The Hosler Family

At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.
-- Jean Houston



Have I ever told you that I love clients that return every year to get update family portraits? I think the thing I love the most about it is seeing how quickly their kiddos grow, and how much they change as they grow into little people. Life is an hourglass and time passes so quickly. Who your child is this week, this month will be passing, they will grow up before your very eyes.

Emily said it best when she said,
"The pictures look great. They will help me to remember this crazy, busy time in our life with our  boys."

Thank you, Hosler family for your continued support.

Your love shows, and your family is beautiful!

The Hollenbeck family

"A boy's story is the best that is ever told."

 ~ Charles Dickens


I met Brandon and Kristen and their little guys at Indian Springs Metropark for a warm evening fall shoot. Their little guys kept me on my toes, but we had lots of laughs. Fun is the name of game during my lifestyle session, and we had such a fun time. Real moments happen while you're doing real things. None of my smiles are forced, and most are good belly laughs. Those are my favorites. Thank you Hollenbeck family, I had such fun with you!

A summer garden of green + fairy wings + sunset + mom and daughter + cupcakes = magic - Metro Detroit Lifestlye Photography

What I wanted most for my daughter was that she be able to soar confidently in her own sky, whatever that may be.
-- Helen Claes


This portrait session was one I was thinking up for quite some time. It required a lot more artistic planning and preparation than my normal family portrait session, but in a good way. All the little details add up to something more artistic, beautiful, and magical. What I had in mind was a comfy, vintage garden picnic between mom and daughter surrounded by antique, cozy details.

*    *    *    *

I have known Chelsea since high school where we sang in choir together and kept in touch through facebook over the years. When her daugher Grace was a handful of months old she brought her by my first home in Dearborn on Halloween for trick-or-treating. Grace was a beautiful baby girl then, and is now five years old, still beautiful and oh-so lovely.

Chelsea was the winner of my Pinterest contest for my photography business, and after choosing her submission as the most creative and most in line with my dreams for a styled shoot we began exchanging ideas for when and where we would do portraits, and what fun details, outfits, looks we could come up with.

What resulted is probably the most intricate portraits set-up I have ever done, but boy was it ever worth it. We ventured to Matthaei botanical gardens in Ann Arbor, and strolled and enjoyed the flower gardens first, and then found comfy spot under some oak trees to set up our vintage cupcake picnic spot. The pictures speak volumes for the love between this mom and daughter. It was my pleasure capturing that special love.

Thank you Chelsea and Grace for spending such a fun and relaxing evening with me and my camera. And I'm so glad I got those cupcakes :)


Love, fairy dust, and cupcakes,
Sarah :)

Watch their portrait slideshow below and leave some love for them in the comments!

Metro Detroit Lifestyle Wedding Photographer - Laura and Steve Ross June 9, 2012

I carry your heart with me
- e.e. cummings
I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart) I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling) I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet ) I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)


Photographing weddings is an honor, and it is something I don't take lightly. I remember not so long ago my own wedding day and how without my amazing wedding photographer I would not be able to remember all those little moments, tears, smiles, and details I had planned meticulously for a year and a half prior to walking down the aisle. I still look back now 4 years later at my own wedding pictures and can remember how I felt waiting to walk down that aisle to my husband. I still get that same butterfly, teary-eyed feeling when I am behind my camera capturing that for my clients. It doesn't get any better than this for a photographer.


I have known Laura for what feels like forever. She and her sister Cathryn were dear friends of my family growing up. The story goes that Laura's Mom met my Mom in our old neighborhood in Dearborn pushing strollers with me and Cathryn as babies and were close friends ever since. As a result Cathryn, Laura, my sister Abby, our brothers, and myself spent a lot of time growing up together. In a way I have always felt that Laura and her family were more like family than friends growing up.
The years went by and we saw each other less as life speeds up and changed. We always kept in touch and through the wonder that is Facebook I realized about 3 months prior to my own wedding 4 years ago that Laura had begun dating Steve, a cousin on my father's side! I invited Steve and his parents along with Laura and her family to my own wedding in June 2008, and seated them at the same table.

Little did I know 4 years later I would be photographing their own wedding. Life has a crazy, wonderful way of working itself out, doesn't it?

