my muse

for the past few years, i have shot my little friend here every fall. she is vivacious, energetic, smart and loves to give me a good workout. she is my buddy and my muse. i look forward to shooting her every year because i know it'll be an adventure! thanks for the great shoots, S. 

i love seeing you grow into the magicial little person you are! 

My Friend Emily......

my dear friend, emily whittemore, is an amazing boston based artist and sculptor who makes these incredibly beautiful miniature porcelain cakes by hand. to see her finger tips twirl a piece of clay into a delicate little flower petal is pretty amazing and the end result is unreal! these little cakes are often purchased as wedding gifts from guests who want to give something that is original and quite personal to remember the day.

i always struggle with wedding gifts and bug my husband.... should we give money? should we get them that great vase on their registry? who doesn't like to give an original gift?? i think this, by far, is something a couple would look at in  20 years and really appreciate the hand crafted talent and thoughtfulness of the gift. never mind the fact that i would want to pass this down to my daughter for her to cherish.

originally from richmond, emily moved to nyc to work for famed floral and event designer, preston bailey. if anyone is attending a wedding, baby shower, anniversary party where there will be a fabulous cake and you need a cool gift, call em- she'll replicate it with such intricate detail. emily also makes adorable teas sets for little girls (and boys:-) for cute birthday or holiday gifts.

emily whittemore's website is under construction right now because she just a beautiful baby girl, lucy, four months ago but you can reach her at 804-229-5102 or etwhitt@gmail.com

here is sample of her work.......and her adorable little baby lucy!

cutie pie!

my first maternity shoot- baby steps............

i never shoot maternity portraits - as a photographer, i try to put myself in my subjects shoes and being naked in front of someone i don't know makes me feel really uncomfortable.....and then as a mom who has been pregnant three times now, i really wouldn't want to record of the fattest time in my life - really uncomfortable!

i know, i know- pregnancy is supposed to be beautiful, you should embrace how you look, you're making another human being but i just haven't seen any photos i like of pregnant women. demi moore maybe, but who looks like her? giselle? she is an alien! if anyone knows of any great photogs out there that don't shoot pregnant women swaddled in a white sheet on a bed while holding their breasts... let me know. i think i would look contrived, corny and again, uncomfortable even looking at them.
i commend the women who have had it done and who are pleased with the images. kuddos to you!

seeing as though this was foreign territory to me professionally and personally, i was intrigued and thought i would/should give it a shot. i have six great girlfriends due within two months of each other this winter.  i asked to shoot my good friend, E, this summer while she was five months pregnant. she seriously could be a j crew or ralph lauren model and her husband is a tall drink of water himself. they are really laid back, fun people that spend most of their time on the cape. they love their 1st baby, hobie, their king charles cavalier, and they wanted photos to reflect who they are during this exciting time in their life (without being all naked:-)  this was my first attempt......i'm taking baby steps here so look for improvements.

thank you, jim and e! you guys are going to be the best parents any baby could hope for and i cannot wait to shoot baby j!
xxoo

lucky me!

from the day she was born she was a sweet, engaging cutie pie to shoot. she is funniest baby girl i know  and loves to ham it up for the camera ....it's hard to believe she hasn't even celebrated her first birthday yet! my dear friend interior designer, cara marinella, (her husband introduced my husband and i) is the gorgeous and talented mom in this pic below.

as i mentioned before, i am obsessed with interior design and thankfully i have my girlfriend to keep me in check. she is my sounding board and approves everything i buy for my home. whether it's from brimfield, ebay or the design center, i need her approval (i have made many mistakes in the past that i have had to live with for years!!)

her style is fresh, clean, cozy, classic meets modern meets vintage....um, it's very hard to describe and i am not doing her justice ..... she likes to get to know you,  your taste & style and then takes the ball and runs with it. my home has never felt "more us" than ever before and i breathe a sign of relief when i walk through the door. it's warm and very much reflects who our family is. i think it's so important to love your surroundings and feel a sense of peace and serenity in your home. she is currently working on her website but she can be reach at info@caramarinelladesign.com for more information on consultations/info. she'll have a photographer for life because baby g is the BEST!!! and i know i'll always have my sounding board- sounds like a win win for me!

