Baby Rose-Newborn Portraits-West Hartford, CT


Today we’re throwing it back to a Connecticut session from last winter that I haven’t shared yet! This little lady (who shares a birthday with her mom) celebrated her first birthday last week!!! It’s such a cliché, but time really does fly.There is nothing better than a cozy indoor newborn session for winter babies, and this newly minted “Party of Five” was so much fun to work with. I’ve known this couple since our pre-child days when we had lots of time for fun–whether an overnight birthday party with competitive games or wedding attendee overindulgence…and now we are up all night for other reasons!

In an effort to have newborns sleeping and posable, I usually ask parents to crank up the heat and feed the baby just before I arrive. Despite our best efforts, Baby Rose had major FOMO and didn’t fall asleep until the very end of our session…total 3rd child move! 🙂 But I loved being able to capture her beautiful eyes and her interactions with her two proud big sisters. I love catching siblings in mid laugh or playing with their new baby doll’s tiny hands and feet. Plus, how cute are their dresses? Good job on the wardrobe, Mama!

The further I get into my photography career, the more I realize that perfect images (typically defined by clients as everyone smiling like angels and looking at the camera) are attainable, but REAL images are so much more fun to capture and tell the story. I understand that you don’t want an entire gallery of photos of your kids wrestling with each other, but I also loved this session because the parents were real. Case in point, these family images on the couch. By letting kids be kids (and realizing that it was the end of the session and they were bored!), I had them stand behind the couch and pop up when I said to. Just from this little game, I think we captured some images depicting the true story of life with three children. As a recently admitted member of this Party of Five club, I can attest that NO ONE is willing to do exactly the same thing at the same time.

Thanks J, S, C, C, and R for letting me capture this fleeting moment in time, and for keeping it REAL.

Baby J–Family Portraits–Nantucket, MA


Summer is well underway and we’ve been living it up on Nantucket by driving on the beach to Great Point, swimming with seals (hello Jaws), witnessing epic sunsets, eating s’mores, and indulging in outdoor showers under the stars. But let’s be honest, I’ve got 3 kids under age 6.5 and there have also been many sleepless nights, sibling wrestling injuries, and crazy schedules that keep us from the beach and pool too often. But with the good and bad, I’ve also been photographing some adorable families–including this one who flew halfway around the world to visit their family on Cape Cod and then ventured to Nantucket for a rainy/foggy day trip. This adventurous crew hails from Sydney, Australia and was so fun to work with. We all know how obsessed I am with Sydney from our time living there, so it was fun to chat about their neighborhood and their favorite rock pools. I also loved hearing the baby lingo I haven’t heard in awhile–nappies (diapers), prams (strollers) and dummies (pacifiers). I miss AUS!

Baby Jonty is four months old and so sweet! Shooting sessions on Nantucket is always interesting as you never know what weather you will get–and sometimes you get ALL weather in just two hours! For this session, we had to shoot mid-day because of their ferry schedule, and we encountered harsh light, rain, fog, sun, and some serious wind! We tried some photos at iconic Sankaty Head Lighthouse but were blasted by gusts in all directions and then ended up tucking into some pretty rose covered lanes in Siasconset that burst with color during July. S, B, and J, it was so fun to photograph you all and hope to see you again soon–here or in Sydney! XO

Family Portrait Client Questionnaire

I’m looking forward to photographing your family! The more information I have about your family, the better I can prepare and make your images exactly what you dream of. If you have any questions as you are filling it out, I’m here to help! XO

SGP Portrait Client Questionnaire

I'm so excited to work with your family! Please complete this questionnaire in order for me to get a better idea of what you are looking for in your session. The more information you provide, the better I can prepare for the session. Let me know if you have any questions!
  • Please list the name and date of birth of all who will be in the photo session
  • For Children

    To help connect with your child and get the most of their session, please let me know the following:
  • Please let me know a couple of quick words to describe each child who will be photographed. For example- Katie=shy, James=outgoing, Henry=wild, etc
  • If there is one image that you hope to capture in our session, what is it?
  • Is there anything else I should know?
  • Occasionally select images will be posted online in my blog or on my Facebook business page (please see model release in portrait contract). To maintain privacy, I can use only first names of children or first initials. I would prefer that you post:

Six–New York, NY


We’ve got a new six year old in the house. As always on her birthday (and as always, a bit late!), I’m writing a few memories and posting a few photos to document this journey.

