Lori

2014 in Review / 365 Wrap up

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We've made it through another year, and survived... no... thrived. If nothing else this year has taught me that we can do anything. When Lucas showed up 4 weeks early, in the middle of our busy season and threw the entire business into my lap so Erin could be with him, we made it. With help from our intern, our colleagues, and support from family and friends, we made this year our best yet. I can't wait to top it all next year! Rewinding a second now... I set some goals for myself last January including this little 365 project. It started as a creative challenge to make a photo every single day. Some months had themes, some did not. Some photos were great, others a little lame. But I stuck through, I kept creating, I kept sharing, and I can now check this project off the list. And it feels good.

Some of my other goals included: -Decluttering my newsfeed/email (I did this by hiding people whose posts I always found myself shaking my head at and unsubscribing from dozens of emails I didn't read) -Bike a 50 mile event. This one will stay on the list another year. My best event this year was 33 miles. -Start a new hobby (Archery). Didn't happen, but I am still interested in it. -Workout 3x a week. I think I get partial credit here. I actually put this on the calendar for Mon, Wed, Fri mornings which makes me much more likely to do it. I've been good the last 2 months, but over the summer... this goal always seems to die. -Simplify finances. This I can say I did accomplish. I got rid of unnecessary credit cards, closed unneeded bank accounts and made everything much easier to keep track of.

So I can say I accomplished 4.5 out of 6 goals. Not bad, but I can do better.

I spent a while on the Christmas theme this month, trying to explore it in different ways.

Do you ever find yourself thinking "Where has the time gone?" Yeah? Me too. The cool thing is this photo-a-day project has helped make me really aware of how I spend my time. There are some days when literally -nothing-interesting happened and I found myself photographing the shadows on the wall. Other days were so full, it was a challenge to pick the best photograph/moment to share! So as I review my images of the year, I thought it would be fun to share some highs and lows with you in this recap.

First, the cool stuff: -LASIK! AKA the best investment I ever made and wish I made sooner. It is seriously the biggest change to my life this year. I am free from contact lenses and glasses, and it's something I am thankful for every day. -Seniors! This year we photographed 26 seniors, shattering our goal of 12. I learned just how much fun it is to work with this age and look forward to growing this portion of the business! -Lucas! He's only going third because he didn't arrive until August. But this little man entered the world lucky enough to have two fantastic parents and the best auntie in the world. He changed everything, and I can't wait to watch him grow. -Friends and Family. Between a little road trip, a new nephew being born, throwing a themed party, and just hanging out on game nights, I love looking back at all of the fun we've had this year. -Home Improvement. We finished the kitchen by finally installing a backsplash, added a nice gate for the dogs, and replaced our old windows and sliding door to improve heat retention. This crosses off a few items we had on the house list for a few years, yay! -Being outdoors: Rec softball, hiking, hammocking, jarts, gardening. Love it. -Eating. In true instagram style, I photographed a lot of our meals this year. I'm happy to say we have been eating healthier, more local and more in-season. There's room to do better here, but a good start nonetheless. -Portraits. This was a record setting year for how many folks I was able to put in front of my lens. Thank you to every single one of you, I'm so lucky that this is my profession!

2014 wasn't entirely sunshine and rainbows though. We said goodbye to my grandmother this year, learned about Erin's father's cancer, and I had a frustrating ordeal with technical issues in the middle of our busiest month. But we made it through alive, stronger, and ready to conquer a new year.

And what's Christmas without the people you love?

And of course, my lapdog.

Looking ahead to 2015: we'll be traveling to New Zealand, Florida, Colorado, Massachusetts and who knows where else! We get to celebrate several weddings with friends, family and clients. I'll be replacing the 365 project with a new challenge (more to come). But most importantly, we'll get some more time to spend with our family, our friends, and our awesome clients as we continue on this journey.

Thanks for being here, I hope to see you around this year. Get in touch, let us know how it's going for you too!

I encourage you to set some goals, and let me know if there is anything I can do to help you with them! Wishing you all the best in 2015! Lori

If you'd like to see more from this project, check out these other posts of 2014:

January | February | March | April | May | June |July | August | September | October | November

The final photo of 2014... and I'm excited to hand this project off to Erin this year!

Penfield High School Senior Photos: Asher

I'd like you to meet Asher! This was a fun, two-location session that really got to show the personality of this high school senior. Asher is into golf, hiking and loves cars. We started with some nice shots around the Penfield Town Hall incorporating a few different outfits and moods. Then we went to Linear Park for some active and nature shots. A friend of the family lent his car to us for the session, and I could see Asher dreaming about owning one someday. I love all of the different looks we were able to get in just a short span of time. Thanks for handing out with me Asher, I hope your senior year is a memorable one!

-Lori

Greece Athena Senior Pictures at Linear Park

We think that if you have a great model like Sam, the setting can be anywhere. However, we knew that Sam wanted a natural setting with water nearby. So we met up with her at Linear Park in Penfield to create her senior portraits. We had a great time creating these fun images! She works hard on the stage crew at Greece Athena High school, so we included some of her playbills from her shows to personalize the session further. Sam was such a great model and up for anything! What a fun session, check 'em out!

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We hope you are having a great senior year, Samantha! -Lori

Fall Family Portraits | Victor NY

It's been such a pleasure getting to know Jodi, Deb, Matt, Josh and Ally! Earlier this summer, we photographed Matt's high school senior session and then in October, the whole family together. We really believe it's important to get family photos done, even when your family reaches high school and beyond! They have an incredible yard, so we stayed around the house for these fall portraits. We even got the cat, Smudgie, in a few of the shots! It was a nice morning, even though it did sprinkle on us a little. They were brave and stuck it out and we came away with some really great images.

