Although I love a good golden hour session, this time of day is very late in the Summer months. Sunset isn’t until 8ish this time of year, so 7pm can be a challenging time for some babies. For those families, we can schedule early morning sessions at one of my park locations. You can still get fantastic and meaningful photos in the morning. So, for those of you who feel your little ones will not be in an agreeable mood at sunset, the morning session is for you.

Spring is in full swing and we are already midway through May. One of the best things about Spring is that cherry blossoms are in bloom. These beautiful trees are only in bloom for a short time, so planning a family session at a location replete with blooms involves some planning ad flexibility. This year the cherry blossoms seemed to bloom later than usual and then once they did bloom, we had consecutive days of wind and rain, which can damage the blooms. Fortunately, I found a location that worked well for this recent family session.

It feels as though I have gone somewhat into hibernation since the holidays. After the holiday rush, I took a few weeks off to recharge my batteries, which included taking a much needed break from social media and the Internet in general. I have been using that time to delve deep into a few professional development courses and I have also been shooting some fun maternity and extended family sessions over the last few weeks. I will be sharing those images once I get the OK from my clients.

December is here and the holidays are right around the corner. My Fall calendar was jam packed this year with holiday sessions, newborns and family sessions. I feel like I blinked my eyes and the calendar jumped from September to December. It was so great to meet new clients and work with former clients again. I love everything about Fall sessions. The light is so gorgeous in November, the foliage is at its peak and the rich colors for wardrobe make images from this time of year really pop.

I can hardly believe that it is October and we are officially in the Fall season. The weather has started to cool down, school is in full swing, and I have already had my first pumpkin latte. I just love everything about the Fall. The weather is spectacular, the foliage is beautiful and I love Halloween and Thanksgiving.

I can’t believe that it is now the end of September and my 2021 season of sunset beach session, is coming to an end. I had a blast with all of the beautiful families with whom I worked this season. September is a great month to schedule a family session. The beach crowds are gone, the humidity tends to break, the weather is milder and, best of all, the sunsets are the best of the season this month. Many of my clients knew all of this and opted for a session over the last few weeks and each and every session has been spectacular.

September is my absolute favorite month of the year. Not only is it my birthday month, but it also happens to have the best weather of the year. I love that the humidity drops, yet it is still pleasantly warm. It also happens to be the kick off to my Fall family photo sessions, which after months of shooting sunset beach sessions in a great change of pace for me. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love beach sessions, but I also love to photograph families in parks, foliage and any other location that is scenic and social to them.

Oh, how I wish more women would schedule maternity photo sessions for themselves during their pregnancy. There is nothing that can surpass the beauty of an expecting mother; as cliche as it might sound, the natural glow of a pregnant women is simply unsurpassed. Sadly, so many women do not see themselves as beautiful during this momentous time in life. Many women tell me that they just don't feel their best during their pregnancy and, consequently, shy away from the camera during those nine months. I completely understand and I too felt this way about myself during both of my pregnancies. Although I did not shy away from the camera and took my monthly photos of my bump, I never scheduled a photo session with a photographer and I still regret it to this day.

A first birthday is the perfect opportunity to update your family photos. Instead of scheduling a first birthday session in the studio, you can schedule an outdoor photo session and include the whole family. Whenever weather permits, I encourage families to go this route. I always leave a little time at the end of the session for either a cake smash or first birthday themed portraits. This recent family took my advice and scheduled their son’s first birthday session on the beach at sunset. They wanted a few photos of a cake smash and the rest of the session to focus on them interacting as a family.

Although I love to shoot at sunset, this is not the only time of day a family session can be scheduled. I know we all love that golden glow of sunset, but your images are not about capturing the scenery, they are meant to capture you and your love for one another. For many families, this is a welcome relief, especially those with toddler aged children, whose bedtime often coincides with sunset.

On the day of a special event, it can be difficult to get yourself and your family ready. Capturing polished portraits of your special day is important and it can be helpful to schedule your photo session ahead of time. Doing so alleviates some of the stress associated with hosting an event, eliminates the need to rush around on that day and it is nice to know that on the day of the party you can relax because you have already captured images of your family together. This is especially true when photographing babies. They can easily become overstimulated on the day of a party, which would mean that the baby could be cranky for those family photos you want captured.

