Mark Smith Photography | Blog

Backyard Beatles | Trumbull, CT Portrait Photographer

2011-11-28T20:26:00.001-08:00

I never know how kids will act when I show up with a camera and try to make a portrait of them. There is usually a lot of bribing, dancing, and whatever else it takes to get some attention. This session, however, was real easy. Give him a guitar mention the Beatles and let him sing. This awesome guy sang about 4-5 songs for me and knew every word. His sister and I were laughing as we could not get him to stop so we could do a photo of them together or without the guitar. In the end I had the idea to do a shot for a poster of him with the guitar.

DC Visit! | Family Photographer

2011-11-16T14:43:00.000-08:00

A quick session with some friends we were visiting last weekend. My son snuck into some of the pics as well.

Fall Photos | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2011-11-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

Last spring I donated a family portrait package to the school my son attends for their annual auction night. My son attends The Montessori School in Wilton, CT. I am a huge supporter of the Montessori method and really love how well my son has also embraced the school. The best explanation, at least that I have found, to describe how Montessori differs from typical education is in this video. It also great when I get to spend some time with other families from the school. I love seeing parents who are as passionate about their children's education and development as my wife and I. This past week I had such the honor with the amazing family below!!

Old Neighbors Redux | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2011-11-07T07:07:00.000-08:00

About 2 years ago a did a photo session with my friends/old neighbors. Here is the original post. It is great 2 see how these 2 adorable kids have grown. After some chasing we were able to get some great shots of each of them.

Miss Lady

2011-10-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

A few minutes with my daughter and her many happy expressions!!!

Dinner On The Beach | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2011-09-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

About 2 years ago some friends from DC were up visiting. We decided to try a new place that had great seafood but no seating. However, they did give you a set of tables and chairs and let you carry them down to the beach. This was our first dinner out with our 2 month old son. Our friends who were visiting had an 8 month old and were used to going out with kids. Well lucky for us we were one of 2 groups eating on the beach that night as my son decided it would be a great time to test out our parenting skills.
I could not believe how much stuff could come out of such a little guy. We of course did not bring a change of clothes extra blanket or anything else we now know to bring with us. Thankfully our friends, who were laughing hysterically at us, were prepared with extra clothes. One great thing that came out of the dinner was this very cool old pier sitting right behind us on the beach. That day I snapped a quick shot with my phone and tried to plan a trip back. Well this morning I finally made a quick trip. I spent about 20 mins as the rain was coming on pretty good and I was short for time. Needless to say I am not a landscape photographer but love trying new aspects of photography. I hope to go back soon and spend some more time exploring this location. Maybe bring my son and now new daughter by for another shot at dinner on the beach.

The Pink Lady | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2011-08-17T17:49:00.000-07:00

About a month ago my friend Betsy bought this awesome 80's Suzuki scooter already named "The Pink Lady." After seeing it the first time I could not wait to get some photos of her with it. SO last night with the light fading fast we set up our first photo shoot with "The Pink Lady." Hope to get out for another shoot with a little more daylight on our side for a proper shoot.

Daddy drives a Prius!! | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2011-08-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

A little session with my friends son who was visiting this weekend.

My Girl | Fairfield Ct Photographer

2011-07-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

Well the stork came to vist my wife and I last month. Baby girl has been great. I have a ton of picture and plenty more to post. Will post more later as she calling for me once again! Life with 2 kids is sure different than 1.

Bridgeport Bluefish

2011-07-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

This summer I have been able to be on the field and all around the stadium with the Bridgeport Bluefish. I have not been able to attend as many games as I would like due to recent visits from the stork (post to follow). Here are a few shots from todays game.

Spring Break | with my boy

2011-03-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

My son, Bennett, has been out of school for the last week with another week to follow. So he and I have been playing outside a lot. With the weather warming up there have multiple trips to many different farms as well as daily trips in to the woods. More photos of our adventures to follow!

Almost Crawling | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2010-12-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

I spent my morning crawling around on the floor at a friends house chasing after the beautiful little lady below. She spent the whole session teasing us about crawling herself. It seems she wants to crawl but has not quite committed. Even with some heavy coaching from all of us she was very content to sit there as we crawled around her. I'm certain as soon as she is on the go her parents will miss the days of simple sitting.

J & J | Trumbull, CT Photographer

2010-12-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

You never know how kids will act when put in front of a photographer. Add in 20 degree weather, an 8 am meeting, and a frosted over field and you could be in for major disaster. However, when I showed up Sunday morning it seemed I was complaining more about the cold then they were. Following me through frozen fields and tall grass J & J were some of the best kids I have worked with this year.

