Join us on OCTOBER 30th for a special day of Holiday mini sessions to benefit Bag Up the Love at Philippi Estate Park. YES! TAKE ME TO THE SIGN UP! Did you know that when kids enter foster care they are given a trash bag in which to transport their belongings? A TRASH BAG! What is...
I’m excited to welcome Jeffri Moore to the blog today to give us some iPhone photography tips! What Jeffri can do with an iPhone and a few editing apps is nothing short of magical. She’s been a joy to have in our 30 Day Photo Challenges, and I was thrilled when she agreed to impart...
My project 365 redux is in full swing. Today, May 1st, marks Day 1 of a new 30 day challenge, #SpringFling30. I’m excited to be inspired by all the new challenge pictures that will be filling my Instagram feed in the coming days. Why do a Project 365? Oh man, I ask myself this question...
And just like that, it’s April! Here were are, seven days in, and if I’m going to post my Instagram Project 365 photos for March, I’d better do it soon! Today is the 98th day of 2016. This means that for 463 days straight I have posted at least one picture per day. For years...
The second month of my Instagram 365 project redux is complete. Late February, and the air’s so balmy snowdrops and crocuses might be fooled into early blooming. Then, the inevitable blizzard will come, blighting our harbingers of spring, and the numbed yards will go back undercover. In Florida, it’s strawberry season— shortcake, waffles, berries and...
You pulled out your phone to grab a quick photo and suddenly you`re the worst person in the room. You`re not doing anything wrong. You just want to remember this. And yeah, that`s a little inconvenient for her right now.
Swipe through for the one shift that actually helps, no camera settings, no tricks, no bribing.
And if you want more of this, the free 5-day email series is at the link in my bio. Five short emails about how to take better photos of your teen without turning every moment into a whole thing.
I hear it every single time. “I’m not really a photo person.”
And then golden hour hits and she can’t stop laughing and I catch the shot and she is absolutely a photo person. Always was.
That part never changes, no matter how many sessions I do.
If you have a class of 2026 or 2027 senior, let’s start dreaming up her perfect session. Link in bio.
Your teen isn`t being difficult. They`re being a teenager.
There`s a reason they shut down the second you pull out your phone. And once you understand it, getting photos of them actually gets easier.
Swipe through to see what`s really going on, then grab the free 5-day email series at the link in my bio.
Five short emails. Real shifts. No camera gear required.
Swipe through. If any of this sounds familiar, you`re exactly who I made this for.
Free 5-day email series for moms of teens who want better photos without the pressure. Linktree: Snapshots to Stories
She showed up knowing exactly who she was. That energy, that confidence, that specific kind of ‘I’m not trying to be anyone else’ - it made my job easy.
This is what I love most about senior sessions. When a senior walks in feeling like herself, the photos just follow. We moved around, laughed a little, and by the end we had a whole gallery that actually looked like her.
Not a generic senior portrait. Her.
If your senior has a session coming up - or you’re just starting to think about it - I’d love to hear about her. What is she into? What does she want her photos to feel like? Let’s start there.
Here`s what I hear most after a session wraps up: "I didn`t expect to feel like that."
And honestly, that`s my favorite part.
Not the gallery reveal, not the final edits. The moment a mom sees a photo and says, "That`s her. That`s really her."
Senior portraits aren`t just a box to check before graduation. They`re a record of who your daughter is right now, in this specific, fleeting, irreplaceable season of her life.
The way she carries herself. The style that`s completely her own. The look she gives the camera when she forgets to feel awkward and just exists.
That`s what I`m always chasing.
If your senior is class of 2026 or 2027, my calendar is filling up and fall books faster than most families expect. Where are you at in the planning process?
Drop a comment or send me a message. I`m happy to chat, no commitment needed. 🤍
Michaela Ristaino Photography
michaela@ristainophotography.com | 941-957-8088 | Sarasota FL
