Pábitel Photography; published michigan photographer in editions of The Photograp[her] Magazine
- Lisa Calandrino
- May 4, 2023
- 10 min read
Updated: Feb 10
Pábitel Photography is officially a published Michigan photographer in multiple editions of The Photograp[her] Magazine!
A few weeks ago, I saw a colleague's photo had been published on the cover of an edition of The Photograp[her] Magazine. Her friends, family, and photography clients on Facebook seemed really invested in her great accomplishment and interacted with the posts she shared about the cover in all of the ways small businesses need people to engage with their posts. I've said it before, and I will say it a million times more: small businesses are always in need of interaction on their social media accounts. All of those seemingly meaningless actions actually add up to being a major help for a business such as my colleague's and mine. Every time someone likes, comments, or shares a post, it tells their friends, family, and even the platform’s algorithm, “Hey, this content provides value. This is something I like. You should look at it too,” and in return, more and more people end up seeing the given content as they scroll their newsfeeds. Seeing this great reaction to my colleague's news, not to mention the idea of actually being published, was enough to make me check out The Photograp[her] Magazine for myself.
Now, what exactly is the The Photograp[her] Magazine? Well, it is essentially what its name implies! It’s an inclusive magazine featuring the work of women photographers. The magazine's mission is to educate, inspire, and lift up the female photography community. Each week they post a few themes for upcoming magazines with links to separate posts specific to each theme. No matter the skill level, if you identify as a female and have a photo that fits a posted theme, you may comment on the appropriate post with one photo. In just a couple of days, if selected, The Photograp[her] Magazine’s Facebook page will private message you with instructions on how to officially submit your photo for publication. About a week later, the published magazine will be released online, and you'll receive an email with a direct link to the magazine!
published michigan photographer - publication #1: Shoot Through
The first magazine edition that I submitted a photo to was themed Shoot Through. I took this photo at For-Mar Nature Preserve in Burton, Michigan with a Michigan model. We met up towards the end of Michigan’s first official Stay Home, Stay Safe order on a humid, cloudy summer evening. Our session was supposed to be a half hour in length, but because this session proved to be so dream worthy, it actually lasted an hour. If you have done a session with me in the past, that’s probably not too much of a surprise. Learning more about my clients while walking and talking is my favorite!
I chose to submit this particular photo to The Photograp[her] Magazine’s Shoot Through edition, because I took the photo through a small chandelier crystal. A chandelier crystal is something I always carry in my camera bag. I try to pull it out during every session as it can create such magical and unique results! For anyone interested in photography, I also recommend keeping a plastic sandwich bag with your gear. If you tear a hole through it, and shoot through it, you can create gorgeous results! Take a peek below to see the published photo from this session as well as two other photos that feature the plastic bag trick!
publication #2: Golden Hour
You better believe that I bought the Shoot Through edition as soon as it was published! It is so exciting to see your work published and to know other people are seeing it as well. Just a couple of days after submitting that first photo though, I found out I was selected to be published again. This time, it was for The Photograp[her] Magazine’s Golden Hour edition. The photo I had commented to this theme's Facebook post was from a very recent engagement photo session I did this January. Lindsay’s and Jake’s engagement photos were actually scheduled to take place during golden hour at Midland, Michigan’s Chippewa Nature Center. We really lucked out for their session, as golden hour really lived up to its name. Below you'll find the published photo where a little bit of that golden light can be seen glimmering through the trees and reflecting off the brush.
publication #3: High School Sweethearts
When I received my third message for publication, I had to laugh. These Facebook messages from The Photograp[her] Magazine have been like a little reminder from the world that, “Yes, I am good. I am doing what I should be doing.” As an added bonus, the publications have not only put my name a little further out into the universe but have also provided me with great content for my social media platforms, and now, my blog and mailing list.
The third photo I submitted to the magazine is actually one of my absolute favorite photos. Kelly and Calvin met me on a cloudy (my favorite weather for photos!) spring morning at the Flushing Township Nature Park in Flushing, Michigan just as photographers were legally able to photograph again during Michigan's Stay Home, Stay Safe order. These two lovebirds met while in high school, so they made the perfect submission for the magazine’s High School Sweethearts theme!
publication #4: A Road To....
After the High School Sweethearts edition was published, I thought it would be my last publication for awhile, but I was wrong. I quickly received a fourth message from The Photograp[her] Magazine regarding another photo submission. Now, not only have a few of my portrait photos been published, but my landscape and nature photos are being published as well! The fourth direct message from the magazine requested that I submit a specific landscape photo to the magazine’s A Road To… . edition. This photo, shown below, was taken on a weekend trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio a couple of years ago. Since first taking and editing this photo, I have curated a series entitled glimmers in the dark, in which this photo has been added to.
publication #5: Wildflower
As of today’s date, I have officially been published in five editions of The Photograp[her] Magazine. The fifth edition that I was published in was Wildflower themed. For this theme, I submitted a photo from a newer, unofficially announced (I guess until now?) series called a few things to preserve. I am hoping that this series will become one of my annual calendars in a few years' time. The specific photo submitted to the Wildflower magazine edition is below. It was taken during a summer golden hour in Chesaning, Michigan.
