Brooke Martin's big family looked fantastic for their fall family session! Contact me to book a family session in Cherry Hill!

Christina Marino selected the cutest fall family outfits for their fall family photo session! Need updated family photos? Contact me to schedule your session.

Gorgeous fall family session in Sewell NJ! Maureen Reese's family coordinated fall outfits perfectly. 

Fun in Ocean City New Jersey with Elyse Bittner Pekarchik's family! I loved this session so much. Renting in Ocean City this summer? Schedule a family beach session in OCNJ. 

Visiting Wonderland Pier on the Ocean City boardwalk this summer? Contact me to get some updated photos of your family at the Ocean City boardwalk. Debbie Brandt's family looked gorgeous on this warm summer night!

Renting in Ocean City this summer? Contact me to book a beach session in Ocean City NJ! Jennifer Urban's family looked amazing at this beach boardwalk location in OCNJ. 

Book your beach session in Stone Harbor NJ this summer with Marjorie Jones Photography! Allyson Kennedy's family looked perfect on this windy summer night at beach. 

Looking for beach photography in Stone Harbor? Marjorie Jones Photography is an award winning Jersey Shore photographer! Contact her to schedule your beach session this summer.

Vacation rental in Stone Harbor this summer? Contact Marjorie Jones Photography to schedule a beach session and have your family memories captured at your favorite jersey shore location! 

Both located in South Jersey, they make the process seamless for finding a unique first communion dress or suit and having your child photographed for friends and family. 

iIf you're planning a family reunion or trip to LBI this summer, schedule a photo session to commemorate the memories!

If you are at Stone Harbor with extended family, book a family reunion session! It's a great way to get the whole family captured and cousins, grandparents and grandkids! 

A gorgeous fall family session in Washington Lake Park with this family!

These were some of my favorite from their session!

Last we got these magical photos at the ocean! What a beautiful session from start to finish! 

Some fun photos with grandpa and grandma! 

Aunt and Uncle joined in as well.

It was a wonderful extended family session at the beach. What a great way to capture family beach memories at the Jersey shore!

These historic log cabins are a unique backdrop for engagement photos. 

We were close to cancelling this session because it rained all day, but the sun came out for a bit during the session. 

It's a great idea to bring a change clothes for engagement sessions. These cozy sweaters were perfect for a chilly fall day. 

Mom wanted some shots of her and her son. Long, flowly dresses at the beach are a must!

Of course we had to get portraits of this little guy too. 

Parents are always shy about getting photos together, but trust me these photos are priceless. 

Love these close up beach portraits...what I cute idea to include the date!  

One of the things I love about Wildwood beach is all the different backdrops available. This pier with greenery is a perfect spot in the shade. 

Sometimes I keep the bloopers from sessions...real life and oftentimes the most memorable. 

I always get some of mom and dad too! 

The girls were so cooperative for pictures. 

She is seriously the cutest and so imaginative too. She has all these ideas for pictures. 

We headed to the backyard for some less formal shots. This shot of both the girls walking took a few takes...little sister had her own ideas! There was an apple tree in the backyard which made for some fun photos. 

We got some photos by the pool too. The light was coming perfectly through the trees. 

I had to get some detail shots of her custom rosary beads with her name. 

We got these unique images with her violin and they came out stunning. 

These were taken at Longwood Gardens. I hold a season pass, so I can get photography clients admission for free! 

We wrapped up this session with a few photos in the children's fountain area. 

It was 33 degrees for Kimberly and Clifton's engagement session! 

We went to Wissahickon Creek Park. We still got beautiful light in early March for this session!

These shots were some of my favorites from the session...

These final images from their session were actually taken in a parking lot! It was a scenic overlook. 

These last photos from their session were actually taken in a parking lot! It was a scenic overlook. 

These were taken during Longwood Gardens orchid extravaganza. It made a beautiful backdrop for photos during the cold winter. 

Longwood Gardens is the perfect place for photo sessions in the winter because their indoor areas are warm and colorful. 

Brooke and Ben were naturals in front of the camera which made my job easy. 

They are having a baby girl this April! I loved this gender announcement photo. 

These bright yellow and orange flowers were the perfect backdrop and a reminder that spring is on the way. 

Brooke brought this gorgeous lace maternity gown for the session! She looked stunning in it. 

We captured these in the tropical area of Longwood Gardens. 

