My wife Alex and I both work in the hospitality industry and did not want an extravagant wedding with big expenses, big band and big stress. We’ve seen it all and decided that the most important thing was for us to be together and to share our love with some of our closest family and friends. However, we also decided the one exception to all of this would be to find a great photographer – we found just that and more with Michelle Elyse Photography!
From our first e-mail communication to our first meeting in person, Shelley was professional, warm and most importantly, comforting to the bride. She is clearly experienced and knows exactly how to create a fun environment that brings out the smiles in all of us! When our time with her was up, Alex and I both decided that she was a fantastic choice and certainly worth every penny. This was made even more apparent when we received our sneak peaks shortly after our big day. I’ll let her portfolio speak for itself, but rest assured you will absolutely love your photos!
My wife and I are confident that we will gaze upon these photos year after year and relive all of the special memories. We’re so glad we chose Michelle Elyse Photography and can’t recommend her enough. Thanks again Shelley!
Sent on 02/05/2020
Michelle Elyse Photography's reply:
Thank you so much Vinny! It was so wonderful to meet you and Alex and to be able to capture this sweet celebration for you all!
Marissa Gouse
· Married on 09/19/2020
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Love love love our wedding photos!
Shelley is an excellent wedding photographer. She was very flexible with our elopement during COVID. Our wedding photos were magical and whimsical. They look like they were in a fairy tale and in a magazine. I’m truly obsessed with the quality and beauty of our photos. Shelley is also really easy to work with and has a strong attention for details. She gave us a huge variety of photos and edited about 450. I was truly impressed and I highly recommend her for your wedding.
Sent on 07/09/2020
Alex
· Married on 11/02/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Absolutely Flawless
Shelley is a magician. From the moment I saw her pictures on Instagram, I knew that I needed her to photograph our engagement and wedding pictures. The engagement photos captured every little bit of our relationship. My favorite part is that most of the pictures taken are candid’s, so you’re not posed in every picture. Shelley is so amazing that we even hired her separately for a family photoshoot that came out better than we could ever imagine. I’ve only received my sneak peaks and I’m DYING to see what incredible moments Shelley captured throughout our wedding!
Sent on 11/11/2019
Michelle Elyse Photography's reply:
Aweee thank you so much Alex! It has been SUCH a pleasure being able to enjoy these memories with you guys!
Leigh Rimmer
· Married on 07/09/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Best of the best!
Shelley is a dream to work with! The photos of my wedding are above and beyond what I expected, every moment was captured beautifully and she did an incredible job at helping us feel natural and relaxed in order to capture such beautiful shots. She is very personable and makes you feel at ease. Her talent speaks for itself through her portfolio. Truly could not be more impressed with the editing and eye she has for capturing the beauty of the landscape in photos. We all looked incredible! Would 100% recommend her to anyone looking for a photographer, and will definitely hire her again in the future for family photos!
Sent on 10/28/2019
Molly
· Married on 06/29/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Cherished forever
I first found Shelley through the internet and her photos jumped out at me as beautiful and really capturing the fun and natural beauty of the day and place. We weren’t able to meet Shelley person until the day before our wedding, and though I was afraid it was going to be awkward, Shelley made us feel comfortable and confident. She caught so much joy on our wedding day and so many special and fleeting moments. I love to look back at our sunset couple’s photos and how much fun we are having. They capture us perfectly, and Shelley had a unique way of making us feel like we could just be ourselves and not worry about them being there taking photos. These are truly moments and images that we will treasure forever.
Sent on 04/13/2020
Michelle Elyse Photography's reply:
It is music to my ears to know that you re-live all the fun you were having and feeling 100% as yourselves as you look back on your couples photos! Thank you so very much Molly for your sweet review!!!
Lindsey
· Married on 06/22/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Best Photographer EVER
I cannot speak highly enough about Shelley. She was absolutely amazing. Firstly, she was so personable and kind. Even when I was running around like a crazy person before my wedding, she managed to keep everyone in the right places and get great shots. She took amazing photos of our guests and managed to get pictures of everyone there. Her photos of our wedding party and the locations she chose were amazing. She communicated well and sent us our photos in a timely manner. She had such a positive attitude and you can tell she truly loves her job.
Sent on 08/25/2019
Katelyn Ammons
· Married on 05/25/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Amazing wedding photographer!!!!!!
