Sweater Weather at the Beach

Let's go to the beach... in November... in New England. It sounds crazy, right?

When I first talked with Melissa, we had a vision for classic neutral tones, a soft sea haze, chunky textures on nice warm sweaters, and an incredibly fun family session.  Our session date finally arrived, and here we were a week into November.  Normally we might have had a snow flurry by now, and certainly it  would be normal to expect frigid temperatures.

But we lucked out.  Big time.

We enjoyed a gorgeous afternoon at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, a cloudy 60-degrees day that was absolutely perfect for getting our feet sandy and running along the beach in our boots.

Marseille was a wild spirit on the beach, and I just adore how the wind coming in off the ocean picked up her hair and blew it in the breeze.  These candids are a few of my favorites.

Morrison was such a little boy, digging in the sand & flinging it around.  Sandy fingers and sandy toes mean you did the beach just right.  ;o)

And then there's Madrid.  She's an amazing big sister, corralling her two little siblings together for adorable photos.  Her favorite part of the beach was running off by herself and drawing in the sand.  What a creative little spirit.  

I brought this colorful blanket with me for some cuddly photos, and I love how much fun the kids had with it!  It really brought so much laughter, life, and personality to the photos right at the end of our session.

Peek-a-boo!

A Colorful Family Photo Session at Powisset Farm

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."  

~L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

(Session was photographed in October, and published in November.  ;-)  )

When this family reached out to me for their yearly photo session, I immediately knew the perfect location with beautiful fall colors where their little girl would have room to run & explore.

Powisset Farm in Dover is becoming one of my new favorite locations.  After an incredibly fun & beautiful family session there this summer, I was eager to visit the community farm again with the change of seasons.  Driving along the road that leads to the farm was so breathtaking that I the moment the family jumped out of their car, we headed over to the quiet country road for a few quick photos to start our session together.  The vibrant colors, the falling leaves, the sparkling light -- backdrops don't come any more gorgeous than New England in the fall!

Chiara is three, and anyone that has a three year old knows that children this age have a lot of personality.  I love working with these little ones during our photo sessions and capturing their bright spirits on camera.  At this age, children need lots of space to run and play, so outdoor locations are always ideal.  While we always start with family photos, the moment I have the children by themselves they get excited, chatty, inquisitive, and playful.  Did you know that sometimes the best way to get amazing photos of your children is actually to give them a little room and let them warm up to the photographer by themselves?  It works every time!  Just look at that smile!  ;o)

And then it's right back to cuddles with mommy and daddy, which to a three year old are pretty much the best thing ever.  I just love it when moms and dads get in the picture with their little ones and show them some love.    

Thank you for such an amazing session together!  You're going to love a new gallery wall in your home with these portraits to enjoy every day!

Making New Memories in Vintage Dresses | A Motherhood Session

Arlene is a dear, dear friend of mine.  We've known each other for years -- before marriage & babies & houses & PhDs & photography businesses.  I've loved capturing her little girls on camera, and I always adore the sweet moments we photograph when we get together. Sometimes, you just have to call your friend up to come over, get dolled up, and do a pretty motherhood session in the studio with her daughters.  And that's exactly what we did last Monday morning.

There is so much love bundled into these photographs, and there is such a history of love stories in each one, too!  Arlene's husband is a genealogist and is always sharing stories about their long lines of ancestors.  What I love about these photographs is the history in their outfits.  Arlene is wearing her wedding dress from their celebration in the Dominican Republic.  Little Daniela is wearing the dress that Arlene wore to her own parents' wedding when she was a little girl.  And her big sister, Alice, is wearing the dress she wore last weekend to Arlene's brother's wedding.  So much love, so much history, and so many stories in those sweet white dresses.

Alice & Daniela.

Looking at a photo of the girls from our last session together, I've concluded that this is their signature "sister hug".  Dani looks like she's used to dealing with her big sister's too-tight squeezes, and I just love the expression on her little face!

I've known Alice since she was a teeny-tiny baby in the hospital, welcoming her to the world with a "1st birthday" cake on her first day in our lives.  Watching her grow, and watching Arlene as a mom, has been such a joy.  That's what the heart behind our "Celebrating Motherhood" sessions is all about -- the magic of motherhood, and those gorgeous memories that moms make with their little ones.

Can't you just tell how much Dani loved the camera?  Such a little doll!