“Michael has such a wonderful aura that you can’t help to think that maybe you’ve been best pals with him in another life — and I don’t even believe in reincarnation! His work is unbelievable. He captures ordinary situations and makes them extraordinary. He’s more than a photographer — He’s a magician that’s been sprinkled by creative fairy dust.

His books make your world stop for just a bit. And realize, that there really is a lot of wonderfulness in the mundane.
”

“We had the pleasure of having Michael photograph our wedding in October at Grace Cathedral and the Fairmont Hotel in SF and have nothing but the highest praise for him and his work.

First and foremost, Michael is incredibly kind, easy going, and an absolute pleasure to be around. My family and I were with Michael for almost 12 hours on the day of our wedding and we couldn’t have been happier to spend one of the most important days of our lives with him.

He is truly an incredibly talented photographer. We were blow away by the quality of his work, artistic eye, ability to get all the shots that we requested, and infectious passion for getting the perfect shot.

We will treasure the photos forever and couldn’t be happier with the final product. We will be using Michael again and again for all our family photo needs and HIGHLY reccommend him to anyone looking for an all around incredible photographer.”

“If there was a way to give Michael more than 5 stars, I would do it. There are not enough words to express his exceptional talent and complete professionalism.

We were fortunate enough to win a Day in the LIfe photo shoot through our school auction. What a unique idea. When you have a child, time flies by faster and faster with each passing year. The days can just blend into one another as we dash from one activity to the next. We can forget the small details. Michael captures the day from start to finish in such a beautiful way.

Michael arrived at our house at 7am and stayed with our family until 9pm. He followed the kids throughout their day and captured moments that I don’t even notice... the playful moments between my girls, aged 6 and 9. He captured looks that I never see and embraces that I do not even recall. Through his lens, he was able to give me glimpse into my child’s life at school. A life that I don’t get to see...moments in the lunchroom...the hallways of school...interactions with friends...PE class...recess, etc.

Michael’s professionalism is unmatched. He blended in with my family, was a joy to have at school, all the kids adored him and I absolutely loved having him in my home for the entire day. His professionalism can only be outdone by his pure talent. The images that he captured of my family are stunning and breathtaking. I can never thank him enough for the memories he captured in these ordinary unposed moments. I know that I will look back on these pictures for the rest of my life and can feel the emotions and love seeping from each image. What a complete treasure.

To sum it up, hire Michael. You will absolutely not be disappointed.”

“Michael is totally the best! He is talented, sweet and extremely patient. He took wonderful shots of my 6 year old daughter a few weeks ago while we were taking family pictures in our home and outside in San Francisco. My little girl is constantly moving, making faces and talking so this was no small feat! Michael made it look easy. He is very nice and easy to hang out with so you don’t even realize that he is making magic. When you get your pictures they look better than you could even imagine. Guess that’s why we used Michael at our wedding and why he’s still taking our pictures. He’s truly the best!”

“There are not enough stars to represent Michael’s outstanding work... 5 isn’t nearly enough!

My husband and I used Michael Clemens for his “A Day in the Life” session to photograph our family in October ‘12 - 4 kids ages 6, 8, 10 and 12. He came to our home for a “get-to-know-you” visit so the kids would be familiar with the man behind the lens. They were so excited for the “Day in the Life” to come!

Two days before our scheduled “Day”, Kid #3 fell off a tree branch and trashed her lip and needed 7 stitches - it swelled beyond words. Doing a photo shoot with one of my angels with a fat lip was not my idea of a “typical” day, so we rescheduled. As luck would have it, at 10pm the night before the next scheduled “Day”, Kid #4 started vomiting! How could this be? Michael was so accommodating to reschedule for us not just ONCE but TWICE without any annoyance or penalty.

The third time was a charm! The “Day” was ordinary. The finished many-hundred-photo-book is extraordinary.

Michael arrived at 6:15am, captured the kids as they squirmed out of bed, cuddled with the dog, played chase in PE, sat on their knees, laughed with their friends at school, interacted with each other, jumped on the trampoline with the neighbors,.... I could go on and on... He got it all. He snapped the little details - the stuff I’ve never notice. I had no idea that my 12 year old son drank from the kitchen sink every morning, until I saw the photo in the book. Not that that is a big deal, but it’s so forgettable and unnoticeable - until you see it. And it’s captured from behind his lens - forever captured in our book. Michael followed the kids around all day at school as they interacted with their teachers, classmates, neighbors, one another and my husband and I. He worked ALL DAY LONG. NO BREAKS!!!! I don’t even think he ate all day! Didn’t leave our home until the kids were tucked in bed and the sun was long gone.

