How I Take a Month Off Every Summer and Why Its Great for Me and My Business | Boston Family Photographer

As cliche as it sounds, (like many other parents) I’ve realized my kids are only little once. They are little, needy, interesting, and fun, and I’ll never get this time back. My core values in my family portrait business are based around spending, documenting, and ENJOYING time with your family. My first maternity leave went from July-Sept and I was FREAKING OUT about the thought of taking a September (IYKYK) off from the photography business. But then I did, and my clients understood, and everything was ok. Once I knew it was possible, it wasn’t scary.

In fact, the timing of taking a month off to reset and spend with family before jumping into my busy season of weekend sessions and post-bedtime editing was the best thing that I could have done for my family and for business. Not having to grind right into the busy season without a break had me feeling refreshed, energized, and excited about photoshoots. And I didn’t have to go in with the guilt of less time with my kids because I just spent a whole month with them.

Here’s How I Did It:

1. Made sure I had an OOO with a clear message - I would be checking in on email once a week (say every Thursday for example), and therefore slower to respond.

2. Made sure my booking calendar was set up, automated, and easy for clients to book and receive confirmation emails without my help.

3. Planned content ahead of time. Blogs, social media, and Newsletters were scheduled not just for the month I was away, but through the busy season so I could focus on sessions when I returned.

4. Had a team member I could rely on. My assistant does not typically respond to emails for me, but I made sure I was able to loop her in on anything that needed attention while I was gone.

5. Didn’t stress about it. Did I miss out on scheduling a few photoshoots that were time sensitive? Yes. That would have majorly stressed me out in the past. I am more on the “I can’t serve everyone” train these days. And that’s ok with me.

Confession: Since the pandemic, I’ve been taking a winter month off too. Winter is the slow season for me, so I spend about 2-3 weeks on back-end things like updating my website, content planning, and general maintenance. Then I take one month where I work one day a week. Me from 5 years ago would have died over this.

Behind the Scenes of A BOSTON Summer Family Session | Boston Photographer

For those who have done a family portrait session with me, you know I only shoot early in the morning or just before sunset to avoid harsh lighting from the sun. In the middle of the summer in particular, we are not only at the mercy of the sun’s unforgiving light, but also the brutal heat! And long summer days mean EARLY mornings and LATE evenings for kiddos. For this mid-July shoot, these two were champs, getting up and out the door early, with the promise of doughnuts waiting for them on the other side of the shoot… I mean I would get up at sunrise for doughnuts, wouldn’t you?

Siblings often feed off of each other’s energy and spirit which was 100% the case for Saj and Ani. For 7am, all I can say is I wish I had Saj’s energy! Sitting still can be tough at any age, but especially for 5 year olds. This shoot had lots of interaction such as running, tickling, secret telling, hiding, and hugging…which ended up as tackling in some (most) instances. We try to follow along with whatever makes our toddlers happiest, and if that means lots of sweating and running around, we are totally cool with it.

Overall the lighting worked in our favor and we got some awesome action and family shots!

Fun Ways to Photograph your kids This Summer | Boston Photographer

Summer is here (and so is the heat)! Hand-in-hand with this warmer weather comes longer time spent outside, especially for kids. To capture your kids having fun in the sun, I’ve created a list of some summer photo ideas that will bring a smile not just to your kids face but to your face as well. 

Capture your kid:

1. Eating watermelon or summer fruit. Be prepared for sticky hands and chins! You can even make a day of this by transforming it into a picnic.

2. Splashing in the water. Pool, ocean, lake, it doesn’t matter. Yes, your kid(s) will love this one, and yes, you may get wet. Trust me if you miss the shot of the cannon ball splash, they will be happy to do it again.

3. Doing classic “summer things”. Fourth of July fun, lemonade stands, playing with bubbles, running through the sprinkler, bbq nights- capture a family moment you love!

Have fun trying out different summer activities with your kid and capturing the moment as is. Pro tip: remember to bring sunscreen and bug spray.

