I normally do maternity, newborn and child portrait photography in mostly in Northern NJ, and Keene, NH. Once each year, I like to step away and do something a bit different. Avalon is this year’s project. Last year, I did an Alice in Wonderland-themed shoot. I already have some ideas for 2013. But first, here is Avalon. It is a work of heart.

One cold night in New England in the dead of winter, this concept of a hazy summery Lady of the Lake shoot came to me. I immediately reached out to my friend Leigh from Mother Moon Baby Boutique. She was having a baby that February and I knew she would be perfect for my vision.

Does she have a white dress? Is she willing to ruin it? Is she willing to lay down in a lake…..in the dress?

Leigh was completely open to whatever I had planned, from wearing my homemade floral wreath, to letting me wrap some jute string around her waist as a belt. It feels amazing when people trust me to carry out my own creative vision. Leigh is an artist, so I knew she would understand.

It was a little murky at Twin Lakes. I set up a step stool in a pit of mud, water and algae to get some perspective looking down. Leigh cautiously climbed ahead of me in her dress, as I waded through the muck and made my way up the slippery steps, with my camera wrapped around my neck and my shorts rolled up so high, that the pockets stuck out. Leigh’s husband, Mark, was a welcome presence on this summer night. We had the lake entirely to ourselves. The croaks of obstinate bullfrogs created the perfect comic ambiance for our little scene.

I initially wanted to draw from the Lady of the Lake or Lady of Shalott, the famous painting by, JW Waterhouse that I kept thinking about. I knew I wanted something ethereal, dreamlike and summery, but with a twist. I wanted mother and baby to be featured in my story. Years ago, I read Marion Zimmer Bradley’s, The Mists of Avalon. If you’re not already familiar with it, it’s the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table but from the perspective of the women in the story – an uncommon version of the legend of Camelot. There are many twists and turns in the book, but I was fascinated by the Isle of Avalon itself. Some say that the mystical Avalon exists in Glastonbury, England. I visited Glastonbury in 2006. I could see that. It is a magical little English countryside town. But maybe Avalon is just a figment of the imagination?

So that is where I went this time…………into the mystic……into Avalon…..a magical, dreamlike fairytale of a place. We are escaping to a light, airy, nurturing haven. I hope you enjoy my images and my story. I hope they bring peace and light into your day.

(Disable the sound on your computer if you don’t want to listen to the accompanying music)

I wish to acknowledge Christian S for his music, “Ophelia’s Lullaby”, which I mashed up, as well as the Angelic War font-maker, Andrew Hart  and AB Nirvana font maker, RedFonts. Also, we utilized the Twin Lakes section of Kittatinny Valley State Park in Andover, NJ. Many thanks to the NJ State Park System.

Firefly Photography is now booking appointments in  Southern NH (Keene and the Monadnock Region) and Brattleboro, VT for dreamy maternity, newborn and child portrait photography. Getting married? Check out my sister business, OneLove Imagery!

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