Laura and Steve's day was beautiful. It was evident in every moment of the day how much each one of them adores the other and appreciates them for all they are. As I was photographing the bride and groom separately prior to their ceremony their thoughts were not on the flowers, the music, or anxiety that something wouldn't go right that day. There thoughts were always on each other, wondering how the other was doing, were they nervous, were they okay? I reassured each of them that their other half was thinking of them the same exact way and that they each were anxious and happy to walk down that aisle. I teared up many times during the ceremony for many reasons. I always have considered Laura a little sister of sorts and it was serendipitous in a way that I could share in her and Steve's day and their happiness by being their wedding photographer.

As I stood in the back of that church photographing a wedding where I personally knew and cared for both the bride and groom was an awesome feeling. Thank you Laura and Steve for taking a chance with me and my business and letting me capture your wonderful wedding day. I know great things are in store for you, and I can't wait to see what unfolds next in your great love story.

Much love and best wishes always in your marriage, Sarah <3

Here is their wedding day slideshow. Enjoy and please leave a comment for the newlyweds :)

Ceremony: St. Anne's Chapel - Grosse Ile, Michigan Reception: TV's Grand Event Banquet Center - Trenton, Michigan DJ: Encore Wedding DJ's - https://www.facebook.com/michiganweddingdj

Rock The Shot - June Contest Dad's Portait

When I saw that www.rocktheshotforum.com was doing a June photo contest for Dads, I thought of the perfect photo, even though I had quite a few that I could have chosen. I remember looking at this photo after I took it and I could just see the love, tenderness, and safety in
the portrait.

So, here it is.... Emiliano and his proud Dad José.

Can't you just see the love there? Beautiful.

And the winner of the Pinterest Contest is . . .

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Chelsea Lonsdale with this gorgeous pinterest board!
Click here to see the winning pin board!

All the entries were wonderful and unique, and it made my job very difficult to pick a winner. I felt Chelsea's board gave me the best vision of what her dream portrait session would be, and I loved her ideas for her session. She has won a free session fee (value of $200) to help re-create this dream session and ideas. Congratulations Chelsea :)

And for those who were not picked I hope that I can take all your portraits as well someday, your stories are all amazing and deserve to be shared and captured to remember always. I hope you will keep me in mind as a future photographer. It would be my honor to photograph your lives, hopes, and dreams.

 Best wishes, Sarah

Announcing the Pinterest Contest at Sarah Amelia Photography

Are you addicted to Pinterest like I am?

Lets have some Pinning fun – I want to see your best session ideas and what you love from me & give something back to our community, so join me in a Pinterest contest to win a completely free session fee from me (over a $200 value).

I want to be inspired by your Pinterest board and see your dream session! Go all out, be creative, think outside the box, show me a board that will create a session unique to YOU or YOUR family!

How It Works:

1. Create a Pinterest Board for this contest. You can title it whatever you want, but keep in mind creativity throughout all of this counts! You MUST PIN this image/post to start off with to qualify.

2. Pin your favorite images from my blog or my pinterest board (www.sarahameliaphotography.blogspot.com OR http://pinterest.com/sgough83/sarah-amelia-photography). (The images can be of ANY type, not just the type of session you’d like to have) The more the better! Be sure to enter what you love about the image in the description AS WELL AS #sarahameliaphotography. Please do not pin any other professional images from wedding or portrait photographers.

3. In addition to images from my blog, pin images of things that inspire you for the session you’d like to have with me. The type of location, wardrobe, prop ideas, colors, textures – whatever you would hope to incorporate in your session with me. Build your DREAM SESSION for me to shoot!

4. Leave a comment here with a link to your Pinboard when you start it. (Don’t wait until you’re finished!) ;)

5. Contest ends May 14, 2012 and the winner will be chosen and announced by May 18, 2012.

6. Contest will be judged on creativity and style. I will choose the Pinboard I would most like to shoot (so be creative, pin lots of things, both from my blog and your favorite ideas!) and you will receive a completely FREE session w/ me!
Session may be: engagement/couple, styled wedding (ie: day after type), maternity, newborn, baby, children, family, or senior. Anyone may enter, but session must take place within 30 miles of Metro Detroit.

7. HAVE FUN! I cannot wait to see what you come up with!

Why I absolutely LOVE engagement sessions

Why do I include a complementary engagement session for my lovely wedding clients? Well, one of the reasons are they are a great way for the couple and I to click and get to know one another before the big and often stressful wedding day. Knowing how I work behind the lens and how we get along is key to the experience for the couple. Plus, it's way fun for both the bride and groom to be and for me as your photographer. And as evidenced by these lovely photos, once you get comfy behind the lens beautiful things happen.

