Tower Family :: Duxbury Massachusetts Children Family and Maternity Photographer

This morning I'm excited to share this sweet family session with you. It is all things kids and maternity and family photography that I love. Miss Gracelynn and her parents met me on a gorgeous Saturday morning in Duxbury at Shipyard Lane Beach and we all ditched our shoes and felt the wet sand squish between our toes for the duration of the session. 

Addie was in the last few weeks of pregnancy at this point and we talked about having young kiddos and how freaking exhausting it is to be pregnant the second time around. It's so bittersweet nearing the end of pregnancy. You are excited, but also faced with the reality of 'oh my goodness we are doing this again and all the diapers and sleepless nights and hormones and leaky boobs' and to boot needing to also stay focused on the kiddo who has had my whole heart the past couple years. 

Oh my, it's complicated. Beautiful, but so complicated.

I wonder daily if I'm ruining Lily's life. I know I'm not, but bringing a sibling into her life will not be without bumps. And there's the feeling of uncertainty in changing up our family routine. Four and a half years of just the three of us and I've gotten so used to how we work as a family, our dynamics and that will all change. And when Lily expresses that she doesn't want anything to change, I know deep down she's excited and it'll be wonderful most days, but oh, it digs a knife in my heart and twists it around ever so slowly. 

But then I get to hang out with families and watch them grow and see all the fun they are having, siblings playing, family snuggle piles, and I can't even wait. Everyone tells me that the moment you see your baby, the love grows. Your heart expands and you immediately see that you are not dividing your love, but doubling it.

So to the mamas out there who are having their second, third, or bless you, fourth or more, I raise a glass (of water) to you and give you a hug in solidarity. It is not easy and for all the fear and anxiety and uncertainty for what's to come, my hope is that we can embrace the beauty and love of motherhood, whatever form it takes in our lives, and give ourselves some grace that we are badass and capable of so much more than we'll ever know. 

And now I'd love to share some of my favorites with you of my time with Gracelynn, Addie and Jason!

Family Photography "FOMO" (Fear of Missing Out)

"Shan, I'm just so nervous I'll look back and have no pictures of my baby."

My friend Jenn sat in my living room, cradling her sweet little 3 month old, and when she said this, it broke my heart, because I knew the exact feeling. I felt it when Lily was born, and I'm anticipating it with our next baby. That feeling of worry that my kids will grow up and want to look back at family albums from their baby years and childhood, and wonder why the heck there isn't much to see. 

I looked at this sleeping baby and thought about how many times I've vowed I would take some time to play catch up and design some nice photo books for each year in our family's life. I think about the thousands of photos on my phone, just sitting there. I try to remember the last time I picked up my "fancy camera" to take photos of Lily. I look at hundreds of photos of families I have taken and wonder when I'll put my money where my mouth is and book a session for my own family. 

I fear that my child will be the cobbler's kid, without shoes, except she'll be the photographer's child without photos of herself with her family. 

Shannon, that's crazy, you have so many pictures of your kid!

I know! But I still experience these feelings, more as a mama than a photographer. My parents printed photos from everything in albums, physical photographs that I love sifting through, time and time again. 

My fear is that my family photos will live on a hard drive and my kids will never know the joy of sitting on the floor surrounded by stacks and shoeboxes of moments from their childhood. It's not that the photos won't exist, it's that they won't be seen or enjoyed. 

So what's a mama to do?

There is no nice way to put this, guys. I've tried softening the blow for myself and you, my friends, clients, readers, and my mom (Hi, Ma!).

Print the damn photos. Make the album. Hire the photographer and have them do it for you. We can complain and wistfully think of our #momgoals for archiving our family's visual memories, or we can actually take action. How much are these memories worth to you? How priceless would it be to have physical albums, prints on the walls, and yes, even a shoebox of loose prints that never made it into frames.

Does family photography come with a price tag? Yes.

Is it worth ensuring you have a yearly book or set of photos showing how your family has grown, and more importantly, with YOU in the picture instead of snapping all the photos yourself? YES.

I have never been more aware of time in my life. As a kid, the days, months and years stretch ahead of you, so far out of reach. Now, I look at pictures of squishy baby Lily from her first year and wonder how on earth I'll send this kid to kindergarten in a few months. How is it possible that I seem to blink and she's grown another inch, or has learned another skill and therefore has grown that much more independent of me? 

