I always have some sort form of a camera with me, because I am obsessed with documenting everything. Luckily for my clients that translates into a photographer who wants to document everything for them. And that is probably the aspect of my job I love best. The relationships I develop and the connections I make. I get to watch families grow and am invited in to be a part of their milestones in life. I don’t take something like that for granted, and I am truly honored to have that opportunity.

© Gabriela Fuentes of The Wedding Central

A bit about the session:

This set of photographs is of my most favorite subject ever, my family. It is a look at our first full blown camping trip in Lake Luzerne, NY. We had our new tent and some supplies from home, and we were ready to go. We had a beautiful, quiet campsite and loved getting lost in the woods. For three days we had no cell phones, no television, and we were electronics free.We gathered wood in the mornings so we could cooked on the campfire for all our meals. The great outdoors had so much to offer us. The boys went fishing for the first time, enjoyed exploring the forest, and played in the lake. All these things added up to an amazing vacation. I am so happy I have the photographs to bring me right back to that time. I hope you enjoy this little peek into our life.

You can see more of Jennifer’s work on her  Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook Page.

Get to know Megan:

My name is Megan Small and I am a Los Angeles based photographer specializing in pregnancy, newborns, families and weddings. I have always been infatuated with the art of documenting everyday life. Through high school and college I carried around a camera capturing every party,  gathering of friends, or just a regular day at school. By recording those special moments that at the time seemed like just another ordinary day, are now cherished images and fragments of time that I will forever treasure. This is the model I bring to Megan Small Photography, to capture a family hanging at home, a newborn in it’s first week of life, or a union of love between a couple and their families. Since I started my journey in photography I finally felt as though all the dots had been connected and I found my true passion. I have combined my love for art, children, babies, beauty, and composition into a successful and continuously rewarding business.

© Esther Sun Photography

About the Session:

My first job out of college was working as an assistant to Michelle and her newly opened San Francisco dog collar business, Bella Bean Couture. She was my first mentor in this new world post college and I admired everything she did to build her business, she took a dream of hers and made it into a popular brand that is now recognized worldwide. It was such an honor to have now found my passion in photography and revisit Michelle and her new family. Daschel is the most amazing little baby and the three of them along with their three pups have such a special bond, it’s admiring to sit back, watch and admire. I’m glad I was able to capture these photos as a reminder to her that she has now accomplished what she ultimately wanted in life, to be happy, successful and be surrounded by a loving family.

You can see more of Megan’s work on her  Website  |  Facebook Page.

Many professional photographers have a story that begins with a love of photography.  Though I love what I do, my experience has been somewhat different.

Growing up, I poured myself into sports, friendships, playing guitar, and my local church.  I spent four years at Houghton College, in the study of business and psychology, hoping someday to find a way to combine the two. Having come from a long line of entrepreneurs, owning my own business was always an ultimate goal.

Shortly after college I married, entered the business world, and settled into the corporate life.  Two years later my son was born, and the 9-5 business world became hard to go back to.  I was also struggling with health issues (a rare problem called dysautonomia) that had a profound effect on my endurance.   As a result, I switched gears, and embraced the role of “stay at home mom”.  I found myself quite restless though, and began looking for something to pursue within my new limitations; with my health and as a mother.  I began teaching guitar from home, (which was and is going very well).  I longed to create something even larger that could grow into a full time career once my son entered Kindergarten, which at that point was still 5 years off.

At this same time I was becoming un-satisfied with the professional portrait experiences we had in capturing my son.  Clarity came when helping my sister find a wedding photographer, and the editorial/lifestyle images and service we were pursuing was not locally available, and honestly at that time not yet popular. (This was in 2008).  I saw a niche in the market.  I purchased my first ever SLR camera, studied online, cleaned out the local libraries, and in 2008 began McGaffick Photography.

As a result of all of this research I began to notice so many “beautiful things” in a way I never had before.  In trying to find the factors that combine to create a stunning image, I began to notice the incredible beauty God has created through people, relationships, and nature.  Things that had always been there, but my un-trained and un-focused eyes never saw.  I have never been the “stop and smell the roses” type, but now at-least I notice these things, even If I am just rushing by.