CMG,

SIX. I can’t believe it. Just writing that makes me sad…only because I’m nostalgic and I want to slow down how fast everything seems to be moving. In the last year you finished preschool and started Kindergarten. It feels like yesterday that I was tying up your red gingham uniform and trying to make two perfect pigtail braids for the first day of school, and now you only have 3 weeks left.

You are a genuinely happy, warm, kind soul who dances through life with a sense of joy and wonder. You are funny and love to laugh. You are still obsessed with your cousins. Just like your parents, you hate to get up in the morning. You love to cook. You are very creative and an excellent museum companion, which of course makes your art historian mom so very happy. Some of my favorite moments with you are walking down the ramp at the Guggenheim or listening to your observations in the Met. The fact that these are just a few blocks from your school makes you one lucky kiddo. You love to build things, especially with magnatiles, and every week, you bring home the most wonderful drawings, books, and creations made of tape and cleverly cut construction paper. When we traveled in Europe this summer, your favorite thing was to head outside after dinner with your sketchbook and colored pencils and carefully draw the neighborhood or landscape.

You remain fearless, adventurous, and brave. When faced with taking the school bus by yourself during the first week of kindergarten, you couldn’t wait. You love to try new things and explore new places, and you do so through a rosy lens. When we landed in Edinburgh last June, you peeked out of your little airplane window at the gray tarmac and declared “Scotland is soooo beautiful!” On the same trip, you excitedly went straight to the top of the Eiffel Tower with your dad. This year, I instituted a “surprise date” where we go to a new place in the city and have some mom/daughter time. You are giddy with excitement about these adventures, which have so far led us to the top of the Freedom Tower and to the Marionette Theater.

You have a huge heart and are wise beyond your years. You often see me get very frustrated and upset with your sister, and you are empathetic to me by giving me hugs and telling me to take a deep breath. The other day you looked at me and said “I’m sorry- I know parenting is hard.” You are very tolerant and patient with your little sister, even when she pulls your hair and delays every departure from the house with a tantrum and screaming. You often just cover your ears and shake your head, then help to get her out the door. You let her push the button in the elevator, you watch shows that you think are boring because you know it will keep the peace, and you’ve given up on me ever tucking you in at night as I lay on your sister’s floor to get her to sleep. I appreciate your help and understanding more than you know. Your teachers tell us that your kindness extends to school, as you are “quick to include others in play and help anyone in need,” which makes us so proud.

You had an amazing year with so much growth. You wiggled your first loose tooth all through our European adventure and on the morning of our return, you noticed that it was gone and had swallowed it in your sleep! You’ve since had many visits from the tooth fairy and have grown in many of your adult teeth. Your blonde locks got much darker this year, and you love to wear them in a braid. In the fall you learned how to write in lowercase letters, which was a game changer in learning how to read. Watching each storybook come alive to you as you decoded words over the past year has been so exciting to witness. The other night you read me your entire library book. I’m one proud mama.

We learned in the fall that you had grown THREE inches in five months–no wonder you were having hip pain–and overall ended up shooting up five inches total in the last year. Your legs continue to grow at a rapid rate (frightening to your 5′ 4″ mom) and you used them all year to dolphin kick in the pool, step and kick in your new Irish Dance class, and to march and glide across Wollman Rink as you learned to skate this winter in the shadow of The Plaza. I love your determination to learn new things, whether subtraction, skating, or golf, even when some of these new skills are acquired with some frustration and tears.

You emit joy. When you get off of the bus every afternoon, you have a huge smile on your face and are quick with a deep hug. When I ask you what your favorite thing was at school that day, you often say “everything!” You are very social and your dad and I jokingly call you “the mayor”, because pick up from school is often delayed as you hug every faculty member in our path and then say goodbye to any and every child that you see with a hug or an excited wave–even the big fifth graders that you know from the bus. I never tire of seeing your exuberance for every part of your life (except getting up in the morning).

You’ve shown so much maturity this spring as our family prepared to add one more member. You even helped me push the stroller when I was hugely pregnant, and your kindness has continued since we brought your brother home from the hospital. Some recent nights you have had to put yourself to bed as we are outnumbered and you are so understanding about it. I can’t wait to see what great qualities you will model and skills you will teach your newest sibling.

