Maine Family Photographer:: The Neys

Reminder: Family photos aren’t always about kids running around on a beach. They are also for those without human babies, for those with love for the larger fur babies.

Meet Adri and Damian and their sweet crew. Adri planned this photo shoot knowing they were on borrowed time with some of their larger, furry, family members. I’m so glad she did, and that we got this shoot done before another calendar year came to a close, as the following year had them saying goodbye to more than one of the amazing creatures we captured during our afternoon together.

Family photos can be with whomever is your “family.” A pack of animals, a community, a club, a group of friends. It can be people who live under the same roof, but are not connected by genetics or marriage. It can be people who live nowhere near each other but have always been there for each other. It can be whomever is important to you on this wild ride known as life.

And that’s a pretty cool thing.

Senior Moments:: Nedra, Calais High School * Class of 2021

In a year that has been anything but normal, it’s great to have people getting their senior photos scheduled. Nedra and I had a great time recently photographing her and letting her personality come through. A strong athlete and great student, this one also has a very natural ability in front of a camera. Luckily the sun was starting to set and her family members were getting hungry, otherwise I could have continued to photograph for hours!

Here’s a sneak peak of a few of my favorites from her session. And a reminder to everyone that senior photos don’t need to be boring. No photo shoot with me ever is, but….

Her mom asked me to get a photo showing this necklace as it is important to them as a family. I love it when people ask to do things like that. Plus it gave us a reason to experiment more which I also love!

So, thank you Nedra for being so fun and up for whatever! And to her family who patiently let us do what we wanted to get photos that show her as she is now. I hope your Senior year is filled with lots of good, despite things feeling so uncertain right now!

** And a reminder to those of you who keep bringing up Senior photos: reach out and get in the books! Not to be pushy, but the sooner the better. No matter what the beginning of the school year looks like this Fall, it’s going to suddenly feel hectic whether they are in school or learning at home.

From The Archives:: Rachel

Next up in the From the Archives project is Rachel. I photographed their wedding and have done a few shoots for her and her husband, Chris, for their entrepreneurial endeavors. Lucky us, we got their recent round of photos done this winter, before our lives shifted so drastically. We slid down ice trails in the woods by their house, and laughed and captured various bits of each of their personalities for various marketing needs. This image remains one of my favorites from that day.

Name: Rachel Horton White

Occupation/Company: Soulful Work Intuitive Consulting, Founder/Owner

What has changed for you since this all began? At the beginning, the only thing was switching to virtual client sessions and my children being at home for me to homeschool, along with my mother's help. However, since then, my grandfather got the virus, and we decided to move to a new house, which we are currently hunting for. 

What has been the hardest part? The past 2 weeks have been some of the hardest in my life. The hardest parts are conflicts with a few family members and my sadness at the vast amount of disinformation and fear being spread and absorbed. The stress of worrying about my grandfather's health and now looking to move has been quite overwhelming. 

And what, if anything, has surfaced as a bit of a silver lining during this time for you? My children are enjoying exploring in nature and doing hands-on projects. We have had nice connections with some neighbors and seen more people out in the streets and families together than ever. My business and the work I do with spiritual seekers and clients who I feel a deep connection with has brought me great joy. I have been blessed to have people seeking out intuitive readings with me from around the world

Are there any shifts you are hoping stay in place as we move forward?  I like the simplicity of cooking at home and finding family activities to do here. Our society was consumerism in overdrive and it imploded. I realize now that we really don't need to go out to eat or to entertainment to enjoy ourselves.

What are you most looking forward to being able to do again? I am looking forward to going back out into the world and seeing people in person as opposed to just on the computer. I can't wait to hang out with friends again and have cookouts and potlucks! 

Thank you, Rachel, for trusting me to capture you and for sharing a bit of your story during this time!

Maine Portrait Photographer: Head Shots, part 1

So, I photograph people. Over the last several years I started photographing a local real estate company’s head shots, in addition to actors, small business owners, and anyone in need of a head shot for promotional use. I don’t use a studio, and don’t travel with a big lighting set up. This way of working has its pros and cons, but it works for me. Plus, it allows me to carry what I need on any shoot and not draw any more attention to myself than carrying a camera already does.

