Laura Brophy Photography

SITE DOWN

2008-07-28T07:17:00.003-04:00

I am aware of the unavailability of the LAURA BROPHY PHOTOGRAPHY web site, blog, and photocart. I am working with my hosting service to restore the site as soon as possible. Please check back later.

time for a change

2008-01-06T12:50:00.000-05:00

It's time for a change. It’s a new year, so we have a new blog. As happened with so many blogging photographers, my old blog started as a personal blog two years ago and then morphed into a business blog. As such, I always struggled with voice. I have now moved the blog to my business site and the focus on Laura Brophy Photography will be clear and foremost. That said, I promise to share some of myself and my family here, and to include images and scenes that capture and move me.
You’ll still be able to access this blog and posts for quite a while through a link on the new page. I know that many clients still visit and enjoy their photos posted there.

This seems a particularly good time to thank my kind friends, family and clients who have followed this blog over the last couple of years. My work and the business have come a long way, and I am forever indebted to the many kind people who have supported my work and that effort.

All the best to you!

Come see me in my new home: http://www.laurabrophyphotography.com/blog.

merry christmas

2007-12-24T17:27:00.001-05:00

the kitchen

2007-12-16T11:15:00.000-05:00

While I cannot quite declare it done, the new kitchen is done enough to start using and enjoying. We kicked things off last night with dinner for Will and 13 of his friends, all dressed up for the big sophomore dance. It passed the party test with flying colors.

Construction started in July, with an anticipated finish date of mid-October. Things cruised along right on track until we got to the tiling, and then target dates slipped to Thanksgiving, then Hanukkah, and finally the Soph Hop dance. Part of what was fun about this project was that not only did we get to create a new kitchen, we were able to restore the kitchen to its orignal location in this charming 1840 home.

We still need to finish the pantry and mudroom, but I'm going to tackle that after the holidays and simply enjoy entertaining over the next couple of weeks.

The close-up of the backsplash has been included so you can pat me on the back. I laid the Travertine myself, and am quite proud of the total effect. Eventually, two comfy chairs will replace the cafe table, but this works for now.

I'll try to dig up photos of the old kitchen so you can get a sense of what an enormous accomplishment this is.

bill & senah

2007-12-11T17:25:00.000-05:00

I had the wonderful privilege of photographing the wedding of Bill and Senah on Saturday. They were a beautiful couple and it was so great to see their four girls come together to form one big family. Set at the Esperanza Mansion in Branchport overlooking Keuka Lake, the wedding ceremony itself was lovely and intimate, with just the bride and groom, their girls, and parents in attendance. A wonderful reception followed with extended family and friends.

hubby

2007-12-08T23:27:00.001-05:00

My darling husband was kind enough to pose for some lighting tests this morning, as I prepared for today's wedding. He's looking great!!! Here's a bit of a sneak peak of the new kitchen too. We're days away from being functional, with a party on Saturday our goal for its official debut. More on that when the ladders are removed and we finish up a few more details.

PS And if the quietness of this blog makes you think I'm not shooting much, it's quite the opposite. I'll catch up soon, really I will.

mom and son

2007-11-26T20:07:00.000-05:00

I rarely post photos of myself, but I rather like this one with Will, taken by a waitress at a family bar mitzvah last month. More photos to follow in the days to come.

silence

2007-11-23T10:27:00.000-05:00

If anyone continues to check this long quiet blog, you have my great thanks and sincerest of apologies. I guess I needed a break. I've continued to shoot and love some of the work I've had the pleasure to do this month. I look forward to resuming the blog and sharing again.

We'll kick off with a swimming photo, as the varsity season has just gotten underway. It's my fourth season photographing the boys, and I'm looking forward to the season. I played with a new lens at the meet... a 135mm f/2.0 L prime. Here is a picture of Will, wide open at 1/320. It's fabulous with shots from the side like this.

acadia

2007-10-13T14:11:00.001-04:00

I've just returned from a wonderful trip with my daughters to visit colleges. The main destination was Bar Harbor, Maine, to visit the College of the Atlantic, a quirky but wonderful little college. Along the way we visited family and friends. 6 days of travel, 1550 miles, $85 gas (amazing hybrid technology!!!), High School Musical 2 CD played 11 times, temperature ranged from 88 to 45. Here we are on a quick trip in Acadia National Park. Gorgeous!!!

chris

2007-09-30T21:05:00.001-04:00

vintage color

2007-09-28T19:23:00.000-04:00

It's been a wild week of work, and thus no posts. I'll make up for it this weekend!

I was playing with a vintage color action here that a kind photographer colleague shared on a forum...not sure what I think. The color on blogger continues to not match what I see on my computer. It's endlessly frustrating.

2007-09-25T06:57:00.000-04:00

triathlon

2007-09-23T10:57:00.001-04:00

The Finger Lakes Triathlon is wrapping up as I post. It was a pretty amazing site down at the lake this morning, as 1,000 athletes prepared for the race as the sun came up. Results are not yet in, but Will looked great in the water, coming out way in the lead for the relay wave.

nora

2007-09-22T20:32:00.000-04:00

Nora agreed to a quick trip into the studio this evening. I love the more dramatic lighting with her beautiful face.

