Even though I love photographing newborns, the six month sitter milestone session is becoming a favorite of mine to photograph. It is amazing how much your little one grows, develops, and changes in those first six months of life and the half birthday is the perfect time to update your images of your bundle of joy. At six months old, babies have vibrant personalities that are evident; they can sit unassisted, clap, laugh and smile. It is such a pleasure to be able to document al of those precious moments for my clients. I always have so much fun during these photo sessions.

I have been busy photographing families this Summer on the beach and I love every second of it. There is no better way to spend the evening than on the beach watching the sunset and capturing the love and laughter of families.

I recently photographed these two cuties for a beach sunset session. These siblings were all smiles and did nothing but laugh, play and hug each other. It was really so sweet to watch and their laughter was contagious.  

My baby girl turns four on Saturday and I can hardly believe it. These last few years have gone by so quickly and this year has been the most fun yet. Like most three year old girls, this has been the year of the princess and my little one has princess fever. Miss V goes through several wardrobe changes a day all of which include shoes, tiara and matching accessories. She wears her dresses to school, on Trader Joe runs, to bed and even over her bathing suit. She forces daddy to play princess with her daily during which time she either loses a shoe, needs a kiss from a prince, is swimming under the water to save a prince, or marries the prince.

Like every other working mom, my life revolves around schedules and routines. Additonally, because of the nature of my business, I spend a lot of time attached to my computer and phone. I am fortunate enough to make my own schedule, but I do work from home and I often feel guilty that I am distracted by work and not able to focus all of my attention on my children. Part of the reason why I look forward to my annual family vacation is because it provides me with an opportunity to unplug, relax and simply enjoy time with my family.

Those of you who follow me know that I often stress the importance of having your family photos taken. I don’t say this only because I want you to hire me, but I say it because I truly believe it. Our children grow so quickly and as they do, the nature of our family evolves as well. It is is important to document that change for your children and for yourself. Even though I take tons of professional images of my children, there are very few that show the dynamic of our family interacting as a whole and even fewer that include me, which is why I hire a photographer annually to capture our family.

I met this little birthday boy when I photographed him for his holiday photos at The Little Gym . I was so excited to be able to photograph him again for his first birthday portrait session. When mom said the theme for his birthday party was going to be Sesame Street themed, I just knew that I had to incorporate that into the session somehow. To do so, I opted for my signature bright white brick backdrop and dressed it with very bright and cheerful primary colors. To icorporate the Sesame Street theme, I went with plush animals. This little boy was an absolute dream to photograph. He did not cry at all during the session. Instead, he happily played with the plush animals on the set.

As I am typing this blog post, it is snowing steadily outside. At this moment it does not quite feel like, it but we are only twenty days away from the official start of Spring. It has been a long winter and I am looking forward to the warmth and beauty of Spring. I am also looking forward to all of the exciting sessions I have planned for the season, including an Easter mini session, which I am offering for the first time ever.

As many of you know, I offer mother and child sessions each year. These are my favorite sessions to offer because I personally know how hard it is to get out from behind our cameras and get into those photos with our children. As mothers, one of our many roles is to be the documentarian for the family and, consequently, we become an invisible presence in the annals of our children’s lives. I offer the motherhood sessions because I want every mom to have an opportunity to be photographed with her children. I know that having photos taken of you with your children is something you will never regret doing and years from now, you and your children will both be thankful to have these photos. After all, they are only little once.

I absolutely love when I get the opportunity to photograph my previous newborn clients for first birthday sessions. It truly is such an honor to be able to document these milestone moments for my families and I feel blessed to also be able to watch their children grow. When my client contacted me about first birthday photos for her little one, I was shocked. I really could not believe that a year had already gone by since I photographed Miss S and her family for newborn photos in the studio. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time goes by.

Some of you may recall my blog post from last Summer about our newly purchased 1969 Playmor canned ham style camper. Although I have not posted in quite some time about the camper, we actually began renovations in the Fall and are nearly done with the interior of the camper.

Tim did all of the renovations himself. He added a hot water heater and rewired the camper to add electric so that we could utilize the hook up services available at most campgrounds or a generator. As far as structural repairs, we were fortunate enough that most of what we needed to do to the camper was cosmetic. Tim had to fix some rot at the back of the camper and reseal the windows, but other than that, the camper was in great shape.

I have just packed away the last of my holiday decorations and I can hardly believe that the holidays have come and gone. The holidays are a whirlwind of family gatherings, activities, preparations, and, of course, shopping. Although I enjoy the festivities, I also like the few weeks afterwards, during which time I can decompress and get my wits about me again. Now that I finally have my head above water again, I am focusing on the Spring. Yes, I know, we are still in the clutches of Winter, but just remember, with each passing day, the days get longer and bring us one step closer to those beautiful Spring blossoms and mild weather.

