Lynn & George's Farm at Raven Brook Engagement Session

Lynn and George booked me for their intimate Berkshires wedding and decided that they wanted to do an engagement session as well (which I ALWAYS recommend to my wedding clients - especially those who say they aren’t comfortable in front of a camera). Lynn and I discussed some good options for Massachusetts engagement session locations, and she decided that she wanted to do their session at The Farm at Raven Brook, a Christmas tree farm in Halifax, MA. The staff at the farm was incredibly accommodating. The owner even gave me a tour of the grounds before Lynn and George arrived so that I could scout out some good locations for photos.

As a Massachusetts engagement photographer, I know that March can be one of the toughest months for natural beauty in New England. Lynn & George hoped for a snow-covered scene, but 2023 turned out not to be the snowy winter we hoped for. Evergreen trees turned out to be the solution! The rows of green trees made for a great backdrop for March in Massachusetts when most of the world looks brown and dead. Lynn and George roamed through the rows and rows of evergreens, the sun-kissed meadows, and the quaint pond on the grounds of The Farm at Raven Brook with me.

Check out some of my favorite images from their Massachusetts engagement session below!

Newport Engagement Photo Session | Emma and Harry

NEWPORT ENGAGEMENT PHOTO SESSION AT BRENTON POINT STATE PARK

What’s better than photographing your best friend’s love and happiness? Photographing your best friend’s love and happiness in a stunning setting like Brenton Point State Park in Newport, Rhode Island.

Emma is one of my oldest friends. She and I became best friends in elementary school and have stayed close ever since. She and her fiancé Harry got engaged back in June and when she asked me to take some Newport engagement photos for them, I couldn’t have been more excited (although I did make sure that she knew I would be celebrating with her as a guest on her wedding day and not as her photographer) 😉. Both Emma and Harry have connections to Newport and are currently living close to the area, so Emma already had a location in mind when I asked where she wanted to do her Newport engagement photos; Brenton Point State Park.

I’ve visited Newport with Emma enough times to know Brenton Point pretty well, but I don’t think I’d ever been there at sunset. What a spot. It is on my list of top engagement locations that I’ve shot at for sure. It was a beautiful golden sunset and some of these photos look like I photoshopped in a perfect backdrop…sailboat idling by in the lower third…but I swear, it was really that perfect.

Here’s a little glimpse into Emma and Harry’s Newport engagement photos at Brenton Point State Park.

Why have your Newport engagement session at Brenton Point State Park?

Brenton Point is one of the best Newport engagement session locations for a reason. For a Newport engagement session, you truly can’t get more beautiful than sunset on the jetties of Brenton Point State Park. The pink and orange sky with the sailboats and rocks make it nearly impossible to take a bad photo. Even on a perfect evening with a fair number of people out enjoying the sunset, it’s a large enough area that you can find a private nook to claim as your own - and with the ocean behind you, it’s easy to avoid other people in your shots. Only a 15 minute scenic drive from downtown Newport, it’s an easy decision.

For any couples looking to find some outfit ideas for their Newport engagement session,

you can read my blog post about it or gather inspiration from Emma and Harry. Emma embraced her preppy, Newport style with her colorful, coral patterned dress and Harry balanced out the bold design with a coordinating, solid colored linen shirt and shorts. Not too matchy-matchy, but perfectly coordinated to make them fit together beautifully.

Emma and Harry made it easy and this session made me want to suggest Brenton Point State Park for all of my couples looking to do Newport engagement photos. I’m looking forward to ripping it up on the dance floor with these two in next July! Congratulations, Emma and Harry!

What to Wear to Your Portrait Session | Outfit Ideas and Styling Tips from a Boston Lifestyle Photographer

Choosing what to wear to your portrait session can be overwhelming. Whether that is your Boston engagement photos, family lifestyle photography session, or an in-home newborn photography session, there is a lot to consider.

While I’m not nearly as picky as some photographers can be, I do have a few preferences and suggestions for what to wear to your portrait session to make your photos look the best they can! Below, I list out a few dos and don’ts for you along with some assistance with how best to coordinate clothes and choose appropriate outfits based on the season. Hopefully this will eliminate some of that stress and help you to choose outfits that will look amazing in your photos.

