Cape Cod Family Photos at Lighthouse Beach in Chatham

Ohhhhh, this session makes me miss the Cape already! This family met me at Lighthouse Beach in Chatham for the most perfect sunset one evening in August. We captured their family portraits on a nearly deserted beach, and it was so beautiful and fun.

The kids were full of personality and they had us laughing the entire hour, and I loved watching them play and joke together, knowing that these are going to be the summertime memories they have for the rest of their lives. I look back at my summertime memories as a kid and the Cape is prominent in all of the best ones, and it’s pretty amazing getting to watch those future memories unfold for other children knowing that one day they’ll look back at these summers the same way I look at mine.

I love extended family sessions like this one, and it’s always fun when grandparents and cousins join in the fun. We capture a mix of portraits of everyone in all of the different groupings, and when they kids are older like this it’s always such a breeze!

Their grandmother is going to cherish this photo forever!

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Cape Cod Family Portraits at Corporation Beach

I’ve been photographing the R family since their oldest was around 6 months old. These boys are used to being in front of the camera, and they bring all of the smiles & laughter to their portrait session. Within 30 seconds of pulling out my camera, they were hamming it up at the beach while being silly together. I just love the sibling portraits we captured of these two brothers together that really showcase their personalities and all of the childhood fun of a summer on Cape Cod!

Our beach family portrait sessions on Cape Cod are some of my most-anticipated sessions of the year. I look forward to them all year long, and our families do, too! For this session we met at Corporation Beach in Dennis just before sunset for beautiful family photos to capture that golden light that is magical at the beach at that hour. One of my favorite things about Corporation Beach are the sand dunes, and this little nook is perfect for some portraits all cuddled up together.

Then as the sun sinks further in the sky we head towards the water to dip our toes in and capture that golden light. Perfect, right? Plus, they did such an amazing job coordinating outfits. I love the patterns together!

This beach also has gorgeous sea grass that emerges in low tide. It’s one of my favorite spots for low tide because of the variety in scenery at that hour.

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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!

Classic Cape Cod Portraits in Downtown Chatham

What a summer! I have been loving all of our time on the Cape this summer, and especially all of these beautiful family portrait sessions! Last summer this family of three met me at the beach, and this year we decided to do their portraits in downtown Chatham for a change of scenery.

We met up early in the morning before the sidewalks were busy, and we had the streets all to ourselves! Two year old Rosie LOVED the attention, and she was seriously adorable with her classic vintage-style dresses and bows!

One of my favorite family portraits from their session! The colorful awnings and flower boxes on the shops in Chatham are the perfect backdrop for family portraits.

These hydrangea bushes are so classically Cape Cod, and I loved how they coordinated with Rosie’s gingham dress! She borrowed one of the little flags decorating the sidewalk and couldn’t stop waving it around!

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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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Get your feet wet with family portraits at the beach - cape cod family photographer

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My favorite sunset at the beach - cape cod family photographer

I enjoyed the most perfect sunset of the entire summer with this sweet family! Looking through their portraits takes me right back to that warm summer evening on Cape Cod filled with gorgeous golden light, sandy toes, and the cutest little giggles from the kids. I’m already missing these summer sessions, but I’m so excited to share this one on the blog today!

One of my favorite things about spending my summers photographing families on Cape Cod is discovering new beaches. Every family has “their” beach, and it’s amazing because many families introduce me to beaches that are new to me that they have been going to for 10, 20, 30 years! I first discovered this beach a few summers ago with another family that always vacations in the neighborhood, and when Aimee contacted me and told me they were staying near the bridge, I knew we had to meet at this perfect spot for their portraits!

Catherine is the cuddliest, and she was so happy to be in her daddy’s arms! I love all of her adorable expressions, and especially her laugh!

Tickle fight for big brother Charlie! Our family sessions are always so much fun and very relaxed, and it shows when your portraits have big belly laughs and grins in them!

Little Miss Catherine has been working very hard on her walking skills, and it was so special to be able to capture the whole family’s effort and encouragement in these portraits. Look at her go!

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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 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.

Seaside Smiles - family portraits at their beach house | cape cod family photographer

This summer was all about finding inspiration in new places on Cape Cod for our family portrait sessions.

For the first time ever I brought families to cute little downtowns with shingled buildings, a handful of new beaches, and I was even lucky enough to photograph this family’s portrait session at their waterfront beach house!

I love that the white trim, gray shingles, rocking chairs, blue hydrangeas, and Lilly Pulitzer print dresses all scream CAPE COD IN THE SUMMERTIME!! But even more meaningful was that they will get to enjoy these portraits up on their walls, bringing them right back to those warm summer memories on Cape Cod.

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Salt air & smiles | Family portraits at the beach with cape cod family photographer

Lisa & her son Luca joined me at Earle Road Beach in Harwich for a sweet & cuddly session by the sea! I absolutely loved catching up with this sweet family (check out Luca’s newborn session here!) on Cape Cod this summer, and I had so much fun capturing the special bond that these two share.

Luca is so affectionate & fun, and he really let his personality shine during their session! We had so many laughs watching him play, run, and explore on the beach.

I’m going to miss these sunset sessions on the beach! Until next year, Cape Cod!

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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 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!

A Seaside Family Portrait Session in Harwichport on Cape Cod

I love the beach.  Seriously, my dream home would be a beach house where I could look out at the water every single day and take a walk in the sand every single night.  So when families ask me to join them at the beach for a portrait session, the answer is always, "Yes!  See you at sunset!"

I had so much fun with Robyn, Pete, and their birthday boy Nicholas during our session together at Pleasant Road Beach in Harwich.  This beach is close to their home, and one that Pete spent his summers at growing up.  The rocks on the jetty, the shingled houses behind the tall seagrass -- they all mean so much more when they have a story to them, and it made for the perfect backdrop for this family's session.  Plus, it was a nice little piece of saltwater heaven that they introduced me to for the first time, and a new favorite spot on the Cape!

Isn't this little plaid romper just perfect for our session?  I love the styling on this session, and everyone's outfits came together perfectly for some modern family photos at the beach.

In addition to family photos of everyone playing together, I love to capture a few quiet moments with mom & dad alone with the baby.  These sweet little cuddles are always some of my favorite moments to capture!

We're now booking family sessions through October, and be sure to contact me now because they fill up early!  By the way, the beach in the fall is still an absolutely beautiful location for photos.  Sweaters, sand, and hazy skies.  Just sayin'.     ;o)