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!

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.

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!

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.