lisa michelle
that’s what my dad calls me sometimes. i live in the northwest hill country of austin, tx. i’m married to an amazing man named dave. i’ve got a 3 year old crazy little monkey named jonah (you’ll probably see him in A LOT of pictures if you spend any amount of time on my blog). i’m addicted to chapstick. my favorite movies are dan in real life (i want their family), amelie and chocolat. i love quotes. i enjoy almost any drink with sugar on the rim. i know i am loved. my favorite stuffed animal when i was a kid was named chocolate sweet feet. i wanted to be rainbow bright when i grew up. i love the smell of clean laundry. i stink at almost all sports except for basketball. that i rule at. i love making people smile. i spend way too much time in front of my computer and not nearly enough outdoors. my favorite sound is my little boy giggling. not just laughing. i mean full on giggle! it makes my heart smile. i have the best job in the whole wide world.
why i love what i do so very much
photography. it’s a never-ending-ever-changing adventure to me. i love capturing “that moment”. that moment that will never ever happen again. those little fingers and toes that get bigger way too fast. that genuine smile he’s too cool to show… usually. that moment right after “i do” when they look into each others’ eyes and you feel the love so strong it makes you cry. true happiness. i capture that. how rad is that?
how it began
i have always loved taking pictures. i’ve got boxes of photos and negatives (who remembers film?) from all the way back to junior high. but in 2005 i found the ultimate inspiration for my art… my daughter.
Faith was born into heaven on march 7, 2005. my husband and i could feel God’s hand through that whole experience. we’re so grateful that He allowed Faith to visit our lives for the short time she was with us… she’ll always be my original inspiration. and through that experience God brought out the gift of and passion for photography in me. it was there all along, but Faith made it shine.
now i lay me down to sleep
in honor of Faith i just want to share about this amazing organization called now i lay me down to sleep. it is an organization of volunteers who do bereavement photography for families who have lost a child. they will send a photographer to the hospital to capture beautiful images of babies who have passed away. i strongly suggest to any family dealing with a loss that they have photographs taken. it might be hard at the time, but having those memories preserved on film is priceless. the site also has an excellent support page about what you can do to help the bereaved.
philanthropy
i feel so very blessed to have found my calling, and i try to use my God-given talent to give back to my community whenever i can. i have donated sessions to silent auctions for the Breast Cancer Three Day, Gateway’s Womens Retreat scholarship fund, Capital City A&M Club Coach’s Fundraiser, the Hispanic Physicians Association, and countless photography hours served for local schools, our church and Team in Training (raising money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society).
update :: illuminate photography has pledged to give 10% of all wedding deposits collected to The Water Project. click here for more details.
memberships
Professional Photographers of America
and just for fun… the Fotoholic Females – a meetup group for Austin women who are passionate about photography. feel free to join us! =)