I relish the moments she snuggles up and lets me hold her, because those moments are becoming fewer and farther between. Four years ago, I could not imagine a time when my kid wouldn't fit in my arms anymore. And that time is approaching. And oh my goodness, it squeezes my heart. Every time I pick her up, her legs seem to dangle lower. Her face doesn't snuggle into my neck anymore. And in an instant she has wriggled herself away and has run off to play with her toys, and I'm left wondering, again, where did the time go? 

But for a quick moment, if she lets me hold her, you're darn right I am kicking Sean and telling him to grab his phone and take a picture. Because those are moments that matter to me, holding my girl, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her breath as she relaxes into me the way only my baby girl can curl up in my arms around my belly. 

Lily at 3 weeks old.

Yes, I have major FOMO (fear of missing out) as a mom. Every time I walk out the door I wonder if I should be bringing my camera, or if I'll be satisfied with iPhone pictures in the years ahead. I wonder at which point it's too much, or if such a thing as "too many photos" exists for me? So I thought it might be helpful to lay out some ideas and options so we, as parents, don't drive ourselves crazy over the years. 

Yearly Family Photography

Always worth it, in my opinion. Should you go broke on photos? Of course not, but whether it's a more traditional setting or more of a day-in-the-life, think about the kind of photos that are important to you to have professionally done, budget for them, and do it. And get the prints. Splurge on an album or coffee table book while you're at it. To be able to let someone else do the heavy lifting of taking photos while you enjoy your family and are able to get in the frame? Well, it's a gift.

Mini Sessions

A less expensive option than a full session, but you'll be limited for time, and will likely lack a lot of variety in your photos. You'll also be at the mercy of whether you can get your kid looking happy for the alloted 10-20 minute time slot. BUT, still a good choice for a yearly professional photo! At the very least, this can be a good option for a family holiday card or making prints for your parents, grandparents, in-laws. 

Learn to Use Your Fancy dSLR Camera

IPhones can only do so much. You do not have to be a professional to afford a nice camera that can take gorgeous photos. If you're willing to invest in yourself, take a photography class that covers the basics. There is so much information online these days, from photography blogs to YouTube tutorials. The point is, though, to make use of this amazing tool you have. Don't let it sit and collect dust. Go out and practice, practice, practice. 

I am toying with offering one-on-one mentoring to teach some basic photography and how to use a dSLR camera as a service. Let me know if you might be interested!

Grab a Trusted Friend or Family Member

Is it necessary to hire someone for every milestone that comes along? No, but you should still have photos from the days and events you want to remember, like birthdays, baptisms, dance recitals and first t-ball games. Get comfortable handing off your camera to a trusted friend or family member with the request that they take some photos for you. This allows you to enjoy, say, your child''s first birthday party and get you in the picture as well. The last thing any of us needs is our kid asking where the heck mom was all those years. Christmas morning? Hand your husband the camera. Let go of perfection and settle for presence. 

iPhone-tography

The latest iPhone 7 Plus is one of the best point and shoot cameras on the market right now. But even without that 7 Plus version, you have the ability to take and edit beautiful photos within moments on your phone. Basic photography knowledge definitely helps (lighting & composition being your main lessons), and there are a lot of free photo editing apps that can give your photos a boost (another post for another day).

Please, just do me one favor and when you take 20 of the same photo, go back and pick out your favorite one or two. Delete the rest. Yes, delete. I do this weekly, and it saves so much space and my sanity when I'm going back to find a photo. Sit down to watch This Is Us, sift through your photos during commercials. Boom. Done. 

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Step 1 of having photos of your kids and family is TAKE THE PHOTOS. If you don't take them, you can't complain that you don't have them. So think about what is a priority to you, book a session, learn to use that fancy camera, and when in doubt, grab a selfie with your nearest and dearest and love it for what it is. 

The next post in this set will discuss free photo editing apps for your phone pictures, so stay tuned!

Fiona :: Northwest Park Windsor Connecticut Family Photographer

It's a new week, and I have a sweet birthday session to share with you. I am excited to share this (finally!) because in a few short weeks, I get to hang with this sweet family again when they welcome their newest baby girl!

But this shoot was all about Miss Fiona! She turned two in August, and we met up at Northwest Park in Windsor Connecticut to photograph this fun milestone. It was so much fun seeing her again since her first birthday shoot the year before. She is a very busy little girl, wanting to check out ALL THE THINGS. Lucky for us, there was a lot to see, from flowers, to animals, so open spaces that called out to be frolicked.

