Hello—welcome!

I’m Michelle Macirella, the owner and photographer of Luminaria Photography, and I live in Rochester, NY with my husband and our adorable dog, Koda Bear.

If you’re a sentimental, nostalgic, and creative person who can easily get lost down a rabbit hole on the floor of your grandma’s closet after finding a shoebox full of old family photos, you are my people. If you also love binge-watching your favorite TV shows, getting wrapped up in a good book, cuddling all the dogs, and hosting game nights—I’m pretty sure we’d be friends.

I became obsessed with looking through family photo albums from a very young age, and I’ve had a camera in my hand, documenting the world around me, since I was eight years old.

I’m a photographer who loves capturing the beautiful, ordinary moments in life that will someday become cherished memories. 

I like to think of myself as a documentarian of your family’s history—telling a story through artful photos of this chapter in your lives—not just how you looked, but how you felt and how you loved each other.

I also love creating imaginative portraits or headshots that bring out your personality. And people often tell me they appreciate my ability to help them feel so at ease in front of the camera and have fun. (And yes, I can also do the same for your dog! Creating special portraits of your pet is another specialty of mine.)

Outside of photography, I’m a writer, educator, dog mom, recovering perfectionist, and the reigning Boggle champion in my family.

My work has been featured in several magazines, film festivals, and galleries. I was a finalist in the 2020 Documentary Family Photography Awards and was selected for the 2021 Documentary Family Photographers Worldwide photography exhibit, juried by New York Times photo editor Tiffanie Graham.

I’m proud of all my accomplishments, but some of my proudest moments happen when I deliver a client’s images and watch their face light up as they say, “This feels exactly like us!”

Want to swap stories, ask a question, or book a session?
Contact me here.