Sean and Nicole's glowy engagement session in the Spring blossoms / Beverly, MA

Things have gotten off the rails over the past week because of the coronavirus. I’m a very task-oriented person and I take great joy in checking things off my to do list, so it can feel a little frustrated to be at a standstill at times. Yet, it is making me appreciate friends and family so so much. I’ve become much more intentional with taking time out of my day to Facetime my loved ones, and that feels good.

Speaking of loved ones, these little love birds below are very near and dear to my heart. Sean was in Shane’s and my wedding nearly 13 years ago, and since then they’ve chosen me to be their engagement, wedding, and newborn photographer. Their engagement session in Beverly, MA has been one of my favorites because I absolutely LOVE taking pictures of people in love in front of a backdrop of Spring blossoms! Browse some of my favorites from their engagement session, and be sure to leave them some love in the comments section below!

Location: Long Hill, Beverly Massachusetts

Planning for Spring / Coolidge Reservation Manchester-by-the-Sea Family Photo Session

The days are getting longer, Daylight Savings is right around the corner, and the extra sunlight has been giving me life! Despite the lame winter we’ve had, I’m ready for the warmer weather to arrive.

I get THE MOST excited to photograph in the Spring. Maybe because after a long winter of staying inside, I’m ready to begin exploring nature again. Or because I’m eager to pick up my camera after a restful off-season. But REALLY I think it’s about the flowers. I get so excited about Spring blooms and flowers because they are fleeting. They last for a short few weeks and then they are gone for the year. And there are so many gorgeous north shore MA locations with incredible spring blossoms. I literally get psyched to photograph families and couples in the Spring.

I had the privilege of photographing Linda and her family a few seasons back. Linda is the owner of All Purpose Flowers in Gloucester, Mass so she knows allll about the most beautiful Spring flowers. She’s my plant guru. As I look back at Linda’s maternity and family session, it is getting me excited for my 2020 photography season! Check out her bright and glowy maternity and family session and show her some love in the comments below.

Location: Coolidge Reservation, Manchester by the Sea Massachusetts

Romantic and Dramatic Coastal Bridal Session / Rockport, MA

Question: How many of you are happy with the bridal portraits from your wedding day? There can be a number of reasons why people are unhappy with their bridal portraits from their wedding day such as being short on time or having limited options for location. Sometimes couples are just too stressed on their wedding day to really feel comfortable in front of the camera. I was fortunate and my wedding photographer was amazing. Still, I would love to have another shot at my bridal portraits, get prettied up in my wedding dress again (maybe on an anniversary!), and make camera magic in a pretty location.

That’s exactly what Julliana and Rubmael decided to do after they weren’t completely happy with their pictures from their wedding day. Julliana is super talented with hair and makeup, and she did it herself. She even re-invented her bridal bouquet, making it herself out of light pink peonies.

We chose the perfect seaside location in Rockport, MA which was both dramatic and romantic. Scroll below to see how magic can be made when you combine a rocky coastal location with a glowy sunset. And leave me a note below to let me know if you’re team color or black and white! I had such a hard time choosing with some of the images in the gallery that I did both!

Location: Halibut Point, Rockport Massachusetts

Planning for Bad Weather / Grace's Senior Portrait Session

Probably one of the most stressful aspects of planning a portrait session (aside from outfit planning, of course!) is dealing with weather. My informal policy is that if there is more than a 50% chance of rain, we reschedule to another time. Most times I like to wait until 24 hours before the session to make the official call, leaving room to reschedule hair/makeup appointments, if necessary. I love my sessions to be “glowy” and sun-filled, and will try to do everything possible to make that happen!

One of the more insidious forms of bad weather, however, is high winds. Anything higher than 10 miles an hour is pretty dang annoying for everyone involved, but especially if you want to keep your hair in check!

For Grace’s senior session below, we originally planned to take her pictures at Crane Beach in Ipswich, MA. Promptly after we arrived, though, we realized that the wind was whipping razor sharp sand particles in our eyes and that the beach was a no go. Fortunately, there are no shortage of gorgeous locations for portraits on the north shore that I have up my sleeve, so we quickly ran down the street to another location. It turned into a perfectly fall portrait session, and you can hardly tell that Grace is freezing cold from the wind. Check it out below and let me know in the comments whether you agree that Grace rocked her senior pictures!

