CT Photographer New Milford

River Portraits

CT Photographer | New Milford, CT

I knew the minute I announced the river portraits date for the Planet Photo Tribe that there would be a rush to sign up! There really is nothing better than ending a hot summer portrait session in the water and I am always thrilled when a client wants to do that. We wanted a soft, floaty pink and green theme for our group and I was thrilled when one after another the girls arrived with these wonderful floaty river outfits, we added a couple of things from the Planet Photo Style closet and we were all set. Right at the last minute we added the flower crowns to a couple of images to tip us over the edge 😉

I hope that my clients can use these Tribe group shoots as inspiration for styling and location tips to help create their own individual portrait shoot or if you want to create a group shoot with a small group of your best friends then we can do that too. I look forward to planning every session and I strive to make each one just a little different from the last! I love to incorporate your ideas, your favorite places and to highlight YOU! We are lucky to live in such a scenic part of the country so it is a treat to incorporate some of Connecticut’s natural beauty in each shoot.

Thanks to Kinsley, Olivia, Taylor, Bella, Isabelle and Sam for bringing your “A-game” to our river shoot!

Planet Photo is a portrait photography studio based in New Milford, CT. Senior and Teen Portraits, Personal Branding and Fine Art Family or Individual Portraits are available in the studio or on location.

Serving New Milford, Brookfield, Newtown, Danbury, Ridgefield, North Salem, Redding, Wilton, Westport, New Canaan, Greenwich, Orange, Milford, New Haven County, Westchester County, Duchess County and available for location shoots around the world – I love to travel!

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.

clueless CT photographer ct teens newtown ct newtown ct photographer seniors styled shoot teens

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.

ct beautiful CT Family Photographer CT photographer CT Seniors ct teens Litchfield County new milford new milford ct planet photo tribe senior photographer Senior Photographer CT seniors teens

White on White group Tribe shoot teen senior portraits

White on White

Group Tribe Shoot

Everyone knows that you can’t count on the weather in New England. You’ve probably heard people say “if you don’t like the weather just wait 5 minutes”. Well we waited for the snow and it never came, but the rain sure did. So we moved our white on white snowy, winter-wonderland group Tribe shoot indoors and made do with pretend snow balls and hot cocoa!

Did you ever read that book about snow, Miss Smilla’s Feelings for Snow? The Scandinavians apparently have hundreds of words to describe snow and frozen water in its various forms, not surprising when you consider that every snowflake is completely unique. I feel like we need more words to describe white… we probably had hundreds of versions between us but they were all beautiful. The Tribe did an amazing job of dressing in shades of white.

Thank you to Madisyn, Taylor, Cassie, Madi, Cadence, Zoe, Julia and Olivia for participating in our latest concept shoot. When you grow up in a small town then there is a really good chance that paths have crossed at some point or another. Have we met at a dance class or toddler program somewhere or have we been in the same school since Kindergarten? The girls love reconnecting with old friends!

Thank you to Seniors Ignite for featuring our shoot alongside some other amazing interpretations of the “whiteout” theme. Be sure to check them all out.

CT Family Photographer CT Seniors ct teens friends new milford ct planet photo tribe senior photographer Senior Photographer CT seniors studio teens

Photography CT Hamden Hall Skilyn

Photography Hamden Hall CT

Skylin – Class of 2019

The Undiscovered Model Competition Finalist!

The minute I met Sky I knew we were going to have an incredible shoot! She was the sweetest, outgoing girl you could possibly meet with a cute little sister and a really fun mom. When I asked her about her high school experience and interests I was excited to figure out how we could incorporate her love of dance. She wanted a mix of urban and natural beauty so we actually met in Derby, CT. Now Derby doesn’t necessarily spring to mind when you think of a backdrop for a photoshoot…. but it actually was perfect for what we were looking for! Grace and beauty in an urban setting.

All Planet Photo Feature Seniors are invited to submit to The Undiscovered Model Competition and we are thrilled that Sky has made it to the Finalist stage! We find out on Friday if she will be one of the few winners chosen to go to Austin Texas in January for the ultimate destination model experience. You can see all the finalists on The Undiscovered In Print so you can see she is in good company, you might even see another Planet Photo Model – Maddie! Of course I am so proud of them both. All good vibes and luck accepted for both of them!!!

If you are class of 2020 or 2021 then you need to be part of Planet Photo’s model experience! Senior and Teen photography that shows just how unique you are. Drop me a line with Future Planet Photo Model Tribe Member in the subject line and I will make sure you are invited to the informational meetings in the spring.

Now booking Class of 2019 senior sessions!

ct beautiful CT Seniors ct teens family photography Litchfield County new milford ct senior photographer Senior Photographer CT seniors teens

Connecticut Photographer 2018 Summer Intern Nathalie

Connecticut Photographer

Meet Nathalie

Planet Photo Summer Intern

I was setting up the studio for the marathon Planet Photo Tribe intro shoot when Nathalie stopped by the studio for the first time. She had a resume in hand and told me a bit about herself…. she grew up near by, she had always been into photography, she was at college studying graphic design and photography. Would I be open to having a summer intern?

To be perfectly honest I was so distracted by the intro shoot that I put the resume on the desk and kind of forgot about it. But guess what? She followed up! A couple of days later she reached out again! So here is the “Lesson of the Day” for all those people out there looking for a job, trying to find more clients or generally just trying to get stuff done. When you follow up you are not bugging the person you are gently reminding them. Life happens. People forget or get distracted. I did and I am so glad Nathalie followed up!