So, now you know a little about how I work. I thought I would blog and share some info about where/what/how with some of these shoots, in order to help with ideas and so people can see what works and why.

As a a natural light photographer, I avoid mid-day/the harshest light. A sunny cloudless day is actually not my friend. 9am in Maine most of the year is already harsh, in the world of natural light. And Portland does not have high rise buildings, so finding shade and even light can be a challenge at times.

Michelle, Hair Stylist Extraordinaire. This image is my favorite from her session, but not the one she chose based on what she needed to use the image for.

Taken in January / roughly 3:30 pm / with snow on the ground. Yes, we are outside - in an entry way before entering a museum.

Different times of year will give different kinds of light, just like different times of the day will. The colors and light tend to vary in seasons, depending on what’s growing and what is happening in the sky (producer of the natural light). But more than just the sky giving you the light, there is also the factor of your surroundings. This photo above of Michelle is taken in an area with a lot of bright architectural details, so I wanted to use this to our advantage. Plus her hair and those walls!

Kristia, actress.

Downtown Portland, Maine / October /roughly 5:04 pm. I stopped her by this wall so we could capture some of that light happening & dancing around Free Street. I will likely show more of Kristia in other blog posts on this topic, as we photographed her until roughly 7pm, which in October in Maine means you are on borrowed time with the light, but can still make use of that time of day.

Casey, actress.

Portland City Hall / also October / approx 7:20 pm. The bright architecture (again) helped us be able to keep photographing here at this time of day/year.

Tom of Port Properties.

On a street in Portland / late October / 3:42 pm / weather: chilly and a little windy, sky: overcast.

With both Krisita and Casey there were a few locations and outfit changes, as is needed for people who want a few looks. For others, like Tom of PortProperty, we needed one spot and just a few minutes of his time. So as I walked to meet him and his employees I decided where I wanted to photograph them, then spent just a few minutes with each person - partly so they could get back to work, mostly because it was cold, but also because sometimes people are doing something they have to do rather than something they want to do. And I try to respect that.

Dava, owner Portside Real Estate.

In a warehouse / August / roughly 9:11 am. Confession: we got lucky this day as this door was open so we ducked inside to get out of the sun, which gave us this great background and nice light. I have not been able to repeat this moment in this spot ever since.

Julia of Portside Real Estate Group.

In the same complex where I photographed Dava, but in winter and around the corner.

January /roughly 3:08 pm / Bright sun, but cold day - so we ducked into an alley.

Carrie, realtor.

South Portland / February (yes! it was cold) / roughly 4:07 pm.

So, as seen here photos can happen year round, even in cold Maine with no indoor studio. I will continue to share posts on this topic and some of my favorite times and places to go.

And of course, there’s always inside, in winter. This home was perfect for it, had great natural light, light walls, clean decor. I loved how her necklace matched the decor in this home that wasn’t even hers!

Want your head shots by the ocean? Great! We’ll plan it at certain times of the year (want those boats in the background? Then it needs to be after Memorial Day and possibly by Labor Day…) AND a certain time of day. So head home, eat dinner, and get your face ready for your close up because I only schedule those sessions in the evening. Or early morning.

Except of course, in the winter!

Head Shots:: Personality with April & Lee

So you need a head shot but really want more… where do you start? Maybe with a photographer who also wants the same things for you. You can have both professional and personality-filled photos to promote your company and your brand, or to bring your social media presence up a notch. And you can get some serious or posed images to make sure people know they are dealing with pros. Pros who also know how to enjoy life.

April Cohen and Lee Goldberg of the April Cohen Team at the Bean Group.

April and her new team member, Lee, are a perfect example of using this home grown fun professionalism to show who they are and the community they love to serve.

We had only a tiny amount of fun photographing in the fog, under a bridge..

I like to call this the April Pose. We end all of her photo sessions like this.

So, here’s what we do. Pick a date and find a spot. Then show up ready to roll. Or rock. And capture who you are and what you want to share with the world. And if it happens to be gray and damp like it was on this day, that’s ok! It might even be great.

And if you are perhaps less outgoing than someone like April, don’t worry about it. You be you, and I’ll capture it as it unfolds. And hopefully we won’t find ourselves running from the law. Unless, you want to find a way to make that happen.

Nothing to see here.