What NOT to wear to your portrait session…

When deciding on what to wear to your portrait session, you want the focus to be on your faces, not on distracting clothing items. Here are some common clothing items to avoid:

• Clothing with large logos, pictures, or characters

• Flip flops

• Outfits that show bra straps or undergarments

• Hoodies

• Neon colors

• Transitional Lenses - if you typically wear glasses, wear them for your session. But if you have transitional lenses, consider taking them off. Dark glasses will cover your eyes in the photos.

• Short dresses & skirts – for maximum comfort over any other reason. Short skirts can make it difficult to comfortably pose, sit, and play. If you’re not sure if your skirt is long enough, test it out by seeing if you can sit and walk without having to adjust.

• Identical clothing – for example, everybody in the family wears jeans and white tops. When everybody matches, your photos will look very staged and posed. It will be obvious that you were dressing for a photo shoot. While I am not trying to hide the fact that you are participating in a photo shoot, the photos will turn out better of you are wearing coordinating but not matching outfits. More on that to follow…

How do I coordinate clothes for my portrait session? What colors should I wear?

Coordination can be a tricky balancing act. You don’t want everyone to wear the exact same thing, but the colors and styles should blend well together. My best advice is to start with one member of the family (or couple). Have that person choose an outfit that they love and feel great in. Pull colors from their outfit to dress everyone else. Stick with 2-3 colors from that first outfit and stick to those shades coordinated with neutrals as your palette. If you are buying new clothes, choose a palette to begin with. For example pastels (pinks and blues), primary colors (red and blue), earth tones (navy, tan, burgundy, or green) etc. (see one great example from this Boston engagement session). Find an outfit for each family member that has at least one predominant color in the palette and balance that with neutrals like tans, greys & cream. Once you think you have everyone’s outfits picked out, lay them out together and see if they look good! If not, replace whatever clashes.

Style by session type and season.

What to wear for your family lifestyle session or engagement session:

For both of these types of photo sessions, you should focus on coordinating complimentary colors with neutrals and choosing an in-season wardrobe. As you know, the weather during your Boston portrait session can vary greatly depending on the season. When in doubt, wear layers. For spring sessions, you may want to work in some pastels or florals to match your environment. For a fall session, consider jewel tones. You might select certain colors and style based on when you plan to share the images. A family holiday card, for example might call for different color choices than an engagement session for your beach wedding save the dates. As always, avoid large logos, clashing patterns, and neon colors.

What to wear for your senior session:

This session is all about celebrating you and your momentous occasion. Let your personal style shine! You can dress up or dress casually, but make sure that your style is at the peak of its game. Wear the very best outfit you have to show your personality - not necessarily just what you would wear every day.

What to wear for your maternity session:

Maternity photos are another case where you will want your personal style to shine, as well as your shape. Choose a dress or a shirt that will accentuate and show off your bump - that is the point of these photos after all! Prioritize your comfort and how beautiful you feel in your outfit over anything else.

What to wear for your in-home newborn session or in-home family session:

Think cozy but not TOO cozy. Keep your clothing neutral, soft, and comfortable but refrain from actually wearing pajamas (unless of course that’s the theme you’re going for). Babies can wear minimal clothing. Diaper covers, neutral-colored onesies and swaddle blankets are perfect.

The most important tip for what to wear to your portrait session: wear clothes you feel good in.

This is the most important tip! Wear what makes you feel good. While it’s important to put thought into what to wear for your portrait session, what matters most is creating an heirloom that your family will cherish for generations. You will never remember that you chose the grey shirt over the green. In the end, you’ll see past the clothing to your family laughing and holding each other close. 

Katie and Matt's Engagement Session (Smithtown, NY)

I met up with newly engaged Katie & Matt at Blydenburgh Park near Katie’s hometown on Long Island. This was my first official photo shoot after the pandemic began and it felt great to be out with my camera. Katie and Matt were so much fun and Katie’s sister Kelly joined our shoot and was an excellent assistant, helping me get natural smiles and laughs from the couple. One notable moment from our day was when I was photographing Katie and Matt out on a dock and a beautiful swan swam up alongside it. Katie bent down to say hello and it got very defensive and honked loudly in her face scaring us all half to death (see photos below). Luckily, we managed to avoid getting physically attacked by any wildlife so it was a success overall. Congratulations, Katie & Matt!

The swan interaction caught on camera.