Today we’d like to introduce you to Mirelle Carmichael.
Hi Mirelle, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve called San Diego home for most of my life! I grew up in North County and graduated from Rancho Buena Vista High School before earning my degree in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara. Even during those early years, photography was always something I gravitated toward.
While working in the finance industry, I began photographing weddings on the weekends. It wasn’t long before I was also capturing family portraits and branching out into other special events. In 2009 I made the leap and launched Mirelle Carmichael Photography full-time.
Starting a photography business felt risky, but I was drawn to the freedom of creating art and setting my own schedule. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of photographing luxury weddings and events in San Diego, throughout California, and around the world—from Hawaii, to Mexico, to Italy.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Launching a small business in the wedding and events industry can feel overwhelming. Networking was difficult in the beginning and the San Diego wedding scene was (still is!) intimidating. I didn’t always know where to find support, and not everyone was open to sharing their knowledge. It took a little time to refine my style and find confidence in my work. Once I leaned into the fine art aesthetic I loved (natural light, romantic, editorial) things began to click and creating relationships with other wedding professionals got easier. One thing I’ve taken away from my initial experiences is that I’ll always be an open book to whoever is in need of advice in this industry!
Aside from the artistic side of the business, there are a lot of technicalities and often-overlooked details to photographing an event. It’s taken time and experience for me to have confidence in taking on these challenges on the fly. This is something I feel sets me apart in a professional sense.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in fine art wedding photography with a timeless film aesthetic. My style is a mix of editorial compositions with candid, photojournalistic storytelling. I find joy in capturing genuine emotion and the overall feeling of celebration at events.
Many of my weddings take place at luxury venues in San Diego (La Valencia Hotel, L’Auberge Del Mar, La Jolla Country Club, San Diego Museum of Art) but I also travel for destination weddings. I approach each event with the same intention: to create publication-worthy images that feel natural and elevated.
My clients love the balance of relaxed candids and editorial portraits in their galleries. My background is shooting on film with a medium format camera, so every image is carefully composed and thoughtfully edited for light, color, and emotion.
I’m very proud to have won the award for Best Photographer in San Diego for the past 2 years, through California Wedding Day’s industry led voting process!
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What I value most is creating images that become family heirlooms for my clients!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mirellecarmichael.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirellecarmichaelphoto/
Image Credits
All images by Mirelle Carmichael
(Personal photo by Annie Caplan)
