Posts in headshots

Happy Holidays and End of year message from Elizabeth

Holiday Wedding Love

I wanted to share some holiday wedding pictures from snowy rural places, because winter is my vibe. I was born in December, and I’m a winter all the way. Give me a winter wedding any day. There’s something so lovely about winter light and the festive atmosphere of holiday weddings. And something kind of wild about going out in the snow and getting your picture taken. Snow changes the atmosphere in a magical way and cold adds a strange level of excitement, like a polar plunge.

The New Year’s Eve wedding has no snow, but make no mistake, it was the coldest. I want to say is was in the low teens. In all of these outdoor pictures, I could not feel my fingers. I had to desaturate the couples’ red faces. The brides had bare arms. But they were all troopers. The last-but-not-least wedding was so magical. It was at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts.

I also wanted to let all of you know how much you mean to me. I know that many of you are going through a lot, and I want you to know I care, and support you all.

Email Elizabeth and Say Hi

I hope this season gives you comfort, family, and lots of love and good food, and that 2026 brings you an abundance of blessings, more than you can imagine. Thank you all for entrusting me to take your pictures and to be in your life. I always love to hear from you.

wedding photography, nyc photographer, nyc wedding photographer, holiday family portraits, headshots, Destination wedding nycElizabeth SolakaDecember 22, 2025Elizabeth Solaka Photographynyc wedding photographer, New York event photographerComment

Central Park Graduation Photographer NYC: Fall Grad Photos Manhattan

Graduation photography in Central Park NYC — natural, cinematic grad portraits with iconic locations and seasonal color.

College grad poses atop Manhattan Schist in Central Park NYC

Graduate posing on rock formation in Central Park with autumn foliage.

Seasonal Portrait Tips

Grad photos for every season

The majority of pictures I take for grads are on their graduation day, or the same week. This makes perfect sense, since the excitement is palpable, the gown is pressed and ready to go, and friends and family are present. In a sense, it’s sort of an event photography session.

But a lot of other people choose fall, because their grad photos are due to yearbooks, and it’s just that back-to-school time of year that screams academia.

Whatever the season, follow these guidelines, choose relaxed over fussy. If the fake eyelashes will bother you, skip them. If the cap doesn’t suit you, just take a couple with it and then ditch it for the rest of the session. As for every photo shoot, make sure to talk to your photographer for the best light. For me, it depends on the location and season. I can make it work no matter what time of day and no matter what location.

Best Central Park Locations for Graduation Photos

Graduation portraits in Central Park combine natural scenery with iconic New York backdrops. Fall sessions are especially popular thanks to warm foliage, soft light, and cinematic textures. Where’s the best place to go? You tell me! As with all of New York, the list is endless. There are bridges, arches, water, woods, statues, monuments and landmarks, you name it. These spots are for you to explore online and bookmark. This list is also great for location scouting for wedding pictures as well.

Let's Location Scout your Grad pic session

This recent session included classic park locations like Cop Cot and the Balto statue, meaningful for a veterinary-science graduate preparing for a career in animal care.

We also started with studio-style portraits at home before heading into the park, creating a mix of polished and candid imagery. Including with dad, which may end up being the most emotionally lasting photographs.

For NYC graduation photography, it’s all about bringing out the real graduate and what makes them shine, timing, location choice, and natural interaction.

Then out we went into the park, which was showing off with every warm shade of fall. The kind of day where the leaves look painted on, the sun is soft instead of bossy, and people stroll like they’ve forgotten they have anywhere else to be. As an aside autumn, Central Park to me is the most beautiful place on earth.

She climbed up onto the magnificent Manhattan schist—like every true New Yorker has done at least once—and sat with the billionaire’s row skyline standing guard behind her. She looked right at home, as if the city were a familiar friend rather than an architectural brag.

And at the end, there was one last frame: a bonus shot with her dad, our driver for the day, the silent anchor who shepherded us from spot to spot with a smile. It was a tiny moment, warm and simple, the kind you almost miss if you’re not paying attention. I never forget to take pictures with the parents if they’re around because these photos end up being the most meaningful as the years go by.

central park photographer, nyc photographer, portrait photography, headshots, portraitsElizabeth SolakaNovember 22, 2025Elizabeth Solaka Photographygrad portraits, graduation portraits, graduation photographer NYC, Central Park grad photos, NYC portrait photographer, senior portraits NYC, Manhattan graduation photos, fall portraits NYC, NYC grad photographyComment

End of Year Wrap

This was such a thrill for him to sit in the bull pen with the team.

I always thought 2021 would be a really special year. It has been for me, and I hope it’s been for you. It started out rough with hybrid learning. Then, it slowly got better. Summer came and the first thing we did is visit Emile in Ithaca. We also went to Cape Cod several times to watch the Cape Cod Baseball League. I camped for the first time, and did it alone with my younger son. We were all in good health. Nothing terrible happened. I like to punctuate the passing of time with pictures, so here are some below that were special highlights from this year.

I also want to invite you to order some prints of your own family, or choose from my art gallery. Here you will find reproductions of original photos. You’ll have lovely affordable art for your home or office. These can be gifts for yourself or for someone else. https://elizabethsolakaphotography.zenfolio.com/p175902758

I also made lots of blossom pictures that you can order to beautify your home or gift to someone, https://elizabethsolakaphotography.zenfolio.com/p483928320

Visually, I feel that my pictures for the coming year will be cooler, brighter, cleaner, more vibrant.

I wish this for all of you. A fresh new year, bright and vibrant.