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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Newborn Photography CT – Branford Baby Boy

Newborn Photography CT – Welcome to the newest member of the Raw Photo Design family.

Before Planet Photo I worked as part of the Raw Photo Design team – we called ourselves the “raw family”. Raw Photo was started by Eric and Amber Langlois, a young charismatic couple from Connecticut with an amazing talent for photography. Eric and Amber brought a unique style to the CT wedding photography market and to couples wanting a modern, editorial style to their wedding day photography. I came on board to help with family photography and this little guy’s mom, Jill handled the studio management. With Brenden and Rob in the studio editing, the raw family expanded. Earlier this year Eric was lost in a tragic drowning accident leaving behind Amber, their two children and a baby on the way. Friends and family from all over Connecticut have supported and grieved alongside Amber and his loss is felt every day by many who knew him well and many who just admired his incredible talent. Although I no longer work for Raw Photo, I will always consider myself a member of the Raw Family and I was thrilled to welcome the newest member. Eric would have adored him.

The fund for Eric’s family

Jill’s beautiful baby boy was born when the leaves were falling and the air was starting to get a chill. Probably my favorite time in New England. No humidity, true blue skies and clear crisp days. We had to get him outside in the leaves and we wrapped him up in a cocoon to keep him warm. My son was born while we were living in Copenhagen Denmark. He took his naps bundled up in his pram and parked in the fresh air, even at daycare they put the babies outside to nap in rows of prams with no wheels! There has been much written about the Scandinavian tradition of parking prams outside a restaurant and leaving the baby unattended, something that would be unimaginable in the United States but is considered completely normal in Denmark. I will let you decide if you ever would dare….but don’t risk it in NYC, you just might be arrested!

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Just a hint of a smile!

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Family Photos – Brookfield, CT

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.

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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!!!

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

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

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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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CT Family Photo Session

CT Family Photo Session – Planet Photo meets a beautiful baby boy!

I had the pleasure of meeting this little guy a couple of weeks ago for a newborn family photo and he was the cutest! Newborn sessions are completely unpredictable. You never know how fast the baby will fall asleep, or how much they will like me “fiddling” with them once they fall asleep. One thing I can usually count on is some time to hang out with the parents and get to know a little about the family this new baby has been lucky enough to be born into. I loved this guy’s parents and almost invited myself along to lunch afterwards!!!

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Once I get the baby posed in a certain way then instead of moving them, it’s me that moves around and I try to get a couple of different angles of the same pose.

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His moms didn’t really want to be in the shoot but this shows the love and the support this baby will have surrounding him in life – I love this!

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Look at those big eyes! He was taking the whole thing in and didn’t want to miss a trick.

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Congratulations on your beautiful baby boy!

 

Ridgefield CT Newborn Photographer

Ridgefield CT Newborn Photographer – Planet Photo wants you to meet this future Rock Star Baby!

This shoot was planned on a bus ride to the Bronx Zoo – one school trip chaperone and one special-ed teacher chatting over the noise of lots of 4th graders excited to be out of school for the day! I love when a mom has time to look forward to the newborn shoot and has ideas to make it special.

I had an absolute blast with Kelly and her Mother-in-Law Karen and the newest addition to the family. Kelly’s husband plays guitar and loves music so we wanted to try to tie that in to the shoot. I love to make the newborn shoots a unique and personal experience, whether taking a prop from the home or including the colors the family loves, there is usually a way to make all newborn sessions just a little different. Some babies love to be on their tummy, some prefer their back, I listen and look for the cues from the baby and make sure they are always safe and secure. No photo is ever worth risking the safety of the baby. Thankfully my training as a nanny and my own children have prepared me to feel comfortable around babies and newborns and I love every minute of the shoot. Kelly and Karen were spotters in the guitar shots and were just out of the frame in case he came out of his deep sleep and stretched out his long legs!

So, grab a cup of coffee and check this one out – he is a keeper!

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Sherman CT Family Photographer

Sherman CT Family Photographer Planet Photo in a Candlewood Lake Family Session

A relaxed photo shoot on the shores of Candlewood Lake in Sherman CT with an active almost one year old?????? You know that as soon as they are mobile, then chances are you are going to get a few cute shots of the back of a toddlers head as they take off across the lawn. This little girl was no exception, but she loved to smile at the camera, and I managed to get a few of those beautiful big brown eyes as well. She is adorable and everyone who meets her remarks on how much she looks like her mommy. I am sure you can see it too, but she sure loves her Daddy.

Photographing young families is always a question of balancing that “holiday card pose” with capturing the magic interactions between family members. I absolutely LOVE the shots of this family laughing and playing together. That’s what it’s all about for me – those moments of sheer joy when they forget that I am there with a camera and just enjoy each other. But those moments are captured for ever, and to me, they mean of so much more than that holiday card pose.

 

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Brookfield CT Family Photographer

Brookfield CT | Family Photographer Planet Photo at Happy Landings Farm

One of the perks of being a family photographer is being able to see how some of my regular families change over the years. I have always been impressed at how these Brookfield, CT siblings get along – at least when I am around…… and they usually have a lot of fun with the photo session. We chose Happy Landings Farm in Brookfield – we have done graffiti in Brookfield and fall colors over at Lover’s Leap in New Milford, so an open field with hay bales seemed like a good choice this year!!!

Happy Landings is a former dairy farm and a beautiful wide open nature preserve. It is hardly ever crowded and even if there were more than four cars in the parking lot there is plenty of room to find a moment of peace and quiet. We managed to squeeze a meeting into a hectic weekend of Irish dancing and hockey and even though the sky was gray, we certainly managed to capture the bond that exists between this brother and sister. I love the ones in the tall grasses, with a little help from some off camera flash you would never guess just how grey that day was. And best of all,  no ticks were reported, although I think I got just a little poison ivy…….

Enjoy!

 

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New Preston CT Family Photographer

New Preston CT Family Photographer Planet Photo visits Averill Farm!

I love apple picking. When you live in New England you learn to make the most of each season. Fall brings slightly cooler temperatures, less humidity, the world famous fall colors and apple picking. Averill Farm has been my favorite go-to place for a number of years and holds a special place in my heart. I have a photo of me with my mom on her last visit to Connecticut taken just at the end of the rows of Macouns at Averill Farm. I nod to her when we pass every year and remember that day.

I try to encourage families to chose a place that is familiar to them, somewhere that means something to their family, and this family loves Averill Farm just as much as we do. Each year Charlotte and Ginny get a little taller, a little more independent and a lot more opinionated about just who manages to find The perfect apple of the day! A special thanks to Olivia and Avery who came along to the after school photo session – they helped to set up the shots and kept everyone focused on the apple cider donuts waiting for us at the barn. Ginny has been a little crazy about zebras for as long as I have known her so it did not surprise me that she brought her zebra hat along! Aren’t they beautiful? We love them both very much. xo

 

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Family Photo Session – Three generations in Atlanta, Georgia

My kids and I had a wonderful time in Georgia recently and I took the opportunity to photograph my Aunt Susan, Uncle Keith and my cousins and their new families. My kids loved being part of the family mix for a couple of weeks and are already planning our next trip. Sue and Keith emigrated from the UK to the US when Rob and Jon were only 1 and 3, so it was great to have them interact with my kids and remind them all that they belong to a larger network. Our extended family might span multiple continents but thanks to modern technology we keep those family connections alive as best as we can.

So the family photo session started out with a maternity shoot for Rob and Jeanna – their baby boy is due later this month. I know, she has one of those perfect tiny baseball baby bumps – I can promise you that I didn’t look like that at 8 months pregnant! They are all ready for baby Asher to arrive and Caulden is going to make a great big brother!

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Jon and Natalie welcomed their new baby Elizabeth a few weeks ago and Alex is so cute with his baby sister.

Natalie introduced us to some good Southern food and was our guide at Cracker Barrel! My kids were so fascinated by the Waffle House and Cracker Barrel at every exit that they became obsessed by the idea of waffles…..

Doesn’t he have the most beautiful clear blue eyes? He is one of those chatty kids that is completely comfortable talking to almost anyone!

When you don’t have a newborn posing beanbag then of course the arm of the leather sofa works in a pinch!

Can you believe Nat just had a baby…? And just how completely adorable that little baby is?????

These two are hysterical together. Caulden and Alex live close to each other and Grammy and Grumpy so they get to spend time together all the time.

Their friendship is amazing and I am sure it will just continue over time.

Three generations!

Wilton CT Photographer – A baby sister!

Wilton CT Photographer – sibling session

This purplicious young lady is lucky to have a calm and relaxed mom to welcome her to family life in Connecticut. Caroline is the type of person I could share a cup of coffee with and put the world to right, but with a new baby and an almost 2 year old she is going to be a little busy for a while! Big brother and Dad were not home when we met, just seven short days after the birth of baby Hailey, but we had fun capturing that new sleepy baby phase. Hailey made the cutest baby noises you could possibly imagine, stretched and squirmed a bit and then promptly fell asleep! In short, she was perfect during our session. I wish Hailey, Caroline and the rest of their family the very best for the future.