I adore the six month milestone. Babies have so much personality at this phase and it is such a great time to capture a family’s bond. Some families come back to me after their newborn session to schedule a six month old family session and others schedule this session in lieu of a newborn session.

A question I often hear as a family photographer here in Long Island for over a decade now, is how often should I schedule family portraits? I have met many families during this time and I see many of them annually for updated photos, but is it necessary to have photos taken annually? As a mom and photographer, I can tell you the answer is, yes. I schedule photos for my own family every year and plan on doing so annually. I realize that for some, this may not be realistic, so I am going to go through some suggestions about when to schedule photos and why you should continue to do so.

Today is a mild Winter day here in Long Beach, NY. We are just a few short weeks away from the Spring season and I am ready for it. Spring is a busy time of year in the photography industry. Clients are looking for a portrait photographer for a wide array of occasions ranging from Communion portraits to Mommy and Me photos. I love this season because I capture a diverse range of clients and each session is unique.

A first birthday is a milestone that is often photographed. The first birthday session is a popular session in my studio. This is for good reasons. The first birthday is a time in your child’s life that is perfect for updated portraits and many families want photos to capture this stage of childhood.

There is not much that you need to do to prepare for a first birthday or cake smash photo session. However, I do have a few tips to help you properly book your photo session.

Your child’s First Holy Communion is such a special milestone and is one that should be properly documented. These photos are far from the rigid and traditional posed photos of years past. Instead, the focus of my communion portrait sessions is on capturing candid and natural images of your child, as well as beautiful and artistic images that encapsulate this very special milestone. Most clients choose the church as the setting for these images and I just love the dramatic natural light that a church provides for portraits. I also make sure to capture plenty of images that allow for a child's whimsical nature to shine through.

The first birthday is such a special milestone. Your baby has grown so much over the past twelve months and you want to document this special moment. I love photographing babies at this age. They have such big personalities and are so much fun to photograph. While I offer several options for first birthday portrait sessions, the most popular session is the studio birthday photo session.

When most people think of first birthday photos, the first thing that comes to mind is an elaborate set and a cake smash. I enjoy those studio sessions very much. In fact, I capture many first birthday portraits in my Long Beach photography studio. I love the creative side of planning, designing and building a set. I also love to photograph a baby on these sets, gleefully making a mess with cake. The photos always make me smile and I know that families cherish those type of images.

Your baby is about to turn one and you are considering a birthday portrait session for your little one. Cake smash sessions are a fun and joyful way to commemorate the milestone of your baby’s first birthday. These birthday sessions are amongst my favorite to photograph. I wanted to take a moment to go over a few tips I have accumulated over the past ten years as a first birthday photographer.

I recently renovated the Long Beach studio space and I am so in love with it. I wanted the space to have an earthy and natural look to it and be one that allows for natural and relaxed lifestyle images. When decorating with photography in mind, I try my best to incorporate an array of textures. Adding texture adds dimension to images. Although I incorporated some earthy textures like rattan and green plants, the studio is a very neutral space that allows for bright and airy images.

Your child’s First Holy Communion is such a special milestone and is one that should be properly documented. These photos are far from the rigid and traditional posed photos of years past. Instead, the focus of my communion portrait sessions is on capturing candid and natural images of your child, as well as beautiful and artistic images that encapsulate this very special milestone. Most clients choose the church as the setting for these images and I just love the dramatic natural light that a church provides for portraits. I also make sure to capture plenty of images that allow for a child's whimsical nature to shine through.

The weather here on Long Island has been amazing this month. With the exception of a few cold days, the weather has been in the upper 50s to 60s. In fact, I haven’t been cold once for any of my outdoor sessions and I am ALWAYS cold. I am not complaining because the frigid winter weather is right around the corner.

I often take on personal projects. This allows me the creative opportunity to explore new locations, lighting and posing that helps me to be a better photographer. During my busy season, it is really difficult to find the time to do so, but when my daughter asked for a photoshoot, I couldn’t say no. She loves having her photos taken and I love capturing her in a way that is authentic to her personality.

I swear…I feel as though I blinked my eyes and it is now the end of August. It has been an amazing Summer. The weather has been gorgeous. I traveled with my family to various New England locations. Best of all, I was able to photograph some former clients and meet new ones.

I love photographing newborns. There is something so sweet and precious about documenting a family as they welcome a new baby into their home. It is such an important phase and it truly is one that is gone in the blink of an eye. However, I know that for some new parents scheduling a session right after the baby is born is not feasible. Parents may be nervous and anxious, moms may not feel their best, or toddler siblings may be adjusting to life with a new brother or sister. For this reason, I have quite a few clients who choose to schedule a family session around the 3-6 month old milestone.

One of the greatest aspects of my job is having the opportunity to watch my clients’ families grow. I first photographed this family four years ago when their first daughter was born. Since that time, I have seen them for milestones, holiday photos, and their second child’s newborn session. I was so excited to work with them again for their daughter’s first birthday session on the beach. They usually do studio sessions, so the fact that we were doing an outdoor family session on the beach was exciting.

Every milestone in life should be documented and graduating from college is a particularly important milestone. A college graduation is the official start of one’s journey through adulthood. Moreover, there is so much hard work that goes into college that it should be celebrated with pride. It is the perfect time to capture photos of this new and exciting chapter in life and a senior photo session can do just that.

A sweet 16 is such a special occasion for a young lady. It is also a great opportunity for you to capture updated portraits of your child. Your daughter is on the cusp of adulthood and it is important to capture images that document the all of the whimsy and light heartedness of this stage. Before you know it, she will be off to college. It is also a great opportunity for your daughter to dress up, have some fun, and enjoy the limelight for an hour or so. I mean, who doesn’t want to feel special?

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.

A 16th birthday is a significant milestone in a young lady’s life. It signifies the transition into adulthood and it coincides with those last two years in high school, during which time your child is preparing for the next chapter in life. All of these changes make this moment the perfect opportunity to capture updated photos of your daughter. For many people, the only professional portraits they have of their children at this stage of life are school portraits. However, do those photos truly capture the essence of your child? A sixteenth birthday is an opportunity to capture your daughter and her maturing personality and do so in a way that is authentic and natural.

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.