Images from a headshot portrait session with violist Lauren Burns.

Regular readers might recognize my rock star baby friend from other portrait sessions we’ve done together. She’s my muse! I got the photo I wanted (above) but also loved the in-between moments (below).

Isn’t giving baby a bath in the kitchen sink one of those classic childhood photo moments? Her little bum was too slippery so we had to put her in the bumbo heehee.



(Can’t wait to see you in September, N!)

The details of our 2010 autumn portrait promotion are set! Mini sessions are our most affordable and efficient option for getting a lighthearted image to use in holiday greetings, as gifts, or to update the family portrait on your desk at work. My plan is to leverage the incredible colors of New England’s early autumn (and the mild, temperate days) for all they’re worth!

The details of our fall 2010 portrait promotion:

• Nonrefundable session fee of $135 is for our time and talent.
• Proof gallery with about 15-20 images from the mini-session.
• Files, prints, cards, and discs are available for purchase. See sample for prices.
• These sessions are for everyone!
  • families
  • couples
  • pets (no guarantees!!)
  • headshots
  • musicians, visual artists, and writers

  

As an added bonus, clients who book their session before September 5 will receive a pack of 25 press-printed holiday cards featuring the image of their choice. These gorgeous cards will definitely stand out from the glossy CVS prints everyone else makes at the last minute!

Thursday, September 30 – Jamaica Plain

12:00pm 12:30pm 01:00pm 01:30pm 02:00pm 02:30pm 03:00pm 03:30pm 04:00pm

how many people in the shoot?

Friday, October 8 – Reservoir Park, Brookline

11:30am 12:00pm 12:30pm 01:00pm 01:30pm 02:00pm 02:30pm 03:00pm 03:30pm 04:00pm

how many people in the shoot?

Saturday, October 9 – Franklin Park, Boston

11:30am 12:00pm 12:30pm 01:00pm 01:30pm 02:00pm 02:30pm 03:00pm 03:30pm 04:00pm

how many people in the shoot?

Your portrait session will not be confirmed until we have received the session fee as indicated above. Session fee is nonrefundable, but if it turns out you have a change in plans you may gift or sell your spot to someone else.

*If you’re looking for a more in-depth session to include individual portraits of children or extended family groups, Rachel is available September 27-30 and October 4-7 for 1 hour premium family sessions in your home at a time that is convenient to you (rates $250+). Please inquire with Carol – carol at decenturbanlifestyle.com to book your session.

For a sample of an in-home portrait session, look here.

A few more photos from last year here.

Did anyone see Boston’s Gisele Bündchen in Vogue?

The April 2010 VOGUE had a story on Boston’s local fashion celebrity Gisele Bündchen (married to the Patriots’ Tom Brady). She was photographed by celebrated fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier. GORGEOUS photos. I am particularly stunned by his maternity portrait:

I’m also loving the baby portrait of Gisele with her son Benjamin Rein Brady:

“Where [Gisele] is going now is towards the reality of life and not its appearance.” – interviewer Joan Juliet Buck

I love this supermodel.

Check out the story and check out some photo shoot footage here: www.vogue.com/feature/2010_April_Gisele_Bundchen/

There’s just something about this image. I keep coming back to it.

I loved my time with Danielle and Matt and their sons. Naughty little Noah really wanted to be dancing instead of being photographed, and tiny Micah was pretty content to be snuggled and held and the center of attention. It was a hilarious hour of fun to photograph them together at their homestead in Campbell, California.

Here’s little Micah in the plum tree that was bursting in fruit!! In fact, my payment for the photos was partially in the bounty of this harvest, as well as some fresh eggs from the chickens and veggies from the garden.

What a great little family! I love how they have invested the effort to make their backyard into a mini farm and the boys are growing up watching their own food lifecycle.

I really enjoyed my visit with the W family during my trip to Ohio. I wanted to document the family at this particular stage in their lives — settling into their new house and building up gardens… the young children and crazy dog, and the sense of pride at working hard and playing well.

I know you need formal portraits every once in awhile, but HOW FUN ARE THESE? I think everyone should have a batch of fun, realistic, and hilarious photos every year, because these are the candid-like photos your grandchildren are going to love someday- they show your sense of humor and personality. They show the lethargic way your daughter looks every afternoon (!!) or the 2 seconds of attention you have before your son zooms off on his next great adventure. Real life is beautiful and messy and HILARIOUS.

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for redheads, so when Boston-area artist Julia Denos made my sweet little girl illustration exactly to my specifications, I was thrilled.

I’m putting out a general casting call for another poster girl with curly red hair like this, between the ages of 4 and 9 years old in the San Francisco Bay area. Ideally she would also have access to a little white dress for the photo shoot. Portraits from the session would be used for marketing materials for my business, and my model would get a framed fine art print of her choice from the portrait session.

If you know someone with a daughter who fits the bill, please have them get in contact with me. I can’t wait to find my next poster child!

xo,
Rachel
rachel@decenturbanlifestyle.com

Some outtakes from a recent family portrait session at Cowell Ranch Beach, near Half Moon Bay.

Admire my pretty little model! I asked them to bring some giant flower hairpieces, and look what mom found at Nordstroms. Fabulous! I’m fascinated by the look on her face here – it’s clearly a posed portrait, and I told her to sit like that… but the expression is such an interesting mix of serious, maybe a little perturbed, and at the same time innocent. Only girls at that age can be such a contradiction of terms.

My just-graduated-from-elementary-school model was a little bit embarrassed to be walking around with a giant flower on her head, but luckily there weren’t any cute boys around so she soon forgot all about it and did what kids do best… play! Wheeeeee! This girl loves the ocean.

I’m trying to do everything in black and white from now on, but the softness of the colors in this little running outtake just doesn’t translate in black and white.

The beach we chose was a lovely, secluded little cove (Cowell Ranch Beach). We had to walk through some artichoke fields to get there!

The 1/2 mile walk back to the car after a few hours at the beach…. can’t you just feel how well she’s going to sleep that night? I love this image because it tells such a story. The end of a long day for a working model… or a girl who just spent some time chasing waves in the sun.

Thank you so much for sharing that afternoon with me pretty lady!! And we’ll make sure none of the boys at your school see the outtakes from our photo shoot!

Svetli is a 7-year old boy who lives in Bulgaria. He was my little buddy when we went to Bulgaria to photograph Anna and Ali’s wedding last year. His grin makes me feel like a million bucks!