Proverb

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I had an absolute blast shooting some beautiful spaces for Proverb over the last few months. I really enjoyed the challenge of shooting the spaces and the striking style was inspiring. I was taken aback by how much the environments came to life to me when either Darren, Proverb’s Managing Director and Creative Director, or Chris, Proverb’s Managing Partner and Director of Client Services, became part of an image. I shot first in some residential spaces, and then at their office in Boston.

I mean, if you’re not inspired by entering these spaces, I’m not sure what could inspire you!

Summer Wrap Up

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How did I manage to let the entire summer go by without sharing with you? I truly have no idea. Literally, I am sitting here wondering how I didn’t show off a few of the families I met with before autumn hit (has it hit yet?).

Well, better late than never?

Here’s a small collection from a few sessions I had over the summer…
(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Fall Mini Sessions

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This year’s mini session event was supposed to take place at Horn Pond because the it was such a great location for Linda and MIke’s Family Session a while back. Prior to leaving for a trip recently though, I visited the pond to be sure it looked right and well, it did NOT! The water had risen so high that while it’s a beautiful place to visit and walk, I knew it wasn’t going to offer us much by way of environment to work with for mini sessions.

I drove around until it got dark that day trying to find a new spot. I decided to go with Menotomy Rocks Park and it worked great! We had beautiful weather too which certainly didn’t hurt. And it was also very nice to see everyone’s faces out from behind their masks in the fresh open air!

I’ll be doing another mini session day on November 6, so if you’d like to get in the mailing list for info, subscribe at the bottom of the homepage and I’ll make sure you get the details.

Here are some favorites;
(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Phebean's Senior Session

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A short time ago I met up with two Boston University alums for a photo shoot for BU Today. They chose the location, which was a bridge in South Boston. They called it “Southie Bridge” but as far as I can figure, it doesn’t actually have a name. It leads to a very cool underpass with gorgeous murals, concrete walkways and lovely tree-lined trails.

I knew when I saw it that this is where I needed to meet Phebean for her senior session. Phebean arrived with a few outfit changes, ending her session proudly wearing the shirt of the school she’ll be attending in the fall - Brandeis.

We brain-stormed before meeting in person and Phebe told me about her pride for Nigeria where her family is from. It was luck that when she brought her flag out to be photographed with it, the sun came out and the skies opened up all at once!

Phebe is also an activist and has organized some BLM marches, so I we incorporated that too.

She was so much fun to work with, and didn’t bat an eye when I suggested “how about climbing over on those rocks (in your lovely non-hiking sandals)?”

Eagles Senior Photos

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I work for Boston University, so don’t tell them I recently photographed some of their rivals from Boston College!

I really love doing these group shoots. I welcome the challenge of coming-up with a variety of ways to photograph all the friends together, as well as get some nice portraits of the graduates on their own too. I think it’s a really fun thing for the friends to do too; have a special photo shoot to finish off their college career and record the friendship forged during their time together in higher education.

Sending all the best for lots of success in the world to Annalei, Claire, Olivia, Alex, and Courtney!

Hailey's Senior Session

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I first met Hailey when I photographed her for a BU Today video about the F*ck It Won’t Cut it campaign which she was part of. I was excited to meet her and Hanna, and was especially psyched at the traction the campaign received. I knew finding jobs would be easier for them than most newly-graduated college student after such a successful campaign, an that made me really happy for them!

Hailey got in touch because she wanted senior photos and thinking on it realized Hey, I do know a photographer in Boston! I photographed Hailey in downtown Boston a day before her graduation on campus. She had come to town from her new job in DC for the big day. We had a blast shooting around on Newbury Street, Copley Square and in the Boston Public Garden.

Here are some of my favorites (click to enlarge)!

Cristel's Senior Session

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Cristel is a senior at Brighton High and was a blast to work with! She is senior class president, co-captain of her soccer team, captain of the debate team, a player of chess, lover of butterflies, and a fan of some good old movie-watching.

