[Elizabeth’s Birthday, Happy Day Farm]

This was my second time at this adorable farm and it was just as fun as I remembered! We visited Happy Day Farm for Elizabeth’s 1^st birthday and it was the best! The flowers were beautiful, the props were so cute and of course the birthday girl looked absolutely adorable in every setting! We sat by the sunflowers, pretended to sell some lemonade and even played the piano! This sweet girl did such a great job for her first birthday session!

-Michelle 🙂

[Summer Family Session, Sea Girt]

It’s always so fun to do a session at a client’s home and this one did not disappoint. This awesome family had the most beautiful backyard and it made the best place for taking photos. The sun was out and the sky was blue; we couldn’t have had a more beautiful day! They were all coordinated perfectly, including their sweet pup and they made the session so much fun! -Michelle 🙂

[Maternity Session Spring Lake, NJ]

For this awesome session I was back at one of my favorite parks in Spring Lake. We had the best spring day and the weather was perfect. Mom, dad and big sis were ready to go for our sweet maternity session and it was so fun talking with them about the arrival of another baby girl! We explored the park and found the best places to take photos but my favorite part was when big sis was my big helper! Whenever mom and dad were taking pictures together, big sister would stand right next to me to make sure mom and dad were smiling and posing nicely! It was so sweet! I can’t wait to meet this new baby girl soon!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Beach Session Brick, NJ]

Every time I photograph this family, it’s always so fun! We’ve returned for the beach during this sunset session and the kids loved it! From sitting for photos with mom and dad to running/trying to crawl through the sand, this crew was ready for fun! We had the perfect weather and the sunset was amazing! My favorite part of this session however was towards the end when big sister decided it was time for swimming! She changed out of her dress and got right into her bathing suit! I loved watching her run up and down the beach and say hi to the waves! The best!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Beach Session Mantoloking, NJ]

I love an extended family photo session! It’s so special when families get together for vacation and decide to get photos done. It’s such a great way to capture the memories and fun had during a family vacation. This family was so sweet and our session was awesome! We met at their vacation house and walked up the hill to the beach in Mantoloking. We had a beautiful, blue sky and the dunes made for a perfect backdrop. After our beach photos, we went back to the house, which was right on the water, and did more photos with the boats passing by in the background! It was the best way to spend a summer afternoon!

-Michelle 🙂

[Addison’s First Birthday Spring Lake, NJ]

I’ve been photographing this sweet family ever since little Addison was born! We did all her milestone photos and I’ve loved watching her and her big brother grow up! We went to the beautiful Divine Park in Spring Lake and we had the best lighting! We posed with some balloons and ran around the park all while capturing sweet baby Addison. Then we headed up to the beach to take more photos with the whole family! The kids loved playing in the sand and walking on the jetty with mom and dad! Happy First Birthday Addison!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Session Spring Lake, NJ]

This was my second session with this awesome group just a few weeks after Baby Jordan made his entrance into the world! We walked up to the beach for family photos but it was so windy that the park was the better option. Thank goodness Spring Lake is awesome and has the best places for taking photos. The kids gathered with mom and dad for some photos before running around and climbing trees! It was so fun to watch them play together and explore the park. Can’t wait for the next session with this fun crew!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Session, Working Dog Winery]

Is there a better way to spend a Saturday morning than photographing an awesome family at their beautiful winery? Nope! This was the first session I had ever done at a winery and it was so cool! The family was perfectly coordinated and everyone had so much fun being together and taking photos! We explored the vineyards and found the prettiest places to take photos! This family was lots of fun and the kids, and dog, were so adorable. Hopefully this isn’t the last time I take photos at a winery!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Session, Long Beach Island]

For this awesome session, I traveled down to LBI and it was so much fun! I love being in a beach town in the heart of summer to see everyone on vacation and having fun! It’s even better when families get their photos taken on vacation to truly capture the memories of their trip!

This was an awesome crew and it was so special to be able to work with them. Of course the three little ones stole the show and even though they were timid in the beginning, they were having a blast by the end! My favorite part was when we went down to the water and the kids were so patient not to run right into the water and play. Instead they held hands and chased the seagulls and it made for some perfect photos!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Beach session Brick, NJ]

I’ve been photographing this little one since she was a newborn and it’s been so exciting to watch her grow! For her nine month photos we headed out to the beach! It was absolutely adorable seeing her interact with the sand and stand in it to take pictures! But the best part was when her and big brother were playing in the sand together! So cute!

I’ve done 4 sessions with this awesome family, and at the next one, little Addison will be 1 year old! Another special part of this session was when mom took out a hockey jersey for Addison to surprise her dad with some photos with his team’s jersey! As if this little one could get any cuter, add in a hockey jersey!

I can’t wait to see how sweet her 1st birthday session will be!

-Michelle

[Patrick’s First Birthday Island Heights, NJ]

I remember when this little guy was born so it was so crazy to get to do his first birthday photos! Time sure is flying! We took pictures at one of my favorite places, Island Heights! We did have to fight with the wind a little bit but we didn’t let it stop us!

Patrick, along with his big sis and mom and dad was so cute during our session. Whether he was snuggling up with big sister and looking at the water or hanging out in the wagon on the boardwalk, he was a star! I think one of my favorite parts of our session was when Patrick wanted to crawl towards the water and big sister held onto him tight and said “Nooooo!” Such a good big sister!

