finkanie photography

Mattawan Little League, Mattawan AYSO 933, and Mattawan MS LAX boys photos are published!

Spring Media Day Photos 2026 are here!

Mattawan High School Varsity Spring Sports

Media Day photos are professional images captured with creative lighting, backgrounds, and images are used to create social media posts, Game Day announcements, and more!

How Media Day Works This Year

This year, we’re making Media Day even easier for families and athletes. Instead of everyone showing up at the same time, each athlete will have their own 3-minute appointment slot. This keeps the process quick, stress-free, and organized, and most importantly, doesn't require a long time commitment with everyone's busy schedules!

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MEDIA DAY IS FOR ALL GRADE LEVELS! For Seniors, your Media Day and Senior Banner appointments are just ONE appointment!

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Individual Appointments: Each player signs up for a 3-minute time slot. During that time, we’ll capture a variety of poses so everyone will have a variety of options from which to choose!

Groups: We will put together group images digitally using the individual portraits. For example, all forwards can be combined into one image, all defensive players into another, or any other group the team would like highlighted! Groups will also be put together based on grade level.

Friends and Buddies: If athletes would like photos taken together with friends, siblings, or teammates, they can book back-to-back appointments so we can photograph them during the same session.

No waiting in long lines and no need for the entire team to be there at once. Just quick and easy photos at your scheduled time!

WHAT DO I NEED?:

Please be sure to bring your applicable sports equipment to be included for your photograph, including bats, sticks, clubs, balls, rackets, and other accessories applicable to your sport.

Appointments are quick - so you need to be camera ready at the time of your appointment

Props are welcome - school-friendly, please!

SENIORS ONLY Your choice of pose will be used for your banner that will be displayed on campus during the Fall 2025 season. Once the season is over, the banner is yours to keep. (2025-2026 artwork will vary from images shown). The Mattawan Athletic Boosters proudly cover the cost of the Senior Banners!

Sign up for back-to-back times to be pictured with friends - photos with friends, significant others, and teammates is welcomed and encouraged.

OPTIONAL:

Individual galleries are an optional add-on, but are not required to participate. Only those who purchase the add-on will have individual galleries created and emailed out, as photos are customized and have a cost associated with them. The fee paid is applied toward your final purchase.

📸 Your Galleries Are Ready!

Hi everyone!

I’m so excited to let you know that your photo galleries are now available to view and order!

⚽ AYSO Region 933

👉 VIEW AYSO GALLERY 🔐 Password: ayso2025 📌 Please note: No team photos for AYSO this season due to low participation.

🏟️ Mattawan Little League (MLL)

👉 VIEW LITTLE LEAGUE GALLERY 🔐 Password: MLL2025 📸 Includes Mattawan Boys Lacrosse players. 📌 Three teams did not receive team photos due to fewer than four players present.

📂 Helpful Notes

Galleries are alphabetized by first name

Sibling/family images appear in one family member’s gallery only

If you paid a deposit during booking, use the code DEPOSIT5 at checkout to apply your credit

🏷️ Fence Banner Orders

If you ordered a fence banner currently displayed at the Mattawan Little League fields, please consider leaving it up through the Challenger Jamboree to support this meaningful event.

🎉 Mark Your Calendars – Challenger Jamboree

📍 Mattawan Little League Complex 📅 Saturday, June 14, 2025 🕘 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

This year marks 10 years of inclusion, teamwork, and fun at the Challenger Jamboree! Adapted teams from across Michigan—and athletes from Ohio and Indiana—will be showcasing their skills, building friendships, and reminding us all what sports are truly about. ❤️

We’d love to have YOU there! 👉 Volunteer for the Challenger Jamboree (add your volunteer link if you have one!)

🖼️ Looking for a Past Gallery?

Browse previous seasons here: Finkanie Photography Galleries Need a password? Email me at [email protected] and I’ll be happy to help.

📦 Lab Closure Notice

The professional lab I partner with will be closed June 9–13, 2025 while moving to a larger facility. You can still place orders during this time—I’ll continue processing them! 📌 To avoid delays, I highly recommend placing your order before June 9.

💬 Your Reviews Help Us Grow!

Finkanie Photography is now booking a limited amount of Senior Sessions for the Class of 2025! Here are some FAQ’s…

Do I have to know how to pose? - No

Can I bring a friend? - Absolutely.

Can I bring my pet? - Yep.

We will work together to come up with the best session experience for you. Each session date includes two locations. Studio sessions and on-location sessions available. Studio sessions are great to get a traditional headshot (CLASSIC), do creative sports photos, or to do editorial shots. Finkanie Photography is NOT a natural light photographer, okay…I have lights, and I know how to use them! I know how to do lots of creative editing, so whatever your vision, let’s do this thing! There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and your session will be catered to you and your vision.

Hello friends! Since 2020, Finkanie Photography has been located at McGillen’s Crossing in Mattawan. It has been such a wonderful studio; I am so sad to be leaving it, but it is time to grow! The new studio is located at 57645 Murray Street, right in the heart of “downtown Mattawan” as those of us lovingly refer to our bustling downtown area! :) We are right around the corner from the former studio, and now, we are SO CLOSE TO MOO MOO’S!!!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!! I know some clients who will be very happy with this news! :) :) :)

We will have much more space when we are able to get everything set up.

Some changes include a separate changing room, bigger waiting area for clients, and more options for multiple sessions to be held at once allowing for more leagues/teams to be accommodated at once! The new studio is located in the former Wildfire Grace retail location next to Halftime. Fans of Wildfire Grace will be happy to know that you will be able to find your favorite items from them at Vintage Inspired! Be sure to check out their booth, coming soon!

WWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Red Arrow Soccer Club photos are now booking! Sessions will be hosted at Finkanie Photography in McGillen’s Crossing, 56310 City Center Circle, Mattawan, MI - next to Pizza Hut (entrance is on the road side of the building - don’t get lost!) :)

Sessions will be M-F starting October 9, 2023 and run through October 17, 2023! DON’T MISS OUT! No makeup times will be added, so be sure to schedule your time right away and mark your calendar!

What a great morning for a 5K! This year’s Wildcat Road & Trail 5K was record setting! The proceeds from this event supports MPEF (Mattawan Public Education Foundation). It is such an honor to support this wonderful cause! Go Wildcats!!!

Photos are free to download! All print proceeds will go to benefit MPEF. Special thanks to the other volunteer photographers, Ken Bobo & Dave Johnson!

The volunteers who put on this and other events to support our Mattawan community are such wonderful people! Thank you for everything you do! Mattawan is lucky to have all of you.

Download your photos here: Wildcat Road & Trail 5K 2023

It is here! 2023 Family Sessions are now booking! Saturday, June 17, 2023! (Rain date June 24, 2023)

Each session will be 15 minutes and include 10 of your favorite images from the session. Option to add-on more images if desired. Each image will include a black & white version for 20 total images. Good for up to 6 people. Please inquire if you have a larger group!

Location TBD but will be local to the Kalamazoo/Mattawan area.

2023! → New Year Up in Here, Up in Here © finkanie photography

The inflation is crazy. It has affected the photo industry tremendously with paper shortages and the general shipping woes we all had last year, and with shortages comes supply and demand craziness. Why am I telling you this? Long story short, my costs have increased significantly, so much so that when I did school photos last year, I ended up losing money on orders because I didn’t increase my prices for inflation.

Good grief, right?

I was trying to be nice, and it turns out that wasn’t so nice to myself, so I am supposed to start being nicer to myself because all these memes keeping saying that…so here we are.

Dreadfully, I have no choice but to raise my prices to match my vendors & suppliers, otherwise I am working to break even or lose on some products, and that just isn’t fair to me or my family.

So, if your magnet or button costs more, please know it is because it is costing me more to provide products and prints. Trust me, I don’t like raising prices not just because I am teeter-tottering a razor thin line with profits as it is. But because I have kids, too, and I am a bleeding heart empathetic to a fault person, I know how much everything costs with activities and multiple kiddos, so I try my best to keep things reasonable. I am driving a 2011 vehicle, okay? I am humble. No worries. In the meantime, I design packages with households with multiple kids in mind, so you can save a little bit if you want to mix & match items!

Despite ongoing cost increases, I am still very happy to sponsor our local Little League, Mattawan Athletic Boosters, Walk-A-Thon, Wildcat 5K, the MHS Drama Department, Mattawan Youth Football…the list goes on! It is extremely important to me to invest in our community. If the photographers who are doing your students’ photos for teams aren’t sponsoring the school and/or team, you should probably ask why not? They absolutely should be! It is an industry standard. Hold them accountable!

Or, just hire me, because I will 100% support your organization. Happy to do it! And! I am looking to add some more teams, but if all else fails, parents, you can hire me on the side to do banners and things for ya. It is my favorite thing to do!

Thank you to everyone who came to the studio, ordered photos, listened to me sing at your child, listened to me having to scold my 2nd grader assistant when she is acting too silly for work, had to negotiate the confusion of finding my studio entrance if you have never been there before…I appreciate you all very much!

Looking forward to sessions starting back up this weekend with Mattawan Youth Basketball 2023!!

Portrait mini session - your choice of one photo option! Either choose a family portrait (up to 4 people), a sports photo (any sport), highlighting photo of your passion (band, bowling, gaming, etc.), spring-themed baby/toddler/kiddo set up, or other! I will have various options from which to choose on session day.

The sessions will be very short (10 minutes each!) since we will be doing one portrait, so it is perfect for getting in and out quickly and moving on with your day! Product packages will include a watermarked social media image for sharing online.

I haven’t posted for a while. A LOT has happened in the past few months. It has been tough. DO YOU even know what makes it all better sometimes?! BABIES!!! And let me tell you, my sweet little love, Maeve, is one of the best deliverers of pure joy and happiness there is! It is crazy, crazy, crazy to me that she is already 1 - has been for a hot minute now - and man…it also seems like 10 years ago when mama was pregnant with this little sweet nugget.

Holiday Mini Sessions

Spirit of Giving Sessions!

Holiday sessions are here! We will do a mix of lifestyle shots, themed portraits, and of the photos captured during this time, I will make a holiday-themed artwork piece of your children/family! Also the option for traditional family portraits without the holiday theme.

20-minute session to include 5 favorite images with online print store;

20x10 hanging canvas of a unique painterly artwork piece starring your child/family made into a magical Christmas theme - this year, I am thinking "Night Before Xmas" theme . . . :)

Mix and match between formal portrait, casual & fun, pajamas, etc! Do some holiday, some traditional, or whatever fits your family!

Choice of stuffed animal gift for all kids!

Authentic Bearded Santa is coming to Finkanie Photography one day only! Join us, Mattawan Candy Company, and Happy Days Cafe for an incredibly special event for your kiddos to start off your holiday season in the best way!

Limited Availability - get your spot before they're gone!

-Private, 10-minute session with Santa;

-Photos captured during the event so you can be present with your children;

ONE DAY ONLY!

2021 Fall Minis booking now! These sessions are short and sweet, 15 minutes each, and are the perfect way to update your family portraits for the year quickly and efficiently! Choose from 5 images or 10 images for your package. Option to purchase additional prints at proof review if desired!

Location: Mattawan Memorial Park, 24601 Front Street, Mattawan, MI 49071

Session length: 15 minutes