We Have A Type…
First and foremost, our couples love a good party. They value photography tremendously and want their wedding photos to bring them back to a place of nostalgia - exactly how it felt to be there and to revisit seeing all of their favorite people, not just posed photos of them.
Our couples are usually NYC and Brooklyn-based, confident, relaxed, love fashion, are comfortable in their own skin, non-performative, and usually shy away from being the center of attention. Most of our couples dont love the camera and could use a photographer who offers gentle guidance and knows how to ease couples into a more natural pose rather than a staged one.
Like us, our couples care greatly about art, travel, culture, human connection, honest conversations, and love a really good dance party. They are aware of how lighting affects a room and a mood… they love candles, care about personal touches, good music, incredible food, and hope to treat their guests to a really fun, heartfelt experience celebrating their wedding and dancing the night away.
We’re wedding photographers based between NYC and the Hudson Valley, and for the past 15 years have been photographing weddings for NYC's most anti-traditional, art-forward, creative types who prefer to go against the grain.
We enter wedding weekends with an openness to meeting your favorite people. We balance immersive, observational documentary-style shooting while staying kind, calm, unobtrusive, Intuitive, and allergic to anything that feels forced.
You may be a good fit if...
You want photographs that feel candid, emotional, nostalgic, vintage, rowdy, and alive.
You want the dance floor to be LIT and that energy captured, unapologetically.
You genuinely love, understand, and appreciate the soft, grainy, vintage look of analog film,
You want the “big moment” photographs, obvi, but you do not want the day built around a shot list.
You care about your guests having a really good time and being photographed candidly.
You want calm guidance without feeling managed or forced into fake-looking poses.
You want to be present at your own wedding and not be pulled away from your party for an hour-long photo shoot.
We may not be the best fit if...
You want every image to feel perfectly posed and directed.
You are planning your wedding with the goal of publication rather than around your personal stories and values.
You are looking to mimic someone else’s wedding.
You prefer very bright, airy, traditional wedding photography.
You are mostly shopping by price.
You want to give your photographer a detailed shot list.
There is nothing wrong with wanting those things. It just means we may not be the best match.
The going rate for an established NYC film wedding photographer
We take a limited selection of wedding clients each year and care deeply about making sure each client is aligned, and our collections begin at $12,500
Our rate reflects our 15+ years of experience in wedding photography, our impeccable reputation, and demand. We are revered for our deep knowledge of analog film process, in-house editing, and the time and care that we put into creating space for connections with each and every couple. This is how and why our work feels personal… because for us, it actually is.
A virtual meeting is required to ensure that our values regarding weddings and photography, and how they intermingle, are in sync.
If photography is one of the things you consider a priority, then you, my dear, are our people and can reach out here to check our availability.
About Analog Film
Shooting on film is not an add-on; these old, beautiful cameras are our default because digital cannot match them.
We have been shooting weddings on film for over a decade in fast-moving, dark, cavernous, unpredictable NYC wedding environments, and we go deep into our processes of using analog film at weddings.
How much film vs digital do you shoot at weddings?
Mike shoots exclusively with film cameras; he usually has 5-7 cameras hanging from his body, a mix of ever-evolving 35mm and medium-format cameras.
Chellise blends digital and film, typically delivering an average of 60% analog to 40% digital.
About Trust
The best work happens when there is trust.
That does not mean you need to know how to be photographed. You do not.
It means you trust us to read the room, guide when needed, protect the energy of the day, and notice what matters.
We are not interested in turning your wedding into a photo production.
We are interested in people, the feeling, the energy, the humor, the quiet moments, the party, and all that’s in between.
You do not need to have everything figured out
You do not need to know exactly how many hours you need.
You do not need to know whether your timeline is realistic yet.
That is part of what we help with.
But it does help if you know this:
You want photography that feels personal, artful, candid, and connected.
You want to work with people you trust.
You are comfortable investing in experience, taste, and care.
You want to be present at your wedding, not pulled out of it all day.
If that sounds like you, reach out and tell us about your cute wedding.
FAQ
How do we know if Chellise Michael Photography is the right fit?
If you are a couple who wants documentary, film-forward wedding photography with a strong point of view, who cares about real moments, analog film, guest energy, atmosphere, creative imagery, and feeling present at the wedding.
Where are you based?
After 10 glorious years of living and growing our business in Bushwick, Brooklyn, we now reside in the Hudson Valley, just 60 miles north of NYC. Come visit!
Do you work together?
We work individually as lead photographers, though you can request us as a team. We get this a lot… and LOVE IT. You can see our portfolios here.
What do your wedding photography packages cost, and what do they include?
Collections always include 9 hours of coverage and an at-home engagement session and range from $ 12.5K to $19K. Variables in this range depend on travel costs, multi-day event coverage, support from film assistants and/or second photographers, upgrades such as fine-art albums, and requests to book us together as a team (which we absolutely love).
In addition to weddings, we offer portrait and elopement sessions, which range from $3K to $5K.
For truly intimate, hourly weddings (usually under 40 guests, 4-6 hours), it’s best to inquire about our hourly rate.
We each limit ourselves to 20 weddings per year, and we hope one of them is yours!
Do you work from a shot list?
While we do not work from shot lists per se, we respectfully carve out ample time for family and VIP groupings. After 15 years, we know which details and moments are expected as “standard” so it’s safe to assume they will be captured, but it will be from the perspective we choose.
Do you photograph on film or digital?
Analog is a huge part of our process and has been all our lives. Chellise shoots weddings on both analog film and/or digital. Mike shoots only on film - if this sounds crazy to you, head to this wedding for proof.
Do you travel for weddings?
Yes, all the time. Our passports are current, and our cat sitter is on call. No kids… LETS GOOOO!
We photograph weddings throughout New York City, Brooklyn, the Hudson Valley, and the Catskills, and frequently shoot weddings on the East Coast of Maine, Vermont, Nantucket, and love destination weddings that take us to the Southwest (where we're from, Arizona) and international countries. Mexico is a regular jaunt for us, and the furthest we've flown for a wedding was New Zealand.
Travel is always bundled into our proposals as one flat rate, so it’s very clear from the get-go what we will cost “all in”.
Local weddings do not come with travel fees, including NYC, Brooklyn, and much of the Hudson Valley.
We limit to 20 couples per year and hope one of them is yours! To see if we are still available for your date, inquire here