Our European Adventure ~ Day Four

Day four involved quite a bit of driving as we moved north through Germany. We left Rothenburg in the morning. We drove by an old US Military base where Rachel’s father was stationed before heading to Wurzburg for lunch and a bit of exploration. We stopped and got some winter coats (the weather forecast was significantly colder than anticipated) at “TK Maxx”, explored the streets admiring the Marienberg Fortress from the Old Main Bridge before lunch at Sternback restaurant where I had the most amazing glass of wine!

We then began to make our way northward to almost Hamburg to prepare to head to Denmark the following day. At one point we passed a view where you could view nuclear, wind and sun power stations all at once (I was not fast enough, nor was my camera lens wide enough to capture it all in one image).

Our European Adventure ~ Day 3

After a night in Fussen (Hotel Fussen was an incredibly great place to stay, affordable and had an incredible breakfast …. imagine, flavorful yogurt that isn’t neon in color! …. I highly would recommend it!) we wandered around the streets for a bit in the morning, explored a Church (hello creepy crypt!) and then set off back to Austria yet since we were just a stone’s throw and Emily was not with us in Salzburg and had yet to check Austria off her list.

In Austria we watched a pulley system deliver buckets of rocks to and from a quarry (I think this thing must have been a couple miles plus long) and then we drove along a river and checked out the blue water spill over a dam.

We then set out along the autobahn (Amazon Prime is in Europe too) heading to the walled city of Rothenburg - our destination for the night. We walked along the wall, had lunch in an outside cafe and visited a teddy bear store & a Christmas store before turning in for the evening.

Forest ~ GMUHS Class of 2024

During this summer’s flooding I watched one of my favorite places to shoot senior portraits be submerged in water. While that was a very minimal concern with all the devastation that occurred, it did force me into different locations this senior season with some pretty spectacular finds.

Thankfully the damage to the dam area was minimal once the waters receded and I was able to return to my favorite spot for Forest’s session. I’m beyond happy that my white birch tree remains standing as well! I do love a white birch and this tree is a staple in any of my senior sessions at the dam.

It was also wonderful to end Forest’s sessions with a quick portraits with his parents!

Our European Adventure ~ Day Two

Day two was all about visiting Schwangau, Germany. The plan was to spend some time in Fussen before our early evening tour time of Neuschwanstein Castle but once we pulled off to admire the castle nestled in the Alps we just couldn’t leave the village.

For years I have heard Rachel swoon over this castle and talk about it being the inspiration for Cinderella’s Castle. I could always seen the similarities but now that I’ve been and seen it in person it is clear as day. (Interesting note from our tour, Walt Disney never visited the castle.)

We walked the edge of Swan Lake, ate schnitzel and beer at a local restaurant and admired both Neuschwanstein Castle as well as Hohenschwangau Castle and visited the shops prior to our tour. Seeing the details within the castle was fascinating - and the throne room was gorgeous - we got to go onto the balcony overlooking the village and the view was nothing short of breathtaking.

After our tour we headed to Fussen, got settled into our hotel and found some dinner.

Many of my photos are giants & don’t upload well …. so if you want to see all the images from our trip you can visit here: https://deniseephotography.zenfolio.com/p1015676472

Our European Adventure ~ Day One

Well, maybe better put “full day one”. The day prior we arrived in Munich in the morning …. I think spent a good solid 2 hours at the airport getting through customs and waiting for our luggage to make it. We then set off to start our vacation on a very solemn, yet important note at Dachau Concentration Camp. I wanted to sit in the visit as much as possible, so I elected to not carry my big camera with me. After our visit we grabbed a nap, then dinner and picked Uxue up from the airport.

Day One brought us to Salzburg, Austria (yes, I did twirl in a field in the alps in my best Julie Andrews impersonation) and we were privileged to meet some of Uxue’s family. Her aunt, uncle and two cousins meet us and toured us around the city. Chase even worked with the younger of her cousins to overcome the language barrier between technology and the universal child language - play!

Salzburg was such a beautiful place that I hope to return again some day for a few days of exploration. The narrow streets with pastel painted buildings and shop signs that are nothing short of works of art are just some of the many highlights.

After a fantastic day we then headed back to Munich to grab Emily from the airport. You’ll see some gems in these images taken by Chase of both his sisters … and our AirBnB kitchen snacks … I don’t know why we have the photo but he took it so it is important enough to save!

Oh and forgive me … many of the images on this trip are taken as we are driving through the windows!! You can also see all our trip images in this gallery. https://deniseephotography.zenfolio.com/p1015676472

Brandon ~ SHS Class of 2024

Brandon’s senior portraits took me to a place that - believe it or not - I have not shot at previously ….. Springweather. I have had many sessions at the top of the dam as well as all over in the entrance in Perkinsville but never at Springweather.