And for those who called me on yesterday's "no post." Thank you! It's good to know people are actually checking this out. Gudrun was the first one to email first thing this morning, so she'll be getting a 5x7. I had a wonderful time working with her family in the summer of 2006 to capture photos of her beautiful Melissa and the whole family at their lovely house in the woods.

cool kiddo

2007-09-20T22:03:00.001-04:00

Here we go with some fun pictures of a great kid. I'll fill in the details in the morning...I'm whooped, but wanted to get a photo up tonight.

baby baby

2007-09-19T05:53:00.000-04:00

I'm getting lots of visitors and links from the babycenter.com article, which is really fun! Thanks for visiting! In honor of that, it seems only fitting to share a few more of my favorite baby, niece Leela.

swimming for hemophilia

2007-09-18T09:21:00.000-04:00

This Sunday, my son Will will join a team from the Polimeni London Montessori School (Rachel's preschool) to compete in the Finger Lakes Triathlon to support the Mary M. Gooley Hemophilia Center. Will will do the one-mile open water swim for the team. When we were asked if Will could do this, it was impossible to say no, remembering Steven Byrum, who lived across the street from us in Wappingers Falls, and all his sweet family endured. I promised Will I'd help him raise money for this in memory of Steven and in honor of Adam, the little boy his team is sponsoring. I invite you to consider making a contribution.

To donate, click HERE! Let's help the school get to the $1000 goal or above. Many thanks for your consideration.

And while I very much wish I had photos of Steven or Adam, I do not. So the photo of the day is Will, swimming in July at the Niagara Long-Course Classic at the University of Buffalo.

zoo day

2007-09-17T15:31:00.000-04:00

An article in the paper about the new meerkat exhibit at the local zoo reminded me that I snapped a few special "portraits" at the Toronto Zoo a couple of weeks ago.

That's 8 days!

my senior

2007-09-16T19:48:00.000-04:00

My most important senior has yet to consent to a session. We grabbed a few in Montreal, but we've yet to do the real shoot. And we're running out of time! It's a little too much like the shoemaker's children having no shoes.

painting, grouting, sanding

2007-09-15T20:41:00.000-04:00

We're in the thick of this kitchen/bathroom renovation. Rachel helped with both today...painting in the new kitchen and cleaning up the grout in the new upstairs bathroom. We're all whooped...calling it a day.

Day SIX... I'm on a roll.

nicholas

2007-09-14T08:08:00.001-04:00

I've always meant to stop at the court house just doors away for a shoot, and Nicholas was the perfect subject for this majestic historic building. Thanks Nicholas for a great session. Nick is one of my swimmer boys. I've had the pleasure of watching him and photographing him over the last three years, and it was great to have the opportunity to work with him to capture this exciting time in his life, as he contemplates his college options and gets ready to move out into the world.

I love this first one and will likely print it as a 10x20 for the studio, a bit of an odd size, but great to capture the height of the columns.

That's FIVE days in a row of posts. I don't think I've done that since the early days of the blog. Do I get a prize???

quite a sight

2007-09-13T07:14:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, a red-tailed hawk stopped on the quad on campus for lunch. He was amazingly tame and unfazed by all the people gawking at him with their cell-phone cameras extended in front of them. It was only afterward that I realized that was probably the REAL picture... all these students and faculty members from all over the world sending images of the big catch to parts near and far. While I didn't have my favorite lens that would have rocked for shots of this guy, I was glad I had the camera at the office for the first time in a month.

Phew! 7:20 and the pressure is off for the day. Coming tomorrow... my friend, Nicholas.

brynne

2007-09-12T22:18:00.001-04:00

OK, so to my charming sister who chastised me for a lack of a post before the day was done, I'd like to introduce Brynne, whom I had the pleasure to photograph over the course of two days last week. While this session takes all records for rescheduling due to weather and other weird stuff, it was certainly worth the wait! Beautiful and poised, Brynne was game for anything. Isn't the red dress great!?!

I'd also like to thank Brynne's parents for supporting the Canandaigua Aquatics Silent Auction with their winning bid for this session. It was a pleasure to work with you and to be able to do this for the kids. THANKS again!

now i get it

2007-09-11T16:45:00.001-04:00

OK, so I'm probably not supposed to have favorite sessions, but sometimes I do, for a variety of reasons. As you can see, this family is so sweet. They are friends of ours. We've traveled far and wide together to swim meets. Heather is one of my favorite kids to photograph swimming, as she is stunning to watch in the water. If you recall the beautiful shot of shoulders in the water from April, that was Heather. I had it printed as a 10x20 for her on matallic paper, and it was great to see it matted and framed in their home.