I always love working with this awesome crew because we always have so much fun! It’s been so special to see these adorable kids grow up! Happy birthday Patrick!

-Michelle 🙂

[Baby Announcement at Holland Ridge Farms in Cream Ridge, NJ]

I’ve known this adorable couple for many years now so when they asked me to photograph their baby announcement I was SO excited! I had the pleasure of photographing their engagement session a few years and now there’s a baby on the way!

I had never been to Holland Ridge Farms but I had seen photos and was so excited that we were going to do the session there! It was incredibly beautiful and it was the perfect backdrop for photos.

We started with some photos of mom and dad to be along with the sonogram and then we were joined by their families to take a few more photos. There were some emotional moments for all of us (as I’ve known the dad to be and his family for over 27 years!) and it was just so special to see how excited everyone was!

I can’t wait to meet the baby in October…stay tuned!

-Michelle 🙂

[At home family session Brick, NJ]

This was my third time working with this awesome family and we had such a great session! Addison turned 6 months old and since there was snow on the ground, we did the session all inside!

We had a really sunny day so the light coming in the windows was perfect! Addison had the cutest outfits and it was so exciting to see her sitting up on her own! Such a great milestone to capture!

We did some photos in the living room before popping outside in the snow for a quick few photos with big brother! After an outfit change we took photos in Addison’s bedroom which was absolutely adorable! One of my favorite parts of this session was when we put Addison (sitting up) in a crib that she was laying down in during her newborn session! It was so sweet to see how much she has grown!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Photos Spring Lake, NJ]

I knew this was going to be a great session when this cute family got out of the car in their perfectly coordinated fall outfits! We started our session in one of my favorite spots, Divine Park in Spring Lake. We explored the bridge, collected some sticks and said hi to the ducks…and tried to get some photos too!

We then drove up to the beach and even though it was a little windy, it was nice and bright outside and the beach was the perfect backdrop for some more photos.

After running around on the sand with big brother, we rallied everyone together to stay warm for a few family photos! This was one of those sessions where I was up and down and running around but we got the cutest photos so it was totally worth it!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Photo Session Spring Lake, NJ]

This was my second time photographing this sweet little family this year with one tiny difference…a new little brother! Earlier this year we had done photos on the beach in the summer before this little man made his debut. But once he was here, of course we had to do more!

Along with their cousins, we headed to my most popular spot this year for photos, Divine Park in Spring Lake. Although these were technically “fall” photos, it was such a warm day! We had the perfect sunshine and the perfect backdrop for photos.

After taking some photos in front of one of Spring Lake’s iconic bridges, we headed across the bridge to see what other fun spots we could find! We were able to squeeze in a few more before our little ones had enough but it was such a fun session!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Photos at Divine Park, Spring Lake]

I had met this adorable family earlier this year when sweet little Addison was born and I was so excited to get to do more family photos now that she was a little bit bigger!

We had this session at Divine Park in Spring Lake like we had done her newborn sessions a few months prior but this time it was fall and it looked completely different!

We started with a few family photos then jumped into photos of Addison and her big brother! It was the perfect fall day to explore the park and find the best spots to take photos!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Photos Atlantic City, NJ]

It’s always so much fun when I get to photograph this sweet couple and their adorable Dalmatian, Montego, so when they asked me to do a session at a fire house I was so excited!

We met up in Atlantic City and Montego was ready to go! The staff at the fire house were awesome! They pulled the truck out of the fire house and let us use real props in our photos!

Montego was truly the star of the show and everyone that walked by commented on cute he was! He was such a good boy and of course got lots of treats!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Photo Session Spring Lake, NJ]

I’ve worked with this awesome family before so I knew we were going to have a great session! The only difference this time (besides the kids being so grown up!) was the addition of their new dog!

We started photos on one of the famous bridges in Divine Park in Spring Lake and took our time walking through the park to find the best places for photos! It was actually pretty warm for being a “fall” day so it was even better taking our time and enjoying the weather!

I think my favorite moments during the session was when the family would refer to each other by their nicknames! I had no idea who they were talking to until mom explained to me that they have funny nicknames for each other! I thought it was really cute!

-Michelle 🙂

[Fall Family Photos Allaire State Park, NJ]

This was such an awesome session! I love when multiple family members get together for photos. It’s so sweet to see all the kids with their cousins and aunts/uncles/grandparents! This adorable group was so stylish for fall; it was awesome!

We started with some individual family photos before we jumped into getting the whole group together. This wasn’t the easiest task with so many little ones but it was totally worth it!

We took advantage of the beautiful fall day with the awesome backdrop of Allaire State Park and it was the best!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Beach Photos Bay Head, NJ]

This was my last summer, beach session for the year and it was perfect! I love the beaches in Bay Head and getting to see all the gorgeous houses! This adorable family was so much fun to photograph and we had the best weather!

At first, little Giada was camera shy when she didn’t have mommy or daddy making her laugh, but she eventually warmed up and seeing her smile was so sweet!

The best part of the session came at the end however when mom played baby shark on her phone. Almost instantly, Giada started dancing and smiling! It was the perfect end to such a fun session!

-Michelle 🙂

[Maternity Session Watchung, NJ]

I’ve been waiting to be an aunt probably since my sister and brother in law got married over 6 years ago so when I first found out they were pregnant, I was beyond excited! It was so fun getting to see my sister’s growing belly and to help out with all the baby preparations.

