Michele Shirley Photography

Baby H

2010-01-28T16:05:00.000-08:00

When you have two gorgeous parents how can you not have a beautiful baby girl. Baby H is quite the fashion diva and was such a trooper for looking so amazing in the cold autum air. I don't know which I liked better , teh cute furry sweater that framed her angelic face so perfectly or her dress that showed off all her personality.

Baby E

2010-01-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

I am so lucky to have clients that have GORGEOUS babies. The only downside is that it is SOOO hard to pick my favorite images from the session sto post here and on my blog. It was twice, actually three times as hard this time because Baby E had 3 wardrobe changes and looked even cuter every time.

Baby A. T.

2010-01-26T19:07:00.000-08:00

I've said it before, but I LOVE that as a wedding photographer my relationship with my clients doesn't end when they receive their wedding album. It's always an honor to document the next phase of their lives-their children. Despite a cold, Baby A.T. was such a trooper. You would never know it from the big smile on his face - especially when he saw his kitties. Another real perk to having your pictures done at home ;)

Baby A

2010-01-26T18:39:00.000-08:00

Sleeping like an angel

A Mother's Love - Part 1

Sweet Innocence

A Mother's Love - Part 2

I love how " New " he looks in this one.

I love photographing newborns. Not only becaause each and every one is a precious angel but because I LOVE seeing how parents look at their babies. Not to leave the dads out but NOTHING compares to the way a mother looks at her baby. Every mom and child deserves to have that captured for them and at every session I try to make that my number one priority. I know too well that once you become a mom you spend the rest of your life BEHIND the lense.

New Favorite Family Photos

2009-10-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

Every month I literally take hundreds of pictures of my two little guys, trying desperately to make time stand still. While I love semi-posed pictures that capture what your children physically look like, my personal preference is for shots that capture who they are. While these may seam a little unconventional I can't stop thinking about them and that is what makes these shots timeless for me.

Baby C - More Autumn Magic

2009-10-19T06:34:00.001-07:00

I was so excited to see Baby C again. The last time I saw him he was only 8 weeks old. Now he is 9 months and was such a joy to work with. He had a ball playing in the leaves. I'm so glad his parents made the trip down from New Hampshire so we could create some more magical portraits.

The Magic of Fall

2009-10-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

Fall is probably my favorite time of year for outdoor portraits. The rich colors and textures are simply magical.

Crazy Family

2009-07-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

For those of you who wonder what it's like when the photographer tries to have a picture taken of HER family - well here you go. I have to admit it has NEVER been this crazy at a wedding. THANK GOD!

Colin's Baptism

2009-06-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

It was a busy weekend for us in the Shirley household. Saturday, I spent the day photographing the wedding of an amazing couple. You will be able to see tose images in a couple of days. Sunday was the baptism of my little guy. We can't believe he is almost 5 months old already. he was an absolute angel and didn't fuss at all during the baptism.

I LOVE baby boys!

2009-06-08T18:12:00.001-07:00

Ok, so maybe I am a little biased now that I have a little guy of my own. But how cute you not want to smother this gorgeous little gy in kisses. Baby Trey was so much fun to photograph. He was so patient during all his wardrobe changes and kept us all entertained with his constant cooing. This little guy is going to be such a heart breaker...

African Beauty

2009-06-08T17:45:00.000-07:00

There is no way to convey how hard it was to choose just a few of my favorites for the blog. I knew the sunset would be gorgeous on Olona's skin but even I was blown away by the results.

Natural Beauty

2009-06-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

Recently, I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful teenager who proved that young women don't need makeup to show how beautiful they are. With features like hers, Annabelle proves that less is definitely more!

Getting Funky

2009-05-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

Since 99% of the time I prefer my images to be as close to reality as possible, I'm not a photographer who uses lots of special effects. But this young lady had such incredible features that I couldn't help but satisfy my curiosity and experiment a little. I think the results were pretty amazing.

Colin's Baby Announcement

2009-05-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

Several years ago I was introduced to a company that made beautiful thank you and announcement cards. At the time they only worked with professional photographers. However, with the downturn in the economy they decided to open up their business to all consumers. I have always loved the artwork they create with photographs to create a watercolor effect for some of their product lines. The customer service is also amazing and fast.

