I love photographing families in their happy place. This fun family with a young baby was up for the weekend at the Heritage Club, Vermont. They ski there throughout the winter. It was fun to capture them playing in the snow and inside when they warmed up!
A lovely family who live down by Compo Beach had their family all together for Passover. Kids and grandkids all together is just so much fun and I appreciate when people play and get silly—always makes for great pictures.
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Weddings by the river are always scenic and make me happy. Love working with the Boathouse Restaurant at the Saugatuck Rowing Club - an amazing view, delicious food and friendly people. This was a second time marriage for the bride and the groom. Her kids gave her away and his brother was the best man who had come all the way from Paris. I had the bride walk out on the dock holding her beautiful veil out to the sides and she looked like a beautiful bird about to fly out over the river. After it got dark, I got a beautiful shot of them dancing on the dock in the spotlight.
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Love my dog sessions! There is such a bond between owners and their pets. Andy and her Rhodesian Ridgeback, Koa, met Courtney and I at the Bethesda Fountain, Central Park. They won my session at the Good Dog Foundation Gala in NYC. Koa is an amazing, mellow dog that stayed with his owner, off leash, throughout the entire session! Andy adores Koa and they are so in sync. She also has a Koa-inspired barkery that makes healthy dog treats and a dog fashion boutique that makes bow ties, bows, bandanas and more. Koa was modeling his bow tie during our session. Check out their website: www.koasrufflife.com
So fun to spend a day photographing this great extended family in the summer on Nantucket. They swam and built an amazing giant sandcastle, had a picnic & went to a concert at the local park and out for ice cream after. I could capture lots of special moments.
A mother and daughter who visit Nantucket regularly wanted to have pictures while they explored together. We spent time on the Sconset Bluff Walk, by Sankaty Head Lighthouse and on the beach. We all had so much fun!
While on Nantucket this summer, we were introduced to a new beach, Steps Beach. You come out of this leafy passageway and look out over this diverse hillside with wooden pathways, sandy dunes and aquamarine water. I had taken a walk in the morning of our last day on island. I was thinking about swimming, but decided instead to just sit on the beach and watch life go by. Best decision ever. I had forgotten how much happens when I just stop and pay attention. A woman in a turquoise bathing suit and straw fedora came down to swim. She swam a long way out and then met up with another swimmer who she joined and they swam together. Do they do that every day? The seagulls were flying overhead along with a random helicopter, the ferry appeared and headed in past the jetty, a couple walked by me holding hands. The cloud formations were striking, one looking like a lady striding across the sky in a flowing dress. For a quiet beach, there was a lot going on.
When I headed up to the Ridgefield School of Dance, I expected to do a quick shoot of the lead ballerina for their upcoming Sleeping Beauty performance. But as happens often in my business, my shoots evolve when I arrive. The ballerina had a beautiful tutu intricately embroidered and was so accomplished. So I did the traditional shots of her in position and then leaping. But then we decided to try some fun shots with props. The owner of the school had roses, tulle, plastic and little tutus. My shoot became an adventure, playing off the new materials, getting in the flow.
I love the story that happens at bar mitzvahs. There is this undercurrent of excitement, with the anticipation of the bar mitzvah boy's reading and the support and love of the family. There are precious moments like the brother locking arms with his sister and waltzing in together. Or the uncle picking up the brother and holding him upside down. The beautiful strips of red light added a spiritual quality, which seemed fitting for the occasion. And since the bar mitzvah boy is into theater, his jump outside was just a preview of what was to come at the party later.
This is a family I have photographed for a couple years. This year, the littlest one, kept calling me Pampela, which totally made my day. We played outside running and swinging and then came inside at the end. After talking with the mom, I looked back and the grandmother was reading to the kids in the beautiful light. And then the son, who had disappeared, came back with a camera made of construction paper and took my picture! I never know what will happen on my shoots, but love all the surprises that come, totally unexpected. They are gifts!
On my birthday this year, I had the opportunity to shoot in the morning. An extended family was coming together from all over: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California and just down the road in Fairfield. The cousins had so much fun being together and the whole family played and laughed and so it was the best way to start my birthday!
Had a fun shoot with an exceptional baby. This baby looked at the camera, paid attention to mom and dad, smiled occasionally, did not cry once and fell asleep at the end of the shoot. Even his older brother was very low key and also happy. It was a magical shoot. The baby reminds me of a little man, with all his little expressions. Very animated for a baby. That is why he is the Zen Baby!
One of my long-standing clients asked me if I would photograph her with her mother and grandmother two days before Christmas. And as a bonus, my client is pregnant with a baby girl! I love photographing multiple generations in a family. So meaningful! We got some beautiful shots of the three women. At the end, my client's one-year old son came for a guest appearance. He had so much fun playing with his mom's belly and the grandmothers showered him with love as well. What a great gift to all be together for Christmas.
A family that I have worked with for years had one day when they were all together on Nantucket. We planned for a Saturday evening. On the way over on the ferry, I got a call saying that it was pouring on Nantucket. A moment of concern! Then I looked in the direction of the winds and less dark skies were coming. So we decided to go ahead and were rewarded with beautiful skies that cast a gorgeous even light. I've learned that almost every kind of weather has a unique beauty.
A family that I photographed 10 years ago, came back for a session this summer. The oldest son is now heading off to college. The boys were so connected with each other and the whole family when we photographed at Burying Hill Beach. One of the best parts of my job is getting to know families and watching them grow.
This shoot reminded me of a shoot I did many years ago for my client when she was getting ready to go to an elegant party. I photographed the excitement of getting ready, the beauty of her dress and self and the juxtaposition of being all dressed up and being out in nature. This Thursday, it was like deja vu. My client and her daughter were all dressed up to go in to New York City for a special dinner. The love and connection were so evident inside and out. It is a milestone to see my client take her own daughter to an adult event, since I started photographing their family almost ten years ago when she was eight!
This foggy morning reminded me of a foggy Sunday morning a few years ago when I was walking at Compo Beach with my camera. There was a football game where the men were playing like in a dream, they would come in and out of focus. I took some photographs of the action. I love some of the ones where the game was like a dance of football players, with no background or context. It was so ethereal and beautiful.
Some children do seem like old souls and this little guy seems old beyond his 5 months. He is like a little entertainer. I have never seen a happier baby who liked to smile and laugh throughout the shoot. I've photographed this family with their two daughters for several years. Adding a little boy into the mix, as well as one with such an exuberant personality, has changed the family dynamic and added much happiness! I could have been at a comedy club while I was looking at the images with the mother today. We could not stop laughing!
A lovely young mother and her confident daughter and her doll met me at Earthplace for a fall photo session. They played on the playground and then we took off on a short walk on one of the trails. The light was magical and the two of them connecting was beautiful.
Looking back over shoots from the year, this was a funny weather story. It was pouring rain a half hour before the shoot! But on the radar, it looked like the rain would pass. So the family was open to trying the shoot and so was I. Nothing like the beautiful weather right after a rain. The shoot was at Compo Beach and the teenagers had not been very excited about having all their friends see them during the shoot. Problem solved! Almost no one there and the light was spectacular. The family often looked like they were in a spotlight and then the rainbow came. As my father used to say, "You don't have to be smart if you're lucky!"
