FEATURED GALLERIES

 

BIO

Hi! I am Michele and I am a local photographer in Breckenridge, Colorado. I actually live in Blue River at 10,000 feet! So lots of snow and moose in our yard. 

I have lived in Colorado for over 10 years now. We love it here and never plan on leaving. My family has a love for the mountains so we moved to Summit County in 2019 after living in Denver. We made our dream come true. We feel very fortunate to call Summit County our home. 

I love to run, bike, hike, ski, snowshoe, and cross country ski. I am also a travel freak. I love to travel, especially internationally. My husband and I have been fortunate enough to travel through most of Europe, Costa Rica, and Thailand. I have loved all of our travels, but Iceland has a special place in my heart. 

I decided in 2012 to focus on kids and family photography. Michele Schanker Photography focuses on getting the more traditional pictures looking at the camera as well as the candid pictures of families interacting or kids playing. I consider myself as a "true color" photographer.  To get a true idea of how a session with me looks, check out my blog

Whether you are a summit county local or here on vacation please feel free to contact me to discuss your photography desires. I will help come up with suggestions on the best locations for you based on the background that you desire. 

If you are looking for micro weddings, elopements, etc...I do offer them on a very occasional basis. I just don't take on large weddings. Contact me if you would like to discuss further. michele@micheleschankerphotography.com. Think an elopment with close family at an a rental or gorgeous mountain backdrop. 

 

 

 

CONTACT

GET IN TOUCH

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or to reserve your session. Please make sure to include your email address so I can get back to you.

Phone:303-242-7268
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PRICING

SESSION PACKAGES

Michele Schanker Photography believes in offering both short and long sessions for off slope photography sessions! I have found that lots of families are fine with short sessions on their vacations. I get it! It's vacation, and people want to be off having fun and adventures.

All short sessions take places in Breckenridge or Blue River. We will work with you to help determine a good location based on what you desire for your portrait background. All sessions include a print release. 
 

Short sessions are 30 minutes long and are for individual families. These can not be accomplished for extended families. There just is not enough time to get all the groupings in. 

Short session packages are as follows

1. 30 minute session with 10 digital images is $210

2. 30 minute session with 20 digital images is $325

3. 30 minute session with the entire gallery is $460

Long Sessions are an hour long. These are designed for families that want a longer session or extended families. 

Long session packages are as follows:

1. 1 hour session with 15 digital images is $350

2. 1 hour session with 30 digital images is $495

3. 1 hour sessions with the entire gallery and a 20 page photobook is $675

 

Hot Cocoa Sessions

These sessions are great if you just want a few pictures of your kids in the snow. I have some white mugs I can bring with me and we will put marshmallows in them to look like hot cooca. If you don't feel comfortable with me providing the mugs or marshmallows, then bring your own. These are very short and simple sessions. If you are wanting pictures of your kids in the snow but not wanting to do a family session, this is perfect! Time estimate is about 10 minutes for no more than 2 kids. If you have more then 2 kids then it may take longer, feel free to contact me for more information. 

Cost is $99 and you will get 5 digital images

Hiking Sessions

Does your family enjoy hiking? I am familiar with some very short hikes in the Blue River/ Breckenridge area. These hikes are about 1-1.5 miles long. We can take some time to hike out, capture some pictures on the way and then do a family session at our final destination. If this is something you are interested in please contact me at michele@micheleschankerphotography.com

These sessions start at $425. 

On Slope Skiing Sessions

New for this year, I want to start offering some on mountain skiing sessions. I have epic pass and an Arapahoe Basin pass. So I can meet you at Breckenridge, Keystone, or A Basin to capture some on mountain skiing/boarding pictures. These sessions will last 60-90 minutes. We will take a few runs, in which I will capture some actions shots, some top of the mountain shots, and on the lift shots! Maybe we can even capture some hot cocoa pictures by the fire if time allows. Yes I can also do Vail and Beaver Creek (but due to distance and parking, I do have to add on a travel fee). 

These sessions will start at $425. Please email us for packages for on slope sessions michele@micheleschankerphotography.com

Weddings/Engagements/Elopements

I get asked sometimes if I do weddings, engagements or elopements. I do have experience with weddings and engagements. However, years ago I decided to focus on families and kids.  I am open to doing some micro weddings, elopements, and engagements.  So if you fall into this category then please email me for further pricing information. michele@micheleschankerphotography.com

 

 

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where should we shoot?

