There’s a good chance you’ll find me at a rodeo or out riding horseback when I’m not in the studio. After spending some time living in New York and Ohio, I eventually made my way back to Atlanta—but I’m still often on the road, exploring new places across the States. It was during those years away that I discovered new American subcultures I might never have experienced otherwise. Like the rodeo world, which first drew me in when I watched a cowboy fly 10 feet into the air and got the wind knocked out of him. That same journey also led me to my two scrappy hairballs.

My inspiration comes from many places like the painters of the Renaissance, the photographers who paved the way before me, and the thrill of discovering something new. I’m drawn to fleeting moments that might seem ordinary in the moment but become treasured memories over time. Whether I’m capturing the grit of southern cowboys, the story behind a brand’s foundation, or the raw energy of a wrestler in Ohio, I focus on those in-between moments that reveal someone’s true spirit.

-Michelle Carmona :)

A woman with glasses holding a scruffy, light-colored dog with dark eyes close to her face.

Send me an email michellecarmonaphoto@gmail.com or give me a text 678.414.6689. I can't wait to hear from you!

Person sitting in the back of an open car trunk holding a white dog with a snowy rocky background.

My dream horse, a mule. Reason, they have such big fluffy ears.

Person in jacket and cap on beach with flock of seagulls flying by and ocean in background.

One time I went to the Quarter Horse Convention to get a cowboy hat, I left with a goldendoodle instead.

A close-up view of a seashell embedded in the sand, with a small wave washing over it in the shallow water at the beach.
Black and white photo of a city skyline with tall buildings, a water tower in the foreground, and a road with a side mirror visible on the right.

I throw random seeds in my backyard.

A graphic design professor shifted my career path.

I love getting a new journal, its the reason all of my past journals have blank pages at the end of them.

Black and white photo of a person taking a mirror selfie in a bathroom or bedroom, with hair covering part of the face.

Periodically I make Cyanotypes.

The best smell is the pages of a new book.

My favorite book series growing up is Percy Jackson.

A dirt path winds through a grassy marshland with a hill covered in trees and bushes in the distance under a cloudy sky.

Mountain Fresh Creamy has the best ice cream.

I’ve learned so much when working with creatives outside of photography.

The best camping spot is Cumberland Island.

I once signed up for an overnight horseback experience (with zero riding experience ) thinking I would make some friends my age... everyone was over the age of 40 and brought their own horses. It ended with them convincing me to quit my job, get a horse and travel with them.

Two hands reaching towards each other with floating white feathers against a dark background.

The first cowboy I photographed was through a random DM that lead to a 16 hour drive to make it happen.

My first camera was a Sony Cyber-shot that I got in the third grade for Christmas.

I still shoot on that camera.

Oil painting is my favorite medium. But can I oil paint, absolutely not.

A woman in a light-colored dress standing in a grassy field with a barn and trees in the background, under a tree with branches and leaves overhead.

Every month I find myself with a new hobby, currently its growing Oyster mushrooms in Lowes buckets.

Rodeos are really cool. I’ll try to convince you to go to one at least once.

I love bread.