We had the best experience with Shelley. She did both our engagement and wedding photos. They turned out incredible. She was flexible with our schedule, incredibly professional, and captured the best moments of our wedding and engagement. I would never hire anyone but Shelley in the future! She’s truly incredible.
Sent on 08/06/2019
Kerry
· Married on 05/18/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Shelley has an impeccable eye for capturing moments in their purest form.
Shelley is an incredible photographer, and her work speaks for itself. What her photos can’t tell you is that Shelley is professional and kind. For our wedding, we really wanted to capture the candid moments, and Shelley did a perfect job of balancing our desire for true candids with the expertise to know we would want some posed photos. Shelley and her partner (we hired a second shooter) also worked tirelessly to capture hundreds of breathtaking photos in what felt like 100 degree, heavy, NC heat. Even when I was cranky - and there were a few of those moments given the heat - Shelley stayed upbeat, keeping our wedding party and family on task and moving through the photos.
I would recommend Shelley to anyone getting married, especially if you are getting married outdoors. She really has an eye for capturing moments in their most pure form. When I look back on photos from our wedding, I am continuously amazed by the genuine moments she was able to freeze into photos. Shelley’s photography is worth every penny and more, and we could not be more grateful to her for so beautifully capturing our big day. Thank you, Shelley!!!
Sent on 07/18/2019
Casey
· Married on 05/11/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Gorgeous photos, great direction, professional and friendly
What drew me to Shelley were her outdoor shots in her portfolio (I mean, wow) coupled with her ability to capture the emotion of the day without photos being too staged. That’s a tough combo to find! It took us a long time to find the right venue (14th time is a charm!) and it was important to me that our photos would be able to capture it. Shelley was my #1 choice for photographer and I am so so happy she was available- I was SO nervous she’d already be booked. I know i made the right choice with her as a vendor because she overdelivered with minimal input from me. She gave me a recommendation for timelines based on sunset times/ typical weather patterns and also reassured me that we’d still be flexible. When it rained on our big day I wasn’t even upset because I knew she’d be able to work with it. She killed it with subpar/ changing weather and wasn't afraid to get a little rained on or dirty. Shelley is so easy to work with, responsive, and basically one of those people whose presence just puts you at ease. I froze up/ was anxious during an engagement shoot with a less experienced photographer which was obvious in the resulting photos. Because of that experience I really appreciated Shelley’s gentle direction and tweaks she’d make and prompts she gave us for more natural photos. She’s got an inherently laid-back confidence about herself and is someone who you meet and immediately feel like you’re old friends. I can’t say enough about how happy I am with the choice to have Shelley as a vendor!!
Sent on 07/10/2020
Nate Wagner
· Married on 12/22/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Top class from start to finish!
Shelley was an incredible professional every step of the way! She was transparent and thorough in the hiring stage, including helping us to really visualize and decide on what sorts of shots we wanted for the wedding. She maintained excellent communication leading up to the wedding, including being extremely gracious and flexible with our really strange and hectic wedding plans. She fit in excellently with our wedding party day-of, striking the perfect balance of discreet professionalism and sincere enthusiasm! Oh, and, of course, she delivered a fantastic set of photos, ensuring that we will always have excellent reminders of that special day. Her gallery speaks for itself in this regard. Highly recommended on all counts!
Sent on 06/23/2019
Samantha Klein
· Married on 11/03/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
P e r f e c t
I can't speak highly enough about Shelley! After chatting with Shelley once, I knew I needed her photographing our wedding weekend. Shelley is kind, caring, thoughtful and unbelievably talented. Shelley came all the way from North Carolina to New York to photograph our wedding. She is reasonably priced and worth every penny and more. Our wedding day was extremely chaotic and Shelley was the calming force behind it all + we have the most incredible, stunning and in the moment wedding photos I couldn't have ever dreamed of. Our wedding was less than four months ago and we already have our photo album ordered through Shelley. She created the most amazing curation that represented our experience in the best way possible and so fast! I HIGHLY recommend Shelley for anyone, anywhere and any occasion!!!
Sent on 02/14/2019
Ruthanne
· Married on 09/22/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Shelley was wonderful! She put us totally at ease and was super flexible with scheduling our engagement and wedding weekend photo shoots. She is exceptionally talented and friendly and we would highly recommend her!
