Cape Cod Family Portraits with a Blue and White Color Palette

After hearing me talk about Cape Cod for years and seeing photos of my kids and other clients' kids at the beach, this sweet family decided that this was the year they would make the trip to my favorite beach town! Honestly this summer, we had a number of long-time NY clients make the trip this year, and I’m beyond honored that each and every one has formed that connection with me over the years and trusted me so much that they planned their vacations and their portrait sessions with me! It was truly such a fun summer because of all of these sweet beach sessions - and the fact that they were made up of my long-time clients made it even more special.

I met Johnny (now 5!!)  and his family at Corporation Beach in Dennis, MA. It’s one of my favorite spots for Cape Cod portrait sessions. I love this beach in the evenings, and I often find myself bringing my own kids there to play in the surf as the sun dips below the sand dunes. It’s where we captured their portraits too! 

Johnny was filled with giggles and he loved exploring the beach, playing in the sand, and cuddling with his family. It made my own heart so happy to see him enjoying himself in a place I so personally love. I also adored his mama’s beautiful hairstyle, and I was blown away when she told me that she did it herself! The prettiest braid with blue and white flowers woven through the strands. It was perfect for her portraits! I think it was such a smart idea, too, being on the beach with the wind lightly blowing - it kept it out of her face in an elegant way. Complementary light blue outfits brought their session look together. 

Thank you all for trusting me with such a special moment on your vacation! I’m thrilled you loved the Cape as much as I do and I’m so happy we were able to capture your first tip there with these special portraits. It’s a memory I will treasure forever! 

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A personal post: Cape Cod portrait session at Corporation Beach with Grayson and Adelaide

I’m so lucky that my parents live in Dennisport year round, and it’s so special to get to visit for a few weeks every summer. The kids love visiting the different beaches, floating in Scargo Lake, crabbing, searching the tide pools at low tide, collecting shells, building sand castles and digging trenches in the sand. As any photographer who is also a mom will tell you, I always find it so hard to take photos of my own kids. But the night we captured these new Cape Cod portraits, they let their personalities shine and just loved on each other and we captured the most adorable sibling portraits. 

Both Grayson and Adelaide were 100% agreeable and excited about taking photos at the beach one evening at sunset, and knowing that they would be rewarded with a cookie afterwards certainly helped with the cooperation. ;o) We finally found a night with good weather at Corporation Beach in Dennis and I’m so happy that we were able to freeze time together.  

I’ve been doing beach portraits of Grayson since he was 1 year old, and it’s bittersweet watching him grow up a little more every summer. He looked at this portrait of him and he said, “That’s not me! That’s a 10-year-old!” because I had told him during our little session that that pose was for really big kids. And it’s true – he looks like he’s ready to grab the keys and go for a drive! It makes my mama heart stop for a beat just seeing how quickly it goes by. It’s one of the reasons that I love capturing these portraits in Cape Cod every summer. My babies won’t stop growing (though I so wish they would!). 

Fun little fact about our session on Corporation Beach – I ended up with a gallery of 34 favorite portraits, and we took them in less than 12 minutes. You don’t need a lot of time to capture great portraits of your kids – just someone who knows all the tricks to get them to hug & smile. ;o) After doing this for the last 10 years, I’ve got plenty of tricks that even work on my own kids! 

My goal was one good one to hang on the gallery wall in our dining room, but with so many that I love like this, I don’t know how I’m going to choose which one to print & frame! I hope you enjoy this little peek into our family’s summer tradition!

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8 Tips for your Family Portrait Session at the Beach - Cape Cod Family Photographer

Summer is almost here, and I am so excited to welcome so many families to Cape Cod for their family portrait session on the beach! This is one of my favorite times of year because I love visiting the Cape and being able to capture other families and their special memories at the same time. This summer will be extra fun because I have so many of my longtime New York clients planning their summer vacations to Cape Cod around their portrait sessions! I’ve been living in NY for eight years now, and these families have heard me talk about the Cape for years, and now so many of them are excited to bring their little ones to this classic beach spot this summer!

