Michelle Christine Photography
Visual Story Teller | Middle Tennessee & Indiana
Olivia and Jeremy are going to have a baby!! I’m so excited for these two!
Olivia reached out to me over Facebook messenger to find out when I’d be in Indiana next and if I would be able to take some photos for them. When she told me the reason why they needed photos, I was sooooo excited! Keeping this secret from the rest of the family (Olivia is my cousin!), has definitely not been easy. So if you’re reading this, Mom, I’m sorry I told you Olivia and Jeremy wanted some photos “just because!”
Originally, Elaine and Will had planned on traveling down to Nashville, Tennessee for their engagement photos. Of course I was perfectly okay with this because it’s local to me! However, when Elaine found out I was traveling up to Indiana for a week, we ended up moving her session up! She’s my favorite kind of client – too excited to wait for her photos!!
We met on a Saturday morning in the Morgan-Monroe Forestry at Bryant Creek Lake. The forestry is one of my favorite locations in my hometown. It seems no matter how many sessions I have here, I always find new areas within the forestry perfect for photos!
Home can be a confusing word for me. It can mean “home” as in where I live, or it can also be referring to Indiana. Most of my childhood was spent in Indiana and it’s where my parents currently live. It truly feels like home when I visit, so of course I love when I have clients in Indiana! This photo session was one such occasion.
Joy and Tim wanted their engagement photos to be taken on the Indiana University campus. Joy and I brainstormed tons of ideas over e-mail months before the photo shoot. I love when my clients bring new ideas to the table!
Joy was a leasing tenant when she and Tim first met. They flirted back and forth for months, sometimes for nearly an hour while he was paying his rent! One afternoon Joy went for a stroll in the park and they crossed paths. Kismet!
We spent the evening much like that “meet cute,” strolling around Indiana University’s campus looking for little nooks to create the perfect, romantic story through their engagement photos. I just love the way their outfits complimented one another’s!
I think every one of my photo sessions I find a way to get my clients super close to trees. In this location we were both next to the tree, and then later inside of the tree! It sure makes for some beautiful photos.
We stopped here briefly because I loved the way the light was looking here!
Before Joy changed dresses, we took a few photos in the creeks. If I have couples willing to get in a creek, you better believe I’m going to find a way to make it happen! Luckily IU’s campus has very easily accessible waterways.
Both Joy and Tim were wearing brand new shoes for this photo session! I had to get a photo of them – so cute!
Tim and Joy’s first date was at an outdoor concert at IU’s art museum. Joy had the creative idea to incorporate the light totem outside of the museum in their engagement photos. The installation casts beautiful, moving colors against the limestone museum building. It is almost reminiscent of the Northern Lights!
We also used the dramatic, curving red sculpture for a nice pop of color for some photos outside of the museum. Who doesn’t love a dramatic, leaning kiss?
You can truly see their love in the way they look at each other. I imagine a love like theirs his hard to hide! It radiates from them!
We ended the evening in a cozy corner with some copper string lights. I took some inspiration from photographer Brandon Woelfel who is known for his use of light strands in photos, but with my own spin. I fashioned a heart out of the wire string and, well, you can see the results! I’m so glad Tim and Joy were on board with this idea, as I’m sure it looked a little crazy from their point of view!
I’m very excited for Joy and Tim’s December wedding this year! I can’t wait to see what photo magic we create for their love story.
I’m a firm believer in community over competition. I believe that good businesses build other businesses up with encouragement. So it should be no surprise to anyone when I talk about working with my friend and fellow photographer, Jasmine.
Last fall, while visiting family in Indiana, Jasmine arranged a seriously fun, creative, photo-filled morning for us. Hanna, Jasmine’s friend, modeled for us with her natural, raw talent. Our resulting photos were the bomb (literally, we used smoke bombs).
I’m originally from Martinsville, IN, so I had suggested the Morgan-Monroe Forestry as a location. I had spent a lot of evenings at the lake and on trails, so it feels almost like home to me (although not as much like home as the creek near my parents’ house!). Even though we had our general location, we didn’t have the exact locations mapped out.
So we went on an adventure! We drove around until we found places to stop and take photos. In my opinion, this is the best way to do photoshoots – although maybe not the most practical. It’s also a great way to location scout.
