A Working Vacation in Boston & Cape Cod

boston,cape cod,family,family portraits,

boston,cape cod,family,family portraits,

boston,cape cod,family,family portraits,

boston,cape cod,family,family portraits,

boston,cape cod,family,family portraits,

This past summer, my husband and I had the opportunity to take a long weekend to Massachusettes to visit family, photograph a few sessions and spend some time on the beach. The trip was much to short, but lots of fun! We stopped in Boston first for a two part family session starting at the Boston Commons. As we walked in, we saw a man drop to a knee and propose to his girlfriend right in front of us. I looked around and sure enough, there was a photographer not far away documenting it! That was a first. Then we turned our focus to Ciaran, who wasn't quite ready to model, until a passing dog put a big smile on his face. The next day, we finished the session at a stunning Horticultural Center with acres of beautiful flowers and manicured grounds.

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Before leaving Boston, we also took a few business headshots for Mulrooney a+d. This architectural firm wanted something a little non-traditional for their portraits, and of course, we had to include some architectural elements in the images. I love how these turned out. Check out more of their work at mulrooneyad.com.

For part two, we drove out to Cape Cod to photograph another wonderful family. We saw a few sprinkles, but the kids didn't seem to mind one bit. Ronan enjoyed running everywhere, while Caitrin was 100% smiles. We had some really nice locations to work with, and ended up at the beach. We took a few family shots, then it was time to enjoy the water. Aside from the seagull who decided my lunch looked tasty, we had a great afternoon!

boston,cape cod,family,family portraits,

boston,cape cod,family,family portraits,

boston,cape cod,family,family portraits,

boston,cape cod,family,family portraits,

boston,cape cod,family,family portraits,

It was a bit of a whirlwind trip, but so worth it to spend time with such great people. I hope this becomes a tradition! Thanks for inviting us guys! Lori

Lori's 365 Project recap: September

Faves

Another month gone by. Wow, I can't believe this year is 3/4 of the way done! As I look at this months images, I am thankful for all of the new and returning clients we have seen. It has been a wild ride! With wedding and senior seasons wrapping up, I've found a little more time to walk the dogs and enjoy the changing leaves. Getting some projects done around the house, eating some good food, and finishing up in the garden. I also participated in a 33 mile charity bike ride for MS, which was a great, but exhausting day. I have to say, my favorite image this month must be of my friend Dani. We were college roommates, but she now lives in Pittsburgh and is pregnant with her second child. She stopped by unexpectedly, and it just seemed right to eat chocolate cake and relive some college memories!

life, food, etc

Some client images

A lonely apple

I'm not going to lie, there are some days when I just don't wait to capture a slice of it. But it is very cool to be able to look back at your life in this way. Which days were exciting, which days weren't. And when your sick, trying to come up with an idea for a shot that isn't just a pile of tissues... ( like today).

Thanks for joining me on this ride. Feel free to share your own projects and stories!

Lori

Adding to the family: Welcome Baby Lucas

This post, was originally meant to be about our "Baby BBQ." However, I learned (rather quickly in fact), that babies tend to have their own timeline. So with that being said, let me introduce you to the newest love of our lives: Lucas Davey Perrotta. Born a full month early, he came into the world on August 25, at 9:03 am. He was (and is still) a peanut at just 5 lbs, 14.5 oz. But yet, he's tall at 20 inches long. I've no idea where that comes from, because it sure isn't me!

A surprise to his daddy and myself, he just couldn't wait to officially join our family. And I'll be honest, I wasn't ready. We were only 36 weeks along! The month we had left to "prepare" was suddenly gone and replaced with this beautiful little man with tiny fingers and toes. So while I may not feel totally ready for this roller coaster ride into parenthood, I'm going to hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

Welcome to the family Lucas. We are excited to learn who you'll become, and to be a part of shaping who that person will be. You are so loved by so many already, especially me.

