The Beinecke Library at Yale

Photographs of an architectural icon

Earlier this month my husband and I took a special trip to New Haven, CT, to see and photograph the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale. I had heard about this library from various sources, including from popular fiction books by Dr. Deborah Harkness, a renowned historian and author.  She writes about libraries in a way that makes them sound so special!

I have been a fan of libraries since growing up surrounded by books as the daughter of two book-lovers — an English professor father and a mother who was a scholar, avid reader, and teacher. Almost everyone in my family worked at one time or another at a local Kent State bookstore. I worked in a library at Oberlin College as an undergraduate student. My older sister is a children's librarian. So I feel a great attachment to books and libraries.

This library in particular has very interesting architecture. Designed by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM) and built in 1963, the building is basically a marble cube containing a glass cube. Marble squares that make up the outside are cut so thin that they let some daylight through, but not enough to damage the books. Inside there is a huge open space so you can see the entire facade from the inside.

Within that open space is a huge glass box containing six levels of books (above ground) beautifully lit up — it is called the "jewel box" and the books really do look like precious jewels. The general public cannot go into the jewel box, but can walk around it on two levels and see exhibits of some of the more famous books the library has, including a Gutenberg bible.

Below ground there is room for thousands more books under the plaza, adjacent to the sunken plaza designed by Isamu Noguchi, whose Red Cube I photographed in NYC. His plaza at the Beinecke is all white and contains another cube as well as a circle and a pyramid.

I live for this kind of trip, where I see a very special building and open myself to understanding its presence. I try to capture what I'm seeing in elegant ways. The sun did not fully cooperate, but I enjoyed my chance to photograph it nonetheless.

And yes, I did my usual crazy vertical panoramas!  Here is one from the base of the two staircases…

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Here is one from the second floor.  I find it fun to take these because they include so much of the building in a single shot, even though it is distorted in funky ways.

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Do you have a favorite building you’ve visited and taken photos of?  Let me know!

Variety makes my job interesting!

Samuels has some beautiful multifamily properties around Boston.  This is a photo of 1330 Boylston shot in November, when we did exteriors and interiors, including apartments of each layout and the beautiful amenities there.  Many people who work in the Longwood medical area choose these new up-scale places to live.  

Here is a photo from a recent residential shoot for Compass in Newton:

Photographing industrial things behind the scenes is so much fun and so interesting.  This maze of pipes was put together by Timberline for a new part of an office building housing restrooms and locker rooms.  I may not know what the system is for, but I do know it is cool-looking!

Roger Williams Botanical Center

My husband and I recently went to the Roger Williams Botanical Center in Providence to get a dose of green plants to counteract the dreariness and snow outside in a New England winter, and it was amazing!  They have four greenhouses - the one in the photo is the largest - and lots of tropical plants and nooks and crannies where you can sit and read or relax and chat.

We went from winter:

To summer:

Here are some of my favorite photos from that excursion.

I can also recommend the Lyman Estate greenhouses in Waltham!  Smaller but chock full of interesting plants.

Liberty Square Staircase

Beautiful staircase at 2 Liberty Square in Boston, built in 1910, shot for my client JLL #staircase #beauxarts #artnouveau

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United Methodist Church, Kent, Ohio

Chapel built in 1964 for the United Methodist Church in Kent, Ohio. A chapel in the round! Always a pleasure to visit this interesting architecture while visiting my parents. Would love to know the name of the architect…

Selected for the Cooper Center Exhibit

I’m honored to share that one of my photographs was selected for the Trilogy exhibit at the Cooper Center for Active Living in Newton, MA. Only 15 images were chosen from the Newton Camera Club for this show, and I’m delighted to be included.

The image below is of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael, California. It was one of the last buildings he designed and was completed after his death in 1962. You may have seen it as the setting for the 1997 science fiction film GATTACA.

The exhibit is on display through the end of February. If you’re in the Newton area, I highly recommend stopping by to see this wonderful show and the many beautiful works on display.

Elisif Photography Growing

I’m excited to announce that my husband, David Brandon, has officially joined Elisif Photography as our Office Manager! This is a big step for the business, and having support behind the scenes allows me to focus even more on creating exceptional work for my clients. We’re thrilled to be working together as Elisif Photography grows in the year ahead.

Trio Exhibit & Opening Reception

I’m pleased to announce that I have two pieces featured in an upcoming exhibit at the Newton Art Center's Trio location.  The opening reception is February 1st, 2:00–4:00 PM

This exhibit brings together a diverse collection of photographs by Newton Camera Club members, and I’d love to see you there if you’re able to attend.  The exhibit will be up until the end of February, and the space is open 24/7.  I was part of the jury who selected the images (except my own).  

Coincidentally, Trio is one of several multifamily properties I have photographed for my client Samuels!  Many thanks to Diana Perry at Rumphius Marketing for the intro!

First Shoot of the Year!

I kicked off 2026 with my first shoot of the year on Jan. 2 for Timberline, photographing the newly renovated JP Morgan Chase Bank in Bridgewater.

Working around holiday decorations, we focused on showcasing the clean lines and modern design of the refreshed space. A big thank-you to Timberline for being the client of my first shoot of the year—it was a great way to start 2026!