kalamazoo photographer | valerie ott photography bio picture
  • I want to attract clients who allow me to use my vision to create stunning photos.
    I want to attract clients who want something custom, not cookie cutter.
    I want to attract clients who appreciate vintage, lovely things.
    I want to attract clients who want the words sweet, lovely, vintage-mod to describe their photo session with me.

Featured!

Remember the wedding that I photographed with my friend in St. Louis? Here’s a link if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s this gorgeous and stylish couple:

It’s technically not me that’s featured, it’s Melanie Acker Photography that has been featured on not one, but TWO wedding blogs.

The first feature came from TrendyBride.net. Melanie was actually approached by them, which is pretty impressive. Not only is it impressive that she was approached by them, but she was approached for her first wedding. Do you know how much talent you have to have to accomplish that? TONS!

You can see Melanie’s feature here:

 

 

The second wedding blog that Melanie was featured in was loveandlavender.com. The style of this blog speaks to me. I love everything about their brand. From the font type to the vintage elements, this blog is one you should follow.

You can see Melanie’s feature here:

 

Congratulations on this tremendous recognition. Melanie, you have an amazing talent and an abundance of gifts. Melanie and I are going to put packages together so we can shoot together more often. If you are interested in hiring both of us as a team, please let me know. When I get to work with such an amazing photographer I am inspired to work better and harder.

Maybe the next feature on a wedding blog will be yours!

Photography Workshop

I had so much fun this past weekend. My friend, Melissa Gregersen, who owns Gregersen Photography was doing a workshop to teach people how to use their DSLR. I love doing that kind of thing so I volunteered to help. It ended up working perfectly because I would show the Nikon users the settings in their camera, while Melissa showed the Canon people. Did you know that photography world was so divided? It basically boils down to are you Canon or are you Nikon. If everything in life only came down to two choices, we would have a mighty boring lot in life!

Melissa started the workshop with a great information session, and then we started to shoot in the studio.

 

I was not the only one that volunteered for the workshop. I asked my kiddo if he would model, and he said yet. (Well, I could mention that I offered him fruit snacks as payment and I believe he said yes to the fruit snacks, not necessarily the modeling.)

 

Seriously, I have the biggest ham on my hands. He worked with room of women like he owned it. He was so personable and charming.

I gave him this camera to keep him busy, and he directed (mostly me) on how to pose. Do it again, make a face, stand this way … apparently he’s heard it all.

Here’s T working the room:

 

At one point he had this conversation with someone:

T: So what do you do?

K: I study hard because I’m a student.

T: Where do you go to school?

K: Western.

T: My dad teaches there!

K: What does your dad teach?

T: College.

He had the whole room in stitches!

 

 

 

He was so stinkin’ sweet for these women learning how to use their camera. I just had to jump in there a take a picture or two, or ten because it was so darling. Wait a minute, why can’t he do that for me when I do a photoshoot with him? I guess I just need to invite 10 more women and then he’ll behave!

 

 

 

 

Kalamazoo Parent Magazine

Have you seen the latest issue of Kalamazoo Parent Magazine? I took the cover image in my snow tent (last year, actually!) It’s so much fun when I go out and about and see this magazine, especially when my image is on the cover.

I remember taking this shot and thinking “Am I going to have to edit snow flakes off their faces? Will that me forever?” Well, I was blessed with a great shot. So much so that the editor of Kalamazoo Parent Magazine wanted it for the cover.

This is actually the second time one of my images has graced the cover. If you flip through their site, look for the September issue. I think that issue may have been pretty popular because it’s still in the office at my son’s school. It was one of my favorite shoots from 2011.

I’ve had a great time doing sessions for Kalamazoo Parent Magazine, and allowing the editor to pick out her favorites, but this month they are doing something special. They are having a cover kid contest so that I can photograph the cutest kids in Kalamazoo. The contest has already closed, and I can’t wait to see the finalists. I have a special session planned for them. I’m sure I’ll put a sneak peek on the blog, and make an announcement when it comes out, but keep your eyes peeled for those cute kids! I’m even considering writing an article to accompany the theme of the photo session, which will coincide with the theme of the issue. I want to show off as many images from the session as I can.

