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After years of working as a portrait photographer in the Hamptons, I have had a lot of parents ask, “what is the best age to have a portrait session of my child?”  My answer is, “any age is a good age!” Each age offers different possibilities for photographs. My job is to capture the unique, magical glimpses of each stage of a child’s development. I would like to share with you the special moments we can capture at each age.

From Newborn to 5 Years Old – When to Have Your Child’s Portrait Session

0-1 month: Newborns have tiny noses, fingers, and toes contrasted with an adult. A lot of photographs will be made with the parents, since this age child needs lots of support. Baskets, small wagons, and fluffy quilts cuddle the baby. Sleeping photos to capture the tenderness of this age are not uncommon.

3 months: This baby babbles coos, squeals and smiles readily. There are lots of wonderful expressions to capture. Some of these babies like to lie on their tummy and can even hold their heads up. This offers a new range of positions and expressions, which can be captured forever.

6 months: A 6 month old likes to reach for objects and inspect them with their hands, eyes, and mouth. Their ranges of expressions are growing as is their body control. This is a great age for siblings to be included and cuddle the newest member of the family. Have with you their favorite objects at the beginning of the session; I will also be bringing along some natural age appropriate grasping toys.

9 months:  This young child is beginning to explore more of their environment. They may creep, crawl, sit without support, or pull themselves up to stand. They like to play peek-a-boo, will respond to their name, and make playful sounds. Teething is usually occurring so they also like to bite and chew toys. Have a towel handy to wipe up the drool. Parents may be called upon to help with encouraging their child’s expressions.

10 – 12 months:  This is one of my favorite ages for child photography. This little character crawls easily, may stand and even begin to walk. I have custom-made boats and wagons for support. This child is easy to engage. They are beginning to have a sense of humor, like to wave “bye-bye,” understands “no-no”, gives and takes objects, and will repeat performances that are laughed at.

2 year old: I call these children my “movers and shakers.”  There are on the go, exploring the world around them. It’s important to follow the mood, temperament, and actions of this adventurer.  A lot of patience is required since this child usually does not respond to verbal persuasion and if frustrated, will have a temper tantrum. They will usually find an activity they enjoy repeating over and over; like filling a bucket with sand and dumping it out, pushing my small rowboat towards the water, and running in and out of the water. These are all enjoyable activities that elicit natural expressions from your toddler. They may play alongside other children, but not with them. Ownership of his or her own things, a favorite toy or blanket is fiercely held onto and may be included in some of their portraits.

3 year olds: This is a delightful age for portraits. At three, children can take suggestions for playful activities; like making a sand castle or playing with trucks in the sand. They can play simple games like “ring around the rosy”, “red light green light” or “Simon says.” They enjoy nursery rhymes, naming silly foods, and counting things.  Breaks for snacks and drinks help keep this child happy.

4 year olds: This child is blossoming as a self-sufficient individual. They have a wonderful sense of humor, love silly songs and names, and use their imagination in their play activities. They like to make up stories about where sand trucks are going, or who lives in the sand castle, or about friendly fish in the sea. Their engaging play encourages a wide variety of expressions for me to photograph. If they have siblings, these children like playing together making more opportunities for interactive candids.

5 year olds: At this stage, many children want to help and please adults making them very easy to work with. They enjoy exercise games, humorous stories and can even act them out. They are self-assured and enjoy playing with others. There is a wide range of photographic possibilities with 5 year olds.

Would you like to read more about children’s portraits? Click here:
My Baby Is Teething: Can I Still Have Her Portrait Done?Beautiful Babies Photos During The First Year8 Ways to Prepare For Your Child’s Beach Portraits
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With all the decisions that have to be made, choosing a wedding photographer is one of the most important. As a Hamptons wedding photographer for many years, I’ve had a lot of experience of working with couples before, during, and after the big day. Successful wedding photography depends on good planning. Here are some things to think about when planning the photography for your wedding.