I love you and feel really lucky to be your mom. Happiest of sixth birthdays and here’s to another wonderful trip around the sun.

XO

Past Birthday Reflections:

FIVE

FOUR

THREE

TWO

ONE

A Spring “Un-Bridal” Shower in the City–Haven’s Kitchen, New York, NY


Spring has FINALLY sprung in NYC–I’m so excited to shed the bulky coats and see color, sunshine, and flowers! All of this reminds me of a gorgeous and colorful spring event I photographed-it’s still one of my favorite events I’ve been able to capture. Here is some vibrant color for your visual pleasure on this sunny Monday!

Katherine was not your typical bride–as she noted “I had trouble embracing what has become the norm for many brides today–I’d never been on Pinterest, I skipped having a bridal party, and I was initially hesitant to have a bridal shower for fear of having to open gifts in front of everyone while slowly donning the ribbons from said gifts.” Thus, Katherine’s hostess, a longtime family friend, and her planner, Nancy Harris, set out to create a gorgeous and fun “un-bridal” shower–no cheesy games, no veils, no trivia–yet something chic and feminine. Since Katherine did not want a typical shower, Haven’s Kitchen was the perfect venue choice for something different and fun. Located in a gorgeous carriage house in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood, it is not only an event space but also a café and cooking school.

When it came time to choose a color palette, her event planner knew to think pink! Katherine’s fiancé made it clear that he wanted “no pink flowers!” at their summer wedding, so she embraced pink for her shower. They created a magical spring garden palette in all shades of pink, resulting in a look that was feminine and modern. The room burst with vibrant spring color!

The celebration began downstairs in the cooking school kitchen. As guests arrived, they helped themselves to a Mimosa, Bloody Mary, wine, and smoothie bar, and then rolled up their sleeves to create some delicious food. Grouping the guests into different cooking teams as they mixed and chopped was a great way to introduce new faces and learn about their connection to the bride. Kait Turshen of Bubble Girl Bakes led the group through the creation of a beet salad and chocolate raspberry doughnuts that would be served as part of the shower lunch. The bride is vegan and requested that a few lunch items be fully vegan. Kait is renowned for her delectable creations that are gluten free, allergy friendly, and vegan.

Following the cooking session, guests ascended the stairs to the stunning loft-like space, where they were greeted with a creatively hung wall of photos and a slideshow, all featuring images from throughout Katherine’s life. Set against white brick walls and huge arch windows, the centerpiece of the room was a long wooden table bursting with luscious blooms by Renny & Reed, and hot pink hand lettered menus and place cards created by Rachel Reding of Rae Child. A white runner and pink ombre linen napkins held in Indian style bracelets enhanced the place setting. Suspended from the ceiling were stunning clear globes filled with peonies, while tall vases overflowing with five foot high cherry blossoms surrounded the room. When the bride saw the room for the first time, she thought “it was incredibly beautiful! The décor was stunning. It was fun and girly, but not stuffy or staid. The flowers were amazing, especially the hanging globes. The upstairs wall with pictures was the most special piece since it captured all the relationships with everyone invited and spanned my whole life.” Guests sat and enjoyed a casual lunch of fig berry beet-mint arugula salad, quinoa and squash, fruit salad, roasted chicken with fingerling potatoes, grilled asparagus, and of course, chocolate raspberry doughnuts that they created from scratch. The lunch included a surprise visit by the groom himself!

As for opening gifts in front of everyone? The non-traditional solution was also a request from the bride, who noted “when I thought about it, the thing I wanted most was books, in spite of or perhaps in keeping with straying from the norm for many brides today, and asked if we could do a kindle/e-book gift.” So shower attendees gifted Katherine e-books, along with a kindle cover…in pink! Following lunch and toasts, each guest departed with a “First Comes Love” hand-lettered bag and a pink-ribboned mason jar to tote home flowers. Katherine loved that “almost all of the guests have since mentioned that it was the most fun and un-bridal shower they’ve attended!

Vendors: Photography: Sarah Greig Photography, Event Planning And Design: Nancy Harris Events, Floral Design: Renny & Reed, Venue and Catering: Haven’s Kitchen, Kait Turshen: Bubble Girl Bakes, Custom Calligraphy on Menus/Place Cards: Rachel Reding of RaeChild