With our busy lives, It all really does go by so fast … and that’s why I love my job!  It’s such a privilege to have my work on the walls of homes, and to know that those families can look back at it years later and remember how it was “then …”

I am so very passionate about my work, the clients I have the honor of capturing, and I have come to adore photography as an avenue of doing so.

My son is now in Kindergarten, I work as a full time lifestyle photographer, and have been blessed with the joys of owning a business centered on capturing personalities and relationships (the focus of my college studies). In a rather long, meandering way, I have combined my loves, and found my place.

A bit about the session:

Devin is a volunteer fireman, at the Panama Fire Dept. – something he is clearly passionate about! He also enjoys embracing his country side, riding his horses, and enjoying the outdoors. So we decided to plan a shoot accompanying each. Devin’s father (also a volunteer fireman) was kind enough to pull out a fire truck for us. He was so patient as I guided him in maneuvering the massive vehicle into just the “right spot”, in order to best utilize the early afternoon sunlight. I had a great time capturing Devin in his element – highlighting his strength and passion for the career he intends to pursue.

You can see more of Casey’s work on her  Website  |  Facebook Page.

Below is a write up from one of Kelsey’s clients, Bree.  She details the emotions that come with the day that her husband returns from another deployment.  This isn’t the first time she’s been through this, in fact it’s the forth time.

Bree’s Journal:

“22 February 2013 — Seven months. Ask any civilian what it would be like to spend seven months away from her husband, and your conversation may include talk of divorce papers. For a military spouse, however, seven months can be on the short side of a deployment. And, indeed, seven months ago, I was ready to take on the world, stretch my arms wide and embrace this, my family’s fourth, overseas deployment.

Within 48 hours of my husband’s departure, however, everything changed.

The call came at three am. My father, whom I had seen only a week and a half before, was in critical condition in an ICU unit in Massachusetts, 3,000 miles away. My husband, the Logistics Officer for his unit, went to work as planned, spending his last few hours stateside making last-minute preparations for the impending deployment. By 9:30, my father had passed away, and as I scrambled to make arrangements for my mother-in-law to come to California to take care of our children and to get myself home to Massachusetts, my husband scrambled to secure emergency leave and make sure that his unit’s departure wouldn’t be affected.

After the funeral, we returned to the West Coast, thinking my husband would deploy immediately. But as the days turned into weeks, the carefully thought-out plan for my husband to leave, followed by my in-laws a week or so later to help with the transition, began to unravel. It became quickly apparent that my husband would deploy only hours before my in-laws left, and as I returned to an empty home having dropped both my husband and in-laws off, I felt completely drained and empty. Where was that woman so ready to take on the challenges of deployment, who was ready not to count the days, but to make the days count?

The next few months passed slowly. I missed my husband, and I couldn’t turn to my dad, the man I always called to help me fix things or give a few words of encouragement when my husband was deployed. I threw myself, as is my modus operandi, into volunteer work. I planned social events for the spouses in our squadron, and I mentored spouses new to the Corps on how to cope with the challenges of deployment when I was barely keeping a handle on my own. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, I got a phone call from my mother-in-law one day, demanding to know if I had heard from my husband. When my confusion alerted her to the fact that I hadn’t turned on the news or sat down at a computer that day, she filled me in: the base my husband was on had been attacked. Logically, I knew that I WOULDN’T hear from him, and that no news is good news. But show me one military spouse who doesn’t panic, if just for a moment, when that news comes. Finally, a few days later, I got the email that continued my world spinning on its’ axis: “Hey. I’m ok. It was the longest night of my life. I’ll call you when I can.”

After that, I knew I needed help. I knew I couldn’t just continue to plaster a smile on my face and pretend everything was fine when it WASN’T. I started seeing a psychologist once a week, and she helped me work through a lot of my anxiety and grief. Once I learned to cope with the anxiety and process the grief, I was able to strike the needed balance between being both mother and father to my children and both husband and wife to myself. It wasn’t easy, but then, no deployment ever is.

