Jennifer Chipping
“Working with Meili was different. It is different when someone is in your home and just becomes part of you, there were not demands on how to sit and act. We could just be us. Going in, I was mainly concerned that I would not have enough going on that was interesting enough for pictures and video. I was also concerned with how clean my house was after just having a baby. But Meili let me know that the point is to be who you are at that moment. Now when I see what she has done, I get emotional and feel super grateful, just like when I did after seeing it for the first time, but even more now because it is a moment in time saved about us, and especially me as a mother with my last baby. I love the non-traditional photo shoot and that is why I wanted Meili to do it. Meili captured more than a photo from the past for us to help us remember. She captured how I felt with my family at that moment, like holding and feeding my sweet newborn baby and each detail that grows more and more meaningful with time. Honestly, I cried with gratitude. Loved it all!”
Lindsey Smyth
“In the past it was always really stressful for me to come up with coordinating outfits that everyone felt comfortable wearing, the perfect location and time of day, etc. It was daunting enough that long periods of time would pass between family photos, and I would feel guilty for not just getting it done. I brought most of these concerns with me when booking a session with Meili, but she quickly put my fears to rest. My favorite part of the session was that we were simply out doing one of our favorite things as a family. We were given the space and platform to be ourselves. There were no forced smiles, awkward poses, bribes to be still or sit up straight, and best of all...no meltdowns. Meili captured the spirit and personality of each of our children in a way that I have never seen in previous family photos.”
Heather Barber
“Meili is a true artist. In each image she manages to capture true emotion.
Taking pictures of our extended family is like herding cats. We invited Meili to document typical Sunday dinner at my mom's house. The images that came out of that afternoon are priceless. Everyone was so comfortable and natural. No coordinated outfits. No unnatural poses. No fake smiles. Just genuine emotion. We had all of the images made into a book. The kids love looking at the books over and over. They squeal in delight when they see themselves.
We have loved every image that Meili has captured.”
Kersten Swinyard
“My mother and I booked a session to document my grandparents' final weeks in their family home before relocating to assisted living…
…The extra time spent with the subjects to get to know them in their environment helped everyone feel more comfortable in front of the camera, so that…my grandparents trusted her and felt comfortable around her…
…The resulting images were so beautiful and so perfectly captured the essence of their home and life there that we are forever grateful we booked the session.”
Katie Cherrington
“Before Meili photographed our session in the hospital with our newborn, we had never before had a photographer come to the hospital. I had always felt that it was special, private time with a brand new baby, and was hesitant to have someone else in the room with us. But…when Meili arrived that day, she immediately made us feel comfortable and at ease. We were so happy to have her there. I'll never forget those first few moments as my boys entered the room to meet their new baby brother! Meili moved around the room capturing the moment & we didn't even notice she was there! Those pictures are now such a treasure to us! Each of them contain so much emotion! Oh, how I wish we would have known Meili and had her come when each of our sons were born!” … “The sweet & tender feelings of that day come rushing back to me & still bring tears to my eyes. I have never had photos convey so much emotion - they are a treasure beyond words!”
Debbie Forrest
“ We had Meili document our recent family reunion. She is very accommodating, puts others at ease, and is warm and gracious. She has a charming personality, is easy to work with, and is very dependable. Some of my children felt uneasy about having a photographer there... I suggested we try it for a half day and then decide whether she should come the following day... My children were thrilled with the pictures they saw that evening and realized that they had missed so many sweet moments and tender interactions of family members. She captured the feeling, the excitement and joy felt of our family being together. They all asked her to come to the lake the next day and each day following all the way through the final family meeting...
Our children and grandchildren have watched the video over and over again with such joy remembering all of the fun they had with each other. I keep my book of photos on the table in our home for all to enjoy.
I would recommend Meili without reservation.”