Topsfield MA family portraits / Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Could this possibly be the first time I’ve blogged a fall portrait session? I feel like it might be, and while it’s certainly shameful, the fall season is generally bananas for photographers so I’m going to cut myself some slack for this. As in, the only reason I can blog right now is because I am waiting for my computer monitor to calibrate.

Personally, summer sessions on the beach will always have my heart. So what’s to love about fall portrait sessions?

-Well the obvious answer is the fall foliage. That’s a no-brainer, so let’s move on.

-Sun sets earlier in the fall, so most sessions start around 5 pm. This works for most littles because it doesn’t interfere with bedtime the way summer sessions do.

-Fall fashion, and I likely need not say more, but I will. Plaid shirts, chunky cardigans, cute boots, blanket shawls, and scarves.

-Cooler temps and low humidity so you won’t be shiny and frizzy in your family pictures.

There is no shortage of locations on Cape Ann and around the north shore of Massachusetts that are perfect for their fall settings. Scroll through to see some of my favorites from a session I had with a dear friend and her family, taken at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Be sure to leave some love in the comment section and tell me your favorite thing about fall!

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Beach Maternity Session | Esther and family

When I was first starting out in the Gloucester/Rockport MA area as a photographer, I began to look around at other local photographers to see if I could start to make connections. Almost immediately, I came across Esther's website (because she's fabulous and super talented !) and a blog post on her site about the importance of showing a collaborative spirit with competitors. When I reached out to her, she was super supportive and friendly so it didn't take long for us to become friends.

I think our friendship really cemented itself, though, when we discovered that we were both pregnant with due dates only days apart from each other! It's always comforting to be able to commiserate with someone who is going through the same experience as you at the same time. (Ultimately, I delivered about a month earlier as I have twins who needed to be induced.)

Anyway, it was pretty much a no-brainer that we exchanged our maternity pictures.  Take a scroll through Esther and Dan's maternity session on the coast at Bass Rocks in Gloucester and at Good Harbor Beach. Be sure to check out that super-moon at the end!

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Good Harbor Beach Family Portrait Session | The Rileys

I love the idea of having family traditions, and taking yearly family portraits is a perfect way to incorporate traditions into your family. Especially when your kids are still little, it's just so fun to track their growth from year to year. And your children will thank you later for getting in front of the camera yourself to help build these special memories. 

In this darling family beach portrait session, I'm taking you all the way back to 2014! (Gasp!) If you could see these little munchkins now, they already look so different and grown up!

Enjoy these family pictures taken at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, MA.  If you love the memories these guys have made, be sure to tell them in the comment section below!

Courtney & Glenn | Malden, MA maternity and family portrait photography

Winter photography isn't easy for a portrait photographer.  It's cold. (Red, runny noses anyone?).  The lighting stinks. (Sun sets at 4.) And there is an ever present threat of the weather going ahead and ruining a scheduled shoot. (Especially in New England.)  Not surprisingly, most portrait photographers slow down during the winter time.  But do you know who waits for no one?  Babies!  You can never be sure when those little things will pop out.

So when Courtney asked me to take her maternity photos, I was excited at the opportunity, and eager to get started.  Her due date was about 2 1/2 weeks away during this shoot!

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It had just snowed a couple of days prior, so we got to take advantage of a snow-covered landscape.  Expecting mommas run hot, apparently, but it was also unseasonably warm that day!

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Drake popped in for some fun too!  I photographed Courtney during her first pregnancy with Drake, too, so that made this maternity shoot even more special for me!

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We took advantage of the light for as long as we could, but did I mention that this was the day before the SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR?? Um yea.  Light was fleeting.  Time to get creative.  

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I brought my flash along with me for this shoot, anticipating that lighting would be working against us.  For this shot, I bounced the flash off the snow. Instant reflector! Score!

Northshore MA lifestyle black and white maternity and family photographer

Shortly after, we went back to their place to take a few more pictures of the family together.  I wanted to focus on relationships and interactions here, so I went for a "lifestyle" portrait feel.  All this basically means is that I let Court and Glenn interact naturally with each other and with Drake while I was busy perched on top of the couch snapping away. I think you can really feel the love in these pictures.  Oh the heat!

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Northshore MA in home lifestyle maternity and family photographer

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this maternity and lifestyle portrait photography shoot. Leave your comments below!

Good Harbor Beach Maternity/Family Portraits

Well, here we go. My first official family shoot, and here are some of the results.

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In typical New England fashion, it was subzero temperatures  in May.  Photoshop will take care of red noses, thankfully!

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Oh yea, and it was a maternity shoot as well!

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And baby JUST made her appearance this morning! Welcome, Jocelyn!