We are forever grateful to Michael for this timeless gift of a fleeting moment in time. These are absolutely the days we’ll forget. Ordinary, regular routines - daily habits, expressions, interactions, activities - just the average day. It’s like freeze framing my favorite time in life - the now. It pains me to think of how fast time passes. Having this collection of photographs is a clear reminder of how blessed we are - it’s almost an out-of-body-experience every time I open the album. I’m never given the chance to watch my day unfold. Page by page, I get to experience a day in our life. I love seeing the kids at school behind the scenes - talking to their friends, concentrating on a task, playing at recess. These moments are imagined, until now. It is a treasure and will be rediscovered often.

Michael’s gift of time, talent and treasure is beyond appreciated. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to experience his work. He is so professional - from our first telephone conversations to his understanding, flexibility and accommodations in switching the dates around for our numerous “not so ordinary” conflicts.

Michael has a gift to share; you must experience his remarkable talent!”

“Michael,
I just can’t get enough! Every time I look, I discover new images I hadn’t noticed before.

Thank you so much, again, for this timeless gift of a fleeting moment in time. These are absolutely the days we’ll forget. Ordinary, regular routines - daily habits, expressions, interactions, activities - just the average day. It’s like freeze framing my favorite time in life - the now. It pains me to think of how fast time passes. Having this collection of photographs is a clear reminder of how blessed we are - it’s almost an out-of-body-experience every time I open it. I’m never given the chance to watch my day unfold. Page by page, I get to experience a day in our life. I love seeing the kids at school behind the scenes - talking to their friends, concentrating on a task, playing at recess. These moments are imagined, until now. It is a treasure and will be rediscovered often.

Your gift of time, talent and treasure is beyond appreciated. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to experience your work. You are so professional - from our first telephone conversations last May, to your understanding, flexibility and accommodations in switching the dates around for our numerous “not so ordinary” conflicts.

I will promote your business, as I’ve been doing, with 100% conviction and pride in your service. I do pray that this business takes off for you. You have a gift to share; people need to experience your remarkable talent.

I’m passing the link on to friends and family! Can’t wait to share:)

Merry Christmas. And thanks again, from the bottom of our hearts!!”

“wow.

these surpass even what i had imagined they would be, and i pride myself on my imagination.

#1 i know you spent too much time on these. i just know it.
#2 location, light, lens are *such* good choices, clemmy, but it’s your artistic hand that makes these moments in time so incredibly special.

wow. i can’t tell you how happy i am to be a part of my family in (some amazing) photos.
you know how it is....0.2% of my family photos have me in them. i only wish i could return the favor to you...

you’ve given me and my family a very special gift. these are legacy photos, clemmy.
you remember that photo of your grandma, or mom, or any other loved one...on the wall in your place growing up,
on your grandma’s shelf? my kids are going to have a few of your photos in their minds forever(!)
a photo of yours is going to be the one they remember hanging on their wall growing up.

you might have heard it from every person you’ve taken pictures of, but that’s only because it’s true.
you might think i speak in hyperbole (i’ve been known too), but i believe what i’m saying.

i was a big fan, but now i’m a true believer.
i’m no longer on the sidelines, i’m there.

clemmy, i can’t thank you enough for sharing, not only your time with us, but your gift.”

“Michael,
I haven’t been able to get the words together to thank you for the gorgeous photos you took of our family. I am still speechless when I look at them. I can’t thank you enough for the enormous gift of your talent and time – and fun. Both girls had so so much fun with you while you were in town. You captured their personalities and spirits with your images. I have never even gotten close to doing that and they’re my kids! If there is any recommendation of your work I can write or post, just let me know. I’ll be spreading the word to anyone and everyone I know….”

“Working with Michael on “A Day In Your Life” shoot was simply wonderful! Not really knowing what to expect, I was blown away.
What a great concept…capture those moments that are so ordinary in our every day life, yet so fleeting! The resulting book filled with beautiful photos of our day was amazing! Michael totally has a knack for being there without being intrusive. A true professional! He was able to grab those poignant moments, without them being “posed” or “staged”. The photos (and book) were so real, authentic and genuine.
As the saying goes, “the days are long, but the years are short” and we are so grateful to have a moment of ‘our story’ captured in a beautiful book.
Can’t wait to do another shoot in five years!”

“I wish I could give him 100 stars!
He was just absolutely wonderful. The pictures came out so amazing and I have received nothing but compliments from family and friends about them as well. I got every single picture that I had requested and in such FAST time!!! A friend of mine told me her photographer took a year to get the pictures to her, it took Michael
less than a month! His photography is fantastic and it captured every moment of my special day.
As for Michael himself…beyond awesome. He was so sweet , funny and patient. I barely noticed that he was there during the ceremony and the reception, but when we did talk he was such a pleasure to talk to! Every guest at the wedding that has talked about our photographer has said how wonderful his demeanor was and he was such a pleasure. He was my favorite person to work with for the wedding because he was so professional and patient. This is the kind of guy I could see hanging out with even after the
wedding was over.
Book him…you will not be disappointed.”