It started out with a, “Let’s see what happens,” attitude, and now I’m currently waiting to hear about a sixth publication. Thank you to everyone who has engaged with my social media posts regarding the past five publications and who have supported me so incredibly in the past. Now that I have seen a little bit more of what I am capable of, my goal is to ultimately be published 10 times with The Photograp[her] Magazine, to make their cover, and to be one of their featured photographers. As a featured photographer, there will be a short article published about my work and me along with a photo of myself. I will also be looking to have myself published in other photography magazines as well. If you would like regular updates regarding recent publications, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter and to like my Facebook page. Subscribers receive all business updates first and Facebook is regularly updated with links to published work.
publication #6: Open
3/10/2021 UPDATE: The sixth publication is a go! I have also been informed that I will be a featured photographer in an upcoming issue of The Photograp[her] Magazine. My goals have now changed to being published in ten issues and making cover!
3/19/2021 UPDATE: The sixth publication, the Open edition, has been released! The photo featured in this magazine is one of Valerie and Alex from their engagement session at Saginaw Valley State University in Saginaw, Michigan during the spring of 2019! This is a portrait photo that really stands out to me, as it was one of the first photos that made me think to myself, "I've got this!"
publication #7: Motherhood
3/22/2021 UPDATE: I am getting closer and closer to my goal of 10 publications with The Photograp[her] Magazine! This week marked my seventh and eighth publications with the magazine. I haven't yet heard when my featured photographer piece will be released, but I am very excited to see how that turns out as well.
My seventh publication was for an issue with the theme of "motherhood." Now, when someone talks about a motherhood session or photo, they are usually talking about one in which a mother can be seen with her already born child. An example of a motherhood session would be the popular Mommy & Me mini sessions found around Mother's Day, or less popular but absolutely stunning (and yes, please hire me for this!), breastfeeding sessions. As of today's date, I have not had an opportunity to do either of these motherhood sessions, so when I entered a photo to this issue's theme, I was not very confident that I would be selected.
As I have clearly let on already, I did end up being selected though, and I'm so happy I was! This photo from Hillary's maternity session in Fenton, Michigan is a F A V O R I T E. I'm such a fan of big emotions in photos, and it is incredibly rewarding to see this photo on a two-page spread!
publication #8: Monochromatic Couples
The Photograp[her] Magazine is doing this cute mini series of black and white magazine issues. They have announced a couple of different themes for these issues including landscapes, portraits, negative space, and couples. I love a good black and white photo, so as soon as I saw these themes I hopped into the comments for at least three of the monochromatic issues. One of the themes I submitted to and was selected for was the Monochromatic Couples theme. For this submission, I used a black and white lifestyle photo from Katie's and Jake's engagement photos taken last summer at Hawk Meadow Park. This is another big emotions photo!
publication #9: Spring
3/25/2021 UPDATE: I did it! I am officially a FEATURED photographer with The Photograp[her] Magazine. This was my second of three goals I had for this magazine, and while I am still working on #1 (being published 10 times), I am so, so thrilled to have met goal #2. In fact, I would say completing this goal feels more rewarding than having photos published in the individual magazine issues. That's because of what being featured means. It means my name written clearly across the top of a page dedicated to my personal story as well as a two page spread of some of my all-time favorite photos! In total, this is a four-page spread dedicated to my work! View pages six through nine through the link below.
publication #10: Monochromatic Portraits
4/22/2021 UPDATE: It's been a little bit since I have shared an update on my publication journey with The Photograp[her] Magazine. Since achieving my goal of being a featured photographer with the magazine, I have also achieved a second goal! My work has officially been published TEN times with the magazine. The tenth publication of Pábitel Photography with The Photograp[her] Magazine was in another issue of their monochromatic mini series. For this particular issue, I submitted a photo I had taken a couple of years ago of my sister sitting in a large bay window. View pages 12 and 13 of the Monochromatic Portraits issue through the link below.
publication #11: Monochromatic Landscapes
Again, this publication is part of The Photograp[her] Magazine's Monochromatic series. For this issues, I submitted a photo taken a few years ago at Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. This is one of my favorite black and white photos and one that I intend to put in a future monochromatic-themed calendar!
publication #12: Blue
When I read the theme for this issue of The Photograp[her] Magazine was blue, my mind immediately went to a couple of sunset beach photos I took in Traverse City one Fall evening. This particular photo has such vivid colors; I knew that it would be selected if I submitted it! This photo was also featured in my bright colors, bright earth series for the 2019 calendar.
publication #13: Beautfiul Chaos
This theme was announced by The Photograp[her] Magazine shortly after I had delivered Selina and Jeremy's family maternity session gallery. I had spent so many days drooling over this photo, so when I saw the words "beautiful chaos," I knew this photo would be selected for the issue. This photo is the definition of beautiful chaos, a loving family filled with life and movement.
publication #14: Sun Flare
publication #15: Open Vol. 5
In July 2021, I did engagement photos for Ally and Rob. These photos were at a private lake during golden hour. Editing the photos, I couldn't believe the sun flares I had captured during their session. Their photos GLOWED. As soon as I saw the "sun flare" theme for The Photograp[her] Magazine, I knew I had to submit one of Ally and Rob's engagement photos.
A few months later, in December 2021, The Photograp[her] Magazine selected this photo again for their 5th Open-themed issue. This time, it received a full spread covering pages 20 and 21 in the magazine!
A few of my typical side notes:
This year is filling up, but I am currently still booking all of the sessions! Contact me to learn more, or check out my services to learn more about what sessions I offer.
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Read about my engagement session with Lindsay and Jake!