Choosing a Sentimental Location for your Portrait Sessions / Jill and Seth's engagement

One of the most special things about planning an engagement session is choosing a location that is meaningful. I’ve had clients request a particular location because it’s where they first met, or became engaged. Others have fond memories of a location because it was a family vacation spot in their childhood. Whatever the reason, capturing new memories in a spot that already holds special meaning can take a portrait session experience to the next level.

Jill and Seth’s engagement session captured the best of Rockport, MA; it’s a special location to them as they often stay at a beach house on Long Beach. We started at Bearskin Neck, where we found the dreamiest light on the docks. Then, we quickly stopped at some of Bearskin Neck’s most iconic spots, like Motif #1 and the classic Ice Cream Store. We made sure to leave enough time to catch the sunset over at Long Beach, capping off a perfect night in Rockport, MA.

Scroll through below to see some of my favorite images from Jill and Seth’s engagement session. And be sure to leave some love in the comments below if you enjoyed this post!

xo

Cassie

The Simplicity of an In-home Newborn Session / Baby Liam

The weather may be cold and overcast, but that means it’s snuggly baby season! And there’s no better way to capture those early sleepy newborn days than an in-home session where everywhere can kick back on the couch (or bed) and get some snuggles in. It honestly results in the most genuine, heartfelt, and classic images that you will cherish forever.

You don’t need to worry about your home looking Pinterest-worthy; all we need is some good window light and an uncluttered corner of your home to create something simple and beautiful. Bonus points if you can add some pups to the mix!

Scroll through several images from Baby Liam’s in-home newborn session to see how we were able to capture so much sweetness with something as simple as a swaddle and a crib sheet.

Planning Your Session to Include Two Locations / Jaymee's Classic Senior Session

Well here we are stuck in the middle of winter, with NO SNOW, which is the absolute worst kind of winter. I don’t know about you, but I’m torn between doing a snow dance to get the snow flying around here and just wishing for spring. One thing for sure, it has me dreaming of getting back outside for portrait sessions!

Jaymee’s senior portrait session is an oldie but a goodie. I can’t believe I haven’t shared it before you, because dang look at those eyes! For her session, we were able to combine a classic wide open field with dreamy sunlit grass AND the beach to rock the purple-hued sunset in the waves. It’s the best of both worlds!

We have such a wealth of gorgeous locations on the northshore of Massachusetts, and I work hard to coordinate with each of my clients to select the perfect location(s) to match your vision.

By the time our session was over, Jaymee was a becoming her true self in front of the camera. Just scroll and see!

Enjoy! xo

What is the Best Time of Day to Schedule my Portraits | Ella's Senior Session

Ask any photographer about the time of day you’ll find the best lighting, and I bet you one million dollars that the words “golden hour” will come out of their mouth.

What is the golden hour?

It’s the hour that leads up to sunset. This is the time when the sun is the most directional, meaning that it’s not blasting down at you from overhead, creating some nasty raccoon eyes or making you squint. Mid day sun can be harsh and unforgiving. Golden hour has dreamy light, that will make your hair glow from behind and cast warm rays.

Check out below how the sun is lighting up the sea grass behind Ella during her senior portrait session.

An added perk is that the golden hour leads right up until sunset where sometimes we can get some beautiful color in the sky. Be sure to scroll to the bottom to see the sunset casting gorgeous colors across the ocean behind Ella.

Of course, help with picking the perfect time for your session isn’t the only thing I’m good for! There are many other ways I like to coordinate with my clients prior to their session.

Ready to see for yourself?

Why You Should Consider Having Your Senior Session with Your Best Friend | Kelli and Thayna Senior Session

What does a senior portrait session with your best friend look like?

When you combine your session with a friend, you can expect that your session will last 90 minutes total for both of you. That means that you can expect 40-ish minutes of solo time in front of the camera and ten minutes in front of the camera with your BFF (usually at the end). While your friend is being photographed, it’s a great time to switch up your outfit/look!

There are four great reasons why you should consider partnering up with your best friend for your senior portrait session:

1. Comfort Level

   Let’s admit it—most of us can feel a little uncomfortable in front of the camera at first. It’s natural to need a few minutes to warm up. When you’re with a friend, you can be at-ease right from the start of the session because you’re sharing this experience with someone who may be feeling the exact same way you are! And it takes a lot of the pressure/focus off of you, which in turn will make you more comfortable.

