Hello and thanks for visiting my photography website for portrait sessions. Due to so much interest in my portrait and children’s photography, I’ve created this new portrait website so everyone can see more of my portrait galleries. Here is a short film about me that shows some of my kids photography and how I work.
I do so many weddings and editorial shoots each year that my portrait photography projects tend to get a back seat, so this new website should help you see my additional work that I offer in portrait photography. Please visit my “Wedding Photography” website at Michael Allen Photography if you would like more information about my wedding photography.
Now, A little about me, well, I am an accomplished photographer with a highly successful career that has won awards and accolades over the years. I’m also just a down to earth guy who loves taking pictures. I’m excited about photography, and I get up each day with a positive and creative outlook. I have a versatile style that spans across several genres of photography, from editorial fashion and commercial photography, to high end wedding photography, and portrait photography. If you ask me what kind of photography I specialize in, it’s probably a cross between lifestyle photojournalistic and commercial or editorial photography.
I really love photographing people, capturing beautiful and compelling images is inspiring. Over the past 8-10 years of shooting hundreds of weddings, I’ve had brides call me back in a couple of years after their wedding asking me to shoot their maternity photographs and their babies. Having a relationship with my clients like this helps them feel comfortable with me and the camera, so it’s perfectly natural for them to call me for more than just weddings. I really love natural lifestyle portraiture. It’s an art form that has grown out of the popular photojournalistic style of photography, and it’s taken a while for clients to break away from traditional studio portrait, but it is now widely accepted as the standard in family portraiture. I do lots of private family sessions, with the emphasis on modern art portraiture.
I started shooting images with my first camera as a young kid, then worked as the yearbook photographer in high school. In college I majored in Arts & Sciences. In my early career in photography, film and video I landed a couple of early career jobs in some large film production studios working with commercial clients, grammy award winning rock bands and a variety of businesses. Over the next years of my career I worked as an editorial fashion photographer which continues to this day. Working with demanding editors, world renowned clients, and everyday people has taught me beyond what schools can offer in classes. I’ve continued over the past 10 years with my own private studio label, Michael Allen Photography. I’m a member of the WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) and love studying, learning and teaching.
{I just finished writing a new photography book that is now on in bookstores, I’m very excited about the book- it is written for new photographers that want to learn more about successful photography.} Last year I was published in -Capture Memphis- a book featuring the very best photographers from Memphis, a great honor for that is totally humbling for me.
I love mentoring other photographers, helping them and cheering them on. Oh yeah, I am a digital photographer all the way, I love the new digital technology in cameras, and don’t see going back to film for any reason. I own some of the finest cameras and lenses in the world, I’m an avid Canon Professional user. {keep reading more below}
In my studio I work with a variety of clients, so I feel very comfortable in almost any photography assignment, and with any client. I work with a variety of people such as grammy award winning recording artists, musicians, doctors, commercial product photography, mom’s and dads, brides and grooms, teenagers, fashion models, world renowned chefs, small business owners, teenagers and of course, babies and children. Having 3 kids of my own makes it easy for me to work with children, it just takes a little patience and being lighting fast on the shutter. I’m always watching for a special moment, and work very hard to catch something unique on my camera. My love for kids and my love for art tie in so well together as a photographer. I’m a dad with a wonderful wife and she is also an artist, so we share many of the same passions.
Also, Be sure to check out some of my latest short films at www.filmindesign.com . My cinema film website shows some of my recent projects and lets you see what I’m up too in the HD film world. I only take on a few short films each year out of my love for cinematography, and with the new paradigm shift of digital cameras that actually shoot High Definition cinema style films, it’s a whole new world out there for photographers. I love staying on the cutting edge, my films help me chase my passion for learning and staying on the cutting edge. I also do quite a bit of commercial and editorial photography, and I have another media website for this at IndesignCreative for you to enjoy even more of my photography work
One of my favorite things in my personal life that drives me is being involved at Hope Church. Having a relationship with God is vital to me, and knowing and working with the pastors and staff at Hope is an incredible asset to my life. It also keeps me down to earth and real. I try to volunteer as often as possible to help Hope with their photography and video needs, it gives me a chance to serve and use the talents God has given me. Having faith is essential in the world we live in, and having the gift of photography and film making lets capture the beauty of the world around us through my camera lens.
