Caitlin | Portland, Michigan Senior Photos
When Caitlin told me that she wanted her photos taken at the Michigan Wildflower Farm, I was ALL IN! This venue is perfect for those who want to get floral and nature in their senior pictures. The best part is that this property is privately owned so when you come here, you do not have to work around others to get the perfect picture! We spent time on the property capturing the best photos in all the areas that we could and then moved to another local property to get Caitlin some variety with her photos by using their barn. It was the perfect evening! Here are a few of my favorites from Caitlin’s senior session!
To view her full gallery, click here!
Vivian | Ionia, Michigan Unicorn Photos
I was so excited when I was given the opportunity to photograph Vivian seeing her first unicorn! It is my understanding that she LOVES unicorns and this surprise was the most perfect idea for her. Her mom planned a very special mother-daughter night together and this was the best way to kick off their fun evening together. Here are a few of my favorites from Vivan’s unicorn session!
To view the full gallery, click here!
Madison | Pewamo Westphalia Senior Pictures
“Do your cheeks hurt from smiling so much Madison?” I asked as we finished up our session.
Madison was all smiles during our session in Old Town Lansing, and I can’t blame her! We had the perfect weather, a great location and she absolutely nailed every shot I took of her during her senior photo session! I cannot choose from all of her photos what ones might be my favorite but I am going to give it a whirl. Here are a few from her session but make sure to click on the link below to see her full gallery before it expires!
Are you ready to schedule your photos? Contact me here!
Dave | VFW Post 4090 Commander Photos
I was so honored when Dave asked me to take his headshot for the VFW. He became Commander of Portland VFW 4090 two years ago and has been serving in this position ever since. It was time for him to get a headshot so he visited me for a quick session to get the photos. He chose to do a more modern take on the traditional VFW headshot by wearing a suit rather than the full uniform and I think this was a great choice! Below is the image he has chosen to use for his official portrait at the VFW.
About Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW):
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a nonprofit veterans service organization comprised of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, guard and reserve forces. (learn more)
VFW Post 4090 is such a big part of the Portland Community. To learn more about the most recent events and benefits the post is working on, click here.
Thank you, Dave, for your service and your many contributions to our community!
The Robbins Family | Westphalia, MI Family Photos
The Robbins Family contacted me for a last minute photo session and due to a cancellation in my schedule, I was so happy to be able to fit them in! Part of the family is visiting from out of state, so it was important to them to capture some memories while they were in town and available to get photos. I met up with them at their home where they were so incredibly welcoming. They also have a great backyard too which made a perfect backdrop for photos. Here are a few of my favorites from their session!
To view their full gallery, click here!
The Martin Family | Westphalia, MI Family Photos
The Martin Family invited me to their home to capture their family photos and I was so happy they did! They have the most amazing backyard full of great photo opportunities (and mosquitos!). They have been planning this session for a while so when I showed up and their was a checklist of locations and ultimate organization, I was really feeling like this was my crowd! We got right to work going down the list which allowed us to move right along and get so many great photos. Here are a few of my favorites from their session.
Thank you, Martin Family, for inviting me to capture these moments for you!
Are you ready to schedule your photos? Contact me here!
The 5 Best Places for Photos in Portland, Michigan
So often, I get asked where to take photos and there are so many options! Not just in Portland, Michigan but all over the place! But, for today, I am just going to focus on my hometown of Portland because it truly has so much to offer. Portland is only a short drive away from most places such as Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Ionia making it the perfect central point to get your photos taken.
The Flats
The Bogue Flats (“The Flats” for us Portlanders!) is an excellent choice for photos. There is so much area to cover and it has so many opportunities to get unique photos! The Flats is located off Water Street in Portland and offers beautiful backdrops of fields, trees, tall grasses, the river, and a pond! Best of all, the Portland Riverwalk surrounds The Flats which means there is plenty of little areas around the entire thing to find a spot perfect for anyone! The Flats is a large area with easy walking so the location is suitable for any type of session.
2. Downtown Portland
Downtown Portland, Michigan is one of my favorites. The downtown area is so well kept and perfect for photos. Here, you will find a gorgeous backdrop of buildings, walls, colorful textures, lights and even Veterans Memorial Bridge. Downtown Portland has the Grand River running right through the heart of it giving you a perfect opportunity to get photos of water as well. Portland is a great community for walking which means that these areas are all very accessible and can be reached very easily.
