Village Gate Senior Portrait Photography. This was such an amazing session – Jayden simply didn’t take a bad picture and was such a joy to work with. I learned from her mom that she chose me because I “knew how to take photos of black girls.” That warmed my heart. Thanks so much for your confidence Jayden!

Seniors can bring as many outfits as they like to their senior sessions. The session belongs to you and you’re welcome to include other people, items that are important to you, etc.

Senior portrait sessions are a great time for shots with parents. Seniors are busy people!

The Village Gate is one of my favorite indoor locations because there’s such an incredible variety of backgrounds in a relatively small space. For more indoor location ideas click here.

Jayden didn’t take a bad picture. She is so beautiful and has such a wonderful smile!

Thank you so much for choosing me for your senior photos. It was a privilege and a joy!

Ericka was looking for some Easter photos of her children and niece and because the weather was a bit on the chilly side that day, we met up at the Memorial Art Gallery.

Personally color matching like this is hard for me, but I LOVE it. The plaid with the light blues and white beautifully complement each other without looking overly matchy. Brilliant.

It’s easy to overdo a location like the MAG because it’s such a scenic space. It has beautiful lighting, several different backgrounds in a small area, and that peaceful water fountain, art gallery vibe. It’s listed as one of the top 5 Indoor Photography Locations in Rochester with good reason!

Ericka’s family was a joy to work with. The kids were beautiful, easy going, and had big natural smiles.

We did a couple of different groupings – the kids by themselves, all the kids together, Ericka’s niece by herself and just Ericka’s kids. When you’ve gone through all the effort to get there it’s a good idea to do all the things.

Thank you so much Ericka for sharing your beautiful family with me! You were an absolutely joy to work with.

These gorgeous women are at it again. In just a few short weeks you’ll have an opportunity to ride the waves of motherhood through the eyes of 13 writers who will share their diverse experiences on stage at the Lyric Theater. This year’s show will take place on May 12th at 7:30 pm and will be sign language interpreted. You can grab your tickets here.

The first read through recently happened and this show is every bit as amazing as all the years before it. The production team pours their heart and soul into it, and it shows!

We met at the Village Gate because of the horrible weather we were having. It’s a fantastic location for an artsy, edgy sort of feeling.  If you’d like to see more indoor location ideas in Rochester, click here.

Monica, Corrie and Sally fell in love with the wooden wall.

Monica is an English teacher by day, a freelance writer by night and a mom all the time.  She was on the initial production team and then joined the cast also in 2016.  You can view her hilarious piece by clicking here.

Sally was a reader in the 2016 cast where she performed this heartwarming piece, click here.  She joined the production team the following year.  She works at Writers and Books and is also a proud mom.

Be sure to mark your calendar and pre-order your tickets here for a significant savings.

Shannon and John recently welcomed this beautiful baby boy into their lives, and wanted to commemorate his first Christmas with some family photos.  Their green and red theme was perfect – you’d think this would be a common choice but it isn’t, so if you’re tempted to go for Christmas colors I’d definitely say go for it!

Shannon is working on a neurology fellowship at URMC and John works with the x-ray technology used in security systems at airports. They recently relocated from Baltimore.

Sebastian was absolutely perfect in every way. He was a chill sort of baby (just like his very calm parents) and wasn’t particularly interested in smiling but wasn’t unhappy either.  Some babies are like that and that’s great too.  We’re all about real life over here.

People often ask if I have a studio and I do not, on purpose.  Instead, in the winter months we either head outside, meet at your home, or go to a few great indoor Rochester locations. The Memorial Art Gallery is a great space for this – especially on a weekday morning when it tends to be quiet and peaceful, and/or around Christmas when they have lots of Christmas trees and lights around.

Thank you so much Shannon and John for sharing your beautiful family with me!

Kimberly and Matt both work in marketing – Kimberly is the president of a local firm and Matt works for Wegmans.  When I learned that, I have to confess I was a little tempted to scratch the session and ask them to impart their knowledge on me.

But that would have made the session about me and not about them… so we didn’t do that.

We’d picked a beautiful cold, wet, fall day for the photos so we retreated to the Memorial Art Gallery and their picturesque atrium and water fountain.

Andie and Robin were at the perfect age and temperament for photos. Kids at this age are easy to photography since they’re not old enough to think it’s a waste of time, and not young enough to want to run away. So if you have kids ages six through nine or so and are contemplating a session, do it now!

Of course, they were setting up for some kind of event at the MAG, which happens with some frequency, so we tried to move quickly and then headed outside.

It was on the very cold, dark and wet side, but that’s what lighting umbrellas are for.

And some awesome family Christmas card photos for the win.

Thank you so much Kimberly and Matt for sharing your beautiful family with me!!!

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!

A few months later, baby TJ made his entrance into the world and we met at their beautiful home in Pittsford to capture his miraculous little life.

Six months later, TJ was laughing (hysterically), smiling and almost sitting. Betsy said sometimes she just would sit and watch Andy and TJ play together.

Recently, TJ celebrated one of life’s childhood’s greatest milestones – his first birthday. We met at the Memorial Art Gallery to mix it up a little. Of course, there was some kind of huge event in the atrium, so we found a picturesque corner and then went outside for a while.

Below is one of my very favorite images from the session.

TJ was a perfect one year old during the session finding that thin line between being hugged and being held in place. He was also happy to show off his extensive toddling skills.

Congratulations TJ on your first birthday!

I love their outfits – they have traditional white, black and grey, but then add a pop of red.  It worked out perfectly that the wall and flowers were also red.

Because we were looking for a winter portrait session, Dana and her family got creative.  Her sister Sarah got married at the Aurora Inn, so she asked for permission to take the images there.  The management at the Inn generously agreed.

The Aurora Inn was built in 1833 by one of the original investors of the New York Times. The Inn has changed hands a number of times and been in and out of commission. Most recently in 2001 a formal restoration began. Walking into the Inn feels like walking into the late 1800s.

The Aurora Inn is also a popular wedding venue. While we were there on a Saturday morning at least 3 couples came in to look. And with good reason! We didn’t make it downstairs, but there’s a beautiful veranda overlooking the lake.

Great grandma and great grandson.

And of course, it’s always good to take time for a few couples and immediate family images!

This one is a personal favorite – I love the relationship, the lighting and the painting in the background.

It was a pleasure to finally meet you Dana and the rest of your beautiful family!

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.

Several women shared their Arbonne success stories. Including this woman who flew all the way from Oklahoma!

Neyir’s son Maxwell helped draw the names of the prize winners.

He also found time for a few snuggles.

Neyir had initially not planned on getting a Mercedes quite this large. Then she found out she was pregnant with twins, so they had to get a larger model. And here’s the moment when she’s handed the keys.

Afterward we went outside to take a few photos with the cars.

Congratulations Neyir on the promotion, the new car, and the twins. I can’t wait to meet them!