Multi-generation family portraits are a beautiful way to preserve your family’s history to be passed on for many generations to come. Photography has come a long way over the past century, so while many of us don’t have photos of our great-grandparents and relatives, now we have an incredible opportunity to capture generational family portraits through family photography.
As a newborn photographer, I’m privileged to capture a baby’s first professional portrait. I get to meet this new baby and wonder what she will look like as she grows up and what she’ll do with her life. As a multi-generational family portrait photographer, I meet families and learn their stories as I capture the portrait that will carry on the legacy. It’s pretty amazing.
When I meet with a potential generational family portrait client, the objection that I usually hear is that they’re worried about coordinating such an event. Let me share a few tips for planning a multi-generation family portrait!
Planning a Multi-Generation Family Portrait
Decide Why – First, decide why is this important to you. It may seem silly to think about this, but having a clear why will help you plan the rest of the steps. Is this important for you to preserve your family’s story? Show off your beautiful family in your home? Decide this and write it down if you’d like to have a visual of your why!
Choose Heirloom Portrait Artwork – Now that you have your why let’s talk about the what! What will you display after the session? Are you dreaming of a family gallery wall? Or every family member displays the same portrait in their home? Perhaps you want an album with each family along with the multi-generational portrait. The important thing is that you have a plan for these special portraits. Don’t let these sit on a flash drive or social media. These deserve a special place in your home!
Get the Whole Family On Board – Now that you have the why and the what, we need to get the who involved! It’s time to get the entire family on board with this portrait session. If you run into any resistance, you can share your why and what. You can say this is important that you preserve the family legacy, and you want every family member to receive a framed portrait. It’s much easier to get everyone on the same page!
Plan the Date Accordingly – The tricky part may be scheduling the date, especially if you have family members living out of town. Start with what dates work for you and see if you can find one that works for everyone. Some families coordinate this with a big milestone such as a major anniversary or other family events. You don’t have to, but it could be an option.
Wardrobe – Lucky for you, I have resources on what to wear for spring photos, fall photos, and summer photos. I offer wardrobe guidance for all my clients. My general rule of thumb is to keep it simple and natural for timeless photos.
Find a Photographer You Trust – Finally, find a photographer that you can trust with such a special portrait session. This is definitely not the image you take with a phone or a friend with a camera. You’ll want a professional photographer to guide you through the planning process with ease and can handle managing multiple families at once.
Seacoast Generational Family Portrait Photographer
Family photography is more than just taking a photo; it’s preserving your family’s legacy. My stress-free portrait process means that once you book with me, I handle all the details for you. As Professional Photographer, I have the skills and techniques to make sure that each member of your family feels cared for throughout the session.
Finally, if you’d like to schedule a time to chat, please click here! I’d love to meet with you.
There is nothing quite like spring! It’s a new season, the sun is shining (hopefully), and everywhere you look, there is no more snow! Okay, so there are a lot of reasons to love spring. Can I share one more? It’s a great time to take your family portraits!
The abundance of spring sunshine means we all get our much-needed vitamin D! This is why people experience a mood booster with the additional daylight, and they feel happier! What a perfect time to take a family portrait.
Not convinced? I offer my five favorite reasons next!
Five Perks of a Spring Family Portrait Session
1. Gorgeous Blooms – As you can see, springtime offers sweet blooms for the perfect backdrop for your family portraits. I know all the best locations in the Seacoast area to find the perfect spot. Imagine your family portrait on the wall with the sweet happiness of spring! You’ll feel happier all year by just admiring it.
2. Spring Sunsets – In spring, the days are getting longer than winter, so your session will likely start an hour or so before sunset, which is around 5:30 pm. There is something magical about spring sunsets, in my opinion. It’s like your seeing beautiful sunsets for the first time! It’ll create beautiful lighting for your portraits!
3. Your Kids Are Ready to Play – After being cooped up all winter, your kiddos are ready to get out and do something fun. Trust me, family portrait sessions are a blast! Not only that, you’ll look at your kids this spring and wonder how they’ve grown so fast. Now is the time to capture their essence to treasure forever.