Boston Portrait Photographer | Senior Rep Alena

Say hello to our Senior Rep Alena! Alena loves playing sports outdoors, so it is only fitting that we incorporated florals, nature, and exposed stone in her portraits. Alena brought her bright smile right on set and worked it throughout the whole photoshoot.

She was not afraid of being a little silly and twirling in her dress for the camera. After all, fields are the perfect place to twirl. We loved her serious looks too, the girl can rock a smize! (for those who don’t know, smize = smiling with the eyes)

We had so much fun exploring the area around the studio; the field and the mill buildings all lent fantastic textures and colors that complimented Alena’s outfits perfectly.

We have also photographed Alena's sister Clara, Class of 2017 senior, and her entire family, whom I have come to know and adore. I can see where Alena gets her big heart from, her family consists of some of the most kind people I know, nothing but love for each other and positivity to spread to the rest of the world.

Good luck Alena with Senior Year, we know you’ll have a fabulous time. Your big heart and ability to spread joy will serve you well in life :)

Boston Event Photographer | Summer Color Run!

I know we are (kind of) into the swing of fall, but I have to look back on this Color Run that kicked off summer for these Pike School students. Monx Design always impresses me with their events, and what better way to celebrate the 5th grade class, than hosting a Color Fun Run?! These kids were a joy to photograph, as they were not afraid to get into the action! They ran, skipped, and leapt their way throughout the different obstacles. And boy were they fast!

Of course, these sassy kids never gave up an opportunity to strike a pose! In my book, the sillier the pose the better, and often leads to a fit of giggles and amazing photos.

But the best part of the Fun Run is getting MESSY, and wow did they go for it. When they were not running through the obstacles, they were throwing pigments on both their friends and themselves.

I will never forget seeing Norbert pull out the leaf blower, turning it on, and a cloud of color come billowing off the kids. The fun did not stop there. The DJs soon brought the whole house down with wacky games, limbo, and plenty of dancing! Finally, a special shoutout must be made for Monique and Norbert for putting on such a memorable event!

More info about Monique and her Monx Design House team

Boston Portrait Photography | Why Should I Style My Portrait Session?

"What do you mean by 'style our photo shoot'?" To style a photoshoot means to plan out and design your session. Styling could include clothing, accessories, props, anything used to create a look.

"Why do I care?" Styling sets the tone. The items we choose to style your session with each contribute to the look and feel of your portraits. Styling brings everything together, and gives the expression and posing context. It can add drama, or keep things light and fun. The important thing is to be creative, and have fun with it.

We wanted to create an "end of summer" feel here. The sun is setting behind her, she has a cozy blanket wrapped around her shoulders, but she still has her yellow summer hat on.

We chose a pale pink, desaturated color scheme to enhance the ballerina theme we chose for this precious newborn baby girl

This girl was crazy over tutus, so we chose to put her in a floor length pink tutu, and place her amidst the hydrangea bushes. The framing of the branches  creates a feel that the viewer is catching a genuine moment while this girl is in her own world, dancing among the flower maze.

"How far should I go with the styling?" It can be as simple as choosing a neutral color palette and stopping there, or as elaborate as renting the perfect headband and fringe to fit your Gatsby theme. Keep it simple and genuine, or bring a detailed creative vision to life.

If this is your family portrait session, and you are trying to stay true to your personal style, then the styling should reflect your personality. If you are all about bright, bold colors, then we may start with a colorful location. If you like a muted, desaturated palette, then we may start with understated colors on a monochromatic background.

Style tip for your session: Think coordinating, not matching. Instead of looking to match each other in similar outfits, think of dressing yourself from head to toe, and spread that theme throughout the family outfits. What other accessories and colors can you throw in to go with the theme?

The small pops of red in her high heels and red lipstick were just enough to pull this photo together. We were trying to create a story with elegance, simplicity, relationship, and emotion.

This autumn newborn was perfect for the apple picking theme we chose. We found the apple basket first, then stuck with the fall color scheme, and added real apples for detail impact

For this high school senior, we wanted to keep the look simple, but still cute and girlie, to focus on her gesture and expression.

For more information about how to plan for a session click HERE

To contact me to book a session click HERE

For extensive wardrobe advice, consult Susan Kanoff