September 28, 2023

Little girl and brothers playing tug of war during a family photography session in Mission Trails Regional Park.

“That was fun. When can I see you again?” -Isaac, 5, after a session. That’s right. I want your kids to act up and not listen during your family photo session. And I want you to not worry about it. As a San Diego lifestyle family photographer, I’ve photographed kids for years. And given my […]

September 14, 2023

A man and his pregnant wife stand in a grassy field smiling at each other, while the man hold their black dog.

. Your dog is family – which is why many of you want to include him or her in your family or maternity photo session. And as an experienced San Diego family photographer, I highly encourage it, with a few caveats. But how do you include your dog successfully, so things go as smoothly as […]

September 3, 2023

Dad and toddler son in a field in the Cuyamaca Mountains during a San Diego fall family photo session by Love Michelle Photography.

Yes, we live in San Diego, right on the coast, and the beach works beautifully for family photo sessions no matter what time of year. But it is fall, and, especially with the anticipation of cooler weather, you may be getting that… feeling. You know the one. Common signs include pulling out your apple/cinnamon/hazelnut/pumpkin/latte/spice/whatnot candles […]

August 4, 2023

Summer’s stretching on for those of us with kids not in school yet, and you’ve probably been hearing it for days or weeks now: “I’m booorrred,” “there’s nothing to doooo…,” etc. Do I have a fun solution for you! I started doing this with my now 10 year old daughter last summer, and found that […]

July 26, 2023

A family of 5 stands together on the shores of Glacier National Park's Lake McDonald during a Montana lifestyle family photography session by Love Michelle Photography.

I say yes! Not convinced? 😆 Here are 3 benefits of hiring a travel photographer for your family vacation: 1. You get to hand pick the photographer you like the most, and aren’t limited by who’s in the area you’re vacationing in. If your vacation spot is in some far-flung location, away from a major […]

June 1, 2023

A husband and his pregnant wife hold hands and look at eachother in front of a giant rock during a lifestyle maternity photo session in Alpine, CA.

So you’re expecting – congratulations! Whether it’s your first baby or your 5th, I’m glad you’re considering having professional photographs taken, and here’s why. But perhaps you’re stuck on deciding between the two main styles of maternity photography: traditional studio posed photography, vs the more documentary-style lifestyle maternity photography Let me help! Yes, I’m biased, but […]

May 24, 2023

A pregnant woman in a pink dress laying on a yellow blanket holding her belly and closing her eyes during a San Diego lifestyle maternity session by Love Michelle Photography.

A solo maternity session is always fun (it turns into a lot of laughs and gal-paling around), but this one was especially meaningful because of why the photographs were being taken: Hanayo’s husband is deployed, and is missing out on this extraordinarily special time of expecting their first child together. . So she’s gifting him […]

May 2, 2023

A family of five standing on a large rock together on a Del Mar beach during a lifestyle family photography session.

For those of you looking for suggestions for a north county family photo location, today is your day. 😉 As a San Diego lifestyle family, maternity, and newborn photographer, I’ve visited and used dozens for locations for sessions, some very popular and others a little more hidden (sshhhh….). Choosing the right location for your precious […]

March 22, 2023

A woman wearing a long blue dress standing in a Mt. Laguna field looking at her husband during a San Diego lifestyle family photography session by Love Michelle Photography

. As a local San Diego family photographer, I was recently featured in a Redfin article after they asked me about my favorite San Diego fun fact. Here’s what I gave them as my favorite San Diego fun fact: Did you know that in San Diego, you can surf and sled on the same day?? […]

March 9, 2023

“What should we wear for our photo session?” As a San Diego family photographer, It’s a common and reasonable question I get whenever someone books a photo session and this makes me happy! Why does it make me happy? . Though any session booked with me includes unlimited styling assistance (I’ve even shopped for clients!), […]

March 3, 2023

Woman wearing a yellow dress standing in a field in Mission Trails Regional Park breastfeeding her baby girl during a lifestyle family photo session by Love Michelle Photography.

If you’ve been in the market lately for a San Diego family, maternity, or newborn photographer, perhaps you’ve seen the term “lifestyle photography” or “lifestyle photographer” pop up. But what is lifestyle photography? And how is it different from regular photography? (For the purposes of this post, I’m going to call regular family photography “traditional […]

February 12, 2023

Mother holding newborn baby girl during a San Diego in-home newborn photo session by Love Michelle Photography

Congratulations! You’ll be bringing a new baby home soon (or maybe you already have), and you’d like to document this sweet & fleeting time with professional photographs. But perhaps you’re stuck on deciding between the two main styles of newborn photography: traditional studio posed photography (think wrapped babies and froggy poses), and in-home lifestyle photography. Let […]

February 1, 2023

Pregnant woman holding her little boy on a field in Mission Trails Regional Park during a San Diego lifestyle maternity photo session.

So you’re expecting a baby – congratulations! First of all, I’m so glad you’re having professional maternity photos taken – I tell you why here. But you’re here to talk about locations, so without further ado, here are 3 location ideas for a maternity photo session in San Diego: Maternity Session Location #1: Mission Trails […]

January 18, 2023

Mom sitting in a chair holding new newborn baby during a San Diego in-home lifestyle newborn photo session by Love Michelle Photography

Congratulations on your sweet new baby! You’re now settled back in at home and your in-home newborn session is on the calendar. But since it’s still early, you and your baby’s schedule is still a bit unpredictable, and your energy level isn’t up to cleaning the house, preparing the perfect outfits, and putting on a […]

January 10, 2023

A pregnant woman and her husband snuggling on a blanket during a San Diego lifestyle maternity photo session.

. First of all, I’m so glad you’re planning to capture this gestational miracle with professional photographs! I tell you why you’ll be glad you did it in my post here. But when is the best time to have pregnancy photos taken? The answer is, generally, between 28 and 34 weeks (see the next section […]

December 8, 2022

Pregnant woman holding her dress and looking at the beach sunset during a lifestyle maternity photo session on Coronado Beach.

. . As a San Diego maternity photographer, I understand the significance of beautiful photographs. But if you’re anything like I was during my pregnancy, you’re on the fence about whether to have maternity pictures taken. They’re a luxury item, and you’re on a budget. Plus, well, why do what everyone else is doing? Let […]

December 1, 2022

Mom and son hugging on the Imperial Sand Dunes near Glamis during a San Diego lifestyle family photography session.

Sometimes, nothing less than epic will do. As a San Diego lifestyle family, maternity, and newborn photographer, I’ve visited and used dozens for locations for sessions, some very popular and others a little more hidden (sshhhh….). Choosing the right location for your precious photographs is an essential ingredient of their final look & feel, so […]