Oh my goodness…the weather this Summer has been so whacky and unpredictable. We are experiencing a very cloudy and rainy Summer here on Long Island, which has caused me to reschedule multiple photo sessions. I have learned from past experiences that when I book a sunset beach session, I have to also include a rain date on the calendar. This means that when clients book, they have two dates already blocked out on my calendar. This gives me flexibility to pivot when the weather just doesn’t want to cooperate. This is also why I have such limited availability for beach family sessions. I try to book only one or two beach sessions a week, so that I can make sure to get your family photographed, no matter what the weather report calls for. We had to reschedule this family’s date twice, as it was a rainy and cloudy week. It was completely worth the wait because the light was perfect on the evening of their session and I just love their collection of images.

This recent family session was a special one. My client was born and raised in New York, but moved to England a few years ago with her husband. Her family resides in Long Beach and she was home for a visit for the first time since pre COVID for a visit with her mom. While here, she wanted to do a family session on the beach and include her mom, whom she does not see often, in the session.

When I get asked to do a family session that includes grandparents, I always know that the session will be special. I know how important the bond between grandparent and grandchild is and I love to photograph their special bond. A photo session that includes grandma and grandpa is a great gift for the holidays or any occasion and it is one that not only the grandparent will cherish, but you will too.

When my client told me she wanted a session that wasn’t too posed, I knew that this family photo session was going to be special. She said she wanted to document how much fun her children are at this age. After spending an evening with them on the beach for their sunset session, I can see why she feels this way.

The children, ages three and five, were not only fun, but super cooperative and engaged in the session. They were eager to participate in the fun games I had planned for them during the session and their laughter and happiness shines through in the images. This session really captures the essence of childhood and I think that is what I love best about it.

I first photographed this family when their oldest daughter was six months old. Since then, they have grown from a family of three to a family of five. I see them annually and I always look forward to working with them. It truly is such an honor to watch my clients’ families grow and to be able to document their special moments for them.

This particular session was scheduled to commemorate they youngest son’s first birthday. Mom scheduled a family session so that she could not only get photos of a cake smash, but also images of their entire family together. I love this idea and many of my clients choose to this type of session.

Is it me, or did this academic year fly by? It is so hard to believe that the end of June is nearly here, which means the end of the 2021-2021 school year for our children. What a wild ride the last ten months have been. It started in such a state of uncertainty and now things finally feel like they are back to normal.

June is such a great month; not only because the children are done with school, but because it is the kick off for my season of family photos on the beach at sunset. These are my most popular sessions and I understand why my clients love this location. The colors are beautiful, it allows for an uncluttered natural backdrop and there is something about being at the beach that inspires love and laughter.

This recent session was so much fun to photograph. I first photographed this family for an outdoor sitter session just a few years ago. Shortly after the holidays, my client messaged me inquiring about a photo session for her mother, who was about to turn 70. She and her brothers wanted to gift their mom a photo session of the entire family together. Like most families, the last time they had family photos taken was at a wedding and the photos did not include the grandchildren. Their mother’s birthday was the perfect opportunity to update their family photos.

It is so important to document your own relationship with your children, but also their relationship with their extended family. The bonds between grandparent and grandchild are precious and to capture that bond is a gift not only fro the grandparent, but for the whole family to treasure as well. I can’t think of a more meaningful gift to commemorate a special occasion.

This recent session at the arboretum made me giddy with glee. Not only did this session take place on the first truly warm day of the Spring, but it was with one of my favorite families and it was scheduled in the most gorgeous location.

Although I am a family and newborn photographer, I am well versed in photographing couples for not only proposals, but also intimate wedding ceremonies. I don’t photograph large elaborate weddings, but focus more on smaller intimate gatherings. I absolutely love being able to document this special moment for couples. Often times, these weddings move me to tears because the love the couples have for one another is so evident. I think that is the benefit of doing small scale weddings. Everyone in attendance really can share in the happy emotions of the day.