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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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!

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 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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Grayson's Summer on Cape Cod

Another summer come & gone. How is that even possible?!?! We only get 18 childhood summers with our kids, and the years are just going by so fast.

This was Grayson’s third summer on Cape Cod. My parents live in Dennisport and we love spending a few weeks with them in June, July, and August. We’re so lucky to get to enjoy so much time in the sunshine & salt air, and it was just what we needed after months at home! Every September is so bittersweet to see another beachy summer come to an end, even more so this year.

This year was especially fun because Grayson was so excited to go to “the beach house”, as he calls it. He lovesssssss the beach, so every time we started talking about going to the Cape he would throw all of his favorite things in a bag and tell me he was ready to go right now — even if it was days before we were actually going to make the trip! We visited our favorite beaches at least twice every day and he was obsessed with chasing the seagulls and plovers, throwing seashells into the waves, and filling up his dump truck with sand. At the end of each visit he never wanted to leave, and I have the feeling he’s really going to miss these laid back beach days!

I brought Grayson to one of my favorite little spots in downtown Dennisport where there is a giant DENNISPORT mural painted across an entire building. I have a photo from his first summer on the Cape when he was 3 months old all snuggled up in my arms in front of this same mural. Now this summer he was so happy and fun and he loved exploring this little pocket garden and checking out all of the details in the paintings! I can’t wait to add these to our annual family photo album!

We also managed to sneak in some sunset portraits at the beach on our very last night on the Cape. You know how the cobbler’s kid never has any shoes? Well, the beach photographer’s kid never has any beach photos! All of my nights were booked with family sessions and rain dates were filled up, so we snuck his photos in after I finished my very last session of the summer at one of my favorite spots in Harwich.

I promised Grayson we’d bring this sailboat prop that I have used with other families for years. I was so happy to use this with my own little boy, and I never want to forget his windblown blonde hair and those sturdy toddler legs running through the sand!

Plus a few cell phone photos of our summer fun! Seriously, this kid LOVES the beach! In July he insisted on walking to the beach with a pool noodle under each arm every. single. time.

Such an awesome summer!

Best of 2019 Beach Sessions on Cape Cod - Cape Cod Family Photographer

Every year I start counting down to July & August because our Salt Air Sessions on Cape Cod are some of the most magical moments that I love capturing on camera every summer.

And guess what???? Summer is almost here, and we are now filling up the calendar with family portrait sessions on the beaches of Cape Cod!

A salt air breeze in your hair.
Sandy toes.
The gentle waves crashing over your feet.
A symphony of seagulls overhead.

It doesn’t get any better than that!

I’ve been spending summers in Dennisport for more than 20 years, and I have so many favorite beaches in Dennis and Harwich, and even a few favorite ones in Eastham & Falmouth! Every year a family introduces me to a new hidden gem, a stretch of sand that I haven’t explored before, and if we’re lucky it becomes one of my very favorites — like this beach in Bourne with a gorgeous weathered pier leading up to the sand!

I am so grateful for all of the families that trust me to capture these beautiful summer memories for them. You only get 18 summers with your little ones, and these are the sun-soaked memories you want to cherish. The ones that will define their childhood summers and make Cape Cod hold a special place in their heart. That is why I love these portrait sessions so much!

We still have a few dates available in July & August 2020! I would LOVEEEEE to see your family then!

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Sea, Sun, and CAKE! Holden's Cake Smash at the Beach with Cape Cod Baby Photographer

How is this sweet boy already ONE?!?!

It feels like we were just welcoming him to the studio for his newborn portraits. Then we blinked and it was time for his 6 month milestone session. And now suddenly this Baby Planner is one and we’re celebrating his first birthday with a cake smash at the same beach where we did his mama’s maternity portraits a year earlier!

This was my first cake smash in the sand at one of my favorite beaches on Cape Cod, and it was so much fun! This coastal family loves everything about the beach, and it was only fitting that we tie that into every single one of their son’s portrait sessions during the first year.

When I mentioned the idea of doing his cake smash at the beach, his mom was so excited and started envisioning her sweet boy smashing his birthday cake on the boardwalk where they had posed as a family of four a short year earlier. And now, can you even handle how much cuteness is packed into one portrait?!?!

These big brothers dote on their little brother, and Holden soaks it up! He is such a happy baby, and I love watching the ways that his family showers him in love!

When planning a cake smash at the beach, figuring out what to wear is simple — a swimsuit, of course! Holden looked adorable in his little swim trunks, and they showed off his cute belly and arm rolls to celebrate this stage of “babyhood on the brink of toddlerhood” that he is in right now!