In the weeks leading up to homecoming, I’ve been more emotional than I ever have been at this point in previous deployments. When my husband shipped his foot locker home ahead of him a few weeks ago, seeing it at my doorstep made me burst into tears on the spot. That USO/Jeep commercial “Whole Again” that aired during the Super Bowl? Fuggedaboutit. Even seeing commercial planes landing on base is enough to make me cry.
But it’s not just my husband that I’m missing and wishing was home. It’s the father of my children, the one who can take a pile of Legos and turn it into the Millennium Falcon of my son’s imagination. The one who can simply smile at our daughter and get her to burst into squeals of laughter. When that plane touches down, I’ll be able to breathe again. All the anxiety that’s built up over the past few months will begin to dissipate. The guilt will linger; my inability to build that Lego spaceship, and that time I yelled at my daughter too loudly for slight or imagined transgressions will continue to weigh on my mind. But when he comes home this time, it’s for a long time. Or so I’m told. This IS the Marine Corps, after all. When all is said and done, this deployment will have been the most difficult. The overwhelming sense of relief that will come when those steel-toed boots hit US soil is enough to get me through these last few days, last few hours.

25 February 2013 – I felt like a kid on Christmas morning today. After I put the kids to bed last night, I put in one last-ditch effort to clean up the house before calling it a night and throwing back an Advil PM.

Ian called at midnight, letting me know they had reached their stopover in Alaska, and that everything was looking good for an on-time arrival at 0800. Somehow, I managed to get in a couple more hours of sleep before rousing myself for the day and getting all gussied up.

My intent was to leave the house at quarter of seven, hopefully beating most of the traffic, but, as they often do, the best intentions fall short. And, as I sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic trying to exit the highway to base, I kept having to calm myself down. I received text message after text message from friends, warning me that parking was a nightmare, and, finally, that the plane was due to touch down 20 minutes early. As I accessed base, and gunned it for the flight line (don’t tell the MPs!), I was panicked that I wouldn’t make it on time. I grabbed the first parking space I saw, a good half mile from the terminal, grabbed the kids and RAN. Ultimately, I DID miss the flight landing, but we arrived just as it was taxiing to a stop.

I stopped to catch my breath, and then I couldn’t help myself. The tears came, and so did the relief.

When I saw my Marine for the first time, I broke into the biggest smile of my life. My son, Aaron, all but tackled his father to the ground and it was all I could do to get a hug myself. But none of that mattered. For now, our Marine is home, and we’re going to enjoy every minute of it.”

You can see more of Kelsey’s work on her  Website  |  Facebook Page.

I want to thank Ian for his service and the sacrifices he’s made to protect our freedom.  I would also like to thank Kelsey, Bree, and Bree’s family for sharing this touching account of what it’s like to be a military wife!  Thank you to all of the men and women that serve for our Great Nation!!  I know that my words will never be able to adequately express my gratitude.  I wave my American flag with pride, and I will never forget those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom and keep our loved ones safe!

]]> http://thefortmag.com/session-share-with-kelsey-drozd/feed/ 0 http://thefortmag.com/session-share-with-kane-and-social/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=session-share-with-kane-and-social http://thefortmag.com/session-share-with-kane-and-social/#comments Wed, 29 May 2013 16:22:48 +0000 admin http://thefortmag.com/?p=1622 About Roberto with Kane and Social:

I’m originally from Spain, but grew up in Miami Florida. I Graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a BA in Photography. I began my professional photography career 12 years ago in New York City as a photography assistant to renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz. After 4 years of assisting I branched out on my own as a commercial photographer specializing in Advertising and Celebrity, where I’ve been shooting for brands such as Liz Claiborne, Absolut, New Balance, Nissan, Warner Bros and Universal records among others. I have photographed artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Pete Wentz, 50 Cent, Pitbull,Tony Hawk and Kelly Slater to name a few. To this day I shoot commercially, based out on NYC.

Two and a half years ago, when my first son was born, I started photographing him constantly. This led to me photographing children, which I found to be an amazing subject matter that I had never realized before. Kids are so unique and what they bring to the images is a real sense of naturalness and sincerity. I soon opened up Kane and Social, a picture company, which I based out of Miami Florida because of my strong ties to the city I grew up in. Kane and Social started out as mostly a Family and Kids photography company, but soon after,  I started shooting and incorporating weddings into the mix.

