Boston Portrait Photographer | Special Beach Session on Plum Island

It is really special when the younger sibling of a previous client comes to us for their senior portrait. This was the case for Vanessa! We got to shoot with her older sister Alicia two years ago. Now it is Vanessa’s turn to graduate high school and we were so excited to continue this tradition. We photographed Alicia in our historic Lawrence mill buildings, so for Vanessa we decided to mix it up and have her portraits taken at the Plum Island/Newburyport marshes and beaches.

After a short hunt for flowers, we found some purple and yellow ones that matched perfectly with the cool blues in her outfits and her amazingly long blonde hair. Vanessa has some serious hair goals! She worked her tresses perfectly in the wind.

Halfway through the photoshoot, the sun popped out from behind some clouds and made a dazzling sunset. The soft, peach hues reflected beautifully on the pools of water in the marsh, so it was only fitting in such a dreamy landscape for Vanessa to give her dress a twirl.

Finally, we made it to the beach, and we have to say, Vanessa chose the perfect outfit for the setting. All the colors in the background were incorporated in her romper. Vanessa was not afraid of getting a little sandy for her “finale photo” , and as you can see it was totally worth it!

Boston Portrait Photographer | Taylor's Editorial Shoot

Class of 2018 Senior Rep Victoria C introduced us to Taylor. Both of their moms are co-owners of Cupcake City, which by the way are some of the best cupcakes I’ve ever tasted, Twix and Sm’ores are among my favorites, though I’m not opposed to trying every single flavor.... Ok back to Taylor- what a riot this girl is!

She brought so much fun and laughter on set. She was not afraid to call it how it is when a pose felt awkward, and we love that! It brings out natural smiles and really represents a subject’s true personality in the photos. Taylor wanted her senior shoot to have an editorial aesthetic, and also to highlight her favorite shoes: Christian Louboutin heels.

Naturally, we headed over to the mill buildings for a grunge meets high fashion feel. We played around and laughed so hard as we were trying to capture some movement to show the bottom of her heels, We called this one her “fashion editorial spread” Having started out in a black slouchy sweater, we noticed as the photoshoot progressed her sweater seemed to be growing! Certain fabrics can stretch like crazy throughout a shoot, and Taylor’s sweater seemed intent on growing into a sweater dress.

Taylor dealt with it with grace, laughter, and eventually an outfit change. Outfit number two matched perfectly with a rusty basin that we found on the floor (maybe meant to catch drips from the leaky ceiling?). After propping it up, Taylor sat down and worked her unique background.

For our final shots, we noticed how beautifully the light was coming into the room, so we moved fast and captured some fun dramatic images. The results are some of our favorite shots of the day!

Boston Portrait Photographer | Rene's Edgy Mill Session

Having heard about our client’s Jayna’s experience with her senior shoot, Rene contacted us for her senior portraits. Rene was looking for a unique and edgy location for her senior portraits and we had just the spot: the mill buildings. When Rene walked into the studio, the first thing we noticed was how expertly done her makeup was.

One of Rene’s many passions is hair and makeup. She’s part of her school’s drama department and does the makeup for the whole cast. So naturally, Rene did her own makeup for her senior portraits. We could have sworn that she had gone to a salon to get it done, the girl has got skills!

Throughout the shoot, we couldn’t help but ask for her makeup tips and tricks. Rene’s mom came along for the shoot, and we could see her beaming over her daughter. We convinced to the two of them to get in for a mother/daughter photo and they snuggled close for a very special moment.

After getting shot after shot of Rene absolutely working the camera, we wrapped up the shoot with a fun laughing shot of Rene in front of the vintage windows of the mill. Her bubbly personality truly shined in front of that red door, which makes it one of our favorite shots from our session.

Boston Portrait Photographer | Victoria and family in the city

Victoria is another one of our Class of 2018 Senior Reps! We were so excited to shoot with her and her family, mostly because we already knew how much fun they were. We photographed her older brother Chris last year in the same location. We always encourage our high school seniors to bring siblings, friends, or Mom on their sessions. Victoria’s senior session was a little different because we also were having a family session with her family at the beginning!

She got to have Mom, Dad, and Chris cracking jokes and making her smile while she posed for her solo shots later on in the shoot. We met the Cataldo family at Boston Common and started with some group shots on the benches to get everyone relaxed. There were lots of laughter and inside jokes being thrown around between the two siblings, which of course made Mom and Dad laugh too.

As we made our way out of the park, and into Back Bay, we stopped to use some of the city's’ unique architecture as our backdrop; the mall, the brownstones, the wrought-iron fences.

As the shoot turned into Victoria’s senior shoot, we started to focus more on Victoria’s passion - dance. We are convinced that one day we will see her as the prima ballerina in one of the world’s most prestigious dance companies.

Boy does she have skill and drive! We don’t normally show our clients photos during the shoot, but for Victoria, it was important to see her form and how it photographed. And the results are stunning!

