ABOUT ME:
Naturally home grown Iowan living my dream in Texas!
Where My Passion Began…
I got my first camera, a Sony Cybershot (with six megapixels!) when I was eleven years old, and discovered my love for nature and landscape photography.
Fast forward to my senior year of high school when I received my first “real” camera, a Canon EOS Rebel T3i with a 18-55mm lens. The excitement that came with this camera is what created my confidence doing portraiture. (Note: A camera is just a tool and does not make a photographer any better; creating good photographs is about how you see compositions and how you use your tools to create your vision. I learned this later in life.)
Academia & My First Business…
Moving onto my time at Hawkeye Community College, where I worked hard towards my photography degree. I purchased the “official” camera used by professionals during that time, a Canon 5D Mark III. In college I learned film photography with a Hasselblad, how to navigate the dark room, advanced digital photography, professional image editing, and so much more. These moments shaped me as a young photographer.
After I received my Associates degree in Professional Portrait Photography, I created my portrait business (Michelle Underwood Photography, LLC) which has now been operating for over 10 years!
My Second Business & More…
I became a pilot car driver for the heavy haul industry and started Photo Finish Pilot Car Services; this included being the rear and front driver for 170,000+ LB wind mill pieces. I focused on hard work, learning how to maintain a proper entity, and threw myself into learning how to organize a business on the paperwork side of things.
Photo Finish retired in 2019 and my husband, Mike, and I started another trucking business, Kemp Heavy Haul; we retired KHH in 2023 and we are now doing our dream jobs!
Full Time Photographer…
Although we are officially out of the heavy haul industry, I am very excited to be able to be in my photography business full time! I’m giving my full attention to my dream…
Look, Ma! I did it!
Boss Lady…
Becoming my own boss in another industry helped me develop the skills I needed to properly own and maintain a successful business in general, which transferred into my photography business. Another good (and important) note to touch on is that owning my pilot car and trucking businesses gave me the opportunity to travel all over North America, allowing me to photograph it’s amazing landscapes along the way. I couldn’t have asked for a better deal!
So here we are, at the end of my lengthy chat about myself. I’m not going to say “at the end of my story” because this is far from the end! I plan on continuing to learn and grow in every area of life, expand my photographic knowledge as far as I possibly can, share what I’ve learned with other business owners, and meet and listen to people I find along my travels!
Cheers!
Michelle
(a.k.a. Boss Lady)