Newborn sessions don’t have to be involved. Complicated posing takes a lot of time and patience – but really high quality, peaceful images can be taken in 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If you’d like to learn more about newborn sessions, click here.

In our photo sessions, babies are in charge. If they’re unhappy, we take a break. They’re always warm, always comfortable, and always content.

The blanket and headband were a gift from family. You’re always welcome to include whatever you’d like in a session.

A few days earlier I’d had a newborn session with another baby girl and the mom said “no pink, pink is overrated.” When I arrived and started talking to Madlin she said, “I want pink. Lots of pink!” So funny how people wait for pink and can’t wait for it, or what to deviate from pink. Whatever works for you!

Tessa’s two older, very proud, brothers. They were so super gentle with her!

Neutral colors for the win.

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful family with me!

Pittsford NY Newborn Photography.

Her kids were such a joy to be around. They really enjoyed exploring the park, which is one of the really wonderful things about on location photography. It’s okay for kids to be kids and run around and explore.

Tinker Nature Park has some older buildings that serve as rustic backdrops. There’s quite a lot of variety in a small amount of space which is what we look for in a great location. To learn more about how to choose a great location for your photo session, click here.

What a beautiful happy family! I love their spring color scheme. There are so many easy ways to dress for a photo session. Click here to learn more about what to wear.

At the end of (almost) every session, rainbow lollipops are to be had. This can also sometimes make for a great photo opp.

So sweet! I bet she doesn’t look like a baby anymore.

I love parent/child images so much. The connection is just so sweet.

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful family with me!!

Tinker Nature Park Family Photography.

You can view more Highland Park sessions by clicking here.

One of the best things about my job is meeting super fascinating people and one of the worst things is not being able to write all about it! If you ever have a chance to meet these amazing people, consider yourself fortunate.

Pets are always welcome in your family photos. This does tend to go well for calmer dogs, but even hyper puppies can be lured with a few well timed treats. It’s a little bit like working with toddlers – you don’t need very long at all to get a great photo!

I did learn that they have a pool and might have been a touch jealous. If you saw the meme about wearing a size 8 cruise that might be me with pools. I may have taken a trip to Florida once just to swim in some really warm pools.

Aren’t they the cutest??

Thank you so very much for sharing your beautiful family with me! I hope our paths cross again soon.

The last time I photographed this beautiful family was nearly a lifetime ago, when a new, wide-eyed photographer was just starting to work with clients and their oldest was just barely a teenager. You can see these beautiful adults as children by clicking here.

Their kids went in together on a photo session as a gift for their parents 25th wedding anniversary. What a special gift and what a privilege to be invited along!

They chose the same spot as they did in 2012, Onanda Park located at the end of Canandaigua Lake. You can learn more about how to choose a great photography location by clicking here. The best thing about Canandaigua Lake is the beautiful willows. Great locations offer a wide visual variety in a small area.

Now all grown up and out of the house!

Individual photos are always welcome. A group shot with individual shots in the same location and the same clothing help make a cohesive wall display if that’s what you’re going for.

Solid colors are a good choice because they bring attention to the face instead of clothing. To learn more about how to dress your family for a photo session, click here.

Thank you so much Kim and Derrick for sharing you beautiful family with me!

Elise and her two beautiful daughters came to mini sessions at Highland Park and just squeaked in a session before the rain.  The girls were an absolute joy to work with – so joyful and full of life!

Their beautiful matching dresses are the kind of thing a boy mom envies (ask me how I know).  Single colors are absolutely classic and you can never go wrong.  I love the way Elise’s dress is the same color palette.  If you’d like more ideas about what to wear to your photo session click here.

Highland Park is a classic location for photos in Rochester. It’s a great choice because something is always in bloom and it’s centrally located. To view more sessions at Highland Park, click here.

Mini sessions are shorter sessions held back to back in the fall and sometimes in the spring. They’re more economical than a full session and are a great way to get a smaller selection of family or individual portraits. If you’d like to be notified of next year’s sessions, enter your email here.

It was an absolute pleasure to work with you Elise! Thank you so much for sharing your family with me!

