Lifestyle Newborn Session in Rochester NY

Last we saw this family, it was at their beach maternity session.

Now, they are a family of four, which includes their fur baby of course. Photographing this moment in their lives together was such a joy. The newborn session centered on the nursery and the gorgeous mural (painted by one of our branding photography clients, Amy Colburn!)

They put on a record and they read together, they snuggled, and they loved on their newborn. This newborn session wasn’t over the top. It was sweet and perfect for this family as they welcomed their little one home. We can’t wait to see them grow.

Candid Family Portraits in Highland Park: Mother's Day Mini Sessions

I know every family photographer says it, but I mean it - our families are the best!

Because of rain, we rescheduled our Mother’s Day mini sessions in Rochester twice. When rain threatened again the third time, we nearly canceled it altogether.

But some of our candid mini member families said “Let’s play in the rain.”

And so, another mini session event happened despite the weather.

Honestly though, how cute are these family pictures in the rain?

Rochester NY Lifestyle Newborn Photography at Home

You saw them in their announcement photographs, and then again in their maternity pictures. So naturally we’re thrilled to share with you the newest members in to our candid mini session event series - Laura, Kevin and their beautiful baby, Luna.

Her first family portrait session was perfect. She slept and ate her way through her debut appearance in front of our lenses. We look forward to capturing her growth at every milestone, as well as so many little moments in between.

Welcome to the world Luna, we are so glad to finally meet your little face.

What Type of Family Portrait Fits you Best?

Fairport NY Family Pictures

You sit down and google “family pictures in Rochester NY.” 

The results come back with a list filled with different descriptions by different family picture photographers. Do you want family portraiture? Candid family pictures? Documentary photography? What is a lifestyle family portrait?

You get so overwhelmed by this decision that you give up your search for a family photographer, again. 

So how do you know what style of family pictures you like best?

We can help you out here. Most photographers will describe themselves using at least one of three main family portrait styles:

 Traditional Family Pictures:

This is essentially an all encompassing title for a photographer who takes family pictures. But there’s a little bit more to it. 

A traditionally trained portrait photographer often focuses their efforts on quality posing and controlled lighting in their family portraits. This often happens in a studio setting with lights, backdrops and perhaps props or sets. However, not every traditional or fine art family photographer uses a studio. 

Oftentimes an extended family portrait falls into this style of family photography. The resulting images tend to focus on the family smiling and looking at the camera.

This may be the simplest category to explain, but it is often one of the hardest to master.

A posed, smiley family portrait is considered most traditional.

Candid Family Portraits in Rochester NY:

If you’re looking for the opposite, or real, authentic, unposed images, then you are looking for a documentary family photographer. Strict photographers in this realm won’t add any light to a scene, but rather evaluate what is available and use it to show emotion. These sessions are usually longer and allow for the most freedom of movement. They can surround an event, or just capture a “day in the life” at home. This is a newer, but growing genre of family portrait photography.

Real life, real play and letting moments unfold are what the documentary side of our membership is all about.

Lifestyle Family Portraits in Rochester NY:

If you want something in between the two, then perhaps you’d best enjoy a lifestyle family portrait session. Lifestyle photographers enjoy a bit more freedom in their sessions. They’ll often choose the location and general position of a group, but then they give they family a little freedom to play using prompts.

This allows for natural moments to occur, such as laughter, hugs, and play, while still controlling the situation in terms of light and background.

Typically lifestyle family pictures are taken in a natural environment (whether inside or outside) rather than a studio. This type of photographer may opt to use lighting, or not!

Lifestyle family portraits are the best way to describe our Signature Family Sessions.

We gave her the location and gave her some ideas - she created the lifestyle portrait.

And Then There’s Us: Lori & Erin Photography

When you love all three options, and you just have to have all of the above - you join our family. Our candid mini session events are part of a membership that essentially uses all three of these family portrait styles. How, you ask?

We plan a variety of fun events, at the perfect times for your family. Then we photograph them. It’s that simple.

