I recently had the privilege of traveling to NYC for a senior portrait session with Megan.  I’ve know Megan since she was three or four.  I used to work with her mom Maureen.  Maureen would bring Megan and her sister Katie into our office for a visit.  Our ONLY goal while the girls were visiting was to give them as much sugar as possible so they would be totally hyper on the ride home and beyond.  Most of the time this worked well.  It was also the reason I kept Pixie Sticks in my desk drawer.

Although Maureen and I no longer work together, we still see each other regularly at church.  And since I’m a photographer, I can’t help but look at people and wonder how they would look on the other side of my camera.  Simply put, Megan stands out from the crowd, so I asked her to come to New York City and be a model for my senior portrait portfolio.  She (and her mom) was happy to oblige.  And Megan was excited to be going to NYC for the first time in her life.

Our first destination was completely unplanned and still rather unknown.  It was somewhere along the highway in Connecticut.  The sun was low in the sky and the late daylight was absolutely brilliant.  We hopped off the highway and quickly found a small boat yard to shoot in.  The tall “swamp grass” and wooden dock were a great contrast of what was to come.

Once in NYC, we headed for the hustle and bustle of Times Square.  I LOVE shooting in Times Square at night because it is lit up like daylight and there are different colors and textures in every direction.  And shooting at night also makes it easier to get that classic motion-blurred taxi in the background.  We shot all around Times Square before calling it a night around 2:30 a.m.

After a good amount of shut-eye, we started shooting again the following day right after lunch.  First stop – the Flat Iron Building – a New York City landmark.  Bright sun gave me quite the challenge, but we managed through.  James, our summer intern here at Black Thumb Studio who is studying at Pratt Institute in New York, met up with us there and joined us for a couple of hours.

Next stop – the Brooklyn Bridge.  Although the bridge was packed with foot traffic and a good portion of the bridge is under renovation, we were able to pull off a few shots with the well-recognized stone arches.  The bridge also offers a great view of Lower Manhattan’s skyline.  We took complete advantage of the opportunity.

Later that evening, we did a few more night shots in random spots throughout the city and picked up a few souvenirs along the way.  A great (but exhausting time) was had by all!!

Megan – you’re beautiful!!  Thanks for walking miles and miles and miles with me and giving me the chance to photograph you in such an awesome place!