Michelle Feileacan Sonoma County Portrait and Wedding Photography

Crystal + Chris – Engagement

mfphoto — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:50:36 +0000

I’ve been shooting so many engagement sessions lately! Last week I got the change to photograph this lovely couple out on their families farm in rural Marin County. The rolling hills, the green grass, the occasional cow… Made for a really cute and fun day. They are a really outdoorsy couple and they love to fish and hunt together so we trekked out to a pond where they did a little fishing and snuggling’. I love sessions like this where we can just amble along and find little spots to get some really sweet shots.

I’m so looking forward to their wedding – I personally can’t wait for my bride to be having delicious, finger lickin’ BBQ in her wedding dress.

Melissa + Jeff – A Handmade Flying Caballos Wedding

mfphoto — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:30:37 +0000

This is one of those weddings that I know my words won’t sufficiently do justice to. The bride is a friend of mine all the way back to college (yes, I’m getting to the age where that constitutes the “old days”) We’ve lived together in a house with blue shag carpet, we took a trip to Europe together (watching Grease nearly the whole flight), we’ve made each other laugh over countless meals and even did a little light vandalism together (sorry about that, Jonny and Jean!) When she moved away after college she lived with my oldest friend, and I entice her up to visit me as often as possible with offers of wine and delicious Sonoma County foods. Luckily the guy she fell in love with is easily lured up to visit with promises of tasty beer and sausage… Needless to say, I would have had a soft spot for this wedding if it had taken place in the back room at a used car dealership. When Melissa and Jeff asked if I would take their photos I was a little reluctant at first. I know what great taste they have and was really scared that my vision wouldn’t mesh with theirs. Once I arrived and saw what she had done? It looked like every dream wedding or party I’ve ever imagined. As I said before,they have wonderful taste. They both have art degrees and have some very, very, talented friends. Their save the date cards were illustrated by the fabulously talented Mel Kadel and Travis Millard – How cute are they? Then Melissa designed and printed the invites, rsvp’s and menus that were illustrated by Alexis Hartman who also does illustrations for Melissa’s stationary company Dog and Pony Show Designs - The house on the save the dates and the invites is the guest ranch where the wedding was held.Flying Caballos Ranch is a gem of a place. Every time I turned around I was met with either a stunning view or an adorable detail. The paint colors, landscaping, the “outhouses” with outdoor showers… it was all so sweet and comfortable and perfectly set up for a wedding weekend. Melissa and Jeff made up spice rub packets (they share a mutual love of BBQ) and put them in these little hand-stamped bags as guest favors.The vintage linens were from Melissa’s grandmother and the hankies and adorable little salt and pepper shakers were sourced on ebay and vintage stores.Vintage hankies as napkins and hand painted wooden napkin rings? Beautiful.

Melissa also made up little California wildflower seed packets as table cards. See what I meant about the guest house? Details everywhere… I love this stove.They had a selection of vintage and regional sodas along with beer and alcohol, not only were they tasty, they were cute to look at – who couldn’t love something called “Cheerwine” or “YUP”Melissa and Jeff made the centerpieces and isle hangers and Jeff did all the boutonnieres and bouquets. How amazing is THAT?In lieu of a guest book, they put together a post card album – each guest could pick a funky vintage postcard from the basket and write their well wishes on the back. Guests had a great time sifting through the postcards finding the best ones and writing away.At the guest ranch, there are separate houses, so the groom and groomspeople were able to enjoy a tipple before the festivities out of eyeshot of the bride. The beautiful ladies got ready in the main house…With the stunning bride.Her dress is JCrew – and it really suits her so well. It’s classic and simple but totally elegant. I loved that they did a first look, it really can give you time to see each other and take a moment together before the whirlwind starts.The “something blue” charm on Melissa’s bouquet is a photo of her late father her maid of honor had made so he would be there with her all day. so very sweet.I mean, come on – look at these flowers!Their good friend Jonee performed the ceremony and it was one of the funniest, most heartfelt ceremonies I’ve heard. That was really the tone of the whole weekend… Tender moments, hearty laughter and full-on JOY.Melissa bought these old afghans to bundle up while sitting around the firepit roasting marshmallows. The meal was catered by “Chef Jeff” (not the groom) but he has no website to link to. His food is yummy, though so look him up if you’re in the central coast area. Melissa’s “Best Girl Dani” (her new title, per me) and her husband Dan sang a funny and sweet song for part of her toast.Cupcakes are pretty good, but mini gourmet cupcakes delivered in a restored pink and chrome vintage trailer and served on antique mix-and-match cake plates?? Awesome. Enjoy cupcakes, you are my hero.A wedding isn’t complete without a little frosting up your nose. Or without guys in kilts with sparklers…Or without some German dancing…Or without the Horah…Or without gazing lovingly into each others eyes.Thank you, my sweet friends, for having me be a part of your special day. I love you and wish you all the happiness in the world.

