Family Photos

Annual Family Photos at Morgan Memorial Park Glen Cove

In the fall, Long Island is a-buzzing with family photographers snapping away. However, one of the biggest challenges we face, as professional Long Island family photographers, is where to photograph and not have other people in our photos or have to pay large permit fees. The farms out East are beautiful, but they’re a drive and they are always super busy. Luckily, for Nassau County families, there are a few beautiful, not crowded, and close places, which are great for taking family photos.

Morgan Memorial Park in Glen Cove is a little known secret to North Shore Long Island photographers like myself.

Photographing annual family photos with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents is a timeless gift you can give your kids.

Today’s session was our 4th annual family photo outing. Every year, this Long Island family does a full family session when the foliage hits peak, and it’s amazing to see how much everyone changes in just a year.

Sister, Sister

Photographing Multi-generation Family Sessions

It’s one thing to have your immediate family photographed by a professional family photographer. It’s another when everyone is involved from grandma and grandpa to aunts, uncles, and cousins. In 5 years, 10 years, or 50 years, or even in one single year, these photos will act as a time machine transporting you back. After the past year, when we couldn’t see one another, the photos on our phones and the printed photos around our homes reminded us of the happier times, of the ones we love, and of all the amazing moments we have shared together.

A professional family photographer captures the true spirit of your family.

You deserve a professional photographer that captures the true spirit of your family and what makes your family, your family. Hiring a photographer who is both friendly and patient will be the absolute key to capturing amazing photos, especially with young children. On today’s family session, I knew we’d be taking several snack breaks and toy breaks to regain the kids attention, so in planning the shoot I purposefully blocked out my morning. This family session wasn’t booked as a “90 minute session” or as“2 hours with overtime” as many photographers often do. I’m not interested in rushing anyone. I’m interested in capturing fun and happy family photos.

The best Long Island Family Photographer is an experienced family photographer because as we all know, there’s Instagram and then there’s reality.

Capturing family lifestyle photos are just as important as capturing the traditional posed family photos. Often the lifestyle photos are the best photos because they are organic and the emotions captured are natural, not posed.

For this shoot, we discussed capturing both traditional posed family photos and lifestyle shots (I.e. kids playing with their toys, bouncing on the bed). As I photographed this Long Island family, we alternated between posed formal poses and the fun candid moments. The constant change between “Look here and smile” (formal family photos - traditional) and “let’s play with the building blocks” (candid lifestyle) really kept the kids relaxed and engaged as I took photos.

Battery Park NYC Family Photographer

The Best nyc family Photographers are the ones that photograph annual family photos

2020 marked my second year photographing family photos for this Lower Manhattan family. Our annual family photo session always starts with everyone in the apartment and then we take a cab to Battery Park for outdoor family photos, which tend to be more casual. This year we were greeted with perfect mid-September weather and light.

as an nyc family photographer I try to capture what makes your family unique and the amazing place we all call home, NY.

As a family photographer in New York City, I’m always asked where is the best place to take family photos. I personally believe the best location for family photos, especially with younger kids, is a place where everyone is comfortable. It could be the local park (Central Park, Battery Park, Gantry Plaza Park, or the small park down the street) or just on the block where you live.

Family photographers go with the flow

When you go online and see Pinterest or Instagram posts we all get ideas of how we want our family session to look. We also envision how are family session will go, against our better judgement; all smiles under a perfectly blue sky. Well, not everything you see on the internet is true. Most of the time, you just see a highlight reel of the good times, and not the not so fun times. I too was a kid once. In fact, I was really difficult kid.

When photographing younger kids I like to photograph a ton of candid moments. I do give direction throughout the session, but only little suggestions and I never get frustrated when our vision does not go to plan. Letting kids be kids, whether that’s playing or talking to mom and dad as I shoot, is key to having them become comfortable in front of the camera.

Central Park Family Session - The Whitmans

Happy Friday! My early fall family photography session last Friday was a wild success. We had amazing late September lighting at our 5:30pm family session in Central Park NYC. As a NYC family photographer , I have a lot of different options as to where I can photograph and when. Central Park’s West side offers an almost endless list of looks/ feels; Strawberry Fields, Bethesda Fountain, 72nd Street heading West with the sunset.

Photographing families with young kids can be challenging. That’s ok!

Prior to photographing a family session with younger children, I always suggest parents bring the following 2 items.

  • The first are snacks. Snacks are a great mood booster for little kids. Sometimes all it takes is some sugar to turn a frown upside. And other times, snacks act as a good-ole-fashioned bribe.

  • The second must have item are toys. I love having toys on photoshoots because the best thing a kid can do is play and just be a kid. Not all of our photos have to be posed “look here and smile” type photos. Candids make the best photos!

The Best nyc family photographer is relaxed.

There’s instagram and then there’s reality. Not every pose or idea we have will go to plan, and that’s A-OKAY! 90% of the time, the best photos are the ones we least expected. These are the candid photos of your family being themselves; laughing, giggling, talking to one another, and playing. As an experienced and professional family photographer my best advice is to be comfortable. Forget you’re being photograph and focus on being yourself. It will 110% show in your photos.

Have a good time! :)

Montauk Beach Family Photographer

I photographed Matt and Lexi’s proposal in Montauk, NY 3 years ago! I can’t believe it’s been 3 years.

Well, 3 years later, I’ve been asked to photograph their whole family back in Montauk. We picked the beach across from their family’s home because it was convenient and because the eastern Long Island location captured the essence of their Montauk summer living.

As a photographer, it was a tough family shoot to photograph because of the strong East to West winds, the sun was still strong, and when working with little kids you never know what you’re going to get. The common misconception with family photos is “Instagram vs Reality”. People only see the best photos. These are the photos with the kids happy and smiling. However, what you don’t see are the crying photos, not looking at the camera photos, and the bloopers.

We tried to have Issac cooperate, but he was not in to having his photo taken. So, plan B was to have Isaac be Isaac, a kid who likes to play in the sand with his toys. I photographed him playing and then had everyone gather around him, and I captured the moment. I then consistently tried to capture more posed and structure photos.

Long Island Family - Manhasset Family Photographer

That’s a wrap, 2019! My very last photoshoot of 2019 was a super fun family photo session with 9 month old Jayden and his parents, Mina and Jon. Our photo session was at their family’s beautiful and open home in Manhasset, NY.

Mina and Jon’s son Jayden was a lot of fun to photograph. He was super curious and didn’t mind dressing up in his new pajamas.

Photographing families in their home makes for the best photos. Everyone is comfortable and the kids have all of their favorite toys right there. Especially for little kids, home photoshoots are the best, not only because home is where the toys are, but because it’s easy for everyone. We were even able to pause for Jayden’s 30 minute nap and pick right back up again when he woke up.

Family Photo checklist for kids

  • Toys: On family photo sessions I always recommend brining a few toys. Children, young and old, need a distraction. It’s hard to constantly smile photo after photo, and still look happy. A toy break can be a great mood booster and a nice way to relax.

  • Snacks: Even this photographer needs a snack break from time to time. Bring snacks to our family shoot. It’s a huge mood booster and even a bargaining chips to get the kids to pay attention and behave.

  • Budget time: Budget time in to your family photoshoot for snack breaks and time to play. Not all of our photos have need to be posed photos. Sometimes the best photos are of the kids just being kids…. even if it’s on the floor. Posed family photos are great, and so are candids.