Adrienne and I go back to middle school, and all these years later continue to play together. I photograph her maternity and newborn, she paints murals on my children’s walls. I capture her family as it continues to grow, she helps design my photography studio. I respect her as an artist, and am delighted to continue to call her a friend.

Her husband plays, too. He’s a musician with the band, Hinder, and plays beautifully with their girls.

Who else plays? Their little one and Ben! Since we were in studio, my kids were excited to see Adrienne again, and snuck their way in. Adrienne’s younger daughter begged to play with Ben in our playroom, so after our session, the adults got to catch up, while the littles indulged with toys. There’s something so striking and precious about peeking in and seeing your child playing with the child of a lifelong friend.

You like Rachel, even if you’ve never met her. She’s got that energy. If you breezed by her on a street, you would find her warm and intriguing, and she wouldn’t even need to say a word. But just watch her engage in life and it’s next level. She’s finding joy in the details.

I was so excited that she reached out for headshots as her business as a Life Coach For Women grows. If you want a peek at what she has to offer, check out her Aish Article.

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Remember when we first met Stacie?

Her husband, Cory, came to the studio for his turn at headshots!

Cory is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Cookerly PR. He provides a long list of services to a VERY impressive list of clients.

But wanna know what he wanted to talk about? His amazing kids. And hot peppers.

It was fantastic to get a family update. Last I was with Stacie, she had a new baby. Now the baby is three, and they have another new baby!

Wishing this family continued success, in the office, at home, and in the garden.

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This is an amazing story.

Keren is an appreciator of art and portraiture. Here mother creates beautiful work, and Keren proudly displays the growth of her children via pictures ascending her stairs. And yet, she said it had been years since they took a proper picture altogether. She wanted one to proudly display in her living room, and she wanted perfection.

Here’s where the story takes a melodic twist… when we discussed possible locations, I mentioned that we built paths through the woods and down to the creek behind the studio. She immediately scheduled to come over and look with me. I walked her down and through, and pointed to where it all backed up to her parents’ home. And then it really sank in. This was the perfect location. Not only because it was my backyard, but because, growing up, it was hers.

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Here’s the design we created for her home:

Framing isn’t a typical offering, but we wanted the style and colors to tie into the existing pieces and room.

She wasn’t pleased with the school photo for one of her kids this year, and asked if we could pop into the studio and create one for the stairway.

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I can’t wait to show you the finished installation!

L’dor vador, from one generation to another, and back to the backyard again.

Michael was a referral of a referral of a referral. I’m grateful!

Sooo I thought he was an architect.

Because he forwarded two pages of instructions from his architecture firm, Array Architects, on requirements for our images: 6 shots, black background, dark suit, horizontal, waist up, 3 expressions (neutral, slight smile, smile) and two body positions for each (full on, turned slightly)

Obstacles: 1. Dark on dark is technically challenging. The goal is to create separation between the client/suit and the background. 2. I’m ace at getting relaxed smiles from my clients. Telling them not to smile? Not my forte.

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Here’s how the shot was set up. Notice the light peeking over the top? That’s called a hair or rim light, and it creates the separation. You will also notice that we’re shooting on grey, not black, in a bright room. I set my camera settings to cut ambient light and darken the backdrop, so the only light at play was that which I deliberately introduced to the scene. I love shooting on grey- I can create anything I want with it!

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I’m grateful that the firm was thrilled with the results! The kicker?

Michael is NOT an architect! He’s a Healthcare Strategy and Business Development Executive! He’s currently advising Array Architects in their current project with Northside Hospital. (Which is full circle, as they were one of the buildings I photographed behind the scenes as an artistic installation for a HVAC firm a long time ago.)

He explained the type of analysis he provides to heathcare centers (he gave a fascinating example of a hospital purchasing hospital beds, and the way he advises them that incorporates not only their current numbers and projected growth, but the trends of the industry, which is moving towards remote locations and away from, say, needing a massive amount of beds…)

So Michael is not an architect, working for an architecture firm, and blowing my mind.

I’m grateful that this is my fourth session with Joey and Esther. I got to capture them with their parents, once they became engaged, a wedding re-do, and most recently with their sweet baby. He’s the most good-natured 11 month old! A true people person, eager to connect and beaming ear to ear. We’re keeping him off social media at this point, but I’m grateful to share this sweet family with you here.

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Joey and Esther kept gushing about how all the grandparents were going to need prints of their sweet baby. They loved this image, saying it truly is the essence of their son. I can’t wait for him to see these as he ages, always with a proud sense of self, and then show his own children one day.

Lisa reached out in a rush for a headshot. She’s joined a new legal firm as Partner, and needed an updated shot to accompany the press release.

