Now that the Fall season is upon is, you have likely been hearing about mini sessions. Although I capture families throughout the year for full length sessions, I offer mini sessions once a year during the Fall season. I offer minis because as a mom, I understand the appeal to capture some beautiful, professional photos for a lower price point in a faster time frame. Mini sessions are a great option for some families, but they aren’t for everyone. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether a mini session is right for you and your family.

I offer holiday mini sessions each year in the Fall. I always include one session in the lineup that is holiday neutral. This year’s non holiday themed set was my boho harvest arch session. My husband hand crafted a wooden arch for me and it was decorated with pampas grass and florals. I used lots of textured props for this set to give it a very earthy and bohemian look. Wardrobe for this session was key for creating a cohesive aesthetic, so I sent a wardrobe guide to my clients with a color palette and outfit suggestions from vendors like Baltic Born, Joyfolie, Zara and H&M. My clients completely slayed their wardrobe choices and I just love each and every one of the sessions from this day.

As a mom, I love to buy my girls new holiday pjs to commemorate the Christmas season. These garments are as much of a tradition in our household as putting up the Christmas tree and I always make sure to photograph the girls together in those pjs.

There is something so classic about the holiday pajamas photo, which is why I offer a holiday themed pajamas in bed session each year. The images always have a warm and cozy look to them and the photos are perfect for holiday cards or to simply document the holiday season. The aesthetic for this year will be very bright and modern. Kids will get to snuggle up on the bed in their pjs, read holiday books and eat milk and cookies.

It has been a busy Fall season for me and I have been photographing many beautiful families for their Fall and holiday photos. I am loving every single one of these sessions. It has been a blast! One of my favorite locations to photograph families is at the tree farm. I schedule a day of mini sessions at the farm annually and the captures from this location are always my favorite photos from the season. This location is not one a perfect and gorgeous backdrop, but there is something about the tree farm that facilitates natural connection and emotion within a family. The photos have a timeless look and can be used for holiday cards and hang on your walls year round.

I spent the day last week photographing many sweet families at a tree farm out east. My last session of the day took place during Golden Hour, which is my absolute favorite time of day to capture family images. The light was simply spectacular that night and I was able to capture some gorgeous images.

Photographing a vintage Volkswagon van has been a vision of mine for quite some time, so when I came across this gorgeous restored 1971 bus, I knew I had to create a mini session using it as the backdrop. The bus serves as the perfect backdrop for family photos.

I rented the bus from Long Beach Photo Bus and I can’t say enough positive things about the company and owners. They hare really designed the photo booth to be a true experience. It is not only available to photographers, but for party rentals as well. Head to their site for more info.

I am excited to announce the first of my series of holiday sessions for the 2018 season.  Not only am I offering a beach holiday session, but for the first time ever, I am offering a  family mini session. Although this session works for just children, I always encourage my clients to get into the frame with their children and this session is the perfect opportunity to get some fun family images.  

The campfire holiday session is not only unique, but it will be an interactive and fun experience for everyone. As a family photographer, my goal is to always provide you with an experience that allows you to connect and have fun with your children.  I chose this particular theme because a camping expedition provides the perfect opportunity for parents to have uninterrupted and quality bonding time with their children.  

Grandparents are an integral part of your children’s life. For most children, the bond between grandparent and grandchild is strong and like no other. The love a grandparent has for a grandchild is unparalleled and it is unbiased. It is so very important to capture that bond and preserve those memories for your children. An extended family session is the perfect way to do so because you get images that capture the connection between your parents and your children.

I recently photographed this sweet group on Veteran’s Day. It was an unseasonably warm day and I was thankful for it because the days preceding this session were bitterly cold. Mom chose a location close to her home and I was happy to oblige her because I absolutely love to photograph families in new and unique locations.

I am excited to announce the first of my series of holiday sessions for the 2018 season.  Not only am I offering a beach holiday session, but for the first time ever, I am offering a  family mini session. Although this session works for just children, I always encourage my clients to get into the frame with their children and this session is the perfect opportunity to get some fun family images.  

The campfire holiday session is not only unique, but it will be an interactive and fun experience for everyone. As a family photographer, my goal is to always provide you with an experience that allows you to connect and have fun with your children.  I chose this particular theme because a camping expedition provides the perfect opportunity for parents to have uninterrupted and quality bonding time with their children.  

As a mom, I love to buy my girls new holiday pjs to commemorate the Christmas season. These garments are as much of a tradition in our household as putting up the Christmas tree and I always make sure to photograph the girls together in those pjs.

There is something so classic about the holiday pajamas photo, which is why I offer a holiday themed pajamas in bed session each year. The images always have a warm and cozy look to them and the photos are perfect for holiday cards or to simply document the holiday season. The aesthetic for this year will be very bright and modern. Kids will get to snuggle up on the bed in their pjs, read holiday books and eat milk and cookies.

