ABOUT MICHELLE
PHOTOGRAPHY MATTERS.
SO DOES REPRESENTATION
+ INCLUSIVITY
+ FAMILY
+ LOVE
+ COMMUNITY
+ YOUR CHOICE OF PHOTOGRAPHER
You need a portrait photographer who can hold an inclusive space for you, your truth,
& the ones you love.
Hey, I’m Michelle.
I’m a white, queer, cis woman and my identities inform a lot of the priorities I have for my work. I want to make photos that recognize the beauty in our intersecting identities and don’t cater to just one group. I care about Black and brown and trans and Asian and disabled lives. If you hire me, you should too.
The photography industry often showcases just one type of Pinterest-friendly person. I’m here to disrupt that idea and that practice, and make gorgeous photos that reflect not just the status quo. What drives me is meeting folks who are happy about the way they and their lives look — and also want great photos that correspond with who they are at their core.
I'm interested in working with all different kinds of couples, individuals, and families, and I'm totally LGBTQ+ friendly. I love to work with and for my local and queer communities. The relationships I've built with other queer families and with my neighbors here in Boston have been some of the best byproducts of the work I do. I understand that finding a professional photographer who you can trust, who is open, honest, and makes you feel comfortable, is key to you looking your best in photos. Let me take some of the stress off your plate so you can focus on what really matters — your family, your event, or whatever occasion you want to commemorate.
If you want photographs that are backed by a commitment to community and justice, photos that refuse to cave in to traditions that don’t hold meaning, and a photographer who cares about you as a complex person with intersecting identities, get in touch or find out more about how I work.
FUN FACTS
▽ Coffee is my favorite food.
▽ I am a cat person but will befriend any pet I encounter.
▽ I love horror movies, especially slashers. I know they’re problematic and I’d like to talk about that!
▽ I love gardening, particularly indoors. I have probably a hundred houseplants.
▽ I studied literature in undergrad and love books more than a lot of things. Please talk to me about the best books you’ve ever read!
▽ I would listen to music every minute that I’m awake if I could. My desert island records are Little Earthquakes, Crossroads, and Led Zeppelin III. If I got a bonus pick I’d add Montero or Masterpiece. Three is not enough records!
▽ Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my all-time favorite tv show.
Were these fun facts? I don’t know, but I tried.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
Hear what clients have to say about working with me.
CLAIRE + GEORGIA
One of the most incredible parts of my job is being allowed in when something special is happening. To observe one family’s love and relationship as it moves through milestones is a gift. With Claire and Georgia, I have been lucky enough to be invited to witness their love story as well as the journey towards the birth of their first child. I’m so grateful to document such joy.
“Where do we even begin? We can’t recommend Michelle Schapiro highly enough. Her thoughtfulness, her energy, and her attunement to our needs helped to illuminate the beauty of everyday moments and allowed vulnerable moments to feel safe and grounded. It is hard to put into words what it’s like to see gender euphoria and queer love captured so magically and preserved in an image that is both tender and defiant. Michelle has documented our engagement, our marriage, and our first pregnancy shoot; we can’t wait to see what adventure she will be part of next for our family!”
LORI + JESSICA
Sometimes families are friends and friends are family. Lori and Jessica are the latter, and photographing their beautiful family for the past handful of years has been an incredible pleasure. Whether we’re working on fall family photos or school pictures for one of the kids’ preschools, it is always a blast to have this crew appear on my schedule.
“Michelle is a gifted photographer who will capture your family’s joy, even if your kids are being total grumps! She can get a smile out of the fussiest baby, and she makes the session enjoyably stress-free. Plus, her editing skills are magic. If you want pictures that you will treasure forever, hire Michelle. Trust me, your iPhone pictures are nothing compared to what she will capture. Get some pictures that you will want to hang on your walls. ”
RACHEL ESTAPA, MORE TO LOVE YOGA™
Rachel is a longtime client, with whom I've worked with on numerous projects. I photographed her beautiful wedding to husband Adam, at the Boston Harbor Hotel and The Littlest Bar, where guests enjoyed moving speeches, Irish music performed by Rachel's father and friends, and some of the best food I've had at a wedding. It was joy from beginning to end. Since then, Rachel has been hard at work coaching clients to body love through the practice of yoga, receiving her yoga teaching certification from the Kripalu Center and doing amazing work through her incredible vision: More to Love Yoga™.
“Michelle’s super power is her ability to capture the essence of someone — their passion, drive, and heart — and convey it to the world. I hear often “I LOVE your photos on your website!” and that is because of Michelle’s keen eye to details, her professionalism, and intuitive ability to translate my vision into gorgeous photography. I always feel relaxed and powerful during our photo sessions and love every single image she captures.”
SHANNON + BRYAN
Wedding location: Edge Hill Golf Course, Ashfield, MA
Shannon and Brian were married at Edge Hill Golf Course in Ashfield, Massachusetts. Edge Hill is an incredible venue, full of beauty and surprises. It's a golf course, but the grounds are so much more. Rolling hills, beautiful grasses and flowers, huge, mature trees, all in a location off the beaten path in lovely western Massachusetts. Shannon and Bryan's wedding was a nonstop love party, with family, friends, and friends who are family.
“Our wedding photos came out amazing! We have gotten so many compliments on them. I was familiar with — and a fan of — Michelle’s work, and knew that she would be the perfect fit for us. Michelle really took the time to find out what we wanted from our wedding photos while also bringing so many interesting and fun ideas of her own, giving us a lot of unique angles and poses. She shot some film in addition to digital, which gave some of our photos a totally different look and brought out the vibrant colors of the beautiful setting. Michelle was professional, accommodating and easy-going. The whole experience with her was super relaxed and so much fun. Such a pleasure!”
KATIE + ROB
Engagement photos: Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, MA
Wedding ceremony location: St. James Church, Portsmouth, NH
Reception: Wentworth by the Sea, Portsmouth, NH
Katie and Rob met and fell in love in college in Boston (at my alma mater, where I met Rob as well), and when they needed a wedding and engagement photographer, they knew to call on someone they trusted for the photos. Katie and Rob’s wedding was beauty from beginning to end, incorporating meaningful elements to their ceremony and including their tight-knit group of friends in all the events of the day. From a trolley ride down to the church, to the beautiful space Wentworth by the Sea offers, everything about their day was true to who they were right then.
“My husband and I first worked with Michelle for our engagement and wedding photos. From the beginning Michelle was warm, friendly and very engaging. She was upfront with what she offered in terms of packages and pricing and there were many options to choose from depending upon our needs for the day. Once we decided on a package Michelle was communicative throughout the entire process without being burdensome. She was always available to ask questions and would periodically check in during the planning process. We felt that she truly understood our vision for the day and listened to what we felt was important to capture and highlight and she followed through entirely. We didn’t have to wait long for the photos after the wedding and the outcome was fantastic! The photos were easy to access, share and print. We still love looking back at those pictures of one of the best days of our lives. Since then we have expanded our family and have used Michelle for family portraits and yet again, she did not disappoint! Michelle is our go-to photographer for our family and we can’t recommend her enough!”
