Monmouth Beach Bath and Tennis: Family Portrait: New Jersey Fine Art Photography

I love getting to photograph the children of my former wedding clients. How time flies, nine years and two kids later. Lori and Gavin have the most handsome, boisterous boys.  I have found with photographing kids, especially boys, it is best to let them run around and have fun. Happy kids make the best pictures!

Lori and I worked on choosing just the right outfits to coordinate with their living room, where the images will be displayed in a collection. I love designing beautiful custom wall galleries!

Call or email the studio to set up your summer family session - weekends are filling up fast!

Dressing for Success: Portrait Attire: NJ Portrait Photography

When it comes to attire, many clients aren’t sure what to wear.  What you wear is key for a successful session! The clothing you choose should complement who you are as a family and speak to the environment in which the session is taking place.  Additionally, you’ll want to coordinate with your home where the final images will be displayed, so your style should be as unique as your family!  With this in mind, we have a few tips for putting together the perfect style for a creative yet comfortable session.

• Adults:

Remember to coordinate well with the rest of the group in addition to these four tips…

1. Select solid colors (they tend to photograph best).
2. Choose clothes that flatter your body type.
3. Men will want to get a haircut a week or so before the session and arrive to the shoot clean-shaven.
4. Women should style their hair the day of and wear natural makeup that is slightly heavier than usual.

Sleeveless shirts and short shorts tend to be unflattering.  Large logos and bold patterns can be overwhelming and should be worn with caution. Furthermore, you’ll want to avoid dressy clothing unless the session is specifically for a formal event.

• Babies and Kids:

Newborns are sweet sleepy bundles, so keep things simple with these four tips…

1. Solid onsies, simple cloth diapers or plain swaddling blankets are perfect.
2. Accessories such as a knitted cap can be adorable for a few shots.
3. Sentimental objects like an heirloom silver rattle can add a special touch.
4. Additional blankets help add variety.

Adult clothing with collars and buttons should be avoided with young babies.  Socks, shoes, and large bows are unnecessary.  However, toddlers and children can be bolder with color and style…

1. Choose light layers to show off their fun style.
2. Comfortable, casual, but fitted clothing is best in order to capture natural expressions and personalities.

Kids are best when they’re allowed to be kids.  Avoid makeup and hairspray as well was overly baggy clothing.  We want this to be a great experience for everyone, so come prepared to have a bit of fun to not only capture real smiles, but also create positive memories.

• The Whole Family:

You will want to coordinate and plan your complete outfits a few days prior to the session.  Follow these tips and you can’t go wrong…

1. Make sure all clothing and clean and pressed a few days before the scheduled shoot.
2. When coordinating outfits, don’t forget about the importance of accessories!
3. Layers are a portrait session’s best friend, so choose a color palette of 3 or 4 colors and mix it up.  You want a consistent theme, but avoid anything to “matchy.”
4. Depending on the location of the shoot, keep in mind that light clothes look best on a lighter background while dark clothes look best on darker backgrounds.
5. Don’t forget about shoes! They should be stylish and clean!

If you need ideas for colors or coordinating the whole group without matching, just look through magazines and adds.  Our favorite stores include GAP, J. Crew Crewcuts, Janie n Jack, and Brooks Brothers!

Follow these tips and your session is destined for success!  And if you need more help, never be afraid to go directly to the photographer with questions!

Fall Engagement: Stephanie & Tim: New Jersey Fine Art Photography

We are so excited to be working with Tim and Stephanie! They have scheduled their wedding for the summer of 2016 at The Ashford Estate, but, in the meantime, they decided they wanted some stunning autumn engagement photos.

Fall is a great time to take portraits, whether as an engaged couple, family, maternity, or wedding.  With the colorful foliage and the weather starting to cool down to allow for some playful layering of clothes, autumn days offer the best variety for portraits.  Overcast days allow for beautiful, even lighting. But on the other hand, sunny crisp days bring a bright blue sky as a breathtaking contrast against the warm bright leaves.  We were so happy when Stephanie and Tim decided to do a fall engagement session!

Senior Portraits: Isabel: New Jersey Fine Art Photography

Isabel remembered the Red Bank estate from her childhood.  The amazingly talented singer/songwriter/actress triple-threat knew that when it came time for her senior portraits, they had to be shot there.  We were so honored and excited when she invited us to capture the fantastic space with her.

When the time came, Isabel and her mom made the long trek from western Pennsylvania to central New Jersey, an assortment of beautiful outfits in their trunk.  Both mother and daughter were very excited to get started.  Isabel not only needed a photo for her yearbook, but a headshot for her professional aspirations and portraits for her family.

Isabel’s charm and beauty were mimicked by the scenery, highlighting her free-spirit and genuine personality.  The grandeur of the estate mixed with Isabel’s classic grace made for some breathtaking portraits.

