"Better Than School Portraits" Kids and Teens Mini Sessions :: Newington, CT

First thing’s first - I have missed you all so much! What a weird year, right? It has been a rollercoaster, complete with loop-dee-loops and feeling like we’d jumped the track at times. I know I’m not alone in having experienced loss in recent months, as well as unexpected joy of an incredible summer with my kids.

With two weeks to go before the school year kicks off and we starting thinking of all things fall, I am excited to have a couple fall photography session offers, as well as information about sessions in regards to Covid-19.

Covid-related Session Info

Based on recommendations and to practice safe physical distancing, all late summer and fall session for the remainder of 2020 will be held outside. This can be at your home, a beach, a park, or any other agreed upon location.

I will wear a mask and will be using zoom lenses to ensure we are keeping a safe physical distance.

I will not be available to travel to Rhode Island this fall. Sessions in Massachusetts will be limited to the South Shore area around Scituate and Duxbury. Connecticut sessions will be limited to the Newington/Hartford area or the Shoreline between New Haven and Mystic.

Now for the fun stuff!

“Better Than School Portraits” - Kids + Teens Mini Sessions

These mini sessions are available locally in Newington and West Hartford, for kids and teens ages 3-18.

This year, we’ve missed out on a lot. Let’s embrace the mess and the weirdness, and document this year for your kid(s) with an incredibly special mini session!

“Better Than School Portraits” will take place outside and I encourage you and your child to think creatively about how you’d like to remember this year. Feel free to bring a couple things to personalize your session! A few ideas:

• Bring their backpack and a first day of school outfit and make it a “back to school” session

• Wear their sports uniform or dance costume they didn’t get to wear, bring an instrument they play, a favorite book or toy

• Get dressed up and make it a special, feel good experience! First communion outfits, birthday outfits, Christmas pajamas - anything is possible!

• Keep it simple and come as you are!

Cost: $175

Includes:

• 20 minutes of photography

• Private online gallery of edited photos for viewing and sharing

• Digital files to download and keep for personal use

• $25 print credit

Additional prints are available for purchase (a la carte style) through your online gallery.

If you have more than one child, I will fit all kids into one mini (which will result in fewer pictures of each child), or you can opt to add on an extra 10 minutes to your session for $25.

Mini sessions are shorter and simpler than full hour sessions. We stick to one scenic location and maximize every minute of our time together!

“Better Than School Portraits” Mini Session Dates and Locations

Fri August 28 - Mill Pond Park, Newington 4:30pm // 5pm // 5:30pm // 6pm

Sat August 29 - Elizabeth Park, West Hartford 8am // 8:30am// 9am // 9:30am

Sat September 5 - Deming Young Farm 8am // 8:30am // 9am // 9:30am

Click here to book your mini session.

Here are some fun photos from past late summer/early fall sessions - you might recognize some of these sweet faces! And keep scrolling for fall family session info!

Fall Family Sessions - $500

Fall family sessions include:

• 60-90 minutes of photography on location

• Online gallery for viewing and sharing your photos

• Unlimited number photos

• Digital files to download and keep for personal use

• $50 print credit

Family sessions typically take place at a local park, beach or otherwise agreed upon location. During our session time, we focus on getting an assortment of relaxed portraits and playful candids, including the entire family, portraits of each individual child, siblings together, parents/partners together, parent and child.

Connecticut dates (Hartford County or Shoreline areas only):

Sat August 29 - 5pm // Thurs Sept 3 - 5pm // Sat September 5 - 5pm

Thurs September 10 - 5pm // Fri September 11 - 5pm // Sat September 12 - 8am + 5pm

Thurs October 1 - 5pm // Fri October 16 - 5pm // Sat October 17 - 8am + 5pm

Massachusetts dates (South Shore area only):

Sat September 26 - 8am // Sun September 27 - 8am

Sat October 10 - 8am // Sun October 11 - 8am + 5pm

November will not be scheduled to allow for postponements and rescheduling as needed due to weather or other circumstances.

Click here to schedule your session.

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Shannon Sorensen is a family and small business photographer based in Central Connecticut. She is available for newborn, children and tweens, family, senior, engagement, and anniversary sessions; elopements and intimate celebrations; creative entrepreneur and small business branding; personal branding and product photography.

Scituate Harbor :: Family Beach Photography

I feel like every few months I remind myself to catch up on family photo sessions here on the blog, and then a pandemic or a hurricane happens and time passes and…

This spring I had the joy of photographing Lauren and Mike’s family at the beach in Scituate, Massachusetts! They added a new baby boy to their family in April, and sadly we were unable to work together for newborn photos due to quarantine orders. But once it was deemed ok to do so, we had a distanced beach session and had a really fun morning drawing in the sand, throwing rocks and shells and discovering jellyfish!

Interested in newborn, kids and family photography?

Contact Shannon to schedule a relaxed kids and family session to document this special time in your lives! Shannon serves families, small business and entrepreneurs throughout Central Connecticut, Connecticut Shoreline, and South Shore, Massachusetts.

Garrett :: Massachusetts At-Home Newborn Photography

If you’re a new mama or had your second (or third or fourth) and feeling that exhaustion that comes with the newborn stage, I just want to tell you, you’re doing an amazing job. It is so hard and until you’re in the thick of it, you really don’t have an idea just how hard it is. You’re tired, you’re hormonal, you’re figuring out this new little person, a new routine, trying to stay hydrated and probably struggling with any number of newborn struggles, like feeding, sleeping, gas, fussiness.

You’re doing an amazing job.

I’ll tell you as often as I can, mama. These sweet little babies are miracles, but geez, it’s so hard. Things that we hoped would come naturally to us are maybe actually really difficult (ahem breastfeeding). Maybe you’re dealing with post-partum depression. Maybe you’re living off Poptarts and frozen pizzas.

It’s. All. Good.

Do what you need to do to take care of yourself and the baby. And if you need help or support, just ask. Allow others to wrap their caring arms around you.

You’re doing an amazing job.

Garrett’s Newborn Session

Garrett was born in early April and he was possibly the sleepiest baby I’ve ever worked with! He was awake when I arrived at the home, he ate, and boom - asleep! Through all the little changes and moving him around, he barely moved!

One of the benefits of doing newborn photos in the first two weeks is that they are at their sleepiest during this stage, but not every baby actually sleeps through their whole session! Every baby is different, and we make it work however we need to in order to get beautiful photos in your hands.

Here are some favorites from Garrett’s session!

One of my favorite things to do is get photos of families on their front steps. Often times, this is the first home, and makes a special keepsake to document the new family in front of the new home.

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. :)