BRANDON F.
Michele is an amazing person and photographer. If you are searching for a great photographer that will capture you the way you see yourself, look no further. Her entire process was detailed and reassuring. It was the type of process that comes from years of experience and many satisfied clients. I needed several types of photos: Portrait, Headshot, Physique and was unsure where to start. I had some ideas in my head of what I was looking for but trying to match that with a photographer was a daunting task. I searched Google and Upwork for local photographers but was unsatisfied with the quality of images that came up. I checked Instagram and some other referral sites but was still not content. I eventually signed up for a service called Bark which links you with local professionals that have some skin in the game. This was where I found Michele John Photography. I was initially struck by the beautiful images she had on her profile. I quickly pulled up some other photos from her Instagram and saw exactly the style of photos I was looking for. Artful, textured, inspired, beautiful, the type of photos that are worth a thousand words. I reached out, she was very prompt with her communication throughout the introduction and exploratory process. We collaborated through Zoom which helped us to connect better with one another. This was my first commissioned photoshoot since my father was an accomplished freelance photographer all his life. My photoshoot called for semi-nude physique photos which complicates things for complete strangers. Michele, the consummate professional, handled it gracefully. She explained her process, set clear expectations and described proper photoshoot etiquette. She also detailed explicitly how she operates her studio, this confirmed for me again that I had found the right photographer. Once we got all the concepts and expectations out of the way, Michele gave me a break down of her cost structure and package options. She was very fair and upfront about her pricing and was flexible with payment scheduling. I knew I was paying for quality not quantity here. The value she gave me was EXCEPTIONAL and worth every bit. We set up a secondary consultation a few weeks before the shoot to go over all the final details. She took this time to give me great advice on how to prepare for the photoshoot. This included things like: scheduling a facial a week prior to the shoot, recommending moisturizers, mani/pedi and other tips and tricks of the trade. Michele made sure I was prepared to look and feel my best come the day of the photoshoot. A great example of Micheles personal touch was to ask what type of snacks and beverages I would like to have during the photoshoot. She went above and beyond my expectations by getting me giant bags of macadamia nuts and smoked almonds. She even thoughtfully double cupped my espresso so it would be as hot as possible upon arrival. Her studio was professional and gave us ample room to progress through a 4+ hour shoot. She advised me to bring as many different outfits as possible to make sure we had the option to shoot it and see which ones I loved. We went through 10 different looks. She advised me on posing, facial expression and body tension. She guided me throughout the entire shoot and used her expertise to capture the photos I was hoping for. We went through a range of backgrounds, poses, outfits and locations on site. I had such a great time that I lost track of time and forgot that I was paying for the service. I felt like I was getting photographed by a long time friend which put me at ease and lent itself to a great experience. A few weeks went by and Michele called me to say she thought I would be very happy with the images she captured. Even going so far as to say she nailed some “sexy” ones. This made me even more eager to see the finished product. Another week or so and we met up to go over the final selection process. She had taken over 800 images during the shoot and culled it down to about 80 images. The final presentation of these selected images was displayed as a slide show on a big screen. I was overjoyed to see myself as art. I sorted through them and selected the ones I couldn’t live without. There were so many tough choices as I loved so many of the images it was hard to not get them all. We went over several package options and I wound up getting both digital and print formats with a couple images blown up and made into art prints. The images Michele was able to capture helped me professionally as I now have great headshots for my work and website. I have great profile photos for my family and business and I have stunning physique photos to get more physique and fitness work. The images speak for themselves. I am a thoroughly satisfied client and look forward to continuing my work with her in the future. If you want a professional, awesome experience and great photos all in one package do yourself a favor and reach out to Michele with MICHELE JOHN PHOTOGRAPHY.