I can't wait for them to welcome their little one! 

Grabbed these candid ones right before we wrapped up the session!

1. Jacob and Noah are actually triplets! I had to get some of these brothers while their triplet sister took a break to eat. This is one of my favorite photos of multiples. Noah rested right up against his brother. Hard to believe they will be turning one this month!

2. This moon prop is brand new this year. I was nervous that this little guy wouldn't sleep or pose well on this wooden prop, but I was wrong! He posed himself with his leg hanging off of the side. I almost didn't want to move him after the shot because he was sleeping so peacefully. 

Moon: Mr. and Mrs. and Company

3. I love when parents incorporate their career into sessions. Silas' mommy is a nurse, so she wanted this shot with her stereoscope. It was actually much more difficult than I thought it would be to pose on him. It kept getting twisted and wasn't easy to bend.

4. I was so excited when my son's former kindergarten teacher contacted me to take photos of her baby! She purchased this tutu set for the session and I loved it so much, I went and got it for future sessions. 

Tutu: Babies R US

5. I had to include this shot from the same session. Many photographers forget to capture newborn details like feet, hands and eyelashes. Those shots are perfect to make a collage for the nursery. Truly a tiny dancer!

6. This tiny newborn chair was actually much harder to use than it looks! Everly took to it naturally and this is one of the first shots I got from her session. 

Lace pants and tieback: Created by Carli

7. Ethan was a 31 week preemie. He was so incredibly peaceful just like his older brother who I also photographed. He looked darling in this gray bonnet. 

Bonnet: Created by Carli

8.How about this newborn photo for the office? Brody's dad brought in one of his ties. Even though Brody was an 8 pound baby, he was still super tiny in comparison to this long tie. 

9. Natalie looked so pretty in this custom peacock set! I love the contrast of the bright blue with the soft white background. 

10. Joseph Thomas (JT) was one of the oldest babies I photographed this year at 17 days old. I normally only take infants under 14 days old. JT was easy! He slept nearly the entire session and despite being a little older than most of the babies I work with, he curled up into even the most difficult poses like the "Taco Pose" seen above.

Bear Hat: Rowan's Tree House

Their outfit selection was perfect. Coordinating colors and textures, but not too matchy. 

We got amazing light for this session from start to finish. 

Mom brought these adorable sunglasses for some photos.

Loved this idea! Gold glitter for some "birthday wish" photos!

"Five and Fabulous" 

Mama to be wore this gorgeous maternity gown by Sew Trendy! 

After photos on the pier we headed to the beach and the clouds cleared up!

We stayed after sunset and got an amazing sky! 

We had to get a three generation shot with great grandmother, grandmother, her daughters and grandkids!  

Of course we got photos of each individual family too. 

This is my neighbor who was due with her baby girl. Her husband couldn't make the session, so we got some photos with her sons and a few maternity photos. 

This little one was two and not so excited about having his picture taken (totally understandable at his age), but I love these candid photos of him playing by the ocean. 

This was my first time shooting in LBI and I have to say it's much easier than the Jersey Shore! We had the whole beach to ourselves which made getting candid extended family a breeze. 

They have a tradition of getting a photo by the bay every year, so right before sunset we headed there to get the shot. After shooting for almost two hours, some of the little ones reached their limit but it will still be fun to look back through the years and watch everyone grow. 

Mom and daughters. 

Sisters. 

I photographed Ethan's brother Jack as a newborn too! 

Newborn details are some of my favorite to capture. They make a great photo display for the nursery too!

He posed so perfectly for each set. How adorable is this night cap?

This gray set from Created by Carli was precious. 

I photographed Maddie when she turned one and now she's turning two! 

I had my curved bench prop from Mr. and Mrs. and Co at the session which is perfect for wiggly little ones. 

This wasn't the shot I had planned, but I love how it turned out! She took off running and mom and dad laughed. 

Mom is due in October with baby number two! 

Fall is the the most popular time of year for photos. The weather is ideal, there's colorful foliage, and everyone wants to have family photos for their holiday card! If you wait to book a session with a photographer till October, they most likely will not have availability. 

2. Color coordinate, don't match.

Gone are the days of jeans with matching white shirts! Try to select two complimentary colors (red and cream, teal and coral, light pink and gray, etc) as the base to build what you will wear. When in doubt, nearly every color looks great paired with white. Remember, if you introduce a color on one family member, someone else in the group needs to incorporate the color too for cohesion. Colors don't have to be repeated with clothing alone, shoes or accessories can also  tie in a color. 

