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 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.
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!"
The light snow this morning reminded me of a snowy shoot last January. Outdoors in winter can make a wonderful backdrop for fine art portraits. This family has older kids which made it especially interesting and dramatic.
This is one of my favorite places to shoot, Old Mill Beach in Westport, CT, at low tide. Usually in the summer, but this year November was even an option! It is a magical place that is always changing, has a lot of energy and provides many beautiful lighting and background options. This family I have worked with and enjoyed for years. There was walking and dancing and hugging out on the flats. When we got back to the shore, we went over by the lagoon and found some rough wood and boats which looked great in B&W. Taking time with them as the tide came in and the daylight faded was such a creative treat. . Then we headed home.
This was a shoot I did for my art consultant and framer at the beach in Southport, CT. We lucked out with a warm, sunny November day. Visit them at: https://www.facebook.com/TroyFineArt
For me, creating fine art portraits is about going beyond a person's likeness. I try to capture a motion or gesture or attitude that will spark memories 20 years from now and remind my clients how they were when the photo was taken. I also want the image to be visually interesting. A work of art that stands on its own.
This family session was wonderful for all that. We began the shoot at the family's Westport home. The 12 year old boy loves basketball, so we got him playing. As you can see, the 3 year old girl loves ballet! Then we went to Sherwood Island Park where everyone became connected and played around and got wet and let the session unfold.
More family photos from the Amelia Island trip. This is why I love black & white images. There's a timeless quality that makes them always look fresh and classic at the same time.
One Sunday afternoon in August I did a photo shoot at a Westport family's beach retreat on Cape Cod. The cabin has been in the family for years. Beautiful weather, lovely light, and fun family. This was a photo session I donated to the Silvermine Arts Center benefit auction last spring. So in addition to contributing to a great cause, I was able to do the session in a wonderful spot.
I love doing promotional shots with clients who will try new things. This summer session was for a midwest music student who wanted some profile pictures for her portfolio. We did some classic shots against a backdrop and then took her cello to Burying Hill Beach in Southport to get some environmental photos that complimented her music. It was a lovely day for it and we got some great shots.
I spent an afternoon in Falmouth, MA, last summer with a mother and her two children on vacation. The session began at a local lighthouse near Woods Hole that opens for tours once each year and we all climbed the spiral staircase to the top for a view. Then we went to their favorite spot at Woodneck Beach to get photos of everyone playing on the beach. It was a perfect afternoon and the water so clear and warm it felt like being in the Caribbean.
I recently did a photo session at Greenwich Point Park for a family that won my donation to the Stepping Stones Children's Museum benefit auction. It was a perfect day for the session. Slightly overcast and a gentle breeze which kept away the bugs. I walked with the couple and their 3 boys around the park finding several great spots I hadn't known about.
This was a destination photo session on Nantucket at Sconset Beach. It was a breezy August day, I featured some shots in color because of the way the girls' bright outfits stood out against the sand. I love sessions at the beach because it is a natural place for kids to feel free and the wind energizes everyone.
Here is a family that I have worked with for years. We started locally, in Westport, then I did a photo shoot at Torch Lake, Michigan a few years ago to capture memories of a special house that had been in the family for years and was being sold. Now the family has moved to Florida and they were having a retreat in Naragansett, Rhode Island for a month last summer. It was the perfect time for a new photo session. We explored the modern house that they had rented, kids played on the beds and threw water balloons. It was a very foggy day when we went out to spend time on the huge rocks on the point. The rocks created many very cool backdrops for pictures and the fog made everything feel very ethereal. In the afternoon, we went to the beach that they love to go to. The kids flew kites and played in the water and had a full fun day.
I had a great destination photo shoot last summer in Falmouth, Massachusetts. This Westport family was at their annual Cape Cod retreat, visiting grandparents and enjoying familiar places and activities. The session started at the house where everyone loosened up with hoola hoops and wiffleball. Then we drove to the local club where the family sails and hangs out. We found some nice spots to do family portraits and then took advantage of the driftwood and rocks along the beach to do some individual shots of the kids.
The Burroughs Community Center is once again holding a fund raiser for new programs at the center. Here are some photos I took last year. I'll be there to photography Freezin 2010.
