Emily ~ Class of 2022

First, can we believe I’m here talking about shooting my baby girl’s senior photos?! Sometimes it takes my breath away how fast time really does go.

For our first session of her senior portrait experience we explored downtown Springfield. As we have been back at traveling sometimes you can really miss how interesting what you see everyday really can be. I love the vivid colors shooting in an “urban” location can bring to portraits … the red bricks of a building, the grey of concrete sidewalks and the multi-colored murals can really bring a pop to your photos!

10 Year Anniversary Session

I admit it, I have been woefully neglectful of my blog for the past year & a half. So many times I think about it & realize I should hop on & blog but other things in life step in the way & I don’t come. This is will start to change today!!!

Meet the Coen Family! Liz & Kevin are both amazing people that spend countless hours with our teenagers helping them finish their high school education careers at Springfield High School. Kevin is also the adventurous soul that guides the graduation ceremony ship into port year after year …. and I have to admit the last two years have been harder than hard with ever changing guidance & recommendations. (Here’s hoping next year’s ceremony will be much less stressful for everyone!)

Liz & Kevin have recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary & came to me for a combination of family session & couples session! We had so much fun capturing everyone throughout the summer evening …. and really capturing just what 10 years of marriage looks like!

Let Your Athlete Be Dressed for Family Photos!

Dear parents .... let your kids be dressed for family photos!

I'll admit it, I'm often here telling you the value of family photos ... especially as your children grow into their teenage years ... but I do not take my own advice! The last time we took anything close to a family photo that included us parents was when I pulled out the tripod shortly after Chase was born in 2012. In recent months we have "updated" that photo twice ... during Ashley's senior nights (huge shout out to Kate Garaffa (soccer) & Marie LaPlante (basketball) for capturing these moments for my family as well as the other senior families on these teams). While I truly treasure these images of our family ... let's face it ... if I'm going to hang a 16x20 framed print above my couch I'd prefer Ashley to be wearing something other than an athletic uniform!

I know that as parents of teenagers - especially the teenage athlete - finding a moment to commit to taking a family portrait takes a lot of creativity! And while golden hour provides gorgeous light to capture these images, so often kids are practicing or playing a game when it happens. I have been on the sideline capturing kids playing sports in this light ... or driving home from a game when it happens!

While investing in a full hour plus session during golden hour with everyone in perfectly coordinated outfits is certainly ideal, for so many of us families of teenagers this ideal is realistically is not obtainable.

So here is your permission .... it is ok to miss golden hour! It is ok that you have 19 minutes available Sunday at 11:37 AM! It is ok that you are just happy everyone is in clean clothes! And its ok that the location is on the side of the road on your way to an event!

I'd love to work with you to find that precise moment in time to capture this precious time with you. I'll show up on the side of the road at 11:37 AM on a Sunday to freeze time with you before your teenagers sprout their wings and fly into their next great adventure ... and if we're lucky, I'll even get a reluctant smile out of them! Who knows .... maybe I'll even listen to my own advise and carve out a piece of time this spring or summer to do the same!



Aldridge Family

I donate gift certificates to family sessions here and there for some local charities. My favorite benefit, beyond giving back to the community which has so generously supported me, is being able to meet new families that I may not have had the chance to meet otherwise. Such was the case with the Springfield Rotary Club’s Penny Sale this past October. Nicole’s mom won the gift certificate for a full session and promptly gifted it to her daughter and her family. I had a great time meeting and capturing this gorgeous family!

Lorelei & Ethan .... Part 2

I met up recently with Lorelei & Ethan recently to capture a few more images of them. I love that their pups joined them too … and Ethan begrudgingly agreed for a few CAP uniform photos!

Upper Valley Humane Society 60th Anniversary Gala

I hold three charities close to my heart …. the Springfield Booster Club, the Springfield Humane Society & the Upper Valley Humane society … I think student athletes and pups make a pretty good pairing!

About 3 1/2 years ago we got Rosie from the Upper Valley Humane Society. We had decided to add a dog to our home and realized given Chase’s young age we needed to start with a puppy for everyone’s sake. And we knew that the right pup for us would be a good old fashioned “mutt”. Little did we realize that the time was that since we live in the northeast finding a pup would be a challenge! Until one day in mid-June when I got an email that the Upper Valley Humane Society had a transport coming from Texas with a little. We rapidly shifted our plans for the day and soon Rosie became a part of our family. The icing on the cake, that even on the most challenging of puppy days made it all worth it was Chase saying “thank you for my puppy” when she came home!

Last year UVHS was looking for a volunteer to photograph their annual gala & I took a chance & offered my services. The event was fantastic and it was a great to be able to give back to an organization doing some amazing, albeit challenging, work for animals in the Upper Valley & beyond. I was thrilled to be asked back to photograph their 60th Anniversary Gala again this fall!! Fun fact, when they started (as the Grafton County Humane Society) their mission from day one was that only “vicious” or terminally animals would be put down… the rest would be saved. That mission continues today with a large list of programs aimed at helping all the animals … and they have a great group of people ensuring they continue on that mission!

Ben & Elizabeth ~ A Wedding at Tree Farm Campground

Nestled just minutes from downtown Springfield, Tree Farm Campground provides a welcoming experience for those who love camping. It also provided the perfect setting for Ben & Elizabeth’s wedding …. partly because they run the place!