2. Feeling Giggly

   I like to think that I have a calm, laid-back demeanor that will make you smile, but I don’t by any means consider myself ACTUALLY funny. (Most of my jokes I forget the punch line to!) So if you have your friend acting a fool behind my back as I’m photographing you, you’re much more likely to show me a totally genuine smile or laugh. And those are the moments I just love to capture!

3. Cost

   While each photographer may be different, many of them will offer a discount for combining your senior portrait session with a friend. For example, I typically will extend my session from 1 hour to 90 minutes for two people, but will offer a cost savings over booking two separate senior portrait sessions. (Ask me for more details on this)

4. BFFs

   Senior year can be really special because you’re on the brink of your whole world changing. Yet some of the friends that you’ve made during your time in high school will stick with you forever. Including your BFF in your senior session is a great way to capture these relationships at this crazy exciting time in your life.

Of course, you’ll want to choose a friend who is sure to be a BFF for life (I guess that’s redundant, ha!) so you don’t have buyer’s remorse.

Ready to do it?

And don’t stop your scroll to see more of Kelli and Thayna’s senior portrait session at Halibut Point in Rockport, Massachusetts!

At home newborn session with Baby E

When I arrived at their home for little E’s newborn session, the thing that struck me was the images of all the “big moments”, framed and up on the walls. Pictures of their wedding, family vacations, big brother’s own newborn pictures. Now here I was, adding to the legacy of their own family’s history. What can be a greater honor than that?

As we were including big brother in our session, we started the session with family pictures in the living room, Grandma included! We captured some really special moments of the entire family together, enjoying their newest little member.

Following that, we went upstairs to the nursery as little E napped in her crib. We got the sweetest images of her swaddled and sleeping.

I just know that these are irreplaceable images that this family will always treasure. Newborns don’t keep, guys!

Get Outdoors on a Snow Day / Winter family photo session with style

One of my favorite things is when I get to take pictures of people I love. Mostly because when I’m with my clients, I try to rein in the excitement I get from a session and keep things profesh. With my friends though….I can really just let loose. “Oh my god, this looks so good!” *Insert squeal of joy here*

I had the absolute pleasure of photographing my dear friend and her family while we were away together on a getaway in Maine. We found a great tree farm nearby, and spent some time playing in the snow.

I absolutely love the outfit coordination in this session, and I often steer my winter clients to these images for inspiration. It’s okay to mix patterns if you’re working in the same color scheme.

I mean, come on! Don’t they look like a J Crew ad?! I am still so obsessed with these images.

During a session with me, I always try to get that one shot with everyone smiling into the camera. But it’s those in between moments that I really love, because that’s where you can find all of the emotion. Just look at the joy these guys have in being with one another.

To end our session, we made a quick stop to a forest filled with white birch trees. Sigh.

Winter is a great time to get outdoors and have some creative fun with the camera. You'll need to come prepared to capture these majestic landscapes, and you'll want to keep your creative senses open for new ideas. Here's another useful resource to read for tips and ideas on winter photography.

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!

Becka | Class of 2017 Beachy Senior Session

It seems appropriate to blog Becka's senior portrait session as she is days away from graduation!  This lady is the real deal-- senior at Manchester Essex High School by day, lifeguard by summer, fashionista every.damn.day. And she'll be heading to UD in the fall. 

We obviously had an amazing time during her portrait session last summer as we skipped along the rocks of the back shore in Gloucester and chased the light at the beach at Good Harbor.  It doesn't get any better.

I hope you enjoy Becka's beachy senior portrait session, and if you do, leave her some love in the comment section below.  

Julliana & Rubmael | Floral & Lace Beach Maternity Session

Julliana and her husband Rubmael met me on the beach on Cape Ann, MA back in the summer as they were expecting their first little baby boy.  We spent the dusk together capturing Julliana's stunning baby bump & glow, as well as the sweetness of the two of them together.  The light  hit just perfectly over the dunes to bathe Julliana in that warm summer haze and light up her hair in a way that only sunset hour can do.

Check out some of my favorites from this romantic beach maternity session and leave Julliana and Rubmael some love in the comment section!

Since this maternity session, we've met again for a stunning anniversary portrait session--which I can't wait to blog about!  Check back in with me again to see for yourself

Classic Rockport, MA surprise proposal and engagement | Erica & Maidel

Sitting at the end of the 2,250 foot breakwater at Eastern Point, I waited for the moment to arrive. Maidel and I had spent months planning her surprise engagement right next to the lighthouse in Gloucester, MA. I was nervous, and I wasn't even the one proposing!

