From the gondolas traveling under the bridges and down the canals of Venice, to the white buildings with blue doors and windows on Mykonos, local artisan painters were found sitting with their easels and palettes along the waters’ edge, while photographers changed lenses and worked to capture the beauty of the moment with an artistic replica of the gorgeous views.

Even classical art adorned the places where ancient ruins had stood strong for more than 2000 years. As we approached our luxury hotel in Athens on the last leg of our trip, I was again reminded of the greatness of artistry. We had seen up and down the coast that the ancients had decorated every wall and column with characteristic and meaningful designs, and that every human form became a “portrait” created with respectful accuracy in the ancient world. The ancients knew both the science and the beauty of their work, and seemed to have had a wonderful reverence for personal creativity and embellishment. Details clearly mattered.

As we entered the lovely Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, the rooms seemed to glow with elegance. Gold scrolls illuminated the edges of the furniture in the lobby, and well-lit museum quality art pieces decorated the walls of the reception areas and ballrooms. In our exquisite suite, a thick hotel magazine lay on the ornate desk, inspiring even more grandeur. The decor of the room, the shiny brass hardware, even the magazine trimmed in gold on the table exuded a feeling of splendor and luxury, while the hotel staff emanated the utmost care as they fulfilled their duties. This was truly a place for artistic inspiration!

The cover portrait of the magazine attracted my attention, of course — a striking image of a barista with colored bottles on the counter behind the bar, and an immense Michelangelo-like painting suspended on the wall above

The lighting in the shot was perfectly set to emphasize the wall art and ambiance of the splendid hotel. Even the GB shiny gold logo on the cover of the magazine above the portrait, mounted on a glossy, white background, spoke to me in its simplicity and sophistication.

Yet, there was still more “art” to be discovered. During our golden hour dinner on the rooftop, the ruins of the Acropolis were perfectly lit by the setting sun, as if it the vision had been arranged by the hotel attendants in advance and just for us. What a romantic scene was illustrated against the blue sky right before our eyes while we sampled the most delicious Greek specialties. (Unfortunately I only had my camera phone to capture the scene!)

As we left the historic city of Athens less than 24 hours after arriving, I tucked the GB Magazine into my bag thinking that I would have something to flip through on the flight, but even more so hoping to hold onto a little bit of the golden luxe of my this luxury experience.  As I packed up those pages of artistic inspiration to take back home to South Carolina, I came to the realization that I hadn’t really been searching for art at all on this trip… only for new inspiration.

Artistic beauty can certainly be found on an artist’s canvas, but it is also right there before us all the time in “the trimmings” of every home — the decor of every room, the landscape of every property, and the pages of every album on the shelves, all depicting the personality of the individuals who reside there. Just as I have told my clients, the trip confirmed that art is the design element that  compliments and completes every room, solidifying the “experience,” making the moment feel relevant, comfortable, complete, emotive, and certainly memorable.

Photographic Craftsmen Degree

PRESS RELEASE:

Michele Hutchinson, Certified Professional Photographer on Hilton Head Island, has earned the Photographic Craftsman degree from Professional Photographers of America. The degree will be presented to Hutchinson at the association’s annual convention, Imaging USA, to be held in Louisville, Kentucky in January 2024. 

The Photographic Craftsman degree is an achievement of the highest caliber. It means that Hutchinson has met the standards of excellence set by PPA and is awarded the degree in recognition of her service to the photographic profession as an orator, author and mentor. Hutchinson’s degree and all of the expertise it requires illustrate her accomplishments and talent as one of a select few. 

Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is the largest and longest-standing non-profit photography trade association, founded in 1868 and currently serving an international membership of 34,000.

As you can see from this sampling of images, we had fun! A selected image from each session will be framed and placed on display as part of the LOOK! 2021 Photography Exhibit at Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia from the end of August through October. The exhibit is designed to capture memories of the lives of children with disabilities as well as increase awareness of special needs. Local businesses throughout the city of Columbia have been designated as "destinations" for the Look! Art Walk and will be displaying images from last year's Look! Collection as well, so the visibility of the program seems to be outstanding. 

Even more heartwarming is the fact each family will receive a full set of artistically retouched digital downloads from their sessions to keep! The families were extremely grateful for this valuable complimentary keepsake. Bravo for a wonderful photographic project and the opportunities for education and resources that Family Connections shares to assist and empower children in need and their families. 

We hope you’ll pedal right alongside Michele through Hilton Head’s “cyclist’s paradise,” noticing as she pulls out her camera here and there to grab some images of the day’s excitement. As a children’s portrait artist on Hilton Head, she’ll be on the lookout for kids who are exploring the island’s 60 miles of bike paths lined with palm trees which practically lead riders any place they might need to go. 