You can pick up your FREE copy of Kalamazoo Parent Magazine at any public library, coffee shops, restaurants, and various locations around town. If you can’t find one, please let me know and I’ll make sure to get one to you.

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Lindsey - I found/ saw a copy inside wild goose chase today :) turned out beautiful! and your ad inside is adorable too!

Jessica Alamdari - Very cool!!!

St Louis Wedding Photographer … really!

I was able to travel to St Louis, MO the first week in January to photograph a wedding with Melanie Acker Photography. She has been featured a lot on my blog because we have had a very long friendship. Our friendship has sustained time and distance probably we love the same things – including being professional photographers. You can see her gorgeous family here in a post titled my favorite session of the year, and you can see her work of my cute little family here.

The wedding and reception were at the Foundry in St. Charles. This building is amazing and inspirational all rolled into one.

 

Melanie’s friend and session stylist just happened to style this wedding as well. I loved the details she poured into this fun day: 

 

Love the piano. Can I get one of those for my sessions?

 

Or maybe I just want the entire living space for my sessions. Or to live there. Either way I would be happy:)

 

Love, love, love the wallpaper. Did I say this house was amazing?

 

The groom had a good sense of humor and didn’t mind when they all told him he looked like a lumberjack. So the axe come out. I’m so glad he took it all in stride. 

 

They were so happy. This moment was the first look. Could you imagine a first look, the first week on January outside? In Michigan, never, in Missouri, yes!

 

I think it’s pretty clear that I love sun flare. It’s a little hard to see here, but look at her arm and shoulder. It’s there and it means that I love this image!

 

The stylist strikes again. She brought out this red velvet blanket for a backdrop and it dropped down just enough for the sun to peek through and give me this gorgeous image.

 

 

The Foundry is such an amazing place. If I lived close to it, not a 7 hour drive away, I would want to photograph there all the time. Even in this industrial setting, it still looks soft and romantic. 

 

Thank you, Caleb and Ann for letting me be a part of your day. THank you, Melanie for inviting me along for the ride.

 

 

 

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Featured! » kalamazoo photographer | valerie ott photography - [...] the wedding that I photographed with my friend in St. Louis? Here’s a link if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s this gorgeous and stylish [...]

My own little boy.

I recently took a trip to St. Louis to photograph a wedding (stay tuned for an upcoming post!) with a friend. But mostly the trip was to spend time with people I love. The first week of January brought sunny skies and 55 degree weather. On more than one occasion I’m sure I said “look at me, I’m outside without a coat!”

I’m not even sure if I took these images. It may have been Melanie, but I love them no matter who took them. The sun flare is just killer! Look at those bright colors! I try for sun flare anytime I can capture it, but this was an unexpected time of day to see it in the camera. If you took these Melanie, then good work!

 

 

These images were taken with my dream camera. I’m completely conflicted over it. The newest model is coming out soon, but this version photographed beautifully. In all honestly, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to find anymore.

So I guess I’ll just continue to sit at my desk in cold Michigan, and wait for the weather to get warmer, the snow to melt and the next model of my camera to become available.

 

On a side note, I’m opening a studio so I am able to photograph in the cold months without freezing my fingers off. If you are interested in a session, please give me a call and we’ll get you on the calendar inside the warm studio! I want to have a lot of fun in the studio, so I’m hoping that some creative individuals want to do images that are “outside the box”. With Valentine’s day right around the corner, we can get some red-heart creative sessions going. Personalized Valentine’s cards are my favorite! The ones I made last year for this guy were a BIG hit!

 

Maternity Mama. Kalamazoo Maternity Photographer

It is my job as a photographer to see everything. When we were at the studio shooting this family I saw A put her hand on her mom’s tummy and it left a little print. We made it into a game. If I hadn’t seen that little second happen we would have never gotten this image:

I know it’s only a few days into 2012, but I’m sure this will be one of my favorite images of the whole year. A was so tender with her mama and I love the handprint to show it.

 

I love the idea of photographing people doing what they would naturally be doing. Kim absolutely glows in these pictures. Natural and beautiful.

