Celebrating 25 Years!
This year, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of Michael Negrete Photography, a journey that began with a youthful passion for fine-art weddings and family portraits. As I reflect on this milestone, I'm reminded of the unique aspects of my story- the early start, the enduring love for photography, the joy of capturing timeless memories for families, and, of course, my love of all things cycling. Yes, I still race bikes! I'm typing this with a broken thumb from a training accident on my gravel bike.
I started a newsletter for my VIP clients over twenty years ago, and it has been a great way to stay connected with them. In the last 20 years, I've raised two young men, Aidan and Lukas, who are now 20 and 18. My photography business has undergone significant transformations in the last 20 years. I began doing only weddings with film in a fine art style with handmade prints and albums. Eventually, I transitioned into doing family portraits and helping clients decorate their homes with emotional portraits. When I became a father, I started dabbling in volume photography, such as Little League Baseball, first communions, cheer teams, and elementary school photography. The recession back in 2009 forced me to rethink my business, so I returned to school. I went to the University of La Verne and got a business degree with a concentration in marketing.
During my first semester at ULV, the senior photography contract for Claremont High School became available for bidding. It was the perfect opportunity for me to create a new hybrid business model that combined boutique and volume photography. When I began my journey into wedding photography, I was determined to produce fine art-style imagery with emotional impact, even though most wedding photography at the time felt overly posed and stale. Contrary to what many critics believed—that I couldn't succeed with this approach—I proved them wrong, and my style became very successful.
In my winning bid for Claremont's senior portrait contract, I trusted my instincts and developed an innovative system for senior portraiture. My goal was to create portraits that resonated emotionally, ones that families would proudly display in their homes. Additionally, I wanted to conduct in-person sales to assist families in selecting the best images, discussing retouching options, and, most importantly, capturing the true personalities of their graduating seniors. I broke conventional volume photography rules by allowing parents to be in the studio during the sessions. This approach enabled me to create images that resonated with them and brought them to tears of joy.
I started doing Claremont senior portraits in 2013, and after a few years, other schools came on board, loving my process. I now photograph Western Christian High School, CSArts in Duarte, and Ganesha, all using the same system. While doing Claremont, I was approached to do an elementary school picture day for Foothill Country Day School in Claremont. I again created a fresh approach to school picture day, and it's been a blast.
It's been almost a decade since our re-birth melding a boutique studio with volume photography. I love creating art that celebrates each unique individual and makes the families mushy. We still do location sessions for seniors and families. My current staff is fantastic, so we're adding headshots, mini-sessions, smash the cake, and sports photography. Stay tuned to the newsletter to see all that we're up to.
My personal life has mostly stayed the same over the years. I'm still passionate about riding and racing bikes. I've expanded from XC mountain bikes to cyclocross and now gravel bike races focused on epic races of 80 or more miles off-road. I've started running recently, too, as my girlfriend is an avid runner and just completed the Berlin marathon.
I'm still the same old me, chasing excellence as an artist, entrepreneur, athlete, and father. I hope all is well with you, and I look forward to reconnecting with you with the resurrection of my newsletter.