Noa Green Photography – New Jersey Photography » specializing in portrait photography of family, children, baby, newborn, maternity, pregnancy in bergen county, hudson county, new jersey, new york, manhattan

Emotions. When I photograph, that is at the forefront of my mind. Drawing different emotions and expressions from my subject. Its not uncommon for me to ask parents to please NOT ask their child to smile, because that CHEESE smile that children rehearse for the camera is just one tiny facet of their personalities, and I want to capture real, raw emotions.

When I photographed these two gorgeous sisters at a recent workshop/shoot out at the Tri-age (organized by the fabulous Natalie) I had less than 30 minutes to interact with them, and they mostly wanted to giggle and be silly. So I talked to them. A lot. I constantly moved them around, and asked them to do things, like share secrets.

I make funny noises to make them suddenly look at the camera (every one of my clients knows I apologize for how ridiculous I may sometimes sound during the session! but it works)

I say they can’t look at the camera or (G-d forbid), smile.

I ask lots of questions. And talk nonsense. Sometimes it makes them tune me out (who can blame them?) or just think about what I’m saying, which results in natural portraits that just steal my heart.

After a while of being in front of the camera without the expectation of cheese, I am sometimes lucky and am able to capture soulful, authentic smiles. MELT.

Sammy and Lexi absolutely stole my heart. They made me miss my own sisters so much….

And lastly, one of my favorite images. LOVE.

Wishing everyone a wonderful & relaxing weekend….

Shabbat Shalom!!

XOXO

Noa

Sometimes life throws opportunities your way. Most times, you need to make your own opportunities.

Pursuing your dreams means taking risks. Abandoning the status quo can be intimidating and scary beyond belief. But the results? Oh, the results are so worth it.

The other day I was driving back from a client ordering session, and I swear my heart was singing. I thought back to where I was three years ago and all I could feel was gratitude flushing through me like quicksilver in my veins.

A Robert Frost poem I studied in middle school is still one of my favorite poems to date. Its about choosing something different, being authentic to yourself, and most of all — taking risks:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I hope you’re all out there, making opportunities and taking risks. Life is too short to live it passively.

If you’re out there dreaming of your own opportunity, I would love to hear and chat about it….