Sent on 09/28/2018
Ray
· Married on 04/14/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Working with Shelley felt like working with a close friend, if that close friend was an incredibly talented and competent photographer. My wife discovered her through a friend’s photos and thereafter kept going back to her portfolio - even before the wedding we couldn’t imagine the day through anyone else’s lens (or eye!). Her wedding photos are both expansive in the magnificence of the natural scenes she selects as well as intimate in the quiet emotions she is able to capture. Her style in editing is subtle - she does not overwhelm you by oversaturating everything in happy pastels; rather, her finished products draw the viewer into the details of the portrait through the skillful use of a slight grayscale, and make the richness of the colors all the more apparent through her use of contrast. Shelley is uncannily skillful at catching the best light and her subjects within it. She somehow manages to snap poignant little moments while everyone in the wedding is running around - she is a great observer. We also were impressed by the dedication and creativity with which she approached location scouting… she definitely won’t just park your wedding party in front of the nearest acceptable looking background! The images that we got and the fun we had getting them were all because of Shelley’s adventurous spirit and ability to put people at ease. Her communication in leading up to the event was detail oriented and especially helpful in terms of planning our timeline; it was clear that she is incredibly experienced. She was excellent at crowd management of a large wedding party, and was able to efficiently use dedicated portrait time by giving clear instructions and prompting spontaneous looking arrangements. We also highly recommend adding an additional session, whether as an engagement shoot or a day-after shoot. It is such a privilege to have her work to look back on for years to come!
Sent on 08/07/2018
jill
· Married on 08/16/2017
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Hartman Outdoor Photography was the best decision my husband and I made! Shelley is beyond accommodating, flexible, professional, warm, and prompt. There is not a single photo that my husband and I are not in love with; every photo more beautiful than the next. We can not be more pleased with the quality of Shelley's work - we relive our wedding day each time we look at the pictures. Thank you Shelley - we look forward to working with you in the future!
Sent on 11/19/2017
Alisha
· Married on 06/17/2017
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Absolutely amazing! Have thoroughly enjoyed working with Shelley throughout our journey; from engagement photos, to bridal portraits, to the wedding day Shelley made us feel comfortable and at ease and her work is absolutely AMAZING. Shelley was extremely flexible when plans or settings changed and was a blessing to work with. She has truly helped capture the joy that consumes us during this time in our lives and for that we are forever grateful! Extraordinary photographer and person
Sent on 06/29/2017
Michelle Elyse Photography's reply:
Oh my goodness you guys are just too sweet! Thank you so much for your kind words Brooke and Craig. Its been a joy getting to know you. :)
Alice
· Married on 06/10/2017
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
My husband and I couldn't believe how lucky we got to have Shelley photograph our adventure elopement in South Iceland! She was easy to communicate with and so personable in person. I pretty much instantly felt comfortable working with her, even though I never got to meet her in person until the actual elopement day. My husband doesn't comment on services very much, but he was so impressed with Shelley's creativity and fearlessness in getting the best shots. She would sometimes be laying on the ground and get completely soaked by the waterfalls, and she would have us stand so close to the edge of a cliff and so close to the waterfalls. My husband got to see a sneak peek of a few shots on her camera, and his mouth literally dropped at how beautiful the photos were. We completely trusted her opinion on the stops we made in Iceland not only because she has been to Iceland before, but also because she just has that creative vision to know what looks good (her website/blog says it all). Another bonus is that she scouts the wedding ceremony area for you beforehand and chose our ceremony site, which we are so grateful for. It was intimate (away from the crowds), peaceful, and beautiful. If you and your partner are looking for someone who loves candid photos, dynamic photos with a lot of movement, and epic landscape photos, Shelley is the best photographer for that. We can't recommend her enough!
Sent on 06/13/2017
Christine
· Married on 06/02/2017
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Hartman Outdoor Photography was recommended to us by our wedding planner, Sarah Shumay, and couldn’t be more thankful because I can’t possibly speak highly enough of Shelley Harman. From the moment my husband, Jamie, and I met her she had a fun, yet calming presence, was easy to work with and very responsive (even just that is a gift in what can be the hectic world of wedding planning). She absolutely spares no time or energy when it comes to her preparation and devotion to her clients— she scouted an amazing spot in the mountains of North Carolina for our engagement photos. On the day of, it rained the entire shoot which you might think would have put a damper on the experience. Think again—thanks to Shelley, we not only had an blast but also received absolutely stunning photos despite the fact that there was cloud cover blanketed over the landscape nearly the whole time. We were told countless times by friends and family that they had never seen engagement photos like ours and that they were a true work of art. We have a 30 inch by 40 inch canvas of one of them hanging in our home. During the engagement shoot and again during our wedding, she made us feel totally comfortable and has a unique ability to give just the right amount of the direction so that you feel like you know what to do but don’t end up with photos that look forced or overly posed. She is capable of capturing both the widespread striking, beauty of whatever landscape she has thoughtfully selected but also the up close, intimacy of private moments between two people during some of the most precious days of their lives. She is not only an incredibly skilled, artful photographer, but also a gem of a human and a joy to work with!
