Taking on Toddlers During Your Newborn Shoot | Boston Photographer

Just days into embarking on their journey with three kids, the Gillespies were ready to capture some precious moments with their brand new baby and his older siblings. With mom and dad having two toddlers in tow, I was more than happy to be welcomed into their South Boston home for a cozy indoor session. Having two young kids of my own has made newborn shoots even more special to me, give me all the baby snuggles! Also, Charlie was a total natural, and went along with whatever we wanted.

Annie and Jack were so excited to show us all around their home to help scope out their favorite spots to play. As I received the formal stuffed animal introduction, I had dad giving the performance of a lifetime just behind my head while I snapped some playful, candid photos. Between the giggling and jumping on the bed we lost count of how many times we lost Annie’s bow in the silliness, but somehow she had it on for every photo.

The bow itself was the cherry on top of the family’s coordinating wardrobe. The Gillespies pulled a page right from our style guide and accented their neutral-toned outfits with pops of blue. All of which looked great against the backdrop of their home. It's easy to overlook your own bedroom as a photo location, but I find they tend to make a great spot to get comfortable in front of the camera.

After exhausting the photo opportunities in the bedrooms we relocated to the kitchen to break out everyone’s favorite: snacks. When discussing prep for the session I always recommend bringing along your kid’s favorite (non-messy) treat to break out when their patience starts running low. Once we had Goldfish coupled with the rare opportunity to sit on the counter, the kids got the second wind.

The shoot ended with the whole family (including the dog) piled onto the couch to snuggle and love on baby Charlie. What made this such a successful family session was everyone’s attitude. Mom and dad were easygoing, we gave the toddlers some freedom so they had fun the whole time, and this allowed us to capture these genuine, authentic family moments.

My Five Favorite Unique Boston Locations For Your Family Photos | Boston Photographer

Boston Public Garden, Arnold Arboretum, Seaport–all prime photo locations and quintessential Boston gems. And it’s always a different experience, no matter how many times I shoot there (thanks to you!) All great options, but if you’re looking for some off-the-beaten-path, unique locations for your family photo session, they are not as far as you might think. While they might not look like much as a whole on the outside, there is always a spot to create great images. (BONUS: one of these locations has been teen approved- meaning they are more invested in the shoot!)

Destination 1: Underground Ink Block. This urban graffiti park located between Boston’s South End and South Boston is fun for any age. Bright, bold colors and fun art-what more could you ask for!

Destination 2: Mill Buildings near my Lawrence Studio. Remember me mentioning the teen approved site? Well this is it. Actually, I recommend this location only for older kids due to the raw industrial nature of the space. (of course it’s safe to shoot at, but not for little wandering hands). It creates some cool (yes, this word was used by a teen), industrial looking images.

Destination 3: Unkempt Field or Hill. Those tall grass photos that capture the light–need I say more? You know what I am talking about. For this type of location, I always suggest bug spray and a blanket.

Destination 4: Your home. This location is the most overlooked option. Share your love for the space you live in. Indoor, backyard, there are more great little nooks than you’ve ever realized.

Destination 5: An interesting wall. Have you ever driven by a side of white brick wall, or brightly painted side of a building, and thought, “isn’t that interesting?” No? Just me? A simple wall can add a lot of different looks. Bright, bold, rustic, edgy, playful. Add a simple texture background to keep the focus on you and your family, while giving your photos a bit of a flare.

Looking for more ideas? Reach out, so we can find a location that’s perfect for your family photos.

The 5 best ways to put your brand photos to use | Boston Brand Photographer

Having your personal brand photos taken is a big leap for any professional. Some reading this may be thinking, “Yeah, that is a big leap - a big, scary leap!” Think of it this way, though: it’s also a leap that announces to anyone and everyone you know - and lots of people you don’t know yet but will soon enough - that you are someone who takes your career seriously enough to start forming your own brand through imagery. You have a message to tell the business world, and you’re going to do it through actions, words, professional business photos - you name it - to reach your ultimate goals.

Getting personal brand photos takes time, investment, and confidence to say to the world, “This is me. Take a look. I’m a professional who’d like to know more about you, so I’m taking the first step and putting myself out there. Let’s collaborate!”

