Why I'm Using Snapchat & Loving It

This is a shorter version of a post on my creative lifestyle blog, Dancing Lily Studio. I hope you enjoy it, and as with all of my blog posts, the opinions expressed here are solely my own. 

I don't usually post much about social media and how to use it, but I thought today I'd talk a bit about Snapchat and why it's quickly becoming one of my favorite social tools.

I joined Snapchat last summer with a group of fellow moms to share fun, quick snippets of our kids' days with each other. Then more friends and family joined, and guess what? It's become the main place where I share my day to day life. Here's why:

Around late January, we were planning a trip to Disney, Lily's first time there, and I knew I wanted to be able to share our trip with friends and family. I didn't, however, want to clog Facebook or Instagram with pictures and videos of the trip for five days straight. Especially with little things that happened throughout the day. I have a documentary heart and wanted to capture everything.

Snapchat was the place to share all of that. I could take photos or 10 second videos throughout the day, add them to my Snapstory (more on that in a bit), and at the end of the day, I saved my story to my phone for backup and posted the whole video story to Facebook. Prior to the trip, I shared my username on Facebook and Instagram and invited friends and family to follow me if they wanted to watch my snaps during the day. I was surprised at how many people signed up!

So, if you're lost on how to use Snapchat or what the point of it even is, here's how it generally works:

1. Capture. You either take a picture (and choose the duration of the photo to appear for 1-10 seconds), or have up to 10 seconds to capture on video by holding down the camera button, to share with your friends/followers. 

2. Filters! Snapchat is constantly adding fun filters to use that do anything from change the coloring of your snap, to mark the time or geotag the place, weird face filters. You can also add text, emojis, or draw on your photo or video.

3. Do you want to save? You can choose to save your picture or video to your phone before sending it to friends by clicking the little button at the bottom.

4. Next you share. You choose exactly who sees each "snap". You hand pick who to send it to, allowing you to send a picture or video to one person, a small group of people, or everyone on your list. This allows your to, in a sense, have a private conversation through pictures and video. Something a bit more private might just go to Sean or my family or best friends, while other snaps can go to everyone. 

5. Life is short. A snap only lives for 24 hours on your story. Then it's gone. Whether you share a picture of your dinner or a quick video from a hike or hanging out at home or working or getting buzzed on boxed wine, even if it's not "pretty", it's only there for a limited time. If you send someone a snap directly, it's there until they view it, and then it disappears. They can view it one more time by holding down the snap, but you'll receive a notification that they've replayed it. It's meant to be brief. 

6. Put the CHAT in Snapchat. You can go back and forth with contacts having conversations through photo, video or text! You can also reply or comment on a snap sent to you, or one that you see on someone's story (but only if you are mutual followers), but once that comment is received, it also disappears.

7. Snap your story. You can add any snaps to your "Snap Story", which is public to anyone who follows you. You can download your story at any time to your phone, and any snaps on your story from the past 24 hours will save to a .mp4 video.

8. Keep in mind, lovers of landscape. All photos or videos are vertical layout, so if you save them, they may be oriented differently from what you intended.

This photo has been rotated from it's original awkwardly vertical orientation.

So, what's so great about a social tool that's so brief and temporary? It's liberating! It more raw, more real, no pressure to create a curated gallery of your life that anyone can view indefinitely. It's an opportunity to share your day to day with your audience in a way that's more authentic, unedited, and a true glimpse into your life. The camera quality isn't amazing, the filters are just ok, so these are not going to be amazing visuals. You can share 2 snaps per day or 20 or none at all, and the next day, do something completely different. And there's no pressure to make it all personal or all business. You can use it however you wish, and start fresh each day. 

For now, I am enjoying sharing bits of my day. Since I work from home, and Lily is home with me when she's not at school, you may see me working on crafts/sewing, painting, Lil playing, funny or random pictures, cooking dinner, current editing work, on location for photography, our weekend adventures to Massachusetts...It's probably the most real representation of my life, if that is of any interest. 

Are you on Snapchat? Do you like it? Do you think it's just another passing trend in social media? I'm always fascinated by how these platforms come and go and change. There have certainly been plenty that seemed like they'd become huge, but were basically over in a week (Google Wave, Ello, Periscope). Not to say they were a failure, they're still somewhat used, but there are definitely platforms that I think will remain more significant for the time being. 

