michigan photography

Selecting a Senior Photographer

It seems like everyone is a photographer these days so your options can be overwhelming when it comes to finding the perfect fit for your senior portraits. A lot of time and consideration goes into this decision and it should not be taken lightly. There is more to factor in than just price when you are on the hunt. Here are a few things to look into when researching your options:

Make a Connection

Feeling comfortable around your photographer can make or break your photos. Awkward, stiff, uncomfortable posing does not flatter anyone. It is so important that you get a good vibe from your photographer and trust their expertise. Read their bios, give them a call, stop in for a consultation! You may feel vulnerable standing in front of that camera and you need to know your photographer has got your back.

Style

Are you drawn to their images, do you follow them on Instagram? Do they have a strong cohesive style that you can identify? Is their style going to look good in 3, 5, or even 10 years when your parents are still showing them off and they still hang all over the house.

Expertise

Let’s be honest we always want to look our best when we see our images. Does your photographer know how to give direction and control light to show you in the best way?There are no Snapchat filters that can be added to these images, so make sure your photographer can work in any necessary situation and has the right professional equipment to do so. Do their images show shadows or uneven skin tones? Are they in focus and sharp or grainy and fuzzy?

Experience

What kind of senior experience does the photographer offer? Do they shoot for volume (lots of sessions)? Or do they shoot for quality and detail? Are they easy to communicate with? What kind of reviews do they get? Does everyone have the same experience and same poses and images? Or do they go out of their way to make you feel unique?

At Brick Street Studio we don’t believe in the traditional senior portrait, we like to create a kick ass experience that you can relive through our artwork for years to come. We want to showcase your personality and spirit in every single one of your images. We have a timeless style, we showcase bold colors, a high contrast, and matte finish, a style we have been fine tuning for the past 8 years. Unlike standard portraits we craft sessions with our clients, meaning we send out questionnaires and actually talk, not just text, with you to get to know who you are and how you envision the session. We take on a very limited number of clients so that we can give everything we’ve got to each session. To learn more contact us at brickstreetstudio217@gmail.com or (616) 523-4400 to schedule your free consultation today.

Check us out on some of our other platforms:

Website

Facebook

Instagram: @brickstreetstudio217

Thanks for reading!

Danielle- Class of 2019

Meet Danielle!

Danielle was selected to be our Senior Model from our Instagram Giveaway that took place a few months back. We were excited to have her join our little Brick Street Fam and we found out why last weekend during her first session. She is such a joy to photograph! Easy to get along with and such a beautiful personality. She made it fun and easy for us and I think we did the same for her. We are definitely excited to do a few different types of sessions with her as well as her full senior portrait session. Keep a look out for those throughout the up coming year!

A few fun facts about Danielle:

She is involved in a lot of actives such as Cheerleading, Basketball, Snowboarding, and more
Her favorite movie is The Blind Side (such a good movie!)
Has a genuine and fun personality
Her favorite band is Florida Georgia Line

We are taking on class of 2019 seniors so get your dates scheduled soon! If you’re not sure that we are the perfect photographers to capture your senior year, set up your pre consultation with us free of charge to go over any questions you might have for us. Our goal is to give you a senior experience like none other!

Isn’t she stunning?! Another option to add to your senior experience is video by JayBird Films. We were able to do a video during Danielle’s session and it is such an awesome add on option!

Check it out HERE

Let us know if you have any questions regarding your senior experience. For more information check out our website: SENIOR EXPERIENCE

Thanks for reading ❤

-K

Class of 2018: See Ya Later!

As we finish up with the class of 2018, I wanted to share a few of our favorites from the last year. What fun we have had with all of these fellow graduates. We were able to watch them grow throughout the last year and even see some changes from their first sessions into their final sessions.

One of my favorite things about photographing seniors is seeing the changes that take place from our initial consultation all the way through their gallery reveal. A lot of these students, we meet at the end of their junior year and continue working with them throughout most of their senior year. I get to watch them grow as people and see them make their way into adulthood.

We have had so much fun photographing seniors all over the state and beyond. We’re really hoping to do a few more traveling seniors this coming year. I travel to Traverse City area quite often throughout the summer and will be giving the option to photograph you up in the Traverse Bay area or other gorgeous surrounding landmarks. This year we were able to make it to an awesome variety of locations including Ionia, Portland, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Penn State, Stanton, Lowell, and more!