The first place we got out to shoot was Jasmine’s find. This. Field. I was admittedly very nervous because I thought maybe we were trespassing, but no one said anything so it’s probably all good. And SO worth it! The sky was perfect, Hanna was perfect, and everything was just perfect. PERFECT. I had Hanna flip her hair around about a gazillion times (sorry, Hanna) to get all that movement that I love to capture in my photos.
Possibly my favorite photo ever.
In today’s world, no one is a stranger to the “selfie.” It’s nearly impossible to be on any social media platform without seeing multiple selfies from friends and strangers alike. One google search of “selfie craze” brings up multiple articles analyzing the why behind selfies. I think one of the biggest arguments is whether or not selfies are self-expression or self-absorption.
I tend to believe selfies are self-expression. Self portraits are nothing new! Artists have committed time and energy for centuries creating self-portraits. Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, and more have their self-portraits in museums. Frida Kahlo‘s entire artistic career revolved around paintings of herself, expressing her thoughts and feelings.
I also am a firm believer that we are all artists. Ask any of my students and they can tell you that it’s something I say often (if they don’t then they aren’t listening!). Agree with me or not, I too participate in the “selfie craze.” However, I like to take it a step further and create my self-portraits with my DSLR. Combined with editing software, I can create the impossible for myself (remember this levitating self-portrait?).
I’ve had a lot of friends, both photographers and non-photographers, express to me that they wish they could take self-portraits with their DSLR. I’m here to tell you IT IS POSSIBLE! You too CAN take your own portrait! Hence, this blog is born. This is a behind the scenes of a self-portrait session with myself.
Me with some obviously fake fireflies, ayyy
In Part 1 of this Autumn Engagement session, Cierra and Remus were photographed in a golden field. In Part 2, our engaged couple found a scenic backdrop on a gravel path. Part 3, which happens to be this post, may be my favorite location I’ve ever found. Finding it at all was a happy accident!
While driving through the Morgan-Monroe forestry, looking for the path, we found ourselves driving around what I think is Lake Lemon. There were lots of little houses across from or backing up to this lake. In front of one house, across the road, we spotted a crooked little dock. There wasn’t much to it, but it was just perfect for what we needed!
I had packed in the trunk of the car a few items, including a step stool (I’m short) and a green, plaid blanket. I bought this blanket for my parents during my time in Peru – it’s made from alpaca wool! The green palette of the blanket was stunning against the blue-green of the lake. I wrapped Cierra and Remus in the blanket together (with no complaints) and started snapping away!
In Part 1 of this Autumn Engagement session, Cierra and Remus were photographed in a golden field. I love the warm colors the change in season brings. At least in my eyes, the world just looks more magical! Don’t get me wrong, I also have a place in my heart for the natural greens we see for about half of the year here in our temperate forests! Perhaps it’s that the fall season is with us so briefly; or maybe it’s just that change makes us feel excited.
I had one spot in mind already for these engagement photos: a path a friend and I had stopped at briefly. At the time I was feeling too nervous to so brazenly step out into someone’s driveway for a photo-op. This day was different – I was on a mission! The only issue was that I had no idea where it was! We just drove aimlessly until we hopefully would happen upon it.
My sister, who was assisting/driving for us, probably had a heart attack when I shouted “THERE IT IS!” She’d already passed it so we quickly pulled over for a wardrobe change, then backtracked to the path. This magical path.
On Thanksgiving morning, while many people were preparing meals or sleeping in, I was busy doing what I love: taking photos! We drove out to the Morgan-Monroe forestry bright and early. (Really it was pretty overcast…so maybe not bright, just kind of early). We began taking photos on some steps by one of the lakes located in the forestry. The steps were covered with the recent foliage, fallen onto the ground. It was fall, ya’ll! Or more eloquently, Autumn.
Here are two of my favorite photos from our first spot, wooden steps covered with leaves:
We didn’t spend much time at this spot because I had another spot in mind and I wasn’t sure how to get to it. It’s always an adventure with me!
I actually want to show you our end photos first (backwards, I know), because my favorite location ended up being the first one we happened upon. I LOVE this set too though! On our way out of the forestry, we found these *perfect* weeds in a *perfect* field and stopped for some last photos.
One thing I’ve discovered since moving to Middle Tennessee is that it doesn’t take much for schools to call a snow day! A lot of business will open late or close early on winter weather days as well. Kara, a friend of mine who is also from Indiana, and I took advantage of the white landscape in Franklin, TN to take a few snow portraits.