If you'd like to follow me on Snapchat, my username is shannonsoren. Please keep it clean! lol

Eva :: Connecticut Newborn Photography

Is there anything better than the peacefulness of an early morning? I will be the first to tell you I am not a morning person, yet, whenever I get my day started early, I'm reminded how nice it is to be able to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee, catch up on some reading and begin the day with a sense of calm. It really does make a world of difference. I think I need an alarm on my phone that gently whispers "Good morning, Shannon. It's going to be a beautiful day. Don't waste it by hitting snooze five more times like you did yesterday."

Here's are a few favorites from a recent newborn session here in Connecticut. I got to spend a quiet, sleepy morning with sweet little Eva and her parents at their home. I often forget what it's like having a newborn, how quickly things can go from peaceful and calm to damage control with a blowout or eruption of spit up, the burp clothes and swaddle blankets draped over every arm rest and never enough coffee (ok, the coffee part doesn't really change). While I love photos of babies wrapped in soft, cozy cloths and blankets, nothing makes me happier than seeing them in the arms of their parents, keeping each other warm, sweet kisses to the head and soaking up as many of those precious moments as possible. 

I find myself trying to hold Lily in my arms, even though these days it's like trying to snuggle a golden retriever. The limbs kind of hang over my lap, one minute she's comfortable and cozy, and the next minute she's up and running around, ready to play.

What would I give to have those newborn mornings back...whats a treasure. :)

Four Reasons You Don't Need A Must Take Photo List

This post is written solely from my perspective as a photographer. My thoughts and opinions are my own and not necessarily a reflection of all photographers.

If you've gotten married or are currently wedding planning, you're probably familiar with the lists. 

10 Ways to Entertain Your Guests at Your Wedding

100 Things to Do Before You Walk Down the Aisle (And That's Just on the Morning of Your Wedding!)

500 Things to Do While Planning Your Wedding - THE ULTIMATE CHECKLIST

50 Cute Sayings to Include in Your Invitations, Vows, Guest Seating and Thank You Cards

10 Bridesmaid Looks to Flatter Any Body

I normally love lists. My desk is covered in notepads and sticky notes and my Evernote app is pretty impressive, too. My husband often jokes that for me, though, these lists are pointless, because I don't stick to them. They're nice in theory, but when it comes down to it, I know what I need to do and no number of bullet points is going to make a difference in how I go about getting stuff done. 

See where I'm going with this? 

When I was starting out in weddings, I used to sit down with my couples and go over the "must take photo list" one bullet at a time. It was absurd, looking back on it, and a waste of time. It was a list of 100 or so photos to take throughout the day and it was mostly stuff like "Wedding dress hanging in window", "Bride and her mom", "Groom putting ring on bride's finger", "Wedding cake".

I mean, obviously. Of course. 

I get it, because I've been there and I remember all the lists when I was wedding planning. At first, I loved the lists! They seemed like such a great idea and I felt a sense of accomplishment checking off things like "Send gigantic deposit check to venue right after Christmas but before you get your tax return and weep real tears and eat ramen until March". I remember that very well. The first month or so was all about checking off lists and it felt great. 

But then I started getting anxiety. What if I don't check all of these things off? What if I'm missing something I didn't even know I'm missing? At some point, you have to take a deep breath and trust your vendors to do the job you're hiring them to do. If you need reasons as to why you should do this, here are 4:

Connection

Why are you choosing this person/company in the first place? You've probably researched a ton of photographers, priced out who or what type of package is in your budget, but ultimately, you're choosing professionals who you connect with. You like their style, their personality, you can tell from their website and social media channels that they know what they're doing (hence the word professional), and you're excited to work with them. Nothing makes me happier than meeting a client, getting to know each other, and developing a relationship that goes deeper than "I signed a contract and paid you to take pictures today." 

By the time the wedding rolls around, it's like witnessing a marriage of friends. There's mutual care and respect for your relationship and for what I love to do - photograph your union and celebration.

Communication

I'm not saying the wedding day is a complete photographic free for all, but communication should be open and clear. Discuss your vision for the day. Talk about what's important to you. For some, it's details and gorgeous portraits. For others, it's ensuring that there are photos of grandparents or relatives who flew in from overseas or a special tradition that'll take place. 

The area that I do encourage a list is for family portraits, to ensure that no one is missed, and to discuss any relationship dynamics that I should be aware of. 