This boy LOVED the frosting!!!

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Celebrating 40 Years - An extended family portrait session on Cape Cod

Extended family sessions are always so much fun. While some may think that they are complicated & logistically challenging (You want me to get HOW MANY people looking at the camera at the same time?!?! And smiling, too?!?!), I actually really enjoy them!

I look at every extended family session as a beautiful opportunity to enjoy a peek into this whole family’s life together. It’s like being invited to their Thanksgiving table when everyone is so excited to be around one another, inside jokes are flying, and the kids are off having a blast at the kids’ table. Stories circle around the group, and the grandparents are always up for some tickles for the grandkids.

My favorite part is looking at the two grandparents and thinking that everyone is here because the two of them fell in love.

And that’s exactly what this family portrait session on Cape Cod felt like. This couple was celebrating 40 years of marriage, and 40 years of family vacations in Harwich. Their daughters and their grandchildren all got together for family portraits, and it was SO. MUCH. FUN.

We always start off with the kids to capture a few individual & sibling portraits, and the kids love running along the beach, telling me stories, and singing songs to get comfortable in front of the camera. These kids absolutely rocked it and I love how cute they were!

Did I mention how much fun we have during our sessions? Dancing, running, twirling, piggy back rides. All of your favorite things about childhood, captured in your portraits.

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Family Portraits at Red River Beach in Harwich - Cape Cod Family Photographer

I am always so honored when families come back to me year after year for their portraits, and it truly is so special to get to document your family as your children grow. I’ve been photographing these girls since they were teeny-tiny newborns, and now they’re singing, dancing, tickling, and talking up a storm! It really is incredible to witness these little snapshots of their lives during their portrait sessions and to observe just how much they’ve grown since the last time I saw them.

We had so much fun at the beach during their Cape Cod family photo session this summer, and I was so grateful that they rolled with the weather when an unexpected storm cloud blew in for about 5 minutes in the middle of their session. A few rain drops didn’t dampen their spirits, and when the clouds quickly blew away we were left with the most breathtaking sunset and a long beach completely to ourselves.

Dancing with dad!

Swaying with mom!

Just look at that post-rainstorm sky with the sun peeking through the fluffy clouds. Isn’t it GORGEOUS?!

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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.  Nicole also works with families year round at her Attleboro, MA portrait studio, and on location May through October in Boston and on Cape Cod.  Nicole has a clean and classic style, and the studio is filled with neutrals and luxe fabrics.  We use very minimal props to keep the focus on your perfect little baby.  Our sessions are relaxed and fun, and we’ll enjoy an hour together (or up to 3 hours for a newborn session!) laughing, cuddling, and capturing authentic smiles and belly laughs with your little ones.

Family Portraits at Pleasant Road Beach on Cape Cod

Summer is here, which means our Salt Air Sessions are back on Cape Cod! I look forward to July & August every year when I get to head to the Cape and spend sunsets with the sweetest families. We laugh, play games, run in the sand. I capture giggles, kisses, and smiles, and we have such a great time in the sand and the waves of the beach.

I loved reuniting with this sweet family for a portrait session at Pleasant Road Beach in Harwich. We spent the evening soaking up the last rays of sunlight, and Reed absolutely LOVED the camera and gave me his very best smiles!

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Outfit ideas for your photo session at the beach

Our Cape Cod family sessions at the beach should be fun, relaxing, and sandy… just like a day spent dipping your toes in the water and collecting seashells!

However, one of the biggest worries that mamas always tell me is that they have NO IDEA WHAT TO WEAR. That’s where I come in. This might be your first time planning coordinating outfits for a family photo shoot, but lucky for you I have done this hundreds of times and I have a few simple tricks to make it easier for you.

Plus, once you have a few outfits in mind you can always email them to me to get a second opinion on which ones will photograph best together!

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White looks amazing in the summer.

Everyone looks a little more sun-kissed when they wear white, and it really pops against the scenery at the beach. When in doubt, wear white.

SHADES OF BLUE

Pull inspiration from the colors at the beach. Many shades of blue look incredible by the seashore. I especially love light blue, chambray blue, and other muted shades of blue. Navy blue is classic, too!

HINT: Avoid any overly saturated, super bright blues because it just looks a little unnatural at the beach. Notice how most of the blues in this blog post have a touch of gray in them. That’s perfect.

Use colors you would find in nature.

Think of a sunset at the beach, and plan your colors accordingly. Blues, beiges, white, light pink, lavender, mint green, aqua. These all look incredible at the beach. A faded red also looks really nice (like those classic Nantucket red shorts that are everywhere in New England in the summertime).