A few years ago when Jenn was a senior I had the privilege of photographing her senior portraits which have consistently ranked in the top 10 blog posts on the website ever since. Now she’s finished with college, working full time, engaged and I’m very excited to be photographing the wedding! In the mean time, her parents decided it was time for some updated family portraits.  Penfield Family Photography.

They have a beautiful home next to a golf course with a peaceful garden that was a perfect backdrop. Many people choose to have family photos taken right in their home because it’s easier than packing up and going somewhere.

We could have talked about gardening pretty much the entire time. Their color scheme was happy and summery. For more ideas about what to wear during a photo session click here.

They home schooled their kids all the way through, managed to visit the lower 48 states and now both are through college working full time. Mary might be my personal hero.

During your session you can choose was poses and people combinations you’d like. Some photographers charge per pose but we don’t. It’s your time so how you use it is up to you!

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful family with me!

Sujatha and her family came to Cobb’s Hill on this beautiful fall day to have their family portraits taken. Cobb’s Hill was new to me last year and it was a lovely location in terms of architecture and nature. For more location ideas, click here.

Such a gorgeous natural smile!

Which clearly runs in the family!

When your kids are little photo sessions can take up to an hour, but in this case we were done in thirty minutes flat. I barely got to know them at all! Though we did have a chance to talk shop about photography a little.

I should at least definitely remember what each of them did for a living but have to confess that they both had highly technical jobs that quickly left my brain.

Thank you so much Sujatha for sharing your beautiful family with me!

This year was a fantastic year to be at Corbett’s Glen. It’s one of the top 5 outdoor photography locations in Rochester for a reason. They put up signs this year, leading me to believe you couldn’t go “off the trail”, only to realize later that they just didn’t want you to climb in that particular spot. Which is all to say that it’s perfectly legal to take pictures by the waterfall. Phew!

Kimberly works in health care, John is an entrepreneur with big machinery, and Jack keeps them on their toes.

People are sometimes hesitant to have portrait sessions with two year olds because of their two-year-old-ness. No need to worry though – most two year olds are active and that’s the great thing about outdoor sessions. They leave plenty of time for kids to run around and be kids while still getting some amazing family photographs.

They said their family loves to be outside so they fell in love with this location. Be sure to check out how to choose a great location – Rochester has some great spots to choose from.

Thank you so much Kimberly and John for sharing your beautiful family with me!

It was a beautiful day for mini-sessions at Cobb’s Hill with the lovely Kim and Adonis and their wonderful kids.

Seeing these beautiful people has gotten to be like seeing family. They were some of my very first clients and it’s such a joy to see them every year – 9 years later. I am so grateful for them.

Kim was pregnant with Abby and Averie was just a toddler when I first met them. Now they’re so grown up!

If you’d like to be notified of future mini-sessions, be sure to hop on the newsletter by clicking here. They usually happen in the fall and are perfect for Christmas and holiday cards.

It was such a joy to work with your family yet again. I hope you have a wonderful year!

If you ever meet Pete, be sure to call him Pete, or Pita because the American version of Peter sounds horrifying to British people who are named Peter. Just so you know.

Pearl and Pete graced New York with their presence when they moved back stateside not too long ago. Pete’s mom came over from England for a few weeks, so they took advantage of the fall mini-sessions to have some family portraits taken. If you’d like to be notified of this year’s mini sessions, be sure to hop on the email list.

Pat is an awesome grandma and Pearl very much appreciated her hard work getting them acclimated to their new house in Pittsford.

There is no shortage of locations in Rochester and interestingly, I’d never been to Cobb’s Hill before this day – not even for non photographic purposes. It really was a fantastic spot with a lot of options in a small area.

One of the best things about hiring a photographer is that whoever is the picture-taker in the family actually has the opportunity to be in photos. They may or may not love that, but for sure it’s always good to have some kind of photographic evidence that a parent was present and accounted for.

White or black is a classic choice for photos since most people have clothing in those colors. For more ideas about what to wear during a photo session, click here.

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful family with me!!!