4. Spring Outfits – I actually really love spring outfits for a family portrait session! The temperature is at the perfect in-between, so it feels warmer, but we’re not experiencing the summer heat. I tend to love neutrals with complimentary cheery colors such as whites, pinks, greens, and blues for spring sessions. All my family sessions include wardrobe guidance, but if you’re interested in more, I have an entire blog post dedicated to what to wear for your spring portraits here.
5. Just in Time for Mother’s Day – What do moms really want for Mother’s Day? Portrait artwork of their beautiful families to enjoy every day. If you’re a mom, this might be the perfect reason to go ahead and schedule your family session. Or, you can send this to your partner for a major hint. 😉
Spring Family Seacoast NH Photographer
Honestly, I love capturing your family’s portrait all year long and in the studio, but there is something just lovely about a spring family session! Everyone is happy and ready to play in the sun, resulting in gorgeous portraits of your family. If you’re interested in learning more about me, let’s schedule a time to chat!
Otherwise, if you’re a Seacoast mama, I’d love to have you in my online community. It’s a growing resource with tips, support, and expert advice on all parenting topics. You can join it here.
You might be surprised to hear this, but I’m not always comfortable in front of the camera. My passion is taking your family photos for you to treasure forever; however, I may feel nervous when it’s my turn.
Believe it or now, it’s common to feel nervous before a portrait session. Unless you’re a celebrity, you might not have your portraits taken very often. You may need to get yourself in the right headspace and be excited to have your picture taken.
Here, I’ll share five tips to help you relax, feel comfortable, and confident so that you end up with photos that you LOVE.
5 Tips for Getting Comfortable in Front of the Camera
1.) Pamper Yourself – This is a wonderful opportunity to pamper yourself so that you feel beautiful and confident before your session. Book hair and makeup the day of the session, so you don’t have to stress. My only recommendation is not to try a completely different look that day. If you don’t have time that day, get your nails done a few days prior. Take some time for you!
2.) Plan Your Outfits – Feel prepared for your session by having everyone’s outfits ready to go. I have multiple articles on what to wear for spring, summer, or fall. If everyone has an amazing outfit ready to go, you’ll feel much better and more relaxed!
3.) Choose a Meaningful Location – I highly recommend choosing a session location that’s meaningful to you! You’ll feel comfortable and excited going to the location for your shoot. It’s totally normal to feel shy taking photos if there are other people around, but we’ll be having so much fun you won’t even notice.
4.) Make it Fun! – This is your time to look amazing and laugh with your family! There will be lots of giggling and laughing during the session. It’s okay to be goofy! In fact, it’s strongly encouraged. We’ll crack jokes or tell funny stories to get everyone smiling naturally. It should feel like you’re having the best time with your people!
5.) Find the Right Photographer – This is the most important tip, my friend. You need to find the right photographer for you! Someone whose work you like and you feel comfortable with. You need one who you can ask for help choosing your outfits and location, as well as someone who genuinely cares about your portraits!
Family Photographers Near Newburyport, MA
Find a photographer who makes you feel comfortable in front of the camera so you end up with portraits you will adore! I’m honored to work with my families again and again because we end up feeling like old friends after the session. I’m here to guide you through the entire portrait process so that you feel at ease and relaxed. If you’re interested in booking a session, book a quick phone call with me to see if we’re the right fit!
So many mamas look forward to their fall family portrait sessions! You get to freeze-frame the moment and capture your amazing family as you head into a new season. Usually, by this time, your kiddos are well into their new school year, sports are in full swing, and the season of major holidays is just around the corner.
You sign up for your fall portrait session, choose your session location, and dream about where you want to hang your new photos in your home. One slight problem, what should everyone wear!? You want your family’s outfits to coordinate but not be too matchy-matchy.
White Wave Photography clients always get a wardrobe consultation with me to ensure we can create the perfect look for your portraits. I’ve gone to a client’s home and gone through outfits to find the right one.
