Family on the Lawn

After the wedding, family pictures were at the father’s home on the Saugatuck River in Westport. Such a scenic location with waving grasses and impressive rocks as backgrounds for the bride and groom and all their adoring family. Some highlights were two twin great aunts and the sweet awesome aussie doodle all dressed up in his doggie tuxedo!  And then there was the perfect balcony to photograph the whole group from above. And the whole family left the next day for their destination wedding in Italy. So glad I could be a part of this intimate, local celebration!

Booked for the Evening Honors Debbie Allen

Last night guests excitedly gathered at the Westport Library’s Trefz Forum for the 27th annual Booked for the Evening event, the library’s signature fundraiser. This is my seventh year photographing this moving tribute exceptional people who have made a difference in the arts.This year’s honoree was the legendary Debbie Allen, producer, director, actress, dancer, author, to name a few of her accomplishments. She is best known for her roll in Fame, the TV series and Gray’s Anatomy, It was a privilege to photograph her and get to see what a kind and caring personality she is.

Fittingly, the night began with young people. Local dancers, including students from The Norwalk Conservatory, opened the program with a performance which you can see Debbie was clearly moved by. She has spent her career mentoring and inspiring young artists through her Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA) in Los Angeles and her children’s books. Before the program she greeted sponsors, and spent time with students from the Norwalk Conservatory Lead sponsors were Paula and Tom McInerney.

A video of well-wishes followed, with messages from Debbie’s family, friends and colleagues, including Jada Pinkett Smith and members of the Grey’s Anatomy family. In the audience and with a personal tribute was her Fame castmate Cynthia Gibb, also from Westport.

The heart of the evening was Debbie’s conversation with Shonda Rhimes, the library’s 2022 honoree and her longtime Grey’s Anatomy collaborator. They talked about creativity, mentorship and helping kids achieve their dreams. Library Director Bill Harmer then presented Debbie with the library’s Booked for the Evening award. Hawk, the book of poetry by her mother, Vivian Ayers, was also placed in the library’s permanent collection with a beautiful inscription on a permanent archival book plate.

Catering was by Marcia Selden Catering and the florals by Blossom and Stem. Additional partners were The Delamar Westport, Kindred Spirits Wine and Westport Magazine. Congratulations to the library, to the Booked committee and to co-chairs Stacy Bass, Wendy Brown and Candice Savin on an unforgettable night.

Wedding at Church of the Assumption

What a special time to photograph the wedding of one of my clients from 20 years ago. The bride was just a girl then and now she is starting on this new journey as an adult! It was a bright, sunny morning with family at The Church of the Assumption right on the Saugatuck River in Westport. There was a blessing personally signed by the Pope. And lots of warmth and love.

West Hartford Home

After donating to a neighborhood fundraiser, a very connected family of four were my auction winners. They had just had a baby in August. I arrived on a Sunday morning and the whole family was sitting on the couch on the front porch waiting for me! The little boy was very much into science and dinosaurs and the session flowed from room to room so easily, reading together, dancing to records and walking out among the flowers! I drove home feeling so grateful.

Ten Terrific Years

I was thrilled to get a call to capture a family of four on their 10th anniversary in Westport, CT. We played with bubbles, slid down the slide, danced in the driveway and connected with each other.

Family Frolic!

I always meet great families from the auctions where I donate. This fun, active family came to me through Landmark Preschool in Westport, CT. The kids are all involved in sports and were full of energy. It was a late afternoon in August and the light was especially beautiful filtering through the trees. Special moments happened in the family tableaus. In one, the boy is about to catch a football, the mom is spinning the daughter, the other daughter is doing a handstand and  the dog and dad are looking on!

Joy in Waveny Park

I’ve known this dad from when he was a teenager. This has been the real gift lately is that I am photographing the kids of my friends with their own babies and growing families! We were up at Waveny Park in New Canaan. It was fun to meet his wife and their sweet baby who was so fun and easily entertained. And certainly entertaining for us!

Adam J. Lewis Academy

I am always so happy each year to photograph the school at Adam J. Lewis Academy. The kids are fun, challenged and engaged. Started in 2011 with only a preschool, this year AJLA has their first graduating class from 8th grade. You can see the excitement and promise on their faces.

