New Jersey Family Photographer | Formal-wear photoshoot inspiration
Formal photoshoot inspiration for you.
Sometimes its just fun to get dressed up, and a photoshoot is the perfect excuse to do so. The neutral grey stone works perfectly as a backdrop for something like this. Pretty much any color works well with grey so when planning your own formally dressed photoshoot keep that in mind. Let your personality shine through in what you choose to wear. These guys already had their clothes and once they explained what they would be wearing I chose this location. Although this is a train station in reality, the architecture has that classically elegant feel with a bit of grit. Have fun planning and styling your own formal photoshoot!
Need more inspiration for your next glamorous photoshoot? Head to my instagram page!
New Jersey Family Photographer | studio backdrop style session +
in home, Photography Tips, holiday
Sharing a studio style (backdrops and lights) family photoshoot here. I purchased this hand painted canvas backdrop from Kate Backdrops. Its pretty massive (10 feet wide) but this is a large group of people. Everything was very intentionally selected; from the colors chosen to wear and they style of everyones hair. We wanted the boys to have that GQ look and the girls to be in gorgeous dresses. The shot featured above, shows off a whimsical dress rented from Rainey’s Closet. A girl could go hog wild renting things to wear on their website, let me tell you.
The second half of the shoot we spent taking environmental portraits in the home. Honestly, it was much easier to get the whole group in a room as opposed to on the backdrop. In the end, it was a perfect mix of artistically styled studio portraits and at home environmental portraits. Enjoy the inspiration!
To check out more photoshoot ideas, check out my instagram page!
New Jersey Family Photographer | mother daughter session
in farm, garden, Photography Tips
OK, obvi this type of shoot is unique because its set for just two…not all. Just YOU and that one individual. How special is that?! Maybe its extravagant…but I’m fine with that. Its a celebration of your separate bond with just them. If you have a lot of kids, don’t do it all in the same year. Do it when each child turns 10 or 16 or graduating high school. Whatever.
There are no rules.
Little things like this matter!
Click here to check out another mother/daughter image on my instagram page!
New Jersey Family Photographer | wild flower session
A little backlighting sunset meadow imagery for you.
New Jersey Family Photographer | whimsical fairies in the garden photoshoot idea
I’m a gardener as some of you may know. I started gardening when my kids were babies…its was a way for me to keep busy while they were playing outside. As the years have gone by my garden has grown astronomically (when I look at these pictures I think how small the flower garden is!). The summer I took these pictures, I just kept looking outside and thinking “gosh, I love looking at the garden and all the flowers! Its so magical!!” So thats what sparked this shoot. I wanted to put the girls in their princess dresses and I just so happened to have one set of fairy wings. This is why they aren’t together in the pictures, because I didn’t have two sets of fairy wings. The shoot happened after dinner when the light was just right. Those were the 3 key ingredients: magical, colorful setting, good light, and the necessary outfits to bring the fairy vision to life. The surprise factor for me, was that the pictures also look fun in black and white!
Next time you are feeling inspired to try a new photoshoot idea, go for it. Keep those 3 key ingredients in mind (setting, lighting and outfits) and you will most likely have a successful outcome.
For more garden style photoshoots, head to my instagram page!
New Jersey Family Photographer | Family Reunion on the beach photoshoot inspiration
Here is a family reunion beach photoshoot for you to check out. I photograph this family annually and every year the pictures have their own energy. The images are displayed in collages on my clients walls and it is so fun to go down the hallway and look at each shoot thats taken place over the years.
How do you make this type of shoot a success? It starts by coming up with a color palate that you share with the entire family. One year it might be shades of green and blue, another year it might be shades of pink and grey. The fact that every year is different is crucial.
The next thing is to keep things moving. Never stay still during the shoot. I start clicking when they begin walking down the path to the beach. It allows for me to get that variation we all love, the candid natural moments and the traditional portraits. We do all the combos to keep it fun; the kids, the cousins, the grandparents, etc. If the kids want to play, fine! Having no set parameters are what makes these shoots unique and special.
For more family reunion beach photoshoots, head over to my instagram page!
New Jersey Family Photography | Senior portrait session at the lake
in beach, Photography Tips, seniors
Here is a little “lake life” senior portrait session idea for you. When we booked the shoot, my client said she’d love to stay close to home so the pictures reflected where her son grew up. Doing it n their backyard seemed like a no-brainer. The lake and the docks are the obvious places to use for a background- so we did. But I also wanted to have fun with the colorful kayaks that were being stored on the shoreline. When you head to your next photoshoot location, make sure you spend a few minutes walking around. See what catches your eye. You may not want to show the entire THING but little pops of color and texture can really elevate the images.
Need more ideas? Head to my instagram page!
New Jersey Family Photographer | knitwear shoot
This week I had the pleasure of photographing my friend Casey. She’s the beautiful and talented knitwear designer of premknits (www.premknits.com). Enjoy the pictures and her gorgeous work…
To see more branding images, head over to my instagram page!
New Jersey Family Photographer | New Home photoshoot idea
When my client contacted me to tell me she wanted to have her holiday card concept also work as a “we are moving, here’s our new address” card, I was up for the challenge. We shot in the unfinished attic because it had a raw look, was also pretty neutral in color and had tons of natural light. The lines and angles also interested me. The family dressed in neutrals and bundled up to give off a wintery “hoiday” feeling. Next time you are looking to try something different, don’t be afraid to think outside of the norm. Maybe you have the perfect attic too!
Need more inspiration? Head over to my instagram page!
New Jersey Family Photographer | Family portraits with a chic city feel
in holiday, NYC, Photography Tips, urban
I live in the country. We have bears and turkeys and deer and all the animals out. here. When my good friend and client shown here said “I want to do something local, but I want it to feel like we are in the city.” I was like “hmmm, this is gonna be tough…”
Then I put my thinking cap on and thought about things like Main Streets and little nooks in the area with store fronts. And then, this spot popped into my head. I had never actually noticed just how perfect it was and how off the beaten track it was from throngs of people. Its perfect for a photoshoot and I want to keep it my secret forever..
Heres the thing; the backs of storefronts are so great for photoshoots. Some might have grafitti, or peeling paint or murals. All of it can be cool and funky if you let it be. Next time you are stumped for a new location, take a minute and just think about where the unexpected might be.
To see more images with these guys, head over to my instagram page!
New Jersey Family Photographer | Cousin Holiday Session in the snow
New Jersey Family Photographer | urban holiday session
New Jersey Family Photographer | 80s retro photoshoot inspiration
This is super fun, right?!
The concept here began about a month before the shoot. My client wanted to do something different for her holiday cards, and thought a late 1970’s early 1980’s retro-vibe would be so cute. Thats when the planning and styling began…In order to pull this off we needed the right things to tell the story. Retro rollerskates, skateboards, colorful jackets and a boom box make this shoot extra. And I love extra.
When it came to designing and printing the holiday card, I chose a retro 70s-80s font. We used some lingo from back-in-the-day for the cards wording.
Coming into your holiday photoshoot with an idea is never a bad idea. Run it by your photographer or if you are the photographer, run it by your client. Prepare and gather the story telling items and then roll with it. These are the things that set your card apart from everyone else, and also are what make a photoshoot that much more fun. I’m sure the kids will never forget this day!
Want to be inspired? Head over to my instagram page!
