Best Northern Michigan Vacation Destinations / Published Photograph

If you are anything like me, there's probably a healthy dose of denial wrapped up into realizing we are in mid-late August with September around the corner.  This summer with its mild temps flew by much too fast.  It pains me to admit that I haven't even dipped into Lake Michigan above the knees.  Yet.

I am banking on an Indian Summer and some beach days still to come.  If you are hoping to soak up some last bits of summer, here's 11 Northern Michigan getaways that will make you want to grab your flip flops and hop in the car!

My photograph below was published in the July issue of Traverse Magazine as the full spread feature opener of the article - proud Michigan girl, right here.

Psst.. I'm spilling my best secret to photographing kids..

All of my beach photography sessions lately have got me thinking and pushing my own boundaries.  It occurred to me that I have a legit secret to photographing kids that might help you take pictures of your own kids that will make you swoon.

Here it is, my secret to photographing children, especially on the beach or in the backyard in the summertime or playing in their bedroom any day of the week. 

It’s pretty simple:  Don’t try. 

Say what?!  I know, to all of the overachievers out there (myself included) that sounds like absolute blasphemy.  But I swear to you, when I am not trying to make it all perfect, when I can let go and let my gut lead the way, when I am not preoccupied with capturing the perfect photograph, that’s when the magic happens.

So, this is my one-stop advice column for photographing your kids this summer.

Don’t try so hard.

Observe them.  What are they doing right now that you wish you could bottle right up?  Let them do that.  Try to refrain from interfering.   Be a fly on the wall.  Be patient.  Blend into the background and anticipate those quirky, thoughtful, lovable moments.

And just let it happen.  Let go of perfection: the perfect light, the perfect composition, the perfect smile, the perfect Pinterest boards.  Just shoot pictures from the heart and I promise you, in 15 years, you’ll be so happy you have these photos of your kids being exactly who they are today.

Here's a few favorite photographs from 2 beach sessions this month.  Many break the rules with composition and lighting, but sometimes the moment and the expressions are all that matter.  

Stony Lake / Lake Michigan:

Malibu, California:

Oh, and the best part is that when kids are in their happy place, sometimes they’ll just look up at you with the best smile or glance and you might still get those perfect beach portraits...

Without even trying.

3 Reasons to Hire a Vacation / Beach Photographer & Happy Spring!

Spring is here!  Technically speaking, that is.  Somewhere beneath the last few inches of snow (here in the North, anyway) I promise you, Spring is near :) 

By mid-March, my summer dreamin' officially begins, and by dreaming, I also mean planning: up north weekends, beach days, camping under the stars.  Northern Michigan books up quick and you only need to learn that lesson once.  

What are you most looking forward to this spring / summer?   

3 Reasons to Plan Vacation / Beach Photography Sessions

1)  It's Worry-Free:  You can finally relax at the beach or pool without worrying about capturing your kids having the time of their lives or whether your camera is ingesting water and sand. (Guilty of the latter.) 

2)  YOU (the most important reason):  If YOU are typically your family's everyday photographer and collector of memories, you will actually be in the photographs.  You will not have to explain to your kids in 10 years, as you are looking back at your vacation photographs, that you actually were there.  They will see you with them, living it up, together.

3)  The Digital Aftermath:  Following your beach/pool/hiking/fill in the blank adventures, sitting at the computer, editing hundreds of photos, and creating a tangible masterpiece might sound daunting, or outright dreadful.  Handing the job off to a skilled photographer to create a thoughtfully designed, archival, story-telling keepsake, while you revel in the memories in your lazy-boy, might just sound fabulous.  
 

Just think:  Some of your most carefree and happy moments on this earth will not just be documented, but an artful story will be curated and preserved for years to come.  You just have to show up.  Deal?

If you are hoping to plan a relaxed, documentary photography session this summer, please contact me soon.  I'm also down with 'day in the life' sessions or capturing your family's 'vacation days,' from Michigan to California and beyond.  

If it's feeling too early, we can even pencil in a time-frame - leave the details for later.  Just don't miss out - summer will be here before we know it, and my schedule books up quick with photo sessions... and my own lazy beach days.  ;)  

(Things might also be a-changing around here at Teri Genovese Photography and session availability is limited.)

Sifting back through photographs from last summer, I realized one year olds at the beach make a pretty spectacular combination.  Hope these made you smile and look forward to the much greener, sunnier days ahead!  

lake michigan's light | family photography

sometimes it rains unexpectedly.  and you realize, you remember, that it's only with the rain and clouds that such magnificent light can emerge.  

A special thank you to this sweet, gorgeous family for braving the drizzles and allowing me to witness and document a glimpse of their life and love.  It was a beautiful and memorable evening on Lake Michigan, for sure!

pondering this wild and precious life..

This quote stopped me in my tracks while reading Cheryl Strayed's book, Wild, a few months back. I've been pondering the question ever since.

mother + daughter / lake michigan / love.

we met the last evening of July along the shores of Lake Michigan. we walked and talked among the beach grasses tucked away in the sand dunes. they wandered off together and danced. turned cartwheels. skipped along the water's edge. we let the cool water splash our bare feet as we soaked in the cotton candy pink sky. we moved slowly without hurry. we took it all in. this mother and daughter revealed to me their souls and adoration for each other in such a beautiful way that i was touched for many days and still many weeks later. their vibrant energy was purely infectious. each time i look at these photographs, my heart swells and i wish i could go back 21 years to have photographs like this taken with my mom, when i was 10. at this realization, i feel an entirely new level of appreciation for the sweet people and joyful memories that photography has added to my life. it only grows with time.