portraits.

Portraits of people are some of my favorite photographs because I love to meet people.  I love to learn about what gets them excited, makes them happy, and makes their eyes light up.  I love to learn what the essence of their life is.  What's your essence?

michelle b.

love.

Love is in the air at this time of year!  It makes me think that perhaps mother nature controls more than just the nature--probably not.  Either way, one thing is for certain spring brings forth the magic of love and love leads us to the essence of life.

michelle b.

cousins.

These cousins, even so young, showed a bond and love no words could describe.

Barefoot and out of breathe, they laughed, shared and took care of one another.

If anything defines the essence of life, it is family.

spring.

There is something so special about the return of Spring. Perhaps it is the new life that shows its face through, what could be, the most dreary of settings.
I ventured out this past week in Ohio to capture the new buds and blossoms before they disappear.

For me, Spring is the essence of beauty.

sarah b.

kate.

Can you really know what the essence of life is without looking at the beginning of life? There is something truly magical about newborn babies, and something so sacred about photographing a soul's first moments on earth.  I am grateful to have been apart of baby Kate's first moments.

michelle b. 

januz & kinga.

This couple was the sweetest couple.  I was on a vacation in Hawaii and wanted to take a picture of something beautiful, and  I ran into these two.  They are both from Poland and have loved each other their whole lives.  They came to America to get an education, and saved just enough money to get back home, and stop in Hawaii and get married.    There was nobody there with them, and they had no money to pay a photographer.  They didn't even have money for rings so they made these rings for eachother.  They asked if I could take a picture of them with their camera, but of course, I couldn't just leave it at that.  It was such a special experience for me to photograph them.    Out of all the the things to photograph in Hawaii, the most beautiful thing I photographed on this trip was true love- the essence of happiness.

michelle b.