We love you always and forever,

Mommy (Erin) & Daddy

Lori's 365 Project : Part 8, August

My 365 project has turned into a photo-journal. A record of one piece of each day. This month has been the busiest of the year for the business, so the majority of my photos are from our senior, family and wedding clients. Its fun to look back on and see how the month developed, as it has gone by in a blur. On days without sessions, I managed to sneak in some personal things: my garden, hiking, dinner on the deck, pedis with Erin, and hanging around the fire pit. All in all its been a great month, not to mention the early birth of Lucas Perrotta! (Watch for another blog post featuring this new addition coming soon!) So enjoy this recap of the last month of Summer, and bring it on, Fall, I'm ready for you! -Lori

Lori's 365 Project for July 2014

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eastman house,family,

boston,cape cod,family,family portraits,

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senior,victor high school,victor ny,

Summer. Work hard, play hard. That has been my theme for my photo-a-day 365 project this month. My shots are from weddings, senior portraits and family sessions. And when I had a little time off from shooting, I was traveling, hiking, gardening, or walking the dogs. It's been a really fun month making some awesome images for some awesome people. Alright August, top this!

As always, you are welcome to join us day-to-day on the Instagram feed! Thanks for hanging out! -Lori

Lori's 365 Project Part 6: June!

Halfway through! This is another month of randomness in my photo-a-day project. However, looking back at these images makes me realize just how fast life goes by. Looking at this set, each captured one day throughout the month of June, I see so much STUFF that happened. If you don't journal or do a project like this, it's easy to blink and not see time passing. Using this month as an example, here's what the last 30 days looked like: a wedding, canal days, a new haircut, softball, dinner with family, drinking with friends, trying new food, watching the garden grow, a new backsplash, hiking, biking, boating, learning, reading and, of course, photography.

Phew. Some days it doesn't seem like much happens, but when you look at it like that, we sure do a lot in one month! How are you keeping busy this summer? I sure hope you are having some fun!

Thanks for following along on the adventure... Lori

Lori's 365 Project: May 2014

May started out with a theme idea from my mom- flowers. I expanded on that to include all of nature, but was quickly overwhelmed when business started to take off. Funny how things start blooming and then all of a sudden, the phone rings! So this month is a mismash, hodge podge of semi-random images. On days when I didn't have a chance to seek out a personal image, I used things created for work. Portraits, weddings, products, they're all a part of my life and a part of this project now! If I had time, I enjoyed capturing the natural beauty of Spring in the forms of various flowers, plants and views.

So it may be a bit random, but I haven't missed a day yet! My photo-a-day 365 project lives to fight another day! Enjoy, and be sure to join me on instagram @lorianderin for the day to day updates. -Lori

the great babymoon adventure of 2014 : sanibel, florida

Halfway there. We're halfway to meeting our sweet little baby. About two months ago, I realized we hadn't planned our babymoon. If you're unsure what that term means, I relate it to a "last chance" vacation. As much fun as being a family of 3 plus dog will be, taking one last trip alone with my husband was important to me. So while it was still snowing, blowing and generally depressing outside - we made a plan to visit Sanibel Island in Florida.

And it couldn't have been more perfectly timed - still chilly here, but not overwhelmingly hot in Florida. Also, it so happens to be just before our busy summer wedding season begins.

One of my absolute favorite moments happened on our second day there. Wandering out into the Gulf waters, we noticed some fins surfacing...and coming closer to shore. There were 5 or 6 dolphins just off shore feeding, not paying attention to our presence. As we stood still, they came closer, until they were about 10 feet away from us! What a rare moment to get to experience!

We biked the island, read books in the sand, went shelling and ate like it was our job. The island also has a great wildlife refuge, filled with rare birds, alligators and other incredible plants and animals.

Also, while we were there, we took the opportunity to make our second announcement of my pregnancy, ready? It's a...