3. The Red Mill
The Red Mill in Portland, Michigan is such an beautiful place. It is so well taken care of by a group of locals, The Friends of the Red Mill, who work so hard to keep the building in great shape and to keep this beautiful structure a part of Portland history. This building serves as a perfect backdrop for those wanting a picture with a barn as a background or a more country feel. As a matter of fact, the Red Mill is one of my most common requests for photos of the locals!
4. The Boat Launch
The Portland Boat Launch (near Thompson Field) is only a short drive away from Portland’s Downtown area. This sweet spot offers tall grasses, trees, the river trail and a lovely spot to dip your toes directly into the river for water photos. In this location you also have the option of a short jog to get to one of Portlands walking bridges that mimics Veterans Memorial Bridge too!
5. The Portland Dam
The Portland Dam is just a short drive outside of Portland, Michigan, off Lyons Road and is another great spot for photos. This spot is usually bustling with fishermen relaxing while trying to catch their latest fish. The location boasts a small wooden footbridge that crosses a stream, views of the river, trees and tall grasses. This is truly the perfect quaint little spot if you are looking for photos with a lot of nature.
If you are visiting Portland from out of town, I often get asked where to eat! This information is right up my alley because I love a good meal. There are many places to stop to grab a bite to eat and enjoy the Portland Community. Here are a few of my personal favorites!
-You haven’t had good pizza until you’ve gotten it from the Portland Party Store
-The atmosphere at Fabianos Riverhouse Grill on their porch is amazing
-Oliveras is a great option for dining in with delicious food
There are many other options that are filled with the kindest Portland People and the best business owners, you truly cannot go wrong with any of them!
*This is not an inclusive list of Portland photo locations. I recommend speaking with your photographer directly to help determine which option might be the best for your next photo session!
The Weller Family | Portland, MI Family Photos
From what I understand, there is always a story behind a Weller event, and family photos proved to be no different! We have been planning these photos for a while and the date selected needed to work because it is difficult to get 23 people in the same spot at the same time. When the day came, Portland, Michigan was having its 4th straight day of heavy rain and there was no end in sight. I showed up to the location of photos hoping to find an alternate (covered) location and began setting up my equipment when…tornado sirens. The rain was blowing sideways and I’m pretty sure I saw Dorothy fly by! Just a few miles away from our location, a tornado touched down so we hunkered down in the family basement with a few members of the Weller family to wait the worst of the storm out. Luckily after some time passed, there was a break in the storm where we could grab some photos. It was still raining, but not hard enough to be anything to worry about, especially after what we had just witnessed! Here are a few of my favorites from this very eventful photo session!
Can you believe that all of the lovely people above are a result of these two lovebirds? They are celebrating 50 years and have so many wonderful things to show for it! Congrats Mom and Dad Weller!
To view their full gallery, click here!
Finn | Portland, MI Newborn Lifestyle Photography
Finn is the absolute cutest! I was so excited when his family invited me to their home to capture him, he is just a couple weeks old so this is the perfect time to capture him before he grows too much. I always take a lifestyle approach to newborn photos, so being able to photograph him and his siblings in their home makes for a perfect location. It worked really well too because the day of pictures, it was pouring rain! We stayed dry inside capturing these lovely memories for this amazing family. Here are a few of my favorites from my time with them.
To view the full gallery, click here!
Hannah | Portland Michigan Senior Pictures
Hannah was so perfect during her senior session! She has practice with posing in front of the camera so this meant that she knew what was going to work. This allowed us to move faster through the photo session and get even more photos for her to choose from! We had so much fun! I have so many favorites from her session that it is so hard to choose just a few, so here are some highlights but be sure to check out her full gallery at the end!
Are you ready to schedule your photos? Contact me here!
Wade | Fowler High School Senior Photos
I first met Wade and his family several years ago and was so happy when when they contacted me to take his senior pictures. I cannot believe that he is a senior already! Wade will be graduating from Fowler High School this coming year and wanted a little something different for his senior photos. He met up with me in Portland and grabbed some amazing photos. We had the perfect morning weather-wise too, we woke up early to get the best light outside and it certainly paid off! Here are a few of my favorites from his session!
Are you ready to schedule your photos? Contact me here!