PLAID

It’s super classic, and very summery. Also, gingham is very in this year, too!

How to style lots of family members?

If you stick to the tips above, it’ll actually be really easy. When in doubt, tell everyone to wear shades of muted blue with neutrals like white, cream, and khaki. That’s the easiest option when working with extended family and trying to coordinate 3-4 households for a large group portrait.

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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. 

Having spent more than 20 summers on Cape Cod, this area truly feels like home when we get together for family photo sessions at the beach. Trust Nicole to capture your family beautifully while having fun out in the salt air!

A Playful Family Session at the Beach - Harwich, Cape Cod Family Photographer

This was one of my favorite family sessions of the summer! We were waiting for a thunderstorm to roll in on Cape Cod, and we snuck in this portrait session at the beach right before the rain started. The overcast skies made for an incredible backdrop, and these brothers just stole the show!

I first met this family back where Nicholas was only 6 months old, and now he’s a big brother! We did Baby Harrison’s newborn photos, and in the blink of an eye he turned into a toddler who was excited to run all over the beach and point out all of the seagulls flying overhead.

This shot of the boys is my FAVORITE image from the entire session. I love how playful and wild and carefree it is! They framed this one to hang in their beach house, and it’s going to look amazing up on the wall. I wish I could wake up to this photo every day — I would start each morning with a smile just by looking at this!

Their family photos are truly some of my favorites because mom and dad got lost in the moment with their kids, playing and laughing and not worrying about where to look or who to make smile for the camera. They just had fun together, and that joy shows in their portraits!

A Sunset Portrait Session on West Dennis Beach with Cape Cod Family Photographer

When the very first photo of the session looks like THIS, you know it’s going to be an amazing hour together!

JJ looked at me and automatically did what his family has coined his “sweetheart pose”, and he rocked it. His big sister Keira loved getting her portrait taken at West Dennis Beach, too, and we had so much fun during their sunset family portrait session on Cape Cod this summer.

This little spot near the Bass River was a new location gem for me this summer, and I love how the seagrass became covered in water as the tide came in. It created the perfect spot for a little dancing with Keira’s flowy dress!

When you Take a Toddler to the Beach - Cape Cod Family Portraits in Harwich

When you take a toddler to the beach, he’s going to want to run and play, jump and sing. He’s going to chase the birds, put his toes in the water, and climb the lifeguard chair. He’ll search for rocks, throw sand, and give you a dozen shells to put in your pocket….. which you’ll forget about until you pull them out of your dryer a few days later. ;o)

When you take a toddler to the beach, you are bound to have SO MUCH FUN. That’s what makes this family portrait session on Cape Cod so memorable — Holden was an absolute blast, and I loved playing with this little guy and watching him cuddle up with his mom and dad against the perfect backdrop of sea & sky.

One things that moms and dads always worry about before their portrait session is — “Oh my god, what if my kids misbehave?????”

And I always remind them that kids will be kids, and that’s exactly what we’re going to capture on camera! The running (sometimes the running away, haha!), the games, the smiles, the shy looks while they’re still warming up to a new person and a new place.

We are capturing their personality, and I never ever ever expect “perfect behavior”, whatever that is anyways! To me, perfect behavior for a kid is being perfectly yourself, and I will play lots of games and have a lot of tricks up my sleeve to get them to listen and guide them in a few of the family shots. But overall, we just have fun together!

And check out how much fun Holden had!! Just look at that smile!

While last weekend were our last beach sessions of the season, I am already missing those sandy toes and dreaming of next summer on Cape Cod. I can’t wait to capture more amazing family memories like these ones!

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Family portraits at West Dennis Beach

A Low Tide Family Session at Corporation Beach

The Family Beach Session that had me Laughing the Whole Time!

Fun Family Portraits at West Dennis Beach with Cape Cod Family Photographer

I always love when families come back for their portraits year after year, and when I see a family's name in my inbox after a few years it always puts a great big smile on my face as I get ready for another fun session with them, excited to see how much they've grown and changed.  

This is one of those families.

We met when I was a first grade teacher in Massachusetts, and while I never had any of the three kids as my students, we did enjoy a few sessions together and spent a lot of time designing a gallery wall in their home.   When Wendy contacted me this spring and told me she'd love to plan some beach portraits and that she was excited to add to their gallery wall in the living room, I was all in and we started planning their Cape Cod family session!

We met at the very end of West Dennis Beach at the Bass River for their sunset session, and it was the perfect spot for cuddles, tickles, and lots of splashing in the water!