Help-Portrait 2010 | Bridgeport, CT

2010-12-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

This was the second year I was involved with the Help-Portrait event in Bridgeport CT. As in the past, it was great fun meeting everyone from other photographers & volunteers to those from the community who came for a portrait. Below are some images of one of the nicest people I have met at these events.

Apples | Fairfield CT Photographer

2010-10-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

Here is one of my son on a recent apple picking trip. For a boy who does not eat much he sure loved the apples.

Fashion Makeover | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2010-09-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

As part of an on-going effort to help mother’s retain their sense of selves after children, ModMa partnered with a local Fairfield boutique, Minette and Rook, to do a mama “what not to wear”. Essentially, the mom cleans out her closet or enlists the help of the store owner, Lauren, to clean it out together and they pick out a few pieces that are salvageable and some that just need to go. Having worked with ModMa in the past I was enlisted to take pictures before the fashion fix and after Lauren’s intervention. Lauren will be offering local media outlets the opportunity to gain her insight as to what was “wrong” with the first look and how she turns the look into something that works with the current season. Our model is ModMa co-founder and my wife, Alison Smith.

As a photographer I rarely end up in the picture but apparently I was in need of a man makeover. Lauren took me on for a “before & after” shot as well. I think my wife was planning this the entire time.

It's all about the clothes.

2010-08-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a small sample of images from a local CT fashion designer I have been working on a project with. We finished up the white seamless shots this weekend. The last 4 images are from a location shoot from a few months ago.

SONO Portraits | CT Potrait Photographer

2010-06-07T18:04:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had a blast in SONO, South Norwalk, doing some portraits for a speedlight challenge with a few other photographers. Our models, Sam & Cathy, were great to work with and it was fun hanging out with a bunch of other photographers for the day. I met some real nice people and really love shooting in this location. Below are a few images from the day!

Bridgeport Public Allies Community Portrait Session | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2010-04-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

I have always been amazed and impressed at how many photographers are willing to share time and information to help others. People such as Zack Arias, a great Atlanta based editorial photographer, & Chase Jarvis, a Seattle based commercial photographer, are constantly inspiring me through their commitment to the photography industry and their own communities. Not only have I learned new techniques but have also been inspired to get involved helping others.

On Saturday April, 10th I participated in a great community portrait event derived from the successful Help Portrait event last December. This time the focus was to raise awareness for affordable housing in Bridgeport, CT as well as giving back to the community. I went into this event with a challenge for myself of photographing everyone that came to my station with only one light.

The Bridgeport Public Allies put on the event and I was honored to be asked as one of the photographers. The Public Allies is a national AmeriCorps program that seeks to advance new leadership in order to strengthen communities, nonprofits, and civic participation. With a four-hour window, over 60 individuals, including Bridgeport's Mayor Bill Finch, were able to gather at the Bridgeport Public Library to celebrate life with food, friends, family and free photos. Portraits of families and individuals were taken, printed and given back on-site. A select number of individuals were then asked to sign model releases and give a short biography.

The photographs will be displayed at a major fundraising event for affordable housing in May. The Public Allies team has partnered with Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust to raise money for the renovation and decoration of two six-family homes on Lafayette Street. On May 20th, community members, elected officials, sponsors and donors alike, will gather at one of the homes to celebrate its completion and raise funding for the other home.

The event is part of the Buy a Brick, Build a Home Campaign, started by the Public Allies team in an effort to raise awareness and funding for the housing crisis in Bridgeport.

How can you help?

The campaign advocates the purchase of personalized, engraved bricks that will be prominently displayed at affordable housing units throughout the city. Get more information at www.tinyurl.com/buyabrickbuildahome or contact Public Allies Bridgeport at bridgeportpact@gmail.com.

Below are some of my photos from the event. The people I met were amazing with so many different backgrounds and stories. Other photographers at the event included Carmen Nieves, Ian Christmann, of Catalyst Photography, and many others shooting behind the scenes.

Neika | New York Editorial Photographer

2010-04-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

Just as all of the brokers on Wall St. were running uptown away from their jobs I was heading down to lower Manhattan to start my night. Neika, my model for the evening, was amazing as we walked all over lower Manhattan & Battery Park looking for great light and unique locations. Her own interests in photography really helped and inspired me to get different looks and compositions.

My Boy | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2010-03-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

Although I am constantly photographing my son, it is not often that I post images. Most often I am trying to make him laugh or a just trying out a new technique. Here are a few images from the last week or so.

