Amanda's Trash the Dress Session

Before I can even think about getting started I have to give a huge insane THANK YOU shout out to Jake for allowing us to use his shop for this session.  He was generous enough to open his doors to us and give up several hours of his time while we were there.  He was beyond amazing with his willingness to accommodate any and every request that we had!  If you want to check out Jake's work, you can find Mouse's Kustom Fab on Facebook and Instagram.

As you probably know, I usually post a sneak peek from each session that I shoot, along with a bit of commentary about the photos, but I'm going to change it up a bit today.  I've decided to post this session (almost) in its entirety and I'm going to let the photos tell their own story.  Much of the awesomeness you are about to see is Amanda's doing, as many of these ideas were 100% hers.  I am incredibly proud of these images and doing this session made me feel alive in a way I haven't felt in a really long time.  I hope you love them as much as I do.

So, please allow me to introduce you to Amanda.  I hope you will settle in and enjoy her photos!

Amanda, I cannot thank you enough for volunteering to help me with this session.  I am so happy and excited that I was finally able to make my dream of photographing a trash the dress session a reality. You were amazing to photograph and it was so much fun getting to hang out with you for a few hours.  I hope I have the opportunity to photograph you again in the future. :)

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

Self-Portrait | April 2014

Mid-month I finished working the insane schedule that I mentioned last month, and I finally had some time to rejoin the world again.  So, I've been spending a lot of time focusing on reducing my stress, improving my diet, and increasing my exercise the past few weeks.  I bought myself a fitbit one activity tracker to help me out and so far I'm loving it!

One of the things that I am doing to get more exercise is hiking every Sunday morning, and it's quickly turning into my favorite time of the week.  It's so nice to get outside and enjoy nature while moving my muscles that have been inactive for way too long.

Before my parents left to head back home, we took a trip to Sedona where we did a little hiking.  While not technically a self-portrait, I decided to use a photo that Kevin took of me during our hike as this month's photo since it does a great job of showing where my focus has been this month.  Plus who can turn town a peek at Sedona's gorgeous red rocks?

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.

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 | Find an Awesome Sangria Recipe

#16 FIND AN AWESOME SANGRIA RECIPE

Why did I include this on my Bucket List?

I love Sangria, so I thought it would be great if I found a recipe that I can make at home any time I want.

Was the experience what I had hoped it would be?

Better! I ended up combining two different recipes in an attempt to reduce the sugar as much as possible and include more of my favorite fruits.  I was expecting to have to make some adjustments or try a few different recipes, but I got lucky and loved the very first recipe that I tried!

The details...

If you like Sangria, give this recipe a try!

• 1 Bottle of your favorite white wine
• 1 Lemon cut into wedges
• 1 Orange cut into wedges
• 1 Lime cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup limeade
• 2 shots of apricot flavored brandy
• 2/3 cups Agave nectar
• 1 cup sliced strawberries 
• 3/4 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• 2 cups club soda

Pour wine into a pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon, orange and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) then add the agave nectar, limeade, and brandy. Chill overnight. Add club soda, strawberries, raspberries and ice just before serving.  Yum!

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