Meet Mike Norkin, CEO of Cherished Memories Photography. Virtually born with a camera in his hands, Mike was seen as early as 6 years old taking photos with his parent’s cameras. Through the years, the tool changed, but Mike’s passion to create meaningful and lasting memories has continued to flourish! Besides his business, Mike is devoted to his wife Mandy and three children Brealyn, Tatum, and Hudson, Angels baseball, Heinz Ketchup, and Coca Cola! With a sign in his kitchen that proudly proclaims “I put ketchup on my ketchup”, and the only known person to have been bitten by a skunk while camping, Mike is filled with useless trivia and countless funny stories. Never breaking 100 shots on the golf course and sporting the sarcasm he is known for, you can count on Mike to make your day/life brighter simply by getting to know him.

Raised in Lake Elsinore, Alex never shied away from being a part of the community. He went off to college at the University of California, Merced, where he was heavily involved with the school newspaper, the student government, as well as a professional business fraternity. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Management in 2012 and went back to Lake Elsinore to become the General Manager and eventually a part-owner of Cherished Memories Photography. Alex also invested back into the community by joining his local Rotary Club and became president of the Rotary Club of Lake Elsinore during the 2018-2019 year. Outside of work, you’ll see Alex traveling around Southern California’s newest eateries and playing video games with the CM staff!

Meet Gaby Portillo, our VP of Operations! From training at Starbucks to running operations at our five photography studios, Gaby is a shining star. You can find her designing sports banners, scheduling on-site photographers, and overseeing the production of the sports department.

Meet Juan Garcia, our Director of Photography! Juan is a Film school graduate, Army Veteran, and beanie extraordinaire! Juan has had the privilege of working in the film industry and getting to meet many idols, now he gets to act as an idol for our local students through mentoring programs with cherished memories and rotary international. He is constantly trying to take our images to the next level by developing new techniques and researching the latest tech. He is known for his witty dad jokes, sarcasm, cool beard, and symbiotic beanies that are morphed into his head.

Meet Amber Lopez, our Director of Customer Relations and Internal Affairs. Amber has been with us since 2017 and started off at our Moreno Valley Studio. You can now find her walking around in her booties at the Lake Elsinore location. If she isn’t working, you can find her at home with her daughter Hazel & her cat named Shadow. Since being with Cherished Memories, Amber has never been happier to be part of such an amazing work family. A few of her favorite thing include binge-watching tv-shows on Netflix, playing Sudoku, and dancing cumbias with her baby.

Meet Isis Perez, our Director of Production! Isis attended the University of California, Merced, and received a degree in chemical engineering. She has been with Cherished Memories since last July. With a keen eye for detail, you can find Isis processing orders, printing portraits, and making sure they get sent out. Isis is our Blueprint specialist and a natural multitasker. When she is out of the office, you can find her outdoors either on an adventure or working out. She enjoys snowboarding, hiking, and playing video games. Her favorite memory with the company was watching Juan fall through the security cam film!

Meet Anaielly Velasco! Coming in at 5’2 with a stylish woven wide brim hat and some platform vans is our Director of Marketing and Advertising. Whether she is blasting Ariana Grande jamming away at a new marketing campaign or cruising over to shoot content at one of the 4 studios, you can always find her bubbly spirit ready to conquer any challenges that might turn up. We met Anaielly when she was just 16 years old and 9 years later, she has helped blaze our path in the social media world. A San Diego State Alum with a degree in Journalism, Psychology, and Spanish- Anaielly can be found tasting the latest menus in Little Italy, cheering on her sports teams, and cooking for the family BBQ.

Meet Summer Munoz! Summer is our senior retouching and ordering queen. With a detailed touch and the closest eye, she is able to enhance your pictures with the slightest ease. Summer has been with the company for 3 years and has excelled in many ways. Summer is a wife and mother of two beautiful kids. She loves Starbucks and Mexican food and she loves animals. Some may even say her love for cats has turned her into a crazy cat lady!

Our Queen of Sports, Lindsey oversees/schedules all Southern California Middle School, High School Sports and Youth Sports Leagues. With an attention to detail, get stuff done mentality and meticulously organized approach. Lindsey is your go to for all sports related shoots and activities.

Mike Norkin and Lindsey met while coaching softball together in 2016, and he had no choice but to bring this sassy redhead on board after seeing her zest for life and always bringing the heat. Always rocking a ginger messy bun and converse, Lindsey is the cover girl for all sports-loving, margarita drinking, true-crime documentary watching, crazy loud softball moms. It’s no wonder she’s dedicated her life to coaching and cheering on her two daughters, their teams, and juggling many different leadership positions that revolve around the youth in her community. Lindsey has always loved team sports, and everything that goes along with them. She always brings the fun and has a passion for making sure every child is seen, heard and empowered.

Meet Daniel Cabrales, our corporate office go-getter! Daniel came to Cherished Memories Photography as an intern for our local high school. He was able to learn valuable photography skills and explore his true potential behind the camera. Since then, Daniel has continued to show his drive and desire to acquire more knowledge. You can now find Daniel assisting on special events, picking the best lunch spots, and bringing his smiling face every single day. When he is not trying to match with Mike, you can find him making videos with friends, camping up north, and playing Call of Duty with the guys.