Amanda's Blog

I'm not here!

2010-03-13T21:35:00.000-08:00

Hey there! I've moved! Blogging will now be at www.amandamattila.com/blog

Please visit!!

Winter Projects.

2010-02-02T10:06:00.000-08:00

Living in Michigan provides a break in the wedding photography business usually from January until March or April. So I've planned to use my extra time to do some projects. I am working on a new blog! My plan is for the blog to also be a website that will hold my portfolio galleries... super cool! I will keep you updated for when it is live. Besides the new site, I am working on some personal projects that have been really great for creativity and expanding my knowledge of photography. Photography being a creative career, I don't ever think I will stop learning and growing. It is one of my favorite things about an artistic job.

To view my PROJECT 365 blog go here! I am taking a photo every day for a year!

I was playing around with some new studio lighting techniques and I used my favorite props... my kids! And reluctantly, my husband for a minute. Here is my family (minus my youngest Isadora, she was napping).

Wedding Special! {Royal Oak Wedding Photographer}

2010-01-29T09:28:00.000-08:00

I am offering a special Keep It Simple collection through the end of February. Book your wedding before Feb. 28th, 2010 and receive this special pricing!

Keep It Simple

$2940 value for $2650! The Keep It Simple collection includes the essential photographic needs for almost everyone! Add on anything else you would like to make it all your own.

* Engagement session
* 8 hours photographic coverage
* Online gallery to share your day with family and friends
* High resolution disc of images
* 50 personalized cards with online viewing instructions for your guests

Contact me to book your consultation or for how to book!

Amanda Mattila 810.656.0997
imagesbyamanda@gmail.com

Baby Alexa.

2009-11-24T19:39:00.000-08:00

This sweet sleeping babe is Alexa. A makeup artist that I had worked with a couple of years ago just had her a little over 2 weeks ago! She is a talented artist as well as a beautiful person. I was so glad to have the opportunity to photograph her little girl at just 8 days old. Congrats to Dannielle & John (and big sister Adaya)!

love :}

Miss Libby.

2009-11-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

The oh so sweet Libby is 9 months old! She is standing and probably soon to be walking with all her strength. It is so neat to document stages in life! Libby, mom, and dad met me in Lapeer at a park for their session. Here are a few from theirs:

I LOVE this one!

Such a cute laugh.

Lauren L: Senior 2010. {Royal Oak Portrait Photographer}

2009-11-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVE taking senior photos! Lauren and I met up the first day for her session and it started raining...so we got a few shots and rescheduled for later. We ended up with a beautiful day and walked around Royal Oak stopping at a bunch of different locations. She is a senior at Berkley High School and was a real pleasure to work with. Relaxed and fun...forgot I was working! ha ha.

Jane + Brian: Married! {Royal Oak Wedding Photographer}

2009-11-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

Jane and Brian were married on October 10th, 2009. The couple and their families were so loving. I am blessed to have been a part of their special day. Their ceremony was held at Highland Park Baptist in Southfield. The reception was at Tanglewood Golf Course in Novi, MI.

Melanie and Ryan: Engaged! {Davison Portrait Photographer}

2009-11-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

Melanie and Ryan are engaged! They are to be married July 2010. We went out to Goodrich and took some photos at an orchard and then back to Ryan's house. Melanie has a great eye for photography and had a lot of ideas and locations to try. My FAVE is this barn in their backyard. Wonderful texture. It was a really gloomy and dark day so I used lights outdoors which I don't do often for E-sessions...but I think it made the photos at the barn look that much more gorgeous. Not to mention the wonderful couple!

Real laughter is beautiful.

A couple that plays together, stays together. :)

Lauren: Senior 2010. {Royal Oak Portrait Photographer}

2009-11-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

So funny--but I didn't do a whole lot of senior pictures this year due to weddings and being pregnant...but my 3 senior girls were all named Lauren! So meet Lauren C! She is from way up in Flushing but came down to Royal Oak for a session. She plays piano and softball...and loves to shop so I made sure to throw in a few fashion shots for her. Her and her mom were a pleasure to work with. The session albums are selling like MAD and I'm really excited for her to get hers. She went with a whitesnake leather cover and will have real contrasty fun colored pages to compliment her images. Here are a couple pictures of Lauren.

Dina + Robert. {Ann Arbor Wedding Photographer}

2009-11-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

Dina and Robert were married on October 3, 2009. They were an amazing couple! Their wedding and reception was at the Michigan Legion in Ann Arbor-- just beautiful! They come from two different cultural backgrounds and blended them for the ceremony and reception for a very interesting multicultural experience. I love when couples see each other before the ceremony...it gives a lot of opportunity for photos that you wouldn't get otherwise. Their first look was awesome--you could definitely feel the love between them. Here are few from their day. More will be on the site as I am updating and put together some new sample albums for not only the site but for you to see and feel!