We hit up Fan Pier Park for her session, and since she didn’t get a prom this year thanks to the Virus-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Named, she arrived dressed in the prom gown she didn’t get to wear, complete with a corsage from her mom.

Good luck on your next adventure, Cristel!

Happy Birthday!

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When Noldcie got in touch for a photo shoot as a gift to herself for her birthday, I was fully on board. It was a bit chilly at the time, but she was pretty unfazed, and I had a great time wandering downtown Stoneham shooting portraits of this stunning woman (and her husband sometimes too)!

Happy Birthday, Noldcie!!

Michaela's Senior Session

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As graduation season approaches, I am so excited to have some new clients! I love my family sessions, portraits and events, and working with high school and college seniors only adds to the fun and variety of my work.

When I met Michaela in Marsh Plaza at Boston University for our session, she was wearing her master’s robe. I asked her if she wanted a combination of robe shots and non-robe shots, and she told me that she’d worked too hard to not wear her robes for all the photos. I love this. She HAS worked hard!

We wandered campus, and went into the School of Law as well, which is where she is graduation from. I mentioned the space with lockers, which law students use to store their items during their long days of studying how to do lawyer-y things. I was so glad that space had relevance to her because the light was so beautiful, and it added an extra, interesting location to her collection.

I was honored that she shared with me a bit about her late-mother who was a teacher, is greatly missed, and who we incorporated into some of her shots as well. Her mom would be so proud of her!

(click to enlarge)

Please, Wear a Mask

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When someone books a session with me, they receive a booking confirmation email with paperwork and details about what to expect from a session with me.

For the first time, (and hopefully the last), I added a paragraph;

“One more thing about your session - Please come to your session wearing your masks so I can take a few photos of you as a family wearing them. I know this may seem like a strange request, but I feel compelled to record this weird time in our history, with hopes that a year from now it will be a thing of the past. If later on you do not want that photo of your family all wearing masks, you don't have to look a them. But if it strikes you as telling part of your family's story, your experience, you'll have it! (I will email your mask portrait to you for free after your session).”

I wondered if there would be push-back on this. Would my clients not want this horrific experience documented? Would they prefer I simply photograph their family, or outdoor bar mitzvah, or couples session as though it was any other year? I can’t say I would blame them if so. I thought for sure that some people would ask that I not photograph them wearing their masks, or they would ask that the images not be shared.

There was not one objection. They all seemed to understand the importance of taking such a photo. In fact, many expressed how important they thought it was to document it. Some have even mentioned including it in their annual holiday card this year! Documentarians after my own heart!

I find the children especially interesting in these photos. Some have eyes that shine bright while they smile beneath the fabric, many wear their masks with comfortable acceptance, and some have the body language of pure fed-upness. I hear you, kid.

I am often expressing gratitude for my clients on this blog and today is no different. They helped me do something unusual during a most bizarre and unsettling year. They connected with me for family photos, and every last one graciously accepted a request from me and the result is this collection.

For my clients, and many other reasons, I am so thankful!

(click to enlarge)


Mini Sessions, Round Two!

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I usually only host one mini session event in the fall. I invite clients new and returning to pick a time slot on one specific date and meet me at a predetermined location for a quick twenty minute shoot. It’s a great way to get family photos and for me it helps me provide photography for multiple clients during the busiest time of the year for me.

After my annual mini session day took place, my sisterfriend Maureen got in touch with me and said that she and a few friends would love to have mini sessions too. Typically I would let my sisterfriendclient know that mini sessions are a one day thing, unless multiple families want them. But in this instance, Maureen simply brought me clients, which was so amazing! I was able to provide photos for her family, her friends’ family, and a third family who signed up after I promoted the event.

We shots these photos out in Sudbury. It was a blast, the weather cooperated, and we met for the best light - in the late afternoon!


