First - there was M, she's a sweet, funny and beautiful little girl. Now, we welcome her little sister, Nora! Molly is so cute with her, giving her the sweetest kisses, and "helping" Mommy and Daddy with feedings and diaper changes. It's pretty darn adorable. I spent a little bit of time with them, not only capturing Nora in this first tiny stage of life, but updating Molly's portraits too. We're so excited to welcome her into the family. She's the perfect cherry on top of an already awesome ice cream sundae. Enjoy the sibling sweetness, and congratulations to M and family! ~ Erin
Penfield NY Photographers: Family Photos at Home
This was not my first time photographing Emily and her family, and hopefully it's not my last either! It was my first time meeting some of the extended family however, which was great! It's wonderful to not only capture Emily's relationship with her immediate family, but her grandparents as well. Emily loved her doggy, bubbles, and her big sister Michelle. And isn't she just perfect in that sari? Oh man, that's adorable.
Unfortunately, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, as she did not want to sit with grandpa. But that happens sometimes, and it's ok. It makes for one of those classic photos that will be laughed at when she is a little older! :) Love it. Enjoy! Lori
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School of the Arts Senior Portraits: Emma
When we try to think of a location that is meaningful to the senior and great for photography, sometimes it takes a few tries. Luckily, this wasn't the case for Emma! She knew right where she wanted to go – the Neighborhood of the Arts. We met at the Flatiron Building, where her dad currently works, worked our way down the street past where her mom used to work, and then took photos outside of their old house. It was great to be where their relationship as a family all began. I loved hearing about their history in this neighborhood as we wandered around. And Emma was up for anything, which always makes things fun! I love this area of Rochester and definitely hope to shoot there again. Thanks for such a fun time Emma, enjoy the rest of your year!
-Lori
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Christmas Family Pictures | Fairport NY Family Photographer
Stella and Liam are some lucky kids, and I am the lucky photographer who gets to hang out with them every year! When I first arrived, they were a little shy, but once they got to show me their play room, they opened right up. We had fun on the rocking horse, drawing on the white board and playing with mom and dad too.
Liam is just so handsome, and Stella has such a strength about her. This is my favorite type of session, it's one where I get to play and capture kids in their natural happy places. And the images looked great on their Christmas cards too! Enjoy, Lori
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Erin's 365 Project begins : Rochester NY photography
As Lori finished up her year in photographs on December 31st 2014, mine began. Only 334 days to go, I'm just getting started. I was inspired to see so many of my photographer friends complete their project last year, and decided it was the right time to begin mine. So I guess I should warn you of three things as I embark on this photographic journey.
1) The overwhelming majority of this project will focus on my son, my family and my dog. These are the most important things in my life, and this is a milestone year for us. Lucas is going to change so much, so fast, and we're all going to change with him. So naturally, this is my inspiration for this endeavor. If you don't want to see cute pictures of babies or my dog, don't look. :)
2) I'm not burdening myself with any rules. It's hard enough to complete a 365 project without adding rules in. Besides that I know me, I'll miss a day or two. Some days I'll use my iPhone instead of my DSLR. Some days might include an Instagram filter. Or, some might include two images. Again - it's my project, my rules, right?
3) Some of my images are probably going to be boring. I'm not sure that this can be avoided, but you can bet there will be a few days where nothing exciting happens. Not every day of a year is photographic gold.
So here we go folks, my 365 project begins. I'll need your help and encouragement to keep going. I know from watching others do it, that it's a big undertaking. I'm proud of myself for trying, and so far succeeding.
This month focused on Lucas, a fun family wedding in Chicago, and other random goodies. January is complete, bring it on February. Only 334 days to go.
In no particular order, here's January! ~ Erin
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I think you are beautiful, even if you don't | rochester ny photography
I have a gray hair. It's not my first, but it is literally in the middle of my forehead - front and center. If you've noticed, thanks for not commenting. My husband looks at it every day and begs to pluck it. I have fought him off for months now. I'm trying really hard to own it. It's a gray hair... so what? Lots of people have them, and most everyone gets them. Why should I let it bother me?
