Sandi Michelle and Penny's Story

Hey friends. I am so excited to be writing this blog today. This is my first blog since merging Sandi Michelle Photography and Penny the Photo Bus into one joy-filled business. And, if you’ve been around here a while, you may have heard of both names before. And, I’d love nothing more today, than to share about Sandi Michelle and Penny’s story.

But first, let me rewind a bit to 2017, when I started Sandi Michelle Photography. I had always dreamed, for many years, of starting my own photography business. And once my kiddos were all in school, I decided to go for it. I mean… after all, I wasn’t getting any younger!

Almost immediately, I felt pulled towards high school seniors. Maybe it’s because the teen years basically lived in our house for sixteen years straight, or maybe it’s from my 18 years in student ministry at my church. Either way, this age group has always made sense to me. I love cheering seniors on as they launch into what’s next. There’s so much anticipation in this season, and I can feel it every time I have a senior session.

In the early years of my business, I photographed a few weddings here and there. I never really marketed myself as a wedding photographer, BUT I never said no either. I actually loved photographing weddings! Yet, at that time, seniors were still my focus, and I had so much fun dreaming up creative shoots with both, my seniors and my senior model teams.

Just Some Of My Incredible Seniors

With my seniors, I always drew inspiration from my own high school years. I loved those years, for sure! One memory that always sticks out was buying my first car ~ a bright red 1972 VW Super Beetle. I paid for it myself and was so proud, even though it had no A/C and a great heater! Truly, it made zero sense to buy it, living in the Florida heat!! But, my little bug was my freedom and my personality… all rolled into one. Who knew that my love for that old VW would show up again one day… in the biggest way.

My First Car… A 1972 Super Beetle

Now fast forward to 2021… My husband (who conveniently owns a car dealership) and I found the cutest, little white 1970 VW Bus. I bought it with my high school seniors in mind. I thought it would be the perfect add-on for their senior sessions. But then, very quickly, brides started falling in love with the bus too. And just like that, this story took a turn that I never expected. It was then that I knew that our adorable VW bus needed a name… and Penny the Photo Bus was born.

Penny the Photo Bus

Penny & My Seniors

It was December 2021, and what had started as a nostalgic nod to my own high school memories, was quickly turning into something so much bigger. Penny wasn’t just a fun prop for senior sessions anymore. Penny the Photo Bus became a bridge between my seniors and brides.

So, of course, my brain couldn’t help but start dreaming again. And, long story short… my husband and I hopped on a plane and headed out west to a photo booth convention! (Yes, that’s a thing!) We found the perfect photo booth setup to fit inside Penny. And just like that, Penny was no longer just a bus… she was a fully functional, memory-making photo booth experience. It felt like all the pieces were falling into place.

Penny Becomes A Photo Booth Bus

But, here’s the BEST part of this entire story…

My previous high school seniors graduated, went away to college, and grew up in the process. THEN… they came back to me… but this time, wearing engagement rings!! They were ready to be brides… AND they wanted me to photograph their weddings. Talk about full-circle moments!!! (I could cry just typing that).

So here I am now. Still running my senior photography business that I love so much. I’m also loving every second of celebrating my brides as well, as they are entering their new season of life. And my husband and I run Penny the Photo Bus together. We love being at weddings, and capturing all of the joy that wedding receptions hold. We also love watching the wedding guests take home their photo strips (aka party favors), so they can remember the wedding celebration… forever!

Sandi Michelle Photography and Penny the Photo Bus may have started as two separate businesses, but now they’ve become one connected and joyful experience. It’s how it should have been all along. So, let’s welcome…