About Thao Lai

I’m Thao Lai, a Michigan family photographer and blessed to serve people through artfully documenting their stories.

Since 2010, I’ve been fortunate to photograph dozens of families who are madly in love with life, writing their chapters in an authentic way through my detail-obsessed and unobtrusive shooting methods that later translate into timeless heirlooms with all the people they love. Recognized as a highly skilled professional photographer and artist with ClickPro – I am constantly on a journey to master my art even though I think my finish-line for mastery will constantly change.

The Artist & History

My introduction into photography stemmed from a life of art and travel. Voted ‘Class Artist’, I have been balancing my left-brain with my right-brain for as long as I could remember (I was also voted best hair and most likely to be the next president, bwahaha). Before ever picking up a camera and hanging out in the high school dark room with my best friend after hours (since there was no longer a photography class offered), I was heavily invested in drawing and painting. While I loved the arts, I went the more practical route and got my Engineering degrees. Becoming a Product Engineer was the perfect marriage of my left and right brains.

Though it wasn’t a focus of art, I was always the family historian. I love looking at images of my mother from her childhood in Vietnam and ‘seeing’ my family through these black and white artifacts. Any time we came across one photo, a new story was shared. Being born in the states away from them (and pre-Zoom or readily accessible international phone calls) meant these photographs were my only view into them. This developed a love affair of documentation that lived on from childhood and on. I was always the friend-group historian — the girl creating evidence of college shenanigans via 35mm and point-and-shot digital cameras.

 

The Beginning

Fast-forward to after I finished school and had been working my big-girl job, I bought a DSLR (Nikon D90 with a 18-105mm kit lens) before a group backpacking trip through Europe (France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany).

I shared the images (yes, with all of free presets/actions I could find) on facebook and my friends with whom I traveled asked me to take their engagement pictures a few months later. Guys – I was shooting in Program mode on turbo mode in .jpeg format. I was no professional and my artistic nature did not combat the lack of technical prowess in these images, but as it commonly happens, the early market demand led me to a new hobby and business.

 

 

The Professional

Years of personal learning, trial-and-error, and the most amazing clients have led me here. I breathe my own personal objectives of family storyteller and legacy-builder into all of my client’s sessions. This natural empathy and desire to create for myself and for others who deserve the same, but for whatever reason- can’t, is Why I photograph. What about my left-brain? It often translates to a methodical in-session flow that my clients don’t know is happening. It’s how I get a lot of different shots in no time.

Most of my photography is a personal love-letter to my children. While the technicality of photography is cool for a nerd like me, it really is the subject of the photographs that motivates me. Ultimately, nothing makes me happier than seeing an old photo conjure up emotions, nostalgia, and gratitude for that moment. This is what I want to share with you when you invite me to serve you.

My Favorite Subjects

I love the kiddos and the way they breathe cheer and innocence into the sessions — but my favorite is you, Mamas. You are never IN the frame?! Why? Motherhood has been one of the most beautiful things that has happened to me and getting into the frame is so important. When your kids look back in albums, they won’t pick out what you think are your imperfections. They will cherish those images because you were in it with them. I have a special place in my heart for capturing mamas with their littles before their littles grow up and ask them why their mamas were not in the pictures. Please invite me to share your beauty, if not for the world or you, for your babies.

What is up with the name?

“OK, but what’s up with the ‘Don’ in DonThao?” Don is short for Donny, my husband, who started on this photography business journey with me. This mash-up name came from our signature cocktail at our wedding reception and it stuck while our friends were asking us for photo sessions (what feels like) forever ago. He holds down the 3-kid fort now when I’m off serving you! I could not fulfill my creative outlet without him.