Botanical Gardens NY Photo Shoot

NY Photoshoot

New York Botanical Gardens

It was March 2020, a year ago this week. School was closed mid-week for a teacher development day so we planned to shoot Taylor and Olivia that day. Our location was the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. We planned our outfits, ordered new clothes (of course) and reserved our entry tickets for the Orchid exhibit. I’d seen pictures of the orchids and also seen the crowded greenhouses but we figured we might be lucky and get a couple of open shots if we went mid-week. New York was starting to talk about COVID and recommending that older people stay home to stay safe, but we decided we would still go, we would just skip lunch in the Bronx and make a quick trip.

As the day progressed we watched as more and more CT schools closed and we waited for the word on Taylor and Olivia’s school. Maybe we were going to get an extra long spring break! What we didn’t realize was that we picked the last day before the lockdown closed schools in Connecticut for two weeks. Well, of course, now we all know how that two week shut down turned out….

The New York Botanical Garden is a living museum, an educational institution, and a plant research and conservation organization.

The annual orchid exhibition is scaled down this year but we were lucky enough to spend some time in the almost deserted conservatories on a spring day in 2020. I realized that I only shared a few of these images and they deserve to be seen. So here are some of my favorites from that wonderful day before we really knew about social distancing and face masks or hybrid school days.

I am excited to start planning location shoots again. We will continue to work within health and safety recommendations but we can start to make those plans! Class of 2021 there is still time to create your senior portrait experience and Class of 2022 it is not too early to start planning yours!

If you are interested in joining the Planet Photo Tribe – the ultimate CT high school senior model team experience then stay turned for all the details for 2K22 coming SOON!

Junior Tribe Studio Photoshoot

Studio Photoshoot

Sweet as Sugar

The last Planet Photo Junior Tribe studio photoshoot had a sweet as sugar candy theme. Ring pops make you feel sticky before you even open the packet so you can imagine how we felt by the end of our shoot. I tried my hardest not to touch anything until the very end but now I have added sprinkles to the glitter that lives in my studio and turns up at odd times no matter how much I sweep!

I loved how the girls styled their outfits and got into the theme – I can’t even believe how much they have grown in front of the camera over the course of the summer. This was the perfect theme to end the season – all the girls in the Junior Tribe really have been so sweet.

Thank you to Kate, Caitlyn and Jordana for making this particular studio photoshoot so much fun and good luck in school this year!

I’m just here for the candy!

What do you get when you go to a movie? Popcorn or candy? Or both?

Milk Duds are my favorite!

How about donuts? Glazed, jelly or frosted?

I have to admit donuts aren’t my favorite but I’ll take a peach and ginger muffin from River and Rail Cafe with my latte please!

If you are interested in joining the Planet Photo Tribe or Junior Tribe then you need to be on the Planet Photo Mailing list so that you’ll be the first to know when it’s time to sign up. The Planet Photo Tribe is open to girls and guys in grades 10,11 and 12 and is an all year program.

Now booking fall family and teen portraits with limited availability and COVID safety measures.

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Junior Tribe Photo Shoot Cereal

Planet Photo Junior Tribe

Photo Shoot Cereal

I love starting a new project and this summer I decided to start the first ever Junior Tribe for kids in 7, 8 and 9th grade. COVID means shooting mainly outdoors with small groups so the Junior Tribe was invited to pick four themed photo shoots over the summer so that we could spread everyone out and keep the groups small, safe and manageable.

We had so much fun getting to know one another and shooting our first cereal theme shoot. My kids could not believe their eyes when I came back from the store with a stack of fruity colorful cereal! Yes, I bought Lucky Charms and it wasn’t even St Patricks Day!

Everyone is a little nervous before a shoot so I invited Taylor from the regular Planet Photo Tribe to come and help put Caitlin and Katey at ease. As you can see from the images, they were amazing and I can’t wait to shoot with them again soon.

It’s not too late to join in on all the themed photo shoots that we have planned. The next Junior Tribe themed photo shoot is scheduled for next week – they are going to be floating in milk baths. Do you know a teen that would love to take part in our summer model experience? It’s great for self confidence and for trying something new with teens from other groups, schools or towns and it’s open to guys and girls.

Thanks to Katie, Caitlin and Taylor for making the first Junior Tribe photo shoot so much fun!

Planet Photo is scheduling family, senior and teen portraits outside this summer with limited availability. I will maintain a social distance and make sure that we are doing everything to keep your family as well as mine safe. Read more about our COVID policy here.

Personal branding shoots are also available with slight modifications. Your web and social media presence is as important as ever so let’s update your website images.

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Kinsley Studio Portraits

Planet Photo Tribe Studio Portraits

Kinsley

Kinsley has great style. Whenever or wherever we meet or walk down the street people literally stop and tell her that they love her outfit or that they really appreciate her style. I wanted to shoot images of Kinsley for her application to this year’s model competition in San Diego. SPOILER ALERT – you probably already saw that she WON!!!! You’ll have to check out those images in the next blog post!

We used some of these fabulous studio images to show Kinsley’s great range as a model for the Society12 model competition. She is a natural in front of the camera and I can only imagine what the future will bring for her but I will have the great pride in saying that it all started with The Planet Photo Tribe!

People will stare. Make it worth their while

Tom Ford

Can you guess what we used to get the dreamy cloud effect on the last one?

Bubblewrap!

