July 4th – Newtown CT Photography

July 4th Patriotic Model Shoot!

Newtown CT Photography

We headed to Newtown CT for our red, white and blue shoot. The model tribe had a blast with the shoot and then we stayed together for a picnic and they got to hang out a bit longer at a beautiful park in Newtown. The styling on this one was pretty simple; “Patriotic Americana” and they said it was their favorite so far, although they seem to say that after every group shoot……

The Edmond Town Hall movie theater is like a blast from the past, if you live close enough to check it out you should!

Thanks to our models, Taylor, Bailey, Sam, Olivia T, Tony, Olivia R., Lindsey, Payton, Avery and Meg!

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Enjoy the images in time for July 4th. I may not have given up my British passport yet but I love this holiday and I am lucky to have my birthday this weekend so I almost always get fireworks on my birthday! Have a safe and fun weekend with your families and friends!

Janet

 

 

New Haven – Coachella Styled Shoot!

The Planet Photo Tribe in New Haven for a

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I have always wanted to shoot in Wooster Square in New Haven on one of the very few days that the trees are blossoming and the weather cooperates. A festival in the square at the weekend narrowed down our options and spring break meant that lots of the model team were out of town but on the last day we managed to pull together a road trip. We decided on a Coachella styled shoot, festival goers caught on a spring day. I loved seeing how everyone interpreted the style and I think the Coachella theme will continue to be popular for senior sessions for 2016-2017, it lends itself to lots of different locations. This is the time to express your personality and interests and to capture them forever. Don’t forget you get to change your outfit as many times as you want with all the Planet Photo Senior Session options!

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Needless to say we had a blast and ended the shoot with a trip to Pepes arguably the best pizza in New Haven and then onto Libby’s for Italian pastries. Thank you to our Planet Photo tribe: Tony, Meg, Lindsey, Payton, Taylor and Avery

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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.

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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!!!

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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.

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

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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.

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 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?!

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I hope you had fun Jessica on your special day!

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

Family Photo Contest – In honor of Mother’s Day

Introducing the coolest Family Photo Contest in New Milford, Connecticut!

I was talking to a friend of a friend recently and she made the comment that she didn’t have any family pictures.  Of course, I suggested we do some. Her response surprised me, she said, “Oh, but I would never know what to wear!”

So it got me thinking back to my experience shooting families recently, and I realized that more often than not, one of the first questions I get (after the logistical booking questions of course) is  “What should we wear?”

If you know your way around my website then you know that I have a few tips and tricks that I like to recommend. First and foremost is my ‘coordinating but not matching” rule. White shirts and khaki pants for everyone “matches”. A color palette of 3 or 4 colors in a general theme “coordinate”. Get it? Look like you belong together by picking a color palette and building from key pieces, it might be a scarf, a flowered dress or a favorite leather jacket. But pull out colors for the stripe of shirt or the color of a sweater and you are on the right track. This family knocked it out of the park. The flowered dress came first and the rest fell into place.

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I also recommend you start with the most difficult person. If it’s a maternity shoot then I am sorry, the pregnant Mom-to-be gets to pick first in my book! Chances are her options are somewhat limited, and trust me, no one wants to go out and buy endless supplies of maternity clothes. If you have a picky dresser (and you’ll know exactly what I mean if you have one at home) then it might be a good idea to start with them. If they are picky then make them happy – photos should be fun not torture. I don’t care if you saw the cutest pinterest picture of  kids in bow ties, crying kids in bow ties are not cute. Ever.

I love accessories.  Adding a jeans jacket changes the look completely, jewelry, hats  and scarves are fab for switching it up and have the added bonus of keeping you warm when the spring is as cold as this one!!!

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If you know you want a giant canvas of your family together in your living room then please don’t have your kids wear neon yellow – it’s not gonna look great in your living room…… well, in fairness I maybe haven’t seen your living room and if neon actually would look great then I stand corrected. But you get the idea. Check out the rest of my tips and tricks here.

OK – so there’s the background to how this started, now I know you want to hear more about the contest…….

Mother’s Day is coming up and I always like to honor and celebrate the moms among us, so I am collaborating with some wonderful local business women to put together a special treat for all you moms out there. (And just so you know, my own Mom passed away a few years ago now, so if you have a MIL or honorary mother you want to include then I am not going to be checking birth certificates.)

So who wants to win a beautifully styled family shoot in New Milford Connecticut?

Lynn over at Swank on Bank (a truly awesome local ladies clothes store on Bank Street) has offered to style you (and your female family members) for the shoot – she’s going to let you try on and help coordinate your families outfits and you get to borrow the clothes and accessories for the shoot!

Oh and did I mention that Candee Caldwell (a local Professional make up artist with 20 year experience) will be there to do your make up and hair!

When you and your daughters or mother or sister are feeling beautiful and ready we will head out to shoot around New Milford. Of course the men are invited too – we can’t dress them, but we can advise you on what they should be wearing.

As a memory of this wonderful experience I will put together a photo album for you with all the good stuff in there.

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A couple little details…..

If you are the lucky family and we make you look like a coordinated, best version of yourself, then we are going to want to see you on the blog in all your finery, so I hope you are O.K with that.

There is no obligation to buy anything!!!!  You will be winning a wonderful experience, a make-over of sorts, and some amazing photos of you and yours in a book to share with your family and friends. Unfortunately we can’t let you keep a new wardrobe for your whole family, but Lynn will take care of you if there is something that you can’t part with, she has a special 20% discount ready for you.

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I was kind of thinking immediate family. It’s going to be hard to include Great Aunt Nellie and the seventeen cousins, hopefully you understand.

If you have really little ones then they might be better showing up with Dad after the make up is done. They are going to get bored and you need to relax and have fun.

You have a couple of steps to enter but only a few days…..

(the contest closes on May 11th – Mother’s Day!)

The shoot will take place on Monday May 19th – from around 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. so check to make sure you are not expected elsewhere that day.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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!

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

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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!

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

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!

 

CT Family Photographer Planet Photo welcomes Baby Cora – 5 days new!

CT Family Photographer welcomes Baby Cora!

I was lucky to meet baby Cora when she was only 5 days new. I am reminded time and again of the miracle of a new baby and absolutely adore these newborn family sessions.

Cora has the advantage of joining one of my favorite families whom I have had the honor to photograph on a few different occasions, both for Planet Photo and Raw Photo Design. Cora’s big sister Ella was 11 days old when I met her and she didn’t love the camera that day!!! But the upside was that I got to hang out and really get to know her parents and we bonded big time.

Cora was a star.

She fed and slept and posed and slept and made cute noises for the entire time I was there. I still got to hang out with Mike and Kelly and we got those sleepy baby photos that Kelly really wanted. Take a look and let me know what you think. I love her cheeks, her lips, her tiny finger and toes….. Yeah and everything else about her.

I know I will see them all again soon and I am looking forward to it already.

I love this one of Kelly photo-bombing the newborn posing session!!! Isn’t it so cute?

A hint of a smile above and then one of the only sad moments of the session… Isn’t Ella’s expression priceless?

Until next time…… Bye-bye Ella!