"She's is sooo shy...I really hope she opens up." says a worried mom, about to schedule her pre-teen daughter's first portrait shoot. We were discussing clothing and location options and happened upon a very renown photographers website when our mouths dropped. "Oooooooooooh, this is beeeeeutifuuuuuul!" we both shrieked. Inspired, we knew right away the direction we were going. Lucky for us, Central Park is available to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What better place to shoot a babe in the woods; foresty tall trees, fall foliage just at the right turning stage, where green is still present but accompanied by the lush oranges, deep reds and rich browns. Our first thought was to shoot by the Belvedere Castle, located adjacent to the Shakespeare garden. Where else would we shoot a Princess? As is it turns out, nothing works out the way its planned and thankfully so.
Poised yet apprehensive, Kristen was dressed and ready to part from her mom's side. Mom was getting the luxe pre-shoot makeup session by the talented Karina Aviles at the Shakespeare garden, relaxing on the sturdy english style wooden benches nestled by greenery and inviting flowers. We chatted as we hiked uphill, then downhill, but the castle was no where in sight. We relented to a grassy space with a few tall trees, thick and old almost from a scene in a scary movie, except it was daylight. Kristen seemed game, wearing her jacket over her shoulders like a true celeb. No props, no flash, just Kristen and her lovely flower headband, perched on top of her long, black hair-a shiny, flowey dream, fit for royalty. It adorned her shoulder and was a perfect contrast to her pink tulle dress. Her mom would be proud of how prepared she really was. I can tell she was more relaxed as time progressed, even helping me scout the perfect patch of grass where she can sit. Our silly banter would make her crack the seriousness of a models work. "This is not so easy!" she giggled. We laughed at how we both stood so still that we actually held our breath. This aspiring Veterinarian is usually a sporty girl, who loves to wear her sneakers with jeans and hanging with her older brother and their little pup, Winter. But today, she let her inner beauty queen reveal herself, barely needing any direction. "Are you sure you've never done this before?!" I asked, of course already knowing the answer. By the time her mom joined in, she was already a seasoned pro!
