Local photographer Jane Beiles has published a planner encompassing various quotes and images depicting Virginia horse county, the streets of Copenhagen, small New England towns and the Denali National Park in Alaska.
Titled “52 Weeks: A Pictureful Planner for Inspiration & Organization,” Beiles combined her love of reading with her passion for art, alongside a passion for supporting local businesses.
“This book is a culmination of these interests that I have,” the former New Canaan resident said. “For me it’s always been quotes and words. I often jot down my favorite quotes from a book, I collected those my whole life. I have a journal since college of lyrics, words from a song, a poem or a book that really resonate with me.”
Beiles poses for a headshot. Courtesy of Jane Beiles
Beiles got her start in digital photography after the birth of her firstborn son, Luke, who is now a senior at Dickinson College. Belies snapped baby photos with a Nikon DSLR that her husband, Paul, had purchased.
The rest was history.
After continuing her studies at the International Center of Photography in New York City, she launched her own business, Jane Beiles Photography LLC in 2011.
With 12 years under her belt and more than 300,000 collected images, Beiles embarked on another mission at the beginning of the year: to publish a book in 26 weeks.
The individualized planner was modeled after Beiles’ nostalgia for her family calendar of the 1970s and ‘80s.
“My mom would hang it by our side door where everything was written down,” she said. “There were no home computers and we’d all look at the home calendar to know what, where, when–and those were always horizontal format with a spiral binding. Our planner also has that horizontal and spiral binding, but it’s beautifully enclosed in a hard cover.”
The project is also a mother-daughter joint venture, as Beiles licensed a black-and-white photo of a white tent in Alaska’s Denali National Park from daughter Hadley, who is a sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Beiles kneels down to pet her dog. Courtesy of Jane Beiles
Following a soft regional launch in November, Elm Street Books was Beiles’ first customer, and the planner can be found in five other local bookstores in Darien, Black Rock, Pound Ridge, Old Greenwich and Nantucket.
“We are passionate about the character of New England towns and how important it is to support your local independently owned shops. The bookstore community is a supportive and loving community,” Beiles said.
Now empty-nesters with all three kids (Luke, Evan and Hadley) in college, Beiles moved from New Canaan and settled in Fairfield Beach. “52 Weeks” can be purchased at select book stores found on her website, an online shop or via Amazon.