Emery Family Portraits | Glen Haven, MI

Not only are the Emerys some the coolest people we know, but they’re also family. We loved spending the evening with them in Glen Haven, capturing their family portraits.

I’ve known Wyatt my whole life as my older cousin (hey, it’s me, Miles writing!). We’ve spent many a family gathering in northern Michigan. He grew up in Traverse City- I lived on the other side of the state. I remember playing in the woods together and days at the beaches at Lake Michigan. We both grew up to love this area.

Wyatt moved away for while but I think Traverse City always held a special place in his heart. Shortly after he got married to Maggie and had his first kid, Heidi, they moved back up here because of those memories that we both share of growing up in such an awesome place. I think he wanted that same experience for his kids.

You wouldn’t believe how pumped we were when they reached out asking for family portraits in Glen Haven. We met up with them one summer evening and it was so much fun. You could see the love that they had for each other and the creating of new Northern Michigan memories.

Simon | Senior Portraits

This senior portrait session was extra special because the senior was Miles’ brother, Simon! My sister, Grace was graduating the same year, so we took a short sibling road trip just an hour from Traverse City, to Port Oneida for their senior portraits.

Simon is currently studying music theory and audio technology. When he’s not at school, he loves playing guitar, listening to music (he is a big fan of Thom Yorke), or absolutely wrecking everyone playing Super Smash Bros. on Nintendo Switch.

The combo of Miles and Simon together, had us laughing most of the session, and it was super fun to capture Simon being the cool guy that he is.

Jack + Tatum Engaged

We loved photographing these portraits for my brother Jack and his fiancée the day they got engaged. Jack proposed earlier in the day with just the two of them, but we met them at our favorite coffee shop Mundos Roasting & Co. to congratulate them. It was fitting to snap a few photos of the two of them there since Jack is the head coffee roaster of the shop. Afterward we drove a few minutes down the road to a local park downtown and took a few more portraits of the two of them together. Congratulations Jack + Tatum!

Engagement Ring | Vince's Jewelers

Traverse City Winter Proposal | James + Chelsea

"Chelsea loves the Traverse City area. We like the outdoor and eating good food. I think that is what our weekend up there is going to be like and I would love to fit the perfect proposal in there as we do all the things we love."

James reached out to us with his plans to propose to his girlfriend Chelsea during a weekend visit to Traverse City. We set up a phone call to discuss the details and location for the proposal. When the day came, we bundled up and waited (with our cameras hidden under our winter coats) for James and Chelsea to arrive at the Marina. James knelt down on one knee and that was our cue to whip our cameras out to document the moment when Chelsea said yes.

We wandered around the marina to capture a few portraits of the two of them, while Chelsea admired her new ring and the two of them shared the happiest smiles and laughter.

We are always honored to photograph proposals--the beginning of the rest of their lives together. Congratulations James and Chelsea!

In Home Family Portraits | The Clarks

Whenever we have the opportunity to photograph our friends it is such a special occasion. Not only are Adam and Kelly some of our closest friends, but they are also our family as well. That means our children are cousins! That also means that their precious daughter is our niece and she has made us 'Uncle Miles and Aunt Sarah' for the first time ever.

Kelly and I had the opportunity to be pregnant side by side and our due dates were actually only two weeks apart. We were originally planning to photograph a maternity/couples session for Adam and Kelly this Fall before I went on maternity leave. But their sweet daughter surprised everyone by being born five weeks early! And since that moment, Mabel Louise has charmed her way into all of our hearts--we love her dearly.

Once Adam and Kelly came home and had an opportunity to get settled, we offered to photograph some family portraits in their home. Kelly got to wear the beautiful dress she had originally planned for her maternity session (which is one of the many reasons we both love Nothing Fits But--for their versatility to wear their dresses in any season of life). Adam and Kelly had their home decorated for Christmas and we had many picturesque settings for their photos. Underneath the dried oranges and fresh garland. Beside the Christmas tree with their stockings hung above the fireplace mantel. And after swaddling Mable so she was snug and warm, we snuck out to the backyard for a few minutes to get some photos in the snow.

We love photographing these kinds of in-home family portraits. There is something so peaceful about being invited into one's homes and documenting them in their natural environment. We felt as though we could take our time, settle into cozy positions, and enjoy the company of their precious family. And all the while we were photographing them as they were and capturing this sweet stage of life for them to remember forever.

Mark and Lindsay | Winter Engagement Portraits

As is with most winter days in Northern Michigan, it was frigidly cold. But Mark and Lindsay held each other close and kept each other warm despite the wind and snow. By the end of their session our noses were red and our mouths were numb but it was so so worth it for the beautiful winter engagement portraits we were able to capture. We knew instantly that their wedding was going to be just as beautiful and we were definitely not disappointed--we can't wait to share their wedding photos on the blog soon!