Vacation Family Portrait Session / Manchester-by-the-Sea

It’s no surprise that coastal Massachusetts is a summer vacation destination for many families- hundreds of miles of gorgeous beaches, small towns with nautical charm, incredible dining, and history around every corner you turn.

Each summer, my calendar fills with families who are visiting from out of state who want me to help capture their vacation memories. I love being able to show visitors exactly why Cape Ann is so special, choosing the perfect location for their family portrait session.

Scroll through to see some of my favorite images from a family portrait session at Singing Beach in Manchester by the Sea, MA, and let me know your favorite vacation spot in the comments!

xo

Cassie

Rockport, MA family portraits on the beach / Esther and Dan

Posed or unposed? Every person has their own style when it comes to family portraits. When I photograph my clients, I will always start with the posed shot, but then continue to capture images while everyone is looking at each other or snap that candid image in between poses. They always end up being my most favorite images from the session—those moments in between where the only thing on display is emotion.

I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to share this gorgeous family portrait session because it’s honestly one of my all-time favorites. It features one of my good friends Esther from Esther Mathieu Photography. We were pregnant at the same time (our due dates were days apart!) back in 2016, and we’ve bonded over photography, gardening, north shore living, and topics I’ll label as “other” haha.

It was hard to choose just a few favorites from her family session on the beach in Rockport, so scroll through if you have several minutes and leave some love in the comment section :)

xo

Senior Portrait Session on Northshore MA / Olivia

I’ve talked on the blog before about bringing close friends and family to your senior portrait session to join in a few shots. But there are other ways to personalize your senior portrait session as well, like including items that reflect your hobbies and interests. This used to be something cheesy that people did in the 80s, but I promise, it can be done well! During Olivia’s senior pictures, she chose to wear her pointe shoes for several images to reflect her passion for ballet.

Here are some other ideas for including items to reflect your personality:

Sports:

• Hockey skates, softball jersey, running shoes

Hobbies:

• Music lover-headphones, Animal lover- bring your pet, avid reader- favorite book, Photographer- camera, Fashion lover- bring your best outfits!

Personality:

• Homebody- cozy sweatshirt and leggings, Extrovert- best friend

And there are so many more possibilities! I’ve included some of my very favorite images from Olivia’s senior session. Scroll through and tell me how you will personalize your senior session in the comment section below!

Sunset Maternity and Family Beach Portraits / Jenna & Rob

So we’re about two weeks into the coronavirus shutdown, and I’ve been trying to take the kids out for a nature walk each day. It’s still a little chilly, so we haven’t yet ventured out onto the beach, but looking back over Jenna and Rob’s maternity/family session has made me eager for those warm nights with glow-y sunsets. It’s still a bit weird not knowing what the next few months will bring, but at the very least we will hopefully be able to socially distance ourselves on the beach!

Jenna is one of the real MVPs during this pandemic because she is an amazingly fearless BA nurse AND a mom to two boys. And also, obviously, a stunner too because she absolutely slayed this maternity session! Take a scroll through to see some of my favorite images from her and Rob’s beach session and be sure to leave her some love and appreciation in the comment section!

Sean and Nicole's glowy engagement session in the Spring blossoms / Beverly, MA

Things have gotten off the rails over the past week because of the coronavirus. I’m a very task-oriented person and I take great joy in checking things off my to do list, so it can feel a little frustrated to be at a standstill at times. Yet, it is making me appreciate friends and family so so much. I’ve become much more intentional with taking time out of my day to Facetime my loved ones, and that feels good.

Speaking of loved ones, these little love birds below are very near and dear to my heart. Sean was in Shane’s and my wedding nearly 13 years ago, and since then they’ve chosen me to be their engagement, wedding, and newborn photographer. Their engagement session in Beverly, MA has been one of my favorites because I absolutely LOVE taking pictures of people in love in front of a backdrop of Spring blossoms! Browse some of my favorites from their engagement session, and be sure to leave them some love in the comments section below!

Location: Long Hill, Beverly Massachusetts

Julliana & Rubmael | Floral & Lace Beach Maternity Session

Julliana and her husband Rubmael met me on the beach on Cape Ann, MA back in the summer as they were expecting their first little baby boy.  We spent the dusk together capturing Julliana's stunning baby bump & glow, as well as the sweetness of the two of them together.  The light  hit just perfectly over the dunes to bathe Julliana in that warm summer haze and light up her hair in a way that only sunset hour can do.

Check out some of my favorites from this romantic beach maternity session and leave Julliana and Rubmael some love in the comment section!

Since this maternity session, we've met again for a stunning anniversary portrait session--which I can't wait to blog about!  Check back in with me again to see for yourself

Small Business Professional Headshots | Nicole Starr

Last summer Nicole (of Nicole Starr Photography) and I collaborated on a business headshot swap where we photographed each other for our websites and social media presence. As fellow photog buddies, we both knew the importance of having a solid photograph of ourselves to put our "best foot forward" in our businesses.  

We began our shoot on location at a grassy field in Gloucester, MA where the light was dreamy and the humidity was soaring.  On the northshore of Massachusetts we have so many beautiful locations, and within minutes we moved onto our next location at Good Harbor Beach.

Nicole planned her outfits to reflect her brand, which is whimsical and bright. I think her blush pink tulle skirt accomplishes just that!  Her photographs reflect the playfulness and beauty of her brand.

How many of you want to see the photographs that Nicole took of me during our headshot swap?? Leave me a note in the comment section below!

xo

Good Harbor Beach Family Portrait Session | The Rileys

I love the idea of having family traditions, and taking yearly family portraits is a perfect way to incorporate traditions into your family. Especially when your kids are still little, it's just so fun to track their growth from year to year. And your children will thank you later for getting in front of the camera yourself to help build these special memories. 

In this darling family beach portrait session, I'm taking you all the way back to 2014! (Gasp!) If you could see these little munchkins now, they already look so different and grown up!

Enjoy these family pictures taken at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, MA.  If you love the memories these guys have made, be sure to tell them in the comment section below!

Beach Baby Mini-sessions | Meaghan & Friends

One of the many things I love about photographing babies and children is that within a few short years (or even months!) those photographs show how quickly our little ones grow.  Now that I have twin girls of my own, I realize how important it is to capture each stage as it comes, because your child's growth sneaks up on you--and they will never again be as little as they are today.  

When I look back on Meaghan's beach portrait session, I'm struck by how much she's grown in the past year--and how special it is that we captured these moments of her life.  Bonus points for also getting her big brother in on the action!  

Now let's play a game--count how many rolls are on Meg's chubby little arms! 

If you love Meggy's portraits at Good Harbor as much as I do, don't forget to leave me some love in the comment section below!