SO far this is my FAVE spread for their album!

Models.

2009-11-16T09:34:00.000-08:00

RODP is a ton of fun! I had my first outing after having my daughter to a model session up on a rooftop in downtown Royal Oak. Being a part of a group like Royal Oak Digital Photography is wonderful. It pushes and inspires me. Here are a couple of pictures from the day. Models: Brianna and Brittany.

Jill Eileen Smith.

2009-11-16T09:12:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. I've been working real hard to keep up on everyone's editing and orders but I'm really excited to get posts up from the last couple of months.

Back in September I had the opportunity to work with Jill. She is an author of a series of historical fiction books based on the life of King David. I met her through a past client and she hired me to photograph her new headshot for the cover of her upcoming book. You can read about Jill at her website and more about the book Abigail due out in February 2010 at The Wives of King David site. Visit there to pre-order the book and to get a sneak peek read of the first chapter! I really enjoyed working with Jill. She is an inspiration to wives and mothers.

Jessie + Tim! Sneak PEEK.

2009-09-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Jessie and Tim were married yesterday! Here is a sneak peek:

Ceremony: First Congregational Church, Royal Oak MI

Reception: The Vintage House, Fraser MI

Photos also at The White House Wedding Chapel, Warren MI

DJ: Gemini Entertainment, LLC

Jessie wanted some portraits with her Grandma's piano. I just love how they turned out!

LOVE the wallpaper! LOVE her dress! LOVE LOVE!

A little something to cool off on the hot day :)

These kids were making some BIG bubble fun at the reception... and they were all very willing to let me capture it. So FUN.

First Dance...looking so in LOVE.

Isadora Lee.

2009-09-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl arrived! She was born on August 14, 2009 at 2:07pm. We have been busy with our new arrival (plus the two other kids!) so excuse the lack of posts lately. I've been devoting my spare time to finishing up weddings. Here is my newest baby girl!

Isadora Lee

7 lbs. 6 oz. 19 1/2 inches

Katie + Mike!

2009-08-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Katie and Mike are married! Mike had proposed in Bay City (also where the wedding and reception was held) at this little fountain downtown. There was a candy shop nearby... so we were sure to stop by those memorable spots for some photos. Katie's bright fuschia shoes and maids dresses were awesome...as well as all the details in the flowers and reception. Katie and Mike are such a sweet couple and I am so happy I was able to be a part of their celebration. Special thanks to Alison Bates for being my second shooter and backup in case I went into labor! And to Chrissy, my awesome sister for carrying my stuff ALL day.

I know Katie and her sister are excited for blogged pictures....so here is a slideshow! For full page go here.

Kristina + Marco!

2009-08-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Kristina and Marco were married at her parent's house in Mt. Morris, MI. The ceremony and the families were so sweet! Marco is a poet and so I was looking forward to hearing his vows--it was so beautiful. The couple had been together for almost a decade already, so there was a lot of excitement in the air. Truly an honor to be a part of such a lovely unity. Here are a few from their day:

Little Cupcake.

2009-07-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

How cute is this little girl?! Lila is turning one! She is having a cupcake themed birthday party and so her mom dressed her in the cutest pettiskirt and bloomers (complete with cupcake on the bum!). She truly looked like a little princess. Her little legs and cheeks just beg to be squeezed!

Pettiskirt was made by Oo La La Boutique. She did an amazing job!
Here are a few:

Just look at these cheeks! Adorable!

For more of little Lila, view her slideshow!

Senior: Miss Lauren.

2009-07-23T06:54:00.000-07:00

I met up with Lauren and her mom in downtown Oxford. I'm really surprised by how many fantastic locations there are to use! We were super lucky and the dark clouds went on by, leaving rain and hail to the cities west of us! Here are a few from the day:

LOVE this necklace from her Grandma. Beautiful!

I just LOVE this picture of her!

Levi Cole!

2009-07-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

Levi is the second son of my good friends Holly and Joel. He will be turning 1 soon so we took him around his house--which just so happens to be downtown Oxford for some pictures. Oxford has some great spots for pictures! So many textures and old buildings. It was a pretty quick session since it was his bedtime so he was a little tired by the end...but he had fun playing with the flower and leaf he found as well as watching all the cars go by. Here is Levi!

Sophia + John.

