Boston Family Portrait Photographer | Rogers Family at Smolak Farms

Here's a big welcome to the Rogers Family! Lisa had won a gift certificate that we had donated to Temple Emmanuel's annual fundraiser. Her extended family came together at Smolak Farms in North Andover to have a photoshoot with 3 generations of family members. We settled down in the antique apple orchard.

Lisa's family went first and her three boys and husband all snuggled in together. To get a good laugh out of the boys, we started making noises which no child under the age of 8 can resist. 

It was then their cousin's Emmett's turn with his Dad. He loves giving bear hugs especially to Dad. We soon rounded up all four boys for a cousin's picture. Brody, Lisa's youngest, is very serious for such a young age, but one thing that enthralls us all, including Brody, is our iPhones.

We got quite a few variations of Lisa's husband jumping out from behind an apple tree to grab the phone out of the shot so Brody would give us a smile, and the results were hilarious. The boys were excited at the prospect of picking apples and each found their favorite. (Notice the adult male legs sticking out from behind one of the apple trees.

Each chose a different one, finding big, small, green, and red apples. They showed us their finds for some pictures with their grandparents. However, it was too tempting to just hold their apples, and one by one each took a big bite out of their find.

By the end of the session, we always like to let the kids run around a burn off some steam. Giggles ensued as we chased them (or I should say they chased us!). 

Boston Event Photographer | Summer Color Run!

I know we are (kind of) into the swing of fall, but I have to look back on this Color Run that kicked off summer for these Pike School students. Monx Design always impresses me with their events, and what better way to celebrate the 5th grade class, than hosting a Color Fun Run?! These kids were a joy to photograph, as they were not afraid to get into the action! They ran, skipped, and leapt their way throughout the different obstacles. And boy were they fast!

Of course, these sassy kids never gave up an opportunity to strike a pose! In my book, the sillier the pose the better, and often leads to a fit of giggles and amazing photos.

But the best part of the Fun Run is getting MESSY, and wow did they go for it. When they were not running through the obstacles, they were throwing pigments on both their friends and themselves.

I will never forget seeing Norbert pull out the leaf blower, turning it on, and a cloud of color come billowing off the kids. The fun did not stop there. The DJs soon brought the whole house down with wacky games, limbo, and plenty of dancing! Finally, a special shoutout must be made for Monique and Norbert for putting on such a memorable event!

More info about Monique and her Monx Design House team

Boston Family Portrait Photographer | I Love My Clients!!!

I love love love when I get to photograph families every year. Being able to see and capture kids' personalities as they grow and develop is part of why I love what I do! And giving those moments to my clients to hold on forever to is the best. THE BEST. 

The Rainens are 3 of my favorite people. I met Kim at a coffee shop at an Andover networking event over a year ago. She said her husband David needed a headshot, so we exchanged info, and I took David's photo a few weeks later. That turned into Kim needing a headshot as well, which turned into family portraits of course! Avi was 8 months old at the time, the perfect age to document him starting to stand and take his first few steps.

Then we photographed his milestone first birthday with a cake smash (which by the way he wanted nothing to do with the actual smashing of the cake). Kim planned his birthday using bright bold primary colors, so we kept with that theme, and I loved how they turned out.

This year, I got to photograph Avi again for his 2nd birthday. I couldn't believe how he had grown into such a little boy. He loves tractors, trains, and BATMAN. When Kim and I were planning for his session, we knew we had to incorporate all of this into his session. When choosing a location, it only made sense to shoot at Smolak Farms, where his birthday party would be. I love Smolak for its versatility - apple orchards, tractors, open fields, and of course, animals.

The second best thing about my job is when I show clients their images. ::All the feels:: when I get to see their face light up (or even tear up) when seeing their video of these beautiful (and sometimes silly) moments that we captured together. Nothing is better than family.

Boston Portrait Photographer | Welcome Our Class of 2018 Senior Reps!