A Cornerstone Sonoma Wedding : Colorful and Cheerful

mfphoto — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:49:57 +0000

What a sweet and lovely wedding! Stephanie & John-Paul had a candy-colored wedding at the lovely Cornerstone Sonoma. The bride and her friends were true DIYers and handmade nearly all of the decorations, accents and details of this adorable wedding. From the bouquet, to the beaded sash, from the banners to the ribbon decor, these lovely little touches infused color and handmade charm in the ceremony.

Modern Tintypes : A new offering

mfphoto — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:15:24 +0000

I am so, so excited to finally unveil the project I’ve been working on. The Modern Tintype. Tintypes are a photographic process dating to the mid 1800′s and were one of the first quick and relatively easy photographic portrait processes. I’ve taken this process and adapted it to the contemporary portrait using a combination of modern digital negatives and vintage darkroom techniques.

My tintypes are hand coated with a photographic emulsion onto a prepared small, thin metal plate and exposed in the darkroom. Every emulsion is different creating unexpected and diverse results. The imperfections and variations are part of the beauty of the process and make every image a one-of-a-kind work of art. I then hand make and finish a block frame (this is in a piece of reclaimed walnut) that can be set on a table top or hung on a wall.

These are a labor of love, as each image can take many hours to create the final product. I owe a great deal of thanks to my close friend Brian Gaberman for helping me navigate the darkroom again and for sharing his tips on these alternative photographic techniques. (go look at his personal work for some of his ambrotypes)

I think these are a truly unique offering and are really well suited for weddings and children’s portraits. These will be available as an add-on to every wedding package and portrait package and also available as a stand-alone session. I can even create a tintype for you from a past session if the images are appropriate for the medium. If you are curious about them or want to add one to your wedding or portrait package, please contact me for pricing and availability.

I’ll also be printing some larger fine art pieces in the near future, so if these interest you please keep an eye out for those as well.

Family Day: What a sunday morning looks like.

mfphoto — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:03:59 +0000

I’m not terribly good about sharing things on this here blog. I like to share my sessions and things I find interesting but never actually find the time to write too much. I’m not much of a “words” person, I suppose, but mostly I think that it’s because I’m really *busy* living my life. I used to be so tense, trying to cram all the things in, working non-stop, answering emails at all hours of the night… But lately I’ve been slowing down. Call it age or necessity, it’s certainly been a blessing. I rarely work on a Sunday because that’s my family day. We make breakfast, maybe go for a bike ride, have tea in the afternoon and bake or prep for the upcoming week. It’s a little bit chaotic (as life with two boys tends to be) but it’s filled with giggles and naked babies and funny dances. I hope you enjoy this little peek into my family.

Contest!

mfphoto — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 06:23:49 +0000

I’m starting to make some new sample albums from my 2011 weddings, and I’m having such a hard time choosing which weddings to use. Every single wedding this year had such beautiful details, lovely venues and adorable couples that I decided to come straight to the source. Which weddings do YOU want to see as an album sample? After I tally all the votes, I’m going to randomly choose from the top couples.

