When people ask me how I started my photography business, I usually joke around and say, “I have a secret weapon!” My secret weapon is my business-minded husband, who has been the greatest partner and butt-kicker I could have asked for. My first year of marriage was my first year of business, and I was proudly the official photographer of Clarkston Michigan High School Seniors. Did I say how many I photographed? Eight. I photographed a grand total of eight high school seniors. I think I had one wedding that year as well. When I look back only four years ago, to the beginning, I laugh at myself. I remember feeling totally overwhelmed, and like I wouldn’t be able to keep up with work. Okay, granted, those eight students came within four weeks of each other…but oh my god, really!? I’m pretty sure I didn’t know the value of hard work. Anyway, though, the summer was fun. I tried so hard. We went to the local parks of Clarkston, shooting photography all over the place. I photographed at Clarkston’s Depot Park, Baycourt Park, and…you know? I don’t think we even hit my favorite place now, Independence Oaks. We did all sorts of artistic senior photography around Clarkston. At least, photos that I thought were artistic. Mostly, my shots were crooked and used a lot of flash. When I look back at what I did that summer, I’m just slightly embarrassed, but also see the cuteness of it. Every time I took up the camera, I felt like my hands were shaking! I wondered if my eight clients and their mothers would see that I felt like a fraud. I wondered if they thought I was a real photographer. I wondered if they thought my photography was artistic, or if they liked my camera tilts as much as I did (I don’t think they did, btw). I had one sporty girl, who totally went into model-photography as we shot. I was so pleased with her shoot, and thought it was the best I’d ever done. Actually, it probably was the best I had ever done…but looking back, again, I feel that twinge of “gosh, wasn’t I cute?” And cute, in like a patronizing way. Now, it’s totally different. First of all, I feel totally different. And my photography is totally different. It still has sparks of the old tilt, but the senior photography I do now, all over southeast Michigan, is beautiful. Although maybe in four years I will change my mind again. By the way, I photograph more than eight high school seniors now. And we do real on-location senior photography now. High School Senior Photography all over Southeast Michigan, servicing Detroit, Royal Oak, Berkley, Milford, Waterford, Brandon Township, Goodrich, and of course, where my photography studio is located, Clarkston Michigan! We are right off Dixie Highway, right by downtown Clarkston and M-15.

The first wedding I ever photographed was at Port Austin, a beautiful lighthouse off one of Michigan Great Lakes, Lake Huron. I was so nervous to be chosen as my friend’s destination wedding photographer! I told her that I didn’t think I was ready, but she assured me…that if I didn’t do it, no one would be photographing the wedding. The entire day was a complete adrenaline rush for me. My husband said my camera was always up in my face, and my shoulders hunched over in a tense “I’m ready to shoot” position…all day. He makes fun of me to this day for it. However, we had some beautiful wedding photography over the great lake, and the Port Austin lighthouse was awesome. Sure—I missed a lot, but I also got a lot! It was an eye-opening day to realize how a photographer captures those special journalistic moments between a bride and her father, a groom and his brother, and yes—also trying to avoid the relatives shooting in the background! My friend’s grandma followed from a distance, and in some of the environmental shots, she was in the frame. We called her afterwards, “The ghost.” She was in this frame—oh, but not in that frame!” My second wedding photographed was my brothers, over at the Detroit Zoo. Okay—went from being a destination wedding photographer, to a Detroit Zoo wedding photographer—polar bears and all! It was challenging, since we were in the butterfly house, there wasn’t a lot of room to move around in. Also, being a sibling was challenging! Next, another friend was married—and we did her wedding photographs at the Detroit Institute of Arts! Doing wedding photography at the Detroit Institute of Arts was challenging—they didn’t allow a tripod, and no flash. My equipment wasn’t as good as it is now, so I learned as much as I could to use my equipment to the best of ability, and shot away. I had a blast. My first real paid wedding was next—the location? St Johns church in Detroit. Doing wedding photography at St. Johns was challenging as well, except I had better equipment and could use a tripod. Super low-light challenge there, but we ended up with beautiful pictures! We also scooted over to Comerica park to get a few wedding photographs, and that was super fun. After those four events, wedding photography started making sense to me. I loved the emotion, and the impact artistic wedding photos could make. I also realized that I had a gift of capturing intimate moments, in a non-obtrusive journalistic wedding photography way. I started shooting a lot more weddings, all over SouthEast Michigan and a little beyond; Detroit, Waterford, Clarkston, Brandon Township, Shelby Township, Rochester, Birmingham, Holly, Goodrich. Although I’m a wedding photographer based out of Clarkston Michigan, I have no problem driving within a 50mi radius, without extra cost to you as a bride! All wedding packages have full day coverage, with journalistic photos from preparation to reception, and usually an hour or two in-between for some truly special artistic wedding photography. I do love to travel too! So if you’re looking for a destination wedding photographer, consider Flashes of Life! Based out of Clarkston, available world-wide.

My first newborn ever photographed, was only a somewhat newborn. It was my nephew, at 3 months old. It was a really terrible shoot; it was at my dad’s office in Clarkston Michigan, where I had set up my studio lights. I had no idea what I was doing. The fact that I had to POSE the baby, just completely disorientated me. I tried the best I could, but it was a very…uh, blob-like photo shoot. It got much better from there. The next newborn photographed was 3 weeks old, a little difficult to work with, but so much more, well—newborn! I posed him and patted him, and photographed his tiny little self. The pictures from his shoot were glorious. I was in-love—with newborn photography, and with my little subject. He was a newborn photographed out of Waterford—I still was a little afraid to attempt it in Clarkston again, until a year later. Haha! Then it was a freebie. She was a preemie baby, who was actually photographed 4 months old on her due date. Ava was so tiny, and I was so nervous to photograph her tiny newborn body! I held her in my hands, and she barely cried. Her mom said, “You’re so good with babies!” I was just hoping she didn’t see how nervous I was to hold such a tiny one. Since then, I have loved holding the newborns just as much! From a “Rachel can you photograph your nephew?” to a full-fledged par of my business, Flashes of Life Photography would be more than happy to photograph your newborn. As a professional child and maternity photographer in Southeast Michigan, servicing Detroit, Royal Oak, Berkley, Clarkston, Waterford, Goodrich, Brandon, Keego Harbor, Milford, Holly, Independence Township, and most of Oakland County. For newborns, I specialize in documenting your story in a professional way. From pregnancy and maternity portraits, to newborn photography, to baby and child photography, and black and white photography. As your chosen Newborn photographer, I would love to help you capture your baby in that precious moment in time, to photograph her with artistic expression—from black and white classic newborn photography, to hippie-chick baby and fairy look!