So, my hubby is a golfer, and I've really never really understood the appeal. But he likes it, and it keeps him out of trouble. Well, this lovely family lives on one of the most stunning golf courses anywhere, overlooking beautiful Canandaigua Lake, and I got to go out with them on golf carts from hole to hole for photos. It just got better and better at every turn. It was beautiful, and so now I get some of the appeal of golf. I'm still not sure about the struggling to put a little ball in a little hole, but it sure seems like a nice place to spend the afternoon.

my pledge...a post a day

2007-09-11T12:00:00.000-04:00

I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. As the Class of '08 seniors wrap up their shoots, my schedule is lightening up and I look forward to catching up on life and focusing more on home and family. Throughout the spring and summer, I continued to shoot just for fun and to chronicle life as we know it here in my home and in my travels. The photos have piled up, and I'm looking forward to sharing.

So here we go...I'm committing to a post a day, to include at least one image, between now and the end of October. For each day I fail to post, the first person to call me on it gets a prize. For family, friends, and clients, that's a 5x7 of your choice! And for my photographer friends, it will be a cool little photography related product, template, or toy. Keep me honest, folks. I've got lots of travel planned for October, so this will prove challenging, no doubt, but let's have fun with it.

For clients considering booking a session for the fall, please know that available slots are filling up quickly. Please be in touch asap to schedule, particularly if you are hoping to have prints made for holidays gifts.

I'll post today's photos separately.... a fun session, you will soon see.

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEELA!

and she's off...

2007-09-10T08:29:00.000-04:00

My baby boarded the bus this morning for her first day of kindergarten. It was a joy to watch her march up the steps of the bus confidently and excitedly. She took the first seat (as recommended by big sis).

I must confess that I'm not the sentimental type when it comes to these things. I know there are probably moms bawling all over town this morning, but I always love each new phase and feel pure excitement for her and all that is ahead.

laura featured in babycenter.com article

2007-09-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

I was intereviewed and featured in a story that is now posted on www.babycenter.com. Five photographer moms "share secrets" and give advice about photographing their kids. Babycenter.com article

For those not familiar with babycenter.com, they are a leading online resource for parents of young children and expectant parents, with over 4 million visitors a month.

If you're interested, you may also want to take a look at my June post titled "last night i was interviewed" that I created after my interview, summarizing my advice. The one point they didn't take up in the article was knowing when to hire a pro. I don't say that for self-serving purposes, but rather from personal experience. I have very, very few photographs of me with my kids (I'm always behind the camera!), and that is something I regret a great deal. Also, having just returned from a vacation with my extended family, who have all come to rely on me to provide photos, I wish I had handed off the camera on occasion and jumped into some of the shots.

I think that the article does a really nice job of pulling together practical advice for parents. I really appreciate babycenter.com's care in fact checking and for spreading the gospel about the evils of "Say Cheese"!

tierney

2007-09-04T21:14:00.001-04:00

Meet Tierney. We had a great session recently, starting in the studio and taking in the lake and my favorite alley downtown. Many of my seniors have experienced the alley. One wall is a beautiful worn brick and the other a lovely, fresh white painted brick. The white wall acts as an enormous reflector, casting a beautiful light on my subjects.

Tierney continues the fun run of swimmers I've been photographing. Thanks for a great session!

leela

2007-09-04T16:55:00.000-04:00

Sweet Leela will turn 1 next week, but we're going to celebrate a little early with some fun pictures from our time together in Quebec. Leela is my darling niece and one of my very favorite little subjects. I have several client sessions lined up that I am looking forward to proofing in the coming days, but everyone keeps asking me for new Leela pictures, so here they are.

no expert

2007-08-30T11:37:00.000-04:00

Yup, that's right. I've been interviewed by a parenting magazine about taking great pictures of your kids. Today we did a kindergarten run-through where mom and kiddo ride the bus and meet the teacher. Well, here's my kiddo, Miss Cooperative, waiting for the school bus this morning. She'd have NO part of posed photos. You'll see, though, that once she got into the fun of the day, I got the priceless ones. Her delight when she discovered her dear friend N was in her class was beautiful. I had to back off, as the local paper photographer was also taken by their sweet reunion and she followed them around as the held hands to explore their new school.

my girl

2007-08-29T18:02:00.000-04:00

I needed a photo of Rachel today for a publication, and I realized that while I've continued to try to capture the everyday and special moments along the way, I'm not keeping up with proofing and backing up my own photos. He's one from our vacation earlier in the month. I took over a thousand photos of Rachel and her cousins playing at the stream. Once I get through this crunch of clients, I'm very much looking forward to proofing the vacation images and putting them together in a special memory book.

nick

2007-08-23T07:38:00.000-04:00

I'm back and posting. Pardon my absence. I had a wonderful trip with my family (kids, hubby, parents, sisters, and their families) to Montreal and the mountains of Quebec. I'm sorting through those great photos, though I suspect it will take some time.

Last night, I returned to photographing CA's Class of 2008 with a great session with Nick. This young filmaker has a great eye, and when I ran out of ideas for poses, he took over, with both serious and fun shots that made me laugh and taught me a few things too.

