Downtown Hartford Prom Photos

From the moment that I heard that my daughter was going to have her Hartford prom this year, I was ELATED. Not only for the absolute spaz out session we would both have obsessing over gowns and hair styles and nails and shoes and ACCESSORIES OMG.  OK, maybe all of that! Mostly, it just felt … normal. Like the olden days of yore, before covid, before we all knew what quarantining felt like. Before the phrase social distancing was ever in our vocabulary. Before we thought about masks coordinating with your prom gown. (Which, hello, we made sure it did!)

I’m never one to miss an opportunity to create a photo session with my kids. Snow days? HELLO! Check! Proms? AMATEUR HOUR. Birthday parties? Girl, come ON. Creating these photos with Georgie and her friends has been some of my favorite memories as a parent and as a professional photographer. To be able to combine them both is like…literally the holy GRAIL to me. Two things I love, so deeply. GAH. (wipes eyes)

OK OK, then add in my hometown of Hartford to the mix and let the spaz out session COMMENCE FULLY! I love my hometown so deeply, with all of its flaws. It is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to, and I have been to many! The architecture is so colorful and vibrant and old and fancy all at the same time. One of my favorite parts of downtown Hartford is when the sun hits the Gold Building juuuust right, and the reflections bounce all around the streets. It is freaking MAGICAL! Slappy, delicious light just changing and being all pretty. See below!

My Jackson was my assistant for the day, since I had also been tasked with being the ‘official’ Hartford Prom Photographer for Georgie’s school! He looks so freaking handsome here!! And older. (sob)

The wind tunnel that is Pearl Street was kind of amazing here with this grey wall and the studio light provided by the sun! Hartford prom photo spots abound!

Lots of yelling here. LOTS. Hartford prom photos are the best!

Georgie has known Reilly since they were babies! She has absolutely BLOSSOMED into such a beautiful young lady! Her gorgeous gown is from David’s Bridal.

Julia is so funny and such a joy to be around. I LOVE this white pantsuit by Calvin Klein that GG and I found at Macy’s a few years back! Any time I get to photograph anyone in it I do, it is GORGEOUS.

Kyla honestly has no idea how beautiful she is! She is the sassiest of them, always has a quick wit and loves to have kitchen chats with me! (and I do too!) That is one of the things I missed the most this past year of covid, Georgie having her friends over, snacking away in the kitchen talking. It’s one of my most favorite things!

After exhaustively checking the mall for gowns, GG and I were more than sad. There was just nothing that rang our bell. Then she mentioned a dress shop we have been driving around since forever- Argelia Novias on New Park Ave in West Hartford CT

We walked in and FREAKED OUT. So many beautiful gowns! It’s a family owned business as well, and has been open since 1972!!! I was thrilled to support a small, family owned business and even more excited that Georgie loved her gown as much as she did. She truly looked like a princess!

Because of covid, the kids couldn’t invite anyone from outside of Classical to go with, so they went as a foursome. Julia and GG were paired up and Kyla and Reilly! Look at that light just spilling all over the street here!

Jackson kept asking for pics with his sister and I am SO grateful he did. I was so focused on the time and being able to get to all of the places I wanted to with the girls for their downtown Hartford prom photos so I am happy he reminded me! Plus I realize that not every kid wants their photos taken so I am even more grateful that mine not only love them, they ask to do it! Score!

Hartford City Hall paired with their color palate just made my heart SING a song! That gold door needs some shining up though. Hello.

Jackson reminded me that *I needed to hop in for some photos. I ACCEPT!

My heart!

THIS is the GG I know and love. Such a goofball while being all princessy!

I love how the lamps match Reilly’s gown, it’s almost like we planned it….we did not!

This picture I just grabbed while scooting across the street.. I was shocked it was in focus and feels so freaking perfect to me!

Our last stop before the actual prom at Keney Park was the skate park across the the Yard Goats’ Stadium. 

I love how I ask them to get up into some nonsense grass and not one person asks me why. They just do it because HELLO DO YOU HAVE EYES

Like. How am I NOT doing more catalog shooting for gowns. HELLO UNIVERSE

We wrapped up with me telling them to look into the sun and burn their retinas for a photo, which they all did! On to the Prom we go!

OK, talk about wanting to explode? Add in a GOLF COURSE IN HARTFORD ON A GORGEOUS DAY WITH MY KIDS AND *POOOOF I just exploded into a pile of glitter and cartoons. I’m done!

These were the prom pics I did for all of the kids with my little scrabbly ladder that you all know I love! Their prom brought me baaaack to my days at Hartford Public High School and allll of the proms I was more than happy enough to go to and dance my bunz off at!

My handsome assistant!

To see more fun photo sessions of family photographed by Hartford photographer and Hartford native Carla Ten Eyck click the link below:

Colleen + Kristyn’s Winter Maternity Session, Manchester CT

I Saw Frozen 2 and Freaked Out and I also did a BANGING session in the Snow with my Kids!

Apparently I love Photographing my kids in the Snow! Elizabeth Park, Hartford CT

Life Milestone: My Clients Bought Their First Home!