Emily and Pat, her sweet parents, also took a moment to let me photograph them since it was their fourth anniversary! I was so sad to miss photographing their wedding due to having Lily that same week, but I am so grateful they've come back to me for their maternity photos, Fiona's newborn photos, and now to photograph their growing family. 

I also loved getting to visit this new (to me) park, and returned in October for some family mini sessions, which will be shared soon as well! It's a great place to bring your family and walk around, especially if your kiddos love animals!

But back to the little lady of honor! Here are some of my favorites from my morning with Miss Fiona.

Bridal Details :: Practice, Practice, Practice

It must be winter! I've blogged three times in a week. I don't even recognize myself anymore! Oh me, oh my...

I thought it would be fun to share a little project I'm working on. I have always felt so comfortable and great about being a natural light photographer, but have also felt like I need to pony up on more general lighting knowledge, because if it's a dark and cloudy day, or a bridal party is getting ready in a cave of a room, or a reception venue has low, dark ceilings and is lit by candlelight, homegirl wants to walk into that situation and BAM - nail it - without a moment of fear or panic. Not every room has big windows with light pouring in, and it's important to be prepared for anything!

So, to better myself and serve my clients better, here I am, continuing the learning process. I do not know everything, I do not claim to know everything, but I'll be damned if I continue on with my business without trying to better myself constantly. The life of an artist is always evolving and changing, trying new things and styles. I go back to old weddings where I felt so cool because I didn't use flash, and kind of want to pinch myself and say "whyyyyyyyyyy?"

I am in the midst of an amazing lighting course, and part of the homework is practice shooting bridal details with flash in such a way that the image feels like it was shot with window/natural light. It's all about control, and no matter what the room looks like or the getting ready situation is, being able to confidently and quickly set up shots that look natural, high end and well lit.

Using some of my own wedding accessories, my wedding dress, a fun sparkly vintage skirt and some cheap glittery Old Navy shoes, I set up what I'd consider a difficult lighting situation and started using the tools I've learned. I edited and posted a few photos to my Facebook page and Instagram last night of my "homework", and asked people to guess what time of day and what my lighting conditions were, based on the look of the photos alone.

My friend Jess said "I'm gonna guess morning around 9 or 10 near a window but not in direct light."

Carly guessed "Dark and OCF?" (OCF means off-camera flash)

Lindsay thinks it was shot at nighttime without natural light. 

And my girl Ashley said "I'm going to say middle of the night. Living room lamp perhaps. Although it looks like it could be natural light, late afternoon before the sun fully sets."

So who was right?

Ding ding ding! Carly got it right with "dark and OCF"!

Here's the setup behind the shots:

5:30pm (after sunset) on a rainy evening in my dining room area with my wedding dress and a sparkly vintage skirt draped over a kitchen chair. There were no windows and no sun. My dining room light was switched off and my living room area was flooded with tungsten light and Lily watching The Magic School Bus on Netflix. The kitchen and hall lights behind me were also off. These images were created using well positioned flash and reflector, shot on my Canon 7D and my 85mm 1.8 lens. Here's an iPhone picture of my super glamorous setup. 

Not even kidding. I won't even brighten this image because it was actually that dark. And I'm pretty proud of myself for what I made from that. I didn't even give myself much room to work in front of the chair, because on a wedding day, I'm often tucked between a hotel room bed and a wall, or in a corner away from the bridal party so I'm not in anyone's way. You literally do not know what you are walking into on any given day, unless you've shot at that hotel or venue before. So I'm feeling pretty badass. One step closer to becoming Wonder Woman!

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If you're a photographer and looking for a fantastic course, I am taking the J&M Lighting Course, which is 100% online and will probably be the best investment I've made in my business since starting. Justin & Mary have a whole slew of courses and guides that are incredibly helpful that you can check out here: https://justin-mary.myshopify.com/collections/all

I loved doing this exercise and plan on sharing more of this as I go. I loved taking my dress out for the first time in 7 years, except I'd forgotten that someone spilled 2 large streaks of red wine down the front, so those are probably never coming out. Oh well, it served it's beautiful purpose! And a wedding dress that's dirty and well worn is a mark of an amazingly fun wedding day, am I right?

