March 04, 2019

Noel Herbal Skincare | Somerville Small Business | Creative Entrepreneur Lifestyle Portrait & Product Photography

March 04, 2019/ Lorna Stell

Noel Herbal Skincare, based in Somerville, MA, was founded by Shannon Curtis who has been an esthetician for over 15 years! Shannon and I first connected through a Facebook group where she shared that she had some big dreams for her business, and she was working on learning how to brand and promote her work. I have always been fascinated by branding, and Shannon and I connected over the value of visual imagery when it comes to upleveling the overall perception of small businesses.

This environmental portrait session we did together created the perfect imagery for Shannon’s website, Instagram, online shop, emails, and more. Anywhere you market yourself, you can use your custom photography!

April 25, 2017

Sam + FJ | Romantic Mountain Top Inn and Resort Vermont Autumn Wedding | Boston and New England Wedding Photography

April 25, 2017/ Lorna Stell

Is there anything more romantic than professing your love for your favorite person surrounded by gorgeous mountains? Sam and FJ probably think not! ;)

I was so honored to photograph this drop-dead gorgeous couple and their wedding day last November! You might not even realize this was a late autumn wedding since there was still so much green around—And lots of greenery definitely makes for a happy photographer!

I first met these two in Somerville as all of us have spent lots of time living there, but I absolutely love that they decided to get married in Vermont! They picked the perfect venue—Mountain Top Inn and Resort—Which has the most gorgeous mountain view, indoor and outdoor locations for ceremonies/receptions, and a view of a lake outside as well.

June 13, 2016

Classic + Modern Boston Public Garden, Beacon Hill, and Downtown Coffee Shop Sunrise Engagement Session | Jessica and Thomas

June 13, 2016/ Lorna Stell

When my alarm went off at 3:30am, I remember a brief period of my night-owl brain asking, “Why did I do this to myself?” After about 10 minutes passed and I could truthfully say I was awake, I remember my creative brain (who also loves people), asking, “How AWESOME is this going to be?!” I felt the tingle of nervous excitement as I confirmed with myself for the third time that yes, I did have everything I needed. This was the morning of my first ever sunrise engagement session with some soon-to-be newlyweds, and OH MAN was it worth it!

May 16, 2016

Boston Winter To Spring Fashion + Style Photography | Fashion On The 4th Floor, Chapter Five

May 16, 2016/ Lorna Stell

Diane and I have been doing her sessions in Somerville the most, but this outfit was the first we featured in Boston! Ever since I discovered this building, I’ve been dying to shoot in this little hidden gem of the city. So so glad it worked out this day! Sure, we could have just as easily taken photos on any city sidewalk, but isn’t this big white room with gold features just magical?

If you couldn’t tell from looking at my Rebranding series, this building is SO me. Big, bright spaces that feel airy and energized, along with marbled, metallic, and organic details, not to mention a huge skylight up above (not pictured I’m afraid)! It reminds me a bit of a museum. Anyone else feel right at home in high-ceilinged, modern museums with marble floors?

February 01, 2016

Somerville Winter Fashion + Style Photography | Fashion On The 4th Floor, Chapter Four

February 01, 2016/ Lorna Stell

Diane from Fashion On The 4th Floor has been killing it with the great winter styles! The last time I wore a denim skirt was probably about a decade ago, and I cringe to think of those days, but Diane makes it look GOOD with the retro boots, classy sheer plaid, and faux leather vest! Her long necklaces are perfect for adding an extra sophisticated touch. This session was SO her and she brought the energy!

January 18, 2016

Somerville Winter Fashion + Style Photography | Fashion On The 4th Floor, Chapter Three

January 18, 2016/ Lorna Stell

I still can’t believe it’s 2016, can you? I know I’ve had a whole 18 days for it to sink in, but I think I’m struck by the blessing of new beginnings—this was the first year I did a no-holds-barred reflection on the past year, and made goals for myself for the new year. I struggle to keep focused on my top priorities sometimes, but just the act of setting goals has made a big difference for me! It makes it so much easier to say “no” to things that aren’t on my “top priorities” list, and say “yes” to new opportunities that will help me reach my goals.

Diane from Fashion On The 4th Floor set some goals for 2016 too, and blogging is part of them! For her, blogging is a creative outlet in a busy day to day life, and here’s what she had to say about it on Instagram recently: "This creative outlet was a positive escape from everyday craziness, something just for me! A way to #expressmyself #bemyself #shareideas & #inspiration. Feeling negative pressure creep in, I knew I needed to reassure myself & reinforce My Original Goals for 2016: #dowhatiwantwheniwant #thenumbersdontmatter #havenoexpectations & most of all, #keephavingfun"

January 11, 2016

Somerville Winter Fashion + Style Photography | Fashion On The 4th Floor, Chapter Two

January 11, 2016/ Lorna Stell

When Diane pulled out these sequined pants, that was the moment. I knew I was in love. Not only with the pants, but with her creative styling ideas too (not to mention, her personality is off-the-charts)!