2009-06-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

Sophia and John were married last weekend at the Korean Presbyterian Church in Southfield followed by a reception at the Detroit Marriott. The details were lovely and her shoes were one of my favorites! The bridesmaids' flowers were a bright shade of pink which went great with the blue dresses. We were blessed with some nice weather and had a good time...stopping in at the Governor's Mansion in Farmington on the way to sneak in a few more pictures. Here are a few from their day:

p.s. I just have to say that I LOVE that my job is to document celebration of love!

Love the fringed bows!!

Before the ceremony...

Sophia and mother walking down the aisle.

SO happy!

They were suprised with a limo as a wedding gift!

Aww.

Details, details, details. :)

Dancing to "their" song. He was so happy!

Love :)

Berlin & Elijah

2009-06-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

The other day I did a super mini-session with each of my kids. I stopped in Davison to a little ice cream shop called Scoops. Nice little place! The kids were a little distracted by all the ice cream but as a reward for the pictures, ice cream treat! (my husband James too!) It is so funny how the personalities of each kid come out. Berlin is such a ham and a little on the crazy side. She insisted on the outfit she is wearing too. She likes all things sparkle. Elijah is more on the serious quiet side. You'll see... :)

My Berlin is a little crazy! :)

My baby boy is now 16 months old!

Stacy & Justin!

2009-06-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

Stacy & Justin were married over Memorial weekend at the Holiday Inn Gateway Centre in Flint, MI. They had a wonderful ceremony in the lobby and the reception followed in one of the ballrooms. I just loved Stacy's flowers!! The craft lover decided to go for an alternative to fresh flowers and had felt and bead bouquets made from Princess Lastertron.

For a slideshow of the wedding go to Stacy & Justin's Slideshow.

Here are a couple pictures of the beautiful couple:

I just love this picture...so in LOVE.

Stacy's Bridal Session.

2009-05-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

This last weekend, Stacy was married to Justin...but before the big day, we went out for a bridal session. We got some fun and beautiful pictures! I'm trying out my new slideshow program for this post! Enjoy the slideshow! For full screen go here.

Best Wedding Photographer in Mid-Michigan 2009!

2009-05-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

I am honored to be chosen as Best Wedding Photographer in Mid-Michigan for 2009 through NBC25 and WEYI-4! Thank you!

2009 Winner! SEE here!

Erin + Tyler.

2009-05-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

Meet the new Mr & Mrs! Erin and Tyler were married on Saturday, May 16th at St. Pius X Catholic church in Flint. We were so lucky with some fantastic weather! The rain passed us by and cleared up to be warm and sunny. We stopped over to the Flint Institute of Arts for some pictures before heading to the reception at Holy Redeemer in Burton. I loved Erin's colors! Her bouquet went perfectly with the cornflower blue bridesmaids gowns. Here are a few from their day:

Prayers before the ceremony.

This bride was so happy! She was all smiles!

One of my must have shots of every bride :) Gorgeous!

This yellow wall made for a great backdrop with her colors!

Availability Update!

2009-05-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

I am now booked up and will be unavailable for 2009 weddings from May through September. I have 2 dates open for October and open for all of November and December.

Thanks!

Jessie + Tim!

2009-05-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

Jessie and Tim are engaged to be married this September. They spend a lot of time going to the movies for their dates and wanted some pictures in a theatre--thankfully, Flint Institute of Arts obliged. After there we headed to the nature preserve in Burton, where the sun was just perfect for those sweet natural shots. Here are a few of this adorable couple:

Love her shoes!

We got to this field at the PERFECT time! I love evening sun.

So sweet.

Two Faces of Detroit: People Mover

2009-04-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

I've joined a Royal Oak area photography group recently. I've only been to this one meeting but so far it has been a wonderful experience. The group members have a wide variety of experience levels, so it was nice to learn and share. The summer project of this group is titled Two Faces of Detroit and the first meet that I attended was an exploration of Detroit, taking the People Mover around. I'm so used to taking pictures in a certain way, mainly of people, to tell a story (which of course, is my fave way to take pictures!)...so it was fun to experiment with architecture and the abstract as well.

This I took with a wide angle--not the best technically, but i thought it was funny since the buildings look like they are falling inward.

Saw this interesting pole by the Joe Louis Arena

People Mover

:D My view! 6 months pregnant on an escalator.

Miss Claire!

2009-04-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

This little cutie is the new addition to my friends Jason and Lisa's family. She was born 2 weeks ago tomorrow. Pretty much the most beautiful baby girl I've seen in a while! Check out some of my faves:

Isn't she adorable!!

WEYI & NBC25 Mid-Michigan Best Photographer.

