Michele Celentano Portrait Photographer

in Utah for teaching family portraits.

The flash still works. I loaded this gem up with film I found in the garage. (An AZ garage- think 165 in the summer) Film expired in 2015- let’s see how those exceptional skin tones hold up.

Yesterday I decided that our PMA Team headshot should show as much personality as we strive to capture in the students and athletes we photograph for our sister company
Soooo much fun and the results are hilarious!

Photographed in studio with the same set up we use for our school portraits!

The group from the PhotoWalk we did this morning.
Other than the crop this is SOOC -
Thanks to all of you who signed up for the class and for all those who passed by and let me add you to the group!
Thanks to for the pistol grip rolling stand.
Shot with
EOS R6 Mark II
RF 28-70mm F2.0
ISO 100
1/60th
F/4

FJ 200
24 inch Joel Grimes Beauty Dish

Never Disappoints BUT…. Mean Girls HS Edition went to an entirely new level. After photographing 2 casts for tech rehearsal I took the family back to see it! I have watched so many of these incredibly talented teenagers grow up at The Musical Theater of Anthem and in our Anthem community. It’s hard not to feel a tiny bit of ownership/pride in these amazing humans.
*Being a part of is truly something that brings me so much joy! I have loved it for nearly 10 years and will continue to do so.
I love every single one of you talented little buggers!!!

Could not resist these fun images from the Showdown Choir Competition this weekend! Congrats to .choir Valley Vista choir for taking home the championship! Seriously how could anyone resist those puppets???

Shot with
Canon EOS R7
RF 24-105mm f/4
ISO 100
1/200th
F/5.6

XDrop Pro white
FJ 400
36” Beauty Dish
Eyelighter 3

I had a blast with - photographing the choir groups from around the valley for the annual Showdown in the Desert. Here are just a few of my favorites from the day!
I also loved sneaking behind stage to watch some of the performances!!

Shot with:

Canon EOS R7
RF 24-105 f/4
ISO 100
1/200th
F/5.6

Xdrop Pro white
FJ400
36inch Beauty Dish
Eyelighter 3


Pistol grip stand as a camera stand (one of my favorite pieces of grip gear)

Recently found this gem from the 1950’s to add to my vintage camera collection. I guess l love collecting vintage as well as new cameras…. 🤭
It still has the leather case with the owners name written inside. If only I could see the images created with this camera from a time long before I was born….

What happens when you are on set photographing 170 executive headshots and jump in front of the camera to demonstrate something to the team and your husband hits the shutter - well… you have a new headshot! Thanks

Shot with: EOS R7 - RF 24-105 f/4 lens
ISO 100
1/200th
F/5.6

White XDrop Pro
3- FJ 400’s
1-36” Beauty Dish
2- 1x4 Strip boxes
Eyelighter 3

Even at 4’11” - Sometimes I’m too tall for the shot. Sometimes you gotta get really low! 😆

🏐

There are moments in life that stay with you forever. This evening with my fellow Canon Explorers of Light will be one of those special moments. It was surreal to be in the same room with some of the most extraordinary photographers in the world. Thank you all for being beautiful bright lights. And a special thank you to the Canon team that made the event happen and for taking such good care of us.

In 2018 I had the pleasure of photographing the beautiful- - for an educational video I produced with It was one of my most memorable family portrait sessions as all the Lane kids were jam packed with personality and we laughed non-stop!
Today stars in the new - I can’t wait to see it theaters!!!
CONGRATULATIONS CALAH!!

This may be my all time favorite photo from a conference of me on stage!
At conference in Phoenix and this image was taken a few minutes before I was set to start photographing for the opening night shoot out with and - such an incredible experience to be part of the first and of this last TMP.
The attendees of this conference are like none other in the industry. Warm, friendly, appreciative, excited to learn and grow. Being a part of The Portrait Masters will always stand as a career highlight!
Thank you for having me. Thank you to for your sponsorship and support!🤍🤍🤍

It’s been a crazy few weeks getting ready for school portraits this year! Cameras, lenses, lights, modifiers, camera stands… all the stuff.

We are excited to get going and create fresh and modern school portraits.

I photographed Molly when she was just a few months old. Recently, I had the opportunity to photograph her with her beautiful mama. It’s truly a gift to spend time talking with and learning more about people who you’ve know for most of their lives. I love this simple portrait of Molly and Sherry. The expressions truly show the love they share for one another.

