Chellise Michael Photography

I typically have either RBF or a double chin because I’m usually laughing. I also cringe at the standard posed wedding photography and knew right off the bat that it would be a mission to find a wedding photographer that would be up for the challenge. So if you’re like me, you may dread the thought of choosing a wedding photographer. It was by chance that I came across CMP’s photographs while browsing on Pinterest. They immediately caught my eye; they were editorial, intimate and full of personality. Bottom line - stunning. Fortunately CMP had one photographer available for our date — Danny. We lucked out because he is not only extremely talented in his craft, but also a total gem of a person. The photographs from our engagement shoot (WHICH COMES WITH YOUR PACKAGE AND IS AN AMAZING BENEFIT OF CMP’S SERVICES) made it immediately clear that Danny has a superb eye and was able to capture our personality as a couple. I’ve been non-stop spamming friends and family with our wedding photographs since we've received them; and which Danny delivered in record time. I’m in complete awe of how Danny was able to capture the vibe of our wedding in such a natural way. It goes without saying that wedding photographs aren’t just for the couple, but also for the friends and family. So I want to share some verbatim messages I received from our attendees (who include people who work in the fashion industry, my highly critical family and people who have gone to at least 8 weddings last year) which really underscore Danny’s stellar photography skills: “HOLY $H!T YOUR WEDDING PHOTOS!! I’m obsessed with all of them!“ “The photos really capture you guys” “I’m done. Unwell this aesthetic. who is this photographer?!” “Your photographer was on it! They did a really great job!” “This photographer is magic brah” Last but not least, I want to recognize qualities of CMP that while searching for a wedding photographer I had not recognized were absolutely essential until I saw them in action: (1) a commitment to easy scheduling for discussing your needs and dates and for the engagement shoot; (2) clear instructions and constant communication on when the photographs will be delivered, guides for the photo shoots and how to view your photos; (3) a photographer with great personality that puts everyone at ease; and (4) flexibility and ability to provide for their customer’s needs and implement their customer’s vision. All in all, due to Danny — our knight in shining corduroy — we will live happily ever after.

e really wanted an authentic, non-cheesy feel and Danny delivered! He was a calming presence, so much fun to work with, and overall we felt like he really went above and beyond our expectations. Most importantly, our pictures have come out AMAZING. Thank you Danny & CMP!

heat and Danny was such a trooper during the scalding temperatures. During the engagement shoot it really felt like we were just hanging out with a friend and during the wedding he was nonintrusive, yet there at all the right moments. We ended up doing our engagement shoot pretty close to the wedding date and Danny wanted to give us a quick turnaround on the photos, so we could see them in advance of the big day. We really appreciated this (esp since they turned out amazing). Chellise and team were also really great to work with throughout the booking process and made things so seamless and efficient.

e about us as human beings? do we VIBE togeher?), the overall mood of the photographer's work (our wedding was in Winter, in Brooklyn NY), the photographer's style / vision / values (prioritizing authentic, candid, REAL moments with REAL people with REAL feelings), and of course professionalism. My husband and I decided to inependently research some brooklyn/ny-based photographers and we were going to share our top 3 picks and compare/discuss before making our decisions. I am not lying when I say that Chellise Michael Photography was both of our top pics, and we basically fell in love once we spoke with her. 1) Chellise a chill / badass boss lady with a genuine passion / heart for what she does. Out of the photographers we contacted, she was the only one who not only requested but 'required' that we as a couple get on a zoom call to "meet" and get to know each other. Many of the other photographers were "fine" with a phone call, but not Chellise. We absolutely loved our conversation with her and truly appreciated that she wanted and needed to take time to understand who we were as individual people, who we were as a couple, and of course our love story. And even throughout our portrait session - she made sure that my super-camera-shy husband felt comfortable and natural, by just starting our session, sitting down with a couple of drinks just chatting, sharing with us her story, and asking us questions while snapping way to capture really authentic moments, and also helping us warm up to the camera. 2) Photos - Honestly - just go to her website and look at her and her team's work. The photos are amazing, and it doesn't matter where they are taken - whether it's in your kitchen, or in the mountains, or at a venue in Brooklyn, NY - her style is so romantic, moody, and deep - we are SO imrpessed and happy with the photos from our wedding day. 3) Professionalism - as I said - she's a badass lady. One of the things that we truly loved about Chellise is her absolute confidence in her work and her process. Throughout the entire process - Chellise was honest and transparent about expectations (regarding cost, timeline, etc.), punctual and organized with her communication, and we just always trusted her with the quality of her services. Chellise will forever have a special place in our hearts, and we're so lucky to have worked with her. Thank you Chellise & her team for truly being our partners throughout this journey, and delivering absolutely amazing photos from our special day. <3 xoxo anna & ed

