Island Sessions

I'm an island girl. Long Island, that is. And while I have not lived there for over 15 years, I still head back there every now and again to visit friends and family, and, of course, to make sure I can still whip out the accent and drive with the craziest of them.

So last month, we set out in the minivan, headed east towards the good old Belt Parkway, and sure enough, after a few extra hours in awful traffic (fuggedaboutit!) we made it to Centereach. And wow, was it worth it. I spent the next few days enjoying photo sessions with old friends, and was captivated and amused by the wonderful families they had created. It was definitely the most fun I'd had on LI in a long time!

So without further ado, here are a few of my faves from the weekend.

My friend, Tiffany, and her beautiful family: husband, Peter, and kids, Alexa, Brandon, and Ella. I was amazed at how gorgeous Tiffany STILL looked (how are we the same age?) and was hysterical over her kids- they were my buds by the end of the session and I hated to leave them! We shot this on a beautiful little beach in Wading River.

We happened to be there the same time my brother and his family were there (they now live in FL) and so we did a special session for his in-laws. All of the grandkids (my brother and Tara's kids, and Tara's sister's kids)- eight beautiful children ranging from a soon-to-be college freshman to a handsome little three year old! We shot in the evening at West Meadow Beach.

These are a few from my session with Darrel and Katie. Darrell and Katie were high school sweethearts, and attached at the hip back in our younger days, so it was especially fun to shoot this and to experience the wonderful personalities of their beautiful children, Olivia, Jayne, and Ty. They also shared news with me that they are expecting baby number 4, to which I can only say WOW and why not!? With the beautiful and sweet kids these two make, number 4 can only be another charmer! We took these at a beautiful little duck pond in Stonybrook, a place I had never been to.

These little angels belong to my good friend, Dawn. Krista, Jacob, and Ava are as beautiful and as darling as they come. No surprise, considering who their mother is. I was bummed to only have a short time with Dawn, but as is always the case, any time with Dawn is good for the soul. We shot these at West Meadow Beach in the morning.

And last, but certainly not least, are our friends Dean and Michelle. We usually try to see these guys whenever we head out to the Island. But it had been a while, and we actually had never met little Joe! What an awesome little man! We shot these at the Stonybrook duck pond, an old favorite spot of mine, and for this session, I spent most of the time simply following the family around and letting things go naturally. I was a bit tired by the end (how do 3 year olds have such energy???) but it was a wonderful experience because I was able to truly see the bonds in this family. Dean and Michelle, you are so blessed. And yes, I know you know it.

And so despite, the crazy traffic, and the crazier heat, I was so happy we took the trip. In fact, things went so well that we are debating a trip back at the end of the summer. Except this time, I think we'll skip the Belt Parkway!

Thanks everyone! It was wonderful!