I have been spending my summers on the Cape for more than 25 years, and I have so many favorite beaches, bike paths, ice cream shops, and more that I love sharing with my clients when they schedule their Cape Cod portraits. Every single one provides the perfect vibes for summer portraits - and it always makes for an unforgettable evening! I love that I know this area inside and out and can give them an inside scoop on where to go, what to do, and what to pack!

Today’s blog post is filled with tips for your family portrait session at the beach. Read on for lots of great ideas, plus plenty of beautiful outfit inspiration for your family! I want your session to be truly enjoyable and feel like an extension of your summer vacation!

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Plan accordingly for traffic.

On the Cape, Saturday and Sunday are typically the heaviest traffic days coming over both bridges. Plan to come early in the morning and make a day of it!

Baby’s first trip to the beach?

The beach can be a sensory overload for some babies.  Get them used to the sand by letting them play with and sit in sand a few times before your session.  Make sure they have bare legs and feet so that they get used to the feeling of the sand on their skin.  Bring a blanket (neutral colors look best!) if they might need a layer to sit on.

What to wear

Colors that you would find at the beach look incredible in portraits — shades of blue, khaki, linen, white, cream, blush pink, lavender, teal, mint, aqua, and gray are my favorites.  We have many helpful blog posts with outfit ideas — check them out here! 

Keep these in the car…

Sunglasses, hair elastics, cell phone, wallet (bulky things that show in your pockets), stroller, diaper bag, baseball caps or visors. Trust me: you don’t want them in your portraits! It’s better to just leave them behind so you don’t have to keep track of them during your session.

Always have a rain date.

I will let you know 4 hours in advance if we’ll have to reschedule due to the weather, but even on cloudy days we can get some great portraits! Clouds mean less direct sunlight, which is better for all of us. As long as it isn’t outright raining or storming, we’ll try to keep your session. But, planning a backup date never hurts!

Protect your skin.

Try to avoid a sunburn the week of your session.  Especially on your face and nose! It’s no fun - but it also will show up in your portraits.

Barefoot is best! 

We’ll leave our sandals at the entrance to the beach so we can walk in the sand easily.

Embrace the sand & the water, and don’t be afraid to get wet!

I love finishing the session in the water.  Let’s be adventurous and walk in the waves or let the kids splash around a bit.  Bring a towel or a change of clothes for the kids just in case they get a little too excited at the opportunity to splash!  

PLAN FOR AFTER YOUR SESSION

Keep a towel in the car to brush sand off of everyone’s feet after the session. I also recommend keeping a travel-sized container of baby powder in the car. Sprinkle a little on everyone’s feet and calves, and the sand slides right off!

If you have a long drive back home, pack the kids' PJs in the car so they can change into them right after the session and sleep on the way home. I’m a huge fan of anything that will help avoid meltdowns after portraits!

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About Nicole Starr Photography 

Nicole Starr specializes in newborn, baby & family photography and has been serving families in New York and Massachusetts since 2012.  She has a portrait studio in Saratoga Springs, NY for families in the Capital Region, and she also works with families at her Attleboro, MA studio and on location in Boston and on Cape Cod. 

Our Cape Cod sessions occur from June through September at beaches all over the Cape. Be sure to reach out early to plan your family’s portrait session as these always fill up early in the season!

Best of 2023 Family Portrait Sessions in Saratoga Springs NY

2023 was truly an amazing year here at Nicole Starr Photography. This year, I had the honor of working with many repeat families for their new portraits as well as lots of new faces! Every time I show up to a family session, I am humbled and overjoyed that these families trust me to document their memories. I am so grateful to each and every one of them for believing in me to capture the best moments for their families. 

While I will never take this honor for granted, I also love how much fun I have every day at work. My family portraits are never boring! I’m all about laughing and finding genuine moments of connection between everyone. This year was filled with lots of tickles, games, and silly prompts to help bring out the belly laughs! I even brought some fun tricks along with me - like squeaking dog toys - to capture a toddler’s attention. Worked like a charm! 