We lucked out with a simply gorgeous fall day as the foliage was beginning to give us a bit of a show after a very slow beginning this season. We ventured by streams, up trees and used giant rocks. Brandon was also a senior that brought along a faithful 4 legged friend too!

Aelis ~ Class of 2024

Aelis is another senior who brought along my favorite kind of accessory ever ….. her pup! The love the two shared so so evident and special I am honored to have captured it!

We spent time the Eureka Schoolhouse and surrounding area to take her photos …. while it might be right on the side of the road there’s so many great little spots that are just perfect for a senior session … it is another one of those places here in Springfield that so often gets overlooked. Plus I just love how much texture the outside of the schoolhouse can bring to an image …. and there’s a perfect tree for portraits.

Ethan ~ SHS Class of 2024

I’ve talked a lot about locations this fall - and all my seniors have had some pretty amazing spots - but sometimes the most obvious location is overlooked - HOME! In addition to being a place you are already comfortable in - it makes outfit changes a breeze! No hiding behind a blanket or in the woods!!!

Ethan had a gorgeous sundrenched field just outside his front door which made the absolute perfect location to capture his senior portraits and include his truck!

Lily ~ SHS Class of 2024

Rosie asked me if she could bring her human along to her senior portrait session recently. I told her why not!!

I’ve been taking Lily’s (Rosie’s human) school photos for a number of years now in a wide variety of locations but she settled on St. Gaudens just across the river. If you have yet to make a visit to the park yet, make plans to do so and enjoy the gorgeous artwork as well as the natural beauty all around you.

There are too many micro-locations along the way to share them all here - but you’ll see a couple of my particular favorites …. the pink wall and the concrete corner are just a couple examples!

Avery ~ SHS Class of 2024

One of the biggest questions I get in the scheduling process for senior portraits - or any session for that matter - is WHERE?! There are limitless answers to this question. My first reminder is always - these are portraits of you, so more than a picture-perfect backdrop it really needs to be a place where you feel comfortable more than anything else.

One of my favorite locations is just using all the nooks & crannies in & around our downtown. It is often an overlooked location but once you step back & look you can see beautiful brick backgrounds, the pillars of Church stoops and gorgeous flower boxes. We can easily achieve both a country feel and an urban feel within a few feet of each other! Avery chose this area for her portraits and here’s just a sampling of the variety we achieved (plus a demo of why bringing mom is a great idea to help get the shirt or dress to lie just right!).

Date Night!

Has it been a while since you’ve had some photos taken with your significant other? Are you waiting for an “occasion” to have them done? Why not make it a date night?! Get as dressed up - or down - as you want and spend 20 minutes with me capturing your relationship as it is now. Be silly, be formal … but be you!!! You can wear your favorite hat or bring your favorite snuggly blanket …. and certainly, do not forget the fur babies! For not much more than the cost of a couple of movie tickets and the snacks (popcorn & nonpareils for me please!) you can capture this moment in time forever.

Tori ~ Class of 2024

Added bonus of working at Crown Point Country Club? A gorgeous location for senior portraits! I met up with Tori on a glorious fall day and we explored the grounds for some stunning portrait locations - including my favorite - the grove of trees!

Avant Vermont Dance presents SEASONS: Autumn

I was so lucky to be asked to capture Avant Vermont Dance’s SEASONS: Summer in June so I was over the moon when asked back to capture their performance of SEASONS: Autumn earlier this month.

It’s no secret that I love Comtu Park. It is such a great space located in downtown Springfield that seems to easily draw both nature and man made things together. It a place of rejuvenation …. the might roar of the Black River through Comtu Falls drowns out the world around you while you’re there.

The park provides an unexpected, yet beautiful location for a dance performance. Avant Dance Vermont has used this well to go about their mission to re-imagine community and provide meaningful art-making experiences. The performance of SEASONS: Autumn reflects the process of renewing by coming apart in order to see anew. The touching performance asked us to notice the sadness, the beauty and the growth that surrounds us.

Moira ~ SHS Class of 2024

We had so much fun during Moria’s senior session this fall! This girl is amazing at giving me a large range of expressions! In an instant she goes from girl next door to I could rip your face off! We got such an amazing variety of images quickly with her skills. A quick change of expression can give you a completely different look without changing anything else in the image.

Meanwhile …. does anyone else think she looks just like Mila Kunis?

Lorelei ~ Class of 2024

I have been photographing Lorelei and her siblings from the very beginning of my photography career! I have watched them all grow up & graduate …. from Ainsley who could go all day … to Ethan who needed me to get the shots done & fast …. to now Lorelei! I’ve captured her through both her dancing and equestrian careers. I’ve watched her grow from the tiny little dancer to the fierce young woman she is … ready to take on the world! I, however, can seriously not believe she is a senior!