Here, I’ll offer my top tips for styling your fall family portrait to help you find the best look for your entire squad!
Tips on What to Wear for Fall
Start with Your Outfit – Yep, mamas, this is an opportunity to put yourself FIRST. Choose your favorite fall outfit, and then coordinate your family’s outfits from there. Moms tend to be the pickiest when it comes to their outfits (but not always), so choose an outfit that you love and feel amazing in for your family portraits. Now, onto what colors and accessories.
Choose Your Color Palette – Stick with browns, creams, yellows, reds, and deep purples to your outfits. Dark jeans for mom and khakis for dad are your friends! Avoid bright, bold patterns as they will detract from your gorgeous faces and the fall backdrop.
Trust Deep Jewel Tones – Speaking of colors, I always recommend deep jewel tones for the girls’ fall outfits because they look spectacular in front of fall foliage. These colors look great on everyone!
Fall Layers – We don’t want everyone wearing scarves or puffy vests but strategically adding some fall layers can add some fun looks. Plus, if it’s a chilly day, we want everyone to keep warm! Think… a cute cardigan, scarf, vest, denim shirt, boots, etc.
Minimal Accessories – I usually steer clients away from big jewelry, hats, or hair accessories. I do love when clients have a necklace with special meaning, or it’s part of their personality to wear their hair a certain way. The goal is never to deter your personality but to create a look that reflects you and looks beautiful in your portrait!
Fall Family Portraits in NH, ME, and MA
I’m not being biased at all when I say the Seacoast has the most beautiful fall. We have gorgeous fall foliage, beaches, and local farms that provide incredible backdrops for our fall family portraits. I hope these tips on what to wear helped give you some ideas! My fall portrait session calendar is almost booked, so book a call with me if you’re interested in booking your family photos!
What’s that in the air? Is it the first crisp fall winds? Yes! It’s been a great summer here in the Seacoast, but I am ready for fall! Cooler weather, sweaters, beautiful colors, and back-to-school time.
Fall is a popular time for portrait sessions for many reasons. Clients love the gorgeous fall colors and backdrops our area provides. Plus, with back-to-school, families want to capture their growing children and have their photos taken for their holiday cards. It’s also senior season!
I’ve been lucky to photograph my families over the area and know the best spots. Here, I have my four favorite fall session locations for your portrait session in the Seacoast along with why you might like to have your photos there! If you’re looking for my favorite senior session locations, check out my other blog with those spots.
Best Fall Session Locations Near You
It’s all about choosing a location that means something special to you. Here are four session locations and why I love them in the fall.
1. Beach – Think the beach is just for summer portraits? Think again! September and October are great times for the beach because it is cooler and there are fewer people to contend with for great spots. I also love the fall colors dancing off the ocean as the backdrop.
2. Apple Orchards – A classic and beautiful spot for portraits is an apple orchard! My favorites are Apple Crest in Hampton Falls and Cider Hill in Amesbury, MA. These locations offer picturesque orchards that are perfect for your fall photos.
3. Wagon Hill in Durham – This spot has it all! Great photo locations with scenic water, beautiful fields, and, it’s dog friendly, so you can bring ALL your family members to your portrait session!
4. Fort Rock Farm in Exeter – In my humble opinion, this location is the quintessential New England backdrop in the fall! Here we have gorgeous barns, colorful fields, and weeping willow trees for memorable portraits.
Fall Back to School Portraits at Vernon Family Farm
This fall, I’m offering a very special Back to School Portrait night on Friday, September 10th at Vernon Family Farm! No matter what the school year looks like for your family, these school photos will be the BEST yet and way to slow down and capture your kiddos. Please visit my web page to learn more and book your spot(s)!
Booking Your Fall Family Portrait Session
Ready to schedule your fall portraits? Fall is a popular time so session slots fill up quickly! I’d love to photograph your beautiful family and create family portrait artwork to treasure in your home for years to come! Send me a message for your free phone consultation.
