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Family Photographer – New Milford CT

Family Photographer – New Milford CT – Finley in Harrybrooke Park!

Finley and her mom Caitlyn met me for a walk in Harrybrooke Park in New Milford. It’s perfect for children Fin’s age – she’ll be riding her bike around the track before we know it!

I have seen them a few times for pictures and I am always amazed by Finley’s bright blue eyes – she is a stunning child (I guess she takes after her Mama!)

Location shoots are perfect for this age group – they need to feel like they are having fun and the camera is just there as an add-on to the fun we are having together! So Fin, Caitlyn and I walked and talked, smelled the flowers and spotted birds and wild life (and the camera was there to capture it ;). If you are thinking of booking a family session in time for holiday cards then I am accepting bookings now. We can go apple picking together, go for a walk on the beach or a local park. Locations that mean something to your family are extra special and immediately put the children at ease. When they are relaxed the laughter and the smiles just happen.

Enjoy these images.

xoxo

Family Photographer – Danbury CT

Family Photographer Danbury CT – Tarrywile Park and Mansion

Tarrywile Park in Danbury CT is a favorite spot of mine. The hiking is amazing, the trails are clearly marked and the views are spectacular! This loving and adorable family was such fun to hang out with and the laughs and smiles came easily that day.

After a good hike to the lake in the park we were heading back to the parking lot and came across something hanging in the trees. It was one of Ben’s Bells – an intentional act of kindness left for a random person to find, something to brighten someone’s day and make them stop and think about the way we interact with each other. The organization started in Tucson, AZ but after the tragic shooting in Sandy Hook, CT a branch has opened in nearby Newtown, CT.

The mission of Ben’s Bells is to inspire,educate, and motivate people to realize the impact of intentional kindness, and to empower individuals to act according to that awareness, thereby strengthening ourselves, our relationships and our communities.

We had such a great day in Tarrywile and finding the bell was the icing on the cake for me.

Love, Janet xo

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward. Safe in the knowledge that one day, someone will do the same for you” Diana Spencer

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New Milford CT – Mother’s Day Family Shoot!

New Milford CT – Our Mother’s Day Family Shoot Contest Winner

Jessica was the winner of our Mother’s Day Contest. A free family session with styling by Swank on Bank of New Milford, CT and Make Up by Candee Caldwell. We had fun hanging out last week and capturing some images of her beautiful family! Her husband Joe arrived during make up so we headed over to the green to capture some images of Daddy with his twin girls while we waited for Candee to work her magic. Jessica wanted a more dramatic smokey eye so that’s what she got!!!

Children this age do NOT sit still for long and generally they don’t want to pose for the camera, so we had a lot of fun playing games and hanging out – I love these relaxed images. The personality of the twins really shines through and you can see just how close they are. How lucky they are to have their best friend beside them through life.

They were so excited to see Mommy coming! And told her how beautiful she looked – there were hugs and kisses galore!

I love how relaxed Jessica starts to look in these next few. The girls were happy and we took the opportunity to get a couple of photos of her on her own.

Her wardrobe was quite simple but the jewelry makes a statement and completes her look.

Jessica looked stunning so of course we had to take the opportunity to get some images of her and Joe together……

When was the last time you took photos with your partner?? See how important it is?!

I hope you had fun Jessica on your special day!

It was an absolute pleasure to meet you and your family!

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New Milford CT Newborn Photographer – studio session

New Milford, CT Newborn Photographer Planet Photo welcomes baby Olivia!

It was an absolute pleasure to welcome back Lindsay into the studio and to meet her brand new baby girl. Olivia was as good as gold the day she came to visit and she has been a text book newborn so far!

You might remember Lindsey’s maternity session with the beautiful handmade crochet blanket. Well the blanket was back and this time baby Olivia got to snuggle on it. I love to incorporate objects or locations with personal meaning and was so thrilled when Lindsay remembered to bring the blanket with her.

Take a look at some of the images – Olivia has her momma’s beautiful skin and clear and bright eyes. She was taking in the world and making eye contact at six days old!