I have lists I have complied for Winter and Summer sessions. I will email you this list so you have an idea of the different locations. For short sessions, I keep those to the Breck/Blue River area. 

 

2. What time do you do your sessions?

Mostly in the evening. I do not want you looking into the sun, as you will be squnity. In the winter, we have to also consider the reflection off the snow which can be very bright. I can shoot early if you really want to do that, but it has to be really early. Sunrise early! 

 

3. How will you deal with my kids?

I have learned a lot over the years, being a mom myself. This is very age dependent. Sometimes I tell jokes, other times i put a stuffed animal on my head! I have some toys that I bring with me to sessions. These are toys that I feel look good in pictures. Such as a wooden truck. If a kid just isn't having it then we have fun. We will play ring around the rosie, run towards mom and dad, etc...

 

4. What if it rains?

I always tell people to try and plan for the beginnning of your trip in case we have bad weather. Typically rain here is short lived. It may storm at 4pm and the sun is shining at 6pm. I will watch the weather and if it looks bad for our scheduled time, I will contact you and see what our options are. That could be a different day or shooting earlier before the rain hits. 

 

5. What is your style?

My editing style is true to color. My shooting style is a mix of candid and looking at the camera. 

 

6. Do you charge a deposit to reserve a session?

Yes. I do a 25% despoit to reserve the day and time you are requesting. 

 

7. Is the deposit refundable?

The desposits are non refundable. This because I have held this date for your session and may have turned down other sessions. If  for some reason your vacation plans change, I will see if I can rebook your date. If I can then I will offer a refund on your depsoit. If for some reason I had to cancel (illness, etc...) I will refund your despoit. 

 

8. Do I have to choose which package I want before my session?

No you do not! You can wait until you see your gallery to decide which package you would like to do. If you decide you would just want a few extra images that is fine too. I am pretty flexible. 

 

9. What about mornings? My kids do better in the morning.

I get it! I am a mom. My kids are getting older, but I remember those days of them being young. The problem with mornings, is that you are typically looking into the sun if you want a mountain view. This causes people to get squinty. To avoid this, that usually means shooting super early! Like sunrise early! If you are looking at a winter session, that also means very cold tempertures. I can shoot in the late morning, if you don't want a mountain view. We can stick to pine trees, aspens tress, maybe some water, etc... 

 

10.What about clothes? What should we wear? Do you have any recommendations for outfits for little girls?

I usually tell people to pick a color scheme you like and go with that.  For instance maybe you like pink and greys. Do consider the high altitude here. Even though its summer it can be really cool, esepecailly those higher eleavtions (like blue lakes). I like to tell people to have a sweater or a jean jacket on hand. Also consider your background at your location. Some places (Rainbow Lakes for instance) have a lot of greenery in the summer. So you may not want to wear a green dress, but something that looks good against green. In the winter, you have a lot of white in your backdrop. So if you dress in a lot of black your pictures may look a bit monochrome. If you prefer something that contrasts the white snow, then go for some colors. 

Yes I have some places that I like for outfits for litle girls:

Oopsie Daisy https://oopsiedaisy.com

Joyfolie https://www.joyfolie.com

 

I have more information about the seasons and how to dress on my blog: https://breckenridgecoloradophotographer.com/what-to-wear/

 

11. How long will it take to get out photos

I like to say 2 weeks, but there are times of year that I get super busy and it take me more like 3-4 weeks. See the next question to know when those busy times are. 

 

12. When are your busy seasons?

Typically I get busy from mid June - mid August. Then again from Thanksgiving to New Years. 

 

13. Will you shoot at our Airbnb?

I will be brutally honest. I hate shooting at rentals. Why? I cant check out the lighting ahead of time, I don't always have that gorgeous mountain backdrop, the spaces are typically small for the amount of people I am working with, and I dont have the space to be really creative. The amount of times I've shot at rentals I usually walk away feeling like those pictures could have been so much better. 

 

 

What else should I add to this list? Email me your questions. michele@micheleschankerphotography.com

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