Every morning I see it; it is right there in front of my face. It reminds me that life is short. It reminds me that I'm not perfect. I refrain from plucking it as a test of myself... there are more important things to deal with. I am not my gray hair.
We all have our own issues, insecurities, things we don't like about ourselves. I've never met someone who doesn't. This year, I've had the privilege of getting to know many students, and capture who they are as they enter their final year of high school.
With this opportunity, has come the challenge of showing each student their own beauty. Some of them had their hair or makeup done, which brought them confidence. Some were lucky enough to be comfortable in their own skin. Others fought the battle of self doubt, lack of confidence, or just plain fear of the camera.
I wish I could say this is only true of high school seniors, but it's not. I have seen mom's ashamed of their size, dad's embarrassed of their receding hair lines, grandma's ashamed of their wrinkles.
It makes me sad.
Everyone is beautiful. You, me, all of us! We may not feel it every day, but we as adults have bigger concerns. We need to worry about things other than our waistlines, our hairlines and our wrinkles. We've earned those things. Living our LIVES got us to this point – birthing a child, inheriting a family trait, experiencing years of love and life and adventure.
Embrace it. Own it. Don't let it scare you away from the camera. And pass that confidence on.
I'm sorry that you don't like your braces, the way your eyes squint when you laugh, or your hair on humid days (guilty). Smile anyway, laugh anyway, live anyway.
Maybe this makes me a bad photographer – but I don't want to photoshop your wrinkles, your bald spot or your gap. Those things are part of you, and I want you to know that I think you are beautiful, even if you don't.
Sincerely, Lori
Family Portraits in Pittsford NY: Morgan is 1!
It's been so much fun celebrating this whole year with Morgan. I loved watching her grow, explore and seeing all of her adorable outfits! We finished up the year with her one year session. It involved some balloons we weren't sure about, a hat we didn't want to wear, and some crazy, fun family members singing to us! She did love reading her books and looking out the window. I love this behind the scenes shot of mom changing her while dad feeds her. It really shows the teamwork involved with raising a child. Love it! Enjoy these, and check back for a full year recap coming soon! Lori
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Penfield Senior Portraits: Katie
I'm not sure how we got so lucky last year, but we have had the opportunity to work with some pretty amazing seniors. Katie was no exception - she just shined inside and out. We enjoyed a gorgeous summer night at the Penfield Town Hall, which is such a fun place to shoot. With flowers, brick and paint peeling off of wood, the backgrounds vary without distracting from this stunning young woman.Katie, it was truly a pleasure getting to know you! Best wishes in your upcoming adventures!
-Lori
Home for the Holidays: Family Portraits Rochester, NY
When a family comes together, it's always a special time. This big family was home for an early Thanksgiving gathering. We spent a few hours with them capturing everything from toddlers running around everywhere, to cute family moments. It was a bit crazy to keep the kids still for this big family photograph, but we got one before they scattered! What a fun challenge! We love catching all of these moments and times together at the holidays. Have a peek at the fun and a little bit of crazy that we enjoyed with this family! ~ Erin
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Melissa and Mossy (the Horse) | Penfield Senior Photos
You may have met Melissa last week as part of Jamie's senior session. Now it's her turn to shine! We started with Melissa at the Sunken Gardens, and then finished up at the stables with her horse Mossy. Melissa's relationship with Mossy, is something we felt was important to capture in her senior portraits. Mossy was a little wild, but we had fun working with him in the barn and in the grassy areas. I love the moment with the two of them in the tall grass just looking at each other.
It was a pleasure working with both of them :)
Without further ado, enjoy this little peek into Melissa's world!
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Enjoy the rest of your senior year Melissa! Lori
2014 in Review / 365 Wrap up
We've made it through another year, and survived... no... thrived. If nothing else this year has taught me that we can do anything. When Lucas showed up 4 weeks early, in the middle of our busy season and threw the entire business into my lap so Erin could be with him, we made it. With help from our intern, our colleagues, and support from family and friends, we made this year our best yet. I can't wait to top it all next year! Rewinding a second now... I set some goals for myself last January including this little 365 project. It started as a creative challenge to make a photo every single day. Some months had themes, some did not. Some photos were great, others a little lame. But I stuck through, I kept creating, I kept sharing, and I can now check this project off the list. And it feels good.