I was a bride almost 4 years ago, so I kinda know what I'm talking about. Here is one from my wedding day :)

It's Spring Portrait Time at Sarah Amelia Photography!

The sun is beginning to emerge and it’s time to start planning your Spring Portrait Sessions! The images we create today will become your treasured memories tomorrow so call the studio and let’s set up your families’ portrait story session!

I am changing things up a bit with how your portrait experience will be at Sarah Amelia Photography.

I thought about what I would want my experience to be if I was to invest in a custom portrait experience, and frankly I would want options and the flexibility to choose what I want! I love prints and digital files, and I also love albums and decorative canvases to showcase my art on my walls. I love having access to digital files, but I also would like to have my art up on my walls to help bring a smile to my face everyday. I understand that the process and choices can be overwhelming, that is why I am now offering in-person ordering sessions in the comfort of your own home.

You will see your images in person in a custom slideshow made just for you! I will help you choose on what packages, prints, etc are the best fit for you and your family, and we'll have fun with the process!

Danielle & Patrick's Wedding Slideshow is here for an example:

Try our slideshow creator at Animoto.

Just imagine what a slideshow like this will mean to you when you get to see at your in-home Session Premier for the first time! Now imagine what it will mean to you next year when you marry your best friend, or your baby turns one year old, the front teeth have grown in, or in 5 years from now when the baby face is gone…. Or 10 years from now when you’re helping them get settled into a college dorm-room.

Don’t wait for life to be perfect, instead let’s capture and celebrate your imperfectly perfect family because really… That’s what this life is all about!

My schedule fills very fast during the coming months so don’t procrastinate! I’ll help you through the whole planning process, all you have to do is make the call!

I'm here for you, let's make some plans!

Here's to you,

Sarah
(313) 310-5357

Metro Detroit Lifestyle Newborn Photography - Welcome Lucas

Metro Detroit Lifestyle Newborn Portrait Photography - Welcome Emiliano

I had the pleasure of photographing Alaina and Jose's maternity session in the fall, and was also able to capture their son Emiliano's newborn session. Such a sweet and beautiful baby boy for a lovely family.

Best wishes Alaina and Jose!

- Sarah

Life is composed of nows video

Dream Camera Giveaway!

The Canon 5D Mark II. My dream camera that I won't be able to afford to buy for years maybe. Drool....

Click on the link below to enter. Today is the last day for the contest! The more you share the more entries you receive.

http://www.mcpactions.com/blog/2012/01/19/win-canon-5dmkii-nikond700/

Good luck! I love MCP Actions :)

Danielle + Patrick's Wedding Slideshow

Visit the website:
click here

Visit the Facebook Page:
click here

Sneak Peak: Winter Wedding - Danielle & Patrick 12-23-11

Danielle and Patrick met years ago while they were both studying at Michigan State University. It seems that nothing could keep them apart ever since. Despite living states away from each other due to work, they stayed in love more than ever, and were two of the happiest people I have ever seen say "I do".

Best wishes you two, it was my pleasure capturing your day and getting to know the both of you in the process. You are a wonderful couple who I wish all the happiness in the world.

Date: December 23, 2011
Reception: Martha Mary Chapel - The Henry Ford
Reception: Park Place, Dearborn



Danielle, you are gorgeous. I loved the vintage feel of your day.


























Since Danielle and Patrick were spending their wedding night at The Dearborn Inn we were able to take portraits in their gorgeous 1930's lobby. I was in photography heaven.

The Best of 2011 at Sarah Amelia Photography

"Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possiblity."
- Oprah Winfrey


2011 was the year my business really began, and my dream was realized with the help of my husband and friends. The journey began with friends in rural west central Minnesota, then moved to Michigan this July. What began as a way of capturing the landscapes around me in Minnesota, along with family portraits became so much more, and very quickly.

To be able to have my own business and do something I love with all my heart and soul, along with being able to use my creative abilities has been a dream come true. I sincerely hope that 2012 brings even loftier changes and growth my way and that I get the opportunity to take more portraits with return and new clients, along with adding more weddings to my schedule. Here are some of my personal favorites, many of which did not make the Facebook page. I love hearing feedback from all of you! Thank you for being a part of the process and journey.

Happy New Year!

-Sarah