Category Archives: beautiful

Our Hike to Clingman’s Dome

This particular journey started many years ago…

As a teenager I was turned onto the idea of summiting the highest peaks of each state, becoming a “peak-bagger” as it were.  This past summer I finally got to check off the first peak, at truly magical place called Mount Rogers that sits near the southwest corner of our lovely state. (I’ll post pics from that later on, wild ponies included!)

As the wife and I travel the country, if the schedule and mileage warrant it we will tick off these high points as we go and this time our travels had brought us to within spitting distance of Clingman’s Dome (highest peak in Tennessee!).

We started the day early to beat the heat and hopefully any crowds.  The moon was still high in the sky as we began the short but strenuous trek to the top,

At an almost 13% grade it was not the easiest half mile ever!

The views make it all worthwhile though as you look through the valleys of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

On top of the summit is a spiral ramp raising you up 45 feet above the Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest (one of only a handful of sites in North America) affording the views below.

We missed sunrise by a few minutes but were treated to a gorgeous show nonetheless.   Not too crowded at all, the air was quite chilly and the wind was unrelenting at that altitude.

The tower itself is beautiful as well, doesn’t quite fit in with the surroundings but isn’t an eyesore either.

The Crosstrek enjoyed the view while we summitted!

Prints are available, please email for more info at info@michaelsinkphotography.com

Let me know what you think in the comments!  Have you been, what was your experience like?

Caroline & Joe’s wedding!

We were honored to be asked to photograph Caroline and Joe’s wedding at Wisteria Ridge!  We had a gorgeous fall day with a constant breeze up in the mountains of Callaway, VA.

Shanna Bush was there guiding the way, ensuring everything went smoothly!

Just a little teaser before the big reveal!

Lindsay & Cary’s Engagement Session

  Lindsay met us at Karolina & Chris’ wedding, she and Cary got a first-hand look at how we work on the wedding day.  During the reception they introduced themselves and inquired about our availability for the following year, I told them we were available on that day and that we should meet to discuss everything.  We met a few weeks later over coffee and had a blast getting to know on another and talking about their big day!  We met for their Engagement shoot (get to know you session) at a neighbor’s farm for a little horseback shoot…

  We headed into the woods and found a great fallen tree, all mossy like and had to stop for a quick shoot there…

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At the bottom of the trail we had these crazy kids climbing on rocks in the middle of the river for some lovey-dovey fun!IMG_0012A super cute sequence!IMG_0027IMG_0028IMG_0031Horseback?  Oh yeah, She’s got skills!  Romantic? you bet!IMG_0147I love this candid moment…IMG_0165IMG_0176IMG_0178Next we got some sun-kissed goodness in the field…IMG_0187Add a giant strobe and you get this…  (CD cover anyone?  They rocked this photoshoot!)IMG_0195 We can’t wait for the wedding day!IMG_0270A blingety-ring!  (Nice job Cary!)IMG_0291So relaxed and natural, they are truly in love!IMG_0300Hang this one on the wall guys!IMG_5677

Kate’s Fashion Bridals

  Kate had worked with us a few years ago through Metropolished a local modeling agency.  We loved working with Kate!  She is so confident and beautiful, we wanted to work with her again.  Like so many of our clients we formed a friendship with Kate and kept in touch through the years.  After getting married on the other end of the state Kate asked us if we would do Fashion Bridals for her…

  Fashion Bridals are otherwise known as “Trash the Dress” sessions!  We immediately jumped at this and we all brainstormed some neat ideas and locations.  Now, you may be wondering how fashion bridals are any different from regular bridals, I mean, we don’t really trash the dress do we?

  No!  We just take a different direction than your typical bridal session, a little more edgy, the dress my get dirty (not trashed!), but you get to wear what is probably the most expensive, detailed, elegant dress you’ll ever own more than once!  And you’ll get some stunning images to show off forever!

