Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Grimmer.
Hi Michelle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am Michelle Grimmer and I have two kids, two poodles and an amazing husband of 12 years and counting. I am a stay at home mom and a photographer. I have always loved photographs. When I was a child, I loved looking through family albums. In high school, I had a compact digital camera and took it with me everywhere! There has always been a camera in my hand. Through the years, my cameras have been upgraded. It was when I had my son in 2014 that I really became interested in learning the technical side of photography. I wanted to be able to document his life with beautiful, timeless images. With that came much trial and error, reading online articles, and watching tutorials.
I also had a wonderful mentor, my own wedding photographer, Barry Davis. When we met him for a wedding consultation, my husband and I got more than a photographer, we got a friend. He was so passionate about photography and, even more, the reason behind photography, the celebration of life. We connected immediately and he knew of my dreams of becoming a photographer. He helped me learn technical aspects, but most importantly, he believed in my ability. He believed in my work and passion for the field before I did. To that, I will always be grateful.
After many more years of practice, I started Michelle Lynn Photography in 2018. I worked mainly with friends, family, and neighbors before I slowly started reaching out to others on family lifestyle sessions. With each session, my work kept improving.
In 2019, a studio whose work I admired for a couple of years decided to add me to their wedding division. It was such a surreal moment. I have learned so much working with that wonderful group of photographers and again, I cannot say thank you enough for having faith in me. This has helped me grow and take risks, to say yes to the sessions that, quite frankly, make me a little nervous. I have shot weddings, a proposal, birthday celebrations, and the most amazing birth story.
In 2020, I was contacted by a phenomenal woman, Jennifer Ferry, about working in partnership with her company, Enchanted Events. Enchanted Events provides character visits and parties in St. Louis and the surrounding area. Their cast makes each visit with a child memorable. To be a part of capturing the magic of meeting a favorite princess or superhero is extremely rewarding. It is pure joy to watch the smiles and see children light up when they get a princess hug, train with the heroes, or even sing along to a favorite song. I am enjoying this journey in documenting the lives of others as well as my own family.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road, no path ever is. There is a lot of trial and error in what I do. Sometimes the pose doesn’t work out, the lighting is not ideal, equipment doesn’t work the way it should, but it is all about adapting. With photography, you have to think and move quickly and be able to adapt to each situation.
2020 was a tough year professionally. I had lots of time off and when it was time to get back into sessions, I felt awkward. I wanted to keep my distance and protect my clients and myself as much as possible, but the social disconnect was hard. I enjoy being around people, talking with them, laughing with them, and helping them out with poses. That year rattled my confidence. As the year progressed, it became easier to work with the new changes and I started to feel that sense of connection with my clients again. 2020 made it more clear than ever that life will go on, and we should celebrate the here and now.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I own Michelle Lynn Photography. I am a photographer and have been doing that professionally since 2018. I shoot anything and everything! I have shot family, maternity, children, headshots, pets, proposals, engagements, weddings, newborns, birth stories, branding, parties, and events. Variety is definitely the spice of life! My favorites to shoot are couples and parties/events. The reason I love couples is I love a good love story! Everyone’s story is so unique and I love to learn about them and capture their true spirit. As for parties and events, I love any reason to celebrate! It is a wonderful feeling to capture joy and happiness. A dream would be to branch out into fashion photography.
For my style, I like to shoot natural light and I take a more lifestyle approach to sessions. I will get the formal shots, but I feel the real beauty is in the moments between, where we have fun, play, and forget that the camera is even there. A goal of my approach to photography is to make the sessions fun and comfortable. I love it when at the end of a session, people tell me that they had fun and I made it so easy. Something that sets me apart from others is that I do not feel like I am in the photography business, I am in the people business. This job is about people, connecting with others, getting to know them, hearing their stories, documenting them, and celebrating with them. I have made many wonderful friends and have many repeat clients from this journey. It is such an amazing feeling to watch families grow through my lens.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Moments big and small, no matter what, just capture it. Use a phone, use me, or any of the other very talented photographers out there. Life will always go on, so take those pictures any way you can to freeze that moment forever. Thanks so much for reading my story!
Contact Info:
- Email: mlynnphotostl@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/mlynnphotostl
