Proposal sessions always have such a special place in my heart. It isn’t only because I am privileged enough to capture such a special moment in life, but it is also because I really get to know my clients during the planning process. Because I communicate with my clients often during the planning process, by the time, the actual engagement happens, I truly feel such immense joy for the couple that I am photographing. In fact, it is a challenge for me to keep my emotions at bay during the proposal because I just feel so elated for the couple.

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.

I know that right now everything retro is trending, but long before this trend, I have always had a passion for all things vintage. I like to take on personal projects every few months and for this project, I wanted to shoot something fun that had subtle nod to the 80's. Maybe it was my love of Xanadu or my favorite childhood doll, roller skating Kimberly, that inspired me, but as I rode past Marvel on the Boardwalk, an idea struck me. I needed to shoot a session that involved roller skates and ice cream. I mean, can you think of anything more fun than ice cream and retro roller skates?

I immediately thought of my beautiful niece for the session and she graciously agreed to lace on some skates for the photos. My niece recently turned 16 and we had not yet documented this milestone, so this was the perfect opportunity to finally capture those photos.

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.

We are approaching Summer, which is not only my favorite season, but it is also my busiest time of year for engagement sessions. I truly love surprise proposal sessions. No matter how many couples I capture, each and every couple is very special to me. I know how important this milestone is and I am always honored to be a part of it.

When my client first contacted me, he wasn’t exactly sure where to ask his girlfriend to marry him. He had a few ideas in mind, but wasn’t really committed to a location. I have each and very client fill out a questionnaire when they book me. This questionnaire helps me to get to know the couple and also helps me to narrow down the best location for their engagement. My goal is to try and choose a scenic location that will not arouse any suspicion and is true to the couple’s personality and interests. I suggested a few locations, but this beach in the North Fork felt the most true to the couple and my client’s goals for the session.

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.

For some people, choosing the wardrobe is the most stressful part of a family session. I don’t want my clients to feel any stress at all about a session with me and I want to make the styling portion of the session simple for you. To help alleviate some of the burden of styling for my clients, I recently subscribed to a wonderful service called Style & Select. It is a website that allows you to coordinate outfits for family photos.

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.

When planning a set, I always ask clients about themes and color preferences. My client said she was going with a pink floral theme for the birthday party, so I designed this set with that in mind. My goal is to keep the set clean and uncluttered, but to always coordinate with any vision my clients might have. Whenever I am able to use florals, I am giddy. They just bring so much visual interest to images and I love the way the look paired with the muted pink handmade balloon arch that I used for this particular birthday session.

This little boy is the sweetest little man. He was born at the start of COVID last March and was able to have a newborn session because of the pandemic. I have photographed his family multiple times before and they are so fun to work with. Big brother always makes me laugh and this little man is so sweet.

When his mom contacted me to plan a first birthday session, I wanted to create a set that was timeless and classic. Because he did not have newborn photos taken, these photos would most likely be the ones that will hang on the walls of their home. As always, my goal for the set was to create something uncluttered, yet visually interesting. I wanted the set to have a timeless and classic look to it, yet still commemorate the milestone of the first birthday. For this session, I went with a pop of blue through the use of a handmade balloon arch.

I recently photographed the most beautiful twin girls for their first birthday session and cake smash. I always love photographing one year olds for their birthday portrait sessions, but twins really are twice the fun. I had a blast photographing these two.

When my client first contacted me about the session, she told me that she was unable to do newborn photos due to Covid and she wanted images that did not scream birthday. Once she showed me the outfits that she had selected for her girls to wear for their portrait session, I knew right away that an earth toned bohemian influenced set would be perfect. I also knew that this was the perfect choice because Mom said her house is neutral toned and she prefers muted colors, which is exactly what this set consists of. I always customize my sets based not he needs of my clients.

I was so excited to meet Miss E! Her mother is a close friend of mine and I couldn’t wait to meet her beautiful baby girl for her newborn photos. Miss E was a perfect and snuggly little model. She slept peacefully throughout the session and barely cried at all…even through three outfit changes.