 

Kim had the idea to do a tin-can telephone, so I made a couple of days before our session. I was so excited to try it. Once I got to the studio, I realized that I forgot it! It was my most important prop for this session – how could I? I left a message for my husband, who at the time was busy shoveling 100 inches of snow from our driveway. He proved how awesome he is when he stopped shoveling and drove all the way downtown to bring me the tin-can telephone!

We gave it to A (and of course instructions on how to use an antique toy) and she immediately loved it. Which leads me to believe that every child should try this FREE DIY toy.

Not only did she talk to the baby, she sang and sang and sang.

She only stopped singing for one minute to hear if the baby sang back. She said the baby did.

I’m so glad that I got to see this fun, photogenic family again. And I can’t wait another few weeks to meet the newest member of their family. It will be a surprise to find out if it’s another little girl or a boy. Either way, I’m excited for them!

 

 

 

 

Kalamazoo Photographer – 1 year session

Welcome to my new studio space!

It’s official that I will be photographing here. It’s a perfect little room in a wonderful building downtown.  I went back and forth about making this leap. The final decision was ultimately about being able to shoot all year. It’s so challenging that I couldn’t photograph in the deep winter months. So my solution was to take a risk and make a leap. I’m glad that I did, but it feels like it happened really fast! The studio was ready before I was. So here is my first session there. My wonderful new clients walked into a completely BARE studio! So in the weeks to come, I will be a decorating fool. I suspect that my Pinterest account will be working full time. If you see any creative decorating ideas, send them my way! I would have spent the entire day there today, if it weren’t for a SNOW DAY!

I need to send a wonderful thank you to Melissa with Gregersen Photography for allowing this all to happen. She’s a wonderful friend and colleague.

 

 

My favorite!

 

This chalkboard was so cute … I think I need to borrow that idea for other sessions!

 

It seems unheard of to have a session outside in January, but it was about 45 degrees and I was not going to pass that up. Not in January! So we headed outside to get a few more shots. It seems weird that I am editing these photos today … with several inches on the ground and schools closed.

Even in black and white her eyes shine!

 

Thank you so much Laura for being the first clients in my studio. When you come back next time I promise to have furniture, art on the walls and my name on the door! It’s so exciting that this project is in it’s infancy, even though it seems like a have a little ways to go before the studio fully says “this is Valerie Ott Photography!”

 

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Laura - Love them! Thank you, Valerie! I can’t wait to see the rest!

Audrey - Absolutely beautiful!

Kalamazoo Newborn Photographer

This is the perfect time of year for newborns! I have never experienced a newborn session like this. She was so perfectly content and sleepy that she never woke up and never made a PEEP! She was so happy to pose for me.

 

 

I meant it when I said she must have been happy posing for me. Look at the big smile! LOVE it!

 

 

 

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maria siqueira - Beautiful pictures.

maria siqueira - Beautiful pictures. Welcome Charlotte. Luv ya Nana and Papa.

Barbara Dodson - What a precious bundle of joy! Mazol tov!

Christmas Gift, Part II

If you read my last post, you know that I received an unexpected gift. A couple of days later, the same thing happened again. Doh! I love giving and I missed TWO opportunities! Even though Christmas is over, I still have this sitting on my console table because it’s so pretty. Of course it’s hand-made by Fruitpants. I feel like a complete scrooge, and that’s not a good feeling. So I vow to be more generous and giving in 2012. Stay tuned for big things!

Christmas Gift

I got a gift yesterday. It was totally unexpected. A special friend stopped by my house to pick up something, and she brought me a gift. (*By the way, I hate the moment when someone is really thoughtful and I don’t have anything to give in return. I love the feeling of giving and I couldn’t reciprocate!)

She knows I like details. It was packaged in this charming box! Look at that box! Look at the string!

 

Even the label with the box’s contents was vintage.

 

The gift could have stopped there. I would have found some use for this cool package. But I opened it up to find this inside:

 

It’s a perfect match for my home and my style. My friend told me about the details. Of course it’s hand made, but the banner is actually made of vintage wallpaper. You can’t see it in the image, but above some of the letters it reads “Have yourself a merry little”.

So this was a special little addition to my Christmas decorations. It is a perfect gift and I will display it every year. Thank you to my special friend, who is a blessing to me.

Merry Christmas!