Laura Barnard Photography

It is not often that I get to plan and bring every prop and outfit to be worn at a shoot. Typically, my clients bring their own clothes and I have some extra pieces around should he or she like to wear something I have for her. This shoot was different. I had so much fun finding absolutely everything for my model and her surroundings and even had the two dresses you see made for her, specifically for this July 4 session. You will find it hard to believe but the gorgeous girly is only in 8^th grade and could certainly take the modeling thing a lot farther – having the freedom to choose. USA Strong

Happy 4^th everyone. May we always be able to protect this land and one another. God Bless.

This is Savannah. She is strong, really, really bright in all ways possible, charming, pretty, driven, eager and authentic.  I think one cannot help but notice when a child, even a high school senior, is succeeding early in their lives.  You want to reach out to the child and congratulate her, encourage her on and maybe even hope that a little rubs off on you. Go, SM, go.

I have to admit that photographing high school senior boys may not always be as easy as photographing girls because I don’t often run into boys who are just dying to pick out several outfits for the shoot, are readily willing to give up a couple of hours of their time and be the center of attention.  I get it, but just like I have to adapt to meet the different personalities of all of my clients, boys are no different. Typically, at the beginning of most shoots, a boy’s mother will warn me, “Good luck with this one” or “I’m just going to apologize now for his attitude.”  Those lines always crack me up because in the moment, those mothers have likely forgotten that their children are almost always better behaved around others, I’ve done this a few times and I have a few tricks up my sleeve, including encouraging the moms to go for a walk or maybe go shopping if we are in an area suitable for that.

What was asked of the boy featured in the shoot below was not unlike what most high school seniors are asked to do.  He was asked to get up very early in the morning, drive into downtown Boston on a school day before school, stand in front of throngs of staring people he didn’t know and smile at times. When we met he must have wanted to tell me “where to go,” but he didn’t as they never do and before you knew it, we were painlessly getting it done and even having some fun. On this particular morning, we ran across and had the opportunity to speak with one of the Bruin’s captains which only happened because we were where we were at that time. Bonus.

Loved this kid and want to say thank you again to him for the early hours, doing everything I asked, letting his mom put sunscreen on him and not telling me where I should go.

When I look back at my shoot with these brothers last summer, it is so hard to believe that their mother and I were negotiating bags and then sizes of bags of Skittles in effort to get them to finish up this shoot. When you look at their photographs I almost forget they are children as they are so natural and easy in front of the lens but this was the second time I’ve worked with them and they have become seasoned bribers. They are great kids and could probably get anything out of me.

There is something about Maine that opens people up to fall in love, to want to be married there and makes couples want to share it with others who are most important to them because if you get to know Maine, then very often you will also understand the person. This couple was married in Maine this summer and with the new addition due in May they will again make the trip back to the oceanside to introduce yet another generation who will undoubtedly one day also know love in Maine.

Last summer I was walking the same path I often do to retrieve my kids at one of their daily activities in Maine when all of a sudden an 8 year old toe-head boy unlike I’ve ever seen before was in my view.  I literally stopped in my tracks and couldn’t believe my luck.  I asked one of the instructors running the program who he was and her response was, “wait ’til you see his older brother too – he’s 10.” It took me several days of waiting around parking lots feeling much like a stalker might until I finally met their mother and after I introduced myself I did something I have never done before: with some restraint I begged, “May I please take their photographs, please???”  I knew there was something very special in these boys. So, after borrowing the nearly brakeless, seatbelt-free old jeep, I stuffed them in and we drove to a spot in front of the ocean all the while fighting them off the steering wheel as they argued who would drive next.  Laughing the whole way I had to remind them of their ages and ask they not fall out as it would ruin our shoot and their clothes.   Their mother has since started a portfolio for them and now the skies the limit.  The first shots were taken in an old boat house and the rest were down by the water.

Part of me wants to say, “doesn’t she look like Taylor Swift??”,  but that would not be fair because this drop-dead gorgeous girl definitely has her own style and look and is on her way to a successful modeling career and identity all of her own.  There were so many beautiful photographs of her I had a terrible time choosing just a few for my blog.  I believe that our day together shooting was her first opportunity to begin to build a portfolio.  I’m feeling pretty lucky that I get to say that I was there at the beginning. You go Lauren xo

On this shoot we got to be around boats, cars and one broken down but charming old boathouse barn.  I may have been around a lot of boats and cars and barns in my life but there was nothing about our time together that looked like anything else I have known and I am lucky enough to experience that new inventiveness on every single photo shoot.

Most of the kids that come to me come because they have heard about the experience to be had.  In every session there are quiet moments and silly ones too but because every shoot and every senior is so different, the unpredictability of those specific succeeding moments make each and every session not just exciting for the kids but for me too.

Whenever a photo shoot is in a city, expect the unexpected – which of course makes it all the more fun.  Zoe asked to do her senior shoot in the city and although we had talked about the potential for some unwanted attention from the crowds I know it was still a little shocking for her to have passer-bys stop and watch.  One other young woman even gave me her business card saying that she was available any time as a professional model. Leave it to Zoe for making the crowd think her senior shoot was a professional model shoot.

“Ever wonder where you’d end up if you took your dog for a walk and never once pulled back on the leash?”  ~Robert Brault

I thought you might get a kick out of a few of the photographs I will be placing into a local veterinarian’s office.  I will let you know when I have some more fun animal photographs.  Love these guys. xo