New Jersey Family Photographer
Nikki & Leila | Family Photography | Fun and Sassy Toddler Session
We hate to play favorites, but sometimes we just can't help ourselves. Nikki has been a close friend for the past four years and we have been lucky enough to photograph her journey with motherhood, from her maternity session, to Leila's newborn session, and pretty much once or twice a year since this sweet and sassy wild child was born!
It's been so fun watching her grow up, both in person and from behind the camera. She is absolutely full of life and it makes it so easy to photograph her big personality. She is a little chatterbox, full of opinions and curiosities. Running all over the place and hardly stopping to catch her breath, she just fills any space with her huge persona.
Even though we specialize in weddings and don't see that changing any time soon, we do love finding the time to help our friends document the most important parts of parenthood and other special milestones.
The Importance of Capturing Your Family in Professional Photos
Kids grow up SO FAST. Almost faster than we can fathom. It's so important, especially in the first few years, to freeze these precious moments. We encourage you to photograph it all-- the messes, the tantrums, the baths, the playtime, and the snuggles. Looking back on those photos will bring you back to the memories, and is the absolute best way to honor your family.
Venue: Secor Farms | Mahwah, NJ
Pikes Peak Engagement Session by Apollo Fields
Jenny & Tara's Epic Mountain Engagement Session | Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs | Denver Engagement Photographer | LGBQ Weddings
I was so excited when I first heard from Jenny. She is friends with Lindsey, one of my beautiful brides from 2017 and happened to be looking for a wedding photographer when I delivered Lindsey's photos. She loved them and immediately reached out to have me photographer her own wedding! So much of my business is word-of-mouth and I am so grateful for my awesome couples who refer me and connect me to their other awesome-couple-friends.
I met up with Jenny and Tara and immediately clicked with their fun personalities, and the sweet way in which they interact with each other. They have a great energy, and I knew right away that I wanted to be their photographer. They must have felt the same way, because I asked them at our meeting, "Do you ladies have any questions?" and they seamlessly responded with, "How do we book you now?" Love it!
They initially weren't looking for an engagement session, but I'm so glad that they decided to do one because look at how epic these mountain backdrops were! A photographer's dream. I had never been to Pikes Peak before, so I was just in awe of the landscape the whole time. We caught golden hour (my favorite!) just in time before the park closed. Literally, they were closing the whole roadway up for sunset and we were being swiftly shuffled out of the park by the time we had captured every last golden ray that we could!
They also brought their three children and new puppy along for the shoot. I have quite a few couples that have children and while it might not seem obvious at first to have them present for engagement photos, I feel contrary to that old-fashioned traditional expectation of what it means to be an engaged couple. Marriage is about partnership and family, and if kids are already part of that equation, I feel like they should be included in some of the pictures. Oh, and if you have a cute puppy too... that doesn't take any convincing! We are animal lovers to the core, and have an impossible time keeping our composure around tiny pups.
Colorado Adventure Photographer: Erny Photo CO | Apollo Photo
Location: Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs
Family Photography in Hunterdon County NJ
new jersey family photos | hunterdon county photographer | family photo session | apollo fields wedding photographers | summer session
This session just warmed my heart. I initially met Lindsay many years ago when she managed the local coffee shop in Clinton, NJ that my best friend Grace and I used to go to all of the time. We had complicated coffee orders, would stay way too long making Gilmore Girls reenactments, all while Riddle would cause a raucous. I don’t know why she liked us, except for the fact that we tipped, but for whatever reason we totally clicked.
Lindsay wore every hat at that coffee shop and brought so much positive energy to the place. She is one of those people who could do any job in the world, but belongs with people. She has great organization and hospitality skills and I have a feeling that one day we’ll be on some sort of project together. She’s also a lover of the outdoors and shares the same passion for eating healthy and local as I do. She loves supporting artisans and has a great sense of community.
When we first met her, she hadn’t met Brian – her now husband – yet. Grace and I absolutely pried into her personal life and would constantly bug her for details on her dating world. Occasionally, she would throw us a little quip about someone she was seeing and we would all gossip together like schoolgirls. It was all in good fun, but when she met Brian, it was practically fate. They make such a great couple and I’m so stoked that they now also have an awesome son, Henry.
Henry is absolutely full of life and cannot be contained. His huge personality made photos so fun because it very quickly became all about him. Following him around as he just ran from place to place with the biggest smile, and his curiosity was beaming. We almost had to reschedule the session when the weather was super rainy, but the skies broke and let us sneak the photos in. All of the rain did leave huge puddles and I could keep seeing Henry eying them. I knew it was only a matter of time and I think my favorite part of the whole session was the very end, when we let him finally jump in the puddle! The look on his face says it all :)
Photography: Apollo Fields
Location: Hunterdon Country, NJ
Zarit's Family Session in Long Island, NY
Long Island Family Photography | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers | NYC Families | Outdoor Photo Session Ideas | Paint Guns
I love photographing this sweet family and have been lucky to get to shoot them throughout the years! Watching their little girls grow up in the photos is so much fun. They have such a fun and sweet bond and I’ve always clicked with them. This session was great because it was a balmy New York evening and then sun was just starting to set. We went for a nature walk and kept the everything really light and fun. With little kiddos especially, I prefer to keep things moving and active instead of trying to get them to pose or hold still for traditional portraits. Also, I feel like you get a much more wholistic sense of their personalities when we allow them to stay on the move and do fun stuff together!
Zarit had a great idea to do paint guns after we got the “clean” shots and of course I was on board! I haven’t used them before but I’ll admit I was a little jealous because they looked like SO much fun. I could see the girls eyes just lighting up as soon as they were getting unwrapped and I knew then that we were in for a treat!
Shortly after, the paint started flying. The whole family had a fun and wild paint gun war and they just kept laughing and laughing. I loved the paint colors they picked out and how fun their clothes popped against the golden light! I think one of my favorite parts of the session was once they were all out of paint and about to leave (the girls were excited to head out for their promised ice-cream outing since they behaved) they went out and sat on the dock together. They sat with their arms over each other (totally un-posed) and just giggled and whispered together like the adults didn’t matter at all. They watched the bugs zoom over the surface of the water and tried to make splashes even though their legs wouldn’t reach— how sweet! It reminded me of my own childhood, sitting out my the water as the summer sun set when everything seemed possible. I love watching the world through kid’s eyes again like this and it’s definitely my favorite part of doing family sessions.
Photography: Apollo Fields
Location: Northport, NY