Yes, that's Spiderman to the rescue.

amelia

2007-08-08T13:57:00.001-04:00

It was a perfect night, with beautiful light, and a fun, adventurous senior. I love the combination of town and country shoots. Amelia's beautiful land, gardens and pond provided the perfect backdrop for a great session!

tim

2007-08-06T22:08:00.000-04:00

Tim gets special recognition for orginality and his love of the outdoors. A special thanks for my first ever ATV ride! What a a treat it was to explore the beautiful landscape Tim's family has created on their 30 acres. And as the daughter of a band director, I can't tell you how happy I was when I realized that the tuba was to be a part of our session.

lovely at 9

2007-08-02T19:59:00.000-04:00

urban color

2007-08-01T10:04:00.000-04:00

I just couldn't resist sharing this fun collage I worked on for Emma. She has such a unique and wonderful style, and we had a great time playing behind the stores downtown with THE green chair.

[secret workshop]

2007-07-30T08:32:00.001-04:00

I'm just back from an amazing weekend workshop with some of my very favorite photographers. It recharged my batteries and was truly inspiring. I had the opportunity to photograph some very sweet and talented young aspiring models (aka very beautiful, totally regular kids!). I'm looking forward to sharing those images on the blog in the days to come. Here's my first little friend...

katherine

2007-07-26T08:05:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure if I could have any more fun. I love meeting all these interesting seniors. I loved working with Katherine last night. I was delighted when she showed up with a violin and that beautiful reddish hair and green eyes. Just beautiful. And lots of fun too. Here's a quick peak. There were so many great poses and locations for this shoot. These four don't even begin to do the session justice.

I'm heading out of town for a photography workshop this weekend. I am really looking forward to the creative break with photographer friends and to bringing home new ideas.

nora's new friends

2007-07-25T11:28:00.001-04:00

OK, here's a photo of Nora taken last week (on her cell phone!) with her two new friends that she met in Boulder and with whom she went to Six Flags. Anyone recognize these two handsome boys? (If I've told you, don't tell, please.) There is a prize waiting for the first one to get it.

alexa

2007-07-24T06:40:00.000-04:00

The rain came on full force last night, and so I got a little extra time in the studio with the beautiful Alexa. What fun that was!!! I way over shot because it was just working. Here's a quick peak. And the best part is that we get to do it again...outside!

chelsea

2007-07-23T04:50:00.001-04:00

Look at this beautiful girl! What fun I had with Chelsea on Saturday afternoon...she's a natural! And a good sport too. We set out on what I call the town and country tour, getting some fun shots downtown before heading out to fields, gardens, and woods. Chelsea kept her cool and we got amazing photographs downtown, even in the midst of a street festival.

andrew

2007-07-23T04:42:00.000-04:00

What fun it was to get to know Andrew a bit. He's the younger brother of Ben, one of my 2007 seniors, and as sweet as can be. Despite a persistant rain, Andrew, his dad, and I found some great new spots to photograph and we got some great shots.

adam and his truck

2007-07-15T22:10:00.000-04:00

I just couldn't help but take a quick peak at tonight's session. We found the perfect overgrown field for Adam's great old Dodge Ram.

emma

2007-07-15T07:59:00.001-04:00

What a great time I had Thursday night with Emma. We did my favorite combination of town and country. It was perfect for Emma who has a unique funky urban side, right along with a love of nature and the outdoors.

I continue to find that I have a problem with color on the blog, so I'm posting one here for fun, along with a link to a few more as a preview to the session. Click HERE to see a few more of Emma.

beautiful girls

2007-07-13T18:59:00.000-04:00

I've had some wonderfully fun sessions with senior girls this week. Since my Blogger blog is giving me trouble and continuing to wash out my photos (and is not all that friendly with Macs), I've decided to make a change soon. In the meanwhile, I've posted a few pictures of the beautiful Miss Becca HERE.

A preview of pictures of Emma coming very soon...

my toughest customer

2007-07-06T15:29:00.000-04:00

The Summer of 2007 is one long extended senior session for my charming daughter. We're saving most of the location shots for our vacation, so she has some unique settings. But every so often we'll snap a few in the studio for fun.

swimming in the sun

2007-07-05T06:15:00.000-04:00

We've been doing a bit of driving as Will cranks it up a notch with his swimming. I love seeing sunlight on the pool...it's such a rarity in these northern parts. (Click on the photo to see it bigger.) Usually I'm struggling at 1000 or 1600 ISO to keep the shutter speed up. This photo was taken at Colgate University last week at a camp Will attended. The Colgate pool has these great windows that open up overhead.

Will's off to University at Buffalo for the weekend for the Niagara Long-Course Classic. Real-time results will be available here.

family fun

2007-07-01T23:24:00.000-04:00

What a fun session this evening. I LOVE working with families!!! I found myself at a beautiful log cabin in the country with this wonderful family and their three dogs, including a sweet little black lab pup. Rumor has it there was a cat too, but I never saw it.

I'm sorting through all the photos now to pick the best to share with the client in an online gallery, but I often like to provide this sneak peak of the session as soon as possible. There are many more to come, but these are a few that caught my eye as I backed up the files.