I LOVE a good statement piece that requires some gusto to wear, and pairing sequined pants with a casual sweater in a classy color is just perfect. This was an outfit I would love to wear myself, so I love that I get to feature it here and share with you all! This is perfect for a holiday or New Year’s Eve party, or a daytime look that you want to kick up a notch.

December 21, 2015

Somerville Winter Fashion + Style Photography | Fashion On The 4th Floor, Chapter One

December 21, 2015/ Lorna Stell

If you have looked around at other fashion bloggers and felt like you can't connect that well with their sweet and girly style, please go visit Fashion On The 4th Floor! Although the name is a reference to Diane starting her blogging journey later in life, age is truly irrelevant in this case. I would gladly throw any outfit on my body that Diane put together—she does bold, edgy, tomboyish and sophisticated all rolled into one SO well!

November 30, 2015

Arlington Autumn Small Business Portrait Photography | Musician and Composer Ruth Shyu

November 30, 2015/ Lorna Stell

I've created portraits for several entrepreneurs, professionals and musicians lately, and usually they're about my age in their 20s or 30s. Often, their careers or new businesses are still fairly young and they're trying lots of new things and dreaming big. Everything is new and exciting (and often scary)! Working with Ruth was different in a very cool way because she's so full of experiences, having moved across the country and put in years of hard work honing her craft, building her skills, and being her own boss. She's faced and overcome some significant obstacles over the years, so I really cherished my time with her and the opportunity to hear her stories, while talking about what it means to be creative for a living.

This was just another example for me of why it's SO important as a creative person and/or entrepreneur to be in community with other creatives and entrepreneurs! The support we can offer each other and the special ways we can lift each other up are priceless.

August 24, 2015

Boston Summer Lifestyle + Professional Portrait Photography | Mary Casiello

August 24, 2015/ Lorna Stell

Today, I'll be honest, I'm pretty psyched to share this portrait session with you. Partly because my portrait subject, Mary, and I both love how the photos turned out, and partly because this day was a really awesome one.

It all started two months after Mary's Day In The Life session with her family, when she got in touch with me again to say she was looking to get some updated photography for her website, and for posters advertising her musical performances. Let's just say I was totally thrilled to hear that!

Mary was a TOTAL trooper on this hot and sweaty August morning! We enjoyed our time taking a stroll around Larz Anderson Park and stopping where the scenery and the light looked inviting, and it made a great opportunity to catch up too!

August 03, 2015

Moving House and Creating A Home | Boston Day In The Life / Professional Portrait Photography Testimonials

August 03, 2015/ Lorna Stell

Disclaimer: I try to keep my personal "Wholehearted" posts separate from my photography-specific posts, but today's post is a little blending of the two…because sometimes, personal life and work life blend a little, and I think that's ok. So here's what I've been up to:

Andy and I spent the entire week the last week of July piling boxes in our car and taking trips to our lovely new apartment, all while sweating our faces off! It was an exhausting week, but waking up to my favorite person in a space that it finally feels right to call "home" is so worth it. We couldn't have done it without the help of some awesome friends, and without the courage to help each other take the leap into a big life change!

Since my life for the past week has been consumed with moving house and I've barely had time to get any new photos together for a more visual post, I thought I would share some awesome testimonials I received after a couple recent photo sessions! Everyone loves a good, sincere compliment, but I think these testimonials are even more than that—they show what the actual experience of a photo session is like, and why the investment in yourself (and sometimes your family too) is so worth it.

In contrast to the first section of today's post, houses and apartments come and go, but your personal story, and your family's interwoven stories, really are forever. As people, our internal memories, thoughts and feelings can be fleeting, but the visual and physical keepsakes of photographs solidify our stories and create a very special, shareable experience.

July 20, 2015

Boston Lifestyle + Professional Portrait Photography | Kari O'Briant

July 20, 2015/ Lorna Stell

Happy Monday, friends! Have you ever heard of music therapy? If not, then you're in for a treat today!

Kari is a music therapist, and believe it or not, we met in college when we both went to Radford University in Virginia! After Kari and I had both graduated in our respective years, we both moved to Massachusetts unbeknownst to each other! We reunited up here not long after I arrived, and I'm so glad we've been able to keep in touch and have more fun times together!

One of those fun times includes the one where she emailed me and said she wanted new headshots, and I don't think I could have said yes any quicker! However, I didn't want these to be stale and boring, full of fake smiles and flat walls, so we decided to take a trip to Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain and play around (literally) with her guitar. You'll see lots of big smiles in Kari's photos, and that's because I kept asking her to tell me about her puppy, Reshi. Worked like a charm, and made us BOTH happy!

