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The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler, and fall family portraits can be just as lovely as summer photographs. There are still the same approaches to family portraits in the months of September and October, with a few changes to keep in mind.

Location: This may be a state park with hills, trails, logs and tall grasses, a pumpkin farm with all of its activities, your own backyard and somewhere to include the colorful fall leaves.

Dress: Something warm. Sweaters with natural colors: ivory, tans, browns, deep reds, burgundy, greens, and dark blues. A hat or scarf can add touch of color. Jeans or Khakis give a family portrait a presentable casual appearance.

Time of Day: To take advantage of the best light, fall portraits happen in the late afternoon.Typically I like to start an hour and a half before sunset.

Pets: If you are thinking of making a photograph suitable for a holiday card, bring your pet or pets! They are part of your family too! It helps to have a friend or relative come along to care for your pets when we are making other photographs.

Once all of the above has been decided upon, come to your session relaxed and ready to have fun. I prefer keeping the children active so their smiles happen naturally. My team and I will take care of everything else.

Family portraits in the fall

Family portraits in the Fall.

Book your session soon while the temperatures are still comfortable.

 
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As a portrait photographer in the Hamptons, I have spent year after year surrounded by breathtaking seascapes; the bay, the ocean, beaches, and ponds of the Hamptons. My familiarity with this scenery has allowed me to become more adventurous over the years with my portraiture and explore secret places of the Hamptons.

My earliest boating memories were as a child in Margate, New Jersey, sailing with my Dad. I think we spent more time bailing water out of the leaky wooden boat and getting towed off sandbars than actually sailing. As a child, all of this was exceedingly embarrassing but not completely discouraging. In fact, over the years I have acquired a fleet of wooden boats, none of which need bailing or towing.  I incorporate the entire fleet into my portrait sessions in the Hamptons. These unique portrait photography props add depth and character to the magic moments that can be captured on camera.

The tiniest of our boat props, also known as our baby boat, is perfect for infants up to about 9 months.  The white and navy color scheme of the boat allows my subjects to stand out brilliantly against beach dunes, ocean settings, and other favorite Hamptons’ locales. Don’t forget – our tiny boat is also great for pet portraits of your family’s favorite animals.

Boating Photography in the Hamptons

 

“Fairweather” – the second in our series of boat portrait props – is best suited for the little guys and girls who are fast becoming toddlers. One year olds who still need to hang onto a sturdy object and toddlers who like getting in and out of the boat over and over or filling the boat with sand or seashells will find themselves at home for their beach portraits in “Fairweather.”

 

“Buttercup” is a serious sailing dingy that can really enhance a photo-session for your “big kids” or kids about 4 years and older. Since “Buttercup” is a sailable vessel, new options for beach portraits in the Hamptons arise: on and in the water.  Check out below how a family pet, Applejack, has used “Buttercup” to make quite the splash!

 

Pet Photography in the Hamptons

Our final and most exquisite boat prop for beach portraits in the Hamptons is the “Eastern Star,” a classic 18-foot Marshall catboat. This fully operating sailboat helps me voyage families to the most remote and pristine locations in and around the Hamptons, of which, some of my favorites are Three Mile Harbor and Gardner’s Bay.


Whether you are looking to have portraits taken of your newborn, a family pet, or take your family portrait out to sea – at Deborah Kalas Studios we have the perfect boat for any type of portrait!

To learn more about my portrait photography in the Hamptons click the links below:

Secret Places For Portraits In The Hamptons
Unique Hamptons Photography Sessions On The Water 
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Having been a portrait photographer for many years, I have grown to love photographing what is natural and real. With the advent of digital photography and tools like Photoshop, the ability to retouch images and “fix” the way people look has become commonplace. Portrait photography clients frequently ask whether I can make them look younger or thinner. The answer to those types of questions is handled on an individual basis guided by what can or can’t be changed in a photograph and still remains natural and believable.

Once you choose your finished photographs, the images selected for printing can undergo a number of corrections. Some basic retouching to your photographs can include minimizing wrinkles, brightening eyes and teeth, evening out areas that are too dark or light, and eliminating some stray hair and facial blemishes.

At times, especially in posed group portraits, smiles can be fixed and blinking eyes can be opened, but only if there is a suitable image to pull the best features from. This technique generally doesn’t work for candid photographs. The extent and limitations of these retouching techniques can be discussed when selecting your favorite images.

Here are some examples of more extensive retouching:

  1. The girl in the white dress gets a new leg from another image, and the bandage is removed from her toe.Portrait Photography: What Can Be Retouched
  2. In the close-up photograph of the young girl, she had been bitten by a bug at the beginning of the session. Her eye swelled immediately. I made a conscious effort to photograph her in a pleasing way, and when I wasn’t able to avoid showing her eye, my team was able to retouch it and make it look “normal and real;” something I constantly strive for.Deborah Kalas - Portrait Photography Retouching
  3. In the third photograph, a woman’s thigh is slimmed. In some situations this is possible. Sometimes not.  Wrinkles from a shirt can be softened drawing less attention to it. A piece of dress can be made longer to cover a piece of underwear that may be showing.Retouched Hamptons Portraits

We will work together with each photograph you’ve chosen. These images will be carefully analyzed for what can and cannot be done to keep them looking real & natural while guaranteeing that you not only look like you, but you look your finest.

Click here for more information on how to choose your finished portraits.