It's that time of year again! One of my favorite things about fall is getting to work with the incoming high school seniors. This is not your typical senior portrait session, this is a once in a lifetime, "love the way I look and feel" lifestyle portrait experience, meant to capture YOUR unique personality. Every year, I put together a Senior Model team that represents the studio in each of their schools. The biggest perk of being part of this team is our group shoot! This shoot is everything I love - professional hair and makeup by Robert Jason Salon, themed, and fully styled (a.k.a. I get to shop to outfit 5 girls from head to toe). I look forward to putting this together every year to really show off what we can do, and also to create a super fun experience for the new Senior Rep team! Meet a few of them below:

Hey guys! My name is Victoria, and I’m a rising senior (that’s so weird to be typing) at Austin Prep. I’m so excited to be modeling for Emily this year and to be apart of working with so many amazing young women! Here’s a little bit about myself:I live in Reading, MA, a small town outside of Boston, with my parents, brother, and four dogs. Yes, I said four - there’s a picture for proof. I am also a pre-professional ballerina. I’m currently a trainee with the Northeast School of Ballet Conservatory, and train with them Monday-Saturday for five hours a day. So yes, I do get to leave school early. Ballet has been a passion of mine since I was little, a way for me to explore and push my boundaries both physically and creatively. Auditioning for and becoming a trainee of such a prestigious school with some of the best faculty in the world has truly allowed me to find myself becoming stronger and more aware of who I am and what I want as a person. I’m so blessed to be able to do what I do and to travel the world and share my greatest passion with people. Aside from ballet, I love to write. I’ve always considered myself to be a very creative person, always having a journal on hand to scribble my latest thoughts (a great deal of which are about the cute dogs I met that day). Once again, I am so excited to be able to meet and work with so many great people and share my creativity with them. I hope you all enjoy the blog posts to come. :)

Hey I'm Caroline! I am 17 years old and I live in North Andover, Massachusetts. I go to Central Catholic High School. For the past 14 years, I have been a dancer at Nancy Chippendales Dance Studios. With these years, I have had amazing experiences traveling around the world for example: dancing in Florida, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Nevada, and even Germany! Although I do not wish to pursue a future career in dance I find it the perfect way to meet new people and stay active. One thing that I thoroughly enjoy to do in my free time is listening to music. I don't always look for new songs, but I constantly repeat music I have saved in my library because it brings back great memories. Another thing that I love is to spend time with my friends and make them laugh. When I was younger, I aspired to be an interior designer and was completely obsessed with HGTV, but now with my love for organization I am hoping to be a wedding or events planner. At this point, I really am not sure where I would like to go to college but I do know I want to major in business. I absolutely love to travel and see new places so I really hope my future career involves it so I can explore furthermore. I hope you enjoyed learning about me!

I had so much fun with these girls at our group shoot, can we go back and do it again?! Big thanks to Robert Jason Salon for the incredible hair and makeup. You always bring the best out in my seniors, and more importantly, give them the perfect confidence boost.

Boston Portrait Photographer | Introducing The Class of 2017 Senior Models!

It’s senior portrait season! If you’re not familiar, I love photographing high school seniors, but not in the traditional way. No, I like to give my seniors an unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience. So I put together my senior model team for the class of 2017. These girls are the face of my studio, and of course we have to give them an extraordinary experience, something to tell their friends about. I am so so excited to have a team of sweet, smart, and talented girls this year, so I want to let each of them introduce themselves.

Hair and makeup by Robert Jason Salon

Selma: Hi! My name is Selma and I'm going to be a senior at Masconomet Regional High School in Topsfield, MA. I'm very involved in my school and my community, which is something I really take pride in. I run indoor and outdoor track and field, I'm on the executive board as Secretary for Student Council, I'm a Peer Leader for the underclassmen, I actively take part in the American Cancer Society by being a part of the planning committee for their Relay for Life, I'm on the National Honors Society, and I'm co-chair of my school's prom fashion show. On top of all of this, I am one of two team captains at Nancy Chippendale's Dance Studio, where I've been dancing for the past 15 years, and I have a job. Some fun facts about me are that I'm a 5 time World Tap Dance Medalist (3 of them are golds), my favorite foods are hummus and pita chips or flatbread pizza, I am obsessed with coffee and dogs, I can't sleep with socks on, and if I could be any animal, I'd be a giraffe, because they're so cute and lanky, or a sea turtle, because they basically live forever

Maddie: Hi, I'm Maddie! I'm a senior and attend school at Austin Prep. I'm a dancer and the captain of my school's varsity cheer squad. I'm a huge travel bug and love to travel to new places, like my upcoming trip to Thailand. I am so excited to be apart of Emily's team this year and can't wait to make some amazing memories with all the girls for an unforgettable senior year :)

Hayley: Hi I'm Hayley! I'm 17, I live in Andover MA, and am a junior at Central Catholic High School. I'm very outgoing and love to talk. I've been dancing since I was three, it's one of my favorite things to do and has become a part of who I am. When I'm not dancing my favorite things to do are shop and go to the beach. 