Friends & family from near & far gathered together to celebrate the couple & the joining of their families surrounded by the late autumn foliage while the sun warmed the late October chill away. The day was less about the formalities of the “perfect” wedding and more about the celebration of Ben & Elizabeth’s love & commitment to each other. (Although her dress may just have been the perfect dress …. it had POCKETS!!!) . They also were the first couple that I ever photographed to start a conga line leaving their ceremony … quite honestly I think that’s the way every ceremony should end … seeing the smiles & laughter on the guests faces told me that I am probably not alone in this!

The reception was overloaded with dishes brought by their guests to share and topped off with a couple of surprises by Aroma Catering Vt … I have to admit I was super excited to FINALLY get to try some of Mandy’s amazing food (I was not disappointed).

They are off to a European River Cruise for their honeymoon and will soon return home to prepare for next year’s guests at the campground.

Congratulations!!!

The Lovell Family

A few years ago I captured the Lovell Family on a beautiful fall day. I was thrilled when Julie contacted me again this fall to have updated portraits taken! While the weather forecast didn’t show it, we were surprised with some sprinkles throughout our session we worked fast and got it done before the rain got any worse. The kids - and the pup - were rockstars!!! We even didn’t forget the pumpkin they brought!

The Eno Family

A few years ago I had the opportunity to photograph Keith & Tori’s wedding. As an added difficulty bonus, it also included Chase as the ring bearer … he was adorable as could be … but in order to get him down the aisle, he kicked a soccer ball! Thankfully Keith & Tori - and their families - are pretty big sports fans so it went over pretty cute!

About a year and a half ago Lennox arrived and expanded their family to three. She’s ridiculously adorable and LOOOOOVES apples … thankfully mom & dad are cool enough to roll with it as a prop … because she ate a steady diet of them during the session. Lennox loves her fruits & veggies and shuns sweets & candy …. much to the disappointment of all young athletes in town who waited anxiously for her arrival ready to fill her bottles with Mt. Dew and offer up Air Heads as a teething item for all the super healthy treats Keith had offered to our kids!

Jenna & Billy ~ Fall Engagement Session

These two laughed their way right through their engagement session, and am pretty sure their wedding next September will be very much the same …. and I absolutely cannot wait for it! Added bonus …. using an apple for a ring shot!!

Lily ~ School Photos ~ 2019

I’ve been taking Lily’s school photos each fall for a few years now. Its really funny just how fast time goes without even really noticing. During just these few years she’s grown from a sweet little girl into a blossoming young adult. And this year for pictures she even brought her little pup along that I can see how much is adored by Lily!

Smith Family Photos

One of my greatest pleasures is photographing families over time. A few years ago I captured this slightly smaller family so I was incredibly excited that I had the opportunity to photograph the slightly larger Smith Family again this fall!! Sweet baby Grace has made this special family just a little bit fuller …. and I can see she is so adored by her entire family … and who wouldn’t with those gorgeous blue eyes!

Phelps Family Photos

I’ve had a few conversations about these family photos since I took them … the common thread?! Every mom I talked to is crazy jealous that Jordan & Britney banded together to purchase a family session for Jason & Renee’s Anniversary gift! This might also make a mom super happy as a Christmas gift idea too … I have gift certificates available that could sit in a nice frame to give mom something to look forward to in the warmer months …. or bundle up & do an outdoor session in some snow!

I had a great time capturing these photos celebrating 25 years of marriage for Jason & Renee earlier this fall. Here’s just a few of the fun!

Will ~ Springfield High School ~ Class of 2020

Chances are, if you purchase your Christmas Tree from Bishop Farm you’ve been watching Will grow up over the years. Will is the middle of three boys that spend countless hours helping their parents ensuring everyone has their perfect tree to help them celebrate the holidays. So of course the natural location for his senior photos would be the tree farm and the pond just below and yet another gorgeous fall day. I have to say that Mother Nature is certainly paying us back for a cold & wet spring with an absolutely stunning fall!

Cadence ~ Springfield High School ~ Class of 2020

If you follow Vermont Track & Field you know this kid can fly! Cadence currently holds the D-2 Indoor Track Championship for Triple Jump at 42 feet 7.25 inches and the D-3 Outdoor Championships for High Jump (6 feet), Javelin (149 feet 2 inches) & Triple Jump (41 feet 2 inches). I met Cadence at the high school for his senior photos so we could incorporate the track, you could see him just light up the instant his feet touched it!

Jacob ~ Springfield High School ~ Class of 2020

If you have been to a Springfield Football game in the last couple of seasons, chances are you’ve watched Jake plow through defenders and keep moving forward like some sort of super hero. While a symbol of strength on the field, Jake is as sweet of a guy off the field. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him!

Daniel ~ Springfield High School ~ Class of 2020

I’ve watched Daniel grow up, quite literally, out my kitchen window! He has grown into a wonderfully responsible young man who is ready to lend us a hand for any number of ridiculous reasons (mouse in the house to car issues) without hesitation.

Daniel brought along his girlfriend as well as one of his pups & his nephew for his session … we had a great time capturing everyone!!!

Greg ~ Springfield High School ~ Class of 2020

In addition to being a three season athlete playing football, basketball & baseball Greg has a love of fishing, hunting & his pup! After graduation Greg is hoping to attend the police academy with a focus on being a game warden!

Kristos ~ Springfield High School ~ Class of 2020

Kristos has a love of soccer as big as the boot he can give from the defensive end of the field! I have been lucky enough to watch him spend endless hours behind Village Pizza working on his footwork over the years and I can see just how deep his passion goes!