She gushed about her friend, Laura. She said Laura was one of her first friends upon moving to Atlanta 25 years ago. She had loved the headshot I did for her dearest friend, so when she needed one for herself, she reached out for the referral. (Thank you, Laura!!)

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Lisa had experienced a challenging day when she arrived, including her makeup artist cancelling with a possible case of pink eye. She was exhausted, and frazzled, and amazing. Regardless of it all, she came in with a rush of energy, and allowed herself to completely relax in front of the camera. This shot was the second image we took! Nailed it! I love her glasses and stacked necklaces: She wanted to stay true to who she is, give people a taste of who they will meet when working with her.

I asked that she send me some information about what she does. She sent the pending press release. It was so impressive, I couldn’t whittle it down to a sentence or two. Read on about this dynamic lady, and her Woman-led Law Firm!

FORMER NOKIA SENIOR COUNSEL LISA ROVINSKY JOINS CULHANE MEADOWS AS A

PARTNER IN ITS ATLANTA AND BOSTON OFFICES

ATLANTA, GA — Culhane Meadows is pleased to announce that Lisa Rovinsky ( lrovinsky@cm.law ) has joined the firm as a partner in their Atlanta and Boston offices.

Lisa has had two distinguished legal careers. Starting in advertising and marketing law, she served as Vice President & Counsel for Mastercard International and Chief Marketing Counsel for The Coca-Cola Company. She left Coca-Cola to go into private practice at the law firm Alston & Bird, moving on to become Senior Counsel at Nokia. Her move to the telecommunications giant refocused her career towards technology law and she has continued to build on that experience, working with a variety of technology-based startups.

“Lisa is an outstanding addition to our Technology and Corporate practices, “ says Kimberly Verska, Co-managing partner of Culhane Meadows, “Having worked with her in the past, I know that her creative and practical approach to problem-solving is a great fit for our firm.”

Culhane Meadows Co-founder and Co-Managing Partner James Meadows agrees, “During our time together at Alston & Bird I knew Lisa to be an advocate and mentor to women attorneys and a passionate proponent of diversity. Finding a partner who fits so well with our business and cultural goals, and who adds a wealth of experience to our team, is exciting.”

“I’ve followed the growth of Culhane Meadows for years and have had the good fortune to work with some of the partners throughout my career,” Lisa adds. “When I began to seriously consider joining the firm, one of the drivers was how impressively innovative Culhane Meadows is, and how they use technology to benefit both their attorneys and the firm’s clients. I’m looking forward to collaborating with such a forward-thinking group and the clients who value their innovation.”

Lisa graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University and attended Harvard Law School.

_______

Culhane Meadows is the largest woman-owned, national full-service law firm in the country (WBE) and has over seventy partners who work virtually from eleven offices around the U.S. Built to be fully remote from founding, Culhane Meadows serves client that range from startups to Fortune 100 businesses, offering outstanding efficiency and sophisticated legal knowledge from partners who are former BigLaw attorneys or in-house counsel, and have years of experience in creative problem-solving.

As I’m aging, I’m noticing the evolution of holidays. While my newsfeed was once only celebration for Mother’s/Father’s Day, it’s now mingled with pain. Those whom have lost their parent, those who long to be one. It makes me want to capture today that much more. The only thing that lasts will be these images, and I hope my children show them to their own one day.

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My father, Left. My co-conspirator in parenting, Right.

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Three generations of Linkwald men.

Hugging everyone tight today,

Rachel

Mordechai was about to push out some marketing for his accounting firm, Lavian Global, and his team declared he needed a new headshot- STAT. I’m so glad we were able to pull it off! I hadn’t met him previously, only his wife. It was incredible to get a taste of their dynamics. Mordechai is clearly someone who thinks through the details. He weighs the implications of a decision- a fantastic trait to have in a tax accountant!

When we were narrowing down his choices, he wanted his wife to be a part of the decision making process. She rushed over, and confidently declared her favorites. While he had a very cerebral approach, she coached him, “You gotta go with her gut!”

They clearly balance each other beautifully. Careful decision making, and bold instincts. What do you think of their choices?

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I have lots of great things to say about Daniel Wachtel (and his family.)

He is (They are) generous and welcoming. Accepting and genuine. He loves their community, staying active, and attending concerts.

Pretty much the type of person you would turn to when you need help. When you are struggling and need guidance. When you are ready for change.

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My Mother

She asks me to take her portrait.

I ask if she loves it.

She says, “It’s not for me, it’s for you.”

I pretend I didn’t really hear it. Because I can’t really hear it.

Rubbing my back as I fall asleep in my childhood bedroom

Walls covered in the mural she commissioned that would spark stories

She listens. The greatest gift she gave me was that she made space for listening.

