About | Five Five
Hi there!
I’m Holly Michelson, Founder and Creative Director for Five Five Media Co. Thank you so much for your interest! We hope you grab a cup of tea and stay a while as I share our story.
Our Story
Me and my husband, Matt, started this family business in 2010 (when we had only one kid), because I got my hands on my first DSLR and discovered I love photography. What motivated us the most was documenting genuine moments while serving those we photographed so they actually enjoyed having their photos taken by us. What started as a hobby photographing friends turned into a multi-media creative team that specializes in providing genuine timeless stories for weddings, small businesses, and families.
We grew in other ways as well! We now we have five kids, two dogs, another business and a farm! Our full life has been a blessing!
Where
Five Five Media Co. is based in the historically quaint town of Mantua, Ohio. Have you ever heard of it? Probably not, it’s known for growing potatoes. Mantua borders Streetsboro and Aurora. Remember the old Geauga Lake Amusement Park? We’re right around the corner. The wonderful thing about Mantua is that it is within an hour and a half drive of every major city in North East Ohio. That’s right. Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Geneva, Mentor-on-the-Lake, Perry, Chardon, Kent, Ravenna, Warren, Ashtabula, Hudson, Elyria, and yes, even Sandusky are all within an hour and a half. Which makes Mantua, Ohio a great location for a photography and videography studio.
Five Five Timeline
5:5 Photography started in 2010 when Holly purchased her first camera from a friend and fell in love with documenting a story. She wanted to learn everything she could about how to use the camera. She started photographing friends, then their families, then photographed her first wedding in December 2011. After the success of that first wedding, it grew from a hobby to a business that booked an event every month of 2012. In 2013, Holly trained Matt to be her second wedding photographer. By Matt’s third wedding he was better than the professional second shooters Holly had previously hired. Between 2013 and 2016 the focus was primarily on Wedding Photography in Cleveland Ohio and surrounding areas.
In 2017, 5:5 Photography was renamed to Fivefivephotos and has expanded its services to also offer Lifestyle Videography (Also known as Everyday Films, Keepsake Films, Lifestyle Films, Professional Home Videos, and Family Films), Photo Stories, and information through their Lifestyle and Inspirational Blog.
In 2018, friends and family started seeking graphic design and branding services from the creatives at Five Five. After creating many websites, logos, graphics, and other branding material we decided to add these services to our menu.
In 2020, we outgrew the name Fivefivephotos and are now known as Five Five Media Co. we have expanded our services and our team. Leah Alderman joined our team in early 2020 to help with operations and management. New creatives, interns, and collaborators are continually becoming a part of the team.