Michele loves to bike to the nearby village shops to pick up something at the grocery store, get her nails done, or perhaps once in a while even wave to a celebrity at the book store as he checks out his newest publication. Having cycled here since she was a little girl (and now a new permanent resident on the north end of the island), Michele just can’t stay away from her new sunrise, lunch hour and sunset riding routines. With photography gear packed on the back of her bike, she navigates this natural jungle-like island setting, getting to know where to find  the biggest alligators, the tallest whooping cranes, the whitest ibises and other interesting creatures, so she can show her grandchildren the next time they visit. Riding along the marsh, the bluff, the beach, the piers, through civil war cemeteries, to the horse farm, and to her favorite “deserted island” to sit under the palm trees not far from home listening to podcasts, there’s always a relaxing trip that can be taken and many images to be captured along the way.

If you haven’t run into Michele yet on her bike or standing beside it with her camera, be sure to give her a call and set up a time to chat about her professional photography services and what she might be able to do for you. In the mean time, we’re getting our branded materials ready for Pedal HHI registration, and hope to see you along the 20 mile course. Be sure to look for these great foldable cool-down fans in your goody bag! 

Michele Jeanine Photography sponsors Pedal HHIChildren's photographer sponsors Pedal HHI to support the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head Island
Swag for Pedal HHI Riders from Michele Jeanine PhotographySwag for Pedal HHI Riders

While some periodic destination bookings will continue in the Washington metropolitan area, especially for former clients, Michele is excited to create outdoor fine art images, for maternity clients and children, along with convenient at-home newborn photography sessions. In addition, she will bring her studio and lighting to your business to provide professional headshots or branding experiences on site.

Book your session now!  

Toddler with Mom Hilton Head | Michele Jeanine Photography

baby lips | newborn portrait by Michele Jeanine PhotographySweet baby lips!

Book your newborn or infant fine art photography session now! 

Create A Masterpiece | Newborn Portraits by Michele Jeanine Photography

I never really understood this until it “clicked” (no pun intended) during my recent workshop experience with world renowned newborn photographer, Kelly Brown. I realized as we all sat in that New York City penthouse watching infants sleep, that the reason I am so drawn to newborn photography is not just because of the pure innocence these newbies embody and the attention to detail that the job requires, but because I feel a deep connection to the babies themselves. Kelly unwittingly helped me recognize that this special attachment is what separates newborn photographers from “quick shoot" sessions with your average portrait photographer.

The genuine caring and patient approach Kelly demonstrates with newborns and their families stands out among those who simply just squeeze in a baby here and there among many persons on their schedules. I felt her pain when she spoke of how long it had taken before she was respected by her peers, and wondered how it could be that her effort and talent was not immediately recognized! Babies are different.  Just imagine for a moment how difficult it would be to work with adults who can't express their likes and dislikes, call for food when they're hungry, or shift positions to get comfortable. A newborn photographer has to be willing to work effectively in “one-way” relationships while loving their subject despite their helplessness and lack of response. Like Florence Nightingale, the true newborn photographer is ignited by a passion to give comfort and sees beauty in those that sometimes smell and leak fluids when they least expect it! Kelly, like the rest of us in this field, works in a very quiet baby-friendly space, without a big oak desk, without a water cooler, without a conference room full of other adults trying to move up on the corporate ladder.  Instead, we are more likely to be hunched awkwardly over a beanbag waiting for just the right moment.

Newborn Baby Photo | Maryland DC VA by Michele Jeanine Photography Perfect sweetness from Kelly Brown NYC Workshop

Of course it takes technical skill to do this job – to choose the best in-camera settings for achieving spot on focus and beautiful, buttery background blur. Newborn photographers want to call the viewer's eyes to the subject to make the baby stand out, crisp and clear from the soft background bokeh. An understanding of manual camera settings goes without saying, but newborn art also requires deliberate, well planned movements and an acceptance that the baby will ultimately determine your time schedule and routine. Fingers, toes, even the edges of frilly wraps and blankets are the details to be accounted for during each and every pose. With superb technical capability ready, but taking a back seat most of the time to warm caresses and artistic development, the newborn photographer moves through each session comforting babies for hours and coaxing their bodies into position with a gentle nudge or fold. While sometimes keeping rowdy toddlers at bay and making sure everyone is comfortable during the session, we slowly shape drama with available natural light and colors reflected around the room.

Beautiful Baby | Kelly Brown Posing Workshop in NYC | MD DC VA Newborn Portraits by Michele Jeanine PhotographyIn Home Photos of New Baby MD DC VA by Michele Jeanine Photography | Kelly Brown Workshop in NYC

Newborn photography is a unique craft that clearly can only be developed through lots of practice and experience touching and handling. But the number of babies a photographer has handled and posed doesn't necessarily earn them a badge in this field. There is no degree to be awarded to a student of photography when they master “baby posing.” It's simply a genre in which love and patience is the guide, and potential is the motivator for composing priceless keepsake wall art.