Do you recognize anyone? You can see more of Matt in his senior photos here. Til next time! -Lori

Pittsford NY Senior Portraits: Kendall at the Beach

Looking at Kendall's senior portrait session makes me long for summer again... We hit up the beach for this gorgeous girl's senior portraits. Kendall is the Yearbook Editor for Pittsford Sutherland High School, so she has seen a few senior photos in her time! She brought some great outfits, and was up for anything... even if it meant getting in the not-so-clean water of Lake Ontario. Mom accompanied us on the session and encouraged Kendall to try whatever! It all came together so beautifully. Charlotte Beach has a lot to offer, and I'm really excited about the variety we got from this session. Thanks Kendall! Good luck with those yearbook deadlines!

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-Lori

Perinton Family Portrait Session: Addison & Family

If you look at the photos below, you'll see that we were having a lot of fun. What you can't see, is that it was super, duper COLD outside. I mean, it was "someone get me a hot chocolate, stat" kind of cold. The good news is that Addison's smile really warmed everyone up! This was my second time having the pleasure of photographing Addison. She's such a cutie. But this year we got the grandparents involved too. Everyone coordinated with such wonderful colors, and the beautiful trees really lit up the park. Thanks for braving the cold with me guys, it's always was joy to work with you!

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I always love a goofy shot, and this is one of the best! See you soon,

Lori

Lima Christian School Senior Portraits

I don't think I've seen anyone else so excited for their senior portrait session. Truly! When we arrived at Linear Park for Allison's session, she was glowing with excitement! It was a gorgeous summer night, and Allison was simply amazing to photograph. She is such a happy, upbeat person, and I'm glad we were really able to show that in her images. Allison is also very active in several sports, but her favorite is softball. We ended the night with that fierce expression, one you'd see during one of her games. I sure wouldn't want to compete against her!

Thanks for bringing your sparking self into our lives, and making this such a fun memory. Best wishes Allison!

-Lori

Pittsford Family Portraits at Schoen Place

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What's cuter than a 2 year old in orange pants playing in the leaves? I can't think of much! Eric was a ball of energy and Khalil was a good big brother, letting Eric tackle him and hold his hand. The whole family was just a joy to work with, and the Fall weather cooperated nicely. Fall just goes so quickly! Well, enjoy the colors and meet Dana, Khalil and Eric!

Love the over the shoulder look. See you all soon!

-Lori

Part 11 of the 365 adventure: November with Lori

If you've never challenged yourself with a 365 project, I'd like to encourage you to try it. Every month that I do this, I look back and think: wow, all of that happened in 30 days? It really has helped put things in perspective. Now, let's get specific. This month, I noticed a few trends in my images. First, a technology trend. I got a new computer, and my husband got a Smart Watch. Between those, the iPad, and our phones, we spend a lot of time with technology.

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Then, food. I've photographed food a lot this year, as eating is something we do every day. However, this month the food was usually shared with someone. Girls night, cousins night, Thanksgiving... it was all wonderful.

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Another favorite subject, my dogs. They also made an appearance this month, of course.

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I did work a bit too. This month ranged from kids, to families, to construction equipment, to couples engaged.

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But I also got to spend time with family, including surprising my dad on his 60th Birthday, playing dominoes with grandma, and taking my adorable niece to the George Eastman House.

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But the photo of the month this time goes to a really special moment. You may have seen in last weeks post, that Erin's father has been dealing with cancer. Their family hosted an incredible benefit event in his honor to help with costs related to treatment. It included concerts by her aunt, the talented Josie Waverly, and also her Uncle Kevin, from Dr. Moxy. This photo was taken while Josie sang "How Great Thou Art". It was a powerful moment between family members. I was honored to capture it, and I am honored to know these folks.

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There you have it... another month in the life of me. Hope to see you for the grand conclusion next month! -Lori

Penfield Volleyball Senior Portraits

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It was an honor to work with Vinnie and Cinnamon this year! Vinnie is the senior class President at Penfield High School, the libero for the varsity volleyball team, and owner of Cinnamon-- the adorable little dog. We hit up the beach volleyball court at Fellows Road, even though Vinnie mostly plays indoor. The location gave us lots of possibilities, and we even saw the first few leaves on the ground. Hard to imagine, as now they are all gone! If you don't know Vinnie, you should. He is a really great kid with a bright future for sure. Thanks for choosing Lori and Erin Photography, and best wishes for a fantastic year! -Lori

Fairport High School Senior Photos: Dana

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Meet Dana: a wonderful student at Fairport High School. It was my pleasure to meet Dana for her senior photos, and do something a little unique. We started at her house and worked around her mother's fabulous gardens. Dana was the first senior whom I've had request to include her cat also! As I'm always up for anything, or course we did! A little while into the session, Dana's friend, (and another of my senior's this year) Monica, came biking up the driveway. She jumped in a few shots with Dana and her car before we headed off to Corbett's Glen to finish up the session. 

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Thanks for the adventure girls, it was a pleasure meeting and photographing you both!

-Lori

Renny, Reese & Louise | Yacht Club Portraits

I met Renny and Reese and their little dog, Louise, at the Brockport Yacht Club for a relaxed photo session. It was a nice night, with only a few people around packing up their boats. The sun came in and out of the clouds, providing us with a variety of lighting conditions. We wandered around the boat house, using the docks and beach as our backgrounds. It was a perfect fit for them, and I was so glad to be the one capturing them on this day! Thanks Renny and Reese for inviting me into your world, I hope you enjoy the memories as much as I will. -Lori

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