Dreaming Big Creative Business Dreams

So, we're well into the new year....at least it feels like it. I intentionally avoided making resolutions because I know myself and by February I'll be looking at a list of these resolutions thinking "Hey girl, what were you thinking?" I tend to live an unplanned life, open to change and new directions, and while goal-setting is an admirable practice, it just hasn't been for me. I wind up disappointed in myself for not losing the weight, saving the money, keeping my house spotless and the other 5-10 things I try to convince myself I am capable of while running a business from home with a 4 year old and a baby on the way. 

Call it self awareness? Maybe I'm giving myself too much credit and I'm actually just lazy. It doesn't matter. I know myself well enough to know that setting goals is not my forte. 

But goodness gracious, I'm a dreamer. 

When I started my business 7 years ago, I dreamed of a day I'd be able to work from home and have a flexible schedule and do the mommy things I knew I'd want to do and live a life doing work I was truly proud of - and now I'm in the midst of that dream. It's reality. It's a lot of hard work and constantly trying to find the balance between working and being mom, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. It seemed so far away for so long, I had so many days I'd come home from my office job feeling defeated, like I'd never actually reach the point where I could leave the life of working towards someone else's vision. 

And it's not easy, not by a long shot. There are still days of feeling defeated or uncertain, where I question if I'm actually kidding myself and should go get a job with regular hours and regular pay. But there's that part of me that will never give up because I hand over photos to a client and know that I am giving them something so incredibly special, that they'll treasure the way I treasure photos of my own family. It's about so much more than hours worked and money and the physical and mental wear and tear this job takes. It's having the privilege of witnessing some of the most special and personal moments in someone's life and ensuring that those memories are documented and treated like they're more precious than gold. 

So I keep showing up and dreaming big dreams, because I want to keep reaching higher and seeing where I can go from here. Instead of resolutions for a year, I dream of where I want to be next year, or five or ten years from now. Here are a few of my big, badass dreams on the horizon...

Open a studio.

I'm dreaming of having a space of my own where I can work, shoot and meet with clients privately. I'm picturing industrial, exposed brick with tall windows, maybe an old mill building. Funky but comfortable vibe. 

Get published.

I need to step outside my comfort zone and start collaborating with so many of the amazingly talented local New England vendors to make some big and beautiful shoots happen.

Shoot elopements worldwide.

Whether they're in Hartford or Boston or NYC or the Caribbean or Paris. Just saying. I'm not picky. Any day of the week, I love photographing couples who are eager to get started on married life. 

Shoot more documentary sessions with families. 

Raw, emotional, active, playful photos without a bit of posing. Tell these stories and inspire people to want more of these kinds of sessions. 

Hire an assistant.

If I had someone else to do more of the business end of things, I could spend more time on the art. 

And on a personal note, I'm going to add:

Buy a house.

Like a studio space, I want a home that we can call our own. A place that we can paint, knock down walls, do renovation projects, and really make our own. So the kids can come home from school and have a yard to go play in and a neighborhood to go bike riding and where we have some space to breathe. 

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What are you dreaming of in the near to distant future? What steps can you start taking to make them a reality? How can I help and cheer you on?

Keep showing up. Keep doing the work. And please keep dreaming. 

Carrie + Patrick | Pomfret Connecticut Wedding at Tyrone Farm | New England Wedding Photographer

Carrie and Patrick's wedding was a dream to shoot at Tyrone Farm in Pomfret, Connecticut. It is always fun photographing weddings at a new (to me) venue, and it was a perfect early September day in New England. When I met Carrie and Patrick last winter, we clicked pretty fast bonding over mutual fandom for all things geeky. The more they told me about themselves and their plans, the more excited I got. Superhero groomsmen? Yes, please. Comic book boutonnieres? Amazing. A playlist of geeky film music? I'm in love. 

The day started at the small cottage on the Tyrone Farm property where Carrie and her ladies were getting ready. It felt like an at-home wedding, very comfortable and cozy and laid back. Looking out the windows to the property, there was a gorgeous view everywhere you looked. Fields and stables and gardens and the barn...it's everything I love about rural New England. 

The ceremony took place in the back field with hilly, wildflower views. Carrie giggled in excitement and there was so much love and support in the air for these two. What I especially loved in that they included all their nieces and nephews in the wedding party along with their daughter, Roslyn, and it really felt like a special family celebration. 