Although Roberto Chamorro Photography and Kane and Social are two totally different photo companies that I run, I have been able to find a nice balance between the two. I am currently the primary kids photographer for K&S, but have brought on associate photographers to K&S for wedding work. I travel to Miami every other month for Kane and Social, usually spending 2-3 weeks there, shooting.

I’m truly passionate about photography and feel blessed that I have a career that I love. Everyday its something different, be it a conceptual kids shoot involving a pillow fight with thousands of feathers flying all over the room, a grand wedding with a beautiful bride and 750 guests, a fashion shoot in Jamaica with days spent at the beach or a band shoot across the world in Hong Kong. I just never know what lies ahead, and that can be really exciting.

I currently live in Brooklyn, NY with my wife and 2 boys.

© Genevieve (Roberto’s Wife)

A bit about the session:

This is a shoot I did for some friends of mine who wanted to do family portraits. I came up with this concept after hearing some of their interests. We pitched some ideas back and forth and in the end we decided on a 1960′s family Florida vacation, a la Mad Men… I guess Mad man, woman and child

We spent a day driving all around Miami florida to spots I had picked out that still had an old school vibe..I gave the images an old feel in the post production. I believe it worked out pretty well.

You can see more of Roberto’s Work on the Kane and Social  Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook Page.

As you probably know, my family and I recently moved across the country (from AL to AZ).  Since moving I’ve done a lot of soul searching.  As we were getting settled into our new routines, I’ve been getting back to basics (wife and mommy duties).  We’ve had so much fun making new friends, swimming, and exploring our new surroundings.  In fact, it’s been really hard to find a minute to sit at my desk and do work.  It was during this time, that I came to the realization that I have spent WAY too much time sitting in front of a computer screen.  Don’t get me wrong, I love photography and all that comes with it, but I’ve decided that I need to take a step back.

Years down the road, when my kids are leaving the nest, I don’t want to think, “man, I should’ve spent more time with them.”  There’s only a small window of time that they want me around, and I don’t want to miss out on that.  I know that most of you have children as well, and you can totally relate to these feelings.  All of this made me realize that I need to let go of some things.  Unfortunately I won’t be able to continue publishing The Fort magazine anymore.  At this time, I’m still planning on continuing the blog, so please keep submitting your beautiful work for weekly features.

I want to thank all of you for being such great friends and supporters of The Fort.  This has been the experience of a lifetime!  Over the past year and a half, I’ve had so much fun meeting photographers from all around the world.  Your work has inspired me and so many others in ways you’ll never know!  I hope that you know how much your words of encouragement have meant to me.

Sincerely,

Among the many things that I am, I’m a photographer who loves my job. I started with an Art Photography degree from Syracuse University, but from there didn’t have a clue where it would take me. I’ve worn a lot of different photography hats since then including custom lab printing and becoming a roving photojournalist for my hometown newspaper. But it was an early gig as an assistant for a wedding photographer that kept coming back to me. It was a crazy, fun, stressful, exhilarating job. Fueled by that experience, I started my own part time business that quickly grew to a full time job.
I now live in my native Vermont with my husband and two kids. I’ve been calling myself a professional photographer for eight years and I’ve grown to love working for myself, having time to spend with my family, and being able to enjoy the fantastic Green Mountain State both while working and during my free time.
Since I’ve had my own children, photographing newborns has become a new passion. It’s amazing to document that new love between baby and parents and it’s a fun challenge to get the cute snugly poses. Oftentimes I’m photographing the first child of one of my former wedding couples, like with Mason’s parents Chris and Carrie. I love to be able to follow my clients through life’s journey.

A bit about the session:

It’s always amazing when I get to see former wedding couples starting their families and in turn document that part of their lives too. Married the summer prior in a perfect Vermont wedding, it was no surprise to find baby Mason in a simply beautiful nursery cozy down to the last detail. Once settled in, he was the perfect model.

You can see more of Stina’s work on her  Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook Page.