Expectations

When I got married, I didn't have Pinterest. There were a couple popular wedding blogs, but for the most part, my expectations were set by what I saw in my photographers portfolio and what I ultimately fell in love with, her ability to beautifully photograph emotional moments.

Now if you do a quick search for "Wedding Photo Ideas" you'll be bombarded with list after list and blog post after blog post of what's pretty, what's popular, don't miss this, make sure you do that. It's a lot of pressure all around, and if I'm being honest, it's going to detract from enjoying your wedding day as it unfolds. A pre-determined checklist can't be a cookie cutter guideline for a wedding day because every wedding is different. Trust me, you'd rather be enjoying yourself than worrying about if your father shed a lone tear when he first saw you, if there was a gorgeous flare of sunlight behind you as you entered the church, or if your bridal party really committed to that running-away-from-the-T-rex shot.

Trust

You need to hire a person that you trust to do their job. You've made a great connection, you're excited for them to capture your day and to be there with you from start to finish, so let them work their magic. A professional doesn't need that Top 100 Wedding Photos checklist because they have the experience, they know the general flow for the day and what to look out for. You've communicated what is really important to you when it comes to the photos you want, and they're going to use that knowledge to navigate the day.

The last thing you want is your photographer spending their time checking a list on their phone to make sure they didn't miss anything (while they are ironically missing stuff by checking their phone).

So that's my take on it all. Work with who you feel a strong connection to. Communicate openly before the wedding day about what's important to you. Let go of internet-crazy Pinterest-inspired expectations. Trust your photographer to know what they're doing.

When it comes down to it, your wedding day is going to be unpredictable. Things will happen you didn't plan for. You may find yourself reacting to things you thought would be no big deal. A photographer worth their weight in gold will navigate all of that with ease and grace. Because you and your photographer know that when it comes down to it, your love story and your wedding day are unique and no list can possibly dictate how to best capture it all with care, artistry and authenticity.

Shannon Sorensen is a Connecticut-based wedding and family life photographer available for commissions throughout New England, the US and abroad. Contact her for more information about photographing your beautiful story. 

Victoria + Nick :: Asbury Park New Jersey Wedding

I don't even know where to start. I didn't shoot as many weddings in 2015 for various reasons, but I am madly in love with the ones I shot. Vic and Nick's closed out the year for me in December, and it was gloriously fun. They are both from New Jersey and decided on Tim McLoone's Supper Club for their venue. I've only been to a couple places around New Jersey other than sitting on the Turnpike trying to get through New Jersey, and this wedding made me kind of love this state that I don't know much about. We were right on the boardwalk, and for early December it was gorgeous out. Like, sunny and 50s, light breeze, perfection. 

Vic and Nick have great style - very retro, colorful and focused on the stuff that they enjoy. Nick is an incredibly talented illustrator (check out the Save the Date, invitations, and table numbers he made) and Vic is writer and funny as hell in the best way. They are just good people and I am so happy they asked me to be there on their wedding day!

Holly + Derek :: Salem Cross Inn North Brookfield Massachusetts Wedding

Good morning, friends. I'm pretty sure I'll be setting a record today for cups of coffee consumed in between yawns. I stayed up too late last night watching the Oscars, working on photos, writing, prepping for the week ahead... Someday I'll spend Sunday evenings with my feet up and catch up on this last season of Downton Abbey, but this is not the week. Luckily, I have this gorgeous wedding to share with you as a result of this late night!

Holly and Derek's wedding day was gorgeously warm and sunny, the perfect end to September. The entire day took place at Salem Cross Inn in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, a new location for me, and for me it was love at first sight. I love venues that are rustic, charming, and full of that classic New England character. The Inn is set on a rural road, and from the apple trees out front to the cow pastures out back, the open grounds and barns and that's before even stepping foot in the inn, it's an amazing place for a wedding. I couldn't resist snapping some scenic shots before heading inside to find Holly and the ladies. 

Holly and Derek are as sweet as can be, and I am a lucky lady to have photographed their day because Holly was the final bride of my sweet friend trifecta - first Liz's New Hampshire wedding in 2011, then Rosalind's Hanscom Air Force Base wedding in 2014. I've been blessed to watch them stand up with each other, support each other, toast each other's new marriages, and share amazing memories between their families. 

