Session Planning

How to select the right photographer | Michigan family photographer

You’ve been hunting around for a photographer and now your head is spinning because there are SO. MANY. OPTIONS! Pricing, styles, locations, products… Oof! I know, I know, it’s a lot.

Not all photographers are alike.

If you are looking for something specific, make sure that you find a photographer who specializes in what you are looking for.

It doesn’t take the same expertise to photograph a newborn baby as a client looking for headshots or product images.

Photography is very much an expression of the photographer as a person, how they see people and relationships, and how they connect. Everything from how a photographer handles a client’s specific needs, to how the photographer chooses to use light, or extract emotion, will create a different look.

Most photographers are not a one-size-fits-all

This is not to say that a photographer can’t do more than one niche amazingly, BUT if you hire a photographer to photograph something that you have not seen in their portfolio, you could end up disappointed with the final product.

I recommend you take a peek at your potential photographers portfolio to make sure the work aligns with your vision!

My number one priority is a happy client.

Uncle Bob can take pretty pictures, I’m sure. But so much more goes into preserving memories.

ALL the details, matter.

A photographer who cares about your unique needs, matters.

The way your photographer sees relationships, matters.

Knowing that thought and attention has been put into, not only how you feel during your session, but how your images will make you feel years from now, matters.

Quality products that will be the home for these memories for a lifetime, matters.

You, matter, and deserve to have the whole experience. It is always my hope that a client chooses me because my work speaks to them and because they feel I am a safe place.

I will make sure we are a fit or help you find someone who is.

I have spent over 14 years cultivating my niche. Finding what bodies of work make me feel alive. This is where I believe I do the best work for my clients. If I don’t think I align with your needs, I will absolutely refer you to someone that might be a better match.

For example, I don’t use props (such as bowls, baskets, and buckets) in my newborn photography. While I think that style of photography can be absolutely stunning, I have chosen to focus my work on the lifestyle, familial, intimate, and emotional, part of having a new baby.

Everything I have learned over the years from lighting, baby safety, posing, to how much I guide in the moment, was to better myself within this specific style.

A propped newborn photographer has put years into learning an entirely different set of skills. If someone comes to me looking for a heavily propped session, I will refer them to a photographer who specializes in propped newborn photography simply because I know they will be happier with the end result.

Like I said before, my priority is your satisfaction with your photography experience.

You should be satisfied with your investment. Even it’s not with me.

Value… It’s not just about the pictures.

It’s also how you feel when you leave your session and when you see your images.

It’s the tucking away of priceless moments that can be pulled out later or passed to your children.

It’s a feeling.

You can’t trust that sort of preservation to just anyone.

A good photographer, a true storyteller, is in the business of helping you relive precious memories while creating beautiful art.

Art that makes you feel proud.

Part of the experience that I strive to deliver, and that I believe everyone deserves, is for those I work with to walk away feeling: empowered, cherished, seen, loved, and worthy.

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BEHIND THE LENS

ABOUT Alissa

At home in a small Michigan town near the lake — raising four beautiful, wild-hearted kids and holding close to the fleeting moments that matter most.

Life around here is a little loud, a little messy, and with a lot of love — and that’s exactly what draws me to photography. I’ve spent over 16 years capturing connection, chaos, calm, and everything in between… Because it’s not the big milestones we ache for — it’s the quiet, constant things woven into them.

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Are you the “78,838 photos on your phone, 3 bins of artwork under the bed” type? The mom with a full shelf of color-coded yearly photo books? (Go you!!) Or maybe you’re just out here saving baby socks and popsicle stick superheroes like it’s your job. Turns out, memory-keeping is a personality.

no judgement — just fun!

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