The best part? The couple will get a small copy of the sample album and one lucky voter (that’s you!) can win either a leather photo cuff or a sterling photo keychain! You can use ANY photo of your choosing – yours, mine or even a vintage photo!

Look at these beautiful albums – Someone is going to love getting their hands on one of these! And how cute is the photo cuff and keychain? Totally cute.

Two ways to register your vote:

1) Visit my Facebook page and leave the link to the couple’s blog post.

2) Comment on their wedding blog post.

Be sure to tell me what you liked the best about their wedding or the photos!

So scoot along and tell your friends! You have until Friday December 16th!!

Here are the weddings that I’m considering “immortalizing”

Jennifer & Michael – Rancho Wikiup, Wine Country Wedding

mfphoto — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 23:18:55 +0000

This was my most anticipated wedding of the season. When Jennifer and Michael and I met up, we just clicked. Something told me that their wedding was just going to be one of those events that I would be so honored to be a part of. It was a chilly November evening, with scattered rain. But the clouds didn’t dampen everyone’s excitement.

Jennifer basically had this expression all day – She just kept saying “i can’t believe it’s happening!”The ceremony was moved indoors since the rain was coming down. But everyone agreed that the “alternate” location was meant to be – surrounded (literally) by friends and family the couple was entered into marriage. I’m not gonna lie – this wedding had me shedding a few tears. Jennifer and Michael whispered their vows to each other. So sweet. Their little baby Harmony was their ring-bearer. Can you tell they were happy?

I love this location – This is the 2nd wedding I’ve shot here and I just adore it!Seriously, they were so much fun, too. pretty willing to do anything we asked!Rancho Wikiup are lovely old stables converted into guest houses and an even space. The rich old wood and protected courtyard make for a very lovely setting.This was one of the details that moved me – one of the little “themes” for their wedding was YUM and it stood for You, Us, Me – Their formula for a relationship. Always remembering the individuals and the couple that make up a marriage. We went outside once the rain stopped for a dance through some sparklers.Inside, for some yummy Sift cupcakes…and how cute is the little woodland scene for the cupcakes?And then some dancing with glowsticks and feather boas. Why not, right?Such a wonderful evening. Thank you again for having me be a part of your special day.

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Wedding Planner: Marisa Manna, So-Eventful

Catering: Vintage Valley Catering

Cupcakes: Sift Cupcakes

Venue: Rancho Wikiup

DJ:http: 123djs.com

Hair: Ashley Allred, Muse Salon

Yosemite Wedding

mfphoto — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 03:33:23 +0000

Sigh, I really want to go back! I so enjoyed Sam and Angela’s beautiful, intimate Yosemite wedding. Not only were the couple and their friends just the greatest group to spend the day with, it was an phenomenally beautiful weekend. Really. It was nothing but blue skies and chirpy birds and gold sunlight. (seriously, sighhhh)

Award Winning Wedding Photography!

mfphoto — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:35:08 +0000

I can say that proudly, because once again I’ve placed in the IPPN Image Competition! This time the winners are a bridal portrait of the beautiful Chloe and a wedding portrait of the ever adorable Caroline & Al.

To see the full list of winners, you can visit http://www.ippn.co.uk/

Thanks again to all my colleagues who judged the competition, and to my AWESOME clients. xoxo

Chloe & Jonathan – Geyserville Wedding

mfphoto — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 01:53:16 +0000

Here I go again! Just posting a “few” sneak images, just my select “favorites” Well, when I start oohing and aahing as I’m downloading the images, you know it’s going to be an image heavy preview! So, check out this beautiful, beautiful wedding from last weekend. Chloe and Jonathan were married up at the Vineyard Club in Geyserville, surrounded by their friends and family on a beautiful crisp fall evening. The couple put so much heart and soul into their celebration and created an elegant and intimate celebration.