When it came time for maternity pictures, I was ready! We went down to a little park near my sister and brother in law’s house and it was the perfect backdrop for a perfect couple.

The sun was setting and we got some beautiful light! It was so special seeing my sister and brother in law together knowing that their little girl would be here soon!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Beach Session Brick, NJ]

I’ve worked with this adorable family before so I was so excited to get to see them again! The difference photographing them this time around? Mom was about to have baby number 2!

We had the perfect weather and it was such a sweet, sunset session on the beach! Even though Ellie would rather run around and explore the beach, we still got the sweetest photos of her…which included photos with Minnie Mouse and her baby doll! But hey, at the end of the day, when we get a sweet little smile, does it really matter that there’s a baby doll in the photo?!

-Michelle 🙂

[Backyard Family Session Toms River, NJ]

I had such a fun morning with one of my favorite families! Of course the day that we did photos was probably one of the most humid days of the summer and by the end we were all sweating but it was worth it!

This was the second time that I got to do photos in this family’s backyard and it was just as beautiful as I remembered! I love that they created their gorgeous garden…such a great backdrop for photos!

We started with some family photos then jumped in to photos of the kids! We took a little tour around the garden before getting little baby Patrick into the same bucket that we took photos of his big sister in! It was adorable and so much fun!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Photos Brick, NJ]

This was my first time doing photos at Brick beach and it was really nice! I love when the beach has plenty of dunes and dune grass to hide the parking lot behind it! There was a storm in the forecast during this session but we managed to get done with photos just in time!

We had the perfect overcast night and the beach wasn’t too crowded! We started with photos up by the dunes before heading down to the water for more photos! This family was super sweet and up for anything!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Photos Island Beach State Park, NJ]

Every year I get to do photos with this awesome family and it is so much fun! We usually pick the hottest day of the year for photos but this year was the first time that it wasn’t too bad!

We drove all the way down to the end of Island Beach State Park and drove right onto the beach! We had the most incredible sunset and view of the Barnegat Lighthouse. It was gorgeous! We climbed rocks, walked through some tall beach grass and played in the sand and it was so much fun!

-Michelle 🙂

[Aubrey’s First Birthday Toms River, NJ]

This was such an adorable session! In the past I’ve gotten to photograph this awesome crew for the first two kids’ first birthday sessions so I was so excited when I got to do Aubrey’s session!

Mom had the best props and we set everything up in the backyard! We made sure to find some shade because it was toasty in the sun! After we got some shots of the birthday girl by herself, we did some with mom, dad and big brother and sister. Then it was time for the cake! The cake smash may not have been Aubrey’s favorite but she still looked so cute!

-Michelle 

[Family Beach Session Seaside Park, NJ]

I just have to start off by saying that this family is so adorable! I went to school with Deirdre and was fortunate enough to photograph her and John’s wedding so when I found out they were going on vacation right near me and wanted family photos I was so excited!

They were so much fun to photograph and we had the best weather! A perfect combination of the golden hour’s sunset and the purple-blue sunset sky. This adorable family made each other laugh and came up with cute poses all on their own! It was a great session at the beach!

-Michelle 

[Julia’s First Birthday Session Toms River, NJ]

I love cake smash sessions and this one was so sweet! Little Miss Julia, along with mom and dad met me at one of my favorite parks in Toms River. They had the best props and Julia’s outfits were absolutely adorable!

Julia was ready for the camera and she was all smiles! After we got some of her by herself and with mom and dad, it was time to smash her cake! After playing patty cake with the actual cake, Julia started eating and it was so cute! We knew the session was over when she flipped her cake stand over and the cake fell right off! It was really fun!

-Michelle  🙂

[Secret Kids Session, Brielle]

Ever since I started nannying my now “second” family, I loved doing photo sessions with the kids! It gave us something to do while we were together and it was good practice for me at the beginning of my photography career.

Now that they’ve gotten older, I usually only watch them when mom and dad are away for a long weekend! The past two years while mom and dad were away, we did a secret photo session to surprise them!

We picked out their outfits and decided where we wanted to go and the kids always managed to keep it a secret. This year we went to the park! After photographing the kids in the backyard with the dogs, we headed out to the park during sunset and it was awesome!

Not only are these kids naturals in front of the camera, but they keep each other laughing and make the whole session so much fun! Can’t wait for this year’s secret session!

-Michelle

[Family Session Seaside Park, NJ]

I love when families are vacationing at the beach in the summer and reach out to me to take family photos! It’s so much fun to be able to capture these special memories on their vacation!

We had the most perfect night for this session at Seaside Park. The weather was perfect and the setting sun made for a beautiful sky!

I had a moment of panic however when my camera decided it wasn’t going to focus! We were about halfway into the session and I had to shoot the rest with manual focus. I’m not a big fan of focusing manually but once I was “forced” to shoot that way, it wasn’t so bad!

Not only was this session beautiful, but it was a big challenge for me that I was able to overcome, which was pretty cool!

-Michelle

[Family Session Spring Lake, NJ]

I’ve worked with this awesome family before, so it was so great to be able to do a session with their extended family! One of our first sessions together was at this same spot and it was fun to get to do another session here!

We had the perfect sunny day so naturally there was a lot of activity, but I always love seeing other photographers out with their clients!

