Victor NY Family Portraits at Home

Bacon and eggs a la Dad in the morning. 

S'mores in the fire pit at night.

BBQ's out on the patio.

These are just some of the ways this family loves to hang out together at home. With four great and very different kids, home is a big part of their world.

So why not plan your portrait session in your own space? Let the kids show off their rooms. Or let them giggle together in the kitchen.

Even if for most of the day it rained, you can still have fun inside like these cuties did. The possibilities are endless.

~ Erin

LucasP: Year 4

Yesterday I noticed that his feet are almost to the edge of his toddler bed.

Today, his beloved Star Wars light up shoes no longer fit him. Funny thing about that though - I only bought them two months ago. So in just the last two months, he's grown a full shoe size right before our eyes. 

The threenager stage of life is no joke. Terrible twos look like a beach vacation compared to three. The seemingly endless task of potty training, the wanting independence vs "You do it Mommy". The constant time outs and counting to three. It's exhausting for sure.

But we're proof that you do come out of the other side, and scattered among the time outs, are some pretty incredible moments.

Watching him overcome fears, and try the things he hasn't been able to do until now is amazing. His love for all things Super Hero / Star Wars has only grown as his understanding of them does also.

I've learned that he can be both shy and outgoing at the same time. I think he gets that from me. But when he makes a friend, he instantly says they are his "favorite friend." 

He loves going on "adventures" with Daddy - tent camping, hiking and s'mores. He's even created his own campfire dance, forever known to family as "the Sticky Icky Dance."

There were a lot of firsts within the past year that aren't shown in the photographs below. Some are from our portrait membership program, others are still sitting on my computer waiting to be edited. If I tried to include them all, this post would be 10x longer.

Since his last birthday, so many things have changed. I won't say they've all been great changes, but we're focusing on the good as often as possible. And here's hoping we will always be able to.

Happy 4th Birthday LucasP!

Love you too the moon and back, and beyond the stars,
Momma

Syracuse, NY Outdoor Family Portraits

The last time I photographed Barrett, he was a newborn, being baptized. Now, he is a little boy who loves running and playing. His big sisters have turned into beautiful young ladies that are a joy to be around. Maybe it’s the familial bias, but they are some of my favorite subjects.  :)

However, this session did present some logistical challenges. Planning from Rochester and Kentucky for a session that would take place in Syracuse was fun. And wouldn’t you know, when we finally agreed on Franklin Square Park, they would be painting the benches that day? We managed to keep the kids away from the wet paint, and used the sculptures, brick and ivy as our setting.  

We broke up the posed shots with some playground time and enjoying exploring the outdoor stage at Thornden Park. Check out a few of my favorites below!

Until next time,
Lori

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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.

Durand Eastman Beach Senior Pictures: Elizabeth

Like her brother Christopher, Elizabeth is very easy going, relaxed and also has a perfect smile :) {Link to his post}

She will join him at RIT, but for accounting – which fits her exacting personality very well!

However, unlike her brother, she wanted more of a natural setting for her Rochester NY senior pictures, so we hit Durand Eastman Park for the best of both forest and beach.

What's better than golden hour on the beach? Answer - nothing.

As we were shooting, I thought wow, Rochester could almost be mistaken for someplace tropical. The golden sky, the blue water, Elizabeth rocked everything from the fallen logs to the waves on the shore.

Elizabeth - I hope your senior year is memorable and fun!

Feel free to leave well wishes for Elizabeth in the comments! 

Cheers,

Lori

Rochester NY Senior Portraits: Christopher in the City

Christopher is the kind of person with a plan. Currently a member of DECA, he plans to study marketing at RIT and eventually get into politics. He'll start local, but hopes to work up to senator or maybe even a cabinet position someday. I love his ambition and easy going nature. And also, look at that perfect smile!

Rochester City Hall set the perfect background for his session. The marble columns, the flag, and he looked so comfortable in that board room. We also headed outside to enjoy the architecture of the city, and ended up over at the Memorial Art Gallery.