We had a blast taking family and wedding party pictures, and then I happily had Carrie and Patrick all to myself to wander the grounds and give them some quiet moments together. It was like photographer heaven, everywhere I turned I wanted to shoot. And they were so kind to let me do my thing, I did my best to just guide them place to place and then let them snuggle up to each other, laughing and exchanging sweet kisses along the way. What I love about Carrie and Patrick is how easy it is to spend time with them. They're such happy, kindhearted people, and they surround themselves with equally wonderful friends and family. There was no stress, just enjoyment of the day, which is what I love. 

Carrie and Patrick danced into their barn reception to the Ghostbusters theme, and I couldn't stop smiling. That was the same song Sean and I chose for our own wedding introductions, and it just made me so happy to be around fellow nerds who know how to have fun and be themselves. Their guests were equally smitten with their music choices, cheering and laughing and gasping whenever another song came on that they recognized and enjoyed, like music from Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, or Rocky. 

There is nothing I love more than connecting with my clients so that by the time their wedding day rolls around, it truly feels like I'm hanging out with friends. I wear my heart on my sleeve and usually spend the day laughing, crying, cheering and giving people hugs because I can't help it, it's how I roll and that's how it should be. A wedding is a celebration and with all the planning and moving parts that go into making a wedding day happen, you have to love what you do and care about the people you work with. And I really do. 

Venue: Tyrone Farm // Pomfret, Connecticut

Catering, Decor, Flowers, Cake: Pranzi Catering

Videography: Classic Video Productions

Here are some of my favorite highlights from Carrie and Patrick's Tyrone Farm wedding. 

On Believing in Yourself

It's one of my favorite times of year for many reasons. The workload is slowing down, I'm catching up on blogging and forming ideas for the year ahead. But most importantly, I'm doing some serious reflecting on the past year - where I was a year ago, big moments, little moments, successes, failures.

I'm a firm believer in reflecting on the past in order to move forward. 

I am part of a large community of creatives and entrepreneurs called The Rising Tide Society, which I mention every now and then, and this week we're taking part in an Instagram challenge that is all about resting, reflecting, and recharging. It comes at the perfect time when I am dreaming up goals for the new year, but also allowing myself to step back and look at all I've done this year and give myself a little pat on the back and a big mug of cocoa. 

One of the first parts of the challenge is finding an inspiring quote that will keep my business anchored in the coming year. I love quotes. I have Pinterest boards and journals full of them. My camera roll has random screenshots of when  II  see a quote II like that I want to come back to. I went to my little "Find Joy in the Journey" journal that I started back in January and found the perfect quote to move into 2017. It comes from Harry Potter:

"Working hard is important, but there is something that matters even more - believing in yourself."

This past year was hard and exciting and filled me with worry and energy and all the feelings. Being a self-employed creative person is a rollercoaster. Every single day I experience highs and lows and a rush of excitement and the climbing fear of what's to come. When your livelihood rests on your own shoulders and depends on holding yourself accountable for doing the work, putting yourself out there and being your own CEO, marketer, accountant, and boss lady, in addition to being an artist and doing that work at the core of your business - let's just say the stress can be crushing. 

And if you let doubt and fear consume you, that crushing stress will, well, crush you and leave you questioning every decision and action. 

When I went full time for myself last January, there was a lot of fear and doubt and anxiety. I did not know what this year would do to me or my family. I didn't know if I'd be searching for another office job or if I'd be wildly successful. All I could do was roll up my sleeves, do the work, and put myself out there. Again and again and again. I had to find my voice. I had to figure out who I am as a person, as a photographer, as a working mom and wife and boss lady. And it has not been easy figuring that out. 

Honestly, I'm still figuring it out.

One of the things that I learned quickly was that if I made any room for fear or doubt in my life, in my family and business, it would elbow it's way in and smother all the good things I have going. I had to find my confidence and my voice, and in order to do that, I had to stop comparing myself to others. I had to stop looking at how far or how quickly someone was growing their business. I had to find creative entrepreneur friends who I could hang out with and chat about business and ideas and life and things we're passionate about. When you don't work with other adults regularly, it can get lonely, and finding a local tribe to converse with is incredibly refreshing. 

This year has been a slow climb from years of holding myself back for my other jobs and things I had going on. This year was all about diving in headfirst, letting go of fear of what's ahead and just rolling with what came my way. This year was about believing that I could actually take this thing I love and make it work and support my family with it.

