16th Birthday Travel Session – New York City
In recent years, there seems to be a bigger push to switch gears from material gifts to experiences for our families and I am here for it! I had the honor of photographing Brecklyn’s 16th birthday travel session to New York City, and I can’t encourage trips like these enough.
If you’ve never been to New York, add it to your bucket list ASAP. From a photography perspective, there are murals and photo ops at every turn that you just don’t see in other cities. From a mother’s perspective, getting out of our small towns with our children not only gives us as parents memories with our growing kids, it also gives them experiences that shape them into cultured young adults.
16th Birthday Surprise
Brecklyn’s mother, Billie, managed to keep the trip a secret until we were actually at the gates in Minneapolis and she was so surprised! We spent four days adventuring and sight-seeing through the city. As soon as we were all checked in at our hotel, we walked around Times Square and grabbed a bite to eat since we didn’t have much time to do so before the flight. (This little detail almost blew the surprise, but that’s a story for another day.)
Our exploration really began on our second day in the city with a guided Real New York tour led by Tray. He met us in the lobby of our hotel and led us through SOHO, Little Italy, China Town, Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial, and Greenwich Village. Our walking tour was fueled heavily by Starbucks, Krispie Kreme, and excitement at all the city had to offer. I managed several photos, but wanted to take so many more!
The City That Never Sleeps
Between the shopping, food, and tourist attractions, New York City is a fantastic destination for an entertaining trip. I will say, however, that while photography is a strong suit of mine, navigation is not! In my defense, the subway system can be a little confusing. We *may* have ended up in Brooklyn which required some backtracking, but I got great shots of the girls in the process so I call it a win.
There is so much to do in NYC that it was challenging to fit everything into our schedule. We managed to make it to two shows during our stay, and I highly recommend getting tickets if you have time. The Lion King was amazing & everything it’s ever been cracked up to be, but be sure to eat beforehand because pricey drinks are the only thing available on intermissions. The girls loved it!
Shopping & Snapshots
There is no shortage of shopping to be had and we did plenty of it. Brecklyn snagged the opportunity to buy the cream sweater seen in the photos for a quick session before we lost our light for the evening. I love the urban feel to the shots we got with so much of the city in the background. The weather didn’t fully cooperate during our stay, but underground subway tunnels and stores provided shelter from the rain and stories to tell.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: travel sessions are unforgettable for everyone involved! I love getting to be present while clients are making life-long memories. Aside from that, why not take advantage of the ability to travel after it was so limited for the last couple of years?
As always, you can contact me here to schedule your own. Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest for inspiration!
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