Sarasota's Premier Senior & Headshot Photographer

You Are Loved | Night With the Stars Prom | Joyful Sarasota Portrait Photography

You are loved.

You are valuable.

You are crafted with beauty and purpose.

I treasure you and this world needs you.

There is no one like you.

You don’t need to look like the rest

or talk like the rest

or be like the rest

There is no truth in the lie that you don’t matter.

The world needs you as you are.

You were put here for a reason.

You are loved.

You were not an accident.

You are not a mistake.

~curt mega

On Friday April 24, 2015, I walked into the Woodland Community Church ready to photograph an event.

I was excited to be there, but honestly, I didn’t really know what to expect. What happened next was magical.

Night With the Stars Prom is a totally free prom for special needs residents 16 and older in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Absolutely everything for this annual event is donated.

The food, the formal wear for the attendees, the music, the decorations, the photos. An army of volunteers takes on this labor of love.

I think all would agree that the payout comes in the form of the smiles and the hugs and the laughter.

You can visit Night With the Stars Prom online at www.nightwiththestarsprom.com and pop on over to their Facebook page to show them some love.

I walked in that evening unsure what to expect.

I walked out full of love and hope and inspiration.

Thank you, Night With the Stars, for the humble honor of

capturing your joy.

be joyful,

michaela

I would love to help you capture the memories of your special event. Please look around the site, and contact me at ristainophotography@gmail.com to start planning your special day.

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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.

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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.

30 1

Open post by michaelaristainophotography with ID 18089400478967990

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.

10 1

Open post by michaelaristainophotography with ID 17944164987154637

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

10 1

Open post by michaelaristainophotography with ID 18062495213487334

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.

19 2

Open post by michaelaristainophotography with ID 18075455198184605

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. 🤍

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Open post by michaelaristainophotography with ID 18119401981724823

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. 🤍

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Contact

Michaela Ristaino Photography
michaela@ristainophotography.com | 941-957-8088 | Sarasota FL