We had three generations of family together, so we took time to make sure we got all the different groups that we wanted! We finished the session with a change of clothes from the youngest grandchild and did a mini session of just her…it was adorable!

-Michelle

[Theresa Hope’s 1st Birthday Toms River, NJ]

It really is crazy how fast time goes! I remember photographing Baby Theresa when she was a week old! Flash forward to her first birthday and she is just as adorable as she was the day I first met her!

Not only did I have the opportunity to photograph her first birthday session and cake smash, but I also got to photograph her 1^st birthday party with all of her friends and family! I’m so lucky to have clients that have turned into family where I can capture these special moments but also help to celebrate!

The theme for Theresa’s birthday…Sunflowers! Mom had the best props and clothes for our backyard photo session and Theresa was all smiles! Even though there was an amazing cake, the sweetest part of the session had to be when we took photos in Theresa’s garden that her dad created just for her! It was perfect!

Theresa’s first birthday party took place at Grandma and Grandpa’s house and it was beautiful! It was the perfect, sunny day to celebrate a perfect, sunny little girl! Everyone helped to decorate the house, inside and out and there were so many fun games and crafts for all the kids to enjoy.

Happy Birthday Theresa!

-Michelle 🙂

 

 

[SUMMER FAMILY PHOTOS AT HAPPY DAY FARM IN MANALAPAN, NJ]

It’s that time of year again…when I head out, on what usually is the hottest day of the year, with an amazing family to do photos! Every single time I photograph this family it’s perfection! We always seem to be acting crazy to get the kids to laugh or smile or hug each other and every time I go through the photos I am amazed with how good we did!

For this years photos, we made the trip out to Manalapan to Happy Day Farm. It was my first time there and I could have stayed forever! I already can’t wait to go back to pick my own fruit and check out what else this farm has to offer.

We were headed to the farm this day however for one very important thing…Sunflowers! And boy did we get them! It was so incredibly beautiful to see all of these flowers in bloom. Happy Day Farm had some really fun areas for photos so we had the perfect backdrops!

Yes this session was soooo hot but it was so worth it! If you haven’t been to this farm yet, you better check it out!

-Michelle

 

 

[FAMILY BEACH SESSION POINT PLEASANT, NJ]

I’ve done plenty of sessions in Point Pleasant before, but this was my first session in Point since I became a local! It was fun to do a session right in my own backyard!

This awesome family comes down to Point every weekend and I’m so glad that they do because we got to have this amazing session! We took advantage of the beautiful summer sunset and did all of our photos right on the inlet!

They were really good sports during this session because the best place for photos happened to be a short walk on the rocks. They toughed it out and it was totally worth it! The best part of the session was when we caught Chloe’s adorable laugh at daddy’s silly dance moves behind the camera!

Nothing beats a summer session on the beach, and this was awesome!

-Michelle

 

[FALL COUSIN SESSION CATTUS ISLAND PARK, NJ]

I haven’t been to Cattus Island Park for photos in a while so it was really fun to get back there for this fun fall family photo session!

Of course we had to have a super windy day, but at least it was sunny! And the kids did a really great job posing and smiling even though it was chilly!

I’ve photographed these siblings before and we had a lot of fun, but this time, we had their cousin with us! Family is number one for me, so I love getting to capture families being together!

-Michelle

 

[FALL FAMILY PHOTOS ALLAIRE STATE PARK, NJ]

This was such a fun fall session with a gorgeous couple and the cutest pup! Allaire State Park in the fall is one of my favorite places and we had a great day for this session.

I met up with Chris and Anna and their awesome dog, Montego Bay, and we walked all around the park taking photos…and of course getting compliments on the most handsome four legged friend with us!

Montego is still a puppy, and he definitely wanted to do more exploring than posing for photos, but he really did such a good job! The treats I had in my pocket probably had something to do with his smiling! 🙂

-Michelle

 

 

[FALL FAMILY PHOTOS + CHARLIE’S FIRST BIRTHDAY ALLAIRE STATE PARK, NJ]

[Family Christmas Session Spring Lake, NJ]

Tis the season! I got to photograph this adorable family at the start of fall and it was so fun! I’m sure you remember this perfect little family from the summertime when little Theresa was brand new to the world! Fast forward a few months, and it’s about to be her first Christmas!

We had a beautiful day in the park in Spring Lake and this family of three was perfectly dressed for the holidays!

We had all kinds of fun Christmas props and it was so exciting to see little Theresa all dressed up with them! Happy First Christmas little one!

-Meesh 🙂

[Family Photos Double Trouble State Park, NJ]

I’m pretty sad to see summer go, but I did get to have one last session with one of my favorite families at the beautiful Double Trouble State Park and it was awesome!

Hannah, JJ and mom and dad were all dressed perfectly for summer and they came ready to explore the park! Hannah was ready at any minute to strike a pose and she looked absolutely adorable! JJ on the other hand just wanted to see what was going on in the park! When we got him to smile or laugh however, it was literally so sweet!

I always have so much fun with this crew and it was the perfect way to spend one of the last days of summer!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Beach Session Long Beach Island, NJ]

This past summer I got to work with some clients that I haven’t gotten to work with in a while…My family!! My dad’s side of the family got together this summer in Long Beach Island to have a celebration of life trip in honor of both of my grandparents. My grandfather passed away in December of 2014 and my grandmother passed away this past January.

