Coleen & Manuel

To start, we think it first needs to be said that no set of words can properly describe how professional, how talented, and perhaps most importantly, how special Michael is. So as we do our best to share our experience of working with Michael, please note that everything we say still will fall short of how amazing of a photographer and person he really is.

As we sat and planned our wedding, Coleen and I agreed that one of the most important things that we needed to get right was the documentation of our special day. We knew that the day would fly by and the only way to immortalize the tiny, infinite moments would be through the photos we'd one day look back at. To say that we had put immense pressure on the person responsible for capturing our day would be an understatement. We'd met with several different photographers around Calgary and looked at their previous work. We met with husband and wife duos, photographers who promised a team on the day of, photographers who'd had decades of experience, the list goes on.

Then, we met with Michael at a local coffee shop after seeing his instagram account. All we knew going in was that his work was more experimental and unlike what we'd seen from the more 'traditional' wedding photographers around the city. We were drawn in by his ability to take the seemingly ordinary and mundane turn it into something captivating. So, as we chatted in that coffee shop, despite our hesitation that he preferred to run solo on the day of, or didn't have the same 'experience' as other photographers we'd met with, his kindness and unique perspective on what wedding photography 'could be and look like' convinced us that it was 'worth the risk'. We now know that going with Michael was the furthest thing from a risk, as his work and photos of our wedding day is now one of our most prized possessions.

During our engagement shoot, he was endlessly patient and made us feel so comfortable. The entire session was incredibly memorable and fun. He's a true creative with a vision and eye that you simply need to just trust in. During the entire shoot, he was completely present and created a space that allowed us to just 'be'. Nothing ever felt forced. As mentioned above, he has this innate ability to capture what is and make it beautiful. It was simply the best engagement shoot we could have asked for. And finally, during the actual day of the wedding, he showed up prepared and worked tirelessly. In fact, we still joke to this day that we thought he had a clone with him because he quite literally captured every meaningful moment. And even more impressive, he somehow documented the entire day without ever being in the way. He moves quietly and captures the best moments naturally.

But what really matters and the thing that we appreciate most about Michael is his character. Yes, he's incredibly talented, in fact, it's our opinion that he's the best photographer in the city. But he's also someone who you can trust. Isn't that the most important thing when it comes to finding a photographer? To find someone who you can trust? He's kind, patient and has become a dear friend to us. To this day, we're still in touch. And every once in a while, we'll go through the photos that he took and remember how lucky we are hiring someone who's so talented. It really was our honor to have him take our photos.

Regards,

Manuel Joseph Abella