We ended the shoot on the Charles right as the sun was about to touch the water. People passing by were convinced we were shooting a movie or advertisement, and that Victoria was a celebrity. We can see how they thought so!

Boston Portrait Photographer | Brianna's Day Off (Bueller....?)

Who wouldn’t want to skip school for a photoshoot? That’s what senior Brianna got to do for her senior portraits! Brianna is friends and soccer teammates with one of our Senior Reps, Alena. At the crack of 8:30am, we met at the studio for Brianna’s mill building inspired shoot.

Right off the bat, Brianna worked it. She has the natural smize down. For those of you who don’t know the Tyra Banks coined term, smize = “smile with your eyes”. And look at all of that hair! It was a bit of a wind storm when we made it outside, but she wrangled all of her long locks effortlessly.

I even have to say, that the more windblown her hair got, the better it looked, does this girl ever have a bad hair day?? After a quick outfit change, she pulled out one of our favorite winter accessories: the blanket scarf.

Not only is it perfect for a brisk December morning, you can’t help but have some fun with it. Soon Brianna was laughing at having to sway continuously, which brought out her fun, happy personality in the photos.

We ended the shoot across the street in the mill buildings. I am beginning to love this early morning winter light in the mills. Showcasing a bright red off the shoulder shirt with the gritty, monochromatic backdrop resulted in Brianna absolutely shining.

Boston Portrait Photographer | Emily's Windy Session!

A lot of our clients are dancers, including Emily. But not every client of ours gets her photoshoot wardrobe from her dance teacher! After the outfits she ordered didn’t work out and it was the night before the shoot, Emily raided her dancer teacher’s closet and found some awesome outfits. Shout out to her teacher for saving the day and having an amazing wardrobe, and to Emily for putting everything together so well. Of course with so many interesting outfit options, we couldn’t leave anything outl. We started the shoot in the studio and soon realized how great Emily’s hair blew in the wind.

With our long list of outfits and locations, we knew one of our stops had to be the Duck Bridge. Getting your hair to cooperate while on a windy bridge is not easy, and some people can find it very frustrating. But not Emily. She had a positive attitude the whole way through and did not let a sudden gust of wind catch her off guard. As you can see, her patience paid off!

After a short walk, we had our finale outfit over by the pink door that matched perfectly with her dress. Similar to Emily’s hair, this dress was meant to be carried by the wind. We had her spinning and dancing in the wind, which turned into a lot of laughs, and a LOT of great photo opps.

I think Emily’s mom Melissa, who was there snapping some behind-the-scenes photos, had just as much fun as her daughter. Emily is such a positive ball of energy, and up for anything to get the shot, we had so much fun shooting with her!
 

Boston Portrait Photographer | Joelle's Gorgeous Beachy Sunrise Session

Rise and shine Joelle! Joelle's original senior photoshoot had been postponed due to rain, so we got up bright and early to be up at the Newburyport Plum Island beaches in time for the beautiful morning sunlight. Not only did she get up early, she was able to do so without coffee - something we cannot do on a normal day. And boy did she rock her photoshoot!

It was a little brisk and windy, the perfect weather for the slouchy sweaters she chose for some of her looks. When a gust would hit her sleek long hair just right, the results were gorgeous.

We're always interested in what our clients are passionate about. Joelle participates in dance and swimming and it was important for her to represent them in her photos. For dance, she grabbed an old pair of pointe shoes and held them while leaning against a wall.

It was simple yet elegant and the results are one of our favorite shots of the day. For swimming, this team captain wanted to show off her jacket. Her mom could not wait to see the album that she was going to order because when her daughter is away at college next year, she'll have this day to look back on. 

Printed products are SO important to us, and it was clear that they were equally as important to Joelle's mom. She decided to go with the signature album in color, and because she loves black and white so much, a black and white image box. It's not common to go with black and white for this product, but I am in love with how her album AND image box came out!

Boston Portrait Photographer | MadDi's Sister and Dance Session was one of our Favorites!

My Senior Rep Maddi chose to have her senior portraits in one of my favorite places to shoot, the Lawrence Mill buildings. I always tell my clients to bring best friends or siblings to their photoshoot because those closest to us often bring out the most genuine smiles! Maddi had her two fabulous younger sisters and Mom come along.

Between inside jokes and silly faces there were plenty of smiles and laughter going around. All three sisters dance at Nancy Chippendales and you can tell, they have perfect posture. I found it so funny that I kept on telling Maddi to relax into her pose and slouch which is the opposite of what dancers are supposed to be told.

After basking in the sun where Maddi and her sisters were literally glowing with their genuine smiles, we made the trek across the street to the Mill buildings and Maddi got into her dance shoes.