This was the first time we have all been together since they both passed and it was a bittersweet vacation. I was grateful for the time we all got to spend together but it was hard knowing that my grandparents were no longer with us. We had an incredible time together though, hanging at the beach, cooking dinners at night together as a family and reminiscing of all the amazing times we shared with grandma and grandpa growing up!

We picked a night to head up to the beach after dinner to take our photos and the weather was perfect! Of course we planned in advance to be color coordinating! Afterwards, we headed to the Barnegat Lighthouse, a place where my grandparents loved, to watch the sunset together as a family.

Love you guys so much…East or West, family is the best!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Beach Session Lavallette, NJ]

I just love a good beach session in the summer. I got to photograph this beautiful family a few weeks ago and we had the perfect weather! We did have to fight off some flies though, but we powered through!

I think my favorite part of this session was any time the adults were trying to make little Brianna laugh. They were dancing around, using silly voices and blowing bubbles and once this little angel started laughing, it was amazing!

This group was so much fun to photograph and spend a night on the beach with to take pictures! I’m holding on tight to summer with this session!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Photos Toms River, NJ]

It’s always special when families get together for family photos, but it’s even more special when it’s for grandpa’s 75th birthday! They had a beautiful day for a family celebration and for all generations to be together for photos!

Everyone in the family was perfectly color coordinated and we had so much fun taking photos of each family, cousins, siblings, the kids with their grandparents, you name it, we covered it!

We had so many groupings of people that we wanted to take pictures of, but everyone hung in there and they looked gorgeous! I think it’s safe to say that grandpa’s birthday celebration got off to a great start with a beautiful family!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Photos Seaside Park, NJ]

Beach sessions are in full swing and I am in love! This past weekend I got to photograph one of my favorite families! Not only are these guys great clients, but they are also great friends and I love photographing them.

The weather was a little questionable during the day of our session but we totally lucked out. The sun came out and was setting perfectly for our entire session! Mom, Dad and their three musketeers were dressed and coordinated amazingly; they literally were straight out of a J Crew summer catalog! So good!

I had so much fun during this session because even though we wanted the kids to sit and pose for photos, they were equally as cute when they were running around and playing and it was so cute to watch! We did get them to stay in one spot a few times! 🙂

Every session with this awesome family seems a little wild, but we always manage to have fun and capture the kids at their best!

-Michelle 🙂

[Gabriella’s 3rd Birthday Toms River, NJ]

Happy Third Birthday to my little peanut! I started watching Gabriella when she was just 3 months old and last week I got to help celebrate her 3rd birthday! How did that happen so fast?!

I was home from work last week and Gabriella and I were reunited for a play date! It was the BEST and just like old times. We were able to fit in her 3rd birthday session and we had so much fun!

Of course mom had packed the sweetest outfits, tutus and tiaras obviously, so we had a fashion show/birthday photo session! Gabriella loved running around outside and being silly and she kept me laughing the whole time.

Happy Birthday, Peanut!

-Meesh 🙂

[Gianna’s First Holy Communion Toms River, NJ]

Congratulations to this sweet angel, Gianna for making her First Holy Communion a few weeks ago! A few days before the big day, we went out to Huddy Park to have our session, and even though it was chilly (our luck, of course!) Gianna smiled and posed perfectly! Mom followed behind with her sweater so that in between photos she could bundle up for a few seconds!

Gianna has two sisters, and she’s right in the middle, so she had so much fun during our session because it was her time to shine! And she absolutely did just that!

Mom brought along her Rosary and her First Holy Communion Journal and Gianna was a pro with her props. She also had the cutest poses, especially when she put her hand on her hip!

It was so much fun, as it always is, taking photos with this angel! God Bless Gianna!

-Michelle 🙂

[Baby’s First Christmas Edison, NJ]

I got to photograph two Christmas sessions last week that were the baby’s first Christmas and it was so exciting! For this session, I went up to Edison for Luke’s first Christmas photos! His adorable mom had the house decorated, had the best Christmas props and of course the sweetest outfits for little Luke!

We started our session with Luke in his Christmas sleigh! It took a few tries to get him sitting up right, but any way he was sitting in that sleigh, it was going to be adorable. I must have been boring him or tiring him out because after the sleigh, he went right to sleep, and it was honestly the cutest thing ever! He slept so contently as I positioned him on his blanket and took hats on and off his head and when he woke up, he was happy as ever!

We finished our session with Luke, aka the baby reindeer, and if you thought the session couldn’t have gotten cuter, you would be wrong! Basically, no matter what we had Luke doing during this session, it was adorable!

-Michelle 🙂

[Christmas Photos Spring Lake, NJ]

Last year when I photographed Angelina and her dog Snowball for Christmas, we picked the coldest day of the year and we were on the beach! This year was a little less cold and she had a new furry friend, Charlie to take pictures with. We went to a beautiful spot in Spring Lake, which is going to be my new favorite place for sessions, and had so much fun taking pictures with both dogs!

We went from the bridge, to the lake and to a really cool looking tree to take pictures and of course mom and dad were there to help get the dogs to look at the camera! If only we had pictures of three adults trying to get two little dogs attention with treats and silly noises! No matter how crazy we might have looked, it was well worth it!

-Michelle 🙂

[Christmas Cousins Toms River, NJ]

Last week I got to photograph one of my favorite families that I nanny for! I had the best summer ever with these cuties and it was so much fun getting to take their Christmas photos with their new baby cousin!