et. From our first introduction where we chatted in her studio for probably two hours, we felt she was a trusted friend. Many months later she came to our apartment for the portrait session. Taking these in your home is such a great idea and produced some photos that will be awesome to look at years from now. She captured not only us but the art, toys, and furry kitties that are part of our daily life. It's our personal New York experience, which honestly is most often at home =) On the day of Chellise showed up full of energy and ready to go. She shot well over 1,000 photos: us, the venue, the guests looking their best and some totally real moments too, the food, the flowers, the performers, Japanese glow in the dark toys — everything. We had a few performances lined up for our wedding and she got great shots of all of them, getting out on the dance floor and capturing all of the action. Some video captured her nearly getting hit with a whip of a Dominican Diablo Cojuelo! Google it. Our wedding theme was “Wicked Garden” with a dark side driven by the 1977 Italian Giallo horror film, Suspiria, directed by Dario Argento. This part really came out at the reception with lighting, decor, and some amazing centerpieces from Hudson Botanica. What really nailed it was Chellise's Lit Lounge where our guests got portraits amidst a variety of Suspiria-influenced lighting and an awesome backdrop that Chellise sought out specifically to make it even more awesome. Props also to Rijard who shot all the portraits and did his homework on Suspiria! We got a sneak peek of some shots just 4 days after the wedding. You don’t really know what you’re going to get but these shots and the rest that followed just in time for Christmas let us reminisce every time we see them. Chellise captured the day as we saw it.

he really helped us feel comfortable in front of the camera and being photographed by her so that the night of the wedding it was like she was just another friend and not stressful at all (and this from a couple that really isn’t great at being photographed or being the center of attention). The photos from the portrait session came out beautifully and we can’t wait to see the photos from the wedding itself! They’re sure to be great, because she was extremely active throughout and always there capturing every important moment plus millions of candids of the dance part. We highly recommend working with her and with Chellise Michael generally. Thank you Chellise!

ing with them was easy and fun, two very important factors in the chaos of planning. For two people that are not fond of attention and cameras, Sarah and Quyn were great to be around, and made entire process comfortable for us. Nothing is rehearsed, they guide when a perfect moment arises… and what you get are photos that make you remember what it felt like to be in that moment. We absolutely love our photos. You guys are incredible, and we had so much fun working with you! Thank you thank you thank you.

en the sublime-- went way above and beyond any of our expectations. I was absolutely captivated by their portfolio-- the narrative, colors, composition, perspective. We were having a very small casual wedding, so I honestly wondered, would it still make sense to invest ourselves in photos? I am so glad that we did. I searched high and low online, but I kept coming back to their portfolio --beautiful yet edgy, current, and distinctive. After meeting with Mike at his Bushwick studio, we decided to go for it. I keep thinking of the word Zeitgeist (if that happens to mean something to you)-- the idea that art and culture are intertwined, that individuals and their works are products of their time and culture-- this is what you have with Mike & Chellise-- the ability not only to create beautiful amazing portraits and memories of important moments but also to be part of the artistic and inspired zeitgeist of Brooklyn/NY now. It's like you have the chance to be doing your band photoshoot, except that it happens to be your engagement photoshoot. My partner and I both didn't want traditional engagement photos-- we both love modern and contemporary art, cinema, and the eclectic visionaries who bring their own individual perspective to their work. We enjoy the rich saturated hues and style of 1960s Italian (a la Dario Argento) and French New Wave cinema, so we wanted to recreate those moments in our portraits. Mike and Chellise and Kelli made it happen and came up with fantastic locations that worked perfectly. Our portrait session photoshoot was as fun, memorable, and as exciting as our wedding itself... and the photos are simply incredible. Not only that, but they bring genuine positive and relaxed energy, which is really important, especially for the wedding day. Mike and his team are friendly, professional, timely, and super-efficient and effective. You could not ask for better event/portrait/wedding photographers. True talented artists.

