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WANT TO KNOW
WHO I am?
Q
When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.
-John Muir
Yosemite Wedding photographer
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite, CA
Kate Michelle Photography
STYLE
Kates
I am a MINIMALIST
I am TRUE TO Mother Nature
I am FOR the adventurous
I will watch you almost as closely as your loved ones do (no creep status), I will predict your next movement (thanks to my degree in photojournalism), I will have you and your lover playing around (not IN) the meadow like kids, I will suggest hikes within Yosemite and invite you on new trails, I will listen to your ideas, and also tell you what I think.
I aim to capture you and your loved ones in candid moments on your wedding day, elopement, or portrait session. After 7 years of wedding photography I have learned a few things. It's almost a failure when people look and smile at my camera.
“I’ve mastered the ability of standing so incredibly still that I become invisible to the eye. Watch.” -Drax, The Avengers. Ha this is my goal when at your reception!
Don't know what to do with your hands? That's ok, I've got you during portrait sessions. I will help pose you all while getting those candid moments that you are most relaxed in. Just read my reviews to see that you're not alone. I certainly am camera-shy, why do you think I'm behind it haha.
I grew up in Yosemite and am based in the area but I am willing to travel for weddings and elopements!
What makes me unique?
I grew up in Yosemite Valley and worked in Yosemite after high school, then after college. Yosemite is my home and I know it well. I know where the light goes in each season, I know what trees are blooming, I know what grasses look best and when, I know what sections of the river to visit in all seasons. Yosemite has four seasons, and all the between transformations! I know how to have a quiet experience in Yosemite with thousands of visitors. To truly know just one seasons appearance, and feel, is something that takes years of observance. I believe I can adapt this knowing of nature to any natural environment. I know inspiration comes from change; change in perspective and environment. Im more than happy to experience new lands and more so to photograph them.
This life long observance is a blessing in my life. My experience in photography is from self driven hard work and passion. My Aunties are exceptional photographers. Since I was a child I have felt the love they showered me with when posing me for photos, i have felt the light in me grow as they told me countless times 'wow, Katie. You are stunning.' They would say that over and over and over again. This doesn't mean i was not shy. If it weren't for their kind words and inspired posing I would have been hiding from them any time they had their camera. I want you to feel the way i felt when my Aunties photographed me. I want you to believe you are radiant, a gift and comfortable! Years of photographing couples and professionally has created a style of my own, an experience for us.
Want the inside scoop?
Here are a couple of reviews, followed by my thoughts and feelings.
"Oh my goodness!! These really are works of art! We ended up hearting almost all of them.
We love how you captured the elements as well as us…. the flowers, the granite. And we love how you caught us in such natural moments. 🥰
These are really stunning. We are blown away!
Also we’re surprised with how quickly you turned all of these around. Thank you.
I also want you to know… we walked away from the day feeling like we had the most fun time in Tuolumne with each other and with you guys. We didn’t have the feeling of being photographed. We just felt like we had a ton of fun and our bellies hurt from laughing. And I think the memory of that is equally precious as the photos, and a testament to how talented you really are!!"
- Naomi
...
As soon as I read their inquiry that their first date was climbing in the Tuolumne area I was excited and inspired! Tuolumne Meadows and the high country is one of the most special places to me, a place where I worked and explored on horseback.
There is a culture in everything! And the people in the climbing culture are my kind of people. People who walk barefoot, who don’t mind getting dirty, who enjoy being outside and watching nature and the sun pass. People who push themselves to new limits. And those who are always reaching for the Zenith.
Naomi and Chris envisioned a small elopement at Tenaya Lake and some wanderings around the park. To me, that sounds like a great day! And it wasn't long before we were all barefoot....
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Naomi + Chris
Tenaya Lake Elopement
Along with a blog post
day. The photos were amazing and breathtaking; something ourselves and our friends and families will cherish to remember the celebration. But for us the photos will remind us of much more than just the wedding, they will remind us posing in the cold, learning about Yosemite from a local, but most of all, learning about the person behind the camera, their journey, their perspective. Thank you Kate for making the entire experience unforgettable. We are grateful that through this experience of hiring a photographer to take our wedding photos, we were able to meet a brilliant Yosemite girl who we could call a friend.
- Jeff
Weddings have so many moving pieces, it's hard to really enjoy the moment and take it all in. Photos are one way to help cement the beautiful moments and create reminders for lasting memories. It was actually our honor to work with someone like Kate, a local to the Yosemite area, her dedication towards her craft left a lasting impression on us. Kate went above and beyond to capture majestic moments throughout our wedding day, and also creating a tailored plan to successfully shoot our engagement and set wedding photos. You can never really expect or assume anything when shooting in nature. Thats where having a local who is flexible and skilled really makes a difference. Yosemite having been such a major part of her youth, Kate is prepared to handle whatever Yosemite and the weather brings that
Jeff and Jocelyn were with me from the beginning. In 2020 they hired me for their engagement session in Yosemite National Park. We started at Glacier Point for sunrise. I always tell my clients, that Glacier Point is for sunrise and Taft Point is for sunset. Jocelyn was pretty shy and quiet, and maybe nervous. I would be! And Jeff was clearly supportive, attentive, and loving towards Jocelyn. I felt like he was speaking so many words to her with just a look. I love when I see those connections and most of all when I get to see my couples help each other out during a session. Ya know what else I love? When my clients share their ideas with me! I hardly pose people sitting on each other but she suggested it, we made it work and it looked great! After we spent some time at Glacier Point we drove down Highway 41 towards Yosemite Valley. Our session was in October and the colors were POPPING! There is a section along the road that I stare at all the time, knowing there is a shot in there somewhere. This day I pulled over!
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