photography – True Light Images

Brandon and Braylon

August 27, 2017August 27, 2017Posted in babies, boys, children, grand rapids, infants, modeling, models, photographer, photography, Uncategorized, west michiganTagged babies, black, boys, cute, grand, kids, michigan, models, rapids, westLeave a comment

Helping build portfolio’s is always fun!
These two handsome boys definitely have what it takes and I hope that these photos help facilitate the beginnings of their modeling journey.

Braylon is 10 months and is just a delight!! Such a fun baby to work with!!
Brandon is one of the most easy going 10 year old’s you’ll meet!

Shooting kids can be challenging but I have been lucky enough to work with some great ones, and these two are definitely no exception.

Thank you Jeniffer for choosing me to take your boys photos!!

Jackie

August 23, 2017August 23, 2017Posted in fashion, grand rapids, michigan, models, photographer, photography, photojournalist, portraits, Uncategorized, west michiganTagged beauty, cosmetics, girl, makeup, model, womanLeave a comment

So there are times when impromptu happens. Spur of the moment occurs.
I had set up a shoot with Jackie, and reached out to J Autrey Cosmetics to do the make up. I plan on having a makeup artist on hand for model shoots if needed and he is one of the ones that I will be using.

Well the day of the shoot it was raining and overcast and so we decided to scrap the shoot for another day but we still wanted to meet up and game plan, brain storm. Of course when we meet up the rain had stopped and the sun was out. We decided to just go ahead and do a trial run with makeup just for fun.
While Jackie was not dressed for a shoot I decided to snap a couple of photos anyway and I love the way they turned out!

I cannot wait to do the actual shoot!

I have worked with Jackie before and I absolutely adore her! The camera loves her and she is a blast to work with! True model potential!

Thank you so much Juan for the makeup magic! This is just the beginning my friend!(next time I will hook my camera up inside and actually photograph the makeup artist at work)

The Oteto Women

August 21, 2017Posted in children, family, fashion, grand rapids, modeling, models, photography, UncategorizedTagged african, beautiful, family, grand, kenya, michigan, rapids, west, womenLeave a comment

There is nothing like coming across genuine, honest, from the soul, people.
There are times when it just flows, and you have this natural and sincere connection.
It is like a breath of fresh air.
That is what it was like working with the Oteto family.
I had an amazing time with this family and getting to know them.
Even with a rain shower in the midst of our overcast day, it was a fun and fulfilling experience.
I truly appreciate and treasure this opportunity to be able to photograph these beautiful women. Their beauty truly resonates from the inside out.

Rose is expecting her second child and while all of her sisters were available she wanted to take photos to commemorate the special occasion.

Mother Dorothy and her daughters Mariam, Julia, Carra, Gianniana, Rose and her three granddaughters donned traditional Kenyan Maassai jewelry (the Oteto family is Luos) with beautiful bold prints.

Thank you Rose for entrusting me to capture your vision and congratulations on your growing family!!

Revisiting my old work

August 9, 2017Posted in grand rapids, magazine, photographer, photography, photojournalist, Uncategorized, west michiganTagged children, family, fun, life, local, music, people, photography, photojournalism, photos, pictures, womenLeave a comment

I decided to visit my Flickr account today.

I truly need to make that a more frequent thing than what it is.

I do love going back and seeing my work, the good and the bad. I like seeing the growth, and also in some ways how I have slipped.

I love how raw some of my older images are.

I hate how amateur some/most of my older images are.

It balances me to look back.

Gives me that old tingle, reminds me of why I pick up a camera in the first place.

My focus is shifting back to the editorial/photo journalist style of things and this just makes me more confident in that choice.

I want to start doing more stock photography, and also am going to try and get out there and just immerse myself in my city like I used to.

These are a few I pulled from the bunch.

You can see my full Flickr account HERE (please keep in mind some of these images go back almost ten or more years, the beginnings, so it does not represent my current work)

The Total Package Tour

May 15, 2017May 16, 2017Posted in boy bands, celebrities, concert, new kids on the block, photography, UncategorizedTagged Abdul, band, boy, concert, music, nkotb, package, Paula, photography, totalLeave a comment

So. If you have ever had a conversation with me you inevitably will find out I am an NKOTB fan and have been since 1989. I have also written a blog or two about my concert going experiences on my personal blog Chellebelle416

You also will know Paula Abdul was one of the women I admired most and looked up to. I loved the fact she was 5’2 (I am 5’0) and was a dancer and singer, which is what my dream was growing up. It gave me hope that if she could do it so can I. She is very much an inspiration in my world.
I also have a big place in my heart for Boyz II Men. I have all their albums and have been a fan since day one. Even made up a dance routine to Motownphilly in 8th grade in hopes of auditioning for Star Search and becoming famous.

So of course this concert was like my inner 14 year old’s dream come true.

My friend and I bought tickets when they went on sale.

Fast forward to about a week and a half before the day of the show.

