Congratulations, Dan & Jamie!!

I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate Dan and Jamie...they will be tying the knot in Illinois tomorrow, surrounded by friends and family. Dan & Jamie are two of the sweetest, happiest people I've ever met and they are just perfect for each other! There has never been a day that I have seen either one of them without a smile on their faces. I thank them for this rare quality they posess...it always makes my day brighter when I'm graced by their presence. Scott and I spent the evening photographing their engagement session recently. I'd like to share a few that I feel really give a peek at their personalities and connection with each other.

Life, Love & Photography

When you put time, love and energy into something the rewards are unlimited. That's how I feel about many things: my son, my relationship, my photography and life in general. Except this post is mostly about my photography. It's a self-perpetuating labor of love. Honestly, there has not been a single moment since I began shooting again that I have thought "wow...I really hate doing this, it's more work than it is fun." It is no secret that I love people. I love experiences, interactions and just straight up people watching. I must say that people watching is much easier (and acceptable!) if you are being hired to do it! I honestly feel like any talent I have is not as much a creative talent, although that is getting better every day, but a knack for getting people to feel comfortable enough around me to let their guards down. Comfortable enough that they can be themselves and express their true feelings, allowing me the amazing opportunity to capture raw emotion in an image.

This last weekend was amazing in every way. Casey & Adam invited Scott and me to be a part of their wedding day and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity. Love is a very powerful thing and it could definitely be felt in Paoli, Indiana last weekend. I think that it's safe to say that the atmosphere at Casey & Adam's wedding even made Scott and I a little more cuddly than usual, which can never be a bad thing! Take a moment and see why I love my job and my life so much.

More will be posted little by little on my site, http://www.chellecraig.zenfolio.com/


xo
m

It's been a while!

It's no secret. I need to improve my blogging skills! I am a sporadic blogger, I freely admit. However, since I have linked you all to my blog through my site it would only make sense to include you in my life, right? Of course! I will have to say that I am working on a new blog so stay tuned...better stuff is yet to come.

So on a photographic note, this summer has started with a fantastic boom! Lots of families, babies and now beautiful couples. Now if we could just *not* get rained out again for Megan's family shoot things would be fabulous! I have been dying to get her beautiful family in front of my camera for ages and when I finally get the opportunity...guess what? We get rained out. Twice. Now I'm all for shooting creatively, even in the rain. However, when there's a toddler involved and the photo shoot is going to also involve playing in the water and through the woods...well, let's just say that I have a certain vision in my head for this shoot and it does not involve rain!

On a more exciting note, this weekend is Casey & Adam's wedding and Scott and I will be there to cover their day for them. This wedding will take place outdoors in beautiful Southern Indiana, Paoli, to be exact. There will be dogs in the bridal party, a horse drawn carriage and an abundance of beautiful scenery...a photographer's dream, it will be! And the bride and groom, well let's just say there's some serious chemistry between them which always makes my job easier! (They're pretty nice too...they are making a special vegan dish just for Scott and myself!! Awww!) Clearly, I am pretty anxious for this weekend and don't worry, there will be a sneak peek of their wedding, no doubt!

I hope everyone has a great day and can enjoy this super rainy weather!!!

-m

Check this out!

Charlotte & Henry

The latest sneak peak! I'll admit that I was a bit apprehensive about an outdoor shoot at 10am yesterday morning. The weather has not exactly been conducive to having children outdoors without jackets. Oh, how I was surprised! Mother Nature kindly obliged and we had a fantastic shoot out in the country.

Gotta love great writers!

This month I am showing (and selling!) some of my work at the Monon Coffee Company in Broad Ripple. This body of work is made up of many abstract close ups, man-made and natural subjects alike. Each print is reasonably priced at $100 and the proceeds go to the fine education of Mr. Noah Sage! ;) Jen Litz, a freelance writer who does most of her work from the corner table at the Monon, has taken over writing for the coffee shop's blog. She has been so kind as to post a very flattering write up on my work being displayed. Take a moment to check it out here!Thanks so much, Jen!!

Zenfolio!

I now have a way to make things easier on everyone...that means you! I've created a Zenfolio account that will not only allow for online proofing but also allows for online ordering, too!

http://www.chellecraig.zenfolio.com/

Sneak Peak at Mr. I & the new Miss A!

I always love photographing new little ones and Miss A is no exception! I've been photographing her big brother since he was a wee little one. Now I'm lucky enough to get the chance to capture her sweet little nose and wrinkly toes with my camera. What a wonderful life I have!

I *heart* my digital darkroom!

I never thought I'd enjoy processing in the "digital darkroom" nearly as much as I loved those smelly chemical baths. :) However, every night, after Noah's tucked into his bed and sound asleep, I spend so much time teaching myself new ways to express my creative thoughts through Photoshop. I really enjoy the process and it's finally becoming as therapeutic as being in the real darkroom once was.

Logos & Promo Cards

Thanks to Mr. Scott Spitz's amazing design skills I now have a logo! A fine logo that you'll see at the top of this blog as well as on the promo cards that I created and posted below. It was a fun process to sit down with Scott and work through the logo from start to finish. If anyone needs any design work done he's the man to see!

Playing catch-up!

After going through my past blog posts I've quickly realized something...I haven't posted nearly as much as I've shot over the past year! I have decided to share some of my favorite images that I have shot over the last several months.

Happy Snow Day!

Well folks, we have officially got more snow in the past 24 hours than we did all holiday season! Noah Sage enjoyed shoveling and more so enjoyed getting lost in the foot of powder that accumulated overnight. We took a hot cocoa break for lunch and we'll be out sledding before long. But before putting our warm bodies back into wet and cold clothes, however, I wanted to add a couple of images from recent shoots and projects. In March I will have work hanging in the Monon Coffee Shop so stop in and take a look!

Enjoy and stay warm!

~m

Tis The Season!

The holiday season has kept me busy and running all over the place! While there's a quiet moment in my home, I'd like to take the opportunity to post some examples of my recent shoots as well as Holiday card creations!

Peace~

Michelle Craig

Promotional Shoot

Monday afternoon I had the pleasure of doing some promotional work for Kate Lamont. We did the shoot at Earth House, which if you haven't been there you should definitely take the time to check it out! Here are a handful of my favorites from the shoot. She's only *slightly* photogenic. ; )

Rainy Day Fun