Extended Family Pictures in Pittsford NY: Fairport NY Photographers

Mendon Ponds Park was the perfect late fall setting for this crew’s latest extended family portrait session.

There’s a benefit to hiring the same photographer year after year for your family pictures. We’ve been photographing their family pictures for awhile now, so they knew exactly what to expect from us. Vice versa, we also knew exactly what to expect from them.

We know what phrases are going to make the kids (and adults) laugh. We know whether or not they’ll willing go in for a big group hug. We know when to let the kids just run around for a few minutes.

The whole process of family pictures ends up being smoother, faster and way less stressful for everyone involved.

Check out these adorable faces, and let us know when we’ll see you for your next family portrait session!

Family Pictures at the Lamberton Conservatory: Rochester NY Photographers

Warning: The cuteness level is high in these family pictures. There’s a dash of adorable and a sprinkle of love too.

The request was for family pictures that included Laura’s parents and grandma. So we visited the Lamberton Conservatory and used as many of the various climates as we could in one family portrait session. We captured a variety of family combinations, including one of three year old AJ and his great grandmother, “Mega.”

That particular image might be one of my favorite family pictures of all time. The look of absolute joy on both of their faces caught in that moment is perfection.

Family Portraits at Mendon Ponds: Pittsford NY Family Pictures

Family pictures that include active 6 and 2 year olds are not for the faint of heart. There’s often a lot of chasing, a lot of silliness and a lot of patience required from parents.

We’ve been photographing this family since they’re engagement in 2014. Since then, we’ve captured family pictures for them every year. The kiddos now know us by name, and occasionally play along with our antics. By now we know some of the songs that make them smile, when they might need a break, and when to just let the moments unfold in their family pictures.

We know that someday, it won’t be a game of chase to take their family picture, because these cuties will grow up, as they’re already doing way too fast.

But until then, I’ll keep my running shoes on for their family portraits.

Mighty for Madison: Support Small Business (and a Family) in Your Community

I’ll never forget that first nice day of Spring in March, when it was 75 and windy. I spent it at the Golisano Children’s Hospital celebrating Maddie and her purple hair. She’s lost it by now.

Maddie is just about 6 years old, and recently diagnosed with Leukemia. She’s smart and fun, and she may be small, but she is mighty.

Her parents run the kid oriented business, Spotlight Performing Arts Studio, which is how we met several years ago. We’re all members of the local merchants association.

Maddie is already deep into treatment, and they expect to be in the hospital for the next 5-6 months. John and Kaitlyn also have a little boy, Jackson.

As parents, all of this is hard to fathom. We did what we felt we could, but there’s such a long road ahead and they could use all the support we as a community can give.

It’s been awhile since I shot this session for them, but their needs remain the same. Please join us in supporting these beautiful people while they go through the impossible.

Here are some ways you can help:

Sign up for the meal train: https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/40oeg7

Donate to their gofundme page: https://gofund.me/7839e43d or give directly on venmo @kaitlyn-barthelmes

Family Pictures in Fairport NY at Fellows Road Park

From their engagement session to their wedding. Then from one newborn session, to family portraits with two little kids.

You might not know it, but there’s often a lot of chasing involved when you photograph toddlers in family pictures.

The chase and the hard work makes it feel so rewarding when we actually capture that one moment when everyone is happy, interacting and smiling.

Are these four the cutest or what?

Family pictures with a 6 month old: Rochester NY Family Portraits

These family pictures were taken almost one year to the date that Laura and Kevin posed in this same spot with an empty onesie and their pumpkins.

Now, a beautiful 6 month old sits in that onesie, in the same spot for her third family session in her first year portrait series. Lori mentioned at the time, that as she shot this session, she got a little teary eyed thinking back to that very first announcement session.

We also got a glimpse of her perfect little fairy Halloween costume - and we’re basically dead.

Check it out, we think you’ll agree.

What Type of Family Portrait Fits you Best?

Fairport NY Family Pictures

You sit down and google “family pictures in Rochester NY.” 

The results come back with a list filled with different descriptions by different family picture photographers. Do you want family portraiture? Candid family pictures? Documentary photography? What is a lifestyle family portrait?

You get so overwhelmed by this decision that you give up your search for a family photographer, again. 

So how do you know what style of family pictures you like best?

We can help you out here. Most photographers will describe themselves using at least one of three main family portrait styles:

 Traditional Family Pictures:

This is essentially an all encompassing title for a photographer who takes family pictures. But there’s a little bit more to it. 

A traditionally trained portrait photographer often focuses their efforts on quality posing and controlled lighting in their family portraits. This often happens in a studio setting with lights, backdrops and perhaps props or sets. However, not every traditional or fine art family photographer uses a studio. 

Oftentimes an extended family portrait falls into this style of family photography. The resulting images tend to focus on the family smiling and looking at the camera.

This may be the simplest category to explain, but it is often one of the hardest to master.

A posed, smiley family portrait is considered most traditional.

Candid Family Portraits in Rochester NY:

If you’re looking for the opposite, or real, authentic, unposed images, then you are looking for a documentary family photographer. Strict photographers in this realm won’t add any light to a scene, but rather evaluate what is available and use it to show emotion. These sessions are usually longer and allow for the most freedom of movement. They can surround an event, or just capture a “day in the life” at home. This is a newer, but growing genre of family portrait photography.

Real life, real play and letting moments unfold are what the documentary side of our membership is all about.

Lifestyle Family Portraits in Rochester NY:

If you want something in between the two, then perhaps you’d best enjoy a lifestyle family portrait session. Lifestyle photographers enjoy a bit more freedom in their sessions. They’ll often choose the location and general position of a group, but then they give they family a little freedom to play using prompts.

This allows for natural moments to occur, such as laughter, hugs, and play, while still controlling the situation in terms of light and background.

Typically lifestyle family pictures are taken in a natural environment (whether inside or outside) rather than a studio. This type of photographer may opt to use lighting, or not!

Lifestyle family portraits are the best way to describe our Signature Family Sessions.

We gave her the location and gave her some ideas - she created the lifestyle portrait.

And Then There’s Us: Lori & Erin Photography

When you love all three options, and you just have to have all of the above - you join our family. Our candid mini session events are part of a membership that essentially uses all three of these family portrait styles. How, you ask?

We plan a variety of fun events, at the perfect times for your family. Then we photograph them. It’s that simple.

We do our best to plan these events to optimize the lighting and space while you come and enjoy a real life event, in a real world setting.

Sometimes we step in and interact with your family to get a posed portrait. Other times we give you a prompt for a something that feels more like lifestyle family pictures.

Sometimes the events are specifically planned to create a more posed portrait, such as our Pandemic Portrait themed event.

In the end, we give all of these family moments back to you. Consider us your personal, “all in one’ shop for family photography in Rochester NY.

So if you can’t figure out which category a photographer falls into by peeping their portfolio, just ask them. They should be happy to give you a better idea of who they are and how they photograph a family portrait.

Find out why our membership makes sense for your family here.

If you’re ready to learn more about the Lori & Erin Family, we can’t wait to welcome you.