ommend!

up throwing a fairly non-traditional South Asian wedding, cutting a lot of the extra events and keeping the guest list shorter. I wanted to make sure that our photography followed suit - you know, none of the common awkward and cliched poses straight out of a Bollywood movie. And then I heard about CMP. My dreams were going to become reality. Sarah & Quyn make the best photography #squad ever. They are the A-Team. They captured every single moment of our wedding perfectly - not in a way that was intrusive - but in a subtle behind the scenes way that makes you nostalgic for your wedding (even if it has been a few months). Leading up to the wedding, the team was uber responsive to all my annoying questions and emails. If wedding stuff has you stressed, don't fret! The team will make you feel absolutely chill during your wedding festivities. Sarah and Quyn exude an energy that is so calming that it'll make the worst of bridezillas want to take a chill pill. We were absolutely speechless when our pictures came back. I can't stop looking at 'em! The team felt and will always feel like a family to us. You guys are the best.

k it's really important to like your photographers, not just their photos, as you will be spending your entire wedding day with them. Needless to say, I loved Daniel & Falcon and enjoyed hanging out with them on our wedding day! I would 100% recommend them.

with them. I love their vision and was very happy. My only complaint is that despite all the amazing images...there wasn't that ONE cover photo where we both look great and are looking at the right place with that perfect back drop and YES we hired them because they were more candid but at the same time I was a little bummed that their weren't more "timeless photos." I'm sure if I had asked for them they would have posed us more. Overall I would recommend them to anyone getting married! Daniel I give a few additional stars! Falcon we loved but she focused a lot of the "detail" shots before the first look on my cat and not enough on me and mom.......he is a very photogenic cat.

e with their style. Then I watched their "hello" section video and stopped looking. The engagement shoot was a wonderful chance to get to know them and for them to warm us up in front of the camera - which neither my husband or I are comfortable in front of. They were easy to get a hold of before the big day and extremely helpful with questions and concerns. The day itself was chaotic, but I felt like Chellise and Michael were there leading us through it all unscathed. They kept a calm around us and we just had fun with the day. They were extremely professional and it was an added bonus that on top of that, I actually felt like they enjoyed the day more so than they were there just doing their job. Chellise and Michael exceeded every expectation I had for the day and the photos. I can't recommend them enough.

tifully married photography team) took the time to know us and because of that, it felt like they were guests, or better yet, friends at our wedding. My husband and I felt carefree and happy in their professional care and we truly couldn't have imagined our special day without them. They are insanely talented and we feel so lucky to know them and reaps the benefits of their photography skills.

now what they are doing!" Chellise was a very calming presence during the pre-wedding chaos and kept us on track to get amazing photos with all of our family (which took some coordinating). I had complete trust in them to get great shots; it was the one thing I didn't have to worry about. A bonus: they are awesome. Highly recommend.

ded and did not let us down. From the first contact Chellise was nothing but warm and accommodating. We wanted a smaller package than she normally offers and this was no problem at all. We chatted on the phone and through email - never meeting in person until the wedding day. I was a bit apprehensive about the photo shoot being awkward but it was anything but. Chellise made us feel totally comfortable and at ease. I have only seen a few sneak peek pictures so far and they are amazing. I can't wait to see the entire portfolio after they complete editing. Highly recommend. They are the type of people that if I lived in NYC, I would want to hang out with!!