Rock'n Ice | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2010-03-10T17:10:00.001-08:00

On my way home from Seattle I stopped in Bozeman, MT to spend some time with my Brother-in-law Alan and his girlfriend Betsy. Alan is a climbing guide in the area and they both spend a lot of time climbing throughout the country. The Bozeman area is absolutely beautiful! Yes, even in February. The hot springs in Norris easily kept my mind off of the cold. Bridger Bowl offered an amazing day of skiing and snowboarding with some very tough terrain. I spent my last day here in the Hyalite Canyon section of Gallatin National Forest for a day of ice climbing and photography. I got most of the shots below by anchoring myself on a rope above the climbers, you can see my glove in one of the images. The bottom image is me on my first attempt up "Thin Chance" (the name of the route). What a great few days in the mountains! I hope to get out there again real soon. Thanks again to Alan, Betsy, & Brad for a fun filled couple of days!!!

Entrpreneurial Advocate | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2010-03-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

My good friend Kyle Durand has a great blog for all of the entrepreneurs out there, The Entrepreneurial Advocate. Kyle posts his thoughts and advice designed to inspire and empower entrepreneurs. His goal is to encourage entrepreneurship and to provide resources and tools to make business dreams become realities. Kyle has not only been helpful to my wife and I in our own business adventures he has also been a great inspiration as a friend and family member in many other ways. Having completed multiple Iron man triathlons, adventure races, and loads of other crazy journeys, Kyle has helped and inspired me in my own training for these quests. If you are heading out on a new business adventure or looking for some advice visit his blog here.

My Niece | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2010-02-28T06:55:00.000-08:00

My main reason for heading out to Seattle last week was to visit this beautiful young lady below. Of course I got to spend time with my brother and sis-in-law too. They just don't quite have the same amount of charm & sass as my niece, despite my bros best efforts. From reading books, to getting locked out of the house, to grocery shopping, she was a blast to hang with. Below are a few pics from one beautiful afternoon in Seattle! Looking forward to heading out this summer!!

Snowshoes & Bow Ties | Fairfield, CT Portrait Photographer

2010-02-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

The beginning of February I was out in CO visiting some friends from college for a few days of riding, snowshoeing, and fun. It was great to relax and get out in the mountains.

Seattle with Mad Rad | Fairfield, CT Music Photographer

2010-02-24T19:35:00.000-08:00

I headed out to Seattle last week to visit some family and hang with the fellas from Mad Rad for a photo session! Mad Rad is an unpredictable, exciting, racy, and amazingly fun group of guys storming the Seattle Hip Hop music scene. Of course my first interest in this group is due to my brother, Greg (Terry Radjaw), however, the fun and exciting nature of everyone in the group makes them a blast to hang with. Check out their album White Gold. Thanks to Via Tribunali for a great location for the shoot and even better food. I also fit in some impromptu shoots with 2 other groups performing at Chop Suey in Capitol Hill, Sap'N & Mash Hall.

Fun in the Mud | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2010-02-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to shoot the Jeep in some off road action for a while. Although I was not able to get out for long today, I was able to figure out some new perspectives while driving! I have plenty more ideas for this and can't wait for some time in the spring to really get in the mud and have some more fun!

White Christmas? | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2010-01-04T18:07:00.000-08:00

With snow on the ground Christmas day I was sure the locations I wanted to use were out for this session. The morning of the session there was heavy fog and I could barely see down the street. Things were not looking too good. However, the fog burned off, the temperature warmed up, and it turned out to be a great day. This family was real fun to work with. They followed me in to the tall grass, along the shores of the creek, and did not complain. Thank you for a great time. I hope everyone made it home safely and had a Great New Years!

Snow Day? | Trumbull, CT Photographer

2009-12-23T18:18:00.000-08:00

14" of snow will never keep me from a client!! Despite my wife's concerns about the roads, I am glad I ventured out on Sunday to meet little Mr. L and a great family. The Rockstar hair, clothes, and personality made for a fun session. At just 4 month old he was ready to party and really enjoyed hamming it up for everyone. I hope the new parents and the dog are ready for when this guy gets mobile!!

New Cards | Fairfield, CT Photographer

2009-12-10T20:55:00.001-08:00

I got some new business cards today because I want to win some lunches!!
(One of my favorite Mitch Hedberg quotes)

Actually you get to win something. Email me about this blog post and get 1 free print of your choice, up to 16x20, when you book a new portrait session. Available to the first 5 people to e-mail for sessions booked after 1/1/10.

Don't Take Pictures, Give Them!!! | Help Portrait, Bridgeport, CT

2009-12-07T04:41:00.000-08:00

It's official. We are holding the event at United Congregational Church
877 Park Ave Bridgeport, CT

Doors open for set-up at 10:30am
to the public from 12 noon - 6pm

Here is a video of what we are planning for this weekend. If you know someone in need or a group of people in need please send them our way. We will be waiting for them!!! Please feel free to help or contribute any way you can. See the info below the video on how you can help.