There will forever be a hole in my heart. Wrigley was silly, goofy, d***y, wiggly, sweet, kind, loving, playful, adorable, lovable, loving. She brought so much laughter and joy to my heart.
In the end dementia took her sweet spirit from us… she was confused, anxious, a bit lost in her own home and in her mind. It was torture to watch her suffer. We released her body to go home to the great universe yesterday. She can chase that red laser beam again and look back now and remember she was loved. ❤️‍🩹

A great day Thank you .picc for modeling for us today.
A few images from my class this morning. SOOC… using EOS R6 Mark II and the RF 135 1.8 and the RF 28-70 2.8
Lighting FJ 200 with the 24 inch Beauty Dish and ND filter.

Ohhh HAPPY DAY!!! It’s finally here! I’ve been waiting for this day. I’m beyond excited to get shooting with the new EOS R6 Mark II!!!
I’m at the in Tucson right now getting ready to teach a class tomorrow morning and I will be using this beauty!!

I’m back in Tucson! This time for I’m so excited to see new faces and learn from amazing women before I get to present my class on Wednesday. Thanks so much for inviting me and thanks to for sponsoring my class.

I was super excited to find this book by fellow Explorer of Light at Barnes and Noble yesterday. I absolutely had to have it! Now to have it signed.
The images and stories in this book are breathtaking.

.krish721 - As I’m working on this HS Senior’s portraits this one stands out as a favorite! I’m a little obsessed with this hot pink seamless paper.
Shot in studio with the
EOS R6 and the RF 100mm F2.8 L Macro IS

FJ400 with 24 inch beauty dish.

The crazy things you find when cleaning out the closet- this must be at least 35 years old from my photography school days. Definitely brings back great memories of endless learning, hours in the dark room, yellowed fingers from chemistry and looking at negatives on a light box with a loop.
Who can relate?

Ready for sports!!!

Never fails

.kdavis- Now and Then (2008)…

15 years later… Wow! Just Wow!
Being a small part of your life, photographing you through the years, with your family, your sisters, personal projects you always show for and now your senior portrait.

This was so much fun! You have grown into such an incredible and talented human.

It’s a privilege to have photographed you throughout the years!

Prime lenses…💖💞
Don’t get me wrong… my RF 70-200 2.8 is probably a favorite go to lens for many reasons…

BUT…. Oh how I 💗 the RF 85mm 1.2 prime lens.

I had a chance to break that baby out for Eli’s 🎞️📷HS senior session a couple of weeks ago.

We were downtown Phx… (my new obsession for portrait locations)
I found this area that totally worked with what Eli was wearing. I wanted a sallow depth of field and so I grabbed that 85. It’s a must have in my bag! It’s been my top prime lens since my wedding days a million years ago.

Drop your favorite prime lens in the comments.
☺️

Im obsessed with lens cover and body cover stickers! I’m a nut about an organized gear back with everything labeled. I’m in label heaven!

Yesterday at the beautiful Phoenix Botanical Gardens with .726 and

I was using my 💡FJ 200 with a beauty dish and another photographer walked by - her clients said something like… “wow - they have lights” and the photographer said “oh we don’t need lights”…

I giggled to myself and thought “yeah, I used to be afraid of strobes too.”

And then I shoot this! Boom! Camera Drop! 📸🎤

Sometimes it’s easier to say you don’t need something than it is to take the time to learn something new.

I’m so glad I took the time to learn from lightning experts so that I could feel comfortable and competent to create this image.
Thanks to some of my friends who taught me:
- just to name a few of my favorites.

Go out… grab a light - try something new!

Canon R6
RF 70-200 2.8
Westcott FJ200 - 24 inch Beauty Dish.
Lighting assistance

Yesterday I posted this image right after I shot it from the back of my camera.

📸Here’s the final edit! So close to the original- some minor hair retouching, contrast, bringing up the shadows on the tires and some skin tone adjustments.

Everything else is in camera. I’m just so excited for this stunning HS Senior.

We had so much fun shooting in downtown Phx.
I’m pretty obsessed with this image!!!

Camera:
EOSR6
RF 70-200 2.8

Lighting:

FJ 200
24 Inch Beauty Dish

Swipe for camera settings