Alyssa: Hi, I'm Alyssa! Contrary to what you've seen in this video, I actually love dirt bike riding and playing video games as well!  My plans after high school are to pursue a career in the biomedical field and possibly become a medical examiner.  Some of my hobbies include working on my car, cooking/eating, my school's science team, and going to the gym. :)

Heyy my name is Shanna! I'm super excited to be a senior rep for the class of 2017! My favorite thing to do, that takes up almost all of my free time, is dance. My passion within dance is most definitely tap and I am constantly found moving my feet (including underneath my desk at school). I go to Central Catholic High School and my favorite subjects are math and science. My goal is to go to college in New York City so that I can study in that field, continue to dance, and truly experience the city that never sleeps. I cannot wait to see what I have to look forward to throughout my senior year! 

Hi! I'm Lindsay, I'm a senior at TMHS. I love drawing, music, and I'm really excited to be taking photography next year. I'm really into the arts!

You can watch our shoot in action in the video below!

There you have it, together these sweet girls make up my Class of 2017 Senior Reps. It’s going to be a good year :)

It's really too bad we had no fun at all on this shoot 

All of the gorgeous hair and makeup you see was done by the incredible team at Robert Jason Salon

Thinking about your session? Read my Top 5 Tips for a successful session here

As always, please contact me with questions, comments, concerns, or just to say hi

Boston Portrait Photographer | 5 Tips for a Better Senior Portrait Session

Senior girls, this one’s for you! I know you are excited to book your senior portrait session, and you want everything to be perfect. Planning for a successful session starts with our consultation. The reason for this is to talk about your style, and ultimately what you want your session to look like. Here are my top 5 tips for having the perfect senior portrait experience.

1.     Bring your ideas to the table. If you want to incorporate your favorite activity, or something cool you saw on Pinterest, let me know! You never know what’s possible until we brainstorm. There are so many ways to incorporate your ideas into our photoshoot, don’t knock it until we talk it through. Themes can be a great way to make your shoot original, and sometimes renting a few props can make all the difference.

2.     Plan your outfit head to toe. Think about every aspect of your outfit – shoes and accessories play a big roll in tying the look together. If you know me already, you probably know how much I love to accessorize (when in doubt, add a hat!), and I can’t stress enough how important the styling is to finishing the look. I always encourage people to bring outfits to our initial consultation, since the clothing can inspire our location, and vice versa.

3.     Location. If you have seen my work, you know location is important. I LOVE location scouting, and I am always searching for interesting places to give my seniors a special experience. I am always open to your input and suggestions, but please keep in mind that I try to stay away from more mainstream places that are overused as a backdrop. Again, the more insight you give me as to what you want, the better your experience will be.

4.     Preparation. It sounds like we are pretty well prepared with our styling and location so far, but the best thing you can do is to finish preparing for your session the 24 hours leading up to it. HYDRATE the day before, if your skin is dehydrated, the camera will show it. Do your nails the day before, or at the very least, remove any old, chipped polish. If you are having your hair and makeup professionally done, make sure to show up with clean, dry hair, and a clean, makeup-free face. If you want your hair and makeup done a certain way, be prepared with a Pinterest board or visuals to show your hair and makeup artist to make sure you get the look you want.

5.     Have fun!!! I know this sounds incredibly cliché, and pretty obvious, but if you take no other advice I offer, please take this. The best sessions are the ones where we can laugh together, be silly, and let our creativity fly. If there’s something you want to try, speak up! My favorite photos (and usually yours too), are the ones that let your personality shine. So please, if all else fails, don’t take yourself too seriously, enjoy the experience, and trust me to capture the best of you.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, I always love to hear what you think, so please leave a comment below or reach out to me with questions or comments!

Boston Interior Photographer | Les Fleurs Interior

I have worked with both Sandra and Kerianne from Les Fluers, on two separate occasions, both for Merrimack Valley Home Magazine, and both to photograph each of their stunning interiors. You can see Sandra’s home feature here, and Kerianne’s winter wonderland loft here (I want a loft because of her now).

