Exclusive Image

Cutie Patootie

2011-12-29T15:41:00.002-05:00

Johnathon and I went to the library today to create some images for decorating and had the privilege of working with this cutie patootie. We call her the blond Boo (from Monsters Inc). She made our day!

Magic Wings

2011-12-03T19:07:00.008-05:00

Last month, Johnathon and I took a trip to MA to visit Magic Wings. It's one of my favorite places! Check out some highlights from our trip.

Coming Events and Promotions

2010-11-22T16:28:00.009-05:00

Family Portrait Reserves

"The family is one of nature's masterpieces."
- George Santayana

Why not celebrate family portrait month with Exclusive Image? Book your family portrait session by November 30, 2010 and receive a complimentary 7x5 artisan portrait - a $30 value! Adorn your walls with your favorite masterpiece. Promotion ends 11.30.2010. Not valid with other promotional offers. No cash value.

Model Search

Do you have an adorable model-in-the-making? We are looking for fresh faces - ages two through 12! Join us on December 8, 2010 for a 15 minute test session and receive a free 8x10 portrait - a $50 value! Call for more information and to schedule your session today.

Winter White Sale

Our Winter White Sale is on NOW! For a limited time, receive 20% off 16x20 or larger wall portraits and 10% off any 11x14 or smaller portraits from any 2010 session. Hurry - this sale will melt away before you know it! Offer expires January 31, 2011. Not available with other promotional offers. No cash value.

Women's Profile Makeover Party

Look your best on social, professional and dating networking profiles! Our Profile Makeover Party is Wednesday, December 15, 2010 from 6-9PM. You can upgrade your profile with a professional portrait AND enjoy some much-needed down time. For only $35, this could be the most affordable makeover you've ever had. Bring a friend or two and you each pay half price. By appointment only.

Senior Wallet Reorder Special

Attention High School Seniors! If you didn't order enough wallet-sized portraits, our wallet reorder special is for you. Order more by January 31, 2011 and you also receive a 20% discount on graduation announcements! Offer expires 01.31.2011. Not valid with other promotional offers. No cash value.

Outdoor Family Portraits

2010-08-25T15:00:00.000-04:00

Summer is forever this year with a fun family portrait in the park!

Enjoy the park while we capture your family’s most memorable moments. With fresh green grass, large trees and a beautiful lake, we’ve got the perfect outdoor spot to capture your portrait. Take advantage of the natural landscapes in our great state and feel free to bring the dog!

Book your session by September 30, 2010 and receive two complimentary 5x7 gift size prints with your portrait order.

Check out the great locations we visit at www.ExclusiveImageOnline.com, and give us a call at 860.295.8444.

Erin and Katie

2010-08-04T14:25:00.005-04:00

"The images are amazing and artistic. The preview was a relaxing, fun experience. When Heidi photographed the girls, she put them at ease so that they photographed like models. The poses were creative. We loved them. I had trouble choosing."

~ Lisa Ritz

Family Portraits

2010-08-02T14:03:00.003-04:00

Family and children's portraits can be created here at our outdoor studio. We love outdoor portraits so much, we encourage them by charging less than we do for studio portraits!

Book your portrait session today. Call 860.295.8444

2010 Dancers (Part I)

2010-06-29T13:39:00.007-04:00

Take a look at some of our 2010 dancers!

If you're a dancer and would like specialized dance portraits, contact us at 860.295.8444. Take a look at our website to view our portfolio of limited edition sessions created just for dancers like Dancing On Water, Center Stage and Urban Dancer.

Are you a dancer? What style do you prefer? Tell us about it in a comment.

Mention this blog for $20 off your session
now through September 30, 2010.

Ballet Babies April 29 & 30

2010-04-20T15:49:00.002-04:00

Client Applause

2009-02-23T12:40:00.003-05:00

I first learned of Heidi Theriault and Exclusive Image while doing an internet search of the Professional Photographers Association website. I was looking for a photographer to take family photographs as a 65th birthday present for my mother. Our family had already had a bad experience with a different photographer in September 2007. I was giving it another try.

I contacted Heidi via email and then later by phone and in person. From the beginning, I was impressed with her website and her professionalism, knowledge, and ability to offer guidance and suggestions to ensure the photo shoot was a cussess and met everyone's expectations. We booked the photo shoot for August 2008.