The girls all started this session looking absolutely beautiful in their Christmas dresses! After the fancy photos, they got comfy in their Christmas jammies! The big girls cuddled up with their baby cousin, singing to her, reading to her and finally watching as she fell asleep!

It was so sweet to see the girls interact with their new cousin and it was so much fun to take little Codi’s first Christmas pictures!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Photos Island Heights, NJ]

Last week I got to photograph a beautiful family at my favorite place ever! Yes it was super windy and yes it was super cold, but this family rocked it and it was totally worth it! I’m lucky enough to nanny for this awesome crew so it was a lot of fun to get to photograph them!

Big brother, Brody, was the best little model ever! He was ready and posing every time I picked up my camera. He was such a great helper too when it came to getting his little brother and sister to smile! We’ve been trying to schedule a session for the longest time, but the weather always had another plan! I’m so glad that we stuck it out through the cold because these guys looked so amazing!

-Michelle 🙂

[Christmas Family Photos Wall, NJ]

The last time I photographed this sweet family, their little guy was a newborn baby! It was so much fun getting to photograph them this year at Conover’s Tree Farm in Wall, New Jersey.

Mom came very well prepared with such fun props and she had everyone dressed in the best winter style! Although the kids just wanted to run around and explore, we rallied them up and had so much fun taking photos! Whether they were putting ornaments on the trees, taking rides in the wagon or even pulling the wagon, this crew didn’t stop smiling!

This was my first Christmas session this season and it sure was a great way to get me in the holiday spirit!

-Michelle 🙂

[Fall Family Photos Toms River, NJ]

This past week was super busy for me! It’s that time of year! I got to photograph my little peanut and her amazing big sisters! We went to our favorite spot and had so much fun taking pictures and of course playing with the leaves.

The girls were my little helpers, as usual, and found the best places to stand for photos. The best part was when they wanted to take pictures of them jumping! Little peanut needed some help getting off the ground, but her big sissy’s came to her rescue!

It’s always so much fun whenever I get to photograph these three little angels!

-Meesh 🙂

[Family Photos at the Alpaca Farm Wall, NJ]

I’m pretty lucky to have two of the best jobs in the world, being a nanny and a photographer, so when the two come together, it’s really awesome! Last week I made the trip to the Edel Haus Alpaca Farm in Wall, New Jersey, with one of my awesome families that I babysit! There was plenty of silliness, laughing and surprisingly only one interaction with the Alpaca! (they were super cute, but we were a little shy when it came to meeting them!)

We took advantage of the beautiful weather and made our way all around the gorgeous farm and its barns! When it came to meeting the Alpaca however, we only stayed long enough to catch a quick photo. But they were really fun to watch and look at through the gates during our session.

This perfectly coordinated family looked amazing (as they usually do) and it was fun to capture their love and silliness! It was also really fun to have the kids pose themselves for some of our photos…they did a great job too! It’s always a fun time with this family but throw in some alpaca and you’ve got a party!!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Photos Double Trouble State Park]

Happy Fall Y’all!!!! I know I love summer, but come on, who doesn’t love fall?! I just love it, especially when I get to photograph a gorgeous family at the beautiful Double Trouble State Park! We had so much fun during this session, despite that fact that it was probably 85 degrees and not feeling like fall at all. But these guys were troopers! Walking all throughout the park in the heat…and not to mention mom who did all of this in her wedges! Not an easy task, but she rocked it!

It was so fun exploring the park, looking for the best places to take pictures, and talking with the little ones all about school and dance class! It was my favorite when they picked out spots for us to take our next picture! I think I found my future assistants! There was just so much love to capture with this stunning family and this session was the best way to kick off fall family photos!

-Michelle 🙂

[Maternity Session Seaside Park, NJ]

Last week I got to photograph the most adorable family maternity session on the beach! Mom is getting closer and closer to her due date and she looked flawless showing off her bump on the beach! She had her two best guys by her side and honestly, they are family squad goals!

Whether we were searching for shells to keep future Big Bro occupied or writing in the sand and trying to avoid getting hit by the waves, it was all smiles and laughs with this gang! There was so much love in this session and the future baby girl is going to be welcomed to such a loving family that can’t wait to meet her!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Beach Session Island Beach State Park, NJ]

I always have the best time when I get to photograph one of my favorite families, and last week on the beach was no different! This sweet family of four met with me at Island Beach State Park just when the sun was setting and it was gorgeous. They had the perfect summer outfits and they all looked totally adorable!

Despite walking through a semi forest to get to the beach, and batting away flies, we had the beach to ourselves and it was amazing. Whether the ocean was in the background or it was the dunes and trees, this crew laughed, smiled and looked flawless the entire session.

It’s so special getting to watch these two little ones grow and I love every minute of getting to photograph them!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Session Sea Bright, NJ]

Tis the season for endless beach photos, aka my favorite thing ever! I had the pleasure of photographing a great family on the beach in Sea Bright last week and it was pretty amazing! Whenever you get a family group together on vacation, you know it’s going to be a pretty fun time when you take family photos. Especially when the family is from all over the country and can only get together once or twice a year!

Keith, the boyfriend of the year, surprised his girlfriend Erin with family photos for her birthday when he knew they would all be on vacation together! Seriously how cool is that?! We had parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, you name it, hanging out of the beach and being super patient for all the group photos we wanted to get! We had the perfect weather, the perfect backdrop, and the perfect family together for some really beautiful photos. Whenever I’m laughing as much as I did during this session, you know it had to be good!