Because that's where it all began. It all began nearly 7 years ago, working a job I didn't love, wanting to fulfill my creative heart in a way that I could enjoy my someday (now reality) children, have flexibility with my time to spend with family. To do something that has a lasting impact for good on others. And to look myself in the eye and know that I'm doing something that I value, that I love, that is meaningful and creative. My work is serving others in a way that I best know how.

So working hard, yes it's important, of course it is. But if you don't believe in yourself, the journey will be incredibly difficult. 

Find your voice. Share your heart. Make friends with your creative community. Lean on your family and friends. Know that you have what it takes, and while it won't always be easy, it will always be worth it. 

 Cheers,

Shannon

Claire + Ben :: Duxbury Massachusetts Backyard Wedding

Claire and Ben celebrated their emotional wedding surrounded by family and friends in Claire's parents' backyard in Duxbury, Massachusetts this past July. Among endless gardens of some of the most gorgeous florals and plantings, accented with small succulents and herbs for placecards, so much homegrown love went into this day. Claire and Ben put all of themselves into creating a celebration that reflected them individually and as a couple. Ben, a chef, orchestrated an amazingly delicious menu that smelled divine and tasted like the best homecooked meal you could imagine. 

It was everything a wedding should be - personal, heartfelt, modern with respect for tradition, an intimate feeling of closeness and importance to every single attendee... I could go on and on, but I will instead share some of my most favorite images from the day. 

We started the day taking photos in some of the Duxbury conservation land, then moving on to the Shipyard Lane beach on Duxbury, Bay, and back to Claire's parents' house for the celebration to begin.

Their ceremont consisted of Jewish and Quaker traditions mixed with their own personal touches. It was such an honor to witness. The guests were just as much a part of the ceremony as Claire and Ben, truly making it feel like a family and community celebration. One of my favorite things was the time they set aside for words of encouragement, where any guest could stand up and say some words, prepared or from the heart, a poem, advice, anything to encourage and support Claire and Ben as they begin their married life together. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. 

I could go on and on, but I will instead share some of my most favorite images from the day. 

Jo :: Duxbury Beach Small Business Marketing Photography

Jo is a beautiful soul. We spent a Saturday morning together at Duxbury Beach to make some photos for her business website, so she could put a face to her voice. Jo is a psychic and runs Heartfelt Angel Connections in Hanover, Massachusetts. I'll admit, I did not know what to expect when I met her. We talked about how psychics can sometimes be stereotyped to look or act a certain way, and as she said, she needed these photos to show her clients that she's a woman, a wife, a mom, a friendly face and a warm personality. 

We actually spent quite a lot of time talking and I went home after this session knowing we were brought together on this morning for a reason. We talked about taking big leaps, even when you feel you're not ready, and being brave and throwing caution to the wind. It was a gorgeous sunny morning at the beach and I love the images we made.

Here are some of my favorites!

Rory + Erin :: World's End Hingham, Massachusetts Engagement Photography

Rory, Erin and I spent a hot July day hiking World's End in Hingham to capture their engagement photos. We were on the southern edge of a thunderstorm, and we ultimately got caught in a bit of a downpour, which made for some really fun, moody photos. 

These two are so much fun and I can't wait to photograph their wedding next spring! Their ceremony is at St. Mary's in Scituate, where Sean and I were married, and their reception will be at the Jones River Trading Company in Kingston, which I have not had the pleasure of shooting at - yet!

Fun story? Rory crashed my wedding. Yup. He and his friend Brendan have been long time friends with Sean's sister Kerry, and they kept telling us they'd crash our wedding. And they did! They showed up at our reception in suits and joined the last hour of the party, at which point, the more the merrier!

Considering the weather, we had a lot of fun on this shoot. I was newly and secretly pregnant, so I tried not to huff and puff too much climbing the hills at World's End. Luckily, Rory was distracted by trying to catch Pokemon, and Erin was gracious enough not to say anything if she noticed said huffing and puffing. It was like hanging out with friends, which is always a treat. I am so excited to witness their marriage in a few months!

I am currently booking 2017 weddings for June through December. Inquire here for availability!

Eden :: Connecticut Newborn Photography

I got to spend a quiet morning with Eden back in July and she was such a sleepy little sweetheart! She is the youngest of three and we took some quick family shots before Cora and Finn went to school. They were so good and gentle with her, it's always fun to see big siblings loving on their littles. 