Nothing says it is Christmas time, like the classic children's story, The Polar Express.   I am excited to be able to offer this truly classic photo experience for your children.   On September 14th,  join me for the Vintage Train Children's Mini Session. It is a perfect opportunity to get your holiday photos done before the cold weather settles in and before the chaos of the holiday season. Plus, these photos are classic and timeless and can be used for both Christmas card photos and also hang on your walls.

As a children's holiday portrait photographer, my goal for each session is to capture natural photos of children rather than stiff and posed images. Because I love to capture a child's free spirited and inquisitive nature, I always try to create holiday mini sessions that get the children involved in an activity.  In the past, I have held interactive sessions including a campfire session, a snowman building session, and a boating session and they were all tons of fun for the kids and stress free for the parents.

This year’s beach session might be my favorite mini session yet. I have been toying with the idea of a beach Santa session for a few years, but I couldn’t quite figure out how to approach it. However, that all changed on a winter’s day when I walked into the Long Beach Post Office and saw a painting on the wall that inspired me. Those of you who live in town are familiar with the painting, but it depicts the local beach in the 1920’s with throngs of people bathing on the beach. I admired the style of the era, in particular, the swimsuits and I envisioned Santa in a similar style red striped swimsuit playing with the kids in the sand. Thus, this year’s beach holiday session was born.

n the age of social media, it seems tempting to skip out on sending out holiday cards. I hope the holiday card tradition never comes to an end. I am not saying this because I am a photographer, but because I truly love receiving holiday cards each year. To me, receiving a card from a family member or friend is a gesture of love, warmth, and thoughtfulness. A post on Facebook can never replicate the actual feeling of holding a card in your hand. Just like the Christmas tree, the holiday card is a staple of holiday decor. I love seeing the way families have grown and evolved from year to year and I display the cards right in my living room area and we all love to look at them. I know for some, sending out the holiday card can be a bothersome task, but I am here to give you some tips to perhaps alleviate some of the stress.

I have been busy over the last few weeks photographing children and families outdoors in this gorgeous New York Fall weather.   I am having so much fun meeting new families and catching up with clients from last year.  The weather has been absolutely perfect!   

I have finally had a few moments to put together my November mini session schedule.   This year’s indoor set is a beautiful and classic rustic set. The rustic session is designed to resemble a log cabin and is decorated with vintage and rustic accents. I have added stands of globe lights to give the set a unique look. Children will also get to cuddle up beneath a holiday blanket and sip on some hot cocoa in the “cabin.”

September is only a week away and that means it is time for my annual holiday mini sessions. I recently announced this year's family campfire sessions and now it is time for me to reveal this year's beach holiday session. I am thrilled to finally be able to share the details of this year's holiday theme and I think you are all going to love it as much as I do.  

Last year, we built a sand snowman together on the beach and this year, I invite your child to set sail with me into the holiday season with my nautical themed holiday session. Your child will board my handmade driftwood sailboat, which will be decorated with subtle holiday decorations and a strand of globe lights.  The boat will be placed along the shoreline to give the appearance that it is about to set sail.  Your child will even be able to hoist the sail of the boat!  

I am excited to announce the first of my series of holiday sessions for the 2018 season.  Not only am I offering a beach holiday session, but for the first time ever, I am offering a  family mini session. Although this session works for just children, I always encourage my clients to get into the frame with their children and this session is the perfect opportunity to get some fun family images.  

The campfire holiday session is not only unique, but it will be an interactive and fun experience for everyone. As a family photographer, my goal is to always provide you with an experience that allows you to connect and have fun with your children.  I chose this particular theme because a camping expedition provides the perfect opportunity for parents to have uninterrupted and quality bonding time with their children.  

The vintage bed session is a great choice for children of all ages.  It has a classic and timeless look and features a beautiful authentic antique Jenny Lind bed, Anthropologie style bedding, and rustic holiday decor.  

As a children's holiday portrait photographer, I love to approach my sessions with the goal of capturing natural photos of children rather than stiff and posed images.    I love to capture a child's free spirited and inquisitive nature, so I knew I wanted to create a holiday mini session that would get the children involved in an activity.  One day while sitting at the beach watching my girls playing in the sand, I got the idea for a mini session involving a sand snowman that children could decorate.

This is an adorable set with a vintage cupboard and vintage baking accessories for classic and timeless holiday photos.  The set is designed to give the appearance that children are baking their favorite holiday cookies and allows.

Nothing says it is Christmas time, like the classic children's story, The Polar Express.   This season, I am excited to be able to offer a truly classic photo experience for your children.   On November 10th,  join me for the Vintage Train Children's Mini Session.  I recently visited the historic location with my daughters and their cousins.  Although I wasn't able to do a full session while I was there, I did sneak in a quick picture of my niece and nephew just to give you an idea of what the train looks like.