The Hanses Family | Portland, MI Family Photography
This family has the right idea! They gifted their parents a Reflections Photography gift card for the holidays for a photo session. This is the perfect gift for a lot of families because it gives them the opportunity to gather and get photos that they normally do not have the opportunity to take. The best part about these larger family sessions is that each family gets to have a portrait taken of just them along with a portrait of the entire family as a whole, its a win-win all around! Here are my favorites from my session with this bunch!
Are you ready to schedule your photos? Contact me here!
Courtney | Pewamo-Westphalia Class of 2022
I was looking forward to Courtney’s session because I photographed her sister last year and she was taking me to a location that I had never been able to photograph before! We ended up getting the perfect evening for photos with some of the best weather and best light, it was a photographers dream! Here are a few of my favorites from Courtney’s session.
To view the full gallery, click here!
Logan | Portland High School Class of 2022
Logan chose the hottest, muggiest Michigan day for her senior pictures, but she was a champ through it all! Because of impending rain in the evening, we moved our session to mid-day. What we didn’t expect was for the mid-day sun to come out, and as any photographer would tell you, mid-day sun is something to avoid as much as possible. We made it work though and got some amazing photos! I cannot even begin to tell you how beautiful this girl is, her smile and laughter lights up a room. I cannot wait to follow Logan through her senior year and see the great things she achieves! Here are a few of my favorites from her senior session.
Are you ready to schedule your photos? Contact me here!
Dalton | Prom and Graduation Photography
I was so happy when Dalton showed up to grab some photos prior to prom and met up with me to get some photos in his cap and gown. This is the perfect way to mark all the special moments in your senior year, and I am so glad he took advantage of these opportunities. Here are a few of my favorite photos from each of his recent sessions.
Are you ready to schedule your photos? Contact me here!
Harrjenti USA LLC | Business Branding Photography
I was so excited when Tina and Jennifer reached out to me to ask if I could help with their business branding needs. They are in the process of establishing their website and Amazon store with their products but they needed great photos of their product to use on these platforms. This session was set up so that we could feature their pet bandannas! Their request was simple, they needed photos with their pets using the bandannas and then of course, photos of the bandannas on a backdrop. The great thing about this is that we got to feature the business owners and their dogs with an in-person session, but I was also able to photograph the bandannas in my home studio to provide them the typical branding/product photography as well. This saved a ton of time for these new business owners because they don’t have to be present to get these additional photos done plus they are getting great imagery to feature their fantastic product! Here are some of my favorites from their branding photo session.
If you, or someone you know is in need of branding photos, connect with me here!
The Goodman Family | Portland, MI Family Photos
The Goodman Family got together over the weekend and took the time to capture their extended family photos. They chose the perfect day! I love doing extended family photo sessions because not only does the family get a nice portrait of the entire family, but we also break the group down into smaller groups to get other important photos as well. Each family took advantage of this and got updated smaller family photos as well. This means that everyone here left with several great wall portraits of their loved ones! This group was a lot of fun, here are a few of my favorites!
Are you ready to schedule your photos? Contact me here!
Skylar and Kylie | Dance - Ballet Photography
I was so excited when I was asked to capture best friends, Skylar and Kylie, doing what they love most. These girls have been in dance for several years together and wanted to capture not only their friendship together but photos separately to celebrate their love for dance. We had so much fun in the Portland area finding locations, it was so fun watching them get into their positions too, I learned so much! Here are just a few of my favorites from their session!
To view their full gallery, click here!
Drew and Adrienne | Prom Photos
The day chosen for Prom in Portland was the most insanely hot day especially for May. Nothing is going to hold these prom-goers back from getting dressed up and enjoying a night out though! Prom was held in Portland at the Red Mill Pavilion this year and while things may have looked a little different than expected, I have no doubts that this cute couple made sure they had the most fun. They both looked amazing and we got some pretty awesome pictures to mark their special night out. Here are a few of my favorites!
To view their full gallery, click here!
Russell | Portland, MI Senior Photos
I was so thrilled to meet up with Russell to take his senior photos, it has been way too long since I have been able to photograph a senior and I was excited to kick off a very busy season with him. We stuck around the Portland area for his photos and got some amazing shots. Here are a few of my favorites from his session!
To view his full gallery, click here!