In 2023, I captured my families all over the Saratoga Springs and Cape Cod areas. From beaches to parks, from benches to picnic blankets, and the city sidewalks… I loved every moment exploring with my 2023 families. This year brought some new locations to me and I am so happy that we have even more options for the future now, too! It’s important to me to find a location that feels authentic and genuine to each and every family I work with.

While I’m thankful for all of the fun and all of the beauty we found, I’m incredibly grateful that I was able to help all of these families create beautiful heirloom albums that they will be able to enjoy for years. Our albums and heirloom artwork are so important to me. I want to create something tangible and meaningful that my families will enjoy for decades to come with their children. It’s such a huge honor to be a part of creating something so important. 

All of our 2023 clients will be invited to our second annual Client Appreciation Event in a few months, and I look forward to seeing them for this extra special celebration to capture some new portraits for them to enjoy! Thank you again for trusting me to document your family and I hope that I’ll see many of you again in 2024!! 

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Beach family photos with twins - Cape Cod family photographer

I’ve been capturing portraits for this family ever since Finley and Bella were born. Their first session was back when I had my tiny apartment studio in Boston. I loved seeing them again this summer on the Cape! We met up at Corporation Beach, one of my favorite spots, in Dennis, MA for their evening session. It was amazing to see them again and see how much they’ve grown. 

During our session, the girls were talkative and curious, and I had such a great evening watching their personalities unfold. It’s extra special to see them now, knowing how long ago I met them. Finley and Bella are so sweet. They had such amazing little questions and facts that they rattled off during their session. Finley and Bella are at such a fun age, and it really feels like magic watching clients' children grow from tiny little babies into these awesomely independent little humans!

One of my favorite parts of their session was recreating portraits from their 2017 beach session. It’s always fun to do something like that - knowing that more of these beautiful portraits will be displayed together on your home’s wall! I hope it’s not too long before I get to see Finley, Bella, and their sweet parents again! 

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Relaxed family portraits at Lighthouse Beach - Cape Cod Family Photographer

I first met Jenny and her family on the beach two years ago. Getting to see them again for new portraits was super special! I love watching kids grow up in front of my camera. George and Kathryn are already getting so big, and watching them together was really magical. They were amazing - happy to be hugging and playing in the sand. The entire night at Lighthouse Beach was absolutely joyful! 

We lucked out with a truly gorgeous evening at Lighthouse Beach in Chatham. I always love visiting Lighthouse Beach, because it’s never too busy at sunset. It’s also got a very wide stretch of sand, gorgeous and tall sand dunes, and the tall lighthouse as a beacon in the background. Because Lighthouse Beach is protected by a narrow strip of land known as North Beach Island, the water here is calmer and quieter. However, this beach also has frequent shark sightings (far out to sea, though, and never a concern during our sessions, but it’s always fun for kids to try and spot a shark during their session!). It can bring out some great laughs and smiles! 

I loved working with George and Kathryn again, seriously. They’re so sweet! Kathryn has the most beautiful, vibrant smile that truly lights up her whole face. I was able to capture so many joyful portraits of this sweet girl!George has grown so tall and loved telling me all about the different sports he plays. He’s a helpful big brother and he was so amazing during sibling portraits. It was definitely a special night with a wonderful family here on the Cape. 

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Extended family photo session while on vacation on Cape Cod

Ashley and her family are just the sweetest! They made their first visit to the Cape in 2022, from Western New York and they loved it so much, they decided to come back this summer! When they booked their trip, Ashley reached out about planning a Salt Air session on the beach in Dennis, MA. I’m so happy that we were able to make their session work - and include the grandparents, too. 

I absolutely loved working with this family. They were so much fun and we couldn't stop laughing. And they looked incredible! Ashley decided to use nature as inspiration for their outfits, pulling lots of tans, greens, and blues for their clothing choices. Ashley had the most beautiful pink dress to bring the palette together, too. Honestly, I love how everything looked on the beach. We even had a slightly darker sky that day, which looked amazing against their outfits. 