It was important to my mother that the photos be taken at her home, and the entire family preferred an outdoor and natural setting. My mother lives in Massachusetts, and Heidi had no issue with traveling there to take the photos. She asked me to take some photos of the property and some possible locations for the photos.

On the afternoon of the photo shoot, Heidi and her assistant arrived on time and prepared with lighting equipment, stools and chairs of various heights, and a monkey to keep the children focused when needed. The photo shoot included 11 family members - 6 adults and 5 children (ranging in age from 2 to 14 years old). Heidi had a good sense of humor and showed patience working with this many kids with their carying attention spans. She set up different arrangements of shots in many areas of my mother's property and offered direction to us in terms of poses, posture and positioning. That kind of assistance is important with a group of this size and is one of the things missing with our original photographer. It is important to have someone attending to the details of where people are placed, their proximity to others, the background, and the overall look of the shot. Heidi does this well. She offered input to us so that we each looked our best.

We met with Heidi shortly thereafter to see the results of the photo session. She presented a slide show, and we were very pleased with the images. It was especially important that my mother be pleased as this was her birthday present from us. There were many excellent shots to choose from, and Heidi offered her opinion and suggestions on image selection, arrangement, and framing options. She spent a great deal of time working with my mother on her photo selection, and we all appreciated that. The prints were ready quickly as was the framing we had chosen. My mother was thrilled, and everything - service and final product - was done with professionalism, quality, and attention to detail.

We would highly recommend Heidi Theriault and Exclusive Image to others seeking a photographer to capture important moments in their lives. She is a talented photographer who is very easy to work with. The photos she took of our family will be treasured.

Submitted by: Lori Kearney

Optical Illusions

2009-02-16T13:55:00.005-05:00

As a photographer, I have learned how to use lighting, posing and the like to create optical illusions with the camera. For example, I can light a subject to either add weight to their body or subtract. I can straighten a crooked nose. I can open narrow eyes and close wide eyes. These are just a few examples. And it's all based on how our mind perceives things that it sees. It's a difficult concept to explain to clients who have not studied it themselves but I may have found something to help illustrate.

Well, while visiting Atlanta GA recently my husband and I stopped in at the Natural History Museum and came across an exhibit, an entire room, of optical illusions. We were fascinated and totally enthralled with each and every exhibit. This particular one caught my eye because it is such a good example of how your mind sees exactly opposite of what you're looking at. I've included the explanation for those of you that also find it interesting.

But briefly... the face on the left is normal. The face on the right is concave (meaning it goes away from you and you're looking at the inside of it). Take a look at what your brain does to it:

A Visit to the Georgia Zoo

2009-01-12T12:21:00.005-05:00

Well it was about 15 degrees out (unusually cold for Atlanta) but we had made plans to visit the zoo. We bundled up with lots of layers, mittens, hats, the works... and headed in to enjoy the animals. We saw some flamingos huddling together just past the gate. Then we saw nothing for about an hour. It was too cold for the animals! We decided to warm up in the reptile house. We took our time and really had fun watching the snake yawn, the turtle dive back and forth in his tank and the iguana patiently wait for his privacy again. By the time we left the reptile house it had warmed up a bit so the animals were starting to peak their heads out. Our favorite part of the day was watching the Panda Bears chomp on their bamboo. Totally worth fighting the cold for!

Back and getting caught up...

2009-01-07T13:19:00.003-05:00

Hello, Everyone. I hope you all had some wonderful family time over the winter break. I visited some family in Georgia for a couple of weeks and was enjoying the somewhat warmer weather. Unfortunately we came home to two trees down along with wires. That's taken about a week to get settled with all the utility companies.

As some of you know, before we left we were hit with a month's worth of rain overnight one night and our studio flooded. We also discovered a new grand canyon down our driveway. Yes, we've been hit by nature quite a bit lately.

But we're making a recovery and finding happiness in a good excuse for a studio makeover! We'll keep you updated as we go and want you to know that we will be open during our remodel so don't hesitate to call!

Also watch for great new images from Georgia!

High School Senior Blast

2008-12-08T16:19:00.001-05:00

I had so much fun with Cassie and her family! They were an absolute blast to be with and made my job easy. Just look...

Autumn in Sturbridge Village II

2008-11-12T11:03:00.003-05:00

I always want to hear about your favorites... so don't forget to comment!