She was safe, and she taught me to listen to my own.

But I can’t hear her today.

It’s interesting. When I meet a client for the first time, we frequently open with “getting to know you” questions, divulging where we are from and the like. Caren and I somehow skipped right over that, and plunged right into dissecting Ozark and talking about mortifying Zoom mishaps.

Which is amazing. She connects so easily, something you might not expect from someone who is equally comfortable presenting in Federal Court.

Caren is a civil rights and voting rights attorney, transitioning from her work at the Southern Poverty Law Center. She’s going to be the legal director for the National League of Women Voters. If you are saying “wow,” you’ve got that right. And if you haven’t heard of these organizations - go Google them now.

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I wish Caren tremendous luck changing the world. And I hope she continues to have amazing anecdotes to show for it.

WORKING WITH AMY IS AMAZING.

She is literally all the things you would want. She’s sweet, kind, confident, pays attention to details, timely, does exactly what she says she’s going to do when she says she’s going to do it, takes initiative, I could seriously go on. She will not only hear you, but hear everything between the lines, and be proactive. She’s solution-oriented. You will never sit around wondering where things stand. And yes, all of this was apparent from the moment of booking: she wrote me at 12:23 on April 13th asking for information about headshots, and by 1:50 that day had every detail discussed, planned, contract signed, and retainer sent. This lady GETS THINGS DONE.

Are you a start up? Or an international company working on US market entry? Let me be clear, if you work with Amy and the Sapient Search Group, not only will you see a comprehensible and actionable trajectory, but your progress will be a PLEASURE.

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Makeup credit: Rena Pollack

https://sapientsearchgroup.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/solomon-amy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shiragoldetsky/

More on Sapient Research Group:

Sapient Search offers a variety of strategic recruitment solutions to help organizations function at their highest level. We support technology companies of all sizes in close partnership on technical, business, and operational roles via contract, contract to hire, and direct hire placement. What sets us apart? We understand the critical nature of technology search. A strong technology framework is the foundation of every successful company. With a significant impact on your bottom line, competition for technology talent is fierce. As a boutique, relationship-based business our mission is to help our clients win top talent and grow their business, while developing a long term partnership. Our unparalleled work ethic, dedication and high level of support will help your company succeed. We have a robust team of recruiters, some of whom come from technical backgrounds themselves, and are highly successful with hard to fill positions. Our process Our consultative approach to recruitment begins with a deep dive into your organization to tailor our search process to your needs. After gaining needed intel we are able to target, market and recruit the most highly sought after talent to best suit your unique situation. Our in-depth screening process produces a low ratio of candidate introduction-to-hires and ensures the interview, feedback and offer process is geared for success.

Stacy and I go way back. Back before I had my own photography company, she was a participant on a Social Justice trip I led. We hit it off, and I had the opportunity to delight in her Grandmother’s unbeatable latkes. When I branched out and began doing photography solo, she hired me, as a newbie, to capture her maternity and newborn pictures. Years later, I’m thrilled that when she thinks of photography, she thinks of me.

She is the Director of Product Marketing for BeyondTrust, a security software leader. They had a huge conference in Boston, where they brought in a photographer for headshots. Not everyone from their Atlanta office was able to attend, so returning home, Stacy decided to hire me to finish the job. The trick was that they needed to match the images from Boston. No problem!

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Can I tell you how ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL each of these people were? Truly, I found each employee to be kind, thoughtful, and warm. BeyondTrust clearly cares about even more than competency. They are building a team of people that you want to be a part of.

Stacy thought it best that we do some branding work, as well. We cased their massive facility for images that she felt would be helpful in future communications.

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I am grateful for continued relationships. Thank you, Stacy and BeyondTrust, for trusting me. I’m at your continued service.

Dana reached out looking for a last minute photographer, wanting to capture the moment with her family before her mother was scheduled to begin Chemotherapy that week.

My stomach lurched. Both my mother and mother in law are, thanks to G-d, cancer survivors.

Dana’s mother is battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer. But she wanted to keep it quiet during the session, because her brother still didn’t know about it. He has Fragile X, and she wanted him to enjoy the session.

I wondered if I would. I wondered if I would keep it together.

It was an expectedly emotional process. Both the session and when we viewed the images and came up with a plan for them. I am so grateful to begin the process of creating an album for her, one that she will be able to pass down to her daughters.

I wish Dana and her family a lifetime of health and joy.

Update:

Can I tell you about the ridiculous amount of fun I had with Ellie?

She works as a Psychiatrist with her own practice. Much of her work is Telehealth, and she’s putting together a fantastic new website. But she’s pretty camera shy, and has little to show of herself. We needed her clients to get a sense of her.