I have lots of games and prompts that I like to use during our family portrait sessions, and we really are able to get the best expressions and natural smiles out of everyone this way. Ashley’s family made it a lot of fun - and they were such good sports. The prompts and game make for a memorable time together that is so much more enjoyable than just “saying cheese”. I love how we get such natural smiles and giggles, especially from the kids. 

I’m so happy that this sweet family made this portrait session possible. I hope that they treasure these portraits for years to come and the memories made here last a lifetime! 

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Capturing three siblings' personalities with family portraits at the beach

This summer has been a dream come true. I’ve been able to make lots of memories with my own family and I had the joy of capturing several Cape Cod family portrait sessions during our time in Massachusetts this summer. Nicole’s family session on Corporation Beach on Cape Cod was one of those sessions. I’ve been doing portraits for Nicole’s family since her oldest son turned one, so it was incredibly special to get together on the Cape for a Salt Air session this summer! 

One thing I love about capturing this family is that Cameron, Teagen, and Liam are always a lot of fun. Each of their personalities always comes out while we play and work, so it’s a great time capturing them all. This year, Cameron and Liam got to wear matching Vineyard Vines shirts - and they both looked absolutely perfect! You could just tell that Liam was beyond excited to be matching his big brother. All three of them were great for me - laughing, hugging, and just having a great time on the beach together. It made my job super easy and I’m thrilled with the natural and joy-filled moments their Salt Air session was made of.  

Nicole planned another set of perfect outfits - with white as the base color. She mixed in some navy blues and the light blues that came on the boys’ hoodies. Teagan’s dress looked so similar to Nicole's, which was also super special. I loved seeing how she looked at her mama throughout the session. Their outfits truly looked amazing on the beach and I love how it helped them pop against the sand and water around them.

Thank you for trusting me to capture another set of portraits - and another set of memories. I’m so thankful to know you all and I can’t wait to see you again soon! 

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Laughter-filled family portraits at the beach, Cape Cod family photographer

Working with families year after year is such a beautiful gift. I’ve worked with the Rovaldi family since their first son’s newborn session - and now they’ve got three beautiful grown kids. They’re some of my favorite long-time clients from Boston and every time I get to see them, it’s like catching up with old friends. This year, we met for new family portraits on the beach on Cape Cod at Corporation Beach! While we’ve been working together for years, this was their first time doing portraits on the beach. I think they turned out beautifully and I hope that Christina and Matt feel the same way! 

The day of our session, we met around low tide near sunset. It was absolutely perfect! We had the dreamiest light to start their session - with all of them near the dunes and seagrass. As we got towards the end of the session, we moved to the water and it was so fun to watch the kids get mom and dad at the very end. I love the beach for family portraits, I think it just naturally brings out so much joy for everyone! 

Christina and Matt chose a beautiful blue and white palette for their outfits that looked amazing against Corporation Beach. I just love how Lucas, James, and Vivienne looked sitting together on the sand. So cute!!! I also suggested that they bring along baby powder for when our session was over. When you dust it on everyone’s legs, the sand slides right off - which makes leaving the beach a breeze! 

Thank you for trusting me for another year, Christina and Matt. I’m so happy I got to see you all on the Cape and can’t wait until next year! 

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Sand Dunes and Coastlines: Family portraits at sunset on Cape Cod

If you’ve been following my blog this past year, you may recognize this family! Katie is my dear friend (and former roommate!) who lives out in the Boston area, and I have loved documenting all of their milestones for them as they celebrate their first year with their sweet baby boy. This summer, we photographed their first ever family portraits at the beach in Dennis, Cape Cod! Not only was it special to capture Katie, Jeff, and Lucas again - but it was also so meaningful to have them somewhere that means so much to me, too. 

