About The Photographer
Hi! My name is Erika Blackwell and I am photographer of Center of Attention Photography. Located in Northern Michigan. My blog is a way for everyone to view some of my favorite images from recent sessions and get to know me! I am the very VERY proud mommy to Braylan. I LOVE what I do and I hope you can tell! These are not JUST take pictures I take. I create memories... I pour my heart into my work. I genuinely care about my clients and get to know them and learn what they like and dislike. I am an artist. A business woman. I love to have fun. I love to sing. Dance. Make crazy sounds to get those smiles. I am very open! I work into the night even though my son hates to sleep. I LOVE oreos and soymilk. I dream big. I have tons of ideas. I cry during touching ceremonies and awesome reception speeches. I try not to be messy but it happens. I have so many new faces to meet this year and just thinking about it makes me excited!
This girl really knows her angles. She was so good with her own poses and has the most beautiful hair… AND clothes! Her and her mom came to her shoot and they were down with any places or ideas I had. I’ve been experimenting more and more with lighting and editing for seniors. I also spend a lot more time with their pictures and in their sessions. I have new packages and options for 2012 with my pricing that I think with help a lot.
Ok so there is something about when siblings clothing matches that get me. I like it… alot. I usually say don’t go to matchy-matchy and then when I see the pics it’s so cute! I also have come to love a good field. You will notice more and more I have a handful of new locations along with my old ones that I have been taking my clients to around Boyne Falls. We are so lucky to live in Northern Michigan. Ok now about the family… these girls are so full of energy that they really kept me on my toes. We lost most of out color on the trees right before they came for their shoot… which is what they wanted to highlight.
If you follow my blog you probably have noticed this family a few times in the last year and a half. Their first shoot is when their youngest Sage got her newborn pics. Leslie and Zach have honostly spead my name so much and for that I THANK them!! When they book a session I get so excited because it’s soooo easy to photograph them. Leslie kids me that she is going to start having to print pics on toilet paper because she’s running out of room. haha.
I love when people are in love… I love fairytales… I love the happy ending! I have had the pleasure of getting to know this super awesome couple. We first met when they came and booked me at the studio. I was very pregnant and Beth made Braylan a hand-maded blanket and brought it with her to that first meeting. Talk about melt my heart!! I took it with me everywhere I went that weekend and showed it off. Then they came up north for their engagement session on Mother’s Day. We meet at Boyne Mt. and I never had to make them kiss or snuggl in… they are so so so natural. Matt THOUGHT he wasn’t photogenic but I think the pics prove otherwise! The last time I saw them was on their wedding day. I will save the details for when I post those but it was a beautiful day.
I really LOVE meeting new people! It’s also so interesting hearing where people are from… and learning about so many different family’s in one year. This little guy was so good with all the different poses be made him do! His dad is an art teacher and it was awesome to have some input in the session. I like new ideas!
As you can see Ethan is little mister personality. It took them both a little bit to warm up and I’m sure glad they did! This session was from obviously a WHILE ago and I can remember when their mom called to order she told me she cried when she looked at them. That is the BEST compliment ever to me. But hey… with cute kids how can you go wrong right?
Holy cow time flew by! This was this summer when Beau was turning one. He loves it outside and I thikn you can tell by these pics. He is getting so big… his baby brother will be here within no time and you will start seeing them both pop up on here! I can’t wait.
You know sometimes when the weather is pefect… the sun is golden… your near the water… and there are no bugs?
Ok when I look at these pictures from this session that is exactly what I remember. We were down at the water in Charlevoix and the session couldn’t have gone better. You will see at the very end of the post the water fountain pics. YEAH it was awesome! I have since photographed their handsome little man Cooper which you will see shortly. These are a couple of good lookin’ parents right?
This is Peter… I don’t get a ton of senior guys so when I do get them I always try to make them feel as comfortable as possible. Funny thing is Peter came with his sisters and mom. I probably smiled the entire session straight at them trying to get him to smile! They have a farm and live right next to the railroad tracks so we did his outside pics right at his house. My I can’t pick a fave here because I have a few I REALLY love. This kid should be a model… I told him so too!