Help-Portrait is a collection of photographers around the world using their time, equipment, and
expertise to give back to those who are less fortunate. What does that look like? It looks like
photographers taking pictures. And then giving those pictures back to the families.
Help-Portrait, just to give you an idea, currently has around 1,700 photographers involved in over 260
different locations, including more than 40 different countries. So you would be partnering with a
worldwide initiative to see many underprivileged families receive a family portrait this year.
None of the photographers or volunteers involved are being paid or making money off these
photographs. None of the pictures taken will be used on personal websites or portfolios. The goal is
simply to find people in need and take their picture in order to give the picture back.
Help-Portrait would like to give at least one 5x7 or 8x10 photograph to each family. I am hoping you
will be able to donate your services in order to see this goal met.
Please feel free to look at our website help-portrait.com to see testimonials of how this project has
already made a difference in the lives of many.

Mr. F. | Stratford, CT Baby Photographer

2009-12-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

I had the luxury of wrapping up my Black Friday mini sessions with an awsome family! What a fun session!! From moving couches and furniture around to a quick venture in to the backyard, I had a great time with this little gentleman and his parents. The family was also winners of a free canvas print I gave away at the November MODMA meeting and I am glad it went to some great people. I look forward to hopefully working with them in the years to come.

Sisters | Westport, CT Child Photographer

2009-12-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

I met these two young ladies as a part of the Black Friday Mini session sale. It was tough get through multiple outfits for two girls in just an hour. Mom and Dad were right therer to help keep things moving and fun. Despite some lingering rain and over cast weather, seems like that is all we get here in CT lately, these two girls made for a fun session!!

Yoga Baby | Stratford, CT Child Photographer

2009-11-30T18:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend I headed up to Stratford to spend some time with Baby O for the first of my Black Friday Mini Session promotion. Baby O spends time with my little guy each week at yoga and after hearing about all of the fun babies from my wife, it was great to meet one of the little yogis in person. Though it was rainy outside, this yogi's sparkling eyes and red hair lit up the shoot and made for a fun time!!

Old Neighbors - Fairfield, CT Children's Potographer

2009-11-17T19:38:00.000-08:00

We have been trying to do this session for a while. My old neighbors/friends have two awesome kids; J who is 1 1/2 yrs. & C who is 11 weeks. Schedules never seemed to line up but this past weekend I was able to head over for an hour. Look forward to some more sessions as they grow up!

Where is Buzz? - Fairfield, CT Portrait Photographer

2009-11-17T16:38:00.000-08:00

With a little help from the weather, a light rain at first, I was able to spend some time with Mr. K at the beach. Mom, originally from Fairfield, brought him out from L.I. for some late fall portraits. I had a great time chasing (OK sprinting) after Mr. K, playing games, and hiding toys to get some great shots. He was a blast to spend time with and I hope he had as much fun as I did!

1st Birthday - Fairfield, CT Photographer

2009-11-09T18:06:00.000-08:00

Nothing is better then having your cake and eating it, wearing it, flinging it, smashing it, throwing it, and playing with it too!! I love the tradition of letting the birthday girl/boy enjoy the very own cake in their very own way! Everyone should celebrate their birthday this way. Little miss H. turns 1 this week and I had a great time celebrating at her party. She got some cool presents but my fav were the shoes. Happy Birthday!!

Weekend in VA - Photography Workshop - Portrait Photograher

2009-10-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

October 17th & 18th I spent the weekend in Fredericksburg, VA for an amazing photography workshop by Marta Locklear. Although we could not catch a break on the weather, cold and rainy, we headed out to some cool locations eager to have fun! Learning about new ways to shoot, seeing the light, working locations, and post processing, I really enjoyed myself. Our models toughed it out in the weather which helped make for a great weekend. Some images from the weekend are below.
To see more of my images go to www.marksmithphotos.com >CLIENTS >password= workshop.
To see what Marta had to say about the workshop visit her blog here.

Loads of Energy - Greenwich, CT Childrens Photographer

2009-10-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

It had been raining off and on for what seemed like forever but this day the weather finally cooperated. I met these 2 guys at Tod's Point in Greenwich, CT. W & J, 4 and 2 1/2, were loads of fun. They had a lot of energy and challenged me a bit. I had a blast hanging out with them all morning getting dirty and running through the park.

New Blog!! Fairfield, CT Photographer

2009-10-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new Blog! I hope to be updating this often. Check back for more posts shortly.