As always, Katie, Jeff, and Lucas were amazing during our session. Katie looked absolutely perfect in a blue summer dress and it looked amazing with Jeff’s simple white button down and blue shorts. Lucas looked adorable in a little plaid outfit. I LOVED all of the blues and whites. It was the perfect choice against the sunset and dunes. 

Corporation Beach is one of my favorite spots for family photos on Cape Cod. We had the perfect sunset the evening of their session, too. I always love how the sun goes behind the dunes at this beach. It’s the most amazing location at low tide! So dreamy for beach family portraits. 

Katie and Jeff, thank you for trusting me with your memories again. I feel so lucky to be watching Lucas grow alongside you and to have a front row seat to your journey into parenthood. 

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Fun family portraits with cousins on Cape Cod

The last time I saw this family was when I just gone full-time with my business after leaving my teaching carreer in 2015, so to say I was excited to see them this summer is an understatement! It’s been 6 years since Baby Anna’s cake smash and when I opened up the inquiry email, I couldn’t stop smiling. Anna and Mikey have grown so much, and I got to meet their cousins, aunt, and uncle for these fun family portraits on Cape Cod at Corporation Beach, too.

Their Dennisport portrait session was so much fun! It’s always great to watch kids just be kids - especially on the Cape. The sand and the waves crashing just make everyone happy. These little ones loved playing with each other and swinging like monkeys between their parents. I’m not lying when I say we just went out and had the best time together!

I hope their grandparents absolutely love all of these photos. They have the cutest grandkids and I’m just so happy I had the chance to photograph Anna, Mikey, and their family again. Enjoy this peek into their beach portraits from this summer!

WONDERING WHAT TO WEAR? FIND IDEAS HERE!

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Cape Cod Family Portraits at Corporation Beach

I am so happy I got to see this beautiful family again! They are local to me in New York, but like me, they vacation on the Cape every year. So when they reached out about setting up a portrait session on the beach, I was thrilled! We met up for a sunset session at Corporation Beach in Dennis, and it was absolutely gorgeous.

This isn't my first session with Reese, Matteo, and their parents. When Matteo arrived, we captured studio newborn portraits for him and his family. Since then, he has grown so much and now he is starting to show off his big personality! I love these summer nights with toddlers, running around with big laughs and sandy toes.

Reese and Matteo's grandparents joined us for part of their session, too. It's so special to me to capture these summer memories for the whole family. We lucked out with a gorgeous night for everyone to come out on the beach. Corporation Beach is seriously one of my favorite beaches at sunset in Dennis - especially during low tide. I can't wait for you to see this entire session!

Read 8 tips to make your beach family session even easier!

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Family Portraits on Cape Cod with Grandparents & Baby

This sweet family happens to live closer to my Saratoga Springs studio than the Cape, but when they were planning their summer vacation to Cape Cod they reached out to this Saratoga/Cape Cod family photographer to book their session!

We met at their favorite beach that they love to visit year after year: Nauset Beach.  It was the perfect evening for sandy toes and enjoying the last golden rays of the sunset.  There happened to be live music at the beach that night, and I loved listening to the notes drifting over the dunes towards us.

This was Baby Wyatt’s first summer on the Cape, and this little boy LOVED the beach!  Some infants are a little hesitant when it comes to the texture of the sand and the volume of the waves crashing against the shore, but all of that didn’t phase this beach baby!  He was all smiles and giggles, and he loved putting his toes in the sand and trying to walk along the shore while holding hands with his mama and daddy.

We captured a variety of family portraits in this extended family session at the beach, and I love how Wyatt happily went to each family member and cuddled up in their arms.  

Check out these tips for your family portrait session at the beach!

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Cape Cod Family Portraits at Skaket Beach with Teenagers

This family portrait session at Skaket Beach on Cape Cod felt like a blast from the past.  The last time I photographed this sweet family was in 2014 when I was still teaching first grade and running my little photography business on the side.  Their kids were still so little then, and now to see them all as teenagers was quite the sight!  We had so much fun during their sunset session at low tide, and I love the portraits that we captured together.  So many favorites for them to enjoy in their home!  Back in 2014 they designed a gallery wall with me during their ordering appointment, and now 7 years later they still loved the layout and wanted to update the portraits in the same frames!  