If you're in the market for a warm, tropical babymoon - check out Sanibel for a relaxing trip. And don't forget to take pictures! ~Erin

To our moms : Happy Mother's Day

From day one, no - hour one, our mom's have always been there for us. With everything from clean clothes and warm food to unconditional love and support. Today is the day we celebrate them - so here's some special notes from us to them. There are not enough words of thanks that I could give my mom for all of that. And as I enter the world of parenthood myself, I'm proud to have her beside me, because I have a feeling I'll need her more than ever! Everything I know about being a mom comes from her and I look forward to my little one calling her "Grandma." I love you Momma - Happy Mother's Day! ~ Erin

My mom is better than your mom, na-na-na-na-na-na. No really, she is awesome. She is the most selfless person I know and an incredible role model. When I grow up, I want to be just like my mom. :) Mom, thank you for all you have given me and all that you are. I love you! -Lori

So to our moms, grandmas, aunts, cousins, friends and clients, Happy Mother's Day! -Lori and Erin

Because it's important : celebrate a whole life through photographs

I've always wanted to make the world a better place. Do something important. Help people. Make an impact. Something I read recently made me realize that I already have. It made me feel more confident that my path is correct. Photographer Mary Marantz wrote, "This thing that we do is not a trivial thing... It is an honorable calling that by its very nature leaves something behind."

This brought me back to the recent passing of my grandmother. In between hugs and sobs, we started to search through photo albums and hard drives. Searching through years of memories to celebrate a woman's life. Photos from her childhood, wedding and of her family, us.

I realized, how thankful I am to have those photos. I'm thankful to the countless number of people who pushed the shutter button to record her life. So we can celebrate the life of someone we love.

And if I am so thankful to have these photos, maybe the photos I have made for others will be cherished as well. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, or maybe 80 years from now. Always, I hope. We make photos in times of happiness to cheer us up in times of sadness.

So all that being said, this is just a reminder that it's important to push the button. And it's also important to be on the other side of the lens as well. Let others remember you happy and loved.

As always, thank you for trusting us with your memories. -Lori

bw wedding portrait

old bw photos

lori and her grandmother

31 Portraits in 31 Days | Lori's 365 project continues

Happy Monday folks! Today is the last day of my portrait month. What a ride! First, I want to thank each and every one of you that participated. This was kind of a crazy idea, but you helped make it happen. I hope you all had as much fun as I did!

Okay, let me back up. If you haven't been following along, I'm working on a 365 project this year-- that means making and sharing one photo per day. Each month I'm giving myself a theme, last month was food, this month is portraits. The challenge was to photograph a different person each day, using a different method each time. If you'd like to follow along in real time, you can see them on my Instagram feed.

So what did I do? Well here is a short list of the variations this month:

Beauty lighting, back lighting, window lighting, split lighting, x-lighting, LED/video lighting, bounce lighting, natural lighting, work with 1-2-3 and 4 lights, lights with gels, and painting with light. My subjects ranged from 4 months old to 88 years young, men and women, and even some pets. Many images were created in various rooms of my home, while several were created in other spaces. I photographed family, friends and strangers as part of this month. I even threw a double exposure in there just for fun!

Phew, you exhausted yet? I am just thinking about it all. It was challenging to line up a new subject for each day and come up with a new technique to work on. Some days I just worked on posing or photojournalism (capturing a moment). I also got sick toward the end of the month, and didn't want to pass that on to anyone. Hence, all the photos of my dogs. That was not part of the original plan, but you work with what you can.

So here they are in no particular order: 31 portraits in the 31 days of March. Enjoy!

portraits sampling

variety of portraits

portrait collage

So, which one is your favorite? Thanks! Lori

Big, Life Changing, Exciting News! : rochester ny family photographer

Sharing our days with you and your families is so special to us. We love capturing everything from the wedding to those newborn tiny little feet, and watching them grow. We enjoy being a part of your lives, while we continue to live our own. But there's nothing like watching a family grow, especially if it's your own!

So without further ado, I'm excited to share some great news about my own little family. We've been waiting ever so impatiently to tell the world! Check it out in the video below!

Yes, we are soon to be welcoming two tiny new feet into the family!  So for now, I'm going to put aside my wine, and enjoy a little extra ice cream instead. Thank you to our family and friends who have supported us this far, and will continue to do so as we enter this amazing, yet totally sleep deprived, new chapter of our lives! We can't wait for you to meet him or her in September!

With Love, Erin, Matt and Baby Perrotta