Can you believe it?

People ask all the time when they should book their maternity or newborn sessions. I like to do the maternity at the beginning of the third trimester. You will look pregnant but won’t feel too large – Lindsay was an exception here and was actually seven months pregnant when her sisters talked her into the session. Newborn sessions are best before 10 days if possible. I write the booking down for the due date and then make sure my schedule is open enough to accommodate date changes. My son was 12 long days late – it happens, but book before the baby comes and send me a message once you deliver.

If you enjoyed this baby fix then don’t forget to Like Planet Photo on Facebook and check back on the blog for more beautiful babies and families!

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New Milford CT Photographer – Spring has Sprung!

Spring Mini Session Sneak Peaks!

There are a couple of things that will instantly make me smile (well to be honest there are lots of things, but I won’t bore you with the entire list) but a little girl in a pink bow and a baby size jeans jacket brought a smile to my face and a flood of memories. My daughter had a Calvin Klein jeans jacket that I absolutely adored on her (check out the last photo for a picture of Olivia in her jeans jacket).

Baby Erin was one of the first baby sessions I showed on the Planet Photo website and it was fun to get her back to test out the spring mini session looks but also to show just how much she has grown and changed. We put her in some similar colors and the baskets we used for her newborn session so that you can see the difference!

The milestone package includes three sessions and you choose between maternity, newborn, sitting and cake smash. Erin was a little older than the typical sitting age so of course it became a crawling session!!! I think will agree it only added to the cuteness.

Hooray for Easter – isn’t that the cutest picture ever?!?!?

Baby Brody getting in on the act.

I have to say that having a friend with a newborn baby has brought so much joy to our family. My kids adore him and now that he is smiling and interacting with everyone around him it is just getting better all the time.

If you are interested in booking a Spring Mini Session then check out the information on the last blog post – I would love to see you!

And here is Olivia in her jeans jacket in the fall of 2004. I absolutely love this.

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Happy Birthday Emery Kate – Cake Smash!

A 1st birthday cake smash for beautiful Emery Kate!

There are some milestone birthdays that just call out for an extra special celebration. The first birthday is a date that cannot be missed and we had so much fun marking the day for Emery Kate. She was such an easy going little girl, full of personality and happy to be over at my home studio for her cake smash session. She not only takes everything in her stride – she loves what each new day has to offer her!

We got a couple of portraits of Emery in her special 1 year old undershirt and pink tutu – I really think that every girl needs a tutu portrait at some point in her life, don’t you agree? She did great with that so we moved onto the cake part. I just love the look on her face when she finally tastes that creamy buttercream – her mom said that she can be very particular about having clean hands, and true to form she hesitantly dove into the cake but then was very happy to clean up in the bath tub afterwards!

I got that pouting picture when she first got in – she wasn’t quite sure about all the bubbles but she soon came around. The bath tub entertains a busy one year old and keeps them still so that I can use that time to get a couple of portraits. It’s the perfect way to end a fun, messy (but very yummy) session – – Happy Birthday Emery Kate!

If you are interested in scheduling a studio session then send me an email to janet@planet-photography.com or text me on 203 313 1303.

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Newborn Photography CT – A baby sister!

Newborn Photography CT – A “Pinkalicious” Baby Sister!

I just love this little Bethel family. There is always something about each newborn photography session that makes each and every one just a little bit different. Whitney had put out a couple of hats and even had a crown for her little princess to wear the day we got together. If I remember correctly her Grandmother had hand knitted the hats and booties we used. I love that personal touch – we can’t all be knitters, but somehow or another, whether it be a photograph, a piece of jewelry or even a name, I see hints of the family history that these babies have inherited. I like to think that these images will become part of that family history as well to be shared with generations to come.