Sent on 08/09/2017
Jennifer
· Married on 06/01/2017
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Shelley's work is unbelievable and she truly captured our day perfectly. From the second my husband and I looked at her work we knew she was the one for us! We worked with her from out-of-state and she was quick to respond to any questions we had. We met her for the first time on our wedding day and it felt like we had known her for years. Having had a small, intimate elopement we knew that we had to have an amazing photographer and Shelley is exactly that and more! Every time I look at our pictures I'm immediately taken back to that day. We cannot recommend Shelley enough! Thank you again for such a wonderful experience!
Sent on 09/13/2017
User6119430
· 2+ years ago
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Shelley and Josh were an amazing couple to work with both for our engagement photos and for our wedding day! They were so easy to work with, and they really go the extra mile in getting the shots to make sure you're wedding photos are the best they can be. We absolutely LOVED our photos!!!
Sent on 09/27/2016
Carrie
· Married on 05/29/2016
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
We used Hartman Outdoor Photography for both our engagement and wedding pictures. It was one of the best choices we made during our wedding planning process. Our pictures are beautiful. They captured the day exactly as I remember it and weren't afraid to get out on the dance floor to get some great actions shots. Shelley and Josh were everything you would expect from professionals (on-time, responsive, organized, and quick turn around times for photos), but they were also such a joy to be around! All of my guests were talking about how fun our photographers were, and we got even more compliments on the pictures themselves!
Sent on 07/05/2016
Michelle Elyse Photography's reply:
Thank you so much for your very sweet review Carrie! We wish you and Zach the very best! <3 Shelley + Josh
Jocelyn
· Married on 05/01/2016
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Josh and Shelley are truly amazing. From the first time we reached out to them about about possibly photographing our engagement and wedding day pictures, they were extremely kind and professional. They are such a wonderful, laid back couple. We first had the opportunity to meet them at a local brewery in Raleigh in Sept (about one month before our engagement shoot), which gave us the chance to get to know each other and brainstorm for our upcoming shoot. We had a BLAST wandering around downtown Asheville and the grounds of the Biltmore Estate during our engagement session. Being that it was the first time I had taken professional pictures, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but Josh and Shelley made it so much fun; we really felt like we were hanging out with friends that afternoon. On our wedding day they had already scoped out some great locations/ideas for pictures ahead of time. They captured so many special moments, from our getting ready pictures all the way until our bubble send-off at the end of our reception. They were even in the crowd dancing with us, taking pictures during our reception. They made sure to include certain pictures we requested and also added their own creativity, so we had an amazing mix of photos. We were also very appreciative of how quickly they got our pictures to us after each shoot. We honestly could not have asked for better photographers - they are extremely talented, creative, and have given us pictures that we will look back on and cherish forever. We have received so many compliments on the pictures they took, and we highly recommend Hartman Outdoor Photography - they are fun, adventurous, and the absolute best!
Sent on 10/11/2016
Jessie
· Married on 04/30/2016
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
The Hartmans are some of the best photographers I have ever come across (and I must have looked at a zillion Pinterest posts, wedding blogs, and magazines!). Their style is unparalleled and they are an absolute dream to work with. If you are looking for a photographer, look no further because the Hartmans are the best!
We met Josh and Shelley years ago when they photographed a friends wedding - I remember thinking how fun they were to work with and how they made even the shyest person comfortable in front of the camera. After seeing the photos from that wedding (and picking my jaw up off the floor because of how stunning they were!), we knew we wanted to hire them when we got married - there was just nobody else that compared.
