Sarasota's Premier Senior Photographer
delightful whimsy, inherent joy, delicious authenticity
This is the last year she's fully, entirely yours.
Senior year moves fast...soak it in.
CONNECTION.
We want it. We seek it. We crave it.
You deserve photos that actually feel like her.
For her.
For you.
For the years ahead.
Nice to meet you
I am a wife, a daughter, a friend.
A singer, an artist, a creator of beautiful things.
I believe in true love and happy endings and best friends.
I love coffee, traveling with my best half, New Hampshire in the fall, and beach days in January.
I am a midwestern girl living in a Florida world, and I couldn’t be happier.
And I believe every single one of those things about me shows up in how I photograph you.
You are not a template.
You are the giggle, the eye roll, the thing nobody else notices but I will. I am here to celebrate exactly that.
Nothing thrills me more than capturing what makes you beautiful and unique. More than anything, I am here to celebrate you.
Call me. Email me. Let’s have coffee and we’ll craft just the perfect way to capture your joy.
xoxo,
michaela
Tell me who
You're here for
Every Story Starts
somewhere
Latest chapters from the Blog
michaela ristaino photography
I can't wait to meet you.
Sarasota's Premier Senior & Headshot Photographer
941-957-8088
michaela@ristainophotography.com
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Several years ago, a little boy shut down completely mid-session. Head down, done, no interest in my jokes, less interest in having his picture taken.
We gave him a minute. By the end of those fifteen minutes, he gave me the most genuine smile I`ve ever caught on camera.
That`s what a mini session can hold, real moments, not posed ones. 2026 Holiday Mini Sessions are open for booking now. Limited dates, favorite Sarasota spots, galleries delivered in time for your cards.
Link in bio to book.
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#SarasotaFamilyPhotographer #SarasotaMiniSessions #SiestaKeyPhotographer #SarasotaHolidayMinis #SarasotaFL
There’s a version of me that exists only during golden hour, and she is not calm.
Everyone else sees a pretty sky. I see a countdown.
This is what six minutes of pure chaos looks like. Don’t let my calm exterior deceive you. 😆🦆
Tag a senior mom who needs to see this level of commitment 😂
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#SarasotaSeniorPhotographer #ClassOf2027 #GoldenHourChaos #SarasotaSeniors #BehindTheLens
A perfect little Cape Cod getaway @garlandsmotel ♥️
What sunset looks like to a normal person.
What it looks like to me: SIX MINUTES AND I AM NOT CALM ABOUT IT!
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#SarasotaSeniorPhotographer #SarasotaPhotographer #GoldenHourPhotography #BehindTheLens #SeniorPortraitPhotographer
50 things about me. Counting down.
45: I grew up a child of the 70s in a neighborhood so full of kids that every parent was everyone`s parent.
44: I am a Brewers Baseball fanatic. Don`t ask me my favorite player, I will list every single one.
43: As a kid, I was severely homesick anytime I was away from my family.
42: I have a music degree and spent years performing on stage before I ever picked up a camera.
41: Started piano lessons at age 9, taught by a big-band leader on lead sheets and fake books instead of traditional sheet music.
New ones every Tuesday. Catch up anytime in my Story highlights. 🤍
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#GetToKnowMe #BehindTheLens #SarasotaPhotographer #ChildOfThe70s #PhotographerLife #MusicDegree #50ThingsAboutMe
Bold, unapologetic, a little bit chaos, entirely her own.
This is what happens when a senior portrait stops trying to look like everyone else’s. It just looks like her.
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#SarasotaSeniorPhotographer
#ClassOf2027
#SarasotaSeniors
#SeniorPortraitsSarasota
#SarasotaFL
Michaela Ristaino Photography
michaela@ristainophotography.com | 941-957-8088 | Sarasota FL