  We started off with some natural-light images to warm up a bit, Kate took the role of Super-model and ran with it!IMG_0001Kate had such a beautiful gown!  We sat her here on the old stairs and wrapped her up mermaid style so you could see the beading/embroidery on the back…IMG_0036What a gorgeous smile!IMG_0055See, I told you the back was beautiful!IMG_0069The sun cooperated to give us an awesome sunset, and some great clouds!IMG_0097Grunge and glamour combine for Fashion Bridals…IMG_0106Had to get the shoes, I just had to…IMG_0118Clouds, thank you so much for your appearance!IMG_0133Kate, thank you for “bringing it!”  You are a Super-Duper Model!IMG_0134

Veronica college graduation…

  Veronica contacted us to do graduation portraits for her when she graduated from college in the spring, she had discussed going to the studio and doing some images in her gown in front of a backdrop.  After consulting briefly we both came to the conclusion that we could give her something much more interesting that would mean so much more…

  Attending Mary Baldwin College through the Higher Ed center downtown we knew we had to showcase this remarkable building in some of the images so we met in front of the building when it would be lit just right by the sun…

IMG_0063And of course we had to have a little fun!

IMG_0079We almost always bring a studio strobe with us, this allows us to control more of the scene and the light to flatter you in every image…IMG_0084_ppThen it was back to the studio for some more traditional graduation images…IMG_0100_pp…and more fun of course! (please let me pass, please let me pass!)IMG_0104IMG_0106_ppIMG_0111_ppIMG_0114_ppVeronica rocked her shoot in Superstar fashion!IMG_0122_pp

Kelly’s Bridal Session

  Kelly and Aaron were married in June and we snuck in a last minute bridal session just a couple of weeks before her big day.  We had worked with Kelly before during her Engagement session (get to know you session around here!) and we knew she was not only gorgeous, but capable of some pretty, elegant looks, as well as some more sultry, vogue-ish ones!  We headed up to the site of the wedding to capture these at 3pm in June (from a photography standpoint it couldn’t have been worse, hot, sun almost directly overhead, hardly a breeze, but Kelly rocked in true super-model fashion!)
IMG_0024see, I told you she was gorgeous!  Then we opted for a little more drama and got this…IMG_0016…I pushed it a step further in the digital darkroom later and…  still beautiful and super-edgy!IMG_0016-2Elegant, beautiful, with eyes that draw you right in…IMG_0042A little more traditional now with the bouquet and a smile…IMG_0064The reception was being held at the barn so we made sure to utilize it in a couple…IMG_0074Even with the mid-summer sun beating down Kelly helped us nail this awesome image toward the end of the session…IMG_0100So fun, such a good sport to play with us in the heat, this might be one of my favorites from the session!  That dress came from hereIMG_0121We couldn’t pass up these french doors…  Thanks Kelly for being so super-modelly!IMG_0130
Angel popped in for a test shot while helping Kelly keep cool, two smashing women in one image!IMG_0073

Kelly’s maternity session…

  Kelly was so excited to get her maternity session done while carrying her first child.  We photographed her boudoir session last year and couldn’t wait to work with her again!  As with most of our clients we tend to form a friendship and Kelly was sure to let us know as soon as she found out she was pregnant so we could all plan to make some amazing images that convey the beauty of motherhood and the softness of this special time…

IMG_0005IMG_0013IMG_0015IMG_0017IMG_0022IMG_0033Miguel came in for a few frames to share this wonderful moment with us…IMG_0040IMG_0042IMG_0046IMG_0050

Stay tuned for the newborn session!

Boudoir

  Sexy, sophisticated, tasteful, beautiful, sultry, sensual
Every man thinks of these terms when describing the one they love. Unfortunately, most women aren’t able to see themselves this way. We want to help you unveil your beauty by bringing out the most sexy part of you… your CONFIDENCE.

  Let us match up your inner confidence and your outer most beauty with your first boudoir session. We will start with some fashion oriented images to help you get comfortable and natural for the camera. Then, we will direct you through some poses that will have you and your man doing a double-take.  As a husband and wife team we have a balanced approach to your poses and expressions that add up to a great session!
  Lastly, we’ll help you select the perfect images for a private album for your partner to give as a special anniversary, valentine, or wedding day gift.  Not only will you have these images for a lifetime, you will also gain a sexiness and confidence that will outlast your photo session and carry into your relationship.
Book your session now!!
  Contact us at info@michaelsinkphotography.com
  MaDonna and Kelly chose to book their sessions together, as best friends they had already been to get their nails done together, and decided to make it a girls day out…
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This was their “tough girls” image!IMG_0129-2

