Photographing a vintage Volkswagon van has been a vision of mine for quite some time, so when I came across this gorgeous restored 1971 bus, I knew I had to create a mini session using it as the backdrop. The bus serves as the perfect backdrop for family photos.

I rented the bus from Long Beach Photo Bus and I can’t say enough positive things about the company and owners. They hare really designed the photo booth to be a true experience. It is not only available to photographers, but for party rentals as well. Head to their site for more info.

I had a blast photographing this family last year in West Hampton. During that session, my client announced to the rest of her family that she was pregnant and expecting her second child. It was so fun to capture their reaction to the happy news. It was so great to hear that they wanted to do another shoot and this time include the newest member of the family.

The family is from Oyster Bay, so they decided that they wanted to shoot at The Planting Fields Arboretum, a place at which they spend a lot of time. This location is not only gorgeous, but holds meaning to them as well., so it was the perfect spot for their family session, which would include all of the siblings, grandparents and grandchildren.

I photographed this sweet family two and a half years ago when their first daughter was born. When mom found out she was pregnant with her second daughter, she contacted me to schedule another in home lifestyle newborn session. Unfortunately, due to COVID, we had to postpone her session. Mom opted to do a Fall family session instead. This was a perfect time to schedule the photos because the baby is now five months old and filled with personality.

Although I love photographing families at the beach, I have to say, I love this time of year equally. The foliage is so gorgeous and I love the hues of the trees, shrubbery and flowers. It all adds such dimension to the images. We scheduled this session at a favorite park location of mine about 90 minutes before sunset. This is always my favorite time of day tp photograph because it is when the sun is at its softest. What is nice about this particular location is that because of the abundance of trees, I can also shoot throughout the day.

As a pet owner, I know how important a pet is to a family. Our fur babies are such an integral part of our family. They bring comfort, joy and love that is unconditional. Many clients bring along their dogs to their sessions and I know how important it is to get a family portrait that includes your pet. When this client contacted me and asked to schedule a photo session with her dog, I was excited to have the opportunity to capture her special relationship with her dog.

We scheduled the session on a warm and beautiful September morning in a dog friendly scenic location. Although her initial goal was to capture portraits of her pup, I encouraged her to also get in the frame with her pet. I wanted to also capture the connection and bond between the two. These are the photos you will cherish.

It is now officially the Fall and the weather has cooled off significantly. I had my first pumpkin spice coffee of the season, decorated my home for Halloween and have begun shooting my holiday mini sessions. Even though Fall seems to be in full swing, I still had time for one last beach sunset session this month on a warm and mild September night.

This client had her third baby six months ago and was not able to have a newborn session due to the COVID closures. She decided that she wanted to get some updated family photos and wanted her son to finally have his photographic debut, so she scheduled a family session with me in late September.

Although Summer is officially over, the weather the past few weeks has been spectacular. We had a few days of cold weather and then a stretch of 80 degree days crept in. I welcomed the warm weather, not only because I prefer warmer days, but also because I had a few nights of family beach sessions on my calendar for this month.

This client was originally on my calendar for a newborn session in the Spring. Due to the COVID closures, I was unable to photograph her, so I was super excited to finally be able to meet this family and capture some two month old photos of her baby. We originally had our session scheduled a few days earlier, but the weather was a frigid 62 degrees, so we decided to use the rain date instead. We made the right choice because not only was the weather spectacular, but so was the sunset.

Little Miss V was an absolute blast to work with. She was such a super cooperative child and sat for all of the posed shots that I took at the start of the session. Once it was time to move down to the shore, she was playful and silly, which is exactly what I want to happen at that point of the session. I always prefer the playful and candid captures from these family sessions.

If you haven’t noticed it yet, the recent forest fires out west have created some hazy skies over the past week. Consequently, the sunset has quite a different look to it lately. I am not complaining because I absolutely love the dramatic look that this unique sky creates.

I usually shoot at golden hour, which is the hour right before sunset, but because of the haze created by the fires, this recent session turned into a “blue hour” session, which is the 20-30 minutes that follows sunset. This time of day is equally as gorgeous. The light is soft and filtered, the sky has a blue and pink hue and it often creates for very visually interesting images.

I have been photographing quite a few extended family sessions lately. These sessions are super energetic and fun. Most of the time, these sessions are scheduled as a gift for grandparents to commemorate a special occasion. I can’t think of a better gift to give to a grandparent because it is one that not only the grandparent will cherish, but you will too.

One of my former clients contacted me early in the summer about an extended family session. After seeing her family photos from last Summer, her in laws decided that it would be a great idea to plan and gift a session for their mother. This particular session included five young children and nine adults, so there were a lot of images to capture during this session. Many of the men in the family are members of FDNY and being that my husband is also FDNY, it made the session even more special.

I went to high school with this recent client and both she and her twin brother are amongst the funniest and sweetest people I know. After photographing this beauty with her family, I realized that her four year old daughter inherited that same gift of humor. Dad also was a hoot to work with. Seriously, I don’t think I have ever had more fun during a session.

Little Miss V was an absolute blast to work with. She was such a super cooperative child and sat for all of the posed shots that I took at the start of the session. Once it was time to move down to the shore, she was playful and silly, which is exactly what I want to happen at that point of the session. I always prefer the playful and candid captures from these family sessions.

It is Labor Day weekend and Summer is winding down, but in Long Beach, September is the absolute best time of year. After this weekend, crowds will dissipate, the weather cools off a bit, and the sunsets change in color and intensity.