Visit the full post to learn more about music therapy, and to read a glowing review from Kari after she received her photos!

June 29, 2015

Boston Fashion + Style Photography | The Cubicle Collections, Chapter Three

June 29, 2015/ Lorna Stell

For this portion of Jackie's Fashion + Style photo session, for her blog The Cubicle Collections, we paid a visit to the Boston Public Garden, and it was a lovely day for it, let me tell you! The slightest breeze and some warm sunshine really brought Jackie's outfit to life and made these colors pop! Be sure to visit The Cubicle Collections to read about why Jackie wore these particular pieces together, and to find links to where you can get them for yourself. The top especially was a bit out of her comfort zone, so I'm very excited that she decided to face her fears and totally work this outfit!

June 22, 2015

Boston Fashion + Style Photography | The Cubicle Collections, Chapter Two

June 22, 2015/ Lorna Stell

Although I do love being around green leaves and blue skies, Boston's cityscape blended with the minimal color palette and clean lines of this outfit speak to my heart. The opportunity to make urban-centric portraits like this was a big motivator for moving to the Boston area!

This whole ensemble includes quality brands like Rag & Bone, Nine West, Cole Haan, Rebecca Minkoff, H&M, Marc Jacobs, and BCBG. These are all such chic brands that this portion of our photo session was begging to have more of an air of serious confidence. Us Lady Bosses mean business, and so do our outfits! Sometimes the best way to refocus your confidence is to dress the way to you want to feel.

June 15, 2015

Boston Fashion + Style Photography | The Cubicle Collections

June 15, 2015/ Lorna Stell

Today I have more Fashion + Style inspiration to brighten your afternoon, thanks to the impeccable style of Jackie, the ladyblogger over at The Cubicle Collections. Jackie writes about fashion and lifestyle for the 9-5 working girl. She is such a wealth of knowledge with all kinds of tips, tricks and resources, and I'm so glad she writes for women in the corporate world in a down-to-earth way! Jackie and I strolled the streets of Boston finding some of the prettiest and most interesting spots to help showcase the outfits she styled for her blog. We didn't have to work too hard since it was a BEAUTIFUL day and city felt so alive! In this post you'll see the Paramount Theater, Brattle Book Shop, and Boston Common. Enjoy, and be inspired!

April 27, 2015

Charlestown Fashion + Style Photography | Chic Coles, Chapter Four

April 27, 2015/ Lorna Stell

Melissa styled a fashion, product and accessory photo session in late March for her blog, and personally, I had a blast helping it come together! I always love seeing what textures and colors she groups together for our styled sessions. As a girl who is not always super girly, it always inspires me to think outside my own box! Click through to see vibrant floral heels, the perfect rugs for New England apartments, skincare and makeup kits from Trish McEvoy, and a lovely spring dress!

April 20, 2015

Charlestown Fashion + Style and Food Photography | Chic Coles, Chapter Three

April 20, 2015/ Lorna Stell

So excited to share with you all another collaboration between Chic Coles and I! Melissa had the great idea of pairing an outfit with a smoothie, and on a day that's overcast or chillier than you'd like it to be, a smoothie (and dressing for what you WANT to feel like, not what you currently feel like on said dreary, overcast day) is the perfect pick-me-up.

April 13, 2015

Watertown Day In The Life Family Session | Sisters Are Forever

April 13, 2015/ Lorna Stell

I'm so so glad I got to spend my afternoon with these inspiring women, and so thankful they totally spoiled me with fancy beer and cookies and hours of conversation. This session was extra special because these two don't often get to have a restful weekend afternoon together in the middle of their busy lives. I love that this photo session was a way to provide that!

March 16, 2015

Charlestown Fashion + Style Photography | Chic Coles, Chapter Two

March 16, 2015/ Lorna Stell

Melissa and I are at it again! This week's fashion post is a different take on the classic New England style. If you have ever felt like a schlub trying to pull together something semi-presentable to cover your body with for weekend errands while still rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, this outfit inspiration is for you, dear reader!

March 09, 2015

Charlestown Fashion + Style Photography | Chic Coles

March 09, 2015/ Lorna Stell

I'm very excited to announce that Melissa and I are teaming up to bring you some lovely visions of Boston-inspired wardrobe ensembles to inspire your own, while we highlight our favorite spots around the city. Melissa is inspiring me already to expand my own personal style, usually composed of color blocking, edgy textures, and lots of black. If you enjoy the photo story below, please pay Melissa a visit at her blog, Chic Coles, to see more and to even pick up some of these pieces for your own collection, including the makeup she used!

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