RIP Jay Colton

Photographer - Editor worked with Time for over 20 years Jay Colton with brother and Sports Illustrated Editor Jimmy Colton taken at Palm Beach Fotofusion 2010

In Memory Of Joseph Farish

It was a very sad day for me when I found out Joseph Farish passed away. I haven’t known Joe and his wife Loreen that long, maybe a couple of years. But how long does it really take to call someone a good friend, who treats you like family.


I was a friend and I worked for Joe and Loreen. I was hired to photograph a wedding, events and even Joe’s new venture, a funeral home, ironically. The Funeral Home is listed on the www.page2live.com on the front page, which is part of the Palm Beach Post.

I will never forget the wedding I photographed at their home. The father of the bride was a friend of Joe’s. I think from the Rotary Club. Joes friends daughter, was getting married and they needed to have the wedding pretty quickly. As you see the bride’s mother was dying of cancer and she didn’t have long to live. Joe and his wife opened their home and took care of the wedding in detail. Photographing the event brought tears to my eyes as they are now, because there was a lot of love felt at the Farish home that day and not a dry eye in the room.

Joe Farish loved the Miami Dolphins. He had a suite every year and was glued to watching the game. I remember covering the Dolphin games and The Farish’s, would always invite me up to their suite. They wouldn’t let me leave on an empty stomach, before heading back to work. Joe was a philanthropist; he was a very giving man not just monetarily but with love and respect toward others. He will be deeply missed but my strong memory for him will never fade away!

Intuitive Photography

I mentioned in a prior Blog called Shutter On The Brain, how I shot approximately 30 shots from a concert. It's not how fast and how many images I could take hoping to get the one great shot.  For me it has to do more with being intuitive and finding that special moment.  Every shot I shoot is personal; it has meaning to me, plain and simple.  The two images in this post were taken from a Charity event back in 2009.  The couple walking away are Anthony Shriver(Kennedy) and his daughter.  They frame the picture holding hands, like the sign "Best Buddies.  It tells a story.  The second image, I loved how the couple fell to the center of the courtyard.  The whole picture shows a lot of movement and tells a story. 
Intuitive Photography, something to think about!

B.O.B. - Bombs On Baghdad

Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. known as B.O.B. is a multi talented artist. Having heard a couple of his songs going into the concert prior, I had an idea it might be a good show. As a photographer covering the event I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the performance of this 24 year old sensation. He is surely not a musician-performer to be reckoned with. Bobby Ray originally from North Carolina, is a rapper, singer-songwriter, producer and guitarist. I would try to get to see his next performance when he is town and watch him move up the charts very quickly.

Bulky Camera Bags

A question came about that inspired me to write this next blog: What kind of camera bag do I use?


I usually use a messenger bag or a small back pack. I find them both, easy enough to get into and not bulky. Usually the only equipment I carry in them for the type of shooting I generally do is a flash setup and some other accessories like flash cards, batteries, pen & paper and of course business cards. When I am shooting for example an event, I have my camera or cameras around me ready to shoot with two different lenses attached and a bracket-flash if needed on one of the cameras.

Someone might ask, what about a monopod or tripod. For most shots I am able to handhold the camera or lean it up against something to get the shots I need. If I am shooting interiors, food photography or portraits it is different as using a tripod is a constant. If I was shooting with a minimum 300mm range lens, for example horse jumping, football, concerts from a distance, I would use a monopod as most of these professional events don’t allow tripods for safety reasons.

When I am shooting an event for example a wedding, it is key, to get those memorable shots. As a photographer you need to be ready and quick at all times. How would it be if a short distance away you see an amazing shot of the bride & groom caught in a moment, with an amazing reflection in the scene? Now you have to run back to get the lens that is in your camera bag. Or you’re not quick enough to run over to them to get the shot because of all the stuff you’re carrying. That moment is lost for a lifetime!

The pictures in this blog was one of those rare moments I used a monopod and it wasn’t mine because my monopod was in the car. It belonged to a photographer friend standing next to me. I grabbed his monopod and used it to get the attention of the cheerleaders.  I wanted them to look up to get these shots. My photographer friends next to me from the Miami Dolphins, Miami Herald and Sun-Sentinel appreciated it. I would have used my whistle, but unfortunately I somehow lost it.

Feel free to contact me with questions or to book your next event at info@micheleeve.com

ZUMA Pictures Of The Day: News, Sports, Celeb images and more

ZUMA Pictures Of The Day: News, Sports, Celeb images and more

Happy my image got selected as Picture Of The Day!

Rock On!

Personal Work At The Tattoo & Car Show

This past weekend I had a bunch of photo shoots lined up but in-between I had some time to shoot some personal work. I couldn’t ask for a better assistant than Tony. He is not only an attorney, a computer genius but also a photographer. I was so happy to have him as my assistant. He assisted me with my equipment, lighting and just all around was a big help.

Some of my personal work from the car show with model Billy.  From Police Arrests, to cooling off with Italian Ices, to Army Trucks.  The public was more interested it seemed in my photo shoot than the car show for a while..It was a real hoot and an overall great day!

The Police Car in the Shoot was a 1984 Dodge Diplomat California Highway Patrol Police Cruiser.  The Army Truck was a 1983 M-35.