation to our friends asking them to come over for a surprise party for Kevin. I enlisted he help of one of Kevin's friends to get him out of the house while everyone arrived. When they returned Kevin walked into a house full of friends, and was totally shocked.

We had a blast at the party! But I was so worried about keeping it a secret and pulling it off, I didn't even take a single photo the entire night. So unlike me!

Do you want to see my entire 2013-2014 Birthday Bucket List?  You can find it here. Did you miss my 2012-2013 List? You can find it here.  Or my 2011-2012 List? You can find it here.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area.
Visit Michele's Website | Like Michele on Facebook | Follow Michele on Instagram | Follow Michele on Twitter

© 2014 Michele Whitacre Photography LLC