Beach family photos with twins - Cape Cod family photographer

I’ve been capturing portraits for this family ever since Finley and Bella were born. Their first session was back when I had my tiny apartment studio in Boston. I loved seeing them again this summer on the Cape! We met up at Corporation Beach, one of my favorite spots, in Dennis, MA for their evening session. It was amazing to see them again and see how much they’ve grown. 

During our session, the girls were talkative and curious, and I had such a great evening watching their personalities unfold. It’s extra special to see them now, knowing how long ago I met them. Finley and Bella are so sweet. They had such amazing little questions and facts that they rattled off during their session. Finley and Bella are at such a fun age, and it really feels like magic watching clients' children grow from tiny little babies into these awesomely independent little humans!

One of my favorite parts of their session was recreating portraits from their 2017 beach session. It’s always fun to do something like that - knowing that more of these beautiful portraits will be displayed together on your home’s wall! I hope it’s not too long before I get to see Finley, Bella, and their sweet parents again! 

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Relaxed family portraits at Lighthouse Beach - Cape Cod Family Photographer

I first met Jenny and her family on the beach two years ago. Getting to see them again for new portraits was super special! I love watching kids grow up in front of my camera. George and Kathryn are already getting so big, and watching them together was really magical. They were amazing - happy to be hugging and playing in the sand. The entire night at Lighthouse Beach was absolutely joyful! 

We lucked out with a truly gorgeous evening at Lighthouse Beach in Chatham. I always love visiting Lighthouse Beach, because it’s never too busy at sunset. It’s also got a very wide stretch of sand, gorgeous and tall sand dunes, and the tall lighthouse as a beacon in the background. Because Lighthouse Beach is protected by a narrow strip of land known as North Beach Island, the water here is calmer and quieter. However, this beach also has frequent shark sightings (far out to sea, though, and never a concern during our sessions, but it’s always fun for kids to try and spot a shark during their session!). It can bring out some great laughs and smiles! 

I loved working with George and Kathryn again, seriously. They’re so sweet! Kathryn has the most beautiful, vibrant smile that truly lights up her whole face. I was able to capture so many joyful portraits of this sweet girl!George has grown so tall and loved telling me all about the different sports he plays. He’s a helpful big brother and he was so amazing during sibling portraits. It was definitely a special night with a wonderful family here on the Cape. 

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Extended family photo session while on vacation on Cape Cod

Ashley and her family are just the sweetest! They made their first visit to the Cape in 2022, from Western New York and they loved it so much, they decided to come back this summer! When they booked their trip, Ashley reached out about planning a Salt Air session on the beach in Dennis, MA. I’m so happy that we were able to make their session work - and include the grandparents, too. 

I absolutely loved working with this family. They were so much fun and we couldn't stop laughing. And they looked incredible! Ashley decided to use nature as inspiration for their outfits, pulling lots of tans, greens, and blues for their clothing choices. Ashley had the most beautiful pink dress to bring the palette together, too. Honestly, I love how everything looked on the beach. We even had a slightly darker sky that day, which looked amazing against their outfits. 

I have lots of games and prompts that I like to use during our family portrait sessions, and we really are able to get the best expressions and natural smiles out of everyone this way. Ashley’s family made it a lot of fun - and they were such good sports. The prompts and game make for a memorable time together that is so much more enjoyable than just “saying cheese”. I love how we get such natural smiles and giggles, especially from the kids. 

I’m so happy that this sweet family made this portrait session possible. I hope that they treasure these portraits for years to come and the memories made here last a lifetime! 

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Capturing three siblings' personalities with family portraits at the beach

This summer has been a dream come true. I’ve been able to make lots of memories with my own family and I had the joy of capturing several Cape Cod family portrait sessions during our time in Massachusetts this summer. Nicole’s family session on Corporation Beach on Cape Cod was one of those sessions. I’ve been doing portraits for Nicole’s family since her oldest son turned one, so it was incredibly special to get together on the Cape for a Salt Air session this summer! 

One thing I love about capturing this family is that Cameron, Teagen, and Liam are always a lot of fun. Each of their personalities always comes out while we play and work, so it’s a great time capturing them all. This year, Cameron and Liam got to wear matching Vineyard Vines shirts - and they both looked absolutely perfect! You could just tell that Liam was beyond excited to be matching his big brother. All three of them were great for me - laughing, hugging, and just having a great time on the beach together. It made my job super easy and I’m thrilled with the natural and joy-filled moments their Salt Air session was made of.  