When my son was born I got a package of hand knitted sweaters that my Grandma made for my sister’s son. He was the first Great Grandson and she made sure he had a matinee jacket and matching booties for every day of the week! My nephews are in college now and those old fashioned looking (and not terribly practical) matinee jackets have been packed away after my children had their turn wearing them. Hopefully we’ll use them again (even if just for pictures!) and tell the story of Grandma Logan and her knitting prowess. Maybe that will lead to other stories and an opportunity for family memories to be passed down to a new generation.

Enjoy this yummy, pink, perfect baby and congratulations to the whole family!

I love how you can just see big sister Logan giving kisses here.

Which is your favorite? I loved the second to last the moment I saw it…..but the booties and hat are pretty darn cute too!

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The Planet Photo Family Session :)

The Planet Photo Family Session – the holiday card shoot!

There are some families out there (who shall remain nameless at this point in time) that don’t always love to have photos taken. It’s not a specific thing, but a general “Oh do we have to? Can’t we do it next week?” kind of response. Usually I compromise and just take photos of the kids, but this year I booked our session on the shared family calendar just like any other regular shoot. The day that my family was going to get their christmas card picture!

I have a list of tips and tricks for styling a family shoot. I know, I hear you groaning from here, but the advantages far out way the disadvantages and it means that you can have more printing options when everyone coordinates. Notice I didn’t say matching, you know I prefer coordinating to matching right? So let me know what you think. I am pretty happy with how they turned out this year and I even printed and framed a selection of the pictures before the holidays!!! Procrastination is everyone’s worst enemy (even mine) but I was determined, and it really is easier to just go ahead and do it right away. Go with your gut instinct to pick your favorites and get them on your wall where they can be enjoyed. I already have a date pencilled in my calendar for our next family picture. There are no excuses for the Planet Photo Family in the future!

OK. Enough chatter. Onto the pictures. My favorite comment on facebook was that my hair looked like I just stepped out of a Pantene commercial. I always read all the comments, and of course love the complimentary ones, so please send me a comment!

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Family Photo Session – Danbury, CT

Family Photo Session – Tarrywile Mansion, Danbury, CT

What an adorable family! Another set of twins, this time twin boys with the cutest big sister you could ever wish for. We met over at Tarrywile Mansion a few weeks ago for a family photo session when there were still leaves on the trees and the golden light of fall in New England. Mikey and Tracy have that great relaxed attitude of parents that are used to going with the flow and they didn’t try to micro-manage the shoot. We hung out and played in leaves, we played tag, got running hugs (another great perk of the job) and threw big chestnut “balls” around. I have a feeling they all slept well that night after an afternoon at Tarrywile – Mikey and Tracy earned a glass of wine for sure!!!!

So, I am asked all the time what the ideal age is to take family portraits and I have to say every age has it’s advantages and it’s challenges. One thing I have learned over the years is that you have to follow the lead of the kids and some of the best shots of the day are on the way back to the car. Kids are busy and curious and generally don’t want to sit and “smile pretty”….. so let’s not make them do that! Let’s have some fun and keep it light, the shots will come and the personalities of the family will hopefully shine through much more than any of the manufactured contrived “pretty shots”. I think you can tell that this is a family that has fun together – what do you think?

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Family Photos – Brookfield, CT

This Brookfield CT extended family have a lot of energy between them! We met on a sunny but slightly chilly morning at Happy Landings Farm and they burst out of the cars ready and eager to run and chase each other around. Could you imagine trying to capture these six in a studio????

It was so fun to see how they interacted together and how comfortable they all were with each other. So often today families are scattered far and wide but this family gets the benefit of growing up knowing and loving their cousins. The big ones look out for the little ones and everyone joined in to help make each other smile and look in the direction of the camera!

Erin is a teacher and I imagine she’s a great one – her kids certainly respond well to her fun, outgoing personality.

I love how the twins are literally doing laps around Mom, Dad and their baby brother – it looks like he is used to it though and not at all phased by the chaos!!!

I was blown away by the classic celtic coloring of this family, their red hair is stunning.

All the cousins sitting still for a moment or two……

The kids were getting a little cold but with a tootsie roll waiting for them in the car they were such troopers and I think the rosy cheeks just add to their cuteness!

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