Your Opinions Please... | Michigan "Experimenting" Photographer

I got to shoot some beautiful and quick pictures of my adorable, 9 month old, niece today, and while editing them, I decided to experiment with a form of editing that is MUCH different than my norm.  I like my work clear and crisp, with vibrant colors......but......I have always had a place in my heart for the soft, dreamy, enchanting feel that you get with a certain type of image processing.

I had created an automated process, called an action, in photoshop over a year ago, but have only really used it for my birth photography images because I have been afraid that the change in style may throw off my followers.  My fans and clients tend to expect a certain style, and I don't want anyone to think that I have changed my tune completely.  I love my current style, and I do not foresee it changing anytime in the near, or distant, future.  However, I do love this new style also, so I have decided to put it out there for the world to see, and decide for themselves whether they love it or not.

Take a look at these images, and let me know what you think.  Is this a style that any of you might prefer as a choice on your own images?  I would love to hear your thoughts.  And have no fear, the clear, crisp, vibrant photos aren't going anywhere.  ;) 

PhenomeMOMs | Michigan, Photographer to Proud Mamas

I just wanted to wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all of my moms out there.  :)

Bright-eyed Angel | Royal Oak, MI. Newborn Photographer

I was recently overjoyed to be asked to photograph the first child of a beautiful couple, Dominic and Joanna.  This session was extra special to me because they are the new occupants of my grandparents' home, which was my safe haven, and playground for so many years.  There are many fond memories in that house, and now I have been blessed to help commemorate the beginning of a new family's life within those walls, and the mass of fond memories that they will surely create there also.

When you have two beautiful parents, you always expect the baby to also be beautiful, but Sabrina exceeds all expectations.  She is so much more than beautiful.  She is absolute perfection, and I reveled in the time that I was able to spend with her, cuddling her, and shooshing her to sleep.

Sabrina is so angelic in sleep, and when she is awake, she has beautiful bright eyes, and I even caught her lovely, dreamlike smile.  I really loved working with this little peanut, and I cannot wait to watch as she grows.  She is sure to be the most fashionable baby girl around.  Her closet is something to behold.  I am so glad that I was asked to photograph Sabrina, and I hope that you all enjoy her images as much as I enjoyed making them.  :)

Addi Oodi, Attitudey | Ortonville, MI. Baby Photographer

Little baby Addison has been growing so fast in the past 7 months.  You may remember my earlier posts about the arrival of my super adorable niece.  If not, you should definitely go check out the images from the day she was born, and her newborn photo shoot.

I come up with all kinds of crazy, nonsensical, nicknames for my own kids, and little Addison has received a few too.  My favorite nickname for her is Addi Oodi Attitudey because she is a sassy little thing.  She is not afraid to tell you what she thinks, in her own little way.  She definitely takes after her momma with that one.  She resembles her momma too, but I cannot help but see how much she looks like her daddy.  This little girl is a welcome addition to my friday routine, which is the day of the week in which I get to have her all to myself.  I love having the opportunity to watch her grow, up close.  There is nothing better than experiencing the world through the eyes of a baby who is discovering so many things for the very first time.

I'm a bit behind in sharing her pics from when we did her 4 month shoot, so I will share my favorite of those here, along with her 7 Month photo shoot.

I just ordered this image as a metal print, and I just KNOW it is going to look awesome.
4 MONTHS 

7 MONTHS

Just a bit of extra fun for everyone.  We all love Addison's spiky/fuzzy hair, and one night, while looking at a pic of her on my brother-in-law's phone, I realized that she strongly resembled something I had seen before.  What do you think.  Do we have a doppelgänger?  Lol

 Contact Carri at:

Email:  carrimullins@carribethphotography.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/carribethphotography

Phone:  (248) 678-3601

A Vision Comes To Life | Ortonville, Mi. Avant Garde Photographer

Still digging up the archives, and I have a fun shoot to share from my weekend in Grand Haven last June.  I, along with the girls I was staying with, knew that we wanted to do a shoot that was a bit out of the norm for us.  So, my friend, Rhonda, and I went to work planning and getting things organized for a fun avant garde shoot.  We wanted to do something cool with a dark bird-like woman, and I must say that I am really happy with how it turned out.  Our vision never would have come to life if it hadn't been for our AMAZING makeup artist, Heather Spataro.  She did such a great job of listening to our requests, and making our vision come to life.  Between the awesome makeup, our talented model, Montana Bergy, and the super cool dress that Rhonda custom-made for the shoot, everything was perfect.  The only problem was, I don't have any experience with studio lighting.  Without the help of my photographer friends, whom I love, and was so happy to be able to shoot and spend time with, I am sure that my photos would have been a mess.  ; )

I had to at least take a few outside.  We had a lot of fun.  :)

Contact Carri at:

email: carrimullins@carribethphotography.com

facebook: www.facebook.com/carribethphotography

phone: (248) 678-3601

Oh How I Wish..... | Ortonville, MI. Newborn Photographer

As I mentioned in my previous post, I will be sharing some sessions that I have been digging up from the 2012 archives.  Well, in my search for unblogged sessions, I came across this little cutie, who modeled for me, and a group of photographer friends, early last summer during a fun photo filled weekend in Grand Haven, MI.  It was beautiful out there, with the warm air, the sparkly blue water, and the picturesque boardwalk/pier filled with people walking, skateboarding, riding their bikes, and just taking in the view.  Sitting here reflecting on our time there makes me think, oh how I wish I were back in that moment, with the sun shining on my face, surrounded by great friends, and having a good time.