2009-04-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

Is spring weather really here to stay?! I hope everyone is having a great week and ready to enjoy the nice weather this weekend!

As some of you already know, I've been nominated for Mid-Michigan's Best Wedding Photographer! Voting is still taking place until the beginning of May...so if you haven't already, stop on by and vote for me! Click here!

Amanda Mattila Photography Website DOWN.

2009-04-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to find that my website is down. Sorry for the inconvenience. I've sent an emergency help request to my web company and it should hopefully be resolved quickly.

Happy Easter everyone!

Kate. Making Flint look sexy.

2009-04-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

This week I was just itching to go take some fun pictures. I've been busy planning a day full of model sessions out in Saugatuck, but it isn't until May! That just seems so long to wait. So my sister-in-law, Kate, and my younger sister, Chrissy (soon to be my second photographer--she is in training!) headed to downtown Flint for an hour to take some fun pictures. Here she is:

Modern Wedding Photography: Last Minute Specials

2009-03-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

My Little Berlin: 3!!

2009-03-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

My oldest is turning 3! Berlin's birthday isn't until Saturday but we went to the park and played with balloons the other day so I could take some real pictures. Funny that I haven't done that with her before. Most of her pictures are spontaneous silly ones (although I love those!)...I'd love to have some portraits of my own kids on my walls! :)

Here are two smaller ones I'm getting printed:

This is a random shot from early in the morning--Elijah is so proud of himself sitting like a big boy! I just love his expression.

Today I am going for my ultrasound! I will find out if baby 3.0 will be a boy or a girl! We have a few names picked out for him/her but haven't settled on any yet. We have some time to decide. I'm not due until August. I'll update soon!

Mr. Hayden.

2009-03-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was able to photograph Hayden again--I haven't seen him since he was 2 months! WOW, he got so big! LOVE his hair! Here are a couple pictures of him now that he is a 17 month old toddler:

Standing still was NOT easy to capture with this one! :D

Meet Baby Barker.

2009-03-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

This last Sunday, I was lucky enough to meet the newest addition to the Barker family. Sarah & Phil welcomed little Carson into the world on the previous Monday. With him not even being a week old, he was still scrunchy and newborn new! Here are a few:

Model Students!

2009-03-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

Don't be confused.

2009-03-04T19:38:00.001-08:00

I am in the middle of doing some updates. So if the name on the website and the name on the blog are different, you are still in the right place! I'm changing my business name to my name, Amanda Mattila. So along with that there will be a new site as well. Check back soon!

Baby Fletcher

2009-03-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

Sarah & Geoff welcomed their new baby boy on February 18th (also my Eli's birthday!). I was lucky enough to take some newborn pictures of this little sweetie. I also photographed Sarah & Geoff's wedding back in September... see here.

Portraits in Ann Arbor.

2009-01-22T08:11:00.000-08:00

I'm a little behind in my blogging but I thought I'd post a couple photos from a few weeks ago in Ann Arbor. It was freezing but we managed to duck in to a coffee shop to warm up every so often. :)

Mercede Jones

Jake Imanse

Newest Samples.

2008-12-10T14:10:00.000-08:00

My newest sample albums are here! These albums have a very fine leather cover (have to feel!). These come in a variety of colors and textures. I currently only offer these as 5x5 with 20 pages. They are perfect for seniors, babies, engagement, and boudoir sessions! All albums are custom designed and make amazing gifts! Ask about these albums when you book your session!

Rounded corners.

Flush mount.

Nice thick pages.

illustrator fun + my crazy daughter.

2008-11-13T11:51:00.001-08:00

Ha ha! I don't usually post my silly stuff on this blog...I save it for my family to endure. But hey, why not post here? I normally use photoshop for all of my designing but started my hand at Adobe Illustrator and this was my first try and I came across this picture from summer of my daughter Berlin that I thought was hilarious. This was one of those in between shots of her making silly faces for me... pretty much the only kind she knows how to make once a camera is on her. P.S. This is a design for the Portfolio and Proof Boxes that I offer for both weddings and portraits.

Sisters H.

2008-11-12T13:47:00.001-08:00

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting these two girls. We had a nice time walking around (and playing around...). Sisters are such a wonderful blessing!

Here are a couple:

Matt + Katie.

2008-11-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I headed out to Ann Arbor for Matt and Katie's E-session. I was quite surprised to arrive in Ann Arbor to have sun and slightly chilly weather. When I left my house, my car and yard were covered with hail and it had been raining. Happy surprise for me! We had a wonderful time walking around the U of M campus where both of them went to school. They were a fun couple! They are to be married next June. I had a lot of faves from this session:

Something Worth Remembering.

