I've had my heart set on Michelle being my birth photographer since before I got the news I was…read morepregnant. Words cannot express how elated we were to work with Michelle for our maternity, birth, newborn photos, and video.
I knew she would deliver beautiful photos, but I wasn't sure how I would feel about myself in them. I was pregnant, self-conscious, and had been feeling a little camera shy...before Michelle even began taking our photos, she made both, my husband and I, feel at ease throughout the entire process. During our maternity photos, she had us up early to capture the natural lighting of the sunrise and helped us with poses, which felt natural and unstaged.
The quality of the photos and video are unparalleled, but more importantly, Michelle's presence and calming energy during all interactions left us speechless. As this was our first, (and my first time experiencing birth), I didn't know that having Michelle in the room during labor, taking photos and video during my birth, all the while coaching and supporting me along the way, would evoke such a calming atmosphere. She has a soothing presence and is so comfortable in the birthing room. Her energy is infectious. Michelle was also my doula and I can't imagine what I would have done without her.
The emotion invoked, while watching our birth video and looking at our photos, fills us with astonishment and joy. I can't imagine a better photographer and human to work with during such a chaotic, exciting, and fun time. And that self-consciousness I mentioned earlier, melted away when I saw the final product(s). I felt empowered and beautiful, Michelle had captured more than the experience, she captured all the emotions and meaning that came with bringing a new life into the world. I will cherish the photos, video, and more importantly, the entire experience forever. I can't wait to share them all with our daughter.
Michelle is a truly skilled artist and amazing human being.