When we sat down to discuss photographing the interior of the store, I couldn’t wait to start. As I’ve mentioned before, the inside of Les Fleurs makes me feel like I am walking through a live Anthropologie Catalogue. The reclaimed wood, the burlap, the farmhouse textures, I love it.

We met beforehand to talk about how they wanted to use these images and whatwe wanted to display. On the day of the shoot, I have to say, they made my job really easy. Normally an interior photo shoot requires a good amount of rearranging furniture, switching around design elements, moving props in an out, but not on this one. Sandra keeps the inside of the store so fresh, that we really only had to make minor adjustments.

Cate was there to help with all the fine tuning, and no surprise, she was so easy to work with… the Fleurettes have the finest attention to detail. All in all, we came out after a half day, with some solid shots, and a few incredible fresh flower arrangements that were made on the spot by the Fleurettes in minutes.

Boston Fashion Photography | Valentine's Day "Red" Photo Shooting

January. Slow season. Time to update my website, create the yearly marketing plan… and most importantly, tap back into my creativity by planning beautiful, conceptual photo shoots with other creative people. The incredibly talented team for this one:

Fashion designer: Jack Robichaud, Jack Attackk Clothing

Hair and Makeup: Heather LoFaro

Model: Clara Duff

I’ve shot many of Jacki’s beautiful designs in the past, you can see some of them here. We came up with a “RED” concept for this shoot, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day. Not just red, but that beautiful wintery, deep wine color. Of course Jacki’s dress color was the exact match for the background that I had been dying to use since I got it a year ago, and it just moves and photographs so beautiful.

For hair and makeup, we wanted to create a lot of contrast and volume. We wanted the lips to match, and go for very dark accents with the rest of the makeup look. I was so torn for the hair, we knew we wanted volume, but up or down?! After going back and forth with Heather, she obviously nailed it.

I wanted to add even more depth and overall volume to the look by adding a headpiece. I stopped at AC Moore on my way to the studio, and created this deep red foral headpiece while Heather worked her magic, and she was able to incorporate it into the hair seamlessly.

It was our first time working with Clara, and her ability to go from sweet and silly to pro model in a snap was impressive. Those eyes! She was an absolute doll to work with, and I think (I hope) we will all be working together again soon.

Jacki is always great at doing the behind the scenes shots. There's us in action below!! We're so glamorous aren't we? :P

Of course, we had to play a little at the end, so we took the hair down, switched up the dress and lighting, and just played for the last few shots. We thought about smearing all her makeup just to get weird, but she was going out to dinner, so we left her face alone :)

Want this, or a similar look? Contact me to plan your own concept shoot.

Jack Attackk Clothing

Hair and Makeup by Heather

Clara Duff Model

Boston Interior Photography | Les Fleurs Winter Wonderland Loft

I am a little late on this blog post, but better late than never! I think it is fitting for a pretty snow day anyway...

Merrimack Valley Home Magazine sent interior designer Linda Holt and I to this gorgeous Lawrence loft to photograph our Winter 2015 cover. The loft belonged to Les Fleurs' Event Director, Kerianne, and I literally gasped when we walked in. It was a winter wonderland… and not an in your face red and green Christmas overload… a beautiful wintery, editorial spread waiting to happen. It was everything I could have asked for in winter home décor.

She had greens and winter-whites with subtle flashes of gold and silver everywhere. Every last detail was considered, especially the small finishing touches that made it personal and inviting, such as the books on the table, and the reindeer name tags at every place setting.

Linda and I had a blast photographing the mill building converted into a loft, with the high ceilings and industrial windows (perfect window lighting). Kerianne’s details made it feel special and welcoming too, which is why I think the French press coffee setup that she put out made the cover.

The table setup was out of this world, and we really didn’t need to touch a thing to photograph it. I want these florals in my home all winter long!

You can see the full story in the Winter issue of Merrimack Valley Home Magazine, and you can find more information on Les Fleurs here.

Thanks for reading!

Questions or comments? Leave a comment below, or Contact me, I love emails

Boston Photographer | Fashion Editoral Senior Portraits

What a great senior season! For those of you who don’t know, this is just my second year of launching my high school senior portrait sessions. This is not your traditional senior portrait, no, this is a full on modeling experience. They are fashion magazine inspired, styled to fit each individual, and as much about the experience as it is about the end result.