-Michelle 🙂

[Angelo’s Communion and family photos Island Heights, NJ]

Last week, when the weather was actually feeling like summer, I did an awesome session with a super fun family! We started at St. Joe’s Church in Toms River for Angelo’s First Communion. His mom had sent me a bunch of photos that she wanted me to take, so Angelo was ready to go with each one at each spot in the church! He obviously practiced his poses because he looked awesome 🙂

While mom, dad and little sister Ava sat in the back of the church, Angelo and I took advantage of the beautiful altar and stained glass windows. The best part was probably when Angelo posed with a photo of himself from his Baptism! He couldn’t believe that he was ever that small!

After we finished at the church, we headed out to Island Heights where the weather was absolutely gorgeous! We walked all around the pier, up in the gazebo and finally finished in the water! The kids loved playing in it, even though it was a little cold!

-Michelle 🙂

[Gabriella’s 2nd Birthday Session Toms River, NJ]

It literally feels like yesterday when I started nannying for Gabriella. She was only 4 months old! I can’t believe that today she is two years old! Time really does fly when you’re having fun. Gabriella, whom I’ve nicknamed “Peanut”, was so excited to put on all the fancy new clothes her mom had packed for our birthday session. Not only did we do an entire photo session, but we went through our regular day together of playing, napping and having snacks! It was an exhausting morning, but it was so much fun with my favorite little girl!

We had so many fun props to use for this session; flowers, balloons, pretend cupcakes and it was awesome to see Gabriella playing and exploring during our session. A fun fact about this little sweet pea is that when you ask her to smile, she sticks her tongue out! I kept having to remember to say cheese instead of smile! Never a dull moment with my Peanut!

Happy 2nd Birthday to the best, funniest, cutest, smartest little girl I know! Your Meesh (that’s her name for me) loves you so, so much!

-Meesh 🙂

[Grace’s Communion Session Island Heights, NJ]

Ever since the weather started getting warmer this spring, I couldn’t wait for an outdoor session, and Grace’s upcoming Communion was the perfect occasion! Dressed like the perfect little angel, Grace was just so much fun to photograph. It was pretty windy by the water, but Grace held her poses and smiled the whole way through.

We originally picked Island Heights for the location of this session because it has such a great backdrop with the water. It was only after we started photographing however, that we realized the gazebo at Island Heights was pretty similar to a church. Between the church like setting and the lighting, Grace really did look like an angel! It’s always fun to photograph Grace and her family, but it was especially fun this time around to celebrate Grace’s First Communion. Congratulations Grace!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Photos Allaire State Park, NJ]

I always love getting to photograph families that I babysit for and I had such a blast with this crew! We met up the day before Thanksgiving in the beautiful Allaire State Park and the lighting was absolutely amazing.

This perfectly coordinated gang were excited to take pictures and they eagerly followed wherever I brought them for each new setting. While mom and dad were awesome models, the kids really turned on the charm whenever I picked up my camera! They had silly poses, serious poses and their very best poses to probably start a modeling career! As always, it was a great afternoon with another awesome family!

-Michelle 🙂

[Christmas Photos Seaside Park, NJ]

Last week I was back at the best place on Earth, the beach, for another beautiful Christmas session. This gorgeous girl and her sweet little dog were so much fun to photograph! It may have taken us a little while to get the dog to look my way, but when we got it, it was perfect!

Unfortunately, there seems to be a pattern in my sessions lately that we always pick the cold day, or the windy day…the day of this session, of course it was both! The wind was blowing like crazy and we had sand hitting us so hard we had to stop a few times to cover our faces! However, this girl, like all of the awesome kids and families that I get to work with, was an absolute trooper and smiled through it all! Happy December!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Christmas Photos Allaire State Park, NJ]

I’ve known this awesome family for many, many years…way back when I was as young as these two cute boys! So of course I was very excited to get to photograph them at one of my favorite places.

It was extremely cold the day of our session, but this family toughed it out and the boys were on their best behavior! We walked all around the park and collected a bunch of giant leaves along the way! We even got hot chocolate at the end of the session to warm up for the ride home. The boys kept us all laughing and it was worth every minute of being out in the cold!

-Michelle 🙂

[Kids Session Island Heights, NJ]

I am obsessed with Island Heights! It is just adorable, the river is beautiful and it always provides a perfect backdrop for photos. I was so excited to do this session at Island Heights and the lighting and scenery did not fail! Not the mention, the kids looked absolutely perfect!

As the sun was setting, we took advantage of the perfect light and we explored the boardwalk to find the best places for our next picture. These kids and their mom were so awesome to work with and it made for a great session at my favorite place!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Christmas Photos Seaside Park, NJ]

I always know it’s going to be super cute when I get to photograph my beautiful peanut and her beautiful sisters! Gabriella is the little girl that I nanny and I just love her and her sisters. This is our second year taking pictures for Christmas and it’s so fun and exciting for me to see how much these girls have grown!

We decided to head to the beach and bring along all of our Christmas spirit. Even though it was chilly, these cuties snuggled up together and gave me the sweetest smiles. They made each other laugh, they made me laugh, and best of all, mom was doing all kinds of silly things to get them to laugh! Overall, it was a great session to celebrate the holiday season!

