As I was growing my senior photography business, 

 I photographed a few weddings each year… usually just 3 or 4. I never marketed myself as a wedding photographer, but I rarely said no when someone asked.
 I genuinely loved photographing weddings. Still, at that time,
high school seniors were my people!

I had so much fun dreaming up creative shoots for my seniors, and especially my senior model teams. I was always pulling from my own memories of what made my own high school years feel so fun and carefree. One memory that stuck with me more than anything was the day I bought my very first car. It was a 1972 VW Super Beetle. I bought it all by myself, and I was so proud. It was fire engine red, had no A/C, the heat worked great… and it made absolutely no sense to buy it, living in Florida, with the extreme heat and humidity!!! But, I adored that old car. Who knew that, many years later, my love for old VW’s would turn into something tangible. 

How it all began...

My first car!!
A 1972 Super Beetle!! 

In 2021, just four years into my photography business and with the help of my husband (who conveniently owns a car dealership), we bought an adorable white 1970 VW Bus. I thought it would be the perfect accessory for my seniors... and you can only imagine my surprise when brides started falling in love with it, too. I was THRILLED, to say the least. And of course, now the bus needed a name… and then “Penny the Photo Bus” was born, in December 2021!  

Since brides loved Penny so much now, my creative mind started working overtime… again. Now, Penny needed something to add even more joy to the brides that loved her so much already. So, my husband and I hopped on a plane and headed out west to a national photo booth convention. It was there that we found the perfect photo booth that would fit inside of Penny… perfectly! It was all coming together in the best way. 

It seemed crazy to us... 

What had started out as a fun addition to my senior photography business (and a slight nod to my own high school VW memories), ended up resonating in a completely unexpected way… with seniors AND with couples, who were looking for something extra special on their wedding day. Instead of Penny the Photo Bus being a cute bus just for seniors, she actually became the bridge between my seniors and brides! 

Now here’s where this ever evolving story of my business gets even better! 

It was now 2022 and I had my fun senior photography business, AND I had Penny the Photo Bus, who was thriving while she was serving brides and grooms on their wedding days.

 Then, something happened that I never saw coming...

My previous seniors went away to college. They grew up and graduated and then they came back to me… this time to photograph their weddings!!! This was the most joyful, full-circle moment.

And now, my business is evolving, once again. Today, I continue to run my Sandi Michelle Photography business that I still love so much…AND my husband and I run our Penny the Photo Bus business together! I absolutely love this new season in business where we serve seniors and couples, from the start of one season to the beginning of the next. 

Sandi Michelle Photography and Penny the Photo Bus
may have started separately...

But now they’ve now come together as one joyful and connected experience!! 
So, welcome to
SANDI MICHELLE & PENNY!!

It’s built from the things I’ve always loved most: storytelling, creativity, celebrating people and making them feel seen! Whether you’re a high school senior or a bride-to-be, I’m am so grateful that you’re here. It means the world that you’ve taken time to explore my little corner of the internet. I hope you feel at home and are excited about the adventures that await you. 

Let’s get started!!!