fairytale......

i recently shot these sweet sisters in back bay....i swear they're out of a fairytale book. their mother is a fabulous interior designer, www.annsleyinterors.com, so no wonder their wardrobe was impeccable! we stayed inside for a bit and when it was nap time for baby sis, we ventured out to do what every three year old loves to do, feed the duckings!!! this little cherub was a blast to watch, not only did she love sitting on her mummy's lap smiling away but she sincerely hammed it up for me. thanks for being so sweet!

ps- i am secretly obsessed with interior design so if you're looking for a really amazing designer, check out this mummy's website. she is really laid back and extremely talented, i was DYING in her home.

sunny days

this weekend we had glorious weather in boston! 

whenever i look at this image from this past spring, it warms me right up! 

mr. & mrs.

i haven't shot a wedding in a few years so when presented with the opportunity i immediately said no.
after thinking about why, i really couldn't come up with a reason. i loved shooting weddings before i met my husband but it always consumed my weekends which meant time away from him. i would not sleep the night before with the looming responsibility of capturing one of the most memorable events of a couples life, i would check, recheck and triple check my equipment the night before and day of to make sure there wouldn't be any surprises and then there was always the fear of meeting bridezilla which i am fortunate i have never met in the countless weddings i have shot. in this case, the mother of the groom saw an engagement portrait i shot featured in the NY Times, she looked up my site and was delighted to see we were both from boston. after turning her down, i decided i was up for the challenge and became really excited by the opportunity and called her back. after mtg my bride and groom, i was so relieved that they were the most normal, sweet, funny, smartest couple i had met in a while.  their casual wedding was sophisticated, fun and elegant. congratulations to the newly married mr. & mrs!!! best of luck to you and may you continue to have a ball!

way to rebound!

a few weeks ago i shot these darling sisters in the public garden. i had shot the oldest years back
and now that she has a new sister it was time to get some great shots together.  we had a great day, sun was shining, their dresses were adorable but little baby sister wasn't feeling it. she wasn't happy and the tears were rolling. their mom couldn't have been nicer or more patient and kept apologizing. these things happen. as a children's photographer i am used to showing up, having a kid pitch a fit and then i leave and we reschedule. it's my reality and i will always, ALWAYS reschedule or reshoot if someone isn't feeling it. but i mostly feel bad for the moms who make such an effort to plan the day around the shoot..... to catch their kiddos in the best mood, for ironing the cute dresses, to make sure all snacks and sippys and other bribery is on hand. i left the shoot that day feeling as though we got some cute shots but wasn't sure until i started editing. seriously, how can you not love these faces.  not a tear in sight.
Mom- you get an A for effort!!!!

life on the farm

this weekend i had the pleasure of meeting a very cool family who lives just outside of boston on a gorgeous farm. when i shoot a family or children i like to go for a walk (or an adventure if there are three year olds involved) because nothing is better than being outside observing nature and enjoying the glorious days we have been having. this family grows their own fruits & vegetables, are very environmentally conscious and such warm, kind, laid back, fun people! i had a ton of fun and hope i captured who they truly are as a family. thanks for sharing your beautiful home with me!!

first official blog post!

Today one of my BF's gave me a tutorial on the blogging world, how it works and helped me set up this site so i can share my work with all of you. Thanks R! You should read her smart, witty and amazing blog.

i hope you enjoy checking my work out as much i love taking pictures!

Sunday I shot this adorable family - these kiddos were so cute and fun, not to mentioned a handsome dad and gorgeous mama!! thanks for sharing a rainy afternoon with me! such troopers. xoxo

the little people in my life....

this weekend my sister and her son came home from NYC for a visit. her son is dreamy and it makes me terribly sad that we don't live closer. when they do come home, i am over the moon! and we take a lot of pictures!!!! here are the little people in my life, we had a ball! 

 
hope you and your little people had a glorious weekend too!