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CT Photographer New Haven

Audrey | Teen Portraits

CT Photographer | New Haven, CT

I love hanging out with Audrey and her mom Lisa so I was really excited for her shoot and when we came up with the plan to meet in New Haven I was even more excited. Don’t get me wrong, I love New Milford and I know tons of cool places to shoot and I can suggest something different for every shoot and style, but I like a challenge! I don’t know New Haven nearly as well, but Audrey’s mom Lisa had been scouting locations for me and she knows her way around, so we were golden. Audrey has the kind of blue eyes that you can’t look away from – she is stunning! But more than that, she is smart, she is an incredibly talented actor and she is also an athlete. You can probably guess that she is pretty busy so we were crossing our fingers for good weather for our shoot because I had absolutely no clue when we would reschedule once school and volleyball starts!

The weather gods were on our side and we had the kind of day you hope for. Not too hot but certainly not cold and a blue sky and fluffy clouds. A picture perfect Connecticut day in other words.

Audrey’s first outfit was an emerald green romper (or is it a jumpsuit….. not really sure what the technical difference is but it was really cute!) We met over in East Rock section of New Haven and found some spots to shoot right around the corner from the Rebel Salon and Spa

CT Photographer Teen portraits in Wooster Square New Haven

Next outfit was a stunning cobalt blue dress that looked AMAZING on her!

This beautiful tree lined street looked like it could have been a movie set. Every door was painted a different color and I could imagine there was a little friendly competition to decorate the front stoop.

After a quick lunch and smoothie stop we had time and energy for just one more outfit and location. I love the contrast of her last look to the surroundings we shot in and also to the other portraits from that day. My goal is always to give you something a little different and to show your personality. Audrey, it was great to see you and your mom. Have a really fabulous school year.

CT Photographer Teen portraits in Downtown New Haven

MUA: Rebel Salon and Spa

I can’t wait to see some of Audrey’s images on her wall – here is an idea of how she could share them.

CT Photographer New Haven County, Fairfield County, Litchfield County, Hartford County, Middlesex County. Also available on location or in the studio based in New Milford, CT.

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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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Project Beauty 2019

Project Beauty 360

Natural Portraits

Project Beauty 2019 celebrated teens in their natural beauty. No make up. No labels or designer clothes. Just the girls in their natural confident skin. Project Beauty showed them that their beauty shines brightest when they are positive, confident, purposeful, comfortable, kind, fabulous.

They are ENOUGH. Just the way they are!

Thank you to all the girls who participated in Project Beauty 2019 and for sharing their thoughts on natural beauty.

“I think ones personality and the way they treat people makes them beautiful in their own way” – Avery

“Girls can learn that when they are totally and utterly themselves they are the most amazing & beautiful versions of themselves” – Maddie.

“Girls can learn to love their bodies the way they are and see that they don’t need to change themselves for other people” – Claire.

“I think that beauty comes from inside ourselves. Kindness, love, compassion, honesty, determination, and respect are truly the most beautiful things about a person” – Madi

“Everyone is unique” – Grace

“I got to see my true self and not a shy little girl hiding behind makeup or clothes” – Katie.

“My personality and other people’s overall attitude is what makes a person beautiful” – Samantha

“These girls can learn that they can be who they are and they are gorgeous” – Mila

“Girls can learn not only what they love about themselves on the outside but also on the inside” – Gigi.

“I believe that any girl, short or tall is beautiful in their own, unique way” – Abby.

“Girls can learn that they are enough and that they are good just the way they are” – Ayden.

“The way that someone interacts with the people around them allows them to reflect the light and joy of others, and that’s beautiful” – Nora.

“I think that I am beautiful when I have a positive attitude and have confidence in myself because I look happier and am smiling a lot more” – Olivia

“The girls said they felt beautiful, pretty and accepted just the way they are. They felt visible” – Robyn

“What makes others beautiful is their personality and what is on the inside. Someone can be beautiful on the outside and not be so nice on the inside” – Morgan.

“The way someone carries themselves and the confidence they show makes them beautiful” – Jordana.

“Project Beauty boosts girls’ confidence, and shows them that they are beautiful especially when they are all natural and embracing who they are” – Taylor

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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.

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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.

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A New Years photoshoot Times Square NYC

Happy New Year

A celebration photoshoot in Times Square NYC

Almost every country celebrates New Year’s Eve in some way. If you live in the United States then the site of the ball dropping on Times Square is synonyms with the countdown to the New Year. Confetti, champagne, fireworks, glitz and glamour are all part of the New Year’s Eve celebration for many around the world. A time to reflect on the past and prepare and look forward to the future. How many people set New Year’s resolutions? It just feels natural to use the start of a new year as a turning point.

Times Square in December is busy, bustling and ALIVE with all walks of life and for some unknown reason lots of people dressed up as Elmo, Spiderman and Mario….. The famous billboards and signs cover every facade and are all around. Where tourists gather, vendors descend and you can’t walk five feet without being offered a bus tour, a restaurant coupon or discount tickets to a Broadway show. But it is magical and you feel like you are in the heart of New York City! Just blocks from Rockefeller Center, the Christmas tree, the department store holiday window displays and Radio City Music Hall but surrounded by Broadway and the musicals and plays that make it unique.

Madisyn, Julia and Olivia braved the cold and gave each other confidence to “work it girl” – they got lots of encouraging comments from passersby!! We were a few weeks early with our New Years celebration but we had a blast. 3000 pounds of confetti is dropped BY HAND at midnight, we even wrote messages on a couple of pieces.

Happy New Year to you all!

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