I waited 45 years to become a mom and it is the single most gratifying thing I ever did. The sad part is I’m not sure my son will have a visual diary of how much I love hanging with him and how happy he makes me feel.You see I cringe every time the camera lens is pointed in our direction. I know that’s crazy considering I am a photographer but in all honestly most of my friends that are snap happy are just not sympathetic to my double chin or the fact that I am not a runway model. Getting a good shot of you with your kids is hard work and unless there is a pro behind the lens are you are never ever going to like yourself in a candid photo. (serious plug for my services)
All those great People magazine shots or In Style spreads with children and their beautiful mom’s glowing on the pages are chosen from 100’s or even 1000’s of images taken at the shoot and then color corrected, enhanced and of course touched up. Seriously do you really think these women cuddling with their newborn have had more sleep then you and chase their toddlers in Loubatins? 
So you think, it’s hopeless and your child will look back at all those candid photographs of you and think… Jeeze my mom was just a mess all the time. This doesn’t have to be the case if you can remember a few things to do as soon as you realize the focus is on you! Here’s some of my secrets that I tell my clients before the shoot or while I am photographing them
•Don’t let anybody photograph you unless your hair is blown out or at least shake it out of the ponytail it’s been in since the birth of your first kid.
•The moment someone raises the camera in your direction, ask them to keep shooting… move left, right all about…they are bound to get a shot. Make sure they delete all the others. All you need is that one great shot.
•Bend forward a bit and keep your chin up slightly. This will get rid of any double chin and also make you look just a bit more sultry.
•Please don’t grab you kid too tightly (unless your scared they will be running into a busy street) and squish your cheek to theirs… Hold them at the waist and gently tilt your head toward them. This way your hair will stay in place and you’ll be giving your kid and yourself the freedom to move and engage with the camera and each other
•Keep your tongue behind your teeth and don’t talk. If you are trying to give direction while being the subject then you are going to be caught with your mouth open. So just keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth and smile with your eyes.
•And my most important secret is remember not to ever utter the phrase ”Say Cheese ‘ as it is just going to make the images look cheesy! Oh and my favorite bit of advise is try wear great shoes when you are being photographed as I find they just make you feel better about yourself and the better you feel the better the photo. Happy Mother’s Day to all!
Republished from my sydicated Blog on the Kidville Voices Community ”A Mother’s Love: Chronicled in Pictures”
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Before I moved to Mayberry rarely went grocery shopping. If I needed something, I just stopped at the local Bodega but mostly I just ate out. ( oh how I miss that NYC lifestyle). Settling in the burbs and becoming a mom has made trips to the mega food emporiums an almost daily occurrence, which is really my worst nightmare. There are so many places I would rather be but the supermarket is always where I end up.
A few months ago I noticed that there were men everywhere, pushing the grocery carts, chatting with each other and all with their kids in tow. The supermarket was actually more men friendly and the marketing was targeting the dads with beer near the diapers and an aisle filled with both chips and man products. Some places even added gardening centers to their establishments to woo that male customer into their store.
There has been a paradigm shift in the demographics of the supermarket and I think it actually represents a society that no longer separates our responsibilities by gender and accepts that time is really the delegator of who does what within the family dynamic.The supermarket is now the new Male “hang” and I happily turn the place over to them. Please don’t forget the eggs!
Credits: Make up by Amanda Rae, Hair by Allie for Salon Concrete and thanks Heidi for being my super model on such short notice and Andrea, Damien and the kids for showing up and playing along. Anthropologie in the Grove for having so many great dresses to chose from (one stop shopping) and a really big shout out to Sickles Market in Fair Haven for letting us shoot all over their glorious store on a Sunday
As Valentine day approaches I am torn between the melancholy thoughts of not having someone special to celebrate with and the true reality of relationships. I am no therapist (or statistician) but based on my daily interactions with couples and families as a lifestyle photographer, I can definitely say that very rarely does the perfect relationship exist.
The reality is I have a wonderful mix of great friends, a career that continually challenges both my mind and creativity and above all an adorable son. On most days I am so grateful and know that I could not possibly add another component like a relationship to the mix and still stay sane. But every February, I buy into the media hype about this manufactured “Hallmark” holiday, forgetting about my personal abundance of love.
