Mischa Photography, Sacramento

Looking back, Mischa and Brianne Purcell seem destined to have become photographers: Mischa was bitten by the shutterbug at the age of 8, when a family friend and photography professor first introduced him to the camera lens. Brianne started even earlier—when she was just 7, she put a camera on her Christmas list right when Santa had just secured the rights to manufacture celluloid. All these years later, the Purcells’ love of the art form hasn’t waned. They bring their enthusiasm and smiles to important events in people’s lives, including weddings.

As Mischa puts it in a video on his website, “It’s a true honor to be paid to create art around people’s love stories. It’s the best thing I could ever imagine doing.” This genuine passion comes through in his photographs. To capture the essence of each couple, the photographer thinks outside of the box. Aside from photos at the church, Mischa might have newlyweds pose in front of old buildings, on a truck bed, or simply in front of a bright blue sky. The photographers extend this sort of creativity to other types of sessions. They can photograph families in fields dotted by wildflowers or stay in their studio to carefully capture senior portraits. Mischa also shares his expertise during workshops, which teach the ins and outs of photography and postproduction.