Perfect, Just the Way You Are

 
 

Portraits

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Whether it’s a promotional photo, a head shot, senior photos, or family or engagement photos, click below for a gallery of some of Michelle’s favorite portrait work.

Weddings & Events

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Looking for an idea of what it might look like to have your event photographed by Michelle? Click below to see some of Michelle’s favorite wedding and event work.

Art & Design

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Want to get your photos off the computer and onto your walls, on into a printed album? Michelle’s got you covered. Click below to see more.

 
 

Why should I hire Michelle?

-You’re looking for something that feels like “you”. You want a low-stress, heartfelt, comfy photo experience. You want your photos to look like a documentary of the best days of your life. You like the idea of new photos, but don’t like the extra work that comes with ordering photos, albums, or wall art (Michelle can take those stresses off your shoulders, should you choose to let her)…

 
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BIO

When you meet Michelle Waters, you’ll feel like you’ve known her your entire life.

Combining a fine art background and the heart of a storyteller, Michelle has a strong desire to love people as they are, and enjoys making honest, artfully composed images that feel fresh, personal and full of energy.

Michelle has been working in the professional photography and art worlds for 20 years, and was the first female, fine art, digital, “lifestyle photographer” in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Since then, her work has been featured in and on the cover of several local and national photography and art magazines, as well as local, regional and national musicians’ and organizations’ promotional pieces, and has dozens of local and regional fine art exhibits and festivals on her resume…

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See What’s New on Michelle’s Instagram Feed:

I’ve spent the last few days working on a presentation that I gave today to over 100 middle schoolers, about my career, and why they should pursue photography as an option. Literally none of that really mattered because they all asked me the best questions that made me realize this: My favorite moments in photography were where someone trusted me enough to share an experience with me. Like, they trusted me, and I was able to just be there, taking it all in, and trap it in my camera. I got to talk about this all day, today. I got to tell dozens of teenagers they can live a life they really want to, and do things that will set them on fire with happiness, if they choose to. It was perfect. And then I got free pizza and some Twix. And now I’m back home resting, getting ready to pack, and take my kiddo to her end-of-year dance, and then photograph two concerts tonight, and then rest up for a trip to NE Ohio for a wedding and to deliver some of my art to a dear friend who bought it from me. How is this my life? Also, this bracelet was given to me by one of my favorite people in the world (Brian Andreas), and it says: “feels like some kind of ride but it’s turning out just to be life going absolutely perfectly” And the more I lean into this, the more it’s so true.
I have gratitude for a lot of things in life. But one of the things I have the most gratitude for is this moment, brought to you by @nelsonvillefest of 2018. You may have heard of Nelsonville Music Festival. You may be one of the loyal attendees who goes every year. Maybe you’ve heard of NMF, but have just never taken the time to really get to know it. I can’t explain with human words how important this fest is. I love photographing and discovering local, live music. Like, I love it more than many things. Nelsonville has played a massive part in that love. Have you ever been a part of something you trusted so much, because you knew it consistently gave you so much happiness and satisfaction? That’s what Nelsonville is to me. It’s not just a phenomenal group of volunteers and crew, it’s hands-down, the best photo team I’ve ever, ever worked with. It’s discovering so much music I would have never thought to seek out. And it’s getting to know artists on a level where, if you’re lucky, they’ll invite you to photograph their performance directly next to them on stage (still omg-ing over this @counterfeitmadison )...it’s beyond magic. It’s family, and I can barely wait to see my NMF family again in June (6-9). This year, I’m especially looking forward to seeing @flordetoloache , @bullythemusic , @deathvalleygirls @thekatyband @erniejohnsonfromdetroit and @thebreeders (from Ohio!). And am I right that there seems to be an incredible female rep on the bill, this year? 😍
Give me all of the small venues and intimate house shows for live music, please. I will photograph in them forever and ever. Thank you. 😍 (Have I mentioned I love photographing live music?)
What do you do when you meet a couple, and you’re SO in love with their love and who they are, and then they want you to photograph them? You take it all in and hope they see what you see in them. So grateful to know this couple right here, to know their music and their hugs and their happiness. Thank you for bringing me to Columbus to spend time with you, @octoberember ! 💜💜
In the middle of my walk around Columbus today, after filling up on plates of pierogis and doing an amazing photo session with two of my favorite musicians, when I didn’t think I could love German Village more, I saw this tiny door on the side of an already cute house! If you zoom in, you can see the quarter I put on the wall, to show scale. I don’t want to move to many places, but German Village steals my heart, every single time.
Photographers are magicians in an ever-moving Universe. For split seconds, we can freeze time.
Every now and then, I get to break out my Polaroid camera at a photo shoot. Sometimes we even smudge up one of the shots with fingerprints, mid-developing. And even sometimes, one of said prints makes the cover of a really great album. Sometimes I also pinch myself, because this is so cool and I love my job, and the people who trust me to make art with them. (Thank you @hellojuneband ❤️)
It’s a great day to play outside! 💚
This week, I get to work on an album design from this simple and perfect WV wedding. I love the way it feels when I get to put images into a story for my clients (almost as much as I love love, itself). ❤️