Candid Mini Sessions: Fairport NY Winter Family Pictures

How do you know if our Candid Mini Session Events are for your right for your next set of family pictures?

For one, you love candid pictures of your family. Our sledding mini session event is a prime example of the candid side of life we capture. We take a few posed pictures of each family, and then it’s all about the play!

Their scrunched up, happy screaming faces as they come down the hill are pretty fantastic. Aren’t they?

And if you don’t care for snowy family pictures, that’s ok, because our candid mini sessions happen every single month. These family pictures mini sessions are always changing, and usually include some sort of activity that keeps your kids happy while we capture their smiles.

Fairport Extended Family Pictures: Rochester NY Family Photographers

These wide, happy smiles are brought to you by lots of laughter and the promise of pie.

It helps that half of this gorgeous group knows us well, having been their family photographers through our Candid Mini Session Events and various family portrait sessions.

Family in town for the holidays? Why yes, we’ll make beautiful family pictures of your whole family for you. It’d be our pleasure.

(And if we can’t during the holidays, we’d be happy to offer you a gift certificate solution!)

Hamlin Beach Family Pictures: Fairport NY Photographers

If you have a favorite place in the Rochester NY area, you go there for your family pictures. Which is what we did with Kylie’s family to compliment her Class of 2022 senior pictures.

They have so many memories from Hamlin Beach. Camping, swimming and playing with cousins. I was lucky enough to join this family and take some family portraits for them in their happy place.

And, not only did the bring their dog, but they also wore matching Puppie Love Rescue shirts!

The golden hour sunset did not disappoint in these family pictures, These guys were so much fun! I’m really glad Kylie is the oldest daughter! See you again soon! -Lori

Candid Mini Sessions: Sunflower Family Portraits at Wickham Farms

I’ll be honest, had it not been for the Pandemic, I don’t think we’d have chosen to play in the sunflowers. Because 2020 threw us the curveballs, we pivoted and made our events work safely for our members.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to do it again. In fact, some of the family portraits that we captured that night may be all time favorites of mine. It’s just that we’d never really considered it before.

I’m so glad we did though - I mean, look at these. Seriously though, do it, and when you’re done - find out how you can get yours next year.

Victor NY Winter Family Pictures

It’s no secret that we don’t have a studio to shoot in. Background sets and props have never been big in our bag of tricks. We prefer a setting that feels comfortable to our families - and during the winter, the location we most often use is - at home.

When we suggest that to people, most of the time our families think they don’t have the right house for family portrait sessions at home. We disagree.

You’d be surprised what we can do in your space, and in the winter too. Snow is fun and pretty in your pictures. And as long as you’re having fun as a family, your image are going to be beautiful.

For example - these guys, they’re the first family I ever photographed all those years ago. Granted, they are also my family. I’m so thankful for their trust in me throughout the years.

Enjoy a peek into our session this year!

~ Erin

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

Newborns at Home: Family Portraits in Rochester NY

It's been five years, but I still remember tearing up during their wedding ceremony at Casa Larga Vineyards. It was one of the most fun, and most heartfelt wedding days I've ever been a witness to.

So to see them now as parents to their beautiful two week old baby just melts my heart. The love they share just oozes out of everywhere. Seriously, this family is that adorable.

I loved watching them cuddle close together, beaming at their tiny little man. They know that all too soon that little cutie is going to start wiggling out of their lap. So today, they're cherishing each chance, and it's beautiful.

~ Erin

Father's Day for a new Dad, from a new Mom

Most of the time, my little munchkin is a laid back and calm kid. Honestly, he's almost a little TOO laid back. So far, he has no real interest in crawling, let alone rolling over. He's happy to sit back and enjoy life, and let Mommy and Daddy do everything for him.

I joke, that his procrastination in learning these things is the one trait he's clearly gotten from his Daddy. Daddy doesn't deny this trait in himself or in Lucas; and sometimes it makes Mommy crazy. However, I'm learning that things will be learned, or get done, when my boys are ready to do them.

This weekend, is my husbands first Father's Day. I'm a terrible wife, because even as I write this, I still haven't gotten him a gift. I suppose I could cook something. I honestly think that would shock him the most - but let's be realistic here.

Over the past year, I've watched my husband transform from, "husband" into "daddy." I have a photograph (that yes, I took from my hospital bed) where I can see the moment on the day Lucas was born, when the transformation began. Ten months later, it's still a beautiful thing to watch. I love watching his face light up when he gets a full belly laugh out of the baby. Or how proud he is over the smallest accomplishments, like when Lucas first managed to feed himself a puff.

We have no idea who our little man will take after the most, it's definitely still a toss-up in the personality department. But there's no question, he's his Father's son - and I couldn't be happier about that. Because his Daddy is a loving, giving, hard-working man, and I'm so lucky that he's mine.

Happy Father's Day to "New" Dads, and all Dads (including my own!) - here's to you!

~ Erin

Lucas at 7 months old: rochester ny photographers

Most people have their infants photographed two, maybe three times in the first year of their lives. Not me. Thanks to my 365 project, and just generally being me, I have had more "sessions" with Lucas than I can count on both hands. The images I take of Lucas are beautiful to me, and I love taking them. However, I'm always the one behind the camera, and it was time to be a part of the action with my family. I cannot even begin to tell you how important it is to me to have photographs of not just Lucas - but Lucas with me and his daddy.

Enter, Lori. I'm so lucky to not only be able to work with her, but have her there to capture my family and our relationships as well. And because she knows me so well, she knew exactly what I was looking for with our last family session. She knew how I wanted to look, and how best to accomplish the task.

So here's my PSA for today:  Moms, be in the pictures. I don't care if you think you look fat, and I don't care if you think you have bags under your eyes.  These photographs are SO important. Find a photographer who makes you feel comfortable, and knows what you want photographed. Don't stand behind the camera. Your kids will thank you someday. Please, just do it for them.

End PSA. Now back to your regularly scheduled cuteness.

It's no secret that I have one of the cutest babies on the planet... biased much? Yes, yes I am. Here's a glimpse into our session! Thank you, Lori, for being awesome!

February in Pictures: Erin's 365

2 months down! Yes! I've been at my 365 project now for 2 months. It's obvious, that I've taken on a theme, a very "close to my heart" theme. My son is the inspiration for this project. I want to capture as much of this first year of his life as I can! He'll change so much this year - heck, he already has, and astonishes me.

So, naturally many of my pictures revolve around him and will continue to do so. This month, Lucas hit the "half" year mark. I'm trying to capture what he's learning, the funny and sometimes frustrating moments, and the relationships he's building with the world and people in his life. I want to remember all of these little daily milestones that are forming him into the person he's becoming.

Also this month, Nigel the Gnome returned! After Lori left on her trip, I started to feel lonely - so Nigel kept me company during my days. I'm looking forward to seeing where he ends up during my 365 project.

Valentine's Day was a part of this month's images and as we all know, the deep freeze of a winter we're having continued to tortured us.  So that had to be included somehow too!

Enjoy my recap in photos!

~ Erin

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