The company is Naptime Productions and can be found at http://www.naptimecards.com/.

This is the card that we created for my son's birth announcement.

Mother's Day Special

2009-04-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the wonderful mothers in our lives I am offering a special during the month of May. Purchase a certificate for a photo session at half off the regular session fee!! The certificate must be purchased during the month of May but sessions can be booked through September 30, 2009.

It's Hard to Explain

2009-02-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

It's hard to explain why a certain picture moves you or makes you keep going back to it. It's not always the most flattering but it just simply is in that moment of your life - just perfect.

Meet the Newest Member of the Shirley Family

2009-02-20T18:40:00.000-08:00

We can hardly believe it has already been three weeks since our son Colin Andrew made his grand entrance into the world. It has been a crazy three weeks adjusting to being a foursome. Colin was born on Friday, January 30. he weigghed 7 lbs 6 1/2 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long. It's amazing how quickly they change and grow.

First Portrait Session of 2009

2009-02-20T18:16:00.000-08:00

Although it was only two weeks since my son was born, when this little guy's parents called to say they were in town visiting from New Hampshire for the weekend I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet one of my former wedding couple's baby. One of the greatest thrills I have is getting to meet and photograph my couple's babies. During the engagement and portrait sessions at a wedding my imagination runs wild thinking about what the bride and groom's children will look like. This little guy is a perfect blend of mom and dad. Congratulations Liz and Tony - he is gorgeous! I look fprward to seeing you all again in the summer.

Beautiful Brides

2009-01-26T17:07:00.000-08:00

I'm one of those lucky photographers. These gorgeousl women make it easy to capture beautiful images of them. The hardest part is definitely when it comes to picking favotite images for the blog. Here are just a few of the ladies I have had the priveledge of photographing recently.

Last Portrait Session Of 2008

2009-01-21T18:48:00.000-08:00

For my last portrait session of the year I had the pleasure of photographing two beautiful children that I met and photographed last year about the same time. Last year this beautiful little girl was only a few weeks old. It was amazing to see her again after a whole year and her big brother was just as handsome as ever.

Although it was a couple of months ago that we took these pictures I couldn't resist sharing their cuteness with everyone!

Copyright 2008 Michele shirley Photography

Copyright Michele Shirley Photography

Copyright 2008 Michele Shirley Photography

My Pregnancy Photos

2009-01-15T20:29:00.001-08:00

I have always told all my brides that I believe with all my heart that one of the most important photo sessions you will ever take part in should be a pregnancy photo session. Until I did it myself, my most treasured pictures were my wedding album. After the birth of my daughter my first pregnancy session easily surpassed them as my favorites. After you put aside all your reservations about stretch marks and the beautiful " extra curves", etc you will NEVER regret taking the pictures. But I do know that if I hadn't stood outside in the freezing March weather I would have regretted it forever.

Now that I am expecting my second child, I knew that it was just as important to repeat this process for both myself and my child. The one major difference this time was that I wanted my daughter to be a major focus of the pictures. I also decided pretty early on that I wanted something completely different from the first session. This session would take place in a studio setting. Once I knew exactly what I was looking for I started my quest to find just the right photographer to make my vision a reality. I found that in a wonderful photographer who is based in Rye, NY, Aida Krgin at Krgin Photography. I want to take this opportunity to thank Aida for creating such beautiful pictures of my family that I will treasure as much as my first ones. My clients know how much I favor outdoor photography in natural light but I also appreciate the technical skill and artistry of studio work and loved my experience with Aida. Here are two samples of my session.

Me all " wrapped up."
Copyright - Krgin Photography

My beautiful princess.
Copyright - Krgin Photography

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all! This promises to be a very exciting year. Within the next few weeks there will be a new arrival joining the Shirley Family. As soon as he is born I will post some pictures for you all to meet him.

My New Year's resolution for 2009 is to make blogging a priority so I can keep in touch with all my former, current and future clients.

Although I won't be photographing new clients for the next couple of months, I hope you will enjoy some of my posts which will highlight favorite images from 2008.