Alise got to snuggle with Eden in peace and quiet, which I'm sure is just the best. They were in their own little world for a while and I just snapped away and it was like witnessing such a special moment of peace and comfort and love. 

And then I hogged Eden all to myself. 

Talk about a great morning. 

The more in-home newborn sessions I do, the more I love them. The parents get to sit back and have a cup of coffee or conk out or get a stretch to put their feet up and relax. Everything they need is within reach. Babies are around the comfortable smells and sounds of home. And for me, it's like getting to visit friends and hang out with their baby for a couple hours. We work on the baby's schedule and we don't wrap up until we're all happy. What's not to love? 

I'd love to share some of my favorites from my morning with Eden and her family.

If you or someone you know is expecting and looking for an in-home newborn session, contact me today! I am currently booking newborn sessions for weekday mornings now through February 2017. Any newborn shoot booked during the month of September will receive a free 8x8 Signature photo book of images!

Fall Mini Sessions!

Whether you believe Fall started September 1st or you have 2 more weeks of beach weather ahead of you, now's the time to start planning for Fall Mini Sessions!

I had so much fun with last year's mini sessions in Duxbury that I am planning early and a LOT of days to make sure you have a chance to get some great updated family shots, a mini maternity, headshots, a mini engagement or celebrate your anniversary! I will be in Connecticut and Massachusetts at a variety of locations!

Drumroll please...

October 15 - Newburyport, Massachusetts

October 16 - Duxbury, Massachusetts

October 22 - Windsor, Connecticut

October 23 - Fairfield, Connecticut

November 5 - Walpole, Massachusetts

Price: $150

Time slots: 8:00am // 8:35am // 9:10am //9:45am

Inclusions: 20 minute session; online gallery to view, share and purchase prints; 15 downloadable high resolution digital files 

All sessions are booked on a first come, first served basis with a signed contract and payment in full. In case of rain or inclement weather, a mini session date will be rescheduled as soon after the original date as possible. 

Please contact me at hello@shannon-sorensen.com or using the Contact form on this site to inquire.

I look forward to seeing your beautiful faces this fall!

Martin :: Connecticut Newborn Photography

Hello, sweet little Martin...

He entered the world at the end of June and it was an honor to photograph his sweet little face. He has a big sister named Claire who is very gentle and loving towards her new little brother. I know he'll be in good hands with her watching out for him!

Martin's mommy and daddy were one of my first engagement shoots back in 2010 at Yale, and I was so happy to hear from them now that they're living in Connecticut again. It is really amazing to be able to see people I've worked with years ago and see where they are in life and see how their family has changed and grown. It's a gift.

It also makes me very aware of the passage of time. These babies grow so quickly into people with personalities and opinions and funny things to say. Before you know it the baby days have passed. All you have is photos and memories to remember "those were the days". 

These tiny babies have no idea the joy and heartbreak they give us mamas. 

Before I start weeping on my keyboard, I'll share more of Martin. He was so calm and wonderful to photograph, even when he woke up he just kind of stared at me and was content to just hang out on my squishy newborn pillow. What a little love...

Bird Park Family Photography

I am in love with the session. Adorable toddler? Check. Newborn sleepyhead? Check. Gorgeous mama and goofy daddy making their kiddo giggle while snuggling sleepy newborn? Check and check. 

Jess and Mike and their two sweet little ladies met me at Bird Park in Walpole for a family session and my first thought was "Little Isabella is wearing jellies and I might die of cuteness." 

Jellies are the bomb, especially when they're tiny and pink and adorning the feet of a cutie pie. 

We made our way around the park, giggling, taking breaks for the baby to nurse and keeping Isabella entertained. I pulled out all my best mama-of-a-little-one tricks and by the end of the session, I think you could say Isabella and I were very good buddies. She fistbumped me, so that's something.

Join me in delighting over this sweet family's session and let me know in the comments if you have a favorite!

I just love that last one. We reached our limit and everyone was ready to go. Miss Isabella and the Case of the Sillies. 

If you're seeking a fun, relaxed family photography session around Connecticut, Massachusetts or Rhode Island that captures the love, playfulness and joy that your family shares, let's chat!