My friends who shoot weddings will powder the faces of fresh, well-prepared young brides during their post processing workflow, but I spend my evenings retouching red and purple hands or feet, softening the edges of a delicate blanket backdrop and smoothing fabric lines to create a piece of art. Wedding photographers document an event while I focus instead on precious eyelashes, lips and wrinkled folds of skin. Their goal is to tell a chronological story of true love unfolding, planning, and then a period of celebration. My very different tale (but born out of the same celebration of love) has to evoke feelings of serenity, calm and hope.

It must be a dramatic change for photographers who shoot lifestyle portraits or weddings to switch to photographing a newborn in their studios every now and then. Their regular mode of activity involves catching the moments that they can't always plan for. Posing their models requires a lot of verbal direction; they use their own body language and facial expressions to cajole a smile or just the right glance from their models. While many of my photographer friends create angles and spaces between their subjects, we tuck and layer blankets and then fold sweet arms and feet over one another in just the right way to capture a peaceful slumber or an angelic expression.

Two weeks ago, ten other photographers and I watched Kelly demonstrate this painstaking but lovely process as she completed three partial newborn sessions during a span of about eight hours of posing and shooting. Some of us were in awe of her knack for moving the baby without waking him, but there were a few who became impatient that enough wasn't "happening," and some may have even drifted into slumber along with the babies. (You know who you are!) How could one help it, though – the room was extra warm, white noise and heartbeats were drumming in the background and Kelly was shushing us into dreamland like our angelic subjects!

As an adult, it's difficult to wait and wait ...and keep waiting .... for the most perfect deep sleep patterns from a baby, indicating it's okay to start the posing. Kelly wasn't doing anything magical, but she was without a doubt one of the most patient, caring photographers I have observed in this business and I learned a lot from her. As I watched her and my comrades carefully, I realized this job isn't necessarily for everyone and may be best suited to a specialist who focuses solely on baby art, kind of like I thought from the beginning.

Soft Baby Love from Kelly Brown Workshop in NYCIn home newborn photos by Michele Jeanine Photography in MD DC VA | Kelly Brown Workshop NYC

As baby photographers, we don't have the worry of changing mental tracks but we do worry about creating breathtaking images. In my newborn sessions, I kneel silently, rocking back and forth, sometimes shushing or humming, gently comforting my models with rhythmic pats on the back or caressing their foreheads with gliding finger movements. Kelly embodies the motto I have carried to my client homes, that new babies aren't “fussy,” and all can be soothed during those early weeks if you're willing to meet their needs first, and wait until they settle before posing the shoot. If the photographer's schedule is hopping from one shoot to another, babies might seem like a burden because their shoots can take several hours -- be sure to notice ... they won't be rushed!

My advice? Be cautious as you select the person who will spend the morning or afternoon with your precious little one; look for a photographer who specializes in newborn art and make that session only about your baby! 

These warm images from such a beautiful session are long overdue on my blog, but must be included! 

Before this babe was born, his parents had planned that playful puppy and baby boy would become best of friends, donning matching fur and floppy ears together.

Newborn baby in MD DC VA

This family's charming little dog surprised me with its willingness to be photographed. He barked like a big guard dog before the front door opened as I was arriving at the client's home, but softened quickly with Grandma's reassuring strokes while I set up my gear and talked to the baby's parents about background choices and props.

Boy and His Dog | Michele Jeanine Photography MD DC VA

baby and dog MD DC VA

new baby dressed as puppy | Michele Jeanine Photography MD DC VA

I took a few more shots of the baby alone while his pal watched nearby, and then added portraits of the good looking, proud parents who had brought these new friends for life together. 

mom and baby MD DC VA newborn family photos MD DC VA

The star of the show really was this little charmer who warmed the heart of everyone with eyes opened and closed, even though his predecessor sure seemed to try to steal the show that day. 

We finished off the session with beautiful family art.

newborn art MD DC VA

Fuzzy Images of the Mind | Michele Jeanine Photography serving MD DC VADon't miss the best moments!

Lately, as I listen to my youngest child talk about stopping time and writing stories about time machines, I realize that his fantasies express man's age old desire to hold on to precious moments. Human beings have always wanted to discover a way to make life permanent or find the fountain of youth, but until we unearth the secret of eternity, those moments might just become fuzzy, dream-like memories ...at least for some of us. 

I think I'm hooked on photography because images are my only chance to forever capture an instant that would otherwise become a fleeting, distorted memory, if it were remembered at all. A perfect example of a distorted perspective is my spotty recall of my own five children; their infant development has all blended together in my mind! When I try to remember different stages for each child, it seems they must have reached their individual milestones at just about the same points as their siblings did, because the truly remarkable nature of these events wasn't enough to keep the details from slipping away. If I only had a photograph to bring it back!

