New York Portraits

New York Photo Shoot

Denim

"In the right denim a girl can conquer the world"

We took off our masks just long enough to shoot our New York Portraits in denim and if you look closely you’ll see us holding them in a couple of the shots.

We hadn’t been to New York since March so we were excited but nervous for our first day back shooting in the city. Images of New York fighting a pandemic have been on everyone’s mind and we wanted to wait until it was both safe and appropriate to be there. The tourist sights were reopening, the restaurants were welcoming outdoor diners and New Yorkers were getting back to normal life where they could.

It was time.

Sam, Belle, Olivia and I drove into Chelsea and started our day there, wandering the streets and surprised by how quiet everything was. This is one of my favorite areas of the city but it was strange and a little surreal. The area downtown was even quieter, the 911 museum and memorial were closed and the Oculus Transportation Terminal was missing the commuters and tourists that usually gather there. We took advantage of the open views and the girls brought some smiles and laughter to the almost empty streets.

I have been back to New York since this shoot and the streets are already more vibrant and much busier again. New York will be back – just wait and see!

Olivia’s Bardot High-Rise Flare Jeans Stoned Immaculate

Sam’s Two-Toned Denim Mini Skirt: Alice McCall

Olivia’s Majorly Cropped Top: Alice McCall

Back to School NMHS

Back to School

The Junior Tribe at NMHS

Jordana, Grace and Katie will be Freshman at New Milford High School this year so we met there for our Junior Tribe Back to School photo shoot. NMHS has a hybrid model this year so students will be learning in person for two days per week and online for three days. That means back to school shopping is a little different (I hear that Lululemon and Athleta are having their best years ever, and jeans companies are struggling, because who wants to wear jeans during quarantine?) but planning your first day of school outfit is still so much fun and we can knock those outfits out of the park for two days a week. 

I grew up in the UK and I wore a school uniform until I was 16, but even getting a new uniform and shiny new shoes for the first day of school was exciting, so I LOVE to see all the photos on social media of kids heading off on their first day.  

Good luck to all the students heading back to school soon and to all the parents getting ready to drop kids off at college.

We got this! It’s going to be hard to send those kids back but I am excited for them to see their friends and teachers. 

Stay safe. Be smart. And wear your mask!

Teen Studio Portraits

Teen Studio Portraits

Teen Studio Portraits

Passion Portraits - what do you love to do?

The teen years are when you start to get serious about training for a sport or practicing dance or playing in the band. I often hear that high school is somewhat defined or at least structured around the fall, winter or spring sport seasons, it is for my daughter for sure!

COVID has not cancelled our fall sports (fingers crossed) but they are going to look a little different. Conditioning is in full swing and the teams will be ready for whatever kind of season they can get!

Dance studios have been really creative about engaging dancers and holding online or outdoor practices to keep skills and abilities in top shape. Studio D even transformed their spring show into an amazing outdoor performance around New Milford. 

I was thrilled to spend some time with Planet Photo Junior Tribe members Ella and Katie so that they could share their passions for dance and soccer with me. I had lots of fun creating teen studio portraits with them. 

 

Teen Studio Portraits
Teen Studio Portraits
Teen Studio Portraits
Teen Studio Portraits
Teen Studio Portraits
Teen Studio Portraits

Two more group shoots remain in our summer modeling experience, I am going to miss the junior Tribe but we’ll have lots of portraits to look back on.  Make sure you are on the Planet Photo mailing list if you are interested in future junior modeling experience teams. 

Don’t forget The Tribe starts soon for 10, 11 and 12th graders!

Flower Crown Portraits

Flower Crown Portraits

Junior Tribe 2020

One of the very first teen group shoots I ever did was a flower crown shoot and I was excited to do it again with the 2020 Junior Tribe. We met at Hunt Hill Farm in New Milford and enjoyed their beautiful gardens and surroundings. The Silo at Hunt Hill Farm is a popular stop for both locals and visitors to Litchfield County. 

When we arrived the long horned cows were across the road to observe our group but of course they wandered into the back field when we were ready to shoot. There is something very magical about seeing them so drive by if you get a chance and see if you can spot them. 

Jordana, Grace, Katie and Ella were all beautiful and graceful in their flower crowns but you know we had lots of fun too!

If you have a creative idea for a group shoot or a themed photo shoot for you and your friends then a BFF portrait session is a great way to celebrate a birthday or a great friendship. We’ll plan the location and styling around your group and you’ll have the portraits as a wonderful memory of your special day. 

Now booking family, teens and high school seniors and personal branding for the most popular shooting time of the year – fall in New England!

