MISSION, APPROACH, VALUES + ABOUT MICHELLE
“Michelle is the most amazing photographer – from her beautiful aesthetic depicted in her photographs to her kind and calming personality. She made us feel confident and beautiful throughout our wedding day! …I can’t say enough incredible things about Michelle!… I’m so honored and grateful that she was our photographer! Each photograph is authentic, natural, genuine and beautiful. She truly captured the essence of the day in each of our photographs. We will cherish our photos forever.”
– Katie & Trevor
OUR MISSION:
To take pictures that show you just how beautiful and adored you are by all your guests, and to ensure that you truly experience the day to its fullest, centered in the beautiful moments and feelings.
OUR UNIQUE APPROACH:
PHOTOGRAPHY TAILORED TOWARDS HEARTFELT CLIENT EXPERIENCE
OUR CLIENTS LOOK NATURAL, RELAXED, AND EFFORTLESS IN THEIR PHOTOS… BECAUSE THATS EXACTLY THE TYPE OF EXPERIENCE THAT WE FOSTER
I’m a firm believer that weddings are meant to be celebrated.
It’s for this reason, we consider ourselves an “Experience First” photo team. Because as long as we ensure that you’re having a great time and a great experience of the current moment- great photos will come naturally.
My many years in weddings have confirmed to me that the real beauty is in the moments where you’re really living them. I want you to be a part of this day with your guests, immersing yourself in it to the fullest. It’s so much better when we give moments the space to express themselves and honor your desires, so that the day flows organically in a way that’s true to you.
My team and I tailor our approach to each of our unique couples. Whether a grand affair or intimate event, earthy or full of glitz, we thrive in the variety of honoring each of our couple’s distinct personalities, wishes, and styles.
As you live this day in the moment, our intuition, empathy, and experience will tell us when to be a fly on the wall, or when a little gentle guidance may be desired. Before the wedding day, we’ll make sure to learn everything that is important to you and all of your preferences in order to foster an effortless experience on the wedding day. And we’ll be sure to communicate with your planning and design team to ensure that everything is captured.
At all times, we’ll be true to you as your adoring observer- capturing you from all your best angles (even when you don’t know we’re looking) and prioritizing your comfort and joy above all else.
XO Michelle Elyse Hartman
accolades:
-NAMED TOP 30 RISING STAR OF THE INTERNATIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY COMMUNITY BY RANGEFINDER MAGAZINE (ONE OF THE MOST HIGHLY COVETED AWARDS WITHIN THE INDUSTRY)
-NAMED ONE OF THE TOP 5 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS BY WEZOREE
-FEARLESS PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD OF PHOTOJOURNALISM
-SHOOT & SHARE FINALIST (MULTIPLE CATEGORIES)
-JUNEBUG WEDDINGS BEST FLORAL DESIGN PHOTO WINNER
-VARIOUS FEATURES WITHIN MARTHA STEWART WEDDINGS, BRIDES, THE KNOT, CARATS & CAKE, LOVERLY, THE BRIDAL JOURNEY, ETC
ABOUT MICHELLE:
Born and raised in Chicago, Michelle moved to the East Coast in 2009. While she still visits her family in the Midwest frequently, she’s made quite the life for herself out East.
Currently residing in central North Carolina, Michelle spends much of her time traveling for her destination weddings and sessions. Most often, she’s photographing in New York, Virginia/DMV Region, Atlanta, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and all up and down the eastern US Coastline. Internationally, she’s been lucky enough to photograph events among various places in Europe, the Caribbean, and Central America- and even photographed an Engagement Session in the Arctic Circle where she saw the Northern Lights and giant icebergs! She always loves to visit a new place. In addition to her love of travel, Michelle has a great interest in learning about other cultures and religions. She has quite an ear for language, and can speak some Spanish, Persian, and Mandarin.
When not traveling, Michelle loves living a simple life at home with her partner and pets (one tiny orange tabby girl named Myrtle and her older Cairn Terrier boy named Migo). If the TV is on, she’s usually watching a period drama, a 90’s sitcom, or reality tv (especially the Kardashians- don’t judge!). She loves going for long walks on the greenway behind her house and enjoys the constant project of decorating, shopping for, and gardening her home.
OUR CORE VALUES:
KINDNESS & INCLUSION
Kindness & inclusion exist at the very heart of everything we do. Every single being deserves kindness. And every single being deserves to feel included, seen, heard, and appreciated. We are honored to meet and work with so many incredible people in this line of work who we get to celebrate- and who also value these very same things.
“Michelle is a dream to work with! The photos of my wedding are above and beyond what I expected! Every moment was captured beautifully and she did an incredible job at helping us feel natural and relaxed in order to capture such beautiful shots. Also, she is very personable and makes you feel at ease- her talent speaks for itself through her portfolio. We truly could not be more impressed with the editing and eye she has for capturing the beauty of the landscape in our photos. We all look incredible!”
– Leigh, Past Bride