She has been a huge help on shoots and behind the scenes and she also started the new @PlanetPhotoStyle instagram account. If you are not following it then you need to be! Most photographers will tell you that they prefer to be behind the camera but it is really helpful to experience both so we arranged a shoot for Nathalie. Our goal was to head to the fields and do a wildflower shoot but while I was waiting for Nathalie and Taylor to arrive I got distracted by some amazing graffiti shots and we decided we needed to add a bit of that too. She did great! So here she is… meet Nathalie!

CT family CT Family Photographer CT photographer CT Seniors ct teens family photography Litchfield County natural senior photographer Senior Photographer CT seniors teens

Pool Party Photography 2K19 Tribe Friends

Pool Party Photography

2K19 Planet Photo Tribe

When Friends first hit the TV screen it was revolutionary. A show about a group of 20 something friends, hanging out, dating, working and living in a cool apartment in New York City. We all wondered how they could afford such an amazing apartment? Where did they buy their clothes? Should you get a Rachel or Monica haircut? Should Monica date Ross? Everyone kind of wanted to live the Friends lifestyle and be one of their friends.

The 90’s TV line up soon filled up with similar shows; Melrose Place, Beverley Hills 90210, Dawson’s Creek, Baywatch, Saved by the Bell. They all centered on the interaction of friends and they all featured a boat load of DRAMA! We used the 90’s TV show as a springboard for our latest Planet Photo Tribe shoot and planned a pool party (minus the DRAMA!)

Special thanks to Maddy M, Madi L, Madi S, Zoe and Julia for hanging out at our Planet Photo Tribe Pool Party!

CT photographer CT Seniors ct teens friends Litchfield County new milford new milford ct planet photo tribe Senior Photographer CT seniors

Reputation Themed Shoot Seniors Ignite April

Reputation Themed Shoot

Featured on Seniors Ignite 2018

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few years then you are probably aware of Taylor Swift. So when the theme of the last monthly shoot was announced as “Reputation” then the girls in the Planet Photo Tribe didn’t miss a beat to suggest we do a Taylor Swift inspired Reputation shoot. For those of you just finishing up pushing that rock off your head… Reputation is the name of Taylor’s sixth studio album and it was released in November 2017.

I have to admit Taylor Swift is pretty stunning. Leggy, thin, blond, perky and with beautiful skin…. I also have to admit her music is not my favorite but I sure do admire her business sense, her support of her fans, and for generally just keeping it clean. Abbi and Avery were my Taylor Swift look-a-likes for the shoot and we had so much fun recreating some of her looks.

What do you think?

Head over to the Senior’s Ignite website because Avery has been featured!

This is probably my last Planet Photo Tribe shoot with Abbi. She is graduating any day now and heading of to study at Western Connecticut State University, you might even see her on the women’s basketball team. I have really enjoyed getting to know her and working with her throughout the last year. Good Luck in all that you do Abbi!

CT photographer CT Seniors ct teens family photography senior photographer Senior Photographer CT seniors teens

Destination Senior Session Palm Springs, CA

Destination Senior Session

Palm Springs, CA

Day 3 of Nora’s destination session was warm and sunny and just what we needed! When you live on the east coast you kind of expect California to be hot all year round so the wind and cold of Joshua Tree was not really what we were expecting. The California desert doesn’t exactly have the dramatic season changes that we are used to in New England, but they believed they were in the middle of winter! When the flowers are blooming and cacti are all around it is really hard to equate that with winter but it is all relative I guess.

Day 3 was a mix of “drive around and jump out the car when saw a great location” and also a relaxation day. We wanted to see a bit more of the town, stop for lunch and prepare ourselves for the grand finale….. the windmills at sunset!
That pink door was on the list of the most “instagramable” locations in Palm Springs….

It was Nora and Becky’s first time seeing the windmills and they really are AMAZING! What a way to end their time in Palm Springs. The sight of Nora in the parachute dress surrounded my mountains, windmills and the desert is not one I will forget any time soon! Thanks to Becky and Jan Vokal for your excellent parachute tossing technique 😉

Make up: Nancy Z Beauty

Stay tuned for all the details on what will be offered for next years model team destination senior session. If you want to be part of Connecticut’s premiere senior photography experience then head over to the questionnaire and I will keep you posted.

Janet x

california shoot CT Seniors destination shoot location shoot model competition palm springs senior photographer seniors

CA Destination Shoot Senior Portraits

CA Destination Shoot

Senior Portraits Nora Finalist Shoot

Day 2: We woke up to another spectacular Palm Springs day at The Saguaro Hotel, we were so excited for our second day of shooting! e couldn’t resist checking out Salvation Mountain. Seriously, who could resist it after reading this description???

“Salvation Mountain is a literal man-made mountain 28 years in the making, covered in half a million gallons of latex paint. What started as a small monument made of dirt and painted cement became, over time, a sprawling adobe and hay-bale mountain complex, with peripheral structures made of telephone poles, tires, and car windows, as well as art cars and sculptures, all painted in a patchwork of stripes and color blocks of whatever paint was donated that week”.

— Aaron Huey, National Geographic

After leaving Salvation Mountain we saw the kind of abandoned building that I would TOTALLY avoid on my own, but we were an emboldened group of photographers, seniors and a couple of moms and it was the middle of the day, so we went for it. Come on, could you drive right by a graffiti covered abandoned building in the middle of the desert? Alright, most people would, but I think you will agree it was worth the detour!

All sessions are a combination of planned locations and spontaneous excitement when we drive past an amazing photo opportunity!

Limited number of destination, studio and CT location shoots available for 2018. Senior portraits should never be boring.