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For me, the two most important things about family photography are having the session be enjoyable and getting you the best high quality archival products I can.

In order to accomplish this, I invite you into my studio for your presentation/selection meeting. Here we can work together to select your favorite photographs. I will be able to crop images and enlarge them and show you other variations including black and white or sepia.  Then I will show you a host of beautiful products that will showcase your photographs.

Here are some things to think about before the meeting:

1. Albums: When clients like 20 or more imagines many choose to put them in an archival bound album.  I offer many options (you can see some of them here). Your album can tell a story about your family at the beach, your home or wherever the session was. Duplicate books can be made for the “other house” and smaller book for grandparents.

2. Wall Portraits: If you are thinking about hanging your portrait, measure the wall you are thinking of hanging the photograph on. Typical sizes are 30 x 40, 24 x 30, 20 x 24, and 16 x 20. Since we print almost all of our work on premises, we can custom create any size you need that fits the image and your wall space. We offer many different finishes and you’ll see each option at the meeting (here’s a preview).

3. Holiday Gifts: Photographs make great Holiday Gifts. Do you have anyone that might enjoy a photograph of your children and family? Bring a written list.

4. Your Office: Does your office have space for wall portraits or something for a bookcase or your desk? Consider sizes that work for your situation.

5. Holiday Cards: Does your family send Holiday Cards? If so, how many did you send last year? Did you have enough or too many or too few? We work with several custom vendors so there are many styles to choose from.

Whether you choose albums, wall portraits, or holiday cards, you will be getting the best quality printing and finishing so that they last forever.

 

 

 
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Over the years, I’ve worked with countless families in hopes of catching the perfect family portrait. Whether I’m working with a large extended family gathering or a couple and their firstborn, I’ve developed a certain workflow to capture the perfect moment. I would like to familiarize you with how I work and also provide my tips and insights so we can best prepare for your family portrait session together:

  1. If we are working at a location I am unfamiliar with, I make sure to visit it before the session at the same time we will be shooting. I observe where the light is falling and what possible locations I can work with in that setting. Then, I watch the weather carefully in order to be able to adjust the start time for optimum lighting conditions.
  2. In most cases, I begin the session with more controlled portraiture starting with the largest groupings first and then paring away. Young children being with their parents helps them feel more comfortable. The light may also be a bit bright so I can control the lighting better. However, if you have an extremely active child who must be moving all the time, I will start with moving photos first. Usually even a very active child will calm down, and at this point, it’s easier to bring in other family members for portraits together.
  3. From there, I like to move into active play. Each individual has “their turn,” and then I work with all of the children playing together. Sometimes I need parental participation to engage the children. I will direct you where to be. It’s important for you to be in close proximity to the camera, which may mean kneeling down so your children’s eyes are focused in the camera’s direction.
  4. I come to every session with lots of patience. It’s important to acknowledge each child’s personality and timing and let myself be guided by their comfort zone. If they need a short break for refreshments, it’s important to give him or her that time.
  5. Though the sessions are meant to be relaxed and enjoyable, I am very aware of the changing light: approaching clouds, setting sun, and wind and will move the session along to accomplish what I have in mind to give you the greatest range of images.
  6. I like to end the sessions with family play. By then, the light is gorgeous, everyone is very relaxed, and it’s a great time for spontaneous photography.

I hope this gives you a better understanding of what to expect when having your family portait taken. I thought I’d also share a finished photograph of engaging children in active play on the beach:

Hamptons Family Portrait

 
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During the first year of a baby’s life there’s something new to celebrate nearly every day. Whether it’s the first smile, the first word, or the first step, every stage provides delightful memories. To make it easy for parents to capture each of these wonderful stages, I started offering baby portrait packages a few years ago.

It works like this: we schedule 2 to 4 separate baby photo sessions during the first year at these milestones:

photocrati gallery