the journal

35mm film photographer in Rapid City, SD Michaela Mader Tully

Uncategorized

And where I am hoping you will come along too. Lately, I’ve been feeling a shift. Not a dramatic pivot. Not a rebrand with confetti and declarations.More like a gentle but insistent tug, one that keeps showing up in the quiet moments when I’m editing, or watching my own kids move through an ordinary evening, […]

Where I’m headed in 2026

Uncategorized

Alison and Zach eloped a little over a year ago at Falling Rock on a hot August evening. A year later, they returned to the Black Hills for their anniversary and a babymoon session, turning this trip into a beautiful Black Hills maternity celebration as they await their new arrival in October. I feel so, […]

Maternity Photography in the Black Hills | Sylvan Lake & Needles Highway Session

Sylvan Lake Engagement Photos

Engagements, Uncategorized, Wedding Planning

When Haeden first reached out, he had the sweetest plan in mind: he wanted to propose to Maira, and he wanted the moment to be perfect. We carefully mapped out the details, ready to catch the magic. But love, as it tends to do, found its own way. A week before our original plan, the […]

A Dreamy Custer State Park Engagement Session | Black Hills Engagement Photographer

I'm Michaela mader Tully

The Michaela you'll find making beautiful images of your family. 

I’m a storytelling photographer based in the Black Hills of South Dakota, specializing in family connections, intimate weddings, and elopements.

My style? Think warm evening light, authentic moments, and a dash of Mary Oliver poetry—because life’s best stories are a little wild, a little soft, and always real.

When I’m not behind the camera, I’m probably chasing my kids, hiking trails that smell of Ponderosa pine, or sipping coffee that’s gone lukewarm because, well, #momlife.