Autumn in Sturbridge Village I

2008-11-05T08:30:00.003-05:00

So after going around town creating the loads of Autumn images I finally finished sharing, I called up Old Sturbridge Village in MA about visiting to create Autumn images. (You need permission, as stated on their Web site.) They were happy to let me come and even let me in an hour before opening since I agreed to share some of my images with them. It was great! And as I was heading through the village one last time I could hear packs of kids approaching in the distance. So getting in early had two perks - great morning light... and no kids in my pics.

Autumn Portrait Delight: Part II

2008-11-04T10:00:00.002-05:00

It was just so hard to narrow down all the images from our Autumn Portrait Delight to just these few highlights. Choose your favorite again and let us hear about it!

Autumn V

2008-11-03T09:38:00.001-05:00

Autumn Portrait Delight: Part I

2008-10-31T17:00:00.007-04:00

As you'll see here, our 2nd Annual Autumn Portrait Delight was a great success! Lots of smiles, laughs and good snacks helped make a great portrait day in the leaves. Choose a favorite and tell us why in your comments!

Autumn IV

2008-10-31T11:00:00.003-04:00

Autumn III

2008-10-29T10:00:00.003-04:00

Autumn II

2008-10-27T09:30:00.002-04:00

Autumn I

2008-10-22T11:00:00.004-04:00

I always plan to create new Autumn images every year. Then somewhere around November 20 I say "Hey! Where did all the beautiful leaves go? Darn. I missed it again." Well, not this year. I scheduled entire days to go photograph our beautiful Autumn colors. I'll be sharing my favorites over the next few posts. If you love an image and have to have it for home decor or greeting cards, contact me for more information.

Highlights from our art show

2008-10-20T10:00:00.001-04:00

A wonderful relaxing evening... everyone agreed. And they all especially liked winning lots of gifts!

Financial Planner commercial shoot

2008-10-17T15:22:00.005-04:00

I had the privilege of working with Ted, who is a financial planner, on his latest marketing project. In three sessions we were able to capture everything from formal head shots ... to family portraits (created for marketing, not displaying in the living room) ... to the airplane shoot with two of his clients. Here are my favorites.

Wow! It's been a while...

2008-10-17T15:02:00.001-04:00

I hadn't realized how long it's been since I posted. So sorry to bore you. You'll see some updates over the next few days. Enjoy!

Fun at the Lake

2008-09-22T08:42:00.003-04:00

Although the time of day was not ideal for creating portraits by the lake, we decided to give it a try anyway. We all had a blast as you can see here in the "squeeze" image. Since we were working in full sun I knew we'd have some trouble with the white shirts. So after all the fun we headed inland for some open shade and were able to create a beautifully lit family portrait... where the guys had some more fun beating each other up.

A Last Minute Request

2008-09-04T11:25:00.000-04:00

Robert called me early in the week hoping to capture a portrait of his family before his wife headed off for out of state work. We managed to rearrange our schedule and fit him and his family in before the week ended. On arriving at his home I was so happy to see that he had a beautiful yard for portraits. I was happy to be able to accommodate a wonderful family.

Vote on art show give-aways

2008-09-03T15:23:00.006-04:00

Here's your chance. We want to hear from you so take a moment to vote on your favorite give-away ideas for our upcoming charity art show on Wednesday, October 8, 2008. (Get more info by clicking here.)

<a href="http://www.buzzdash.com/index.php?page=buzzbite&BB_id=102386">What would you most like to see for a give-away?</a> | <a href="http://www.buzzdash.com">BuzzDash</a>

Save the Date

2008-09-03T14:42:00.000-04:00

I'm so happy to announce our first annual fine art show fundraiser to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. It will be held on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at 7PM at the Keeney Memorial Culture Center in Wethersfield CT.

The night will include a fine art presentation, silent auction and tons of give-aways including a complete location portrait session with framed wall portrait (a value of over $500). Be the first to purchase your ticket for $10 by calling us at 860.295.8444 or by clicking here.

A Double Header

2008-09-03T11:18:00.001-04:00

All in one evening we were able to fit this double portrait session. We started at the studio and finished up by the lake. Little Logan had fun rolling around in the soft fabrics while Nick got comfortable by the lake. Jay, Jeanette and the boys had fun watching Lorin wade through the lake to create the perfect lighting.

