She did, however, start to squirm once she was forced back into clothes. I suspect she thought naked time was going to last all afternoon!

Congratulations, Leila! 

It’s a good idea to have a couple of different headshots on hand, whether you’re an actor, an insurance agent, a realtor, or in Jeff’s case, a super-scientist. Even in a short session, we got enough contrast that someone stopping by his LinkedIn account won’t think he only has one good photo. If you’re interested in a professional headshot mini-session, contact me!

Guess which one I got? She was sitting on my bed, eating a pineapple dum-dum lollipop (technically it was a mystery flavor one, but man! it smelled like pineapple and was bright yellow) on a recent afternoon and requested a portrait to commemorate the experience. Specifically, she held up her lollipop and said, “Take a picture of us!” Who could resist those charms?

I am so glad she inherited someone else’s eyelashes besides mine. I’ve got stumpy, spiky ones that splay out in all directions. Nothing like the perfect, feathery fans my daughter has.

At some point, Vivienne located a small, gold ring of plastic (how do toddlers do that? I don’t even know where it came from) and proceeded to ‘crown’ her Princess Lollipop. That shine on her chin is, in fact, drool. The kid loves her candy.

At this point, the camera was put down to make way for a TICKLE MONSTER!

I didn’t realize my bedroom was an IKEA ad. Between the green closet doors, and the bed/duvet cover, we’ve got it covered. I am a flat-pack furniture hero. I could assemble the Taj Mahal, as long as it came with an allen wrench!

This is the mommy smile, the one just for me. It makes me so happy – I’m glad to be able to share it with everyone!

These images were made under the Broadway bridge, between the Gandy Dancer and the Amtrak station. I was standing in the middle of the train tracks to get some of the shots – fortunately, I had a couple of spotters.

I have no idea what Jen is saying to Jeff here – but it seems to be working!

In order to enjoy a more natural setting, we took a trip down to the Arboretum. For those not familiar with Ann Arbor, the Arb is a gigantic park/nature reserve with grassy fields and trails. The Huron River even meanders along the northern border. This is one of the best spots in Ann Arbor for a morning walk or an afternoon picnic! Since everything snow-and-ice related had just thawed, the ground was kind of squishy, but the sunlight was just beautiful.

Jen and Jeff are sitting at one of my favorite places in the whole Arb – on this particular day, we could see tons of St. Patrick’s Day revelers far down on the fields below this hill.

So beautiful!

I love how Jen opted for a classic bouquet with a St. Patrick’s twist. Bells of Ireland are such an unusual plant – they make a really whimsical green filler for arrangements.

Congratulations, you two! It was a pleasure sharing your wedding day.

I love shooting in Detroit. It is a wealth of texture – and not all of it grungy, although I’m a sucker for a good spraypainted wall or broken window. Sometimes Detroit gives you a stately stone and brick building, covered in a patina of moss.

I love to shoot headshot sessions for acting students in and around the school, simply because the place is so evocative – comfortable and full of memories. Just about any location can work for portraiture, but a great location happens when you love where you’re at.
I love how relaxed she is in this image! These were taken outside the Wayne State theatre scene/costume shop. Anyone who’s been in the theatre department has spent some time here, fabricating scenery, fitting costumes, and selecting props.  I love love love Samantha’s eyes, and I wanted to highlight them against the glass fronted building and afternoon sunshine.
This was one of the most beautiful fall days, and it brought out a little Detroit-style excitement. We took a short break during the shoot to speak with the resident of a nearby building who was having plumbing issues in her apartment while trying to prepare for a dinner party.

And in other news, there’s a new e-mail address for the studio. Send your questions and requests to veronica@veronicamachak.com!

I have a thing for the BACKS of buildings, I guess. While plenty of Belle Isle is neatly manicured, this ivy is overgrown and turns chartreuse before it explodes in a riot of fall color.  This shoot had three distinct phases, and this is the pretty phase (it’s all pretty, but this is the clean/pretty part!).Beth was NOT tentative about the dress-trashing. She told me that as long as we didn’t spray paint it or set it on fire, we should go wild. Rolling on the ground seemed like a good starting place…I love how her eyes match the gray of the concrete here, and the green of the ivy above.
I love how these images in front of the greenhouses turned out, but I was SO into shooting that I walked straight into a thistle bush (you can see it in the foreground of the image top left) and spent a few minutes tugging burrs out of my sweater. Anything for the shot!And then it was time to jump in! Beth gave me one last are-you-ready-for-this (YES) glance and waded in! Fortunately, it was a warm-ish evening. Beth was smart and left the cowboy boots on (as any good cowboy would, in this particular situation!). So, this is where the shoot got a little dirty/pretty. I am kind of impressed how river silt accentuates the gorgeous applique…At the end of the shoot, we barricaded ourselves in a restroom on the island in order to rescue Beth from her dress. It was HEAVY!  Before we did, though, we took a few images in the restroom stall (the shoot is officially dirty/dirty!).

Once the dress was off, we contained it in a mesh laundry bag and heaved it into the trunk of Beth’s car. I’m happy to report that Beth sent her gorgeous dress (in the giant mesh bag) through the washing machine on the gentle cycle, and it came out looking great! So much for trashing it. Ladies, if you want to make friends again with your wedding dress, it can be done without completely obliterating it!

This session with Amanda unfolded like the best kind of shoot – we had an idea of what we wanted to do, and then – BAM! – there was a pink trailer. Well, who wouldn’t seize upon an opportunity such as this?

I mean, pink trailers are so hot right now. (Actually, this one was FREEZING COLD and she was a total trooper leaning on it like that!). Amanda is looking to get back into theater locally, and this shoot was originally intended to be a headshot session…but then there was a little bit of hanging out at the park, enjoying the tail-end of summer.I feel a twinge of jealousy when I look at her fabulous red hair.  I haven’t even attempted such a thing since early college – unless you get it just right, red CURLY hair sends a significantly different message, you know?So pretty.
At this point, the sun was just about down, and we still had one wardrobe change left.  There was no way we were skipping the little black dress, so Amanda jumped up on the tracks and made it work… in seconds!

If you want to see the entire shoot, check out the slideshow below.

He loves wheels on anything, and he had a great time during our session playing with cars and a wooden train.

This was the image his parents chose for thank-you cards from his first birthday party.  Such a happy guy!

Even though I am not a big fan of changing diapers, it’s hard to deny that diaper butts are cute.

Happy birthday, Xander!

So beautiful.

a powerful and moving ceremony,

Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Roseville, MI

a secret first dance

at one of their favorite hideouts,

a trip back to the place it all began,

outside Old Main on Wayne State's campus, Detroit, MI

another first dance in the library of a historic mansion,

…and then maybe a kick line to some Frank Sinatra.

But this was only a taste of what is coming.  I hope you enjoyed the sneak peek!

Peeking into the dining room in the Grosse Pointe War Memorial