2008-11-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

Recently I was commissioned to take a picture for a book detailing the biography and descendants of a man, Peter Cusick. The book, "Down The Ohio Up The Wabash, Tell Them They All West West...The Descendants of Peter Cusick the Irish Shoemaker", written by E. Kee Rodgers is planned to be published in July of 2009.

I'm pretty excited to see it in print. This picture will be the last page followed by some wonderful last words from one of his letters.

October Booking Special.

2008-10-25T05:55:00.001-07:00

Book your wedding before November 3rd and receive a FREE 20 page 5x5 engagement album! I've been working on designs and am excited to offer these session albums.... take advantage! ($350.00 value)

Ms. Emily

2008-10-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

Meet Emily. Isn't she adorable!? I had the most fun taking her picture and really had a hard time choosing my favorites. Here are just a few:

LONG eyelashes!

Color Pop.

2008-10-23T07:00:00.001-07:00

My friend, Jen, gave me an action set that does some different color pops. I thought I'd try it out. I think it makes this picture a bit more fun!

New edit.

Katy and Eric.

2008-10-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

October 18. 2008

Ceremony: Sweetest Heart of Mary Catholic Detroit, MI
Reception: Petruzello's Troy, MI

What can I say? Fantastic! That about sums this wedding up. The church was amazing. It was really neat to witness a ceremony in such an old and ornate church. You don't see many churches like this one anymore. The day was beautiful, perfect fall weather with blue skies. The couple were in love and so happy. The details and the colors were perfect. We went to Rochester Municipal park between the ceremony and reception for some fun shots. Here are a few of my faves:

These girls were so cute. Just hugging on the dance floor! :)

Angela and Scott.

2008-10-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

October 11, 2008

Ceremony: Oakwood Community Church Oxford, MI
Reception: Lapeer Country Club Lapeer, MI

Angela and Scott were such a loving couple. It was nice to be around such a loving group of people. Their flower girl had a wreath of flowers in her hair, which I thought was just so adorable. Although, it is hard for a flower girl to not be adorable! Fall weddings are just fantastic with all the colors! I just LOVE to shoot fall weddings. Here are a few of my faves:

Stunning bride! Just radiant!

Can you dig it?

During parent's prayer.

Bride's sister sang...beautiful voice. The guys.
On small bridge at her parent's house.

Mother and son dance.

Rachel and James.

2008-10-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

October 6th, 2008

Cermony: St. Peter Lutheran Church Macomb, MI
Reception: Tina's Country House Macomb, MI

Here is a sneak peek from last weekend. Still working on the previous weddings, but thought I'd get out another blog post while I was at it! Beautiful bride Rachel. Their decor was elegant and romantic. I just loved the dark navy with red roses. The guys were a bunch of fun and the kids were hilarious with their dance moves. More to come later.... but here you go:

James gave Rachel the top ring for a wedding gift, gorgeous!

Touching bridal dance with the family.

Sarah and Geoff.

2008-10-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

September 27, 2008

Ceremony and Reception: Devil's Ridge Country Club Metamora, MI

I really wanted to get some pictures up for Sarah and Geoff to see since I know she is patiently waiting. :) I had so much fun at this wedding...they were such a comfortable couple to be around. Sarah looked amazing, as did her bridesmaids! The guys looked great too! Emotions ran high, sometimes making me tear up (making it not so easy to take pictures! ha.) but really a wonderful wedding. I'm just so happy to have had the opportunity to work with them. Here are a few of my faves:

Joanna and Ryan.

2008-09-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

Joanna and Ryan were married in Port Huron on September 6th. They had beautiful weather for an outdoor wedding in a butterfly garden. This couple had a unique style which made this wedding even more fun to capture. The flowers were gorgeous with touches of peacock feathers. Here are a few pictures from the day:

Yummy cupcakes!

Vacation!!

2008-09-11T18:04:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to let you know that I will be away this week. I will be back and available on Monday, Sept. 22nd. I will have my calls forwarded but can't promise it will get through to my cell phone because I'll be in the Ozarks. Yes, a week of hiking to caves, horseback riding, boating, and spending time with family!

Senior 2009

2008-09-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

Ashton is the sister of one of my very first senior clients, when I was film! Her family is a pleasure to work with. She is graduating from Lakeville High next year and said that she is planning on going into dentistry. SUCH a sweet girl, I would be happy to have her work on my teeth someday! :)

Roger and Sarah.

2008-08-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Meet Roger and Sarah, my younger brother and his fiance'. They are getting married next August in Davison, MI. It was a lot of fun to run around Owosso and find different places to shoot. They were a lot of fun and I was able to experiment (you'll see below!). These two are great together!

