Connecticut Senior Photography – New Milford Senior Julia

Connecticut Senior Photography

New Milford CT Senior – Julia

Now that my kids are in high school I am starting to photograph more and more high school seniors that I first met in the pre-school library program or the school playground! How can it be that these little people that I first watched learning to ride a bike are preparing to go to college?

I recommend professional make up for all my seniors. Julia arrived at the studio for styling with her mom and a bag full of clothes. She doesn’t normally wear a lot of makeup so we kept it simple, enhancing her naturally pretty features without overpowering them.  She was hoping for snow for her session and the snow gods obliged with a light dusting the day before.

I can not always guarantee the Connecticut weather 😉 but I can do my best to create and style the look you imagine none the less. Your Connecticut senior photography session starts with a consultation; styling, location, goal for the images are all discussed and we hatch a plan. I do a little location scouting  so that on the day of the shoot we can hit the ground running and let the fun begin!

I had a blast hanging out with Julia and her family and I am excited for the next phase for all these kids.

Make up – Blush Couture

CT Family Photos – Alex and Abby in Harrybrooke Park

CT Family Photos

Alex and Abby in Harrybrooke Park

Abby turned one last month so we got together to celebrate! We started at the house so that Oreo could be part of the action (there’s a saying about kids and dogs but I can’t quite remember how it goes…..) Oreo was a super star and we got what we needed there in no time at all.

CT Family Photos

We headed over to Harrybrooke Park, New Milford’s beautiful hidden gem and we took the wagon for a walk. There are so many studies done on birth order and sibling personality traits that I am sure you can find scientific date to back up almost any theory. Let’s just say that Alex and Abby are pretty close in age and big brother Alex is social and extremely verbal for his age. Abby was as mellow as could be and clearly loved EVERYTHING her big brother did and said. And he has a lot to say!

It is always tricky to know what is going to work for a photo session with such little children. The wagon was a hit and kept Abby in one place and Alex busy taking his sister for a ride. Sunglasses were cute props to wear and to hold and snacking on pirates booty wasn’t too messy (and the pirates booty smiles cracked me up!) Remember if you bring a toy, snack, cup or prop then there is a chance that it will end up in every picture. Pick a small traditional toy or something fun to hold, keys distract for a few minutes but don’t really add to the end result. We played music and sang songs but if your child likes to hold the phone and dance then be prepared to see that phone in the photographs!

Are you thinking about CT Family photos? This is the busy season so call soon for availability!

Halloween Styled Photo Shoot

Halloween Styled Photo Shoot

Part II – In color

Thanks for all the great feedback on Part I of our Halloween styled shoot. We really did have a lot of fun and as “creepy amazing” as some of the images looked, we had lots of laughs and so many of the creative ideas came from the girls, so a huge thank you to them.

halloween styled photo shoot

Did you know…..The American Halloween tradition of “trick-or-treating” probably dates back to the early All Souls’ Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called “soul cakes” in return for their promise to pray for the family’s dead relatives. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as “going a-souling” was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.

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The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry. On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter. halloween styled photo shootmodel-tribe_halloween_harrybrooke_park_new-milford_ghosts__0018halloween styled photo shootmodel-tribe_halloween_harrybrooke_park_new-milford_ghosts__0023

When I was growing up in England dressing up for Halloween always centered on ghosts, witches and the more traditional side of Halloween. I don’t remember seeing jack-0-lanterns and the modern version of trick-or-treating and children dressing as princesses and super heroes seems to have been established in the US in the early 1950’s although I am pretty sure it is popular in lots of other countries now. One quarter of all the candy sold annually in the U.S. is purchased for Halloween – how crazy is that!

A huge thank you to Harrybrooke Park and the Harden House for our amazing location and there is still time to visit the haunted trail on October 28 and 29, 2016.

Happy Halloween!

Janet xo

 

Family Photographer New Milford – Almost a big brother!

Family Photographer New Milford – AJ is almost a big brother!

It was the end of the school year for New Milford Teacher of the Year Jen but we managed to find a time to take some family portraits of AJ right before he became a big brother. Jen and I have know each other a while now, she was both Sam and Olivia’s 3rd grade teacher at Hill and Plain School and still one of the teachers that all others are measured against. We joke that Sam still uses some of the learning techniques he learned in her class! It was while Olivia was with her that she got married and we are all so excited to watch her growing family.

A.J is a blond cutie who is starting to be really chatty. He loves his Swedish fish but you can already see how much he loves his Daddy. One of our favorites images of the day was the moment he realized that Daddy had arrived at the park – those are the expressions you can’t coax out of a child, they have to just come spontaneously.

Congratulations to Jen and Adam on your growing family!

Janet xo

Family photographer New MilfordFamily photographer New MilfordFamily photographer New MilfordFamily photographer New MilfordFamily Photographer New Milford – AJ is almost a big brother!

Family photographer New Milford

 

 

 

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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