Christopher definitely projects a strong, confident personality, and you'll see that in his senior portraits. Best of luck, Christopher, in all your endeavors!

Cheers,
Lori

PS: Stick around, his twin sister Elizabeth is next up on the blog!

Family Pictures at Webster Pier: Webster NY Photographer

Alaina and her family have been part of our membership program since Alaina was born. It's been amazing to watch her turn into this bubbly little girl. Witnessing and capturing growth, not only in Alaina's size but as a family is a beautiful experience. 

Picking flowers, climbing benches, playing peek a boo - really, is there a better way to spend a morning with a two year old? I think not.

Her eyes light up with happiness when she's playing. And that laugh, I swear you can almost hear it in these photographs. 

Check them out, you'll see what I mean!

~ Erin

Voice Actor Head Shots in Fairport NY: Kurt

Like son, like father, that's what they say, right? If Kurt looks familiar, it may be because his son was just featured on our blog a few weeks ago.

Also a voice actor, Kurt was due to update his look. He brought a different microphone to play with (a Fentone, vintage RCA look alike) and several outfits from casual to semi-formal. We played off of those options to create a variety of looks - from fun and silly to a more "traditional" head shot. However...

What's really neat about being in business these days, is that no longer is "boring-headshot-in-front-of-boring-background" the norm. Today's customers want to know the person behind the product (our voice in this case) so we really get to showcase our clients' personalities.

Kurt very easily switched from selling cars and mattresses to telling stand up jokes against the classic brick wall. He's a great guy, so if you're in the market for some voiceover work, you should check out his team at The Write Creative.

Enjoy!
Lori

Voice Actor Head Shots in Rochester NY: Kiefer

Meet Kiefer. He has been a voice actor since he was a child, thanks to his father who is also in the industry. In recent years, you may have even seen him on one of Rochester's many stages. After growing a mustache to play Albert Einstein last month, he was excited to shave it off and get in front of the camera.

We hit the studio to update his headshots and had a ton of fun! He brought his trusty mic and we made a variety of images. From action shots to the guy next door to the guy next door staring on a reality TV show with his friend "Mic". 

If you can't tell, there was a lot of laughing during this session. 

Kiefer, it was my pleasure. Can't wait to see what you do next!
-Lori

Summertime Family Portraits in Victor NY

This adorable family loves to spend time outside together when they can, whether they're hiking, riding horses or around the neighborhood on the golf cart.

I caught up with them, and their two cats for a Cobblestone Living portrait session. For a little something different, we even included some time on the golf cart, which really mades this preschooler happy!

I had a blast chasing around their 3 year old and getting to know them while I did. What a cute and fun family portrait session! :)

~ Erin

Headshot Portraits for Librarians: Maggie

Our business is heavily relationship based. You can see that in the images we create. Working with Maggie to update her headshots was unique to her personality, but just what I always strive for in a session. Fun, outdoors, good lighting, natural expressions. 

She choose one of my favorite locations in the city to shoot: the University of Rochester campus. We met at the library, and planned to shoot near the quad. We quickly discovered much of it to be under construction, but not to worry, we altered the game plan slightly and still found lots of unique locations with great lighting to use.

Maggie, thank you for bringing your beautiful smile and helping me learn a little more about you and your journey to this moment. It's been a pleasure getting to know you, and laughing with you when we got photo bombed by the balloons. :) 

Until next time,
Lori

Brighton Couples Session: Rochester NY Photographers

These two are beautiful people, with a wonderful home and love for wine and gardening. Also, they have the cutest little dog, Cocoa, who did NOT want to be left out of the session. A few pets from me and we were fast friends.

This was such a relaxed, easy going session. Howie and Jona made it so easy to see how happy they are together.

It doesn't matter how long you've been married. What matters to me is when you look at each other, your smile changes into something real. You can't help but get closer to each other. And you laugh.

And it's beautiful - every. single. time.

~ Erin