Janice and Brent: Mr. and Mrs.

2008-08-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

Janice and Brent were married in Swartz Creek on July 19th. Their wedding and reception was held at the Cornerstone Baptist church that they attend. The group there were like family and it was wonderful to see such a caring and loving group.

Here are a few from their day:

Mother helping Janice put jewelry on.

It started raining but the guys kept their spirits high!
This flower girl LOVED the camera.
Guys hanging out in the corridor.

The ring bearer also LOVED the camera!

Levi Cole

2008-07-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

He is here! Levi Cole was born on Tuesday, July 29th. I'm very excited for his arrival, as he is the second son of my very good friends. Congratulations Joel and Holly! Pretty soon he will be buddies with my little Elijah. Here are couple from his first day of life:

Saugatuck Wedding part 2.

2008-07-26T10:53:00.001-07:00

I've finished editing Trisha and Pat's wedding. Been busy with preparing to move to Royal Oak, so I'm a bit slower than usual. But, couldn't resist posting a few more from their day.

Saugatuck Wedding.

2008-07-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

I had a great weekend! Trisha and Pat were married in Saugatuck, right on Lake Michigan at sunset. Their wedding was laid back and comfortable as well as beautiful! The wedding went very smoothly and even with the threat of a thunderstorm, there were no worries (other than getting all the guests down the 70 stairs to the beach! :)) My husband, James, assisted me for the first time for this wedding and they were definitely a great couple to introduce him to the wedding photography business.

I hope you two have a great honeymoon! Here are just a quick few of my favorites:

LOVED her green shoes!

After the ceremony...so sweet.

S&C

2008-07-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Stevan and Christina were married at the Meadowbrook Mansion in Rochester, MI. It was a beautiful outdoor ceremony--they couldn't have asked for more gorgeous weather. Their friends and family were so sweet...truly a pleasure. Plus, I worked with my sister-in-law Kate, which made the day that much more fun. I love my job!!

A stunning bride!

Stevan and his mother. So touching.

Family H.

2008-07-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

The other day I spent a few hours with the Hrinik family. These kids are just fantastic! The oldest wanted to show me her many poses she knew and the youngest boy was excited to share his cars and trains. He had me take pictures of his cars from every angle...so cute! Anyway, here are a few pictures:

Angela and Jason.

2008-07-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

This wonderful couple was married last weekend at the All Saints Chapel in Howell. Their reception was held at the Chemung Hills Golf Club also in Howell. Angela had a touch of 40's elegance in every detail...it was just beautiful. Classic but modern. LOVE IT! I wish this couple the best!

p.s. this was my first wedding driving a golf cart. woo hoo!

They get big so fast!

2008-07-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

My little Elijah is getting so big! He is now 4 months old. Just thought I would update with a few pictures. :) Sometime I'll post some of my 2 year old, Berlin.

Laura and Justin.

2008-06-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to Laura and Justin's wedding since they hired me. Their ceremony was on Saturday at Columbus Bible Church and then to Manaiaci's in Richmond for the reception. Here are a few:

A quick stop at some RR tracks...

Mr. and Mrs.

I LOVE this shot of Laura in the limo!
Adorable flower girl!
The couple likes outdoors...fish cookie cutters were one of the gifts.
First dance.

Have a lovely honeymoon!!

Shelley and Adam.

2008-06-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Shelley and Adam were married this Friday at Apple Mountain in Freeland, MI. This sweet couple had their ceremony in the little chapel on the golf course. It was very hot and humid but the bride was a trooper (having lived in Florida for the past few years) and we thankfully were able to get a few pictures of the bride and her attendants at this beautiful location before the thunderstorms. Both the couple and their families were so fun and a pleasure to work with. Here are a few of my favorites from their day:

Jen, Ken, and Brooklyn.

2008-05-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

Last night, I met up with Jen and her family at the nature preserve. Her little girl is such a cutie! Here are a couple:

Janice and Brent.

2008-05-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

The rain held off yesterday for Janice and Brent's engagement session up in Frankenmuth. It was so nice to work with such a loving couple. I can't wait for their upcoming wedding in July! Brent proposed to Janice among the carriage rides and glockenspiel late last year, so our location had special meaning. Here are a few faves:

Back in the Groove.

2008-04-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

Michigan is getting into some nicer weather and that means...weddings! A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of working with my sister-in-law Kate to document Kim and Andy's wedding. It was a wonderful way to get back into the groove after the couple months of maternity leave. They had a beautiful wedding and I just loved their flowers. Here are just a couple:

I think this picture works great with a little texture.