5 Things To Keep In Mind When Planning Your Wedding Photographs

1. Pre-Wedding Consultation: A consultation beforehand is where you can discuss your “Must Have Photographs.” From this, a “shoot list” is created. This list has descriptions of the special photographs you want that are unique to you and your wedding. As an experienced wedding photographer, I know how long it takes to make a group photograph or to move from one location to the next. I like to plan how it can be accomplished with the greatest of ease. Of course, this schedule is not set in stone and it can be changed at any point during the wedding.

2. Portraits or No Portraits?: Many couples like the photojournalistic approach and ask for all the photographs to be candid. However, I still recommend a very brief portrait session, about 20 minutes in length, of the couple and family. This may consist of the bride and groom alone and with each of your families, and the wedding party. During the festivities it may be difficult to make a lovely portrait when everyone is moving in and around friends and family.

3. When to Make Portraits: I have found that making portraits in a location near the church or reception where the guests are not gathered works best. This way, we go quickly and efficiently through the portrait list and there are no guests to distract us.
The most important thing I take into consideration is the light. When considering your wedding time schedule, try to have the portrait session occur when the light is most flattering, which is late afternoon or early evening. If that doesn’t work, and the light is too bright, the portraits can be made shortly before the reception starts. This approach gives everyone a chance to relax and have something to eat and drink. One challenge is making sure everyone “shows up” for the portraits. Think about a friend who can be designated as “The Gatherer” who can wrangle the groups so everyone appears at the designated time.

4. The Most Important Hour: Many of the important events at a wedding reception occur within the first hour. Keeping that in mind, if you are on a tight budget, shooting an hour or an hour and a half into the wedding reception can be enough to complete the story. The entrance, the couple’s first dance, parent dances, the first dance sets, and the toasts, occur early in the celebration. If the cake is set out, a mock cake cutting can round out the coverage.

5. The Tone: Keep in mind; you, the bride and groom, set the tone of the wedding. If you dance, everyone else will too. If you are having a wonderful time, so will your guests. Plan to enjoy every minute and your wedding pictures will be amazing.

So, take it from a veteran Hamptons wedding photographer: good planning is the best way to ensure that your wedding photographs are all you want them to be. Don’t wait until the last minute: Your wedding day will go by in a flash!

 
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Here are some tips to make sure your family portrait session is enjoyable and produces wonderful photographs that you will treasure forever:

1. Clothing: Keep clothing simple. No stripes, patterns or logos. Lighter is better than darker. Everyone does not have to be identical; have the clothing similar in tonality. Make sure that girls can sit comfortably as well as stand (so stay away from the tight skirts and short dresses). Babies need bloomers and plain underwear for white dresses. Boys in collared shirts are a nice look. Make sure the clothing fits your child properly (i.e. sleeves not too long, pants not too long).

2. Hair: For those with long hair, please bring hair ties, clips, ribbons, gel or hair spray in case it’s windy. For adults or children in need of a haircut, have the appointment a week before the session.

3. Colors: If you have a favorite outfit that is bright and colorful, pack that as well. It’s better to have too many clothes to choose from than too few.

4. Snacks: Bring drinks and easy to eat non-staining snacks like Cheerios, Teddy Grahams, pretzels, crackers, cheese, or carrot and celery sticks. It’s not a good idea to bring candy to the session. We need the children to focus and stay relatively calm.

5. Don’t Say Cheese! Please think about songs and stories that will make your children relax and laugh. (It’s better to have your mouth moving than theirs!). Please do not practice “Cheese” or “Smile” – it’s best if they are encouraged to play, use their imaginations, and have a good time. With young children, it’s important that parents are ready with silly things that you know will make them laugh. Be prepared to act ridiculous if called upon (all for the sake of fine photography). We promise not to tell your friends that you danced on the beach or jumped up and down or made funny noises. We want you to have fun too. (Don’t worry, if you can’t be ridiculous, we can.)

6. Be Rested: If possible let the kids have a quiet afternoon before the session. I know this sounds like the doctor who says “keep your child in bed for 24 hours.” Just do your best. We need them rested. They will be very active during the session.

Good preparation helps to ensure a successful family portrait session.

 

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