She arrived game for anything. We wanted some headshots, some branding, and lots of material for use on the site and to cover her for any needs that arise. So we got to make maximum use of the studio and grounds: shooting indoors and out, rearranging to create a variety of scenarios and backdrops. It was amazing to really put my location to use.

We did headshots first. One outdoors, one indoors. So she could present different vibes as is called for by occasion.

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I learned that Ellie lives in the world of “YES!” She claimed she wasn’t creative (not true), and allowed me to guide and suggest. But as vulnerable as I imagine she felt, she excitedly not only tackled every concept presented, but contributed her own nuanced ideas. It all felt so synergistic.

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You want to work with Ellie (Elyssa) if you want a team mate. Someone who will be receptive, malleable, enthusiastic, and willing to challenge both you and herself. https://www.elyssabarronmd.com/

I’m grateful that the Jewish Moms of Atlanta (shout-out!!) directed Eriana straight into my studio. She’s a woman you notice. Full of intrigue and a winding story of how she found herself on an unexpected journey: both professionally and personally.

She’s starting work at Honeywell as a Sr. Business Development Manager. She has a fantastically varied history before this in the beauty industry, and then connecting baby products to big name brands. I asked if she did relatively the same work in all of these different sectors, but nope, she’s always crushing something new. Seriously, check this woman out: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erianarivera-rozo

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It’s no surprise that she’s so prepared to transform herself in so many different roles, companies, and industries. She told me a fantastic story of her family origins in Columbia, and her mother’s discovery that she had Jewish lineage. The Spanish Inquisition not only caused so many to flee, but to then bury their identities. But her mother, and Eriana, embraced the discovery. It didn’t negate what they knew or who they believed themselves to be, it enriched it. It’s evident that Eriana sees each new role and revelation as an opportunity to learn, grow, embrace, and elevate.

Sara wanted a session commemorating her son’s upshern (3rd birthday). Originally, she had in mind that we do the session before the party, since they were dressing up anyway. Ultimately, she decided to separate the two, as she wanted a low pressure session where it would be the only thing on her mind.

We shot in their home, moving only a couple pieces of furniture and taking advantage of the lovely light in their space.

We reviewed the images together, then she chatted with her amazing interior designer (I need to get her name and link her here!!), and together, we created a vision, and I edited her images accordingly.

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Left: our design, virtual on the wall, Right: the actual installation

It was tremendous fun creating images to fulfill our final vision.

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EDIT! And then…

Sara reached out, craving one more image. She wanted a color shot, to gift her husband for his office:

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*Edit at bottom

The final installment…

Alexandra was coy when she first called, requesting to learn about three sessions in a year. She finally came out with it, and stopped claiming it would be nice to capture different seasons: she wanted to capture her family as a threesome, through maternity, and then as a foursome. She wanted to tell the story of their growth.

SEE PAST SESSIONS HERE

May I present, the family of four:

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Most fun, was creating their wall gallery!

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We’ll be hanging them in their living room, over a new couch due to come. I can’t wait to see them up!

I have to say, this has been a really touching journey. It’s so beautiful to be a part of people’s growth, milestones, fears, and celebrations. This family has so much joy, so much humor, so much sass and spunk. Every part of the process with them has felt like a celebration. I’m so grateful. And I will try not to cry when I see this on their walls. Thank you for this opportunity.

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There’s a common scam photographers get, someone asking them to capture a “reunion,” and then pay the other “vendors” for them…

But I knew this one was legitimate, because the call came directly from Ramah Darom, explaining that their retreat center was hosting a family reunion, and that family portraits had been requested. Eliana, who runs the retreat center, said that she was coming to me because she and the family wanted to gift finished artwork to the matriarch for her home, as they were gathering to celebrate her 80th birthday.

I wanted to capture the sun rising behind the family over the lake. The two hour drive in the dark up through the mountains was stunning nonetheless. They really do have the most fantastic venue, and as I trekked, I reminisced about my pivotal time working there.

Ramah had put together an outstanding itinerary for them, featuring truly quality together time. I arrived as they were finishing their breakfast buffet, and then went to fine-tune the location I had in mind.

It was muddy, and there were tire tracks… and I was thrilled that the family was good sports about it, because it was PERFECT.

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I got to know the family a bit. They had ventured in from all over, including California and Israel. They were a vibrant group, whom while diverse, were cohesive under Elaine’s leadership. When she and I had our selection appointment, she took me through their journey as a family. One of discovery, adventure, and risks with a big payoff. She had a clear vision for her family, and this reunion felt for her like the culmination of all her goals and efforts. She has such deserved pride for all that the generations she created are achieving.

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I can only dream of glowing the way Elaine does when I’m 80. To have such sharp and radiating memories, and tangible proof of a life that was worth living. May we all experience such joy.