Once we got engaged and picked our date, they were the first people we called. They were so responsive throughout the whole time leading up to the wedding, and after taking our engagement pictures with them we could not have been more excited for the wedding. On our wedding day, they showed up early to scout out some spots before meeting us to take pictures of everyone getting ready. They picked some stunning locations for our first look (I still get tears in my eyes every time I look back at photos from that moment!) and wedding party photos, and kept everyone upbeat and laughing during the family photos. Once the wedding started, they seemed to be able to be everywhere without being intrusive at all, and were able to capture the most intimate moments and all of the details perfectly. During the reception, they were not afraid to get out on the dance floor to not only get some fabulous shots of our guests enjoying themselves, but also to show off some of their awesome dance moves!
Hiring the Hartmans was the best decision we made with our wedding, hands down. Not only were their photos drop-dead gorgeous, but they were incredibly fun and easy to work with. Thank you Josh and Shelley for capturing our wedding in the most perfect way!
Sent on 01/04/2017
Melanie
· Married on 04/16/2016
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Gosh, we just love the Hartmans!! Josh and Shelley did our engagement and wedding photos and we couldn't be happier! Our pictures turned out beautifully, and working with Josh and Shelley was a dream.
We planned our wedding long distance and they were very accommodating in setting up our engagement session right around Christmas while we were back in town visiting. Our first meeting with Josh and Shelley was over our engagement session and my fiancé (at the time) and I were surprised at how quickly we felt comfortable with them. Again, our engagement pictures turned out amazing!
In between our engagement session and wedding communicating with them was very easy and they responded quickly to all our emails leading up to our Big Day.
The next time we saw Josh and Shelley was on our wedding day. They showed up early to get the lay of the land and with plenty of time to take pictures of us all getting ready (some of our favorites are the candids during this time). They flowed seamlessly throughout the day, much of the time we didn't notice they were there, until we saw the pictures of everything they captured! I will say they are a blast to work with, Josh tore up the dance floor! And they left us an adorable picture from our photobooth!
We got a sneak peek of a number of our photos on their blog a few days(!!!) after our wedding and got all of our photos back Less than 2 weeks after our wedding.
I couldn't have imagined having better photographers to work with for such a special time in our lives. We are SO glad that we have not only the beautiful photos to remember it by, but the warm memories of working with Josh and Shelley as well!
Sent on 05/09/2016
Michelle Elyse Photography's reply:
Melanie and Alex- thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts. You guys are so sweet! It has been wonderful getting to know you and sharing the memories of your wedding day. Please keep in touch!
User4008450
· 2+ years ago
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
We were impressed with Shelly and Josh from our very first email exchange, all through our engagement sessions, and then on our wedding day. We first heard of Shelly and Josh through friends who had used them for their wedding ( their pictures were absolutely stunning). Hartman Outdoor Photography was professional, enthusiastic, and diligent. Our guests marveled at how much fun Shelly and Josh had while photographing. Their commitment and passion is clear and they truly made our wedding day fantastic. Both are amazing with communicating with families and capturing details of the wedding. My husband and I highly recommend Hartman Outdoor Photography- as a matter of fact we cannot even fathom how anyone uses anyone else!
Sent on 12/22/2015
Michelle Elyse Photography's reply:
Thank you so much for your sweet review Brittany! Happy holidays to you and Rob!!!
User6154613
· 2+ years ago
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Josh and Shelley were AMAZING to work with. They are both very personable, warm, down to earth and energetic people, my wife and I both feel lucky we met them! We got together several times before the wedding (they also did an engagement shoot for us), and they were incredibly helpful in helping us figure out what what we needed for our event and how they would fit in. We also already new we loved their style, and the energy and creativity they brought to their work. When our wedding day rolled around, it was one aspect of the event we could feel really comfortable with knowing our photography (and our memories) were in such capable hands. Josh and Shelley both brought a different eye and different perspective to the photography, and it was great having them work together as a team. We knew that between the two of them, everything was covered and not just from one perspective! During the ceremony, they blended in effortlessly and we didn't even notice they were there. Afterwards, they did a great job capturing the events of the day, and not just from the sidelines... Josh was right there in the thick of it on the dance floor! You can tell they really love what they do, and thats great to see. We love the photos and the memories they helped us preserve. We are still getting tons of rave reviews about the photography, and it was easy to share the images after the event. Their style really worked with our vision, and the photos show the energy, passion and creativity they brought to our wedding. Couldn't be happier! Thanks Josh and Shelley!
Sent on 01/05/2016
Michelle Elyse Photography's reply:
Thank you thank you thank you Liv and Sean for all of your kind words! We feel lucky to have worked with you! ~Shelley and Josh