Finally, the ladies arrived. Maidel and I agreed that I would approach them while they were setting up their tri-pod to offer to take their picture in order to throw Erica off the track and so she wouldn't wonder about the creepy girl lingering with a camera by herself.  As soon as that happened, Maidel went down on her knee and popped the question!  

What followed was a perfectly nautical two hour engagement session around downtown Rockport. We hit all the classic spots: Motif #1, Bearskin Neck, Roy Moore Lobster Co., and The Pewter Shop.  The evening couldn't have ended more perfectly with a dreamy sunset in Rockport harbor.  

Check out some of my favorites from Maidel & Erica's surprise proposal and engagement session!

And congrats to the happy couple who were married in December in Colorado and will be celebrating with friends and family in a beach-side ceremony in Hawaii!

Check out Maidel and Erica's engagement feature over on 2brides2be!

http://2brides2be.com/maidel-ericas-proposal-stories/

Shane & Kelsey | Northshore MA engagement

I have to say, I really love beach sessions. But after this fall season and all the amazing clients I've had and darling images we've created together (just you wait and see--they are ALL lined up on my blogging queue!), I think that I might love fall sessions just as much!  When you scroll through the images below, I'm sure you'll see why! That golden light! The rich jewel tones of the foliage!  That cozy, plaid, scarf outfit coordination! And the super-moon!

Kelsey and Shane contacted me after I photographed Kelsey's sister a couple years back.  They had recently gotten engaged and were excited to capture this exciting time. They even paid special homage to their Gram, who would have surely teased Shane for taking so long to pop the question! Ha!

I hope you enjoy some of my favorite images from Kelsey and Shane's engagement session. Leave them some love in the comments section below xo

Photographed in Essex, Massachusetts

Carroll Family Winter Portraits | Beverly Tree Farm

The Fall is such a busy time for photographers, and it's no wonder with all the amazing colors we get with foliage in the Northeast. When that busy season pushes into November and December, though, you can sometimes be left at a loss trying to find a location that doesn't look barren and grey.  

For my late fall/winter clients, I often encourage a trip to a tree farm, like this one at the Beverly Tree Farm. The evergreens provide that festive pop of color that bring an image alive. 

I absolutely love this session with the Carroll family and their sweet little guy. He was such a happy baby, and kept giving his momma and dada kisses throughout the whole session! Oh my heart! I think his little smile speaks for itself. 

Enjoy some of my favorites from this winter tree farm session and be sure to leave some love in the comments! xo

Small Business Professional Headshots | Nicole Starr

Last summer Nicole (of Nicole Starr Photography) and I collaborated on a business headshot swap where we photographed each other for our websites and social media presence. As fellow photog buddies, we both knew the importance of having a solid photograph of ourselves to put our "best foot forward" in our businesses.  

We began our shoot on location at a grassy field in Gloucester, MA where the light was dreamy and the humidity was soaring.  On the northshore of Massachusetts we have so many beautiful locations, and within minutes we moved onto our next location at Good Harbor Beach.

Nicole planned her outfits to reflect her brand, which is whimsical and bright. I think her blush pink tulle skirt accomplishes just that!  Her photographs reflect the playfulness and beauty of her brand.

How many of you want to see the photographs that Nicole took of me during our headshot swap?? Leave me a note in the comment section below!

xo

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!

Elisha's Inspirational "Just Because I Can" Session | Boudoir

When Elisha  contacted me to get her portraits done, she explained that she'd been working her butt off at the gym to prepare for her friend's wedding and wanted to capture this time in her life. Because she can. And, honestly, I don't see a better reason than that. They'll always be a reason to put off having your pictures taken (like that extra ten pounds).  But life gets busy, and before you know it you're left years later with a regret that you wished you'd just done it. 

Elisha will look back on these pictures years from now, with her kids and grandkids, and they will say "Whoa, Grandma, you're hot!"  

Our session was split between a studio session and on location at Good Harbor Beach and Bass Rocks.  Our studio session was what I would called "boudoir", but I saved some of the steamier ones for the imagination! 

Enjoy Elisha's "just because" session and don't forget to leave her some love in the comment section below!