Oh my goodness…the weather this Summer has been so whacky and unpredictable. We are experiencing a very cloudy and rainy Summer here on Long Island, which has caused me to reschedule multiple photo sessions. I have learned from past experiences that when I book a sunset beach session, I have to also include a rain date on the calendar. This means that when clients book, they have two dates already blocked out on my calendar. This gives me flexibility to pivot when the weather just doesn’t want to cooperate. This is also why I have such limited availability for beach family sessions. I try to book only one or two beach sessions a week, so that I can make sure to get your family photographed, no matter what the weather report calls for. We had to reschedule this family’s date twice, as it was a rainy and cloudy week. It was completely worth the wait because the light was perfect on the evening of their session and I just love their collection of images.

I photographed this adorable family last year in the Fall during my annual Fall mini sessions. I had a blast with them last year. They are such a sweet family, so when mom contacted me to book a beach for their sunset session, I was excited to be able to see them again. I was especially excited to see the wardrobe mom selected for the family, which included matching Nap dresses from Hillhouse. I usually don’t suggest matching ensembles, but when the dresses are as cute and colorful as these, it is a winning combo for me. Plus, it makes the images that much more meaningful.

I was shocked to see how much Miss M grew over the last the months. She has THE most adorable personality and smile. She made us work a bit for those smiles, but the work was completely worth it because her smile lights up the room. Even though I always had into a session with a plan of what I want to capture, I have learned that with young toddler aged children, you have to be able to go with the flow and follow the child’s lead. This often means capturing images spontaneously. Even though I am following the child’s lead, I am still posing your family and directing you to make use of the light creatively and to get images that show connection between you. I love this family’s collection of images because there is a lot of love, connection, and most importantly, laughter. You really can tell how much they love each other and sweet Miss M.

As always, if the weather allows and if the family is willing and able, I like to end these sessions in the water. Typically, by this point in the session the sun is almost setting, so there is a beautiful golden glow. These are always my favorite images from the session and the ones that most of my clients choose to hang on the walls of their homes.

I had an absolute blast with this family and was sad when the night came to an end. Here are some of my favorites from the session.