Tag Archives: michelle gifford

Meet Lola | She is Beauty Revived | Sarasota Portrait Photographer

Little girl with red hair and freckles looks down during Operation Love Lola Beauty Revived Session by Ristaino Photography of Sarasota Florida

http://video214.com/play/Ct0RVzTxb0gbkrDehjBFLA/s/dark Lola is 9. Lola has red hair and freckles. Lola loves making jewelry with tiny beads suspended in tiny bottles. Lola loves American Girl dolls. Lola makes them clothes out of tissue and cupcake papers. Lola loves to paint. Lola wants to be a fashion designer, an artist, a photographer. Lola wants to travel...

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  • Jessica HortonNovember 4, 2015 - 8:59 am

    These are stunning!!!! I love the ones of her twirling!ReplyCancel

  • AllysonNovember 4, 2015 - 9:36 am

    Love these! Her freckles are so adorable…. she is such a beautiful girl! You can tell she is going places in life =)ReplyCancel

    • MichaelaNovember 4, 2015 - 9:46 am

      I think so too Allyson! She’s an amazing little girl. Can’t wait to see where life takes her!ReplyCancel

  • Jacqie MasonNovember 4, 2015 - 2:01 pm

    What a beauty! Her smile is infectious. I love these images, especially the twirling one.ReplyCancel

  • Heather CotterNovember 4, 2015 - 2:27 pm

    Such a beautiful little girl. Love this story!ReplyCancel

    • MichaelaNovember 4, 2015 - 9:44 am

      Thanks Heather! I adore her as well! She’s an amazing little girl.ReplyCancel

  • Lacey Monet CarrollNovember 4, 2015 - 4:18 pm

    This session and the story and effort behind it is just so beautiful. I am blown away. the portraits are just gorgeous. Sarasota really has one special photographer among them! I’m such a fan of everything about this! Great work!ReplyCancel

  • Cinnamon WolfeNovember 4, 2015 - 5:11 pm

    Those freckles!!! Arrrghhh!! What a beauty!!ReplyCancel

America’s 50 Most Beautiful Women | Beauty Revived | Sarasota Portrait Photography

the official nomination for Beauty Revived campaign to find America's Most Beautiful Women

Beauty Revived is in search of America’s 50 Most Beautiful Women. Will you help us find her? After seeing first hand how lives can be changed by Beauty Revived through my own experience with #OperationLoveLola, I can’t help but be giddy with excitement about this next project. Beauty Revived is taking on the challenge to find America’s 50...

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    Whatever Lola Wants | Beauty Revived | Milwaukee Portrait Photographer

    “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” ― Kahlil Gibran On Saturday I finally met Lola. I was nervous because I wanted the day to be perfect for her. You guys. It was PERFECT. Lola is even more captivating than I could have imagined. She is full of light and love and...

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      Operation Love Lola | T minus 3 Days | Milwaukee Portrait Photographer

      Shower with love gift box for Operation Love Lola by Ristaino Photography of Sarasota FL

      Operation Love Lola in T minus 3 days. Get ready sweet girl, all you have to do on Saturday is stand there and sparkle.   You guys. People are GOOD. Really, really, good. We see so much ugliness in the media, on the news, on our Facebook feeds, and no, it won’t go away. But,...

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      • Gladys Rhodes ChmielJuly 9, 2015 - 9:28 pm

        Dearest Lola… I have to ask your forgiveness since I didn’t get your card sent before coming to North Carolina with some of my family for a beach vacation. But I hope you’ll be able to enjoy an ‘extra inning’ when I am able to get it sent your way! I know I can count on my beloved ‘Hodel’ (Michaela will explain that to you!) to get it to you. I’ll be thinking of you big time on your BIG DAY and sending TONS of LOVE & HUGS your way!!! ALL THE BEST TO YOU FOREVER!!! XOXOXOXOXOX, Gladys ‘Mama’ CmielReplyCancel

      • Tamara RemingtonJuly 10, 2015 - 5:51 pm

        I have been inspired by Lola since the day I was blessed enough to meet her. She truly is a bright light in the darkness and she is beauty and love, and there are so many days and nights that she helps me go on doing what I am doing. I am convinced that during our brief time on this earth, the best thing that we can strive to do is to turn negative times/bad/scary/sad times into positive/happy and joy filled times of love and kindness and to spread that love an kindness to all we meet. it is seeing “Beauty (and love) in darkness” just as Michelle Gifford so wonderfully put it. Lola also says it beautifully in a poem she wrote “I have been happy and I have been sad, but I cannot go back 🙁 I have been happy and I have been sad, but I can go on! 🙂 ” Lola is an inspiration to all those lucky enough to get to meet her. Lola, I wish you much happiness and fun during your special day on Saturday, and much happiness, fun and love always. Love, Tamara Remington (Sheboygan Police Department)ReplyCancel

        • MichaelaJuly 10, 2015 - 6:11 pm

          Tamara – thank you so much for the beautiful words and beautiful message for Lola. She’s a lucky girl to have so many people sending her love and cheering her on. This entire process has been a blessing to me and I know she has touched many others as well. Can’t wait to see her soar!ReplyCancel

        • DonnaJuly 12, 2015 - 5:16 am

          Tam, Thank you! Such beautiful words for our gurl. You have to know that you are a huge part of why Lola continues to thrive! You represent the best of your profession; dedicated & compassionate. I am proud to call you friend. <3ReplyCancel

      Welcome friends! It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings!

      collage of summer flowers

      “And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”  ― Meister Eckhart Welcome friends! I could not be more excited to welcome you to my new little corner of the interwebs….my new home if you will. If you were at my real home, I’d invite you in,  pour...

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      • Missy BJuly 3, 2015 - 6:14 pm

        Love this! Such a pretty layout!ReplyCancel

      • Dori ChaconasJuly 3, 2015 - 6:16 pm

        Well done, as is everything you do!ReplyCancel

      • Deborah Anderson GutierrezJuly 3, 2015 - 10:16 pm

        Wow this is an impressive blog.. I think your Lola project is a beautiful gift you are giving!!ReplyCancel

      • Tara RossJuly 4, 2015 - 12:43 am

        Love this blog! So beautiful!ReplyCancel

      • Kay StiefelJuly 4, 2015 - 1:51 am
      • Spring KeisJuly 4, 2015 - 3:13 am

        Looks wonderful! Love it.ReplyCancel

      • Trish O'BrienJuly 4, 2015 - 5:12 am

        Beautifully done & looking flrward to seeing where the wind blows are little nomad next. XOXOXOXO!ReplyCancel

      • Lori EnglishJuly 4, 2015 - 1:23 pm

        Love the blog! So Pretty!ReplyCancel

      • Becky SpiceJuly 5, 2015 - 3:17 pm

        Beautiful!!!! Good for you!ReplyCancel

      • Tanya Odom WaxlerJuly 5, 2015 - 4:15 pm

        Looks great!! You have a very happy page, and it feels good, makes you smile.ReplyCancel

      • Jennifer McCadam SoderblomJuly 5, 2015 - 6:08 pm

        Love your work! This is great!ReplyCancel

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      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.
      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.

      Contact

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