Also, please forgive me that these are a tad washed out. I am transitioning to two different computers, and I'm struggling with some color space issues, which should soon be resolved.

featured seniors

2007-06-30T12:33:00.001-04:00

I've added two new FEATURED galleries to my website (click on logo to right). The galleries feature two recent senior sessions...one with Kelsey and the other with Megan, both beautiful, fun, memorable sessions. As we head into Class of 2008 senior season full force, I just have to say how very much I enjoy working with these amazing teens to capture their natural beauty in their senior portraits.

Also, for anyone still contemplating scheduling a session, I am getting close to capacity to schedule sessions for the summer. Please contact me as sooon as possible to guarantee a session before the CA yearbook deadline.

going green

2007-06-30T12:01:00.000-04:00

I have really been studying my family's environmental impact and am working through some complex decisions as a result. I thought it perfect that I came across a wind farm on my way to Colgate University this week, as I was doing an extended test drive of the Toyota Prius, a really cool little hybrid vehicle that gets up to 60 miles per gallon. I'd love to get the Prius for its amazing efficiency, but it's probably just not a practical vehicle for my family at this point. We're now contemplating the Toyota Camry Hybrid, which will significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and halve our fuel consumption. As for the wind farm, it was so much more awesome than I had imagined. The wind towers have a majesty that surprised me. We've been purchasing wind as part of our electric service for over a year, and it was great to see how it is generated.

As for the photography business, I have started switching over as much of my packaging and marketing materials to recyled papers, and I am coordinating and combining print orders to consolidate shipping boxes. I am also minimizing print materials by relying more heavily on PDFs for client communications. I'm still deciding what to do about paper proofs. I believe that they are very helpful to clients, but I am concerned about unnecessary paper and chemical use.

The flowers and Great Blue Heron were found on the beauiful pond at the foot of the hill at Colgate.

megan

2007-06-25T06:07:00.001-04:00

very special father's day

2007-06-21T07:29:00.001-04:00

What a privilege it was to spend time with this great family on Father's Day for a very special family reunion to celebrate a son and brother's safe return from the war in Iraq. Thank you, Dan (pictured here in tan), for your service! Happy Father's Day, Steve!

capturing memories

2007-06-12T07:09:00.001-04:00

Last night, I was interviewed by a reporter writing a story for a parenting magazine on photographing children. She was interested in both advice for parents on capturing great photos, and on my experience photographing my own children. (The article will appear in September, and I’ll share a link when it does.)

In preparing for the interview, I developed the following tips (with young children in mind), and I thought friends, family and clients might find them helpful.

Lose the “cheese”!
The best photos of kids are taken when they are engaged and interested, either in you or in something in their world. Get them engaged, and you’ll be amazed at what happens to the quality of your photos. Truth of the matter is that not many kids smile naturally or convincingly when commanded to “Say cheese!”

Many of my favorite shots are of my kids at play. Whether they are setting up their favorite parade of animals or having a teddy bear picnic, you can play and engage with them while snapping away. Take time to observe too…I bet you’ll see some new possibilities!

Get down on your child’s level and talk and play. I’m not beyond using silly songs or games to get my daughter’s attention (and eye contact!). I’ve even been known to attach silly critters and stickers to my camera to capture a great expression.

Keep it simple!
You want your child to be the focus of the photo, so be careful to watch out for cluttered backgrounds and distracting elements, such as logos and characters on clothing. A little quiet planning on your part and care in framing the photo will make a huge difference. Anyone who knows me knows that clutter is a big part of our lives, but I’ll do a quick clearing of a tabletop or change my direction to avoid documenting that clutter and creating distractions in my images.

Also, so often we put kids in their fussiest clothes for photos when we’d get better results with the most basic of clothes…a simple sundress or solid polo and shorts. Or with babies, nothing at all!

Look for good light!
Natural light will make for the best photos.

On-camera flashes are handy, but have great limitations, from “red eye” to generally “flat” images. Inside, try photographing your child right next to the window with the flash disengaged. Avoid strong direct sunlight, but an indirect light through a window can produce beautiful results.

One of the most common mistakes parents make is to think that full sun is great light for photos. While it makes the world look beautiful to the naked eye, in photos, it creates squinty eyes and harsh shadows, especially in the middle of the day when the sun is high in the sky. Look for open shade, like the shadow of a building. Or try photographing in the beautiful warm light of the hour before the sun sets…it creates a lovely light with soft, elongated shadows.

Get close!
Don’t be afraid to get in close, whether it is your child’s dirty face or just his hands playing with a favorite toy. Use a simple photo program to crop your photos to maximize them.

Conversely, don’t forget to back way out sometimes too. A baby asleep on a huge bed or a small child standing in a doorway or on the steps of a grand building gives you a wonderful sense of scale. Before you know it, he’ll be 6 feet tall and asking for the car keys!