3. Select clothes appropriate for the location/season.

Jeans and plaid shirts are a great choice for fall photos at the park, but not for the beach. Dressy clothes are perfect for formal locations like gardens. Cute boots, colorful scarves, and coats are a good option for winter sessions in the snow. 

4. Completer pieces are key.

Most people only think about clothing for their session, but taking the time to add accessories like jewelry, fashion scarves, cardigans, jean jackets or fur vests, cute boots/shoes complete a look. It's also another way to incorporate your color scheme. 

5. Bring bribes or help!

It's a good idea to bring a small treat for kids or plan to do something fun after the session, so that they are motivated to cooperate. Bringing a family member or friend to assist at your session can also make the process go more smoothly. 

I wanted a workshop that was in person because you learn so much more being physically present. I also wanted a workshop that taught how to use studio (strobe) lighting. I know the in's and out's of natural light and off camera flash, but I've never worked with strobes. 

We started the day off with the little boy above using natural light. Ana taught us how to get three different transitions from one set by taking photos from various angles, removing wraps and hats and reposing newborns. 

We took a quick break for lunch and went to our second newborn model...this little guy! This model was also shot with natural light.

I learned how to perfect my shots of newborns taken from above by getting overhead. I used the 24-70mm lens for the entire workshop. I normally shoot newborns with primes, so it was learning experience to use a zoom. I said I would NEVER purchase the 24-70mm as it doesn't reflect my photography style, but now that I used it for studio work I'm reconsidering. It much easier than changing between three different primes for one session. 

Ana brought furs, wraps, layering pieces, baskets, hats, etc for the newborn models. Everyone that attended the workshop got to select a newborn wrap, two knitted newborn sets, a note pad, water bottle, tote bag and a maternity gown. 

Our first newborn model was still present after we finished with the second model, so we setup studio lighting and took family photos and a few more individual newborn photos.

This suspender set was so sweet and the lighting was perfect!

Our last model for the day was a little girl! We used studio light for her session as it was late in the day. An Alien Bee 800 camera left in a 30x60 Buff softbox was used for these images. I purchased the same lighting used during the workshop and can't wait to get started using studio light in my home studio! I would also like to purchase a Baby Shusher for sessions as it worked wonders with the three newborns we had in NYC. 

Anneliese's session began with a slow start. She was hungry and couldn't quite get settled for the first hour. I reassured mom that that's typical for some newborns, eventually they DO get tired and sleep. It just takes patience. 

Patience paid off and once she was asleep, we got beautiful images! 

Her session was right before Easter, so we had to get a few newborn bunny photos. 

I love newborn macro photography and had to get close ups of Anneliese's tiny features. 

Dad and mom brought this great pink bear prop which was so soft and comfy. 

His first birthday photos were taken at Valley Forge Park. The weather was perfect and Henry was such a happy little guy. 

His sister Tiffany joined in for some photos with her little brother. 

We also got some photos of Henry in his first birthday construction themed outfit.

We got a few photos of his big sister too! 

You just had newborn photos taken and you're anxious to share photos of your precious little one, but you don't know where to begin.

The first step is to group the photos you want printed. Here are some groupings to consider:

• Color images
• Black white images  
• Images from one set (blanket, background or accessories are the same)
• Detail shots

Today I wanted to share one way to display detail shots. Detail shots can easily be mixed into a wall gallery with other newborn images or grouped into one frame or on one wall. It's a good idea to keep detail shots cohesive either all in color or all in black and white.

Here is an example that would be perfect in on ONE WALL. This display would work in a three way frame, printed and placed individual frames or printed on three canvases as a statement. 

Here are some easy steps to share inspiration on Pinterest from your family session this year:

Create a Board   

​Make sure to select "photography" as the category of the board. Give a short description like "Our photo session at the beach" or "Family photos 2014."

Pin your Photos

Upload your photos! Keep descriptions brief: "Engagement photo at lake," "Little boy playing at the beach," etc. My image "Engagement photo with kids" has been pinned 125 times. 

Give Credit 

This is so important. Be sure to credit the photographer by linking their website in the source section under the photo.  