Why I'm Using Snapchat & Loving It

This is a shorter version of a post on my creative lifestyle blog, Dancing Lily Studio. I hope you enjoy it, and as with all of my blog posts, the opinions expressed here are solely my own. 

I don't usually post much about social media and how to use it, but I thought today I'd talk a bit about Snapchat and why it's quickly becoming one of my favorite social tools.

I joined Snapchat last summer with a group of fellow moms to share fun, quick snippets of our kids' days with each other. Then more friends and family joined, and guess what? It's become the main place where I share my day to day life. Here's why:

Around late January, we were planning a trip to Disney, Lily's first time there, and I knew I wanted to be able to share our trip with friends and family. I didn't, however, want to clog Facebook or Instagram with pictures and videos of the trip for five days straight. Especially with little things that happened throughout the day. I have a documentary heart and wanted to capture everything.

Snapchat was the place to share all of that. I could take photos or 10 second videos throughout the day, add them to my Snapstory (more on that in a bit), and at the end of the day, I saved my story to my phone for backup and posted the whole video story to Facebook. Prior to the trip, I shared my username on Facebook and Instagram and invited friends and family to follow me if they wanted to watch my snaps during the day. I was surprised at how many people signed up!

So, if you're lost on how to use Snapchat or what the point of it even is, here's how it generally works:

1. Capture. You either take a picture (and choose the duration of the photo to appear for 1-10 seconds), or have up to 10 seconds to capture on video by holding down the camera button, to share with your friends/followers. 

2. Filters! Snapchat is constantly adding fun filters to use that do anything from change the coloring of your snap, to mark the time or geotag the place, weird face filters. You can also add text, emojis, or draw on your photo or video.

3. Do you want to save? You can choose to save your picture or video to your phone before sending it to friends by clicking the little button at the bottom.

4. Next you share. You choose exactly who sees each "snap". You hand pick who to send it to, allowing you to send a picture or video to one person, a small group of people, or everyone on your list. This allows your to, in a sense, have a private conversation through pictures and video. Something a bit more private might just go to Sean or my family or best friends, while other snaps can go to everyone. 

5. Life is short. A snap only lives for 24 hours on your story. Then it's gone. Whether you share a picture of your dinner or a quick video from a hike or hanging out at home or working or getting buzzed on boxed wine, even if it's not "pretty", it's only there for a limited time. If you send someone a snap directly, it's there until they view it, and then it disappears. They can view it one more time by holding down the snap, but you'll receive a notification that they've replayed it. It's meant to be brief. 

6. Put the CHAT in Snapchat. You can go back and forth with contacts having conversations through photo, video or text! You can also reply or comment on a snap sent to you, or one that you see on someone's story (but only if you are mutual followers), but once that comment is received, it also disappears.

7. Snap your story. You can add any snaps to your "Snap Story", which is public to anyone who follows you. You can download your story at any time to your phone, and any snaps on your story from the past 24 hours will save to a .mp4 video.

8. Keep in mind, lovers of landscape. All photos or videos are vertical layout, so if you save them, they may be oriented differently from what you intended.

This photo has been rotated from it's original awkwardly vertical orientation.

So, what's so great about a social tool that's so brief and temporary? It's liberating! It more raw, more real, no pressure to create a curated gallery of your life that anyone can view indefinitely. It's an opportunity to share your day to day with your audience in a way that's more authentic, unedited, and a true glimpse into your life. The camera quality isn't amazing, the filters are just ok, so these are not going to be amazing visuals. You can share 2 snaps per day or 20 or none at all, and the next day, do something completely different. And there's no pressure to make it all personal or all business. You can use it however you wish, and start fresh each day. 

For now, I am enjoying sharing bits of my day. Since I work from home, and Lily is home with me when she's not at school, you may see me working on crafts/sewing, painting, Lil playing, funny or random pictures, cooking dinner, current editing work, on location for photography, our weekend adventures to Massachusetts...It's probably the most real representation of my life, if that is of any interest. 

Are you on Snapchat? Do you like it? Do you think it's just another passing trend in social media? I'm always fascinated by how these platforms come and go and change. There have certainly been plenty that seemed like they'd become huge, but were basically over in a week (Google Wave, Ello, Periscope). Not to say they were a failure, they're still somewhat used, but there are definitely platforms that I think will remain more significant for the time being. 

If you'd like to follow me on Snapchat, my username is shannonsoren. Please keep it clean! lol