Family & Cousin Portraits in Seneca Falls, NY

Exactly five years ago to the day was when I last photographed these two families! Crazy how that worked out. There were two less kids then, and we played in an apple orchard. This time, we hung out along the Seneca-Cayuga Canal in Seneca Falls, closer to their homes.

It was a bright, chilly morning and we had a lot of fun! The kids found ways to entertain themselves when they weren’t needed for their portraits, including a game of soccer using nearby fall fruit for a ball.

It’s such an honor to photograph these kids... aside from just being great kids, they have great parents too whom I’ve had the pleasure of knowing most of my life. We always have a good time together, so I’m hoping it won’t be another 5 years before the next session! ;)  

Love to you all,
Lori

Pumpkins, Tractors & Family Portraits in Fairport, NY

What says Fall in Fairport better than pumpkin picking at Powers Farm Market?  

It was a brisk morning, but these guys didn’t seem to mind. Charlie and Barrett enjoyed the pumpkins, tractors and the animals too. Besides the fun, doesn’t this family have an amazing fashion sense? I’m a little jealous.

I just love this family and the stylish photos we made together. And I love Fall portrait sessions in upstate NY!  Cheers to another beautiful autumn season, and say hi to the Drumms!

Enjoy, 

Lori

Sunken Gardens Family Portraits: Rochester NY

Our warm October day was one of the last we’d see for awhile, so we took advantage of the opportunity at Warner Castle and the Sunken Gardens in Rochester NY.

I remember Jeff and Megan’s wedding like it was yesterday. I remember they took a chance on me and my newness to photography. All these years later, they still do.

I actually think that their little leading lady is starting to trust me too. She comes out of her shell a little bit more each time I photograph her cuteness. And since we’ve been doing it since she was one - it’s about time. ;)

Enjoy the warm feeling that these sunny and happy faces bring to the day!

~ Erin

Halloween Portraits at Wickham Farms: Fairport NY Photographers

For three years in a row now, we’ve descended upon Wickham Farms on the last Sunday of October. And in all three years, it has been raining. I’d say it’s depressing - but after all the rain we’ve had lately, I think we’re getting used to it.

Regardless of the weather we go, and we dress up in our Halloween costumes for fun and photographs. What better way is there really to capture your family’s Daniel Tiger, dragon, or Star Wars costumes than with us? Needless to say, we were thrilled to see so many of our cute faces in their costumes!

We did our best to not let the rain stop of us from playing in the pumpkins or on the tractor. There was even some mini golf and ice cream…yes, ice cream. Because kids don’t care if it’s 36 degrees outside when it come to ice cream.

These are the real life photographs we will remember someday - when your kids no longer want you to dress in costume with them. Because try as hard as we might, they keep growing up.

Thank you to our portrait membership families for a great afternoon!

~ Lori and Erin

Fall Family Portrait at Cobblestone Creek Country Club

They’ve got a sophomore and a senior now, but still live on the same beautiful golf course. I can’t imagine how many times they’ve crossed these bridges in those years, but they are definitely at home here. The Cobblestone community is truly such a lovely area to raise a family in every season.

Check out the scenery, the color and the happy! While you’re here, say hi to the Summersons!

-Lori

Schoen Place, Pittsford NY Family Portraits

It was 85 degrees in mid September, and it was only 10:00 am. They were a little sleepy from the night before. But Mom and Dad promised them ice cream from Pittsford Dairy Farms if they were good for their family pictures at Schoen Place.

Not only were they good, they hammed it up for me as often as possible. They shared their latest ballet moves, hugged and played along the canal like professionals.

I’d say that they most certainly earned their ice cream before lunch. :)

~ Erin

Apple Picking at The Apple Farm: Candid Family Pictures

Wow - what a night we just had for our Apple Picking membership event. The craziness of chasing families through the apple orchards was so much fun! When I say chasing, I mean some of the kids were literally racing through the rows of trees. And yes, mine was one of them.

This is our second year of this particular event and it was also our most attended ever. The Apple Farm in Victor is a great stop for apples and pumpkins, and we took advantage of a great Sunday afternoon with each one.

At one point I heard my husband say “wow, this is actually kind of surreal.” and I asked him to explain. He went on to talk about how we’ve watched not only our own child grow and change from year to year - but each of the other kids and other families as well.

We know more than their names. We know their favorite stuffed animal’s names, we know which ones love to run and which ones love to snuggle and be shy. We know how to get some of them laughing, and we’ve watched each one come out of their shell a little more each month.

It’s an honor and a privilege to be part of so many families lives. We’ve watched them let their guard down and share real, unposed moments in front of us. It’s a privilege that comes with time and a growing relationship because of our membership program.

Thank you to our families for coming out, and enjoying time with each other, and letting us be part of the fun too.

~ Erin

PS - if you want to see what this program is all about, join us at our next event on October 28th at Wickham Farms!

Family Portraits on Lake Ontario

This is my favorite way to capture a family portrait session: a few smiling portraits with the family, then play time! 

Teddy enjoys staying at his grandparents house where he can play on the shore of Lake Ontario. It’s made even better when his cousins are in town!

Whether it was throwing the ball for Orzo, the Goldendoodle, jumping in the water or having splashing contests, it wasn’t hard to capture natural smiles on this kiddo.

Teddy loves life, and I love documenting his enthusiasm for the world. It helps that he has a pretty great family as well!  

Long live summer fun, 
Lori

Extended Family Portraits at Eastman Museum: Rochester NY

With 18 people to gather it can sometimes be a chore to set up a family portrait of the whole family.

But not for this family. Even with a last minute time change because of the weather, they were all ready and willing to make these portraits happen at the Eastman Museum. The cloudy skies made it easy to set up a portrait most anywhere on the grounds. 

This is the type of family portrait that only happens once in a blue moon, especially with large families. So when it does, we love to be able to be there with you. And if the family is as easy going as this one was, it'll be a piece of cake!

~ Erin

Tinker Park Family Portraits

Ella the elephant was an important part of this particular family portrait session. After all, she's two year old Chloe's BFF. I can't say that I blame them, they are pretty darn cute together. Especially when Chloe felt that Ella was hungry and should have a dandelion snack.

Chloe always keeps us on our toes. She loved finding flowers and leaves at Tinker Park in Henrietta. She also loved playing with her birthday balloons and the end of the session.

A portrait session with a two year old is kind of like a race. It's a fun game of chase, because two year olds have a love for exploring. Chloe is a natural explorer with a smile that lights up the world around her.

And we just love capturing that smile.

~ Erin

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

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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