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Family Portraits and a Cake Smash at Sagamore Beach - Cape Cod Family Photographer

When Cecilia’s family reached out to me about planning a family portrait session at the beach and mentioned that her birthday was right around then, I suggested we add in a cake smash at the beach! Cecilia’s mama was excited about that, and we planned to meet at the same beach where we did their family portraits two years ago. We all love the wooden boardwalk there leading up to the beach, and knew it would be perfect (and less sandy!) for the cake smash!

This family read all of my tips about planning outfits for your beach session and came up with the most perfect combination of clothes for everybody. I especially loved the little white romper on the birthday girl!

It was a foggy evening and we finished the session just before the rain moved in. I actually love fog at the beach and how it covers everything in a soft, misty white blanket. It creates a magical scene where everything is just a bit out of focus, and I absolutely loved the fog at this beach that evening!

This portrait of mom and baby reminded me so much of the very first portrait I ever took of this gorgeous mama with her first daughter when she was almost one. Check out that very special session (with TEN babies!!!) here!

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Cape Cod Family Portrait Session at Corporation Beach

I look forward to summer every year, counting down to the couple of weeks each summer that I’ll spend on Cape Cod, just a quick walk from the beach with sand constantly dusting my flip flops and the breeze ruffling my hair.

One of the highlights of my summers on the Cape is meeting families for their portrait sessions at some of my favorite (and their favorite!) beaches on the Cape.

I absolutely enjoyed meeting this adorable family at Corporation Beach in Dennis for their family portrait session this summer. We had so much fun together, and the kids had us all laughing and smiling the entire time. Big brother was so sweet, and his little sister was all cuddles and smiles. Their sibling portrait is going to look so nice hanging on their wall, isn’t it?!

I love the outfits that they pulled together for their portraits, and the colors photographed beautifully at the beach! For more outfit tips, check out this blog post before your next beach session!

I love how joyful and playful these family portraits are! I always look for sand dunes at the beaches where I do portrait sessions. They provide a little seclusion from the rest of the beach, and also some shade from the sun. Plus they are perfect for seated family portraits, as well as some fun running ones with older kids scurrying down the dunes!

All of our sessions on Cape Cod are done at sunset, which often means keeping kids up a little bit past their bedtime. The reason why we do this is because of this PERFECT GOLDEN LIGHT. Just look at these final portraits from their session!

I know how hard it can be to shift bedtimes and fit in a session in the evening. I have a toddler, too, and I truly understand! That’s why I’ve come up with these tips to make those sunset sessions easier for families with young children. Definitely go check them out before your next session!

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Cape Cod Beach Sessions are Coming Soon

Summer is almost here, and you know what that means:
let’s all head to the BEACH!

Every year I look forward to spending a few weeks on Cape Cod in the summer. My parents now live in Dennisport year-round, and we’ve been spending summers on the Cape for more that 20 years. Grayson gets to grow up heading to the Cape with me for a couple of weeks every July & August, and I love every second of it. We walk to the beach multiple times a day, and he loves the sand and the water and truly can’t get enough of his time at the beach. At 3 years old, this will be his fourth summer on the Cape (how is that even possible?!), and I love watching him evolve into a little beach baby as the years go by.

I know that the Cape is special to sooooo many families. And it’s funny, but the number of families I talk to in New York who also happen to vacation in Dennisport is truly mind-blowing. It’s definitely a popular spot for families, and there are so many great places in the area for salty summertime memories.

As summer approaches I start filling up my calendar with portrait sessions on the beaches of Cape Cod. This year I’m spending more time on the Cape than any previous summer, and all of our sessions are almost completely booked!

As I hit “publish” on this blog post today, I currently have room for THREE MORE FAMILIES in August.

