Patrick Collins Photography

OK - I’ve been a bit behind on the blogging these days - it’s just that time of year.  But that doesn’t mean we haven’t been out there, working with some really great people (in some very cold weather)!!  I knew this was going to be a fun session as soon as I met Will & Riley (and mom and dad too!).  Forget that they look like a pair of J. Crew models, they were just fantastic to work with.  Will was a great sport and put up with me running him in and out of the house (to try and keep us all warm!), around the yard and even down to the Penfield Pavilion.  Riley was such a doll and without even trying she just made it happen!  Do they come any cuter than that?!  Happy Holidays to you both (and mom and dad too!) and Best Wishes for the New Year!

Jenny’s session was a bit of a milestone - I think I can safely say that she was the final senior session of 2008.  And while mother nature threw all of her usual late season curve-balls at us (bitter cold, biting wind, fast setting sun), Jenny took it all in stride.  She was a complete natural in front of the camera and an absolute pleasure to photograph.  Add in a great personality, stunning green eyes and a brilliant smile and you’ve got all the ingredients for some gorgeous images!  Jenny - best of luck this year and thanks for helping us end the 2008 senior season on a high note!

Kylie is extraordinary.  Let me tell you why.  We had originally scheduled her session for this past Saturday.  Because we do everything on location, rain is a deal breaker in most cases, so Saturday was a wash.  No problem, we have a plan B and reschedule for Sunday. Now, we’re up against a bit of a deadline, so Sunday is really it for us.  And when I look out the window Sunday morning, it looks perfect: blue skies, cool clouds and some sunshine - awesome!  Then I actually step outside and get completely blasted with what feels like full blown arctic gale force winds.  AWESOME!  So, what do you do in a situation like that?  Well, you just hope (pray, beg, plead, whatever) that you get to work with someone like Kylie.

We worked outside for most of her session and she never complained.  Not once - not when she was cold, not when the wind was whipping her hair into her face (which was pretty much constantly), not when I kept moving her from place to place as the sun moved in and out of the clouds - not at all.  Kylie was like a pro.  Throw in her fantastic smile and great attitude and… well, we think the pictures speak for themselves.  Kylie, you did a stellar job, you look amazing and I hope you like the images as much as I enjoyed working with you!

Sometimes I have so much fun on a session that it just doesn’t seem right to call it “work”.  And that’s exactly what it was like to photograph our latest Model Rep, Taylor.  Why?  Because Taylor is an amazing person to be around.  She’s smart, articulate, a pleasure to talk with and she just has this great energy about her.  Of course, we did have some help along the way - Laura, Taylor’s mom, was a top notch assistant and close friends Nancy & Betty (did I get the names right?) were there for support.  But all in all, the credit goes to Taylor, who kept us all smiling and did it with style.  Taylor - we think you look absolutely gorgeous and we’re excited that you’re a part of the program!!

Now some of you may remember Devin from an earlier post a few months ago.  Ten minutes into our first session, I knew that she would be a perfect fit for our Model Rep program so we were thrilled when she accepted.  One (of the many things!) that we love about Devin is how incredibly versatile she is - and it’s completely natural.  She can go from edgy to “All American” to athlete faster than I can change lenses!  Throw in her creativity and enthusiasm and we’ve got an extraordinary addition to our team.  There is one very important lesson that I learned while working with her in downtown New Haven: you have to be very careful photographing Devin near busy intersections with heavy traffic.  Why?  Because it stops.

Karissa is everything we were hoping to find in a Model Rep - she’s great to work with, we love her sense of style, she plays bass in a band, she works after school, she paints, takes pictures - we could go on and on but you get the idea.  It doesn’t hurt that she photographs like a supermodel either!  Don’t be fooled into thinking this Model Rep gig is a walk in the park - Karissa just makes it look effortless.  What you can’t tell from these images is just how cold it was out there - but she and her mom, Kim, showed up ready to work and Karissa gave it 100 percent the whole time.  Karissa - we think your images are absolutely amazing - you go girl!!

Senior year probably seems a long way off for the current class of juniors right now - but we’ve been busy working with our Model Reps getting ready for the class of 2010!  We had a great shoot with two of our reps last week (don’t worry Devin, yours are coming soon!!) and we’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to John.  We’re excited that he’s part of the Inspired Image program - he’s exactly what we were looking for - friendly, easy going and a very talented musician (seriously - check out his music  here).  John - you did a great job and we’re looking forward to working with you again.  Let us know when you’re playing and we’ll be there!

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to work with some really fun, talented people! Gabrielle wanted some new material for her already impressive portfolio so we did some location work in Waveny Park against the gorgeous fall scenery. In addition to being an artist and model, Gabrielle is also a new mom and brought her beautiful baby daughter along to see how it’s done. Of course, I had some help on this session - the lovely and talented make-up artist, Leanne Harpin, did a fantastic job bringing out Gabrielle’s natural beauty. And I was lucky enough to have Tiffany and Sionnie, two very capable assistants, from the Hallmark Institute of Photography. Thanks for all the hard work!!

It was an absolutely gorgeous afternoon and Laura and I were lucky enough to be able to spend it photographing a beautiful young family. We probably kept them out a little too long, but they were just so nice and we were really enjoying ourselves! Carter was a great sport the whole time and took the session in stride. Trevor and Leslie, you both did a great job and we appreciate all the patience. Here’s a quick preview of what’s to come - we look forward to showing you the rest soon!!

We’ve known Luca and his family for about two years now. I can tell you that if you are invited over, two things are certain: the food will be fantastic (especially the hand made pizzas!) and the only thing you will do more than eat is laugh. So, I was really looking forward to this session. Laura and I had a great time with Luca and Cris and although there was some debate as to the function of our last location, Laura remains firmly convinced it was, in fact, a morgue!