NYC family photographer

Central Park Family Session - The Whitmans

Happy Friday! My early fall family photography session last Friday was a wild success. We had amazing late September lighting at our 5:30pm family session in Central Park NYC. As a NYC family photographer , I have a lot of different options as to where I can photograph and when. Central Park’s West side offers an almost endless list of looks/ feels; Strawberry Fields, Bethesda Fountain, 72nd Street heading West with the sunset.

Photographing families with young kids can be challenging. That’s ok!

Prior to photographing a family session with younger children, I always suggest parents bring the following 2 items.

  • The first are snacks. Snacks are a great mood booster for little kids. Sometimes all it takes is some sugar to turn a frown upside. And other times, snacks act as a good-ole-fashioned bribe.

  • The second must have item are toys. I love having toys on photoshoots because the best thing a kid can do is play and just be a kid. Not all of our photos have to be posed “look here and smile” type photos. Candids make the best photos!

The Best nyc family photographer is relaxed.

There’s instagram and then there’s reality. Not every pose or idea we have will go to plan, and that’s A-OKAY! 90% of the time, the best photos are the ones we least expected. These are the candid photos of your family being themselves; laughing, giggling, talking to one another, and playing. As an experienced and professional family photographer my best advice is to be comfortable. Forget you’re being photograph and focus on being yourself. It will 110% show in your photos.

Have a good time! :)

Sagamore Hill Fall Family Session

long island family photography locations

Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay, NY is a great location for family photo sessions any time of the year. The main reasons I really like Sagamore Hill for family photo sessions:

  • No permits are required

  • There is plenty of space to pose without having other people in the background of your photos

  • Diverse scenery - Sagamore Hill has fields, shoreline, buildings, and woods providing different looks for your family session. We can start in the field, change outfits, and then go down to the beach.

  • Bathrooms - There are bathrooms for the kids and for changing clothes. You can wear one outfit in the field and another down by the beach.

Photography the sudran family at sagamore hill, ny

Rachel and Brian found me online with a quick Google search of “Long Island Family Photographers”. This was their first time hiring a family photographer to capture their family, as their son Max just turned 2. They were excited, but nervous. Being photographed is an awkward experience.

We started the family session with walking poses and a ton of candids. I really wanted everyone to forget they were being photographed and to be as natural as possible.

Central Park Fall Family Session

Fall family sessions in the late afternoons are my favorite. When the warm afternoon light hits the foliage and you add a happy family to the mix you’re guaranteed A++ photos. I last photographed this family back in the fall of 2015, when their son Max was an only child. Fast forward to 2019, Max now has his little sister Sage.

We agreed to shoot a 30 minute family mini-session at the Central Park Model Boat Pond, right here in New York City, and it really worked out well. Although, the kids had a hard time sitting still with all of the dogs running around and things to play with, we really knocked it out of the park. When photographing little kids you have to play with them, make compromises, and be goofy.