We do our best to plan these events to optimize the lighting and space while you come and enjoy a real life event, in a real world setting.

Sometimes we step in and interact with your family to get a posed portrait. Other times we give you a prompt for a something that feels more like lifestyle family pictures.

Sometimes the events are specifically planned to create a more posed portrait, such as our Pandemic Portrait themed event.

In the end, we give all of these family moments back to you. Consider us your personal, “all in one’ shop for family photography in Rochester NY.

So if you can’t figure out which category a photographer falls into by peeping their portfolio, just ask them. They should be happy to give you a better idea of who they are and how they photograph a family portrait.

Find out why our membership makes sense for your family here.

If you’re ready to learn more about the Lori & Erin Family, we can’t wait to welcome you.

In Between Portrait Membership: Tie Dye Night candid family portraits

Oh what a lovely, messy night we had! The threat of rain didn’t stop us from creating our new shirts with our member families. These candid family portrait moments are always different, each event changing with the season.

There are some events that are now traditions. Apple picking (which is coming up soon!) being one of them. But this was a new one for us. Tie dye is such a common “summer time with kids” activity, that it made sense to include it in this years lineup.

Big thanks to Dana Sharp (one of our awesome members) for leading the group and showing us all some tips and tricks in creating great tie dyed shirts for the whole family!

Curious as to what these “members” are that we’re always talking about? Check out our membership information, or come to our next event to find out more!

Rochester NY Family Portraits: At home portrait sessions with four kids!

In order to create photos like these, it takes a level of trust. There must be a willingness on behalf of the subjects to let me into their homes, play rooms and backyards.

Alicia knows.

She knows that from her side of the lens, she sees chaos, and kids that are shy/cranky/rambunctious/sweet/silly/loving… you name it. And those feelings and expressions change FAST!

But Alicia trusts me. After all, we’ve been doing this for 7 years, since their oldest, Stella, was a baby. With the additions of Liam, Cormac and Finn, it just gets more entertaining each time I photograph the family.

This time, the kids showed me how they make their own instruments, pine cone piles, even no handed flips onto a mat! My favorite pictures almost always end up being the unscripted ones. My job is leave room for the kids to express themselves, and be ready to capture it.

Here are just a few of my favorites from their most recent session. Love you guys!

-Lori

Candid Family Pictures: Cookie Decorating

There were cookies, there was frosting, there were marshmallows and sprinkles. It was a sugary delight for all of the kids. And then the big guy in the bright red suit showed up.

My husband told me after the event, that he finally saw it. When I asked him what “it” was, he said “The magic of Christmas.”

Whoa. I didn’t see that coming.

He went on to tell me how he watched the kids’ faces when Santa popped in to say hello, and it was beautiful.

You guys - that right there is everything this program is all about.

See, while we were working to capture their faces, he was enjoying the moment. I imagine, without their camera phones in front of them for a change, our other parents were doing the same. They didn’t need to stress about getting the best picture, because we were there.

I’m so glad to be able to give this gift to our members all year long. Whether it’s the magic of Christmas, or a day at the beach, It’s an honor to capture their childhood.

Thank you to our families who give us this opportunity all year long. We hope you’ve enjoyed the moments and the memories made.

Happy Holidays,

Lori & Erin

Beach Family Pictures in Rochester NY

I honestly don't know how else to say it - our members ROCK. They get it, they get us and every time we see them it just gets better and better.

The photographs we take at these events are of real life. These kids are real, and their parents let them be that real because way back in the back of their minds, they know that these are the moments they'll forget over time.

They'll forget that big excited grin as they run to the water fully clothed. They'll forget collecting shells and feathers and rocks along the shore. They'll forget how watching their kids play makes them feel, no matter how crazy the day was up to that point. They might even forget that sticky mess of an ice cream cone, melted all over their face, clothes and shoes (though, not anytime soon.)

Except - This night they won't forget, because these photographs will be there to remind them. This moment in their children's lives is now captured, preserved, and forever cherished in photographs.

