Michelle Bellofatto Photography

Welcome to my BLOG!  I'm a photographer in the San Diego area.  I take a photojournalistic approach to my work which simply means it's less posed and more about capturing you, your children and your family as they really are.  We'll have fun on our shoot as I love interacting with your children by allowing them to play, be silly and just be kids all while capturing their unique moments.

Although I specialize in child and family photography, I also love to photograph events such as birthday parties, anniversaries, and occasionally a small wedding.

My new website is in the works and I'm excited about the upcoming launch.

In the meantime, feel free to take a look at my recent work displayed on my blog.

Contact me via email at michelle@bellofatto-photography.com or by phone 858-663-9796.

I'm looking forward to meeting you!

*Pricing info. can be found at the bottom of this blog

Derek + April | Married

On a gorgeous San Diego day in May, the handsome Derek wed the gorgeous and vivacious April in a fun, colorful and intimate at home wedding.

Their story is simple, but they clearly are a match made in heaven.  So much love and adoration between these two.

I'll let their images tell the story of their love and special day.

Derek and April, thank you so much for sharing your wedding day with me.  I enjoyed capturing your love through my lens.  

I hope you enjoyed your little sneak peek.  I'll be working on your proofs over the next several weeks.

xo

 

 

 

Moren Family at the beach

Meet my cousin Sara and her family.  Recently, we scheduled a casual mini shoot at the beach while she was in town visiting from Texas.  The funny thing is, on my way to meet them, I missed my exit and ended up stuck in traffic trying to get to the beach.  Sigh.

Meanwhile, Sara informed me the kids had already made themselves at home at the beach by getting wet and sandy.  Of course this added to my stress level because I know us mother's like to at least have a few good pix of our kids while they're still clean.  :p

From the looks of these pictures, I would say the Moren family got their daily dose of exercise.  I was literally smiling while editing.  There's just something about the beach that brings out the kid in us all.

It's been quiet around here...

It's been quiet around here.  Lot's of things happening in my life, too many to mention.  This is why I have taken a bit of time off. 

Just now getting back into the swing of things.  And it feels good.

Admittedly, I went from the mom who documented EVERYTHING to the one who's been letting those special moments pass her by.  Life.  What can I say.  Sometimes I'm living my days just trying to keep my head above water. 

Having said that, I made it a point to take some pix of Mason at the tender age of 7 (ahem... and a half).  Meant to capture these last June but I was running six months behind. 

My strategy to get Mason to actually agree to take these pictures was to invite his very best buddy along.  Overall, it turned out fairly well.  Only, his buddy was way more into getting his picture taken.  LOL. 

Love these boys!!  I have a feeling they will remain friends for a lifetime.

 

Malachi's Birth | At Home

As I sit here and edit the images from Malachi's birth, I am weeping with joy.  What an amazing blessing it was to be present for such a monumental occasion.

My dear friend chose to deliver her 4th child in the comfort of her own home surrounded by her family. 

I think I may have been the most nervous person in the room.

Being a woman, I so admire the strength and determination of my friend.  She is truly an amazing woman in every way. 

For you photography enthusiasts, here is the technical side- Nikon D700 50mm 1.4 1/20th ISO 2000-3200.  The only available light came from the bathroom behind me.  I used the birthing pool or a wall to stabalized myself to prevent blur.

Here is Malachi's birth story in the form of images.

LOVE...Oldest son holding his hands to his mouth in awe, mom reaching out her hand to touch her newborn and dad holding her arm.

Now her youngest is a big brother!

Her boys made her eggs right after delivery!

2nd born getting ready to cut the cord.

Congratulations Faulkner Family!!  xo 

Mr. & Mrs. Lane | Poway, CA

What can I say, another day, another beautiful couple.

I mean really, how many people do you know with amazing green eyes, perfect teeth, and killer smiles?  Somehow, these two excessively good looking people found each other.  I'm already imagining what their offspring will look like.  Hmmm.... amazing green eyes, perfect teeth and killer smiles.

These Newlyweds wanted a few portraits so I happily met them at the family's property where we were surrounded by beauty and warm sunlight.  It was perfect.

Here's a sneak peek of a few that caught my eye from our Mini Shoot last weekend-

It was fun hanging out Jeff & Kerri!  xo

Tina | Maternity

Dylan :: 1 Month | At Home

As I was editing through these images I found myself smiling and enjoying Dylan's sweet face, tiny toes, and ever changing baby expressions.  I also noticed that he was staring at me quite a bit during our shoot.  What an observant little man he is and those brown eyes are just captivating.

Dylan's mom and dad invited me up to their home in Santa Monica on a Sunday afternoon.  It was a very pretty October day and the light in Dylan's room was just right for our baby shoot.  We spent quite a bit of time together because as we all know, babies are unpredictible. 

Here are a few of my favs. 

Derek and Eileen, it was an absolute pleasure capturing Baby Dylan on film in his first month of life.  I'll have your online proofs ready very soon.  :)

     

     

Tina | Maternity Teaser

The Gymnasts

Aside from being a photographer, I also coach gymnastics a few days a week at a local gymnastics academy.  One of my classes is a "High School" class and I'm not exaggerating when I say I L.O.V.E. working with these girls each week.  Not only do I feel like I've temporarily returned to "High School" for a few hours, but it's just fun hanging with such beautiful, talented and great girls.  A blessing indeed.

Because I so love spending time with the "HS" girls, I've had them over to my house a few times for food with no nutritional value (ie. junk food), nail painting and movies. 

A few months ago, we did a little photo shoot.  Not everyone was able to make it, but here is a sneak peek of the shots I got atop a mountain.

Side note, the weather got dark and cloudy right about the time we set out to take these pix.  It was a bit disappointing, but I still like how they turned out.  :-)

Smooch, smooch.  XX Love you ladies!

Zoey :: 1 Years Old

The last time I photographed this adorable one year old she was just 11 days old.  And wow, what a difference a year makes.  Now Zoey is full of life and smiles.  She even gets a little noisy at times when she wants something.  I found myself yelling along with her a few times.  Hehe.

Is anyone else jealous of Zoey's perfect toddler perm?  I mean really.  How many 1 year olds do you know with hair like hers.  Those curls look like they were perfected in the salon. 

This was my 4th photo shoot with the Harmon family.  I photographed them as newlywed's then came the maternity shoot then of course Zoey's newborn pix and now the celebration of Zoey's 1st birthday. 

Zoey's mom and dad love being parents so much that they are planning to have a BIG family.  It's easy to see they make beautiful babies!

Happy 1st birthday sweet Zoey!!  I will be coming to babysit you very soon.  I can't wait to pinch your chubby cheeks and thighs and give you lots of kisses.  xo

Zoey Then: 11 Days Old

 

Zoey Now