I also want to add that Holly's flowers were done by Helping Hands Florist in Plainville, Massachusetts, where children and adults with developmental disabilities are supported, educated and given work experience that encourages and promotes creativity. They were absolutely gorgeous and I'd recommend them to anyone looking for a florist in Central Massachusetts. They offer services for any number of occasions. http://hmea.org/helping-hands-florist/

Lauren + Eyvi :: Bascom Lodge Berkshires Wedding

Monday, glorious, Monday...My friend Amy taught me how to make foamy milk for my coffee which has helped me cut sugar out. I enjoyed a delightful latte topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon this morning and almost finished it before it was time to bring Lil to school. It's important to have goals in life. Drinking an entire cup of coffee while it's still hot is an ongoing one of mine. Someday...

It's time to share Lauren and Eyvi's wedding! When Lauren and Eyvi contacted me about photographing their wedding, I was so excited, because it meant returning to Bascom Lodge at the top of Mt. Greylock, a favorite place of mine since shooting Tiffany and Andy's wedding there the September prior. I love the Berkshires, it's such a special part of Massachusetts and I wish I could spend more time there.

Eyvi and Lauren are such a sweet couple. They're kind, funny, and have this ease with each other that made photographing their wedding day a joy. It was important to them to spend plenty of time with their friends and family. Eyvi is from Iceland, so many of his childhood friends were there to celebrate, as well as his family. Their friends were so funny and I really enjoyed getting to spend this day around them. 

There was also the most amazing sunset - I'm talking warm pink sky and a brief sprinkle that resulted in a rainbow over the summit! It was perfect. Like, a photographer's dream.

Lauren's dress was vintage that she found on Etsy, and Eyvi wore traditional Icelandic dress. There were a lot of small, personal touches to their day, things that meant a lot to them personally but also to their friends and family.  It was an honor to spend this day photographing their celebration!

Ceci :: Gloucester Massachusetts Newborn Photography

I am counting down the days until spring. I really can't complain, because it snows nonstop for a day and a half, and then it's 50 degrees and rains and all the snow goes away, but with no school and my husband having to drive on a sheet of ice to get home at 5am, I'm not a big fan of this winter thing right now. I need my kiddo to go to school so she can learn and become more brilliant and so I can get my house cleaned and drink my coffee while it's still hot. Too much to ask? Come on, nature, throw me a bone! 

In November I had the honor of photographing Kristen and DJ's maternity photos in our hometown of Duxbury, Massachusetts, and shortly after, they welcomed sweet Cecily into the world. I will admit that I loved this session not just for photographing such a beautiful little girl, but to also getting to spend time with an old friend. Life is weird and fun and I am grateful for Facebook and technology for keeping me connected to friends from my youth who I may otherwise have never seen again after graduating high school. I love reconnecting, and getting to see my friend as a wife and now mother is such a gift. 

Shannon Sorensen is available to photograph newborns and their families throughout Connecticut, Massachuestts and Rhode Island. Click here to inquire. 

Grayson :: Bethel Connecticut Newborn Photography

I'm getting impatient. I have a confession - I miss my shows. Winter is hard, folks, and it's like adding insult to injury making me wait another week or two before The Mindy Project and Nashville come back into my life. "But Shannon, this gives you time to get more work done at night!"

Shhhhhh....

It's not all bad, I have all my superhero shows. But I miss my ladies. I miss Dr. Lahiri and Rayna James. I need to know if certain people will stay together or not, and if certain people will make a comeback from rehab, and seriously, I need some Lennon and Maisy music in my life.

Oh geez, I didn't even mention Grey's. 

Distraction time! I have a sweet little baby boy to show off to you all. His name is Grayson and he has the best parents. Meg and Mike have been part of my life for close to seven years, when we met on The Knot planning our own weddings. Yup, that's the world we live in now. Many of my close friends are people I've met through online forums like The Knot and The Nest. I'm a lucky lady, too, because they've stayed an important part of my life and my life is richer because of it. 

Stick around to the end and I'll share a special throwback to Meg & Mike's anniversary session at Yale....almost 6 years ago!

Back to Grayson. These pictures were taken just before Christmas, at nearly three weeks old. He was still such a little peanut! It is never a bad day when I get to snuggle and photograph a newborn. Just give me all the babies, please. 