Nicole planned another set of perfect outfits - with white as the base color. She mixed in some navy blues and the light blues that came on the boys’ hoodies. Teagan’s dress looked so similar to Nicole's, which was also super special. I loved seeing how she looked at her mama throughout the session. Their outfits truly looked amazing on the beach and I love how it helped them pop against the sand and water around them.

Thank you for trusting me to capture another set of portraits - and another set of memories. I’m so thankful to know you all and I can’t wait to see you again soon! 

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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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Family Portraits with Teenagers in Chatham - Cape Cod Family Photographer

Inspiration for what to wear for your beach family photos!

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Cape Cod Family Portrait Session at Corporation Beach

I look forward to summer every year, counting down to the couple of weeks each summer that I’ll spend on Cape Cod, just a quick walk from the beach with sand constantly dusting my flip flops and the breeze ruffling my hair.

One of the highlights of my summers on the Cape is meeting families for their portrait sessions at some of my favorite (and their favorite!) beaches on the Cape.

I absolutely enjoyed meeting this adorable family at Corporation Beach in Dennis for their family portrait session this summer. We had so much fun together, and the kids had us all laughing and smiling the entire time. Big brother was so sweet, and his little sister was all cuddles and smiles. Their sibling portrait is going to look so nice hanging on their wall, isn’t it?!

I love the outfits that they pulled together for their portraits, and the colors photographed beautifully at the beach! For more outfit tips, check out this blog post before your next beach session!

I love how joyful and playful these family portraits are! I always look for sand dunes at the beaches where I do portrait sessions. They provide a little seclusion from the rest of the beach, and also some shade from the sun. Plus they are perfect for seated family portraits, as well as some fun running ones with older kids scurrying down the dunes!

All of our sessions on Cape Cod are done at sunset, which often means keeping kids up a little bit past their bedtime. The reason why we do this is because of this PERFECT GOLDEN LIGHT. Just look at these final portraits from their session!

I know how hard it can be to shift bedtimes and fit in a session in the evening. I have a toddler, too, and I truly understand! That’s why I’ve come up with these tips to make those sunset sessions easier for families with young children. Definitely go check them out before your next session!

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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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Family Photos with Grandparents at the Beach - Cape Cod Family Photographer

Do you know the term “head swap”?

This terms is used when a photographer uses Photoshop and takes a head (or a body, or a part of the backdrop) from one photo and moves it onto another photo to create a composite. When done correctly, you can’t even tell anything was changed and it just looks like the perfect photo where everyone is looking and smiling.

Some people are familiar with this term, and when I explain it to other people they look at me like it’s some type of sorcery. But honestly, it’s a very common term in the photography world and photographers need to do head swaps more often than you might think. Especially in family sessions. Especially in extended family sessions.

The photo below, for example, took SEVEN head/body swaps to create and image with every single family member looking towards the camera!

This is definitely not the norm, but when an old friend from high school reaches out for a family portrait session at their favorite beach on Cape Cod, I might go a little above and beyond when it comes to the editing to give them that one perfect photo that includes all 5 toddlers and every adult looking!

Extended family portrait sessions are always a blast and I love getting to meet all of the smaller families that make up the big family. I especially love when we have so many little grandchildren to photograph! Seriously, how cute are these kiddos?!?! Just adorable!

But of course, toddlers at the beach make for a lot of running around in the sand at sunset. Definitely worth all of the extra sand in my camera bag and the extra sweat after an hour of chasing them! I truly had a blast with this family and we enjoyed the most beautiful Harwichport sunset for their portrait session.

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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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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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Brothers at the beach - a family portrait session at south village beach with cape cod family photographer

The beach is the perfect place for making sandy memories, and I loved this relaxed & playful session with brothers Taylan & Altan on Cape Cod!

We spent the evening running up and down the sand, climbing the lifeguard chair, and looking for clams. It was the perfect evening, and we had so much fun capturing their beautiful family portraits at the beach.

Weeeee!!!! This might be one of my favorite prompts with families — everyone always has the best expressions when their little one goes flying up into the air like a monkey! Altan loved it!

And of course big brother wanted a turn to swing, too!

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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.  

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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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.

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!

8 Tips for your Family Photo 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!

I have been spending my summers on the Cape for more than 20 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 photo shoot. 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!

So with that in mind, today’s blog post is filled with tips for your family photo session at the beach. Read on for lots of great ideas, plus plenty of beautiful outfit inspiration for your family!

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Plan accordingly for traffic.

If you’re coming to 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.

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!  This session actually wrapped up minutes before the sky opened up in a thunderstorm!

Protect your skin.

Try to avoid a sunburn the week of your session.  Especially on your face and nose!

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!  

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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!