I follow Local Spins, which is a local radio show on WYCE and online publication that showcases local music and events. I saw their post about the upcoming weeks events and of course the Total Package Tour was mentioned.
I decided on a wing and a prayer to reach out to them and see if they needed a photographer to cover the event. A few days went by and I honestly had kind of not thought about it or expected not to hear back because it was so close to the day of the show. Well, I got an email on the day before the show saying that they did need a photographer and that I would be able to work!! I was so excited! It was like a dream come true!!

So thanks to Local Spins I got to fulfill my photographer dream of shooting my favorite guys for a publication and bonus that Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men were part of the show.

It was an experience I will never forget, and one I want to do again.
I knew that I wanted to be a concert photographer but now that I have had a taste of it I am hooked! Now time to save up and make sure I have the proper gear!

Thank you so much Local Spins! I cannot wait to work on future projects!!

Here is a link to the photo gallery Local Spins Week in Review Photo Gallery

These are the images featured in the gallery

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

And here are some of my personal shots that I shot with my cell. I was right next to the stage in the pit, which was amazing! If you are a fan this is a must see show!

Here are a few videos, they are pretty short… (snapchat and such)

©Michelle Smith/True Light Images 2017

Downtown Live 3.25.17

April 5, 2017April 7, 2017Posted in celebrities, city, clothes, clothing, college, fashion, grand rapids, magazine, michigan, modeling, models, photographer, photographers, photography, photojournalist, Uncategorized, west, west michiganTagged business, downtown, downtowngr, face, fashion, first, grand, GRMI, igotface, local, localfirst, magazine, makeup, mannequins, michigan, model, modeling, models, mua, rapids, smallLeave a comment

On Saturday March 25 select businesses in the downtown Grand Rapids area got creative and put on a live mannequin display in their window in an event called Downtown Live.

I had so much fun photographing I Got Face‘s entry and watching all the hard word and creativity that goes into an event like this.
The team that put together I Got Face’s store front won best makeup and that was very exciting! Congrats to you all!

Latesha Lipscomb – Owner of I Got Face Cosmetic Concierge/ MUA

Eric Gerson – MUA

Tiffany Moody- MUA

Alice- model

Shypane – model

Updated “Digtal Portfolio”

April 4, 2017April 12, 2017Posted in concert, family, fashion, grand rapids, magazine, michigan, models, music, nkotb, photographer, photography, photojournalist, Uncategorized, west michiganTagged grand, michigan, photograhy, photographer, portfolio, rapidsLeave a comment

So I have updated my digital portfolio.

It is basically a slideshow of some of my favorite images showcasing my work.

If you are interested in pricing and booking information please fill out the contact form below

Thank you

-Michelle / owner of True Light Images

Seniors Class of 2017

September 7, 2016April 7, 2017Posted in children, city, college, families, family, fashion, grand rapids, modeling, models, parents, photographer, photographers, photography, photojournalist, portraits, senior, Uncategorized, west michiganTagged african, american, beautiful, black, child, children, city, class, cute, daughter, family, fashion, female, girl, gorgeous, grand, grand rapids, images, life, light, michigan, model, modeling, people, photographer, photography, portfolio, portraits, pretty, rapids, teenager, true, west, womanLeave a comment

So I have not been as busy as I would like, but I did have the chance to photograph a few awesome seniors.

They are the class of 2017 and they are poised to take over the world. Beautiful, bright, amazing young ladies!!

I am so honored that I had the chance to capture your senior photos for you!

Enjoy your senior year! Take it all in. In the blink of an eye time passes and it becomes a distant memory you wish you could hold onto just a bit longer.

CONGRATULATIONS Elora, MaKayla, and Jacqueline!

Caius and Latesha

August 27, 2015August 27, 2015Posted in babies, boys, celebrities, children, city, clothes, fashion, grand rapids, magazine, michigan, modeling, photographers, photographyTagged adorable, african, american, babies, baby, beautiful, black, bond, boy, child, children, cute, editorial, ethnic, family, fashion, gorgeous, grand, handsome, love, magazine, male, michigan, model, modeling, mother, photographer, photography, photojournalism, portfolio, preschool, rapids, son, westLeave a comment

One of the many rewards to being a photographer is being able to watch the little ones you shoot grow up.
I have done quite a few shoots with Caius and am honored to have been able to document and create memories for him and his wonderful mother Latesha since he was a newborn.

This three year old has such a big, fun personality. An absolute joy to be around!

Natalia – Class of 2015

August 5, 2015August 19, 2015Posted in celebrities, children, city, clothing, families, family, fashion, grand rapids, magazine, michigan, photographers, photography, photojournalist, portraits, seniorTagged 2015, african, american, beautiful, biracial, black, children, cute, daughter, fashion, female, grand, grand rapids, michigan, photographer, photography, photojournalist, portraits, rapids, senior, west, west michiganLeave a comment

This beautiful young lady is my goddaughter (though I call her my niece).
I am so proud of the intelligent, strong and compassionate young lady she has become.
Stay strong, keep moving forward and always reach for your goals. (Yes totally cliche but I mean it).

Congratulations Natalia!!
I love you!