The holidays have come and gone and, thankfully, so has 2020. Like most of you, I eagerly anticipated the arrival of 2021 and the positive changes it would bring about. I have been busy since the start of the year making some changes to my business. For example, I have been working with a graphic designer to redesign and revamp my website. I have been taking some professional development courses to improve my craft. I also have been busy making some aesthetic changes to my studio and adding some sets to the Spring lineup. However, the best thing to happen thus far is the arrival of my nephew, who was born on January 6th. I was thrilled to finally meet and photograph him in my studio last week.

I photographed my brother and his family one year ago for his daughter’s newborn session. Yes, that is right, these cuties are one year and ten days apart. When photographing families with children in this age range, I always make sure to work swiftly. So, this means I start my sessions with sibling photos and family photos. Of course, every child is different. For example, some children need some time to warm up, while others tend to be most cooperative in those first few minutes. I really base the session on the child’s needs and work accordingly. My niece happens to be a super happy and cooperative baby, so we were able to capture sibling photos, family photos and even a few solo photos of her with out a hitch.

I am so excited to announce my Spring lineup of mini sessions. I offer Spring sessions annually and these sets are perfect for a wide array of occasions. This year, I am offering two different sets, both of which are bohemian inspired and are perfect to capture a multitude of milestones.

The first set is definitely the more bohemian influenced of the two sets. It features a brick wall adorned with macrame hangings. Vines of potted green plants and an array of textures such as a rattan chair, jute rugs, and crochet blankets complete the set. The set can be used for updated portraits of your children, for a mommy and me photoshoot, a maternity session, six month milestone session, Easter portraits, Valentine’s day portraits, for a birthday, or even for Communion photos. I absolutely love the images and plan on using these images to commemorate my youngest daughter’s sixth birthday.

Having a baby is perhaps the most important milestone in life. This experience is special in so many ways. While planning for the arrival of her new child, most new moms have tons of decisions to make, one of which is choosing the best newborn photographer for your family. This decision is an important one because your photos of your newborn child will forever preserve this precious moment in your life. There are many photographers and session types from which you can choose, but it can be difficult to decide which is best for you and your family. The following tips can help you make that decision.

Although we are in the clutches of Winter, Spring is just around the corner. For many of you, this Spring is particularly special because your little ones will be receiving their First Holy Communion. I am particularly excited about this upcoming Communion season because my eldest daughter will be receiving her sacrament in May.

I love to document children on their Communion day. This special moment 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. Plus, most kids love the opportunity to dress up in their special outfit before the big day.

I can hardly believe it, but my oldest daughter is going to be eight this weekend. As I reflect on her birthday, my wish for her is to have confidence, know her self worth, have the strength to chase her dreams and to always know how deeply loved she is. Showing her how much she is loved is the easiest part of motherhood; however, nurturing those other qualities can be a bit of a struggle.

If there is anything I have learned in these past eight years of parenting, it is that children learn by example and not by what they are told. I try my best to be very cognizant of how I behave and what I say; of course, I am not perfect, but I do always try to show her that she can do anything that she sets her mind to, as long as she is willing to work and put forth the effort to accomplish those goals. Fortunately, my little firecracker is fierce and determined. She does not shy away from a challenge and if she can’t do something, she keeps trying until she masters it.

Halloween has come and gone and the Summer seems like a distant memory. As I sit bundled up in my winter attire, I find myself longing for those warm nights on the beach. Although I love the Fall and the holiday season, I am partial to the warm weather of Summer and my busy nights photographing families on the beach. I am finally catching up on some of the blogging from those sessions.

This family is a local Long Beach family and I photographed them on a cloudy, but warm evening in July. I know most people prefer a sunset beach session, but cloudy evenings can provide a beautiful and soft backdrop for photos and the light is always super flattering. Mom chose the perfect attire for a cloudy day session. Her bright and cheery color palette provided the perfect pop fo color for these photos.