This event might have been one of my all time favorites - a perfect night for sand, sun, waves and ice cream.

If you want to remember that messy but happy face, if you want to remember the moments in between the dressed up portrait sessions - you should be here, with us.

My Perfect Mother's Day Gift

Last month, my family gathered at my childhood home to spend one last day in the woods behind it. There's a long muddy trail, that leads back to a creek where a space was cleared years ago for just this type of gathering. Family, friends, a campfire and togetherness. 

It was the one of the last times, I would walk (or four wheel) that trail. It was bittersweet. But wow, was it fulfilling to watch my son play in the place I grew up. We watched him swing on the rope swing, laughing his head off with every push he was given. He got muddy, he played by the water, and we cherished the day as a family.

Soon, a new family will grow up there. They'll swim in the creek, and they'll have their own campfires. I can only hope they enjoy it half as much as we did.

At the end of the day, I sat with my son by the edge of the water, to tell him why this place was special to me. That's when I was given my Mother's Day present.

My aunt, and then my husband picked up my camera and took our picture while we talked. Was I muddy? Yes. Was my hair a mess. You bet. Were either of them professionals? Nope. None of that mattered to me one bit. They saw a moment, and took my picture. I don't know if they realized in that moment what a gift that was to me.

As a photographer, and a mom, I'm rarely ever in the pictures. Moms everywhere - you get me right? You're the one typically setting up the photos, capturing the candidness, and then taking selfies to prove you were there. I know this, because I am too.

Don't get me wrong, I have beautiful photos of my family and I together. But they often have to be posed or selfies. It's very rare, that I'm in a candid photograph with them. (For the record, once I realized I was being photographed, I did ask for one of both of us looking at the camera. Because honestly, it was hard not to notice.)

But on this day, in the place where I grew up, I have a few images (that thankfully include me) to show that despite our hardships of the past year, love carried on in this place. And hopefully, it always will.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms of all kinds!

~ Erin

Photos below taken by: Donnalynn Sullivan and Matthew Perrotta

2017 with LucasP: rochester photography

All honesty - 2017 wasn't my favorite year. I'm in a place right now, where I'd prefer to move forward, even though it's hard. Despite all of it's hardships, 2017 had some beautiful moments in the life of Lucas P and our journey as a family.

Lucas grew taller, his words come faster (and louder), his true personality emerging stronger every day. For weeks he wouldn't leave the house without a super hero cape or stormtrooper mask on. He still loves his trains, but now mixes his imaginary worlds together. Batman saves Thomas the Train, and Stormtroopers chase dinosaurs. Holding onto this boy's childhood moments have been a saving grace in the chaos.

Those who know me know that we experienced loss, but also immense love this year. Seriously it was intense and an other-worldly kind of love. It's the kind that leaves you dumbfounded and awestruck. I'd always known it was there, but never fully experienced and felt until this year.

If there's anything I can leave you with from this year, (other than some cute family photos) - it's this.

Don't hesitate to take the pictures. The moment might not be perfect, or the lighting not ideal, or your make up is not on. Some of the photos from this year of my life are literally the last of their kind. I'll never be able to recreate these photos. Take the picture - because someone who loves you, might need to hold onto that photo tomorrow.

These photos bring me smiles, laughs and sometimes tears. But they're reminders of a life that's full, and lived and loved. They're something else to hold on to - keeping me tethered in the storm and giving me a reminder to keep showing up, even if it's pouring.

Because when the rain finally stops, I know I'll see the rainbow.

With love, and hope for a brighter year,

Erin

Special thank You to NorthGlow Photography for our family session this year!

Corn Hill Family Portraits: Rochester NY

As as family in our portrait membership program, we've captured this family in all of their different stages from newborn to toddler.

At this, his two year session we played as much as we could. From his trains to showing off his playground skills - watching him grow into toddlerhood has brought happiness to our lives. He's got a big personality for such a little kid, and it's awesome to watch unfold as he grows.

Happy birthday Teddy!  We're so grateful we got to spend it with you!

~ Erin