Junior Tribe Glitter Photoshoot

Glitter PhotoShoot

Junior Tribe 2020

I am sure you have read one of the many cute quotes and sayings about glitter;

A life without glitter is no life at all.     
Toni Collette
“
When life gives you Monday, dip it in glitter and sparkle all day.     
Ella Woodward
“
Shower the world with pink and glitter.     
Tori Amos
“
If something doesn’t look right, throw some glitter on it.     
Adam Lambert

“

Some girls are just born with glitter in their veins.

Paris Hilton 

I am 100% certain that Kate, Caitlin and Grace left a lot of sparkle wherever they went on Tuesday! Glitter has the habit of staying with you and showing up in unexpected places at unexpected times, but you have to admit it does make you smile!

We chose the right week to be in the studio with the temperatures rising outside we were very relieved to be in the air conditioning for our latest Junior Tribe shoot. You’ll notice that there are no group shots, we actually staggered the shoots to minimize the numbers in the studio at one time so we had to cut out the traditional group shots we usually take. 

I am so impressed by the girls who took part, they have all grown in confidence in front of the camera and it shows in the amazing images we captured. 

Glitter photoshoot
Glitter photoshoot
Glitter photoshoot
Glitter photoshoot
Glitter photoshoot

If you would like to schedule a fun shoot for the teen in your life then reach out and let’s get something on the calendar! We had so much fun throwing glitter with the Planet Photo Junior Tribe summer model experience. If your 10, 11 or 12th grader would like to join the Tribe then I need to hear from you SOON! We are getting ready to start planning regular Tribe influencer shoots!

Studio Portraits Bella

Planet Photo Tribe Studio Portraits

Bella

I was walking through my gym and as usual I checked out the magazine rack as I walked by, do you do that? I like to read books but there is something frivolous and special about a good quality fashion magazine. I am talking about Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harpers Bazaar with the luxurious glossy paper and the bold cover images. I love the slightly over-the-top poses with really over-the-top styling that you wouldn’t necessarily wear every day, but they sure are show stoppers. I decided then that we needed a series of these magazine cover styled studio portraits shoots with the Planet Photo Tribe. Kinsley was the first one last year and I loved her images, then I shot Samantha in January and I loved those too, so I wanted to expand on that studio magic that we had going on!

Bella rocked her posing and got just the right fashion model serious face.

Planet Photo is available for studio and location portrait sessions for teens and seniors, personal branding, editorial modern glamour, family portraits in New Milford, New Fairfield, Danbury, Newtown, Brookfield, Kent, Washington, Litchfield, Redding, Ridgefield, Wilton, and surrounding towns.

Clueless 2K20 Tribe Styled Shoot

A 2K20 Teen Model Styled Shoot

Clueless in Newtown!

I love themed styled shoots and I especially love them when the members of the Tribe share their inspiration and ideas for group shoots. I challenged Olivia, Madison, Taylor and Sam to come up with a theme and start planning the locations and styling we would need to pull it off. I was super impressed and very proud of their collaborative effort! Have you watched Clueless recently? It is a classic teen movie based on a classic book. Here is what Rotten Tomatoes had to say about the movie:

Jane Austen might never have imagined that her 1816 novel Emma could be turned into a fresh and satirical look at ultra-rich teenagers in a Beverly Hills high school. Cher and Dionne, both named after “great singers of the past that now do infomercials,” are pampered upper-class girls who care less about getting good grades than wearing the right clothes and being as popular as possible. But Cher, who lives with her tough yet warm-hearted lawyer dad and hunky, sensitive stepbrother, also has an innate urge to help those less fortunate — like the two introverted teachers she brings together (“negotiating” herself improved grades in the process) and new friend Tai, who starts out a geek and ends up a Cher prodigy. Cher also possesses her own sensitive side, and she is looking for the perfect boyfriend, whom she ends up finding where she least expected. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi

2k20 Tribe Styled Shoot Clueless

A couple of the girls said they would wear their outfits for the first week of school – let’s see if they dare! The girls chose Fairfield Hills in Newtown for a Connecticut High School look – never mind that it is the old mental hospital campus, it is definitely one of our favorite shoot locations. You might recognize it from previous Planet Photo Portrait sessions!

2k20 Tribe Styled Shoot Clueless
2k20 Tribe Styled Shoot Clueless
2k20 Tribe Styled Shoot Clueless
2k20 Tribe Styled Shoot Clueless
Styled Shoot Clueless

There were so many outfits and scenes that we could have used for inspiration but the Clueless take on athletic styling cracks me up every time I watch the movie so we thought we should make a quick stop at the baseball field.