Now that I have stepped out of the hustle and bustle of changing diapers and buckling four children under the age of seven into carseats, only a few distinct recollections remain which have been preserved in my memory banks because, either there was something particularly unique about them, I happened to jot a note about them in a baby book, or best of all, I have a photo that brings back more than a thousand words. Certainly, where I don't have a photograph, the details of their wrinkled newborn skin, lanugo covered bodies and wispy forehead hairs are as far from my mind as the angelic coos from their bassinets and their toothless elementary-age grins.

Do we ever have enough images to surround ourselves with the same warm feelings that our infants brought us when they were first born, I wonder? I took a lot of photos over the years, yet even now I deeply regret not ever having had professional images taken of my children. I know firsthand how infants change from week to week and how mothers want to relive those first two weeks of life for many years to come.

I guarantee that someday, your heirloom images in tabletop frames and nostalgic collages decorating the walls will transport you back in time in a way that nothing else can. The people I have loved dearly surround me on my counters, tables and walls, and glimpses of many of the moments we have treasured together over the years hang there with loyal enthusiasm. Although I am missing what would have probably been favorite images of my babies, my wall frames depict old and new relationships, almost giving me a hug every morning as I drink my tea and start my day. They are reminders of the past, of innocence, and also of change.

Let your home become a museum of family keepsakes, filled with quality professional images which set the mood for your guests and share the spirit of the personalities you treasure. Professional photographs will always bring tears of joy and reminders of those we so dearly miss, and the images of your children will glow on your walls with the hope of the future. Precious heirloom quality imagery can easily become your personal time machine and your very own fountain of youth.

This post is dedicated to the precious memory of my daughter, Dana Monique Hutchinson (June 14, 1991 to September 25, 1994) of whom I wish I had more photographs.

2013 08 25 Dexheimer, Lincoln 0556 blog

I said goodbye to summer as I took these photos, just before the feel of fall took over with the bustle of heading back to school.

2013 08 25 Dexheimer, Lincoln 0554 ed blog The dusty blue-gray roses filling the backdrop in the shot below give just enough of a masculine feel to please everyone, yet the images still depict the new, heavenly softness of a nine day old infant.

2013 08 25 Dexheimer, Lincoln ed fb 0636

I couldn't have been more thrilled than to sneak in this adorable shot of the baby's two year old big sister as I was packing up my camera and walking out the door!

At Home Newborn Baby Photographer in MD DC VAAt Home Newborn Baby Photographer in MD DC VA

A superior photographer who specializes in newborns will have had lots of experience holding, cuddling and gently handling many, many infants, which helps her be able to anticipate the baby's needs and know what to expect next as the shoot progresses. (It isn't unusual to see Michele from Michele Jeanine Photography gently rocking or walking a newborn during a session to help him remain content!)

Newborn sessions should never be rushed. Instead, we take our time and follow the lead of the infant, making sure that she has feeding and changing breaks as needed, and always remains comfortable, cozy and restful throughout picture taking. Your photo session might take anywhere from one and a half to four hours, depending on the baby's needs that day, so we always block out four hours on our schedule. 

An interesting side note: Did you know that a mother's gentle touch not only tells her newborn she loves him, but research also shows that there's a greater purpose in skin to skin contact? The natural stimulation of massaging the baby's skin initiates hormones which prevent disease and keep your little one flourishing and serene.

At the turn of the twentieth century the arrival of a new baby was usually announced by the father passing cigars to his friends. In the 1930's, it became tradition to spread the word of a new family member's healthy arrival by sending handwritten letters to out of town relatives, yet, only a few favorite people could experience the joy of seeing the newest arrival in a photograph.

Today you can share your favorite high quality professional image with your family members and friends, leaving them with a lasting impression of your beautiful baby. Ask Michele to design a simple, sleek birth announcement for you. You will receive a pack of twenty-five flat 5x7 printed cards, each with a lovely linen finish and an envelope for mailing -- so special the recipients might even frame them! 

Custom Birth Announcements created by Michele Jeanine PhotographyCustom Birth Announcements created by Michele Jeanine Photography

2013 08 18 Cotter, Issabelle_0427 ed fb Precious lips and wrinkled flesh jump off the screen and into your arms, don't they?

2013 08 18 Cotter, Issabelle_0451 ed blog Seeing big brother Aiden put his arms around Isabelle just adds to the precious love these images reveal.

2013 08 18 Cotter, Issabelle_0529 ed blog Soft, dainty sweetness in a newborn package. Isabelle's mom must be thrilled!

2013 08 18 Cotter, Issabelle_0433 ed fb