Maternity

  Motherhood is such a beautiful time in a woman’s life, bringing a new soul into the world, a growing family…  We love to capture this moment at it’s peak, around 8 months or so.  Stephanie came to the studio to start her shoot with her husband with some classic maternity images…IMG_0007IMG_0014Anthony stepped in and lent a masculine contrast to the images…IMG_0035a…working with these two was easy, loving looks and embraces were the order of the day.IMG_0041This one has a real ethereal feel to it…IMG_0047…and some dramatic lighting here to accent Stephanie’s pregnant form…IMG_0051A little belly dance attire for fun!IMG_0059One of our favorites….IMG_0066After the studio Stephanie wanted to head down to the river for some magical images…IMG_0105

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Contact us regarding booking your session for maternity images now!

Kara (boudoir, fashion bridals…)

  Kara replied to a casting call that I posted on a modeling site regarding boudoir images…

  We have found that every woman we have ever photographed (brides, maternity, seniors, family portraits, etc.) is VERY self-critical before and during the beginning of the shoot, but by the end of the shoot they always feel better about themselves, seeing themselves in a new light (no pun intended!), to see this transformation is amazing, the posture is a little better when they leave, a little smile stays on their lips, an air of confidence surrounds them.

  We are adding boudoir sessions because we feel it will be a great gift for brides to give to their fiancé as a pre-wedding gift the day of the wedding, or for an anniversary, birthday, and so on.  Imagine the look on his face when he sees these tasteful images of you, a very special gift for him merely hours before he takes your hand in marriage.  Now imagine how good you’ll feel having been posed professionally and images captured with dramatic lighting that feel like they could be an ad in Vogue or Elle…

  We met Kara and discussed what we would like to get for our portfolio and she for hers, where the locations were, what clothing to bring etc.  This pre-meeting also gave us a chance to get to know each other a little bit, joke around, and loosen up a week or so before the shoot.  To make things a little smoother we started the shoot with a sun-dress outdoors downtown…

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Kara braved the bugs and heat with us to capture some fun images…

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Now, a little more sultry, turn up the heat a little…

IMG_0052Pow!  There we go, that all comes together for a pretty smashing series!

  Next we wanted some images in a wedding dress that we picked up a while back.  To shoot some Trash the Dress Fashion Bridal images, so we stayed downtown, reset lights while Kara changed (in our pop-up changing booth) and she helped us create these images…

This one was just begging for some sepia… IMG_0067-2

Flirty fun in front of the municipal building…IMG_0069

Ummm…  WOW!  Kara pulled all the stops for this sultry look…IMG_0073   IMG_0084

So, these are NOT your mother’s bridal are they?  We thought not!  The dress is barely dirty but you get some great images in it that you probably won’t get on your wedding day…IMG_0089

I love the blue sky in these as well as Kara’s beauty…IMG_0094

This has a bit of a grungy dirty feel to it…IMG_0099

After that great warm-up we headed to some space that I have available to shoot the boudoir images.  I had previously set everything up to save time and get right down to shooting…

     A simple white shirt, some great lighting, we’re off to a great start…IMG_0125 Some bedroom eyes, a black and white treatment, wouldn’t your man love to have images like this of you?..IMG_0126 …shirt off the shoulder, flirty smile, direct eye contact…IMG_0128 did she catch the scent of your cologne on the shirt to trigger memories?IMG_0130  More direct, fun, sassy…IMG_0134 Wow!  Well Hello, Kara!  A very simple yet high impact pose here…IMG_0138 Kara had asked if we could get some shots that showcased her tattoo (that she designed) so we started with an image that shows off the design but also has a soft feel to it…IMG_0144  Then we got a little more dramatic with the lighting and brought out the tattoo more…IMG_0156 and finally a less direct gaze and a wonderful set of images!IMG_0161

 

Thanks Kara!  We still plan on a trip to see you and shoot some more soon!

What do you say Ladies?  Are you ready to feel great about yourself?  Celebrate your upcoming wedding?  Your anniversary?  Give your man the perfect gift?  Want to celebrate a milestone in your life?  Let us know, we can meet and discuss your session!