New Addition!

2008-03-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have a new addition to our family. Our son, Elijah, was born on February 18th! Here are a few pictures! Thanks for all the nice emails and well wishing!

one day old.

one week old.

The ONE.

2008-01-31T10:07:00.000-08:00

I've had this album for a while now, but I am still amazed by the quality and thought I would share a few pictures of the album I am offering called The ONE. This album is a 8x12 storybook style flush mount album with a light blue leather cover called Aquadisiac. Leathers come in 30 different colors and textures. Page thickness is either standard which is shown here or there is an option for a thinner magazine style. Check it out!

Beautiful packaging!

Sturdy pages made of real prints!

New Website for 2008!

2008-01-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

A new site for a new year! My site finally is up: http://www.byamandamae.com/! To celebrate my revamped look, I'm going to be offering a special discount for wedding bookings. For January only, I'll be offering a FREE 5x7 album ($425 value) with 20 prints to those who book their wedding and add on a Finao ONE album. The Finao album is new this year and is just amazing! The quality of both the binding and prints is great plus you get to choose out of many different styles and colors of leather covers or a canvas print cover. Gorgeous! Contact me to book or for details at 810-496-2155 or imagesbyamanda@gmail.com. Thanks for checking in!

Anxiously waiting....

2008-01-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

Hello! I am very excited to be having a new website up soon! I did submit it to be hosted online a few weeks ago and it is taking longer than expected, so until my link is transferred... if you would like to check out my site: Images by Amanda However, the contact page will not be functional yet. Thanks for checking in!

The old site is still up but I like the new one much better!

Hayden John

2007-12-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

This little cutie is going to be 2 months old this week. This will probably be my last session posted for a little while. I am taking a break for Christmas and preparing for my baby to arrive in February. Here are a couple:

Michelle and Billy.

2007-11-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

The wedding and reception were held in Delray Beach, FL at the Sundy House. It was such a beautiful garden setting....not to mention a gorgeous couple! :) Here is their wedding mini story!

Thanksgiving.

2007-11-20T14:26:00.000-08:00

Hello! I just wanted to post really quick to let you know that I will be taking the rest of this week off. I will begin posting again next week! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Connie and Chris.

2007-11-14T19:05:00.000-08:00

This last wedding was Connie and Chris' wedding. It was the first Greek Orthodox wedding that I had witnessed and it was very elegant. Of course, the bride looked amazing as did everything else. The traditional greek dancing was the most fun I've seen people have at a reception! Here are a few of my faves:

Fall Frolic.

2007-11-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

These are my lovely friends, Holly and Joel with their son, Gabe. I did a mini session with them last weekend at Yates Cider Mill. It was a bit more crowded than I expected but the day was nice and not too cold. These are some of my faves:

Lyndsey and Matt.

2007-11-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

I would have loved to have a fall wedding...other than the chilly weather, the colors are so pretty! These two were married last Saturday in North Branch. They had a bunch of little ones in the wedding and the girls wore the cutest flower girl dresses I have ever seen! Here are a few of my faves:

Isn't she adorable!?

Brick Walls Part 2

2007-10-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

I got a little time to edit a few more from last Sunday...here is part two! Happy Halloween!

Tina and boys....

2007-10-31T08:03:00.000-07:00

Last week, I met up with my friend, Tina, to do some annual pictures of her kids. It was a bit cold and dreary out, but the kids didn't mind (of course!). They ran around and played, stopping every now and then to pose for me--little cuties! Below are some of my faves:

Between tackles.... :)

Brick walls.

2007-10-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

How I love my beautiful friends and family! :) This last weekend I had a test shoot for a local makeup artist, Kristy Bell. She did a wonderful job! My friends and sisters came to model for me! Here are a few faves:

As a sidenote, one of my peaves is how many plastic bags I bring home from every trip to the grocery store. Seriously, it gets a little ridiculous when I leave with 5 bags each containing 3 items. Anyway, check out http://www.1bagatatime.com/. It would take a little effort but worth it.

Traverse Wedding.

2007-10-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

The wedding was held in Traverse City the end of last month. It was beautiful weather and the ceremony location was outstanding for portraits. Lacey and Nick were a lot of fun--here are some faves (there were sooo many to choose from!):

Kaylee.

2007-09-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, another senior this week! She was such a nice girl to work with, especially with all her giggling. These are some of my faves:

And To Continue....

2007-09-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, we've had some nice weather this week so we were able to finish Owen's outdoor session on Monday. Still not many smiles but he really enjoyed playing in the grass and sand. Here are a few:

Kristen.