I just love everything about this photo.  They went in for a family hug.  Little sister is hidden on the inside (see that arm sticking out?) and her big brother couldn't resist peeking out with the most amazing smile.

This was truly such a fun evening together, and I can't wait to see what their new gallery wall looks like with these beach portraits on display!

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Check out another fun family session at Corporation Beach in Dennis!

Family Portraits at Corporation Beach in Dennis, Cape Cod | Cape Cod Family Photographer

Our beach sessions on Cape Cod were a hit this summer!  I loved getting to photograph so many families, and this year a number of families drove a long while to get to the Cape and enjoyed portraits together. 

This very special family actually came all the way from Saratoga Springs to the Cape for their vacation this summer, and they were excited to dig their toes into the sand at Corporation Beach for their family portraits.  Plus, the mother is a photographer, and it's always such an honor when another photographer asks me to photograph her family.

The sand dunes were the perfect spot for lots of laughs, tickles, and family games!

Lifeguard chairs were made for climbing, don't you think?

One of the most fun things about working with another photographer is that she sees all of the trends and ideas in our photography groups that I do.  When she asked if she could do an outfit change for some fancier portraits with just her husband, of course I said yes!  This is the "famous Amazon skirt" that has been making the rounds in photo shoots since last summer, and she brought the perfect shade of pastel pink to go with a lace top for some couples portraits at the very end of our session.  

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Family Portraits at Low Tide on Cape Cod

Now that everyone is back to school, it's time to look back longingly at the beach days of summer, don't you think?

And what better way to do that than with a family that I once did the whole "back to school" thing with?  I've known this family for years, and their oldest daughter Jenna was a student in my first grade class back when I was a teacher in Massachusetts.  Now she's entering 8th grade!!  

We got together at Corporation Beach in Dennis on a perfect low-tide evening this summer and we had so much fun doing portraits together in the sea grass, on the jetty, and just exploring the parts of the beach that are normally covered in water!

Jenna & Annabelle warmed right up to the camera and they wanted to tell me all about their summer and their school year.  They were absolutely goofy to get the other one to smile, and we laughed so much during their session.  

Enjoy those summer memories as you move back into the school year routine!

Best of 2017 Beach Sessions | Cape Cod Family Photographer

Honestly, if I could live near the coast and photograph families there every day, I would be one very happy photographer!  Sandy toes, salty windswept hair, the sound of waves crashing on the shore, and always bringing home a little bit of sand in my camera bag are a few of the things that make me smile in June, July, August, and September when we head to the beach for our portrait sessions.

Our beach sessions on Cape Cod in the warmer months are some of my favorite sessions that we do all year, and I love planning these summer vacation sessions with families each spring as they begin the countdown to their trip over the Bourne & Sagamore Bridges to the Cape.  

This year was filled with so many fun families, and I spent the entire second half of July and all of early August on the Cape, heading to a different beach every night with families for their sunset session.  We photographed in Dennis, Yarmouth, Hyannis, Harwich, Falmouth, Mashpee, Eastham, Bourne, and off-Cape in Marshfield.  

2017 was also the year of SO MANY RAIN DATES!  All of the unexpected thunderstorms meant that we took advantage of the backup rain dates we had planned ahead of time for many of these beach sessions.  I was so grateful to all of the families for their flexibility in reserving two evenings of their vacation for their session just in case the weather wasn't cooperating. 

Oddly enough, in 2016 we didn't need to use a single rain date for our beach sessions, but in 2017 we used so many of them!  It all worked out in the end, and those overcast evenings at the beach resulted in the most magical moments that were enveloped in fog & mist.

One of the things I love most about our summertime portrait sessions on Cape Cod is reuniting with families that I have photographed for years, and meeting their friends that they have referred for their own family portraits! 

We have so much fun running across the sand, laughing, climbing on jetties, and exploring the coastline that the hour passes quickly and before we know it, the sun is going down and everyone is heading out for an ice cream treat before bedtime.  

This year the families were not afraid to get wet, and almost every single family ventured into the waves for a few truly beachy photos!

Enjoy a peek at a few of our most memorable sandy moments at the beach from 2017, and be sure to check out our other “BEST OF 2017” blog posts!

Best of 2017 Cake Smash Sessions
Best of 2017 Family Sessions
Best of 2017 Lifestyle Sessions
Best of 2017 Studio Newborn Sessions
Best of 2017 Maternity Sessions
Best of 2017 Fresh 48 Sessions
Best of 2017 Brothers & Sisters: Candid and Fun Sibling Portraits