Real the manual!
So many parents are investing in consumer digital SLRs. They are amazing pieces of equipment, but really won’t do much more than your good point & shoot unless you learn some of the basics of photography. Whether P&S or SLR, it’s really worth learning how your camera focuses (it affects how you frame a photo and what will be in focus). Read the manual!

Adjusting for lighting situations is a bit more complicated, but as a starter, knowing how and when to override the automatic flash and how to adjust the ISO to allow you to avoid flash will make a huge difference in your results. Did I mention, read the manual!?!

Capture the moment!
In the end, great memories are about capturing what is near and dear to your heart. Don’t get hung up on capturing a great photo and forget to capture life. When you see an interaction between people or your child and the world, snap away. Long after your memories fade (and they will!!!), the daily snapshots will chronicle an amazing journey and love story. Snap away. There is not a single photo I regret taking. I only remember the ones I missed.

Know when to call a professional!
One of my biggest mistakes that I’ve made as my three children have grown is that I am absent from almost all of our THOUSANDS of family photos. I’ve been hiding behind a camera. I’ve also unnecessarily tortured my children (and myself!) by trying to get that perfect photo of all three of them. I’ve found the solution… hire a pro! I’ll be working with a photographer to capture us all together, both formally and informally. The more I work with families and share in the joy of their family photos, I want my own, and I want to be part of them.

© Laura Brophy 2007. Do not copy or reproduce without permission.

That’s all for now. Feel free to post questions, and I’ll do my best to answer.

bama girls rock

2007-06-10T12:32:00.000-04:00

Her heart is in Alabama!!! Loved this session...still proofing, but there are so many great shots of Kelsey. OK, so while I know I advise against logos and such, I was thrilled when she showed up with this fun tee! Kelsey is about to head off for the summer to Alabama and is planning to go to college there too!

gearing up for senior season

2007-06-09T00:33:00.000-04:00

Here's MY beautiful senior, helping me out tonight with a test of the new strobe and softbox.

My Class of 2008 senior sessions are really filling up. If you are planning to book a senior session with me, please get in touch as soon as possible to schedule!

meow

2007-06-07T06:47:00.001-04:00

It's looking like animal kingdom on the blog this spring. Bob and Junior don't run from the camera like everyone else! Still playing with the 200mm f2.8 L lens, and I'm really loving it wide open.

family portrait

2007-06-05T06:02:00.001-04:00

I previously posted photos of a family with three sweet goslings living on my parents' pond. We were all sad to see them all disappear the day after I took their pictures. This has happened in past years too, and we always wonder if they found a safe new home.

We were delighted that a new pair of expectant parents moved right in, and they seem to be making the pond their home, at least last time I checked. Five sweet goslings this time!!!

As you can see, I've continued to play with the 200mm L 2.8 lens, which I also used quite a bit in the session with Lilah above. And I love the backlighting here. It really makes the photo.

lilah

2007-06-03T09:49:00.000-04:00

Meet my little friend Delilah and her sweet parents. Lilah has a clear passion in life...and that is to spread dandelions the world over. We spent two hours in search of the beautiful seeded globes and made sure that the dandelions in her yard and Highland Park multiply.

lacrosse

2007-05-27T08:54:00.000-04:00

I decided to go watch some of the local boys play lacrosse. I've photographed several of the boys on the team and I wanted to see them in action!

soccer fun

2007-05-24T07:40:00.000-04:00

I set out with camera and my 200mm f/2.8 L lens to catch some soccer action the other night, and discovered that 5 year olds don't actually see that much action when they are concentrating on keeping control of a soccer ball. There were moments when I swear it looked like S-L-O-W motion. Playing with the camera saved me from the torture of watching my lovely, but seriously uncoordinated daughter, "play soccer." I think she is sensing her limitations and recently declared, "I think I'm more of a swimmer." Now if she could just lose the bubble, she'd be all set.

I've only used the 200mm for swimming and events work. I knew it rocked for swimming, but I actually want to play with it more for portraits and other work. At f/2.8 it is tack sharp and the color is gorgeous!I set out with camera and my 200mm f/2.8 L lens to catch some soccer action the other night, and discovered that 5 year olds don't actually see that much action when they are concentrating on keeping control of a soccer ball. There were moments when I swear it looked like S-L-O-W motion. Playing with the camera saved me from the torture of watching my lovely, but seriously uncoordinated daughter, "play soccer." I think she is sensing her limitations and recently declared, "I think I'm more of a swimmer." Now if she could just lose the bubble, she'd be all set.

I've only used the 200mm for swimming and events work. I knew it rocked for swimming, but I actually want to play with it more for portraits and other work. At f/2.8 it is tack sharp and the color is gorgeous!

zora

2007-05-23T06:04:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of meeting this little cutie this weekend. What an absolute doll she is! She wasn't so sure about me at first, but we made a great game of "catching" pictures and playing on the swingset. Got ya, Zora!

commencement

2007-05-20T15:25:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was commencement for the education school, and I enjoyed photographing the ceremony and the wonderful architectural details and flowers of the day. What an absolutely beautiful day it was! And while I must confess to not feeling the love for standard event photography, I do love the details that come together and the warm interactions between people that make the day memorable.

junior prom

2007-05-16T07:09:00.000-04:00

I was reminded on Saturday night to "try to be normal and not too embarrassing." And so I stood in a line with all the other moms and dads taking the requisite prom pictures. I was given about a minute with each of my charming children, and the results are alarmingly predictable. Yet, it is a right of passage, and so here are Nora and Will with their dates, by popular request. I never got one of the two of them together. I am so grateful to Megan and Adam, the sweet twins across the street (pictured below), who were far more patient and into photos. I'm really looking forward to doing their senior pictures.

