I’ve done quite a lot of blogs on late 2011 sessions. We’ve been working with new clients at the studio this month and we’ll be ready to show some 2012 sessions shortly.

So what else is new for 2012?

We are now introducing standouts to the list of products we offer to clients. The display standouts we have at the studio are regularly admired by clients. We also get a lot of people wanting to display small images together in their homes. So we are offering small sized standouts that can be purchased in groups to create a small wall gallery.  ( Bigger sized standouts will be available of course.)

Standout portraits do not require framing. A standout comprises of a portrait print bonded to 3/4 inch lightweight substrate and banded with either black, white, light wood or stainless steel. Hanging holes are placed on the backside for instant wall mounting.

At  least 2 standouts must be purchased. Generally arrangements of 3 or more are the most effective. Sample standout wall galleries will be on display at the studio within  the next few weeks.

Still blogging from late last season. I generally suggest outdoor sesion for toddlers. The 18 month to 3 year age is a very busy time and children this age love to be on the move. I photographed this lovely boy when he was just 4 months.  Now on the march at 18 months he gave me quite the workout. I brought along an antique firetruck for this little guy to ride on . Not that he needed wheels to be speedy! He came along with a very dapper hat. In in all the props made for some perfect portraits!

 Here’s a couple of portraits from a studio session towards the end of 2011. I love doing 6-8 month baby and family portraits in studio. This one was no exception. Good luck to this family who are relocating this month.

 Started this Fall session with light rain and heavy clouds and I even wondered for the first half hour whether I would get any good light to do my work.  Then out of nowhere we got a sunset and I got a family portrait which I can easily say is one of my absolute favorites ever. This family was perfect company so fun and easy going. Still playing catch up with my blogging. I am posting this session online today with snow on the ground outside my window. Makes me feel all warm just looking at all these Fall colors!

I bet a lot of people have a secret new year resolution to be more organized. I confess to being one of those people. I am playing catch up with my portrait session blog. Here’s some from a mini shoot late in 2011. Better late than never with these portraits. Lovely little girl with such a gorgeous hair color. I hope Mom is happy to see these finally posted!

Continuing the theme of favorite portrait for the year, the top image from this shoot is a special pick for me. I just love the light in it which just happened to show itself right at the end of the session. I also like the feel of the composition. We had some lovely images from this family session.

 My Fall season blog postings would not be complete without a portrait of these children. This is my fifth Fall session with these kids but this time around two is now three with the arrival of the youngest sister. At just over 4 months posing can be quite a challenge. A big thanks to the eldest two siblings for being very patient and happy to try a few different positions for this portrait. This portrait is a bit of a change from my usual style but it happens to be a real favorite of mine.

 With the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been having here in Massachusetts we went to the beach near Newburyport this last weekend and were lucky enough to have it to ourselves. Big empty expanses such as this uncrowded beach are fun to walk on and also to photograph, they can be used to create images with lots of ‘negative space’, which help to tell a story in itself and to emphasize a subject that only makes up a small part of the image. When shooting portraits we don’t often get the chance to compose in this way so this made a refreshing change!

 Mike and I held this session the evening before record October snow here in MA. It was a perfect Fall evening with milky colored sky that often shows up before snow and which produced the best light for photos and did a great job of bringing out the Fall color. We often think of the briliant maple reds and strong yellows as THE Fall colors here in New England. I have to admit though, they are not my choice for environmental portraits. I think the burnished browns and fading orange and bronzes are really the way to go.

We photographed these girls in the Summer. So this Fall session came not too long after the previous shoot. I was a little concerned the girls may not be too interested in spending time with us again so soon after but how wrong was I? They were great ( and Mom too) and every portrait from the session is a keeper!

 We constantly look forward. What are we doing at the weekend? How many weeks to Christmas? Is it band tomorrow? My daughter asks me every night when I give her a bedtime kiss, ” Mummy what are we doing tomorrow?”.

If instead we look back, is there some hope that time will stand still, even just for a few minutes.

We took a family walk at the beach this past weekend. I was constantly at the back of my crew trying to catch up. Out of sheer frustration I called out to my son. He stopped and looked back. I saw at that moment that he is  no longer my little boy. I love what he is growing into but feel the loss of what he’s leaving behind.

If we take time to look back will time stand still, even just for a few moments?