Share Resources

It's a great idea to pin clothing, shoes or accessories used at your session to your board. Most sites have a "pin it" button making sharing easy. 

1. Jasmine Star recommends branding YOU, not a separate business name. It is much easier to remember and locate a photographer by their name.

2. There were many, many "MJ Photography" businesses out there and it was causing confusion for clients. 

3. Payments and taxes are easier using my name. 

4. My logo was rebranded with "Marjorie Jones Photography" and I want a cohesive brand.  My initials "MJ" will still be a part of my brand, but to a lesser extent. 

5. My other social media sites use "Marjorie Jones Photography" as my business name and my Facebook page URL was already: facebook.com/marjoriejonesphotography. It just made sense to have the page match the URL. 

I'm very excited about all the changes that are taking place with my business this year. New business cards and advertising products are on order with my new logo/brand and I can't wait to share! 

I'm very pleased to introduce my NEW logo and branding! It's been long needed for my business to have a cohesive look, from social media sites to business cards and products. I hired a professional and she did a beautiful job with several different variations of my logo! 

My photos will also have a new matching watermark, so keep a lookout for that! 

Meet Max

Meet Evelyn

Little Maxwell and Evelyn were a dream at only 9 days old. When the session first started, they both began to cry and I panicked for a minute wondering how to calm two babies, but they settled within minutes and didn't make a peep the rest of the session. Remarkable!

Since this was my first session with multiples, I kept the setups fairly simple. I chose to keep them in diapers and covered as much as possible. This eliminated time spent cleaning up accidents and kept them warm and content during the session. 

I kept them side by side for nearly the whole session for a few reasons: 1) It was an on location session and there was no space to set up my backdrop stand 2) It kept them warm and settled being next to each other 3) They were on the same focal plane, so I didn't have to worry about one twin being out of focus (unless that was my artistic intent). 

I couldn't wait to do macro shots of their tiny features! 

Dad held their arms in place for this photo of them holding hands :)

Their grandmother knitted these wonderful cocoons. A very unique item that kept them warm and secure. 

This was an on location session which had the benefit of allowing me to take photos in their beautiful nursery. 

I had such a wonderful experience photographing twins and hope to do it again in the near future! 

Baby Belly

Moms, be to sure to have pretty nails as hands on the belly are often a focal point. Do a little pampering before your photo session by having your nails painted or manicured. Don't forget engagement/wedding rings as well!  

Ultrasound Photo

There are many variations to this shot, but one element that makes this shot unique is the background. Having a Christmas baby? Have a lit Christmas tree in the background. Incorporate the belly or couple in the photo. Hang or place the ultrasound photo in a place that showcases the environment. 

Mom

Classic photo that family, friends, and one day your baby will look back on! 

Couple

Baby Item/Keepsake  

Bringing a special keepsake or baby item to a session can be a fun way to announce the gender, incorporate the season or tell a story. Just remember to keep it small and simple. Try to avoid the Pinterest popularity of written signs which forever dates the photo. You want an element that is timeless, not time stamped.  

Hospital Hat/Blanket

Many parents bring clothing and accessories for baby's first day, but be sure to capture them in the traditional hospital cap and blanket. It instantly tells a story and when will they ever wear it again? 

Tiny Details

Everything about a baby is so new and fresh. Tiny and delicate. Their sweet smell and soft skin. Remember their tininess with few close up photos.  

Meeting Siblings

The relationship with family members and siblings lasts a lifetime, it's so precious to look back on their first meeting years later. 

Cherished Documents 

Birth certificates, footprints and weight measurements help you remember all the little details about their birth. 

Hospital Bassinet

Another classic element of baby's first day.

Mom and Baby 

Mom may not be feeling or looking her best right after ward, but that's not what's most important. The first moments with a new baby are so special. I try to not capture mom smiling straight at the camera, but a more natural pose like smiling at her baby. It's more realistic and a more flattering angle for moms that may be tired (and rightfully so!)

Hospital ID Tags

Grandparents

Family

A new baby is another addition to the family!  

Baby's Emotions

Babies aren't perfect, they cry, yawn and get upset like the rest of us. The difference is that it's SO cute and makes for some adorable photos! 

I stretch the sides of the backdrop in CS6. With CS6, I only need a small sample from each side to stretch the backdrop. I often do this rather than crop closer because I think it gives some images more impact. 

Here's another example from a recent first birthday session with one year old, Sophia! 