We had so much fun traveling around the area finding the perfect settings for her outfits and costumes (why not add some dance costumes in, it’s a giant piece of her life and supports my philosophy that your senior portraits should represent who you are!) This session with Lorelei’ has actually inspired me to provide a new level of portrait session …. “The Adventure Session”!!! More information will be coming later this fall on that!

I hope you enjoy this preview of her session - she was a dream with work with and we had so much fun being creative together!

Child Centered Family Photos

A couple of weeks ago I shared a family photo on a pile of Vermont “marshmallows”. The portrait was dreamed up by one of the children during our session and I seized the opportunity for some fun as well as giving the child something fun to work towards.

While I will always try for that holiday card family photo know that I love to get the fun ones and the ones that show me just who your family is! When your spicy 3 year old is a 15 year old honors student taking the world by storm, you’ll look back at those images and remember that for a period of 6 months they would only leave the house carrying that stuffed bunny and would only wear that one pink princess dress. This is what I love to capture …. the dirty, the messy, the real you. I want your children to leave my sessions with hearts full of love with me capturing some fun, excited for the next time we stop to capture you all again.

Kenzie ~ Class of 2024

Kicking off senior season with the gorgeous Kenzie! She chose downtown Springfield for her location. I love the challenge that an urban session gives me …. learning now to avoid distractions or embracing them to enhance the portraits!

As with so many of my seniors it seems I have been photographing them forever as they have grown through their athletic careers, and Kenzie is no exception! Playing field hockey, basketball and softball, Kenzie plans to graduate with 12 season athlete honors in June.

Chasing Football Dreams

The summer before Chase hit third grade, he came to us voicing his desire to switch from soccer to football. While our reactions are still pretty fuzzy to me (maybe I blacked out!), I can assure you that it was a far less than enthusiastic response! I don’t think either one of us was ready to see our “baby” (he will ALWAYS be “the baby”) play such a high contact sport. The silver lining was that was the summer of 2020, that fall football would look very different … and that was probably a pretty good thing so that we could ease our parental selves into the football pool. It was pretty easy to see just how much he loved the sport from that first practice.

The following summer he got a scratch on the top of his foot 2 days before the season was to begin. He was limping. This year would return to full tackle. I figured that this was our out, if a scratch on the top of his foot had him limping then he would never be able to handle what football would throw at him. Quite honestly, I’m not sure that I have ever actually been more wrong about anything in my life. As he removed his helmet after that first full contact practice all I could see was a giant gleaming smile. He was so incredibly happy, and I knew in that moment we were officially a football family.

I have watched him grow & learn in so many ways throughout this sport. He carefully studies the plays and the roles of each position. He is a smart player and is - through my totally biased mom eyes - the definition of what a true team player looks like.

This is our final season of the sport at the youth level. He has learned so much about hard work, dedication and overcoming barriers through this sport I am forever grateful - so isn’t my hair stylist for all the grey hairs this causes! He is also a good sport for his mother too … as I work on leveling up my sports photography skills he loves to play along. Enjoy some from my birthday session!

Stephen & Markee

This was a first! The very first time I got to watch a relationship begin and then photograph their wedding!

About 3 1/2 years ago in early 2020 …. just before the “before” ….. Rachel and another colleague decided to work a little matchmaking into their day, bringing together a high school studies teacher with an early education service speech & language pathologist. There was some early magic in the air and then they hit perhaps the biggest challenge of their relationship not long after it started. See, the world shut down in the face of a pandemic. How does one date a potential soulmate when you can’t meet over dinner much less really see each other? I did learn a secret from Markee’s aunt … in their early days Stephen would drop off a half a pizza and a second copy of a game and they would eat and play over Facetime.

Eventually the need to social distance faded and they could begin building their relationship in person …. then buy a house together … and adopt a cat! When asked to photograph their wedding my heart jumped for joy!

They were rewarded for overcoming earlier barriers with perhaps the most perfect day all summer …. the weather was warm (but not oppressive) and it wasn’t raining! Although some flooding earlier this summer at their location - The Farm at Williams River House - changed up some of their plans, they day was beautiful, sweet and filled with love.

Patrick & Ashley ~ 06.10.23

One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give a couple as they head into their wedding day is to stay flexible, and that is even more important if any element of your day involves being outside ….. to their credit Patrick & Ashley did a great job at doing just that as they navigated through their big day in this spring of seemingly never ending rain. While their first location pick for the ceremony didn’t work out, they still had the gorgeous backdrop from the Crown Point Country Clubhouse and we were able to sneak out & grab some photos from the stunning location over looking Ascutney …. I’d list the hole on here & I’d probably getting it wrong!

Afterwards, they enjoyed the sweetest toast ever from their two girls and a scrumptious meal with their guests. It may not have been the first plan but by stay relaxed and going with the flow they didn’t let Mother Nature rain on their special day!