Posts in portrait photography

Happy Holidays 2025

Holiday season Is in full Swing

I have had the most wonderful year, and I hope you have too. I’ve been taking more family photos than ever, and my heart is full. Thank you all for entrusting me in your heirloom pictures.

My Approach to Family Photos

Here are some recent holiday family pictures I’ve taken: Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park, and even a golf course in Los Angeles with furry babies. I really want to do another Hanukkah family portrait, across from (and in front of) the Plaza Hotel at Grand Army Plaza where the World’s Largest Menorah will shine bright.

There’s still time to take holiday pictures, edit, and print them up in cards or framed prints. If you’re a New Yorker, you know how we do, last minute and fast. Message me to book, but don’t wait.

Let's Book Holiday Pictures Today

See the Holiday Gallery Big

Family portraits, an art in and of itself

I used to specialize in weddings, editorial portraits, and headshots and I still definitely do those, but family photography has naturally risen to the top. I have been doing portrait photography and it’s grown through referrals. For many years I photographed the Hamilton Park Montessori school— I called photo days Blossoms because we shot during peak flowering tree season. Now, I’ve moved to Manhattan and the possibilities are truly endless. I understand the importance of family pictures, not just when your babies are small, but as they grow older as well.

Learn more About Family Photography

Thank you for a Wonderful Year, and Happy holidays, everyone!

Say Hello

children photography, central park photographer, nyc photographer, portrait photography, family picturesElizabeth KorelitzDecember 10, 2025family portraits, familyphotographernyc, newyorkfamilyphotographer

January Grad Pictures in Central Park

Fall Senior Photos NYC

I never use Chat gpt, however tonight I decided to test it out. I asked for a Nora Ephron-style passage based on my latest Central Park grad photo shoot. Here it is. What grade would you give it?

Some stories begin in January, but this one starts in the fall, on one of those suspiciously warm New York days when the park smells like leaves and pretzels and possibility. She doesn’t graduate until January, but the light was too good to wait, and honestly, New Yorkers have never been known for patience.

We began in her house where I set up a studio. Her cat, small and sweet, was the perfect supporting character.

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 RIGHT NOW, 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.

We made our way to the Cop Cot—(or maybe another little spot that looks just like it?) — always charming, always slightly lopsided in the best way—where the vines curled just enough to make the whole scene feel quietly cinematic. Then we wandered to Frederick Roth’s incredible Balto statue, standing there as steadfast as ever. The graduate felt compelled to pose next to it. It really felt especially fitting for a future vet-science grad: an animal cast in bronze, a symbol of loyalty and endurance, posing beside someone who plans to dedicate her life to creatures who can’t speak for themselves.

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, headshotsElizabeth SolakaNovember 22, 2025Elizabeth Solaka Photographygrad portraits, graduation portraitsComment

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.

Special person — generous beyond measure.

family fawning over adorable three month old girl in a sunroom. — My longtime clients had their first grandbaby. This picture is everything.

I colorful bouquet of flowers in mostly pinks, lavendars, and oranges. — I photographed a most beautiful wedding evidenced by these most beautiful flowers, in Lincoln, MA.

Stunning family. Loved getting to know you.

There’s nothing better than grandparents reuniting with their grandkids after a long absence.

My son peers at a cool new informational sign by Soofa, and yes this kid is truly interested in the map.

Small business pictures for a new website. Michele Feldheim https://www.michelefeldheim.com/

Super excited for the young generation to take the reins, wield the gavel, and all that. Wonderful to meet you, Samantha.

Another family reuniting after a long time apart.

I provided pictures for the new Abundance Farm website: https://www.abundancefarm.org/

I did pictures for one of the most gracious, kind and relatable people I know, Keiko, https://keikomedium.com/

Trixie Garcia, daughter of Jerry Garcia, in a green flowered top and a colorful mask. — Trixie Garcia at a Garcia Hand-Picked event.

I did a whole series of photos on this block, because of the cool reflections on the street. Soon after they paved the road so I guess these are extra special now.

What a joy to work with and get to know Candace.

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

headshots, wedding photography, portrait photographyElizabeth KorelitzDecember 12, 2021Elizabeth Solaka Photography

Sooooo many portraits and lifestyle pictures

Since May I’ve probably done almost 100 portraits for clients. Portrait photography is my heart’s work.

Sometimes I wonder what it all means. Why am I doing this? I’m not saving the world, curing disease or fighting for justice. In mid-May, I met up with a friend I’ve known for years. She looks the same, but still wanted to hire me to take her portrait. After sending her the pictures, I saw her instagram post . It read:

“my friend Elizabeth walks with a camera and an eye for beauty. To me her photography finds that essence that is beautiful and unique in each of us. and it reminds me that noticing it in each other is a loving labor of presence and openness...reflected here in a snippet of her fabulous Portraiture ”

— Lillian Fuchs

My life’s work, that I could never describe, summarized so well. Yep, that’s why I do it. And it doesn’t just apply to portraits. It’s in every moment I capture. Okay, moment I capture is a cliche that I’ve alway avoided. It’s in every encounter I have with the camera. My loving labor of presence and openness is what I try to give back to people. So that they can see how amazing they are.

It applies equally to events, fine art and abstractions. Editorial would call if documentary, or lifestyle. In marketing, it’s branding or brand storytelling. If it were a hashtag, it would fall under #candid It’s why I love Diane Arbus so much. Her portraits are these things too. Such context, such human-ness, and such a loving labor of that stuff.

portrait photography, family picturesElizabeth KorelitzJuly 25, 2019portraiture, fine art, candid, documentary, event

what portraits and headshots i've been doing lately, and family stuff.

I’ve been spending so much wonderful time photographing portraits and headshots around Northampton. So much time that I’ve been neglecting to post them on social media, or here.

First and foremost, my son has graduated high school. And he’ll be studying at Architecture Art and Planning at Cornell. I’m wildly excited for him and have been counting on him since day one to ‘save’ the world. But first, our trip to LA, and some prom pictures.

I did corporate headshots for a whole office at The ICA Group, samples chosen randomly:

Even before this I photographed Ivan Oransky, VP Editorial of Medscape. This might be obvious due to the 3D quality and wonderful range, that this was taken with my vintage Hasselblad, developed by hand, and then digitized for your viewing pleasure:

There was the portrait of Lillian Fuchs, my dear college friend, on a red bridge at Smith College.

I photographed a very important wedding in Boston:

Then there was my full time job: Little League.

children photography, portrait photography, kidsElizabeth KorelitzJune 28, 2019headshots, portraits, photography