My senior ladies totally ROCKED it this year, and I couldn’t have asked for better models. They stepped it up with fashion, style, and PERSONALITY. Thanks to Robert Jason Salon for their commitment to creating some of these beautiful, natural looks. I’ll let the video below speak for itself, but a huge THANK YOU to you beauties for making my job so much fun. So much love to you all Class of 2016

Thanks for watching! If you like the video, please share with family and friends through email or social media.

Click here for more information on this style of senior portrait sessions

Click here to see the full senior gallery

Click here to send me a question or just to say hello!!

I'm really looking forward to meeting the Class of 2017, make sure you stay connected to receive all the updates and information!

Boston Portrait Photographer | Merrimack Valley Senior Rep Team, Class of 2016

Introducing the Class of 2016 Senior Rep Team, Emily O’Brien Photography’s first ever high school senior model program. I couldn’t have asked for a sweeter group of girls. They are A BLAST to have in front of my camera, and they pull off “fashion editorial” quite well. These girls will be representing my studio in each of their high schools.

Watch the video below to see how much fun we had on our glamorous group photo shoot:

Hannah of Andover High, Marissa of North Andover High, Kaila of Beverly High, Emily B of Lynn Classical,  and Emily M and Francesca from Central Catholic in Lawrence

What is a senior rep program? It’s extremely important for me to have a voice and a presence in local high schools, and the best way to do that is through the students themselves! So in exchange for spreading the good word around their school, these wonderful ladies receive the VIP red carpet treatment. Our major perk is the group photo shoot. This shoot is styled, and hair and makeup is provided by Robert Jason Salon. I have a fabulous partnership with Robert, and his talented team provides hair and makeup for most of my senior girl portrait sessions. Other bonuses of being a senior rep include digital images, contests, bonuses, EOP tanks, and lots of fun little events and shoots throughout the year.

The Robert Jason Salon team did an amazing job with hair and makeup, and making the girls feel comfortable in their own skin.

We warmed up by photographing each girl individually in the studio.

Then we moved outside for fun group photos and more individuals. It was WINDY. My assistant was holding one light as the other blew over, so we quickly squashed the whole idea of a lighting setup. The girls were such good sports trekking around in their heels, and looking relaxed while practically being blown away.

All in all it was a great day and I can't wait for our next shoot together. Look out for photos from our South End/Bay Bay, Boston shoot.

Fore more info about senior portrait sessions click here

Contact me to book your senior session

Robert Jason Salon in Andover for your hair and makeup experience

Boston Portrait Photographer | Fashion Inspired Senior Session with Jackie

Jackie contacted me for her senior portraits because she saw her friend Hayley's photos, and wanted a similar experience. She wanted the fashion inspired model shoot that I had recently started offering to high school seniors. What 17 year old girl doesn’t want to be a model for a day? She didn’t necessarily want these photos for the yearbook (I think the deadline had already passed), she wanted this experience to have it and keep it forever, she wanted to feel beautiful.

She brought in really great outfits for her consultation, she loves fashion and shoes, so she did a wonderful putting together a complete outfit for each look. She brought bright colors, pink, and turquoise, mixed with simple whites and blacks. She brought mini skirts and oversized sweaters with leggings. She also loved the idea of shooting in the old mill buildings (am I sensing a signature location style since opening in Lawrence or what?)

We were expecting a snowstorm the day of the shoot, which is no big surprise looking back at the winter we've had, but it was the first snowfall of the season. We changed our timing a bit, but I said “maybe we could get some snowy portraits, if you’re up for it!” She loved that and mom was a good sport... especially when we were actually in the trenches and we were getting hit with the heavy, wet, miserable snow.

I couldn't wait to show Jackie and her mom the photos at our Viewing appointment. Dad was joining us as well and I can't lie, I always get a little more nervous when dad comes too (I think it's often harder for them to see their little girl as an almost-grown, beautiful woman), but he loved them and encouraged Jackie throughout the ordering process. They went with a 10x10 album, which was perfect for Jackie's session, since we were able to incorporate so many different looks.

I love Jackie's look so much, I had to order a big print of her for the studio sample wall as well.

Read more about these fashion editorial inspired senior sessions here

Update: Jackie just graduated from Brooks School in North Andover and will be entering the Miss Teen USA pageant this year. I am thrilled to be one of her sponsors!

Jackie's program ad for the Miss Teen pageant