Styled Shoot Clueless

I hope you enjoyed our take on Clueless. Your individual senior or teen shoot doesn’t have to incorporate a theme but it can! Let me help you plan your unique portrait experience.

Game of Thrones Group Tribe Photo Shoot Kent Falls CT

Game of Thrones

Planet Photo Tribe

Photo Shoot Kent Falls CT

I have to admit I haven’t watched Game of Thrones!

I am in love with the styling though and absolutely crazy about the costumes and locations – we actually visited Iceland last year and heard over and over how parts of GOT was filmed there, but I felt like I was just too late to the party. Eight seasons to catch up? That is a lot of catching up!!!

My lack of personal watching history did not stop us for recreating a Game of Thrones theme for our Planet Photo Tribe group shoot. We had the perfect location (OK, I admit that I would have liked to fly to Iceland with the team but that was not quite in the budget….but we had the next best thing – Kent Falls State Park in Connecticut).

The falls usually freeze during the winter but you know what a crazy winter we had this year (do you remember our whiteout shoot with no snow?), so it was actually pretty warm on the day of our shoot. Can you even imagine how nervous I was on the drive up there? I was literally holding my breath when we turned into the parking lot. Thankfully, it was snowy, frozen and perfectly Game of Thrones-esque.

We were so excited to have Sue Snow from Deja Vudu Vintage as our stylist for this shoot. She has an eye for detail and a seemingly endless supply of amazing vintage clothes and accessories so she took our shoot to the next level.

It might have been unseasonably warm but it was still a little chilly standing on the ice waterfall so thank you to our models: Zoe, Sam, Cassie, Madi, Olivia and Julia.

I guess I can’t resist the hype any longer. Game of Thrones is the next thing on my binge watch list.

 

 

The Future is in their Hands Tribe Teen Photo Shoot CT

The Future is in their Hands

Planet Photo Tribe

Teen Photo Shoot CT

Much has been written about Generation Z. They are more tech savvy than previous generations, most don’t remember not having access to the internet via their phones and they multitask. They are also starting to express their opinions and frustrations with the current political system. Most American school kids experience drills to prepare for an active shooter situation and they want someone to do something about it. They care about the environment and animals, they have lived through the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements and they took notice.

The New York Times wrote: “Alex Dunphy from ‘Modern Family’ represents the Gen Z antidote, Alex is a true Gen Z: conscientious, hard-working, somewhat anxious and mindful of the future.”

The girls in the Planet Photo Tribe picked the issues that they feel most passionate about and we highlighted some of those things. They believe that we should PROTECT our schools, our planet, our children, our water supply, our food supply, the environment, animals, minorities and the earth.

They say NO to racial profiling, labeling, transphobia, violence, sexism, racism, fat shaming, homophobia.

For today’s teens, the nation’s first African-American president is less a historic breakthrough than a fact of life. It is the responsibility and privilege of Generation Z to vote and they intend to do so. They make up almost 25% of all Americans and THEY VOTE NEXT.

They are Stronger Together. The Future is Female. They Support Equal Rights……The future really is in their hands.

 

Candytopia A Planet Photo NYC Photo Shoot

Candytopia

A Planet Photo NYC Photo Shoot

Who says you have to choose a conventional location for your senior portraits?

Candytopia, a pop-up location in New York City is ANYTHING BUT CONVENTIONAL!

Here is how they describe it on the website:

“What if an eccentric chocolatier and a daredevil pop star had a whirlwind romance, got married while skydiving, and had a glamorous, glittering love child who grew up to rule a small nation?  Welcome to Candytopia, where colossal candyfloss constructions meld with a tantalizing taffy twistedness!”

I’d seen the pictures on social media and I knew it HAD to be… we HAD to have our NYC photo shoot there! We got the golden tickets and Abbi joined me on an adventure into candy wonderland. It was insane. I can’t even imagine how many 100’s of thousands of jelly beans went into the exhibit, it was a crazy dream world on a massive sugar high and we were going in.

NYC Photo Shoot

I knew we needed something different and special for this location, but you know when you don’t know what you are looking for until you see it? Well the minute I saw this romper on Fashion Nova, I knew we had our outfit!

NYC Photo ShootNYC Photo ShootNYC Photo Shoot

Thanks to the amazing staff and crew at Candytopia for their help. We shot during regular business hours using the built in spot lighting. No off camera flash or light stands. But we made it work – you gotta love a challenge.

NYC Photo ShootSo where would you love to shoot? Let’s design something completely original. I love street photo shoots, don’t you?