Here is to the next chapter of your lives! We want to wish all of our Class of 2018 seniors the best of luck in their future endeavors and look forward to seeing what you will accomplish. Thanks for another wonderful year of senior portraits, we cannot wait to get started with the class of 2019!

Class of 2019 seniors are now booking dates! If you’re part of the class of 2019 seniors and are interested in a date, please don’t hesitate to get it scheduled. Our schedule is filling quickly! We pride ourselves in giving our seniors a handcrafted experience that will be more than just a photo shoot. We make it an experience!

Thanks for reading ❤

-K

Ramey Family

Well, we have been slacking at blogging this week since it took us until Thursday to make our first post of the week. On top of being sick, we’ve also had an amazingly busy week photographing different styles of sessions and meeting with two different brides about their upcoming weddings. It feels great to be getting busy again! We’ve got our Spring Experience coming on Saturday and it looks like its going to be a gorgeous morning for those.

Anywho, we wanted to share one of our most recent sessions with you! Marisa has been photographing Cody and Savannah’s family for the last few years and they just recently had another session with her. They are such an adorable little family and we are loving these shots she got while walking around downtown Ionia!

I mean seriously, could they be any cuter?!

We also wanted to share some of our upcoming events happening in May and June. There has been quite a bit going on with us, so make sure you’re staying up to date by following our social media posts and our blog. We also try to send out a monthly email as well so expect to see one of those coming in May! Join our mailing list by sending us your emails.

May 19th- Unicorn Experience (FULL)

June 3rd- Unicorn Experience (a few slots open!)

June 6th- Outdoor Photography Workshop | Every Wednesday evening in June!

We are also taking on Class of 2019 Seniors and 2019 weddings! Set up your consultation soon so you can secure the dates you want!

Thanks for reading ❤

-K

What is Brick Street Studio?

Since we are new to the blogging world, we wanted to give a little insight into who we are as photographers and what our studio does! We love creating personal relationships with our clients and giving them the best experience possible.

What is Brick Street Studio?

We are a dual photographer team servicing the state of Michigan and beyond. Our studio is located right in the heart of Ionia, on the beautiful red brick road of downtown. At Brick Street Studio we provide a customized personal approach for all of your photography needs. The boutique experience that we offer allows us to handcraft each session to fit your style. We are sure to give our clients the highest care and cater to every detail throughout the experience, from the initial consultation through the gallery reveal. We want to be sure our clients will have a photography experience they will never forget.

Feel free to check out our Promo Video

Who Are We?

Karlee Bailey & Marisa Lies. We are a team of photographers pursuing our dream careers. One of the best parts of this job is having the opportunity to meet so many new people and capture some of the most important times of their lives. If you contact us, you will most likely have the opportunity to talk to our assistant, Keysha. Be sure to check out her business Keysha Rose Photography. We also work closely with Jaysyn of JayBird Films

The Photographers:

I’m Karlee. I am 25 and I have lived in Michigan my entire life. I took up photography when I was 18 and received my Associates Degree in Photography from Grand Rapids Community College in 2015. I am married to my best friend, Logan, and together we have three fur babies. A cat named Wilma, and two dogs named Wallace and Poncho.

I am a Disney lover, a musician, and singer but I don’t think I’m very good (I’ll leave that up to my husband), and for some reason, I’m a little obsessed with Benedict Cumberbatch. Don’t be shocked if you run into me and my hair is a different color from the first time we met. I like to change it often!

I can be pretty goofy once I get to know you but that spunk really comes out in my shooting style. It really makes me the fun and outgoing artist I am today. I specialize in Senior Portraits, Wedding Portraits, and Pet Portraits.

I am Marisa. I am from the Happy Valley in Pennsylvania (State College, PA) but have been a Michigan resident for over 10 years. I started photography in 2010 and am mostly self-taught. I have three children who I absolutely adore. Cameron, Taylor and Austin, they were my main reason for taking up photography. Photographing them truly started my passion.

I am a Penn State football lover, a coffee drinker, and I am always wearing the color black. I do love to travel and explore new places either on my own or with my children. Seeing and photographing Lake Michigan is one of my favorite things to do! I also enjoy teaching my gymnastics class that I hold during different months throughout the year.

I am very passionate about what I do and love knowing I am setting a great example for my children by working towards my goals every year. Being able to do something that I love for a living is one of the greatest feelings! I specialize in Newborn & Children Portraits, Family Portraits, & Senior Portraits.