It's been a crazy few weeks, as spring has sprung, and we're back into outdoor sessions. Between the end of the school year events, prom, mother's day, and a few extra sessions, I'm a bit backed up in proofing and scheduling. I hope to catch up on things by next week. June is shaping up to be another BUSY month. Please be in touch soon if you wanted to get on the schedule for June. Thanks for your patience!!!

prom 2007

2007-05-12T20:26:00.000-04:00

happy mother's day ingrid!

2007-05-12T15:37:00.000-04:00

april

2007-05-09T18:12:00.000-04:00

I am caught at the office late and decided to look through some of my recent portraits of adults... not something I often share here. This is my colleague and friend April, mother of the famous Maya.

baa

2007-05-08T20:24:00.000-04:00

Forgive me for missing two days. The glorious sun took me into the garden the last few days.

I've driven past this field of sheep a dozen times in the last week, and just had to stop. Unfortunately, they turned their backs on me as soon as I got out of the car. This field is right in the middle of suburbia USA, not out in the beautiful country around my town.

loving the chair

2007-05-05T17:18:00.000-04:00

goslings

2007-05-04T22:05:00.000-04:00

The big day arrived, and the baby geese at grandma and grandpa's pond made their debut today. We got over there just as the sun was going down to greet them. What amazing parents these geese are... attentive, loving and protective. They let me get about 15 feet away, but they made the boundaries very, very clear.

8 grandchildren

2007-05-03T21:57:00.000-04:00

This is "just a snapshot" ...a quick, impromptu photo taken at my dear mother-in-law's 80th birthday celebration last month, with all 8 of her granchildren in one place. They range in age from 4 to 28! Saturday is the official big day, and I post with the warmest wishes to Shirl for a spectacular birthday.

This is a wonderful reminder to me to keep snapping. While I love great portraits under the best of circumstances, sometimes there is remarkable beauty in letting them all pile on the couch for a quick and memorable "snap."

life as art

2007-05-02T07:02:00.000-04:00

I am so very excited to offer a new product...gallery-wrapped canvas. It is a beautiful way to display photos, and makes special portraits the finest of art. Please forgive my product photography (definitely NOT my thing...). I tried to show you how beautifully these canvases wrap around the frame for a polished presentation.

Also, in this first photo, you get a sneak peak at my new antique Victorian chair for the studio. I stumbled across it at an antique store downtown on Sunday afternoon on the way to a concert. I couldn't get it out of my mind, and went back on Monday to get it. Who's going to be up first for a photo in this sweet green chair?

may day challenge

2007-05-01T07:16:00.000-04:00

I have not been keeping up with the blog to my satisfaction. It is, perhaps, the perfectionist in me...always struggling to find a new favorite image to post. My May challenge is to post everyday. Please call me on it if I fail to do so.

To welcome in May, I am pleased to introduce you to Miss C, a little girl full of spice and life.

will

2007-04-28T20:06:00.000-04:00

blue eyes

2007-04-24T09:20:00.000-04:00

The Class of 2008 is on its way! Kelsey was my first senior session of the season, and what fun it was. Here's a sneak peak.

before the snow

2007-04-18T06:54:00.000-04:00

Taken on Saturday, before the storm that buried us in snow again. I regret not having returned for a photo on Sunday of these poor daffodils, struggling to weather the storm. The recent swimming photos have me dreaming in vibrant color, and so it is fun to continue with it a bit more.

nationals gallery posted

2007-04-14T11:38:00.000-04:00

As I explained in previous posts, I was in Florida last week attending the YMCA National Swimming and Diving Championship with Will. I enjoyed volunteering as a photographer for two sessions and thought I'd post a few of my favorites from those sessions. If you are interested in seeing more, I've posted them on my Web site, in a FEATURED gallery. After photographing all winter in dark pools, it was great fun to be able to work in full sun.

irresistible

2007-04-13T14:42:00.000-04:00

class of 2008 senior rep applications available

2007-04-12T12:16:00.000-04:00

Are you an outgoing soon-to-be senior? Laura Brophy Photography is currently seeking Class of 2008 representatives. If you are interested in modeling for senior portraits and representing Laura Brophy Photography in your school and to your friends, please contact me through my website to request an application. I'm looking for good students with a sense of style and who love the camera.

Some of the details:

Two free sessions ($150 value).

One mini shoot right away after application approval.

Free full session (must be booked early in June).

