My brother and sister in law recently gave birth to their first baby and she is an absolute cutie.. Our family is absolutely thrilled for them, but we are also super excited because it has been about five years since we had a newborn in the family. We are all eager to spend time and cuddle with the newest addition to the family. In fact, I recently had the opportunity to spend the morning with her and photograph her in my studio space.

My niece was born a few days after Christmas, so I knew we had to incorporate some type of subtle nod to the holiday in her session. I also have a wreath obsession, so as soon as she was delivered, I knew exactly what set up I would use for her portraits. She was a little over two weeks old on the date of her session, but we were still able to coax her to sleep and capture some beautiful polished portraits. What is great about the family studio newborn session is that baby only really needs to be asleep for those posed portraits. She can be awake for all of the family photos and even for swaddled photos. I love that this provides parents with a diverse gallery that includes those squishy sleepy images we all love, as well as awake and alert images in which you get to see a tiny bit of baby’s personality. Furthermore, it allows for the session to move a bit more quickly. Typically, a family session will run around 2 hours, sometimes 3 hours if the session includes toddler aged siblings.

The holidays have come and gone and we are now in the depth of Winter. Even though we still have quite a few weeks to go, I am choosing to look at the bright side of the situation; for example, the weather has been very mild lately, the days are getting longer and Spring is right around the corner.

I have added a Spring set to my studio that will be available on select days this Spring. The design is a gorgeous white rustic set with subtle accents of greens and florals. It is super versatile and will work for a multitude of occasions. The white and floral backdrop is perfect for Communions. The bright, modern and neutral look provides a great opportunity to simply update your photos of your children for Easter or to use as gifts for Mother’s Day. It is also large enough to accommodate maternity sessions and mother and child sessions.

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.

When mom originally contacted me to schedule her Fall family session, I knew we had to start the session at her gorgeous historic farm home; in particular, the breezeway entrance to the home. Although I love photographing families at scenic locations, it is always nice to capture them in their own home. It creates a more personal look for the session and it is another way to capture all of those precious memories. It is nice to have old photos that show how your home has evolved and changed over the years.

We started the session with some images of Mr P in his big brother shirt. Mom and Dad are expecting a baby boy in March, so they wanted to capture a few images to announce and share the great news and Mr P happily smiled for these photos. Like all toddlers, big brother was super active during the session and that is exactly what I want. I love images that capture children on the go because they are always the most natural images. Even though big brother was busy during the session, we were able to capture some cuddly and snuggly shots with mama and awesome family portraits too.

Most families who book me have younger children, but I do also photograph teenagers. In fact, prior to owning my business, I was a high school English teacher; so, I am very familiar with how to interact with this age group. Capturing family portraits is important to do at every stage of your child’s life, but I would argue that it is even more important to schedule a photo session when your children are in high school and before they head off to college.

Most families who book me have younger children, but I do also photograph teenagers. In fact, prior to owning my business, I was a high school English teacher; so, I am very familiar with how to interact with this age group. Capturing family portraits is important to do at every stage of your child’s life, but I would argue that it is even more important to schedule a photo session when your children are in high school and before they head off to college.

I know many of you moms with adolescents have some trepidation about scheduling a family session at this phase. You might be thinking, “my child would never smile for the camera” or “there is no time to schedule a session because of all of the sports/activities”. I implore you; please make the time to schedule a session; if not with me, with any photographer. If weekends are too hectic for you because of activities, you can schedule one on a weeknight or even a weekday when the kids have off from school.

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 think the greatest gift that you can give to any grandparent is the gift of a large group family session. This gift is one that the grandparent will cherish for a lifetime and so will the entire family. My client contacted me in the early Spring inquiring about a group family session. She and her sister wanted to gift the session to her mother as a Mother’s Day gift. The session was to include her parents, both of their spouses and their toddler aged children. Although they are from Nassau County and the surrounding areas, they chose Westhampton beach as their location because they spend a lot of time as a family out there.

The weather this September has been AMAZING! I have been loving every second of it and I have been busy doing as much outdoors as possible. I want to soak up every last second of the remainder of the this good weather, which includes lots of outdoor photoshoots. I spent a good deal of the Summer photographing families and children on the beach and I am happy to start shooting some Fall sessions at my favorite park location.

Many families have been scheduling family sessions in place of the traditional first birthday portrait session. I love this trend because you not only get images that commemorate your little one’s first birthday, but you also will have images of you interacting with your child that you will treasure forever.

When my client first contacted me she said she was looking for a newborn session with a focus on mostly natural images. Because she already had a toddler, she wanted to schedule the session in the comfort of her own home. I knew right away that she was the right client for me because the goal of my newborn sessions is to always capture phots that appear natural and organic. I was thrilled when she decided to book the in home session.