Jersey Shore Home & Garden: Love and Family: New Jersey Fine Art Photography

I had the privilege of spending the better part of a week documenting Sarah with her beautiful her 18 month-old daughter, Schuyler, home, and garden this summer.  Sarah and Schuyler are now off to start a big new adventure in Florida, so she asked me to document her labor of love - her circa 1920s farmhouse that she painstakingly gutted and renovated to look like it had never been renovated, just beautifully kept.

Photographing her home and garden was a photographer’s dream. Everywhere I looked were stunning collections of heirloom antiques and modern finds poised into a still life. You can tell Sarah has an artist’s eye. The garden and farewell party décor were a collaboration with Karen and Bob of Stirling Hands LLC. The gardens, with their elaborate stonework and winding paths through the forest, were just magical for the visiting children, even including a white wrought iron fairy house that had belonged to Sarah’s mother. It was a pleasure and an honor to spend that time with Sarah and her family.

Spring Lake: Summer Portraits: New Jersey Fine Art Photography

The most treasured portraits tend to be filled with smiles of the moment.  When planning portraits with a young child, the key is not to restrict them.  Let them have fun and their personalities will shine through, creating beautiful candid works of art that will be cherished for a lifetime.  Engage kids in whatever they're doing and the love you share will make for one-of-a-kind images.

8 Tips For Great Family Portraits: NJ/PA Portrait Photographers

1. Take Advantage of Family Vacations: If you have extending family together for vacation, it can be a great time for a portrait.  Think about possible groupings that you may want, such as siblings and generational shots.  Make sure to research local photographers and possible locations ahead of time to make it a fun outing.

2. Think About Display First: Before your shoot, ask your photographer what products he or she offers.  Think about your home and your personal style.  Share which products you love before you shoot and your photographer can tailor the shoot. I personally have an app that allows me to customize displays for each individual client's home.

3. Wardrobe: Think about your personal style and your home.  Do you have a traditional home or a modern beach house? What colors do you love? Then try to bring these colors into your wardrobe.  I prefer coordinating rather than matching, and I love incorporating texture and layers. 

4. Schedule Around the Youngest: It can be difficult with younger ones to do an extended family portrait.  Try to schedule around your child’s nap and meal times.  Remember, if you’re doing beach photography, midday is tough light-wise, early morning or evening work best. 

5. Make it Fun: Portraits don’t need to be stressful.  Oftentimes, families go in with the image of a perfect smiling shot, and...well...kids are going to be kids.  When they misbehave or are tired and begin to melt, instead of yelling, it's best to redirect the energy. The next two tips address this very thing.

6. Bring Props: It’s less about that perfect prop and more about bringing something your kids enjoy, like a kite or toys for the beach.  If there is an activity to break up the more traditional shots, kids tend to be more patient.  Most of my clients' kids are thrilled to do portraits again because they associate it with play time with their cousins. 

7. Let the Kids Pick: I sometimes ask the kids where they want to shoot or how they want to stand, and they have a blast. If a little one wants to make silly faces in every shot, I have everyone make silly faces.  The winning shot is always the next frame when everyone is laughing and smiling. It works!

8. Banish Cameras and Phones: It seems like a great time to have your camera or cell phone out to snap a few shots while all the family is there, but this can create issues.  Many times, kids end up looking at the family members and not the photographer.  It is best to leave the devices and enjoy the day!

Spring Lake Family Portraits: Monmouth County Family Portrait Photographer

This family had the  right idea. Why not have a professional photographer capture your family portrait while on vacation? Everyone is relaxed and happy and it shows in the final images. The mom did a great job picking the wardrobe! I loved the strong blue and white color palette with texture added in by the patterns of her daughter's dress and her son's seersucker shorts. To top it off white panama hats added a dash of panache. The over all look is clean and classic and looks great as wall art in any home.  

Tulips and Smiles: Mother's Day

I have beautiful photographs of my rug rats and no tulips left in my garden!  I just love photographing my kids in the spring.  Max gets to climb "his" tree and Ella gets to raid my flowers.  I'm still getting used to Mother's Day being my day too.

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful mom!!! A true treasure!

New Family Bliss: Newborn Photography: Monmouth & Ocean County Portrait Photographers

Your love lifts my soul from the body to the sky~ Rumi

There is nothing so beautiful and emotional as bringing a child into the world.  As a mother of two myself it is something close to my heart and a joy to capture.  This new blessing brings a sense of overwhelming love deep from your core it also intensifies your loving relationship with your spouse.  To me newborn photography is not only about introducing your newest family member to the world it is capturing that relationship between the three of you.  That is something so special, unique and powerful about that bond and it still moves me every time I step behind the lens.