My name is Jaime Lenhart, I am a portrait photographer in Canton, Ohio.  I don’t eat the ends of French Fries.  Marrying my husband was the best choice I have ever made.  We have 2 beautiful daughters and 1 adorable son.   When I was little I always wanted applesauce and grapes for my birthday dinner.  I love being outside.  Growing up I wanted to be a teacher, a marine biologist, or a mermaid.  I’m scared of rubber bands. I love the feeling of a baby sleeping on my chest.  I have taught 2nd grade, and community college and currently hold my most important position yet: mom.  I love to dance.  I have an unbelievable group of friends.  I hate feet.  I love the “order” of which my life has happened.  My family (both immediate and by marriage) support and encourage me like no other.  I like to take pictures and now think I might want to be a photographer when I grow up. I am thankful for every day.

A bit about the session:

This session is one of my favorites! I always encourage clients to think about what their child is “into” around the time of their session and then bring that thing/toy/activity along to their shoot.  Giving kids a sense of purpose during a portrait session makes for more interesting and genuine images.  This little guy, Nathan, was really into painting and actually, the idea for this shoot was his idea. Which leads me to another important piece, listen to kids! They are creative and have great ideas!  Nathan’s sweet Mama brought the art easel and paint, I scouted a great location, and then we just let Nathan go to it! The results were unique, authentic and will always be a lovely reminder of who Nathan was at 6!

You can see more of Jaime’s work on her  Website  |  Facebook Page.

I am a single mom. I support us 100% with my photography business. I am a survivor of domestic violence, a survivor, not a victim. I am a teacher, an artist, a mentor, and a student.
I began studying photography from one of my professional photographer uncles 26 years ago. I learned the real art of photography with film long before digital photography came about. I’ve been a professional photographer for 18 years (I look much younger than I actually am). I photographed my first wedding 14 years ago and I’ve photographed more than 400 weddings since then. I can’t even begin to count how many portrait sessions I’ve photographed over the years.
I have a picture framed on my desk. My grandmother and grandfather, 62 years ago, right after they were married. I look at it every day. What I wouldn’t give to see their wedding day, to transport myself back there and see the love, the light in their eyes – the same light I could still see when they were together, before my grandfather passed away. Unfortunately there wasn’t anyone there to capture their day. I’ll never see her dress, her nervous excitement, their hands clasped together, or the look on his face when he caught his first glimpse of her.
I want to capture stories. Your stories. Love stories of each and every kind. I want to capture all the little details of peoples lives, who they are, what they love, how they love. I want to make it last forever. 62 years from now I want you to be sitting with your grandchildren showing them the stories of your life.

A bit about the session:

This amazing family have been clients of mine since their wedding 7 years ago. They own a Yacht, which they live on much of the time, and wanted to do something with water for their first son’s photos. They gave me free reign to decide what to do. So we borrowed a rowboat, I scouted the perfect location, and here they are.

You can see more of Melody’s work on her  Website  |  Facebook Page.

Hi! My name is Monica Stanley. I am a wife, mother of 3 and I love photography! A little more than 2.5 years ago, I got my first ‘digital’ camera, and after a series of major events in my life, and losing my mother to cancer, I started to see my life and the world around me a little differently. It gave me the courage to take a leap of faith, and I started to do photography professionally! My wish is to use this gift to bless my family, as well as those around me; to capture those precious moments that are fleeting, but ensure they will never be forgotten! It really means a lot to me when someone trusts and chooses to work with me! To give back, I am also a volunteer photographer for The Gold Hope Project. The Gold Hope Project’s mission is to raise awareness of Childhood Cancer through photography by giving a fighter/survivor and their family a memory of fun and beautiful pictures too!

© Jenn Schell

A bit about the session:

Meet ‘Sheriff Noah’! This is my 5 year old nephew who lives on Ocracoke Island, the Outer Banks of NC. He visited us here in AZ recently, and in no time, was a ‘beach boy turned cowboy’…welcome to the Wild West! We took him to a local attraction, Rawhide, where he got to pan gold, ride mules and watch a ‘real’ shoot-out! Boys and guns…as I read many times before I even had a son of my own, boys will make ‘pretend’ guns out of anything they can get their hands on (and even with their hands)!  I hope that this series is seen and appreciated for what it is…just a little boy who wants to catch a bad guy, and be a hero!!

You can see more of Monica’s work on her  Website  |  Facebook Page.