Hire the Best Photographer for Senior Pictures
I believe that a great reputation is earned and built over time–and it takes a combination of great clients, a desire to continually learn, and a passion for what you do. It’s about more than just being voted the best or having a huge social media following. I’m always looking for ways to deliver a unique experience for graduating seniors, as well as provide families with photo shoot fun that will forever remind them of their teen’s exciting milestone. Of course, the heirloom keepsakes I design after the photo shoot don’t hurt either! Storyboards, images boxes, and heirloom albums are always a hit, and there are plenty of creative portrait gifts the grad can choose for family and friends too.
Recognized by Best Pros in Town
This is a new one!! Best Pros in Town only lists the highest-rated businesses, and one of my top priorities is to always provide my clients with the best service and experience possible. With 75+ 5 star Google reviews and thousands of happy clients over the years, Magical Memories by Michelle is one of the best professionals in Mesa!
Top Rated Local® Names Magical Memories By Michelle as a Highest Rated Company in the State
These days online reviews are everywhere, but isn’t it frustrating when you’re searching reviews for a particular service and one site gives 5 stars, but another site gives 3 stars? How do you know? Top Rated Local® helps take the guesswork out of online ratings by combing reviews from several sites. They use a 5-pillar experience based rating system to analyze ratings and reviews from hundreds of verified review sites online. As of April 2023, my rating is 98%.
This week Magical Memories by Michelle has also been included on the list of 100 highest rated companies in Arizona by Top Rated Local®, a 5 pillar experience-based rating system that analyzes ratings and reviews from hundreds of verified review sites online and then uses their Rating Score™ to rank local businesses.
Powered by Top Rated Local®Best Portrait Photographer in Mesa
Since 2019, I’ve been voted one of the Best Portrait Photographers in Mesa by Expertise.com! Each year there are fewer photographers selected and for 2023, I was chosen as one of the Top 6 Portrait Photographers in Mesa! Expertise.com connects people with the best local professional photographers. Portrait photographers are rated on more than 25 variables across five categories, resulting in a hand-picked list of the best portrait photographers in Mesa, AZ. Over 155 photographers were nominated this year, and then Expterise.com selects the top photographers based on the following criteria: Reputation, Qualifications, Experience, Reliability, and Professionalism. Don’t take my word for it. Go check out the complete list of the Best Portrait Photographers for 2023!
What’s has changed over the years? Expertise.com has incorporated mystery shoppers. The first time I was called, I couldn’t believe it! My phone rang and of course I answered, gave them all the necessary info and we chatted a bit. Then about 5 minutes later I got a notice that Expertise.com does in fact do random calls to see which photography studios respond and handle client requests professionally. So now, when you go to my profile you’ll see that I have an A+ rating for both reputation and professionalism.






Reputation: A history of delighted customers and outstanding service.

Since 2009, Magical Memories by Michelle has had the honor of photographing clients from all over Arizona! High end portraits are my number one priority! If people didn’t love my portraits, I wouldn’t be in business. By treating each client with respect and collaborating together to create their dream portraits, then finalizing with top notch quality prints, wall displays, albums, and custom artwork, I’ve earned a perfect 5 star rating across every review site. I want every single client to be thrilled with the entire senior portrait experience as well as the final images! Feel free to check out all of my online reviews and you’ll see why everyone raves about their senior pictures. I now have over 75 Google Reviews! Do you know how hard that is for a small business? I never thought that would happen! I love my clients, they love me, we have a blast together at every senior photo shoot!
Website | Google | Facebook | Yelp
Qualifications: Building customer confidence with licensing, accreditation, and awards.
While I didn’t necessarily start out strong, I did start out right! Magical Memories by Michelle has been licensed with the State of Arizona since 2009 and became an LLC is 2012. I am also an active member of PPA, Professional Photographers of America and my membership allows me to be insured and provides numerous resources and classes. Feel free to visit my profile there too! So far in 2023, I’ve had images published in Senior Year Magazine Guys Only Edition, Senior Year Magazine Best of 2022, Teen Years Magazine Best of 2022, Senior Poise Winter 2023, SeniorSzn Spring 2023, and Senior Luxe Spring 2023.
Since 2014, I’ve had over 80 images published nationally and internationally in 14 of the industry’s leading magazines, and had dozens of teen and senior images featured over the years. You won’t want to miss all the award-winning senior pictures! It’s been an amazing start to 2023!!!
Experience: Masters of their craft, based on years of practical experience and education.
As an artist, it isn’t easy to hear about your mistakes and flaws, but it is necessary. I’ve spent years having my work reviewed by my peers, because let’s face it…my family and friends always think I’m amazing! Annual classes and workshops keep me at the top of the field for senior pictures and ensure that I am able to offer the best experience to graduating high school students. With a wide variety of skills, my sessions take place during the day, and I offer an Ultimate Senior Portrait Session that includes nighttime photos for a completely unique look! I’ve been named one of the Top 100 Photographers for 2022 and in 2019 I was named one of the Top 200 Senior Photographers Worldwide! To see a recent list of publications, check out the press page.




Reliability: Consistently approachable and responsive, so customers never feel ignored.
The key to my success has been staying low volume. I always thought I’d need to shoot hundreds of clients annually, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that’s not what works best for me or my clients. You’re not just a number to me, I want you to feel valued. By never having back-to-back sessions you’ll never be rushed out to get the next session started. I only schedule a maximum of 8 sessions per month, so there is flexibility to reschedule due to illness or weather.
Professionalism: Providing service with honesty, reliability, and respect.
I can honestly say that I’ve had very few product issues throughout my years as a photographer. By using only professional print labs and having a relationship with each one, I’m immediately notified of any problems. They call if I mess up…and I have. I’m not perfect, but I am a perfectionist which means I will require a lab to reprint artwork with even the smallest flaw. I’ve only had one product that was damaged over time, and that was replaced within three days. Those gorgeous heirloom albums you’ve seen? They have a lifetime warranty!

Class of 2024…
Ready to get started? Contact me for more information and be sure to keep up with the blog, where you can find great ideas, looks, tips, and more! Plus, don’t forget follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to see all the latest senior photoshoots!
Congratulations on your award! It sounds like you try to provide top notch quality for your clients!
Thank you so much! I definitely want the very best for all my portrait clients!
Congratulations on all the well deserved recognition for your beautiful s