2007-09-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

This senior session was so much fun! This girl here has some amazing eyes! Kristen was up for anything and definitely a pleasure to work with...here are some of my faves:

Tim.

2007-09-18T12:42:00.001-07:00

For Tim's senior pictures we went to a nature preserve in Metamora/Hadley and then over to Lapeer West High School to finish out the session. There were many to choose from but these are some of my faves:

Ahoy Owen!

2007-09-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

Owen is now a little over 7 months. We are planning another session for outdoors since the last time it started raining but here are a couple from our quick indoor session.

So many faces!! :)

Windy Tuesdays.

2007-09-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

Meet Jessica! We had the senior session in Flint this last Tuesday and despite the wind being uncooperative, we got some great pics!

Jen and Tony.

2007-09-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I got these finished today! I had a long list of editing and ordering must-do's and accomplished them all! It is a feat when you are pregnant and have a toddler, believe me. Anyway, so glad that I got them up so soon on the blog for them and you to see.

Jen and Tony were such a nice couple. They were married this last Saturday at St. John's in Rochester and the reception was held at Petruzzellos in Troy. Here are a few of my faves!

Best Man helping Tony get ready.

Father of the groom while giving speech.

Such a gorgeous cake!! And yummy too!
LOVED this lighting!

Jessica.

2007-09-01T09:34:00.001-07:00

Not only is Jessica cute but she was up for doing anything...which really makes for a nice shoot! We got together and headed out to downtown Holly. Here are some of my faves:

Site Update.

2007-08-26T10:49:00.001-07:00

Hello Hello! New Images by Amanda website! Not completely new but updated sites complete with splash page all up now. So, if you get a chance...check them out and tell me what you think. I am still working the bugs out of the contact page on my portrait site and a few other minor details but it should be fixed soon. Go to www.byamandamae.com which has links to my blog, the portrait site (www.portraits.byamandamae.com), and my wedding site (www.weddings.byamandamae.com).

Buttercup.

2007-08-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

I've known Kelsey and her family for many years now and was very happy when Kelsey called to ask me to do her senior pictures. Our session was at Buttercup Beach. I had fun...got a little wetter than anticipated when standing in the water to get some shots! Here are a few faves!

Kat and Dan.

2007-08-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

Kat and Dan's wedding was held at St. John's in Fenton this last weekend. This couple was just amazing. The whole bridal party was such a pleasure. I had a difficult time narrowing down my favorite pictures from this wedding....so I have more than I usually post.

Tiffany and Cory.

2007-08-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

I am a little behind in blogging lately. A couple weekends ago, Tiffany and Cory were married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony. They had the most interesting choices of music for their ceremony, with a surprising "Gold Digger" by Kanye West as the recessional tune! It brought a lot of laughter as well as a bounce in everyone's step! Quite a fun group of people.

NYC finalist.

2007-07-22T16:41:00.001-07:00

Thursday I spoke with Taniesha, a model finalist for the NYC Model Search and she needed some pictures asap. I cleared some time for Friday for a quick shoot. Our quick shoot ended up only being about 20 minutes long because of traffic, she ended up getting here about 8:30. Traffic! :( But we managed to get some good ones before the sun went down!

Yikes, it has been a couple weeks!

2007-07-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

I got my new Canon camera a couple of weeks ago and have been practicing to get acquainted with the settings and controls. So far, I love it!! It was really nice having 2 cameras for my last wedding too! The revamped website will be up soon! My wonderful friend Joel Warnke made a splash page that will link my 3 sites. I will keep you posted when it is up! Also, look back soon because I have another model shoot tomorrow with makeup done by the lovely Dani Wasson.

Kelly and Mike.

2007-07-02T19:33:00.000-07:00

Kelly and Mike had a nice outdoor wedding in Milford at the downtown gazebo. After the ceremony, the couple and some of the party went across the street to a pub for some celebratory beers. We got some fun pictures downtown and then headed to the outdoor reception for some dinner and dancing!

Erin and Josh.

2007-06-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

Erin and Josh are such a loving couple! They had a very beautiful wedding last Saturday at St. Matthew's in Flint followed by the reception at one of the Genesys Park ballrooms. We had some time to take pictures after the ceremony at For-Mar Nature Preserve. It turned out to be a perfect day to have a wedding....and for pictures!

Family.

2007-06-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

This week has been fairly busy but I love it! Last night, I had a portrait session for this lovely family. The children were adorable. The four year old boy was so energetic, running from room to room to show me all of his neat Spiderman toys! It was such a pleasure working with them.