Take easy, better photos at home!

1.  Find decent natural light, do your photos during the day! Stay out of direct sun.  Cloudy days- like today, is the best! 
If you are inside- find a window and put your child/children in front of the window or it can be on the side. You stand on the side of them- make sure the light from the window is hitting them. 
If you are outside- STAY OUT OF DIRECT SUN!! I REPEAT, NO DIRECT SUN! :) 

2. If you want family photos- set your phone on a timer, and jump in! 

3.  To lighten/edit your photos after taking them- there are a ton of apps to do this. I personally use Lightroom and instasize. They are both pretty easy. Your best bet is instasize! 

4. Try not to over edit them, you don't need to do much. 
Think: Less is more! 

5.  Dont stress, if they aren't perfect, if the kids are crying, if they aren't looking!  This is all about capturing the moment!! 

Hope this helps, if anyone has DIRECT questions- feel free to ask!!! 

How to prepare for your next session!

You just booked your session! YAY! Now what? How do you prepare? What should you all wear? I am going to answer all of that for you!

What you wear is important so lets start with that!

Choose your color palette first- PICK 3-4 colors and go with that. Think about the location, the time of the year and the style that you want to get from this. Everyone can express their own sense of style within that palette of colors.

You don’t need to necessarily MATCH, but coordinating is important!

Layers, different patterns on maybe one or 2 people- solid colors for the rest. Start with the kids- and build from there. No kids? Then start with yourself- and build the other person/people.

I tell all my clients. CHOOSE NEUTRAL COLORS.

If we are taking pictures at the studio which is all white/cream loose comfortable clothing! Stick to solid colors/patterns and don’t even worry about the shoes for newborn sessions or beach sessions, we are going to be comfy!

Creams, grays and tans seem to look great on everyone and typically are the go-tos if you aren’t sure what to wear! Even blues look great on everyone! This keeps the FOCUS on the people, not the clothing!

Try to stay away from anything with ‘logos or words’ Of course I love cute quoted shirts, but bring those as a bonus for the kiddos- for babies, keep them comfy. Solid onesies are the way to go, they don’t slide up and block those adorable faces or details!

Remember, you want these photos to hang on walls, put in rooms- keep the colors close to colors that would match your home, and style! If you don’t like to wear dressy clothes - then don’t! Is your home light and bright? moody and dark? Keep it to match you.

Add a POP of color!

The summer/spring it seems to be the corals/light blues, the fall seems to be mustard and I honestly LOVE how it photographs! As long as it isn’t too neon color- then it photographs so nicely!

Choosing THE outfit.

You want to pick outfits that you feel comfortable in, that you’ll be able to sit/bend and move easily in. But you also want to feel beautiful, the more comfortable you are- the better it will photograph! You want it to reflect who you are. Something you would wear!

Keep the session in mind.

Where are we taking pictures? City style? Studio? Woods? Field? Park? You would want to wear what you would in the environment. The woods/fields/parks- maybe a cute pair of flats, boots or sandals. Beach- DITCH The shoes!! Newborn sessions at home, a nice pair of socks maybe or barefoot!

Don’t over think this: Keep it simple, relaxed and comfortable! Lets have some fun!

Ellington,Connecticut 1st birthday session // Annabelle

Birthdays are special, especially 1.  Its a time to celebrate the 1st year of life. So much has changed since you come into this world.  You start by being a little bundle of joy - who sleeps, poops, and eats. Your loved ones watch you grow into a little person who is most likely running around, saying words, and developing your own little personality! It sure is special & I always love capturing those moments! 

Jess booked me months ago to capture this special birthday session! And before we knew it, it was here.  

Jess is quite the crafty one! I got to their house and there was so much fun decor! 

Annabelle was the sweetest- It was a chilly day, and she didn't even complain once! She ran around, having a great time and even when we needed her to do something silly; she went right along with it! Her personality for sure fit her parents. Easy + laid back <3 

The view from their house is just about perfect.  Even with a cloudy day- it can make you fall in love with Connecticut, if you weren't already. 

It was truly an easy session + with a little help from grandparents ( thank you! ) we made sure this cutie was always smiling + laughing; which again, she was just a happy baby! 

Thank you Jess, Ben, and sweet little Annabelle for sharing this special moment with you-  I look forward to future sessions  <3 

A day on the farm

Its funny, I think about where I live and where I am from. 2 different worlds.  I grew up on one of the most crowded, busiest islands there is- Long Island is where my heart is.  But the more I am living in this small state, in this small town with more cows than people ;)  .. just kidding! But seriously, there are a TON of cows here!  The more I live here, the more I love it! 

Recently I spent some time with a family with a farm + it was a blast! 

I mean; mini horses, chickens, ducks.. oh my <3  Megan & Dave have been around animals their entire lives.  They share the love of animals with each other and now will passing it down to their children Molly + Alex. 

One of my favorite things to do while in a session is make sure I try to spend a few minutes with each person of the family even if its a minute. I get to ask them questions, learn about them- its probably my favorite part. 

But this family had 1 amazing thing in common.. the love they have for each other & their farm <3 Thank you for sharing your afternoon with me Megan, Dave, Molly, Alex & all the amazing animals <3