Alison and Greg had a Scotland Run Golf Club Wedding in Williamstown, NJ! The day could not be more beautiful for the two of them!

Scotland Run is one of my absolute favorite venus. Yes, I know, I say that about so many places, but lets be real here for one moment and talk about the luscious garden they have! Wow. Seriously, I just can’t contain my excitement for this place. It’s like a tropical oasis! It’s no wonder they chose this to be the place they tie the knot! It will forever have a magical place in their hearts.

To see their engagement session in Ocean City, NJ : CLICK HERE

Their day at Scotland Run started off, well, hot. It was a warm day but the sunshine was shining and I couldn’t be happier with these images! Alison looked breathtaking and her dress, that veil, those shoes! It was a photographers dream! She really did find the perfect dress and I am so honored to have been able to capture these memories for her.

If you have been thinking about where to get married and you are local to the area, or don’t mind going to Williamstown, NJ seriously check out having a Scotland Run Golf Club Wedding. The gardens are drop dead gorgeous and you will have the most amazing photos to share with your friends and family, and adorn your walls with!

Alison and Greg, I can’t thank you enough for trusting me with your special day, to capture these beautiful moments and share a glimpse of your lives with me. I am truly honored and love sharing these images with the world! xoxo

I love Fridal Kahlo + The New York Botanical Garden, so playing dress up was a definite!

My daughter keeps me inspired. Not only is she gorgeous, but she loved to plays dress-up. Today we played Frida Dress-up, in honor of my favorite artist, Frida Kahlo! Many of you do not know, that I originally went to school for Studio Art. I studied many amazing artists, but the one that stuck was Frida. Maybe it was the vibrant colors, or the fact that she was a rebel. Maybe it was because she made the most out of what she had, or had a super imaginative mind. Or maybe, looking in the mirror, she felt like I sometimes felt. She was as much as a realist as she was imaginative. Drawing what she saw and elaborating on it. Frida is a true inspiration, and I will forever admire her art.

I attended the Frida Al Fresco nights, and exhibit at The New York Botanical Garden in The Bronx, NY! I was beyond excited to be able to experience life in her world, and get up close and personal with her artwork! I  even dressed up like Frida herself, with one of my best friends from college! So I guess you could say, that playing Frida Dress-up with my daughter, was a test run for the real thing! We had so much fun and my daughter was able to capture the true essence of Frida, I think! Luckily, my parent’s back yard is full of really amazing vines and overgrown bushes! Behold, the amazing images I took of my daughter, myself, my bestie Reine and .. Fridal Kahlo + The New York Botanical Garden!

She enjoyed doing this so much, I think we may do it again very soon with another artist. Now just to figure out who…

Going to Frida al Fresco was an amazing experience. I couldn’t take photos of the actual artwork, because as an artist I understand that devalues the work. There was only a handful of her artwork, because most of it is not permitted to leave Mexico. Her artwork is at El Museo The Museum of Frida Kahlo. I hope to one day be able to go there and see all of her beautiful work, La Casa Azul, and get a feel for what her life was truly like. Until then, I was able to get a glimpse of it, at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, NY! WOW, they did an amazing job, and it was GORGEOUS! Getting up close and personal with some of her artwork, was phenomenal. Take a look at how much fun we had below, and don’t forget to follow me on InstaGram to see the things I posted there:

 

 

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are gray.
You’ll never know dear, how much I love you, please don’t take… my sunshine away.

The other night dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreampt I held you in my arms.
When I awoke dear, I was mistaken, so please don’t take.. my sunshine away.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are gray.
You’ll never know dear, how much I love you, please don’t take… my sunshine away.”

This is the MOST requested song I sing to my girls at night before bed. They love it. They love this song SO MUCH, they requested it be played at our wedding in September. Their exact words were, “Mommy, can you and Daddy dance with us to our own special song?” … the words that bled from my heart with total and utter love, “OMG YES, YES WHAT SONG?” So, You are my Sunshine is kind of a thing in our home.

We don’t always have good days, but we don’t always have bad days. As parents, it takes patience, stength, and at times we just need to walk away.

Children don’t always want to smile, they don’t always want their photos taken. As a photographer AND a Mom. This is super hard and has always been challenging. Our children will smile for everyone else but us. It’s just like the old saying, “The Shoemakers children have no shoes”. Yep, this photographer doesn’t have that many photos of us. We don’t always have the time to set up the tripod, the timer, and hope for a good photo. So, we drive around, pull over on the side of the road for potty breaks, we find beautiful fields of flowers. We meet farmers, and we TRY our best.