And because I promised it, check out these lovebirds. Someday Grayson can look back and see what Mom & Dad's life was like as newlyweds. This is still a favorite. :)

Studio Announcement

I am excited to announce that I am taking a giant leap and pursuing my photography work full time! It's been almost six years since I started this journey, and I've been looking back through my folders of weddings, families, babies...so many happy memories that have kept driving me forward to this point. I'm thankful for everyone I've had the opportunity to work with, and am excited with anticipation of what's to come!

I have always felt the pull to pursue the work that I love, that not only fulfills my creative heart, but puts something good out into the world. It has always been about making beautiful photographs that can be passed down and treasured for generations. It has always been about connecting closely with the people I work with. It's always been about celebrating love, family, relationships, joy and sorrow, friendship and individual stories of strength. It has always been about creating images that are honest, emotional, and heartfelt. 

Thank you for being here, and for your continued support. It truly means the world to me. 

Cheers,

Shannon

Mt. Greylock Massachusetts Wedding Sneak Peek :: Lauren + Eyvi

What an amazing weekend. Driving up to Mt. Greylock, the skies were clear and that perfect September blue. Everything about the day was sweet and simple and wonderful. I have just a couple pictures to share as a sneak peek as I start the editing process. I can't get over their joy. It's infectious. 

Kiera + Nate's Blue Hills Country Club Wedding

Kiera and Nate were married in August last year at St. Mary of the Hills Church in Milton, Massachusetts, and their reception followed at Blue Hills Country Club. Every aspect of their day felt like a celebration, which is always the best kind of wedding to photograph! Everyone had fun, was happy, full of joy and support and love for the couple. It doesn't feel like work, I can simply be a part of the day and watch it unfold and photograph all those special moments, reactions, and emotions. And come on, a bride that does the worm? This crowd came ready to party. 

Vinnie + Paul's Avon Old Farms Hotel Wedding

Ahoy! This has been a huge year of change for me and my family and I hope you don't mind if I play a little catch up in sharing some favorites from my weddings and sessions throughout the past year. You've probably seen some pictures pop up here and there, and with the start of the school calendar year, I'm making it a goal of mine to be better at keeping this blog updated and sharing my work more regularly. I have a LOT, so keep your eye out here, on my Facebook page, or give me a follow on Instagram to make sure you don't miss anything.

I am excited to (finally) share Vinnie and Paul's wedding. It was a beautiful summer wedding in Avon Connecticut at Avon Old Farms Hotel. I am so thankful they chose me to capture their wedding day. From start to finish, they were surrounded by so much love, laughter and happiness. One thing that I love about the people I work with is that they live out loud. They laugh, they cry, they embrace each moment and soak it all in. I work with amazing people. I really am so happy to do what I do. 

Venue: Avon Old Farms Hotel //Invitations and Paper: Hartford Prints // Cupcakes and Rainbow Cake: NoRA Cupcake Co.

The Baby Whisperer

Every now and then something happens during a shoot that just cracks me up. On this occasion, it was Loki. You may remember our kitty who was adopted by our good friends. They had a baby a little over a month ago and I did her newborn pictures. I set up on their kitchen floor with my blankets and pillows and drapings. Baby Olivia was wide awake, far too interested in the world around her to take a nap. Well, Loki found a comfy spot where he wanted to nap, tucked behind my draped blanket on the back end of the posing pillow. Maybe they found each other warm and comfy, but Olivia fell asleep and Loki eventually moved on with some encouragement and treats. 

But not before I snapped this. 

Thanks for your help, Loki. Maybe I'll bring you along on future newborn shoots as my personal assistant and baby whisperer. 

Emily + Pat :: Elizabeth Park West Hartford Connecticut Maternity Photography

I photographed Emily + Pat's maternity session back in July at one of my favorite locations, Elizabeth Park in Hartford, Connecticut. It's a gorgeous park with a lot of beautiful photo op areas, including a huge rose garden. The roses had peaked about a week before the session, but they were still beautiful and provided a sweet, feminine setting for Emily. 

I had photographed their Boston engagement session back in 2011, but then got pregnant and was due to have Lily the week after their wedding, which wouldn't allow me to travel out of state. It was a bummer because I loved working with them so much, so I was incredibly happy to hear from them again to do their maternity and newborn photos. It's always a fun experience as a photographer to capture different stages of a family's life. 

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