In loving memory of Bill Foley

2008-09-02T10:59:00.003-04:00

Late Saturday night my husband noticed an ambulance at our next door neighbor's house. He headed over there the next day to check on them and see if everyone was alright. That's when he discovered that Bill had a heart attack and passed away. We were so shocked by the news. Bill and Dot have always been such great neighbors to us. They have been much more than generous, kind and neighborly. We will miss him dearly.

Baby Heather

2008-08-19T09:36:00.005-04:00

Heather is a beautiful little baby girl with shining blue eyes and perfect little baby features. We gave her a real work-out during her portrait session as you can see in the last image. Her and her teddy bear were quite finished with us.

Check Out Our New Site

2008-08-12T10:32:00.002-04:00

We finally finished our new Web site!! While our last site was great, we're excited to have our new bright, fresh site. We'd love to hear your feedback so please comment away. Tell us what you like and don't like. We're always anxious to improve it.

<a href="http://www.buzzdash.com/index.php?page=buzzbite&BB_id=102386">How much do you love our new main Web site?</a> | <a href="http://www.buzzdash.com">BuzzDash</a>

A Wonderful Couple

2008-08-11T12:38:00.007-04:00

Tony and I had the privilege of photographing Lori and Scott recently. They are engaged to be married and wanted portraits to celebrate their engagement. Scott proposed to Lori at Hubbard Park in Meriden so we knew right where we were going to create these portraits.

Lori and Scott are just the sweetest couple. We were so happy to be able to create such special portraits for them and wish them well in their marriage.

Highlights from Kansas City, MO

2008-07-30T13:38:00.005-04:00

I'm back from my trip to Kansas City and flying around the studio trying to catch up. I wanted to share these highlights from my trip with you. I had a great time while I was there. I visited gardens, museums and a few architectural masterpieces. It was hot and I was so happy!! 100 degrees is definitely the way to my heart...

Maternity Portraits My Way

2008-07-10T09:47:00.003-04:00

I had the privilege of photographing Amy, one of my photographers, in West Hartford center to create urban chic maternity portraits. Amy has stunning facial features and seemed to just settle into the poses I wanted. She was such a good sport too, letting me get creative with my wide angle lens. Love you, Amy, for letting me experiment on you! ;-)

Tiger Lily

2008-07-07T16:10:00.002-04:00

I had some time this weekend to do some personal work including this tiger lily in the yard. The overcast day really enhanced the colors here. The low contrast lighting allows for details deep into the greenery and the orange just bursts.

Dance school season is complete

2008-07-03T09:33:00.000-04:00

Here we are at the end of the dance school portrait season. The time has passed by quickly and we can't believe it's done. We feel privileged to have been able to work with so many great dancers who came to the set ready to have fun. We had fun too! We can't wait to see you again next year.

Winding Down...

2008-07-02T11:06:00.000-04:00

The dance school season is winding down and we're going out with a bang! Check out these fun dancers from a great school in Norwich.

A Real Class Act

2008-06-30T11:03:00.002-04:00

A Great Modeling Portfolio

2008-06-23T14:57:00.004-04:00

May I present .... the beautiful Patty! Patty and I combined multiple sessions at various locations for a well rounded portfolio. Patty's aim is sporty and commercial modeling so we included casual, dress-up, sporty and business looks. We, at Exclusive Image, wish her well in her endeavors!

A Few More Cuties...

2008-06-19T09:15:00.000-04:00

A Fierce Dance School!

2008-06-18T16:17:00.002-04:00

The dancers at this school in Newington were definitely fierce! They were well-trained, well behaved and came ready to push the limits on dance poses. We had a blast!

New Urban Dancer!

2008-06-16T08:35:00.001-04:00

We packed our equipment up and headed out early to Blue Back Square in West Hartford to create our first Urban Dancer images. Working with a mix of dancers from ballet to hip hop was great! The hip hop dancers fit right in to the urban scene and the ballet made a beautiful contrast. Urban Dancer portrait sessions will be available starting in July. Watch your email for announcements.

Creative Head Shots

2008-06-12T09:33:00.000-04:00

I had the privilege of photographing Miss Adriana, a dance teacher I've both worked and danced with. She made my job so easy. Her olive skin just glowed by the window light. We worked in the dance bars and the mirrors for a few images to fit in with her dance profession.