While we were in Grand Haven, we set up a handful of photo shoots, just for fun.  Handsome little Alex here, was the first of the group, and he set the precedent for the shoots to follow.  He was amazing.  He was so sleepy, and didn't stir a bit.  So much so, that we decided, (with the ok from Mom, of course) that we should get some shots of him on the beach, with it's fine tan sand, and it's glistening water.  Not being prepared for an on-the-fly beach shoot, we trudged through the sand, quickly filling our shoes with the stuff, but it was so worth it.  Alex rocked it out, and I got a rare chance to photograph a sweet newborn on a beautiful beach.

I had such a fun time hanging out with my ladies that weekend, and Alex only added to that enjoyment.  He will be turning one in the next few months, so I hope that this is a welcome look back at how tiny he was, and how much he has grown.  As for the other shoots of the weekend, keep your eye out for future posts.  We did some really fun stuff that you won't want to miss.  :)

Contact Carri at:

Email:  carrimullins@carribethphotography.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/carribethphotography

Phone:  (248) 678-3601

Digging Out the Archives | Gaines, Mi. Newborn Photographer

As excited as I get with each and every session I do, I don't always find time to blog about them.  Now it happens to be the slower time of year, so I thought this might be the perfect time to catch up on some beautiful babies that got left behind.  Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing some of these sessions for all to enjoy.

We are going to start with precious little Owen.  He was the tiniest little thing.  At over a month old, this little guy was still only in the 5lb. range.  He is just the sweetest little thing, and he fit perfectly into the green setup below.  He looks like a little pea in a pod.  Owen is the youngest son of some friends of ours, so when we were finished with the session, the rest of my family came over, and we all hung out for the night.  All the while, I had a nagging feeling that there was a shot that I was missing.  I came in knowing that daddy is a big fan of baseball, more specifically, he's a BIG Detroit Tigers fan, and I had intended on doing a photo to showcase this, but it had been pushed aside to make way for the chaos of having six kids in one house......and to make time for some horseshoes for the guys, while it was still light out.  It comes down to the end of the night, and still, I cannot shake the feeling that I HAVE to do this picture.  I guess it's just that urge that people get when they think of something that they believe will be fabulous, and cannot rest until they do it.

So, at 10 o'clock at night we decide to setup the backdrop, and tell daddy to change into something suitable.  I have lost all remnants of the natural light that I am so used to, but lucky for me, I always bring my flash with me.  Dad comes out in his team gear, and I nestle little Owen into Daddy's baseball glove.  I cannot believe how perfectly his little bottom fit into that mitt.  You might say, he fit "like a glove".  ;P  Ok, sorry, that is a little of what my husband calls "Carri humor."

A few quick snaps, and we were done.  I finally felt satisfied with the shoot, and when I went through the images and came to the baseball pic, I knew that it was WELL worth the wait.  Not only did I love it, but Daddy LOVED it, and it seems to be a favorite with many who have seen it.  I am so glad that we did it.

Enjoy the images of little Owen, and remember to check back to see more beauties from the archives.  :)

Contact Carri at:

Email:  carrimullins@carribethphotography.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/carribethphotography

Phone:  (248) 678-3601

WE DID IT!!!!! | Goodrich, MI. | Child and Family Photographer

That's right, we managed to make up our rain-delayed session from the week prior to this.  I'll tell you though, it wasn't looking good. We woke up to the same weather that put the kibosh on our original session date.  It was dreary and rainy and chilly, but luckily I have patient and enthusiastic clients, who were willing to wait it out and nab our best opportunity of the day.  There was only one stipulation.  We HAD to be done in time for the Michigan vs. Michigan State game.  Lol.

We met at the most beautiful location!  The trees stood vibrant with the gorgeous oranges, reds and golden yellows of fall.  It was definitely the perfect setting for an autumn family session.  We beat the rain, and even got a peek of sunshine here and there. We did have a short battle with the breeze, but aside from that, the weather was nice to us for the entirety of our session.

This session was strategically planned to coincide with the upcoming birthday of their youngest daughter, who is turning one. Unfortunately, little miss Ella was not fond of the nip in the air, so we didn't get any outside pics of her by herself, but she rocked it out for the family shots!  (My legs nearly gave out on me from doing so many power jumps to coax out those precious smiles, but it was sooo worth it for the end result).  I don't think that there could possibly be a cuter family.  And, though we were unable to get a happy Ella outside, we got some great shots of her lovely sisters, and then we captured some ADORABLE images of her inside.
All three of these girls are total gems, and I LOVED spending the day with them, and each of their very different personalities.  This session was a long time coming, and has totally lived up to my expectations.  They couldn't be more perfect.  And, in the end, I'm happy to report that dad made it home in time for the big game, and Michigan came out with a win!  Woot woot!!!!  It was a great day for everyone...........unless you're a State fan.  ;P

Thank you Sarah and Rob, for being so flexible, and working with what mother nature handed us that day.  And, more importantly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLA!!!!!  :)

Contact Carri at:

Email:  carrimullins@carribethphotography.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/carribethphotography

Phone:  (248) 678-3601