Family Comes Together

How fun to hear from a woman in Texas who was bringing her extended family together in Westport this month! They used to live in Westport, but now part of the family with the two grandsons, lives in Louisiana. Picking a classic farm house, not far from where they used to live, with lots of character, was a great start. Playing on the lawn with a 3 year old, and sharing the 10 month old, provided lots of warm and tender moments.

Days are long on Long Beach Island

I have never been to Beach Haven on the Jersey Shore before. My client who I have know for almost 20 years was having their extended family all together last week.

They had rented a house that the grandfather had come to with his family when he was young. The house slept 20 and had a great wrap-around porch. With a new grandchild to play with, lifeguard chairs to climb and playing in the waves, fun was had by all!

TURNING 90 ON THE FOURTH

A lovely Westport family was having their whole extended family in town for the Fourth of July. It was a very hot day! But everyone came together and celebrated the grandfather who was turning 90. His buddy from military training was there, after all these years. There were tears, laughter and lots of connection.

BABY SHOWER BY THE WATER

A baby shower, close friends and family at Rowayton Seafood on a magical day in July. They played the games “How much do these baby items cost” and “What songs have baby in the title” which added to the fun event. The docks and water made for great backdrops for family and friend photos at the end of the luncheon!

Love at the Lighthouse

A couple weeks ago, I had one of the most novel proposals I have ever photographed! The boyfriend and I went out on a launch to the Greens Ledge Lighthouse off the shore at Rowayton. I love being on boats and the water and so I was very excited. The whole experience exceeded my expectations.

The lighthouse is gorgeous, bright red and white. There was an osprey nest on the rock outcropping there. Each room was decorated in a lighthouse theme! We waited, preparing where he would propose. Her family brought her out by boat and she was shocked and surprised and exuberant. We had a half hour to capture this special moment for the two of them, and what a backdrop! Then the extended family arrived for pictures of them all together, reveling in such happiness and joy!

America 250 - Visions & Voice

I went to the artists’ talk at Norwalk Art Space last week. The artists have created original, thoughtful pieces with several of them being sculptural and having interesting textures. It is well worth a visit and stopping by the cafe where proceeds help the Norwalk Art Space provide free art classes to kids in Norwalk.

Photo Tips: Patterns at the Beach

We were up on the Cape in June. I love the sand flats in Provincetown when the tide is out. There are patterns everywhere with the ripples, shells, seaweed and sand. Had so much fun exploring. Even made a sand angel!

Where Women Create

One of my long time client friends, Sherri Wolfgang, came to me with an idea. She had found a magazine, “Where Women Create,” about women artists’ studios. She applied and got in and needed pictures.

We had a great time capturing branding images of her at work in her creative studio in Westport CT, with her inspiration and her cute dog. This is a really fun magazine to see interesting artists and their work space.

100 YEARS TO CELEBRATE

What an amazing time photographing my client who was turning 100! She was so engaged, funny and smart. Every morning she does leg lifts, arm circles and push ups. So inspirational! And her whole family came from all over the country to be there to celebrate with her at the Fairfield County Hunt Club in Westport, Connecticut.

They had the most fun tattoos of the birthday girl at different times of her life. It was such a meaningful day.

Young Family Joy

I received a call around the holidays from a lovely woman in Virginia, wanting to buy a lifestyle photo session for her daughter and family who live in Westport, Connecticut. The daughter reached out and we decided on a spring session. The kids were 2 years old and 1 year and so full of fun.

I love the twists and turns that are a young family session. Over the course of an hour, we did reading, played trains, did puzzles and blew bubbles! The parents were so involved and engaged with the kids. I walked away feeling so happy!

Rainy Day Graduation

This past weekend, I drove to Vermont to photograph triplets that I have photographed over 20 years. The first couple sessions were in Fairfield, then South Carolina, Orlando and now Vermont. Two of the triplets graduated in LA the week before. They brought their caps and gowns to Middlebury and we were able to get pictures of all of them dressed for graduation and throwing their caps in the air. We were lucky to have a cloudy day on Saturday for baccalaureate as graduation on Sunday was pouring rain! So fun to celebrate with this family all these years!

Triplets Turn 22

Back in 2003, I photographed 3 year old triplets in Fairfield. They were a ton of fun! I had so much awe at the parents raising three kids at once! And it has been a beautiful journey photographing this family over the years: the kids at 3, 8, 16, 18 and now just this past weekend at 22! I have gotten to document their transition from playful young children to accomplished young adults.