The Next Big Gig

2008-06-10T12:00:00.004-04:00

I've been dying to do a session in the new Blue Back square ever since it was open for business. The architecture and setting is just great for an urban look. I finally got that chance when Adam, Zach, Michael and Mollie agreed to do their session there. They were naturals when it came to looking "cool" and the square was everything I'd hoped it would be. Adam even said he was surprised about how photogenic it was and was happy we went there. Don't they look like the next big gig?

Subscriptions Now Available!

2008-06-02T10:15:00.003-04:00

Good news! Now you can subscribe to this blog and be notified every time it's updated. Just click on the orange button at the top of the right column and choose how you want to be notified. It's that easy.
Note: If you see a page with strange code on it hit the back button and try again.

Dance Dance

2008-06-02T09:33:00.001-04:00

We just fell in love with these guys!

Creativity with Loretta

2008-05-28T11:35:00.006-04:00

Loretta came to me recently for a business portrait. We decided to go with a creative business session so that we could capture Loretta's fun personality. During the session we had a great brainstorm about using the globe. We headed upstairs to take a look at my "Where we've been" globe (with pins in all the places we've been) atop its new stand hand-made by my father. The globe worked great for these images!

Then we headed outside and captured some great expressions in a beautiful setting.

Problem Free At Last!

2008-05-19T08:40:00.003-04:00

Well, we successfully photographed two more schools without any problems! It's just great when everything runs smoothly. Then we can concentrate on the kids to get them in the best pose with the best expression possible.

Working along with dress rehearsal is always a challenge since dress rehearsal moves so fast. We've developed some methods of operation that have helped us move faster as well as allowing parents to disperse instead of standing in a line. However, we much prefer to work at the dance studio before rehearsal so that we can schedule the exact time we need and really give the kids the full attention they deserve.

Dance school survival II

2008-05-14T08:08:00.003-04:00

Well, we survived again. This time a light exploded. We heard a sound like a gun shot, there was a trail of smoke coming off the light and a yellow liquid dripping from the bottom. I've never had it happen to me but I've heard of it happening. It's not all that uncommon.

I was so thankful for a qualified staff to continue with portraits while I ran to Simond's Photographic in East Hartford for a spare. They're great. They had it all ready for me as soon as I walked in so I was in and out in no time, back at the school and into the workflow before half an hour passed.

Dance school survival

2008-05-12T09:20:00.002-04:00

We always have fun photographing this dance school in Bridgeport. The dancers have great technique and are a lot of fun to work with. Colleen, the owner, is always so sweet to us! We ran in to one obstacle after another throughout the day with equipment but overcame each one with great success! That's all due to having a great staff to work with. Here are some of the images from Saturday.

Photo Restoration

2008-05-05T14:23:00.005-04:00

I just love to restore old damaged photos! It's so satisfying to be able to extend the life of someone's personal memory. Photos are all we have of some memories and unfortunately as time passes those photos age and sometimes get very damaged.

If we stop to think about the effort that was involved in getting a portrait created just 100 years ago, we can't help but be appreciative of it. Some of my relatives that I never knew are remembered only by the old photos I have of them. What if they hadn't gone through the effort to get those portraits made? What if I don't go through the effort today to create portraits of my family? Our future relatives wouldn't have any visual personal connection to their family history.

Here is an example of one I restored recently that had a large scratch through the face.

Spring Yard

2008-04-28T17:05:00.003-04:00

On this dark, rainy day, I thought I'd pull out a memory of just last week when it was sunny and warm out. I took a short break in the afternoon to go outside and photograph our Dogwood Tree.

Another Drawing

2008-04-21T09:40:00.006-04:00

I'm enjoying a brief rest before our jam-packed busy season so I thought I'd share another one of my pencil drawings with you this morning. Our first dance school of the season is coming very soon and I'm happy to say that we're ready to go. And even though I have the worst head cold ever, I'm so happy that it's finally warm outside!

NEIPP Was Great!

2008-04-13T15:13:00.024-04:00

Well I'm back and still buzzing over my class with Stewart and Susan Powers. I picked up so many new tricks and tips. I can't wait to put them to use. Take a look at this slide show featuring images I created while at NEIPP in the Cape. You'll see my instructors in the class room and on the beach during a family portrait session. Check out the flying monkey!

Click in the center to play -- Slide show contains music

New Blog Design

2008-04-13T15:08:00.003-04:00

We hope you like our new blog. We made the change to blogger from wordpress because of the features blogger offers... like slide shows! If you'd like to access our old blog just click here.