Some of my other goals included: -Decluttering my newsfeed/email (I did this by hiding people whose posts I always found myself shaking my head at and unsubscribing from dozens of emails I didn't read) -Bike a 50 mile event. This one will stay on the list another year. My best event this year was 33 miles. -Start a new hobby (Archery). Didn't happen, but I am still interested in it. -Workout 3x a week. I think I get partial credit here. I actually put this on the calendar for Mon, Wed, Fri mornings which makes me much more likely to do it. I've been good the last 2 months, but over the summer... this goal always seems to die. -Simplify finances. This I can say I did accomplish. I got rid of unnecessary credit cards, closed unneeded bank accounts and made everything much easier to keep track of.
So I can say I accomplished 4.5 out of 6 goals. Not bad, but I can do better.
I spent a while on the Christmas theme this month, trying to explore it in different ways.
Do you ever find yourself thinking "Where has the time gone?" Yeah? Me too. The cool thing is this photo-a-day project has helped make me really aware of how I spend my time. There are some days when literally -nothing-interesting happened and I found myself photographing the shadows on the wall. Other days were so full, it was a challenge to pick the best photograph/moment to share! So as I review my images of the year, I thought it would be fun to share some highs and lows with you in this recap.
First, the cool stuff: -LASIK! AKA the best investment I ever made and wish I made sooner. It is seriously the biggest change to my life this year. I am free from contact lenses and glasses, and it's something I am thankful for every day. -Seniors! This year we photographed 26 seniors, shattering our goal of 12. I learned just how much fun it is to work with this age and look forward to growing this portion of the business! -Lucas! He's only going third because he didn't arrive until August. But this little man entered the world lucky enough to have two fantastic parents and the best auntie in the world. He changed everything, and I can't wait to watch him grow. -Friends and Family. Between a little road trip, a new nephew being born, throwing a themed party, and just hanging out on game nights, I love looking back at all of the fun we've had this year. -Home Improvement. We finished the kitchen by finally installing a backsplash, added a nice gate for the dogs, and replaced our old windows and sliding door to improve heat retention. This crosses off a few items we had on the house list for a few years, yay! -Being outdoors: Rec softball, hiking, hammocking, jarts, gardening. Love it. -Eating. In true instagram style, I photographed a lot of our meals this year. I'm happy to say we have been eating healthier, more local and more in-season. There's room to do better here, but a good start nonetheless. -Portraits. This was a record setting year for how many folks I was able to put in front of my lens. Thank you to every single one of you, I'm so lucky that this is my profession!
2014 wasn't entirely sunshine and rainbows though. We said goodbye to my grandmother this year, learned about Erin's father's cancer, and I had a frustrating ordeal with technical issues in the middle of our busiest month. But we made it through alive, stronger, and ready to conquer a new year.
And what's Christmas without the people you love?
And of course, my lapdog.
Looking ahead to 2015: we'll be traveling to New Zealand, Florida, Colorado, Massachusetts and who knows where else! We get to celebrate several weddings with friends, family and clients. I'll be replacing the 365 project with a new challenge (more to come). But most importantly, we'll get some more time to spend with our family, our friends, and our awesome clients as we continue on this journey.
Thanks for being here, I hope to see you around this year. Get in touch, let us know how it's going for you too!
I encourage you to set some goals, and let me know if there is anything I can do to help you with them! Wishing you all the best in 2015! Lori
If you'd like to see more from this project, check out these other posts of 2014:
January | February | March | April | May | June |July | August | September | October | November
The final photo of 2014... and I'm excited to hand this project off to Erin this year!
Penfield High School Senior Photos: Asher
I'd like you to meet Asher! This was a fun, two-location session that really got to show the personality of this high school senior. Asher is into golf, hiking and loves cars. We started with some nice shots around the Penfield Town Hall incorporating a few different outfits and moods. Then we went to Linear Park for some active and nature shots. A friend of the family lent his car to us for the session, and I could see Asher dreaming about owning one someday. I love all of the different looks we were able to get in just a short span of time. Thanks for handing out with me Asher, I hope your senior year is a memorable one!
-Lori