Remember, a box a chocolate, a jeweled bauble or a dozen red roses won’t rid the world of evil, stop climate warming or feed the hungry. Each of us has some sort of love in our lives, it might be a person or maybe a passion, but it fills our hearts with hope and our minds with gratitude. On this holiday that honors great love think out of the box and remember love comes in all different ways and is present in our lives everyday.
This Suburban Bliss shoot was conceived for my subject, Christine’s, shared passion with her husband for rock and roll and each other (one of the few relationships that actually make me think that you can have it all). A special thanks to Jackie @ Glenn Goldbaum for rocking the hair.
I love to shoot real woman and prove that anyone can be glamorous with the right styling, hair and makeup and me behind the lens. Want to give your great love something that can actually be displayed for all to see or maybe you just want to channel that inner you and be that icon you so admired… email or call with your ideas!.
I am always visually inspired when I watch film noire films from the 40’s and 50’s. This was the era of the Femme Fatale, an intoxicating beauty who used her charm and sexual allure to engage the leading man in achieving some dubious agenda.Veronica Lake, Gene Tierney, Ava Gardner and Lana Turner created some of the more legendary Femme Fatale’s of the era. Although the movies they starred in have inspired my images, I find it hard to identify with these women.
I guess back then society just wouldn’t accept a female taking control of her own life so Hollywood conceived a villainess heroine. As I worked on these images, I realized that the women in my circle have never resolved to that Femme Fatale stereotype. They are empowered on there own and use their hearts and brains, along with determination to become successful business woman, mothers and wives and none of them have used their sexuality or charm for anthing other than physical pleasure.
My friends are definitely more Action Hero then Damsel in Distress. Even the entertainment industry no longer believes the Femme Fatale is a box office draw. Snow White, The Hunger Games and Pixar’s Brave now star Female Action Heroes. Pat yourself on the back my female friends, we have paved the way for a healthier generation of girls!
My muse for this post has raised two sons virtually on her own, is passionate about her work and lives a healthy lifestyle. She commissioned this shoot to celebrate 3 milestones in her life: Her sons turn 18 and 21 this year, but the real milestone is that she is celebrating her 50th year. She might look like a Femme Fatale but she is really an Action Hero.
We are in the midst of spring and everyone’s gardens are in full bloom. Mayberry actually looks inviting at this time of year so it seems odd that I write about a recent shoot we named Gray Gardens. This foray into fashion doesn’t include the typical Mom’s that I dress up to be fashion icons of my past or about my cynicism directed at being stuck in suburbia but instead it is a celebration of what can be achieved anywhere with all the right players.
My dear friend, hairstylist extraordinaire, Christine Zilinski asked if I would shoot a fashion story to highlight some amazing hairstyles and techniques she learned on her recent travels with the artistic team for Davines. Time for both of us busy moms and business owners is in short supply and even though I love the idea of shooting fashion (that’s the real reason I conceived this blog in the first place) I was skeptical that we could truly find talent in the burbs. I begged her to see models from NYC but she was relentless about her search for local talent.
To my astonishment the team she put together rivaled any crew with NYC fashion credits (I mean I originally started in this business as a fashion stylist so I think I can say this with certainty) and I am hoping this fashion shoot brings them the credentials to venture out of the “burbs”, into the spotlight of the big fashion cities all over the globe. Of course I am also hoping that everyone that sees these images will recognize that I can shoot way more then just children’s lifestyle photography .
So this post is not only about the beauty I am starting to appreciate out her in “Mayberry” but also about friendship and collaboration. Talent in this day and age is everywhere and if you keep your standards high anything can be achieved anywhere. Don’t you think?
Thank you to my crew ( Jeff Salmon and Dee Cleare who are also dear friends and helped me schlep and light this story in a cold dank warehouse in Mayberry – Hence the name Gray Gardens)
Fashion Credits and more thanks : Hair created by Christine Zilinski, Davines Artistic team and Owner of Salon Concrete, Make-Up by Juan Dejesus , Models Kat and Alex from Red Bank Barbizon , Clothing Top Shop Styled by Larry Wolf (a very talented accessory designer as well) Shoes by Luxury Rebel
