One of the very best places in Rochester for indoor photography in the winter months is the Village Gate.  I could photograph there the rest of my life and never get bored of the different backgrounds available.  Andrea and Jon decided that it was a good fit for their family and off we went (for a few other indoor location ideas, click here).

It’s true that some people enjoy being photographed and others, not so much. Another client of mine also has kids that aren’t a huge fan of being photographed but get treated to the Cheesecake Factory in exchange for their participation. So basically, if you have adult children who aren’t thrilled about the prospect, they may not be above bribery.

Hannah and I had a conversation that went something like this.

Me: So where are you going to college?
Hannah: U of R.
Me: Oh really? I went there too! What are you majoring in?
Hannah: Art.
Me: Really? Do you know Amy McLaren?
Hannah: Yes! She’s one of the best teachers there!

When I saw Amy the next day, she said Hannah was an incredible artist. Unfortunately, the painting behind her isn’t hers, but is a very fitting background for an artist.

We took these images as professional headshots – since professionally taken environmental headshots are something that’s becoming increasingly popular, even just for use on LinkedIn.

For Ben, who’s attending Georgetown, we chose something more masculine.

Another really interesting spot in the Village Gate is this wooden wall. Each block is a piece of wood that sticks out a different amount from the curved wall behind it. The only problem was that it was in the middle of a busy hallways so we didn’t stay long.

Jon and Andrea thought this represented their kids’ personalities well.

Andrea and Hannah are very close. Love those mom and daughter images.

Andrea works in marketing and customer service so we got to talk shop a little bit.  So often it seems like I could spend all day chatting but we’re there to take photos instead!

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful family with me. I hope you all have a wonderful and prosperous 2017!

Wow.

I’m a huge fan of hers as well.  I almost want to take up knitting.  But then I remember how many kids I have.

I met Megan a few years ago through a remarkable woman who transcends a title like friend or client, and had the privilege of photographing her senior portraits. She agreed to model for us, making us all wish we were 18 again.  She was also a great sport about wearing other people’s shoes and shirts and sporting wool on a 90 degree day (without looking overheated).  Modeling is not easy!

Kate is adding this shawl and cowl to her Black Bird Knits collection. The patterns are available for purchase by clicking here.

It turns out that shawls are kind of challenging to photograph because of the way that they hang. It was easy to lose hands and a sense of shape.

The cowl was much, much easier.

Thank you so much Megan for being such a joy to work with, and a huge shout out to Kate, as always, for her artistic vision and for being an all around fantastic person. I’m already looking forward to the next time we get to hang out!

Sometimes when people inquire about professional headshots they have in mind an image that’s just shy of a snapshot.  That happens frequently enough that when people call inquiring about headshots, I’m inclined to let them know that what I do may be overkill for them.  Which is exactly what happened with Anna – I described what I do and went on to explain how that might be more than she needed.  She quickly began explaining to me why she needed my services and I thought that maybe I should hire her.

Needless to say she convinced me.

Anna has lived all over the country working as an anthropologist studying veterans in the VA hospital system. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Washington and moved out to Seattle two days after our session together to finish up and defend her thesis.

My dad is a veteran who receives services through the VA and I had so many questions to ask her. I was tempted to pack up my equipment and just listen because our conversation required a little more mental energy than I had to spare while juggling photography things.

Thank you so much Anna for the lovely afternoon. Good luck in the next phase of your adventurous life!

Dr. James has an expansive garden in her back yard and grows a variety of flowers and herbs. She and her colleagues were having an animated conversation about all of the different things she was growing during our session (which was impressive to someone who can’t even identify trees!).

Leah is a certified aromatherapist. You can read more about her extensive experience with aromatherapy and her approach to wellness by clicking here.

Leah has a masters in human nutrition. You can read more about her by clicking here.

Dr. Gill is a clinical psychologist who also studies and teaches T’ai Chi. You can read more about her here.

Dr. James’ dogs provide unofficial pet therapy at the office.

To learn more about Dr. James’ unique practice and Well Works – their wellness classroom, click here.

I first met Leah because she was a reader in Rochester’s first ever production of Listen to Your Mother, which I’m excited to say is coming back this year.  Leah is an author and licensed massage therapist.  You can check out her work here.

Leah opted to have her professional headshot taken during a mini session in Genesee Valley Park. This is a great option if you’re looking for an economical route, and if you’d like a chance to win a free mini session, just sign up for the newsletter by clicking here.

When you’re taking individual portraits it’s important to give variety to the images both by changing the background but also by bringing a few different clothing items. Leah chose to mix things up through the use of scarves, jewelry and a vest. We ended up with a wide variety of images to use in just 20 minutes!

I first worked with Melissa Boyack four years ago when she was in the throws of an amazing company idea called Opal and Twig. Her path in life has been redirected since then, but just yesterday my daughter, who is now 9, asked if we could get some more Goblin Snot.

Melissa is now working with Kelly Powell and Erin Julian at Flight 9 Creative where she’s using her magical powers to provide branding, marketing and design services for clients nationwide.

Our paths crossed again when she worked with Kate Fisher of Black Bird Knits on her branding, marketing and website design and I was fortunate enough to be the photographer.

More recently, she and her team decided it’s was time for some updated head shots and Melissa’s location of choice was the Village Gate – a place I’ve wanted to photograph for years!

The blurred artwork in the background is unique but also creative and professional. I love it!

On this particular November day, the weather was fantastic and we also took some images outside.

Thanks so much Melissa, Kelly and Erin! It was an honor and a privilege.