It’s not always a perfect experience, and sometimes I get upset, because I really, really just want those pretty pictures of my babies. Then I get home. I unload my cards, I preview the photos. I sit here and smile, because even though my babies didn’t cooperate THAT WELL, they’re beautiful because these photos are THEM. 100% THEM. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I look at these pictures and I smile for a few reasons. Want to know why? Well, I’m going to tell you anyway…

1. Toni doesn’t like to wear dresses. Instead, she’s wearing capri’s, a white undershirt tank top, and a tunic.
2. Gianna is wearing the dress we bought her for her preschool graduation. She will be in Kindegarden this year. This makes me so proud, and so sad for her to be growing up… so fast.
3. They both chose which bow color to wear. Their favorite colors are pink and purple. This is their individuality shining through.
4. Toni did not want to smile, all she wanted was ice cream. Her saddness was pure, the kind kids have when their biggest battle is what kind of ice cream they want, and if they will get it.
5. Gianna, lifted her hand up and played with her hair like I told her to. She is always wearing a toe ring on her pointer finger, because I gave it to her to wear to feel pretty. She felt so, so very pretty.
6. And lastly, the sunflowers were $0.50 cents, the owner of this property was selling them at a stand with a metal box for the money. His phone number was listed and said something like, “call us if you have a question, we dont bite!”. I left $5.00 in the box, and grabbed 4. I spoke with him and he said I could visit any time I’d like to take pictures in front of his flowers. He is the sweetest man, ever.
7. The girls were standing in the dirt, because they were terrified of the bee’s. Honestly, they screamed bloody murder. I explained to them they just want the pollen and that they’re trying to make honey. But you know, kids don’t listen very well, and they would NOT go back into the flowers.
8. Pink flip flops, because thats just how they roll in the summer.
9. The blurry yellow and green was Toni’s flowers that she didn’t want to hold. So I held them and made this work beautifully.
10. Last but not least, this is proof that I am able to get beautiful images of my children, even if they aren’t happy about it. It works because they’re beautiful, and nothing can ever change that. Unless of course, I have ice cream with me at the time of the shoot.

I love that I live so close to the ocean. Growing up this close has definitly spoiled me. I will probably never live anywhere else. There is just something about the way it smells, how great it is to put your toes in the sand, and breath the fresh sea air! It’s just perfect. So why not take your portraits right here on the beach? It’s the perfect excuse to get dressed up and enjoy the ocean with your family! The Santoto family came out and had an amazing summer day right here in Margate! I have never met such a happy family and look at their outfits! I am loving the blue and white!

So take a look and if you’d like to book your family portrait session on the beach, send me an email and we’ll make it happen!

When it comes to babies, we want to remember how their toes looked when they were one week old. We want to see how their skin looked and how amazingly adorable their eyes were when you held them tight. These moments are so important and I highly recommend newborn photography. Having had two little girls, I missed out on this. Being a photographer we get wrapped up in taking photos of other families and sometimes forget to stop and smell the flowers that are right there in front of us. If I could go back in time, I would have done these photos for each of my children.

Below you will see a different example of what kind of photos you can get for your babies. Outside in natural light is of course my absolute favorite. Baskets are great props and add some other elements to the photos without taking away from your little bundle of joy. In studio is great too, if it’s snowing, cold, or the weather just doesn’t permit for us to be outside. We have to think about the safety of the children, so on cold days, inside there is always a space heater and blankets to warm the babies. A puck style beanbag is used for underneath the blankets and for the baby to lie on. These beanbags are easily moved to create a comfortable bed for the baby to keep them comfy.

I strongly suggest keeping outfit changes to a maximum of two. The less the baby is wearing, the better so they stay comfortable and aren’t disturbed much, especially if they are sleeping. Swaddling is also strongly recommended, as it keeps babies snug, happy and asleep.

Please bring diapers, wipes, burp clothes as well and be prepared for accidents. They happen and it’s always good to be prepared!

All of our blankets go through the wash with Dreft after every session and are stored in a air tight tote for the next session.

Sessions are 1 hour long to give time for breast-feeding, bottle-feeding, diaper changing, accidents etc.

To book your session, or ask questions please contact Lauren from the contact link above!