We believe it starts with paying attention.
We don’t believe great wedding photography starts with posing. Sure, that can be part of it.
We believe it starts with paying attention. To people. To energy. To movement. To the moments that almost everyone else misses.
- Presence.
- Aliveness.
We work from presence.
We feel our way through the day, paying attention to where the energy naturally flows. That’s where the photographs worth keeping are found.
We pay attention.
To the quiet moments. To the loud ones. To the people standing just outside the spotlight. To your VIPs.
To the grandparents lingering on the edge of the dance floor. To the squeeze of a hand. To the deep breath before the ceremony.
We notice.
The glance across the room. The tears that surprise you. The friend who can’t stop laughing. The way a room changes when your favorite song comes on.
We aren’t chasing perfect photographs or checking off a shot list. We’re noticing what is already there.
We share the way we see.
Whether you’re working with Melissa, Michael, Joy, Nicole, Cecilia, or Chloe, this philosophy is shared by every photographer on our team.
We don’t just teach our style. We share the way we see, because that’s where the photographs worth keeping are found.
Meet the team
The people who will help you feel fully like yourselves.
Melissa
Co-Owner / Creative Director / Photographer
Melissa has a way of making people feel seen.
Equal parts calming presence and enthusiastic hype woman, she’s the person gently fixing your veil one minute and cheering you on from the dance floor the next. She notices the little things: a nervous breath, a quiet squeeze of the hand, the way your grandma looks at you when you aren’t watching.
She believes the best photographs aren’t created through perfect posing. They’re created when people feel safe enough to be themselves.
When she’s not photographing weddings, you’ll usually find her dancing barefoot, wandering through the woods, befriending wildlife, or dreaming up new ways to help people reconnect with themselves.
Michael
Co-Owner / Creative Director / Photographer / Filmmaker
Michael is the calm in the middle of the celebration.
He’s endlessly curious about people and has a gift for making everyone, from the flower girl to your grandfather, feel instantly comfortable. His humor has a way of dissolving nerves without anyone realizing he’s doing it.
While everyone else is caught up in the excitement, Michael is quietly paying attention to the moments that often go unnoticed.
He’s a filmmaker, photographer, reader, traveler, and dad, but more than anything, he’s fascinated by people and the connections between them.
Nicole
Photographer
Nicole is the friend everyone hopes they’ll have beside them on their wedding day.
She’s warm, grounding, endlessly kind, and somehow always knows exactly when you need a hug, a laugh, or a quiet moment to breathe.
She believes photographs become meaningful because of the people in them, and she has a beautiful way of helping people forget there’s even a camera around.
Outside of weddings you’ll find her exploring new places, practicing yoga, dancing in her kitchen, and finding beauty in everyday moments.
Joy
Photographer
Joy lives up to her name.
She brings a playful energy that instantly puts people at ease, while quietly noticing the in-between moments that often become everyone’s favorite photographs.
Her approach is gentle, observant, and deeply human. She doesn’t force moments. She creates space for them to unfold.
When she’s not photographing weddings, she’s probably working on one of her creative projects or dreaming up the next adventure.
Cecilia
Photographer
Cecilia has one of the gentlest presences you’ll ever meet.
Thoughtful, observant, and incredibly kind, she has a way of making people feel comfortable exactly as they are. She notices beauty in the ordinary and brings a quiet steadiness to every wedding she photographs.
She’s a mom of two girls, an artist at heart, and someone who genuinely treasures preserving family memories because she knows how quickly life changes.
Chloe
Photographer
Chloe moves through the world noticing people.
With a background in visual journalism, she’s naturally curious. She notices the little things others might miss: a genuine smile that sneaks in, beautiful light spilling across a room, or the quiet interactions that often become the most meaningful photographs.
On a wedding day, Chloe brings an easygoing energy that helps people relax and be themselves. She believes the best images happen when you’re fully present, not thinking about the camera.
When she’s not photographing, you’ll probably find her wandering the aisles of Trader Joe’s, exploring a new downtown neighborhood or brewery, cheering on Philly sports, supporting local small businesses, or hanging out with her English Bulldog, Benji.
Nicole Dana Contreras
Director of Operations
I’m Nicole Dana Contreras, the Director of Operations here at M2 Photography!
With a background in Event Coordination and Talent Management, I thrive in the heart of creative chaos, keeping our logistics tight, our team supported, and every production running without a hitch. I bring high energy, sharp attention to detail, and top-tier organization to everything we do to make sure we’re always creating magic for our clients.
Fun fact: My internal clock is so attuned to event schedules that I accidentally construct minute-by-minute itineraries for my casual weekend errands.
Nikita & Stephen
Hands Down Best Decision Besides The Man I Was Marrying
Where to even begin with Melissa, Michael, and the rest of their team. They instantly make you feel comfortable, and it’s like you forget that there is a camera present. We didn’t know what to ask when we sat down with them for our initial meeting, but that didn’t matter. They helped us from start to finish, even when it did not have to do with photography.
They helped us with our wedding-day schedule so we could enjoy every bit of it while making sure we got every shot we asked for and more. Our favorite photographs were the candid ones where you could feel how much fun people were having. M2 is passionate about what they do, and it shows.
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