So taking the photos is one thing. You go the session. It’s a beautiful setting. The vibe with the photographer is great. You really feel like your brand and personality were captured during the time, and you feel great after leaving.

And then you receive the photos. What do you do next?

Using your brand photos effectively

Social Media:

Not that these are necessarily in order, but social is an obvious choice for having *professional business photos*. Clients, employers, and others in your field not only interact and see the content you post on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other platforms; remember, before they knew you, their first impression of you was likely your profile picture. So you want a picture that reflects who you are and how you do business, not only to those who follow and interact with you on social to make the conversations more authentic, but also to people visiting you and may end up becoming followers, friends or colleagues in the future.

Personal Website:

A clear need for personal ***brand photos*** is to offer readers a couple different glimpses of you on your personal website. While not everyone has or needs one, for many - for example, freelancers - letting your audience get a peek behind the curtain and see more of you personally is a great way to grow trust before even communicating. In addition, the quality of the photos represents a very obvious investment in your work (think, the old: “Here’s someone who isn’t messing around.”), giving potential clients another reason to consider you for the gig.

**Print collateral**:

It’s science: we remember things we touch better than things we hear or see. So to real estate agents, attorneys, insurance reps, financial advisors, yoga instructors - to anyone looking for regular clients: Take a good look at your print collateral...does it illustrate your brand as fully as it possibly could? Details matter - in any industry - so some finer points in pictures that more closely define you, and not just a random face in a mailbox, could help set you apart.

Hold onto them:

Obviously you want to use your pictures. But don’t go using all of them! At least not yet. Rotate your profile pictures out with fresh ones. Change up the mailer or brochure looks, or your photos on your site or social platforms. What’s important is that you have some you can turn to periodically to keep your audience giving you a second look. And another reason to hold some pictures in the back pocket: press! If you are ever featured in an article, having a handy folder full of a variety of shots makes you look like a pro.

**Repeat:**

Eventually, you’re going to run out of photos to cycle through. Your styles may evolve and more importantly, the styles around us change as well. Stay ahead of your competitors’ three-year-old photos. Be that person on your followers’ social feeds who not only has fresh things to say, but has a fresh look as well. So periodically getting brand photos taken - at least once a year - is key to that process.

While getting brand photos taken is a huge first step in establishing yourself as a force-to-be-reckoned-with professional, it’s what you do with them that matters most. Make sure to take full advantage.

What Is The Best Thing You Can Hand Down To Your Kids?

FAMILY ALBUMS! It’s no secret I LOVE albums. I love all forms of printed photos, but I really really love albums. Admittedly, I am a book person. I was resistant to my (now beloved) Kindle, it’s just so convenient, but I still can’t wait to get my hands on a good book I can turn the pages of.

Do you remember those big, sticky page photo albums our parents had? Yes they are clunky as heck, but there is something special about flipping through the curated pages and seeing the story of Christmas, or someone’s birthday. Much more special than flipping through a hard drive.

Today, more than ever before, it’s so easy to take snapshot…after snapshot…after snapshot, until you end up with a million photos on your phone (that is hopefully also backed up to a hard drive). Having our photos digitally is super important, but having the special ones curated and printed in a beautiful, (archival) leatherbound album that you can hand down to your kids, and their grandkids, is an incredible gift.

Images boxes (shown below) are another fun “album style” way to print, display, and archive your photos too!

Boston Photographer | Happy 2016!!!

I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions per se, but I do love the New Year because it's a fresh start. Clean slate. A chance to brainstorm and plan for the year. And it's also the calm AFTER the storm for me. This fall was the busiest I have EVER been, and while I couldn't have been more excited to embrace it, I have to say I am happy for the down time. 2015 was the best year yet, and not just because I was busy, but because I was busy with YOU. I was busy with clients and businesses that I truly adore, and I have so much gratitude for each and every one of you.

I started this list as my top 10 favorite images from the year, but you beautiful people made it damn near impossible to narrow it down. So here it is, my top 20 favorite images from 2015.