For many of you, this Spring is particularly special because your little ones will be receiving their First Holy Communion , a special milestone that I know you want to document. I love photographing this special moment because it is the perfect time for me to capture a wide array of classic portraits of your child. My communion portrait sessions are centered on capturing candid and natural images of your child, as well as beautiful and artistic images that encapsulate this very special rite of passage for your child. Some of my most favorite photos I have ever captured are those of children on their Communion day. I just love the dramatic natural light that a church provides for portraits, but it also seems that this special day allows for a child's whimsical nature to shine through and I love capturing that silly and relaxed side of children too. Scheduling the photos before the communion day ensures that you capture beautiful portraits of your child in a natural and relaxed way, without the stress of rushing around on the day of the ceremony.

I had a wonderful Fall season photographing families and children for their holiday photos. Although I loved every second of this time, I had very little time to keep up with blogging. Now that the dust has settled, I am finally catching up on blogging some of the newborns and birthdays that I photographed recently.

I love photographing first birthdays, especially when they involve cake smashes. My studio birthday portrait packages include two sets. Because a lot of what I do involves lifestyle photography, I usually encourage clients to utilize one of the more natural set ups that my studio provides, such as my bed or teal velvet couch. I find that these set ups allow for more natural images, as opposed to children being posed on a rigid backdrop. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the clean and classic look that my backdrops provide, but I find that you will be more likely to hang an image in your home of your child on a bed or seated on a couch.

I recently photographed a beautiful baby boy in my Long Beach studio for his newborn photos. This little man happens to share the same birth date as my eldest daughter. Now, I know some people fear that the holidays can overshadow December birthdays, but as a parent of a child born in this special month, I actually think it just enhances the festive spirit of the birthday celebrations. When mom booked the session, I knew I had to incorporate something to commemorate Christmas. I found an adorable handmade knit Santa suit to use and I just love the sweet images I captured of him seeping in the suit.

The holiday season is upon us and so are family gatherings. The holidays are a time to connect with our loved ones. Most importantly, the holidays are a time to reflect on all that we have to be grateful for and for most of you, I am sure your loved ones are on the top of that list.

Even though our parents and siblings are such a central part of our lives, we don’t have photos that document that bond. Sure, we get pictures of our children each year, which don’t get me wrong, is of the utmost importance, but when was the last time you had a photo taken with your mom or sibling? For most of us , it may have been at a wedding or other function during which time we quickly snapped an iPhone photo. Now, the cell phone capture is great to have, but does it really capture the essence of your family? For those of you who have been thinking about having your family photographed, the holidays are a perfect time to finally do so because the family is all together at this time of year.

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.

My approach to newborn photography is a bit different than other photographers. As opposed to photographing baby in an array of props and outfits, I center my sessions around the family and their interaction with baby. I do this because I know that years from now when baby is grown, you are going to want images that capture those first few moments with him. I know sometimes as moms, we don't feel our best right after delivery and would rather not be in photos, but years from now you will be so grateful to have photos that document those precious first moments with your baby.

I have been in the process of renovating my studio here in Long Beach, NY and I am excited to reveal some of the changes. I want all of my studio sessions to have a very clean, modern, and polished look, so I have made some changes to the layout of the studio which will provide me the opportunity to do so.

My most recent addition to the studio is a gorgeous teal mid century velvet couch with which I am obsessed. It makes the perfect addition to the studio and will be a staple in my studio newborn sessions, as well as children’s portraiture. The couch will allow me the opportunity to get cozy and connected family images, as well as timeless images of babies celebrating their birthdays.

When my client first contacted me a few months ago, she was uncertain as to whether she wanted to book a studio session or an in home session. Last minute, she decided to go with the in home session and, of course, I was thrilled to be able to document her first moments home with her baby in the comfort of her gorgeous Babylon home.

The in home session is the most natural of all of the newborn sessions I offer. It is the perfect session for new moms because I come to you and it alleviates the stress of getting out of the house with a newborn. Furthermore, most clients feel more like themselves and at ease in the comfort of their own home, thus allowing me to capture the most natural images possible.

It is always a true honor to be asked to photograph a surprise proposal. Not only does photographing this type of engagement session require the client to have faith in my ability to capture the moment, he must also depend on my reliability during what is amongst the most intimate and joyous occasions that one can celebrate in life.

When I was contacted a few months ago by the groom to be, I knew that this engagement session was going to be really special and I was elated to be a part of it. With the help of his brother, the groom concocted a stellar plan to propose to his girlfriend at one of the best locations in the Long Island Region. The groom was planning his top secret proposal at Macari Vineyards in Mattituck. I can’t think of a better place to start the journey to marriage together.

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.”