On the day of the session, when I first arrived to her beautiful home, I was thrilled to see the abundance of natural light she had available. This allowed me to capture images in numerous locations of her home. I like to do this because it makes each session unique and personal. I especially love to photograph families in the baby’s nursery, living room, and master bedroom. All of these locations are areas in which you spend the most time as a family, so it is important to document them. Although most of what I focus on during this type of session is the family interacting with baby, I do make sure to capture some polished portraits of baby during my newborn sessions, whether it be in the studio or in the home. These are perfect for hanging on walls, gifting to family members and using for birth announcements.

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.  

To make sure that I can capture the gorgeous soft glow of the sun, I only photograph on the beach during golden hour. Most of the time, I meet families one hour before sunset, but because that time of day can be a challenge for families with young children, I also offer the option to schedule the session at sunrise and I can photograph families in the hour that follows sunrise. I absolutely love this time slot for photo sessions. The beach is peaceful and serene at that time of day and there is nothing quite like watching the sun rise over the horizon.

I photographed this adorable family the day after Labor Day weekend. We met at the beach for a sunrise session. Even though we started in the wee hours of the morning, there was an abundance of love, energy and vitality in this session. I don’t think I have ever seen a family laugh as much as this one and their love shines through int her gallery of images.

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.

I can’t believe that today is Labor Day. I have to say that this was the fastest Summer season of my life. I was busy working with tons of families and children, but also got a lot of quality time in with my family, friends, and neighbors. I am truly sad to say goodbye to Summer, but I lam looking forward to the Fall season too.

I can’t believe that today is Labor Day. I have to say that this was the fastest Summer season of my life. I was busy working with tons of families and children, but I also got a lot of quality time in with my family, friends, and neighbors. I am truly sad to say goodbye to Summer, but I lam looking forward to the Fall season too.

The majority of my sessions took place on the beach this season and I have no complaints about the location. I completely understand why so many families choose the shore as the location for family photos. It is beautiful, serene and families tend to laugh and play readily at the beach. Plus, a sunset not only provides the most flattering light, but provides gorgeous hues and tones for photos.

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.

I love that so many of my clients have been opting to do family sessions in place of the traditional cake smash photo session. A first birthday is the perfect milestone to update those family photos. I often encourage my clients to get into the frame with their children and this is especially true when a client opts to do an outdoor session in place of the studio.

I recently photographed this family, whom I first met 11 months ago when I photographed them in their home for a lifestyle newborn session. I loved that I was able to see how much baby M has grown over the year and she was an absolute delight to photograph. She was all smiles and giggles throughout the session. I usually schedule my sessions an hour before sunset, but in the Summer months this time of day can be problematic for children because sunset coincides with bedtime. I can work around that time of day and shoot an hour or even an hour and a half earlier by scheduling the session at an outdoor location that provides lots of trees to filter the light. I am glad we moved the start time for this session because our birthday girl was so happy and I was able to capture some really sweet moments.

I have been shooting a lot of newborn sessions here in my Long Beach studio and I am loving every second of it. I recently photographed a baby and his two older sisters. I met this family two years ago while shooting an extended family session. The family is a delight to work with. They are fun loving and super nice, so I was thrilled to be able to work with them again for this very special session.

Baby C was an absolute dream. He slept throughout the entire session…even through several outfit changes! Big sisters clearly love their baby brother so much and it was so sweet to capture images of the siblings together. I love the way mom dressed the sisters in classic white shirts, jean shorts and a boho floral halo headband. The attire brings a classic simplicity to the photos, which I adore.

To bring some vibrancy and color to the photos, we opted for a garden location for their birthday/family session. The night of the session was absolutely gorgeous and the sunset was beautiful. We started the session with a few posed family portraits and then continued with some birthday photos of the twins. Thankfully, there was an array of flowers that were in bloom that allowed me to capture this family with a variety of colors and textures in the background.

To meet the diverse needs of my clients, I offer a variety of newborn sessions. Because I know how important it is to capture family memories, I always encourage my moms to schedule a family newborn session; however, I recognize that not all moms want to be in the frame and some are only looking for images to use for birth announcements. For those moms, I offer the Simple Studio Newborn Session. This is a shorter session, running around 60-75 minutes in length and includes two sets. As always, my set is kept neutral and understated, which will help me to focus on your newborn’s beauty and allows me to capture timeless imagery.

Pinch me, am I dreaming? Is this awesome Summer weather for real? I have been embracing every second of this weather and much of that involves spending time down by the shore. My favorite time to go to the beach is late afternoon into the evening hours. I love how serene the beach is at this time of day and I love to watch the colors of the sky, sun and ocean change as sunset approaches. These gorgeous soft colors are what make it the perfect location for photos.

My favorite type of session to photograph is the family session. I am always honored when families entrust me to document their family for them. For many families with young children, this is the first time they are having photos taken together as a family. Many of them have not had professional photos taken since their wedding. I also know that for families with young children, parents worry about whether or not their children will cooperate for the session. Fortunately, I have two young children of my own and I know a few tricks to keep the kids engaged in the session and I like to keep things fun for the kids.