Linda and Mike's Family

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Linda got in touch with me after high school friends and clients Alison and Beth kindly recommended me to her for a session with her blended family.

I arrived early at our meeting place, Horn Pond in Woburn. I hadn’t been there before and wanted to scope it out before starting around with the family for their session. Our meeting time came and I didn’t see the family - I knew there was Mike and Linda, their golden retriever Jax, and four nearly adult kids with a fifteen year old being the youngest.

I spotted such a family, but they were being photographed already. Something seemed weird to me. Was that my family and had they brought a friend to take photos during our session? Or maybe they’re just playing around before I find them? I was so confused! Perhaps it was just a coincidence that another family with grown kids were having a session at the same time.

I kept side-eyeing the group with that other photographer though. That dog! Along with sending the names and ages of everyone as I’d requested, Linda also sent me a photo of her dog, Jax. Golden and white-faced. That was the dog!

Then as I milled around awkward and confused, I heard some of them say “Summer!” which is Linda’s daughter’s name. That’s when I knew for sure, THIS WAS MY FAMILY!

I approached them and we discovered that the photographer who was working with them had also been waiting for a client named Linda. Apparently the photographer had not really introduced herself or asked for everyone’s names before jumping in and starting a session with the wrong family.

“Well, thanks for warming them up for me!” I joked with the photographer and we had a good laugh.

The family and I marveled at the bizarreness of the situation as we made our way to the first spot for a photo, and Linda said “Somehow it didn’t seem right!” She felt the personality of the imposter photographer didn’t match up with what she expected from someone recommended by Alison and Beth, two of the funniest women you’ll meet. Linda also noted that the other photographer was posing them in a way that didn’t seem to match with my style of shooting.

As we stood pond-side for our first shots, I said or did something goofy or funny and Linda said, with some relief “OK, yes, this makes much more sense!”

We had a delightful time, and I discovered beautiful Horn Pond in the process!

Mini Sessions, Round One!

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Dig, if you will, a picture; You’ve booked your time slot for your annual mini-session with me. You’ve gotten your kids into their best outfits and made it from your home to Maudslay State Park in Newburyport for your session without anyone asking if you’re there yet or saying they’re thirsty.

You drive along the road where you can view a vast field in the park. And in that field…art installations, along with many many people enjoying said art installations. Interesting.

Not sure where we’re going to take pictures then.

You pull into the parking lot, which is overflowing, navigate your way around the myriad of masked visitors, and just as you pull into your spot with time to spare for your session, you get a text from me, your photographer.

“When you arrive, come to the back of the lot to that big, white clabbered house. Those are the bathrooms! We’re going to take photos back here. See you soon!”

Um, I paid good money for this?

My clients are the best. After their initial Uh…what? wore off, they all went with the flow. I think the results were delightful, and we managed to avoid the crowds as well.




Kristin, Benjamin and Co

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I think we can all agree that things are pretty rough right now. Political unrest, a pandemic making a mess of everything. At the time of this session in August, that was no different, and it was gross and hot too!

I felt some levity when I heard from Kristin who said her family was due for a session. I have photographing them since, well before they were a family! My first session with Benjamin and Kristin were for their engagement. Now they have two beautiful sons and I have had the honor to photograph them as they grow too.

Seeing them and capturing them together brought some light to my week!




Joseph and Gerard

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Joseph was visiting Boston with his husband Gerard when he contacted me through my Instagram page. The two were looking to have a family session along with their dog Donatella Versace. Donatella Versace?! Sign me up!

I was honored that they wanted to work with me, someone they found out of the blue via IG, and I thought it was a great thing - a photo shoot - to add to a vacation getaway.

They graciously made the trek up to Salem so we could avoid the Boston city crowds and have a session at Salem Willows.

In the midst of this sometimes isolating pandemic, a session with this lovely pair and their sweet pup was a welcome pick-me-up!

(click to enlarge pics)