-Michelle 🙂

[Fall Family Photos Double Trouble State Park, NJ]

I’ve been going to Double Trouble State Park since I was little. The trails are beautiful all year round, but it’s pretty special in the fall! I had so much fun photographing one of my favorite families there last week.

I was lucky enough to babysit these two cute girls this summer and we had the best time! It was so fun taking their family pictures because they loved posing and being my assistants too! We did some hiking and exploring of the park and stopped plenty of times along the way to take pictures where we found the perfect background.

I just love everything about this session; the color of the leaves, the beautiful light, and the perfectly coordinated outfits that mom picked out! This session had been rescheduled so many times because it kept raining on the day we were supposed to shoot! Luckily, the weather held up this time and it ended up being another perfect fall day for pictures!

-Michelle 🙂

[Baby Max, 4 month old photos Somerset, NJ]

I’ve never been to Colonial Park in Somerset, NJ and man was I missing out! I made the journey up north to photograph sweet baby Max on a perfect fall day! It was one of those days where almost everyone in the park was accompanied by a photographer for fall photos!! The best!

Max, along with his mom, grandma and cousin was perfectly dressed for the fall season and despite some crying, he was absolutely adorable! But then again, even when he was crying he was still so adorable! Max was most comfortable in his mom’s arms and when he smiled, his whole face lit up!

I was so glad that I got to explore a beautiful park with a beautiful little baby boy on the most perfect fall day! Get ready for the cuteness!

-Michelle 🙂

[Family Christmas Photos Toms River, NJ]

I was so excited when Nina asked me to do her family photos for Christmas! It wasn’t my first time photographing this awesome family, but this time, I was photographing a family of 4!!! Baby James made the most adorable appearance along with his equally adorable big sis for a fun family session to celebrate the holiday season.

Nina had the perfect ideas to show off her little ones; first, dressed in their best, ready for Santa and second, snuggled up in matching pajamas! Are they cute or what?! It’s always so fun when I get to work with this family and this session had plenty of holiday cheer to get me ready for the season!

P.s. Baby James, I don’t think your big sis will really send you off to Santa! She loves you too much!

[Maternity Photos Pt. Pleasant, NJ]

I don’t get to photograph other photographers a lot, but when I do it’s so fun! Getting to work with someone who has an artistic background is exciting for me, because it’s awesome to share ideas and figure out the best locations and the best lighting together.

This was my first maternity session and I loved every minute of it. The beach and boardwalk were packed, but this cute family of 3 (almost 4!) was up for trying anything! We made our way all over the Pt. Pleasant boardwalk and the Big Sister even got to take a ride on the carousel and eat cotton candy! She loved giving her mama kisses and she loved riding with daddy on the rides.

Mom, dad and big sis are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their little man and it was so exciting for me to get to capture some of their last moments before he is here! I’m sure we will be seeing more of this growing family very soon. Congratulations!

-Michelle

[Family Reunion Seaside Park, NJ]

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of doing pictures for a big family that was vacationing together in Seaside Park! Now usually, I’m doing the silly things or making jokes to get my families and kids to smile and laugh. However during this session, these guys were the ones making me laugh! They were all so enthusiastic about posing and making sure we were getting the best pictures. Everyone, myself included, was probably laughing or trying to hide a giggle throughout the whole session. This family was just so much fun to take pictures of!

This day had the best conditions for taking pictures: beautiful sky, not a lot of wind and cooler temperatures. The only thing that attempted to kill our spirits…FLIES! The flies were out of control during this session! Everyone was trying so hard to smile for me despite their feet and legs getting bit constantly by the terrible flies! This family was even throwing sand on my legs to keep the flies off while I was doing the individual family pictures! I told you they were awesome!

Family is the most important thing in the world to me! It’s always so awesome to have a session with a family like this one, where there is so much love and fun in everything that they do! Thanks for a great, and funny session!

-Michelle

[Family Photos Seaside Park, NJ]

When your mom works at a nursey school, she meets all kinds of awesome families, and that’s how I met this awesome crew! I was so excited to take their family pictures this summer because come on, look how adorable they are!

Of course the night we picked for these photos, it was a little cloudy and super windy which made for some hair flying about. But it was no problem for mom, dad, and their three sweet little ones! They laughed, played and had perfect smilies throughout our whole session. Mom and dad even came up with the cutest poses for them and their girls!

This session was super fun, this family was totally great and I can’t wait to work with them again in the future! Happy Summer!

-Michelle 🙂

[Kylie’s First Birthday Seaside Park, NJ]

If there is one thing I love during summer, it’s photo sessions on the beach! And what could be even better is that this session was a cake smash for little Miss Kylie’s First Birthday!

Her mom picked the adorable mermaid/beach theme, had tons of cute props and Kylie was a true beach babe! She loved playing in the sand, picking up sea shells and of course smashing her cake at the end of our session. This little mermaid clapped, giggled and showed us “how big” she was and kept smiling during her whole birthday session. She even let mom and dad jump in for some family photos too!

Kylie was a total pro when it came to eating (and smashing) her beautiful homemade birthday cake!! And even when she completely knocked it over at the end of our session, she managed to put the cake stand up right and started putting the cake back on the pedestal!

Happy 1st Birthday, Kylie! I hope this next year is filled with so many giggles, cuddles and good times with your family! 🙂

-Michelle