I stretched the backdrop and the floordrop in this image. I also got rid of wrinkles and straightened the photo. 

Last behind the scenes look is of newborn Cole. Having a small set up allows me to travel to clients when needed and I can create the illusion of a larger studio in post processing. 

Increasing the size of the backdrop also gives clients the option to have their photos enlarged without losing the subject. These photos would all make perfect canvas enlargements. I give a variety of crops in each gallery to create visual interest and options to clients. 

I searched through the photos to see if I had any images where the parents were isolated. This way I could remove them from the photo. I knew I did NOT want to simply crop the parents out, as some inexperienced photographers would do. With cropping you lose information and reduce the quality of the photo. For that reason, I rarely crop in post processing. 

What did I do? I carefully removed the parents from the shot below in Photoshop. This was a huge edit and I definitely could not have done it without CS6 (earlier versions did not have the capability to remove such large elements). 

This was a time consuming edit even with CS6. The majority of the parents could be removed automatically, but then I had to manually clean up the rest of the image. I'm quite proud of the results ;) 

This mom did a fantastic job purchasing newborn props! Her husband enjoys fishing, so she wanted that incorporated into the session. She got a fishing hat, diaper cover and fishing pole for her session. I brought the crate and blanket to coordinate. 

Going through the baby items you have before the session is a great idea. Look for any basic hats or knitted pieces. This simple grey cap mom had was a perfect delicate touch. 

Not sure where to start? First, search your pile of baby items (remember just hats, headbands and blankets). Second, Etsy.com!! You can type in any description you'd like: newborn Christmas hats, newborn sport hats, baby overalls, etc. Just be sure to purchase everything in a newborn size. You want a nice snug fit.

If you don't have a particular theme, then try selecting items in colors that match your nursery. Newborn prints and canvases are most often displayed in the nursery, so you want your wall art to coordinate!   

Sew Whimsey is my favorite for flower headbands for baby girls.

Adorable props has great modern headbands for girls too.

Looking for caps for baby boys? Adorable Props has a shop for that too. 

Rowan's Tree House has great pant/hat sets for both genders. 

Leighton Heritage has soft wraps to swaddle babies. 

Handcrafted Crowns sells baby bling with precious crowns! 

Hope that helps get you started planning your newborn session :) 

As you can see on the top left, there's a swimming line that could not be removed. I loved the scenery and the angle facing this side of the river, so I removed the line in post processing. The image on the right is the final result! Perfect for a large print or canvas in a family room :) 

Here is a recent example of how I put safety first. This little boy was a fairly good sitter. However, it was a hard surface and he was a little unsteady. Mom was right next to him the entire time to spot him. She was always within arms reach as you can see below.

The image on the left is the original image. Mom's hands were not in most of these images in camera, but for the one on the left he began to lean and her hands were in the shot. I loved his expression, so I removed her hands in the right (final) image. 

Here's the same exact set up, but from a different angle. 

Here is the behind the scenes photo of how we lit this image. 

(That's me in the top left holding a flash in a beauty dish). This was a three light set up. 

We also took a few photos by a lake and used one off camera flash to light these below. 

Here's the same lighting set up, but from a different angle. 

Here's the behind the scenes shot with my second shooter Alex Schon holding a flash in an umbrella. 

We strive to provide a variety of both natural and creative artificial lighting for a our images, to create gorgeous galleries for our clients. 

As you can see, there is NOT a huge difference between the before (right out of the camera shot) and after shot. That's a GOOD thing. Why? Because it shows that I'm getting as much correct in the camera as possible. A lot of times, I will see photographers post before and afters and the work they have done to the photo is extensive and has taken several hours. Now, we all make mistakes and some photos do require that kind of work. However, that should be rare. 95% of my work looks like the before photo above which is why I wanted to show case this example.

Having this "clean" of a photo right out of the camera, frees up my time to present my clients with a greater number of images in their gallery and to do more fine editing to the image like enhancing the eyes and skin. 

This is why I take the time to set up EVERYTHING I can in the camera during the session. If your images are not looking like this on location, you need to work on your exposure, coloring and lighting skills. 

• I knew what type of shot I wanted beforehand
• When evening came I scouted out a good location
• I set up my light on a stand and took some test shots using my second shooter (test shots are a must as you don't want to be bothering your client)
• Made in camