Photo shoot at IKEA

Tribe Photo Shoot Ikea

Pantone Blue Challenge

INTRODUCING CLASSIC BLUE: INSTILLING CALM, CONFIDENCE, AND CONNECTION, THIS ENDURING BLUE HUE HIGHLIGHTS OUR DESIRE FOR A DEPENDABLE AND STABLE FOUNDATION ON WHICH TO BUILD AS WE CROSS THE THRESHOLD INTO A NEW ERA.

I love to challenge myself with new and fun places and themes to shoot. One Collective posted a pantone blue photo challenge and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to take some bright, vivid portraits with a photo shoot at IKEA in New Haven. Classic Blue represents stability and dependability, I thought we could all use a little of that in 2020!

A group or concept photo shoot usually starts with a theme and then develops by choosing how to interpret that theme, finding a location, styling the participants and then finally picking up my camera. We were really lucky to have Fiona from Joe’s Salon and Spa to help us with some edgy hair styles to go with our fun outfits. This was the first group shoot for the 2k21 Tribe and I think they did an amazing job! I am so excited to create some amazing images and get to know the team.

Thanks to Susannah, Daniella, Erinn and Olivia for joining me in New Haven!

“Since 2000, Pantone’s color experts at the Pantone Color Institute comb the world looking for new color influences. The selection process requires thoughtful consideration and trend analysis. including the entertainment industry and films in production, traveling art collections and new artists, fashion, all areas of design, popular travel destinations, as well as new lifestyles, playstyles, and socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from new technologies, materials, textures, and effects that impact color, relevant social media platforms and even upcoming sporting events that capture worldwide attention.

Twice a year Pantone hosts, in a European capital, a secret meeting of representatives from various nations’ color standards groups. After two days of presentations and debate, they choose a color for the following year.” – Pantone.com

Featuring: @daniellamazzza⁠ @susannhah⁠ ⁠@erinnwilli24⁠ @oliviataub

Hair: @joessalonct⁠
Navy Dress: @freepeople⁠
Bag: @denisedcox⁠
Green Dress: @greylincollection⁠
⁠Yellow Dress: @susanamonaco⁠
⁠

The Planet Photo Tribe is an exciting opportunity for high school students in 10, 11 and 12th grade. We have fun planning creative shoots, collaborating with local businesses and being positive role models.

If you would like to talk about teen portraits or plan your high school senior’s portrait session then don’t hesitate! Give me a call. In Frame: @daniellamazzza⁠

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!

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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.

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!

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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!

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Portraits New Milford Junior Tribe

Portraits New Milford CT

Bubbles and Balloons with the Junior Tribe

Harrybrooke Park is a popular destination for portraits in New Milford, CT. The gardens are spectacular and I thought we might find a little relief from the sun in the shade of all the beautiful evergreen trees for our bubbles and balloons Junior Tribe shoot.

Ella, Kate and Caitlin were fantastic and we had so much fun because they are all starting to get to know each other. There is something incredibly joyful about seeing bubbles drifting in the air, maybe memories of childhood? I probably put them in the same category as seeing a rainbow or driving past a herd a field of cows…. I can’t resist the temptation to announce that I see them!

We had lots of laughs and maybe just a tiny little bit of competition to see who could blow the biggest bubble!

I am so happy to be spending time with this amazing group of girls this summer! We are three shoots into our summer Junior Tribe model experience and I can’t wait for the next one. We’ll be in the studio next week for something a little different but you’ll have to wait to see what our theme is…..

Every time I asked Ella if she could do something she just leaped into action. It’s so fun to photograph dancers and gymnasts!

Planet Photo is booking family, seniors and teens, portraits and personal branding shoots in New Milford and surrounding towns.

If you know someone who would be interested in joining the Planet Photo Tribe please let them know that enrollment is underway!

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Teen Portraits Bella Stratford CT

Bella at the Marina

Teen Portrait Shoot

I have known Bella since she was in elementary school and she was on my daughter’s pop warner cheer team. so it was such a treat to shoot her teen portraits.

Selecting a location and styling the shoot was easy for Bella. Her parents have a boat in Stratford, CT and she knew right away that she wanted to meet there. Choosing a place that holds so many good memories is always preferable, but having it be a stunning location made it even better! I met Bella and her mom and she showed me around and I honestly don’t think her styling could have been any more on point. The hydrangeas, the fence, the boat dock…… OMG it just got better and better.

Bella is going into her senior year at New Milford High School. It’s going to be a great year and hopefully you will see more of Bella in the 2K21 Planet Photo Tribe group shoots!

Good luck for Senior year Bella – you got this!

Choosing a location and styling the shoot is one of my favorite parts of the preparation. I love to match personalities with locations and styling with the colors of the location. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle that elevates your teen portraits to the next level. It’s my goal to deliver something unique, personal and memorable for all my clients.

If you would like to talk about teen portraits or plan your high school senior’s portrait session then don’t hesitate! Give me a call.

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Milk Bath Photo Shoot Junior Tribe

Milk Bath Photo Shoot

Planet Photo Junior Tribe

Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, was renowned throughout history for her radiant skin and her stunning beauty. She was said to bathe in milk to keep her skin soft and beautiful. However, Cleopatra didn’t bathe in cow’s milk. The milk for her legendary baths was instead provided by donkeys. Legend has it that she required 700 lactating donkeys in order to supply the milk for her daily bathing regime.

The Planet Photo Junior Tribe were excited to bathe in milk for our photo shoot, Unfortunately, we had a hard time locating 700 lactating donkeys so we had to make do with Trader Joe’s Organic milk, but judging by the images, the TJ’s milk had amazing results! If you would like to find out more about the advantages to bathing in milk, check out Herb and Hedgerow for some milk bath recipes.

Jordana, Grace, Ella and Kate looked stunning in the milk bath photo shoot and they were all so much fun to work with!

I CANNOT wait for our next Junior Tribe shoot! Next week and every week over the summer we have a different theme for the Junior Tribe.

The Planet Photo Junior Tribe is a summer modeling experience for 7th, 8th and 9th graders.

Our year round influencer group for 10th, 11th and 12th grade is the Planet Photo Tribe.

Through a positive attitude and an inclusive team we lift each other up and support each other.

Your Vibe attracts your Tribe.

Do you know someone who should join our Tribe? Contact Janet to find out more

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Studio Portraits Taylor

Studio Portraits with The Planet Photo Tribe

Taylor

You know sometimes one item is all you need to figure out your whole outfit. It might be a certain pair of shoes. You know when you get that feeling that you HAVE to wear those shoes today so you build your entire look around them. Can you guess the focal point of Taylor’s styling (apart from already knowing that we were continuing with the studio portraits theme we had been creating with black and white bold outfits…..) If you guessed the white boots you were close, it was actually the black and white striped tights! I have had these stripy tights in my mind for a shoot for ages and I was SO excited to put them to good use so we started with those and built Taylor’s outfit around them. Because….

Stripes go with everything

And I could not agree more!!!!

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Boho Festival Roxbury CT Shoot

Planet Photo Tribe Location Shoot

Roxbury CT Photo Shoot

When a group shoot starts with a styling meeting at a local boutique then you know it is going to be a good one. That is exactly how our latest group shoot began.

The Traveling Chic Boutique opened last year near Four Corners in Brookfield, CT and it has an amazing selection of boho, casual-chic clothing. One by one the girls arrived at the shore, and like kids in a candy store, they tried on clothes and we narrowed down the choices for our Roxbury CT photo shoot. Our theme was originally centered around a light and bright festival look but a rainy weather forecast sent us to Plan B. We were invited to shoot at a local farm and the outcome was better than I ever could have hoped! We still got that boho festival vibe just without light and airy blue skies.

Twilight Dreams Farm is located in Roxbury, CT and it is the most incredible property. The blue barns are the best backdrop to shoot against and we were able to dodge the rain and still get the shot. It has become one of my new favorite locations and the current owners are the sweetest airbnb hosts so if you are traveling to the area then you have to check them out.

Bella chose a brown teddy bear fur jacket and a super cute Free People body suit.

Kinsley looked AMAZING in these bell bottom jeans and Free People blouse and the pink drop necklace finished off the outfit.

Olivia was styled in a flowery dress and paired it with a leather jacket.

Taylor wore a pink floral Free People dress that looked so cute on her

Sam looked STUNNING in a Free People bias cut dress and a cozy but glam fur jacket.

If you happen to be Brookfield, CT then you HAVE to check out the Traveling Chic Boutique. It is so nice to avoid the mall and find some unique clothes and accessories – tell them we sent you and I know they will take extra special care of you!

Make Up Artist: Blush Couture

Styling: The Traveling Chic Boutique, Brookfield

Location: Twilight Dreams Farm

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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

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!

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.

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.

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