What was just an idea last fall is now an almost-ready working studio in West Hartford Center. We are so excited to open our doors in a few weeks and hope you can join us to celebrate during our Open House on Sunday, May 19th 2:00 – 5:00. Kids are more than welcome and can have fun with our Polaroid photo booth! Hope to see you there!
You know your business is real when the sign goes up. Until that moment passers-by didn’t stop and talk with us, but when Clyde Grindal from Falcon Sign and Awning in East Granby CT installed our IRIS Photography sign on our 10 LaSalle Rd store in February…we met several of our neighbors on the sidewalk.
In our build-out we wanted to open up the front of the store. So we took the awning off the front window and it was like lifting your visor. And we wanted the sign to work with the brick facade, not cover it up. Clyde came up with a perfect solution with the white lettering and lattice work that blends into the rust-colored brick.
Clyde’s been in the sign biz for 18 years and in his off-time he likes to run and hike on trails in the Granby area and beyond. If you’re looking for signage or awnings, visit Falcon Sign. Thanks Clyde!
Man und Machine–that’s Jim Burns next to his German LÄGLER wood floor sander, the Mercedes of sanders, which he used to transform our studio floor. Jim took that floor from old carpet to new oak and really helped to finish the look of our studio, working on the floors at all hours of the night (Jim’s a night owl for sure). In former days Jim was a motocross racer, and today he lives in Granby CT. You can reach Jim at 860.209.7326.
When it comes to West Hartford Center, RLMCo are the local experts by far. Richard Mahoney ran the commercial real estate management company until he passed away in 2011, and this tribute in the Hartford Courant shows how much he helped make West Hartford Center a better, more vibrant place over the past decades. Today RLMCo is run by Richard’s son Mike, and his other son Dan is the property manager or “Mr. Fix-it” as he described the pitch his dad and brother made to bring him into the family business. Dan’s recently put in a thermopaned window to bring lots more light into the space…thanks Dan! Love your beard by the way! Dan’s hobbies include woodworking and raising labs (close to our heart…wonderful family dogs!)…you can check out Dan and his wife’s non-profit at labrescuect.com. RLMCo is located at 10 North Main Street in West Hartford Center.
We partied old school Halloween style at our friends Caroline & Keith’s home in West Hartford on Sunday night…with pumpkin carving, bobbing for apples and toasting marshmallows over the fire. Lots of adult supervision required to prevent a 911 call! Great chili from Michele and sweet potato and plantain soup from Jane. Here are a few pics to get you in the mood…our little Jude is below and Sebbie’s in his Harry Potter outfit…click here to see more pics.
We love the town we live in–West Hartford. After living in four other states, we moved to West Hartford in ’04 to get back East and raise a family…and it’s been a perfect hometown for our two boys, Jane and me. It’s got the right mix of city features & suburban living with a real neighborhood feel on the streets. In the past year West Hartford has received national notice for all of this (see their entry in Wikipedia) as Mayor Scott Slifka remarked at the recent West Hartford Mayor’s Ball. The Ball is a gala fundraiser for several local WH organizations: Hope Works, The Grounds, and Playhouse on Park.
This year they moved the party outside for al fresco dining & dancing under a beautiful tent adjacent to the Town Hall. NBC Connecticut’s Brad Drazen MC’d the event, Max Restaurant Group provided the catering, and there was lots of music including performances by The Hartt School Suzuki Strings Group and Men’s Choir, Little House Band, Le’ Mixx band (not to mention the performance by Mayors Slifka and Harris!) . Always a pleasure working with, and seeing, the folks involved with the event and charities including Scott Franklin, Ronit Shoham and Marsha McCurdy. Here are some shots from the night…to see more pics “Click to view more photos…” below.
You can read about support systems and getting help from your friends and family when you have a disease. But this really hit home when I photographed the Hartford Walk MS on April 10 for the Connecticut Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. I saw firsthand how folks with MS got the inspiration and strength from their family and friends (and definitely vice versa), helping them to walk that day. If you’re interested in getting involved, please contact Heather Campbell at the Hartford MS Society office at hcampbell@ctfightsms.org. Here are some pics from the walk..to see more click on “Click to view more photos…”
We are Mike and Jane from IRIS Photography. We photograph weddings, portraits, advertising and editorial work and are based in West Hartford, Connecticut. We strive to capture our clients' personalities in true and beautiful ways. Thanks for visiting!