Final gallery 10-12 from the mini session and 35 from the full.
10 free MySpace images.
Cool online slideshow of your images to show off to your family and friends.
Rep cards that feature your photo.
8 free wallets for every senior who books a PAID session.
Each model signs an exclusive contract with me to model for my studio, show off their images and slideshow.
A model release is required to participate. If under 18, a parent's signature is required too.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with limited reps contracted per school, so be in touch soon and get me your application!

swimming

2007-04-06T09:09:00.000-04:00

I've enjoyed the week photographing at Y Nationals. See the post below for the link to the CAQY blog.

swimming blog

2007-03-31T14:56:00.000-04:00

I've just set up the blog for the swim team's trip to YMCA Nationals. Check it out...2007 CAQY National Team.

2007-03-31T10:12:00.000-04:00

My little friend was open to photographs yesterday morning on our way to school.

I have been making a good faith effort to keep up with my blog again, after a couple of slow months. Please stop in frequently and feel free to comment!

Will and I head off in the morning to the YMCA National Short Course Swimming Championship in Fort Lauderdale. If I can get the technology working, I'll post images from Florida over the coming week.

magnificent magician

2007-03-30T08:24:00.000-04:00

I'm catching up on a backlog of family and friend photos now that I have the new site launched. Here is my favorite magician, the most magnificant Master Milan.

If you haven't taken a look at the new site, I invite you to visit it. (Link is at right.) I'll be adding more feature galleries over the next week or two.

five!

2007-03-27T08:27:00.000-04:00

I had thoughts of converting this to B&W, but Rachel stopped me in my tracks. "It's my birthday and I like COLOR!" So, here it is.

My sweety is five, and tomorrow we head off to register her for kindergarten. Where did the time go?

play

2007-03-26T07:02:00.000-04:00

A trip to the Strong National Museum of Play for Rachel's 5th birthday provided the perfect opportunity to play around with color and motion.

cameraman

2007-03-24T08:51:00.000-04:00

I've been working on a project with colleagues that is so very exciting on several levels. It's a dynamic literacy project bringing performance poetry to urban youth. This week and next are the slams. I am endless blown away by the powerful voices of these teens and the creativity and poise they demostrate in their performances. They are truly a complete joy to witness and great fun to photograph.

We're also working on a documentary of the project, following the kids and teachers from the classroom through to the national Brave New Voices Slam in San Diego this summer. I am very much enjoying doing the still photography associated with the project. This is David, the filmmaker.

two!

2007-03-17T21:39:00.000-04:00

I had the honor of photographing Miss Maya for her second birthday. She was an absolute doll -- full of warmth, joy and character. This was a very special shoot for reasons soon to be revealed. Stay tuned for some fun news from Laura Brophy Photography.

beautiful butterflies

2007-02-25T21:14:00.000-05:00

Greetings, friends! Forgive my silence. A quick getaway this weekend included a stop at the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls. I do not do these beautiful butterflies justice. They are magnificent, humbling creatures.

winter warmth

2007-02-10T22:35:00.000-05:00

chickadees

2007-02-10T18:10:00.000-05:00

winner

2007-01-31T21:48:00.000-05:00

What a fun surprise to discover that this photo, which I titled "Energy," won 2nd price in the betterphoto.com November photo contest. It spent much of January popping up on the main page of betterphoto. Interestingly, it received not one comment when submitted or until it was named a prize-winner, a wonderful reminder to stay true to my vision and continue to experiment with the nontraditional.

tess

2007-01-24T07:40:00.000-05:00

Curls just melt my heart. Meet Tess. I had a fun impromptu session with her on a recent visit to our house. She's full of spunk and personality.

on the deck

2007-01-20T18:18:00.000-05:00

ice

2007-01-15T17:03:00.000-05:00

warm

2007-01-12T08:31:00.000-05:00

From last Sunday...in the 50s! And beautiful...

always a good sport

2007-01-06T11:41:00.000-05:00

Bob is forever patient and endures all sorts of gentle, well-intentioned torture with good humor and grace.

ryan

2007-01-03T21:17:00.000-05:00

And here is my sweet nephew Ryan!

caleb

2006-12-30T09:01:00.000-05:00

What a sweetie this little guy is...a gentle soul, indeed.

drowning in swim photos

2006-12-29T08:22:00.000-05:00

"'Tis the season... swim meets every few days. I continue to capture the meets and post the photos in a shutterfly collection for the boys and their families.

Last weekend, at a very exciting meet where the press again did not show, I sent a few off to the local papers. What fun to see the photo above appear with the story in the Democrat and Chronicle the next morning.

The next two are of Will swimming the IM.

lovely leela

2006-12-28T09:20:00.000-05:00

What a fun backlog of photos I have. If anyone continues to follow this blog, please forgive my silence. It's been a busy month. The good news is that I've continued to take photos and now have a great backlog of fun images to share.

I couldn't help but start with these sweet pictures of the lovely Leela, who joined us for Christmas. What a cutie she is at 3.5 months!

all three

2006-12-10T22:12:00.000-05:00