***WEEKEND*** August 14 (rain date August 15)
August 18 (rain date August 19)
***WEEKEND*** August 20 (rain date August 21)

The sand. The wind. The sun. These are all natural elements that we embrace during our salt air sessions on Cape Cod. Read on for more tips for a successful portrait session at the beach!

The first step in every portrait session is an email & a phone call. I would love to chat with you to see if this is the perfect session for your family this summer! Send me a message through the button below!

You may have noticed that all of the families in this blog post absolutely ROCKED their outfits, right? They did that with a little help from me! I’ve compiled a list of tips to make planning outfits easy for your beach session. Long gone are the days of matching khakis and white shirts, and here to stay are mixed colors and patterns for real personality in your family portraits. Learn more here as you start to plan your family’s outfits for your next portrait session!

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Cape Cod Family Portraits in Dennis

I loooooved seeing this family at their favorite beach in Dennis for their family portrait session this summer! Their Cape house is literally steps from the beach, and they’ve been coming here for generations.

I haven’t been to many beaches on the Cape where you have to climb a huge sand dune to get to the water, and it was extra special to watch their sweet little girls climb up over the top and run down towards the sea, knowing that they are going to create so many magical childhood memories there on that stretch of sand just like their mama did when she was a little girl.

Beach hair, don’t care! This was definitely one of my favorite images from their session!

It’s always a joy when grandparents join in for family portraits, and I loved capturing this happy grandmother with her adorable granddaughters in everyone’s happy place!

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Baby Girl's Cake Smash at the Beach - Cape Cod Family Photographer

Ohhhh, I miss those warm summer beach days already!! Every summer I spend more than a few weeks on Cape Cod. Nearly every evening is spent with families at the beach, laughing & collecting seashells, running & jumping the waves while capturing portraits the entire time.

One of my favorite evenings last summer was the night I met this sweet family in Harwich for Niamh’s first birthday cake smash at the beach.

Pleasant Road Beach was the perfect spot for a cake smash with the little wooden boardwalk stretching across the sand, the waves crashing on the shore just ahead of us. We brought a few sand dollars and starfish for the decor, but kept it simple to keep the focus on the birthday girl.

Niamh LOVED her cake! I always love it when babies dig right in and take a bite out of their cake by leaning into it.

Her big sisters were eager to join in, and they waited patiently for their turn. Then everybody dug into the cake together!

Of course we also did family portraits on the beach, and I love how perfectly golden the light was that evening with the most beautiful sunset. Aren’t their sundresses beautiful and just right for summer portraits?

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Family Photos with Grandparents at the Beach - Cape Cod Family Photographer

Do you know the term “head swap”?

This terms is used when a photographer uses Photoshop and takes a head (or a body, or a part of the backdrop) from one photo and moves it onto another photo to create a composite. When done correctly, you can’t even tell anything was changed and it just looks like the perfect photo where everyone is looking and smiling.

Some people are familiar with this term, and when I explain it to other people they look at me like it’s some type of sorcery. But honestly, it’s a very common term in the photography world and photographers need to do head swaps more often than you might think. Especially in family sessions. Especially in extended family sessions.

The photo below, for example, took SEVEN head/body swaps to create and image with every single family member looking towards the camera!

This is definitely not the norm, but when an old friend from high school reaches out for a family portrait session at their favorite beach on Cape Cod, I might go a little above and beyond when it comes to the editing to give them that one perfect photo that includes all 5 toddlers and every adult looking!

Extended family portrait sessions are always a blast and I love getting to meet all of the smaller families that make up the big family. I especially love when we have so many little grandchildren to photograph! Seriously, how cute are these kiddos?!?! Just adorable!

But of course, toddlers at the beach make for a lot of running around in the sand at sunset. Definitely worth all of the extra sand in my camera bag and the extra sweat after an hour of chasing them! I truly had a blast with this family and we enjoyed the most beautiful Harwichport sunset for their portrait session.

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