I shot my first sunset family session of the month Friday evening and although the beach was a bit more crowded than usual, the session was amazing. We had the most gorgeous and moderate weather, the water was warm, and the colors of the sun and sky were constantly changing in hue and color. Best of all, I got to photograph one of the sweetest families I have met. I am so lucky to work with such awesome clients

When I get asked to do a large group family session, I always get excited. These sessions are filled with energy and laughter. I also love to photograph these because I get the opportunity to document grandparents and their grandchildren together, which is always such a special bond to capture. These sessions are a great gift to give to grandparents for the upcoming holidays and it is one that not only the grandparent will cherish, but you will too.

One of my favorite clients contacted me about a last minute extended family session. Her brother in law was visiting from Hawaii and she wanted to take this opportunity to capture the whole entire family together. It was also the first time they were meeting the newest baby of the family, so it was an extra special visit.

I always tell my clients that getting engaged is the happiest moment one can experience in life. Of course, there are other moments, like the wedding or having your children that are joyous, but those first few moments right after you get engaged are like no other moment in life. It is because of that pure joy that I love photographing surprise proposals so much and I am always honored to be a part of the moment.

Not only does photographing this type of engagement session require the client to have faith in my ability to capture the moment, but he must also depend on my reliability during what is amongst the most intimate and joyous occasions that one can celebrate in life. Because I know how nerve wracking this process can be for a groom to be, my first priority for this type of session is to put the groom at ease and help him to feel confident in my ability to capture the moment. I do this by maintaining open communication throughout the planning process.

I recently photographed a family with six children, the youngest of which are beautiful twin girls. I was amazed at how calm and relaxed mom and dad were and how amazingly happy and connected everyone in the family was. Love really abounds in the family; in particular, amongst the siblings. It was so touching to watch the way the oldest siblings interacted with their younger siblings in such a loving and nurturing manner.

The oldest daughter contacted me about this session because she wanted to gift her mom a session with all of her children. I know I might be biased, but I can’t think of a more meaningful gift for a parent to receive. The images will last a lifetime and will be treasured by not only mom and dad, but all of their children as well.

I am excited to announce the first of my series of holiday sessions for the 2018 season.  Not only am I offering a beach holiday session, but for the first time ever, I am offering a  family mini session. Although this session works for just children, I always encourage my clients to get into the frame with their children and this session is the perfect opportunity to get some fun family images.  

The campfire holiday session is not only unique, but it will be an interactive and fun experience for everyone. As a family photographer, my goal is to always provide you with an experience that allows you to connect and have fun with your children.  I chose this particular theme because a camping expedition provides the perfect opportunity for parents to have uninterrupted and quality bonding time with their children.  

Even though I photograph families at the beach, I never get bored of sunset family sessions. Not only is each family unique, but the sunset each night is unique and like a fingerprint, no two are ever the same. With that being said, the sunset on Monday evening was absolutely epic. I had to pause throughout the session to take a moment to just take the beauty all in. It really was the perfect night to photograph a family on the beach.

I photographed this family a year ago for an in home newborn session and they are one of my favorite families to work with. They are not only super nice, but their children are the sweetest and most fun loving children I have met. I don’t think I have many photos in which they are not laughing and smiling.

Is it me or does Summer seem to be flying by? Due to COVID restrictions, social engagements for most of us have been limited and, yet, here we are…halfway through July. I, for one, have been embracing every second of this beautiful warm weather and much of that involves spending time down by the shore.

The beach is a great place to go right now. You can easily maintain social distance, take in the fresh air, and calm any residual COVID anxiety by relaxing by the sea. My favorite time to go to the beach is late afternoon into the evening hours. I love how serene the beach is at this time of day and I love to watch the colors of the sky, sun and ocean change as sunset approaches. These gorgeous soft colors are what make it the perfect location for photos.

Although I Have a fully equipped studio space, I love shooting outdoor sessions. Photographing families and children outdoors allows for more natural, candid and relaxed images. A first birthday is the perfect opportunity to update your family photos and capture adorable images of the birthday child.

This client contacted me for a cake smash scheduled outdoors for her son’s first birthday. She wanted a very natural session with no props, which is perfect for me because I prefer a much more natural and simplistic look to my images.

Although I am primarily a family and newborn photographer, I also photograph events occasionally. When this bride contacted me about her wedding a few months ago, I knew that the day would be a special one and I was excited and honored to be a part of it. On the day of the wedding, we started at the Garden City Gazebo to capture some family photos.

In the midst of the “stay in” during the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been many moments of anxiety and fear. To helps assuage those fears, I have opted to focus on the positives during the last few weeks. For example, I am enjoying this relaxing time at home, nurturing bonds with my children, reading voraciously, creating art and catching up on some blogging. When I choose this perspective, the situation actually seems more like a vacation than a quarantine.

Speaking of vacations, we traveled to Florida in early February for our annual trip to the Florida Keys. This year, we spent a few nights in Orlando and visited Walt Disney World. Although we visited Disney in 2017 and 2018, this trip was extra special because our youngest is currently princess obsessed and both girls are now old enough to really appreciate the trip.

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the last two weeks have been a whirlwind of uncertainty and fear. The media has been bombarding us with terrifying stories, the local grocery store shelves are bare and social media is filled with memes, articles and posts that further perpetuate the fear and madness.

In the midst of the hysteria, I had the privilege to witness what life is all about: love. I photographed an adorable couple as they embarked on a new stage of life together at the swanky TWA hotel. This couple’s love story is much like a storybook. The groom is from the Amalfi Coast in Italy. He met his bride while she was there visiting her father’s family, who also lives in Italy. The two began courting when he visited the states. Afterwards, they engaged in a long distance relationship that involved commuting between countries to see each other until he ultimately moved to the US.