I was amazed by how giggly Maddi transformed into this regal ballet dancer, as she leapt and danced across the room. Something as simple as putting on pointe shoes, or going on elevé is completely transformed when Maddie does it and made for some of my favorite shots. I can see why she plans on studying dance after Senior year! 

Boston Portrait Photographer | Pretty Newburyport Beach Session

Who doesn’t love some Lilly in their wardrobe? Jen’s senior portraits were inspired by her style! The chic beachy vibe from her Lilly Pulitzer wardrobe matched perfectly with the Newburyport beaches and marshes, so we headed up there one beautifully sunny afternoon.

With beachy waves in her hair, we explored the marshes. Her bright pinks totally popped against the warm greens and yellows of nature! The wind was a little tricky at times, but we always tell our clients that it is worth the struggle. As you can see, Jen totally worked it.

After a quick outfit change, we made it to the beach. The sun was setting, and Jen was just walking around holding her shoes in her hand. Sometimes the best poses come from clients not posing at all! We had Jen toss some sand around to get a genuine laugh from her and the results are one of our favorite shots from the shoot.

It seems like our finale shot when we’re up in Newburyport always involves the client getting their feet wet in some way. For Jen, we had her swishing away in the wet sand and playing with her hair. A perfect end to a perfect shoot!

Boston Portrait Photographer | Senior Rep Victoria

Most people don't want rain on their photoshoot, but we always tell them that with afternoon rain comes the most brilliant sunsets. Senior Rep Victoria's shoot was sprinkling a few raindrops when we first started, but that did not put a damper on her fun!

With her Bestie Catherine making jokes behind the camera, Victoria was all smiles. In between shots, Victoria was tapping and dancing away as her mom called out her favorite dance moves. A quick outfit change later, we made it on to the beach.

This beach is a very special place full of fond memories for Victoria and her family. Their home at the beach was her grandparents, and the bench we shot her on has a beautiful plaque in honor of them. We love photographing clients in places that possess special meaning to them.

Victoria was not afraid of getting her feet a little wet and splashed around in the shallow waters. A surprise wave did catch her off guard, but that only made more laughs between her and Catherine. With perfect timing, as we predicted, the rain clouds parted to give way for a stellar sunset just for Victoria. 

Boston Portrait Photographer | Senior Rep Caroline

Meet Caroline, another one of our Class of 2017 Senior Reps! For Caroline’s portraits, we decided to head up to downtown Newburyport and the Plum Island beaches. Caroline’s style matches perfectly with the location: chic florals, flowy blues, and pearls. Caroline is super silly and loves to dance so she worked it with her poses. Even in between shots we caught her tapping away in her heels and laughing at herself.

One of the shots that Caroline ended up loving the most was of her and her mother. So sweet. The two of them are adorable together, and could not help but laugh and make faces at each other.

The tides happened to be high when we arrived at the beaches which made for this amazing photo of Caroline. The dramatic backdrop lends perfectly for highlighting Caroline and her fierceness; work it girl!

Caroline rocked her senior photoshoot, and we know she’ll do just as awesome this coming year because she is definitely a leader, dancing to the beat of her own drum. We love you Caroline!

Boston Portrait Photographer | Senior Rep Alena

Say hello to our Senior Rep Alena! Alena loves playing sports outdoors, so it is only fitting that we incorporated florals, nature, and exposed stone in her portraits. Alena brought her bright smile right on set and worked it throughout the whole photoshoot.

She was not afraid of being a little silly and twirling in her dress for the camera. After all, fields are the perfect place to twirl. We loved her serious looks too, the girl can rock a smize! (for those who don’t know, smize = smiling with the eyes)

We had so much fun exploring the area around the studio; the field and the mill buildings all lent fantastic textures and colors that complimented Alena’s outfits perfectly.

We have also photographed Alena's sister Clara, Class of 2017 senior, and her entire family, whom I have come to know and adore. I can see where Alena gets her big heart from, her family consists of some of the most kind people I know, nothing but love for each other and positivity to spread to the rest of the world.

Good luck Alena with Senior Year, we know you’ll have a fabulous time. Your big heart and ability to spread joy will serve you well in life :)

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 Photographer | Happy 2016!!!

I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions per se, but I do love the New Year because it's a fresh start. Clean slate. A chance to brainstorm and plan for the year. And it's also the calm AFTER the storm for me. This fall was the busiest I have EVER been, and while I couldn't have been more excited to embrace it, I have to say I am happy for the down time. 2015 was the best year yet, and not just because I was busy, but because I was busy with YOU. I was busy with clients and businesses that I truly adore, and I have so much gratitude for each and every one of you.

I started this list as my top 10 favorite images from the year, but you beautiful people made it damn near impossible to narrow it down. So here it is, my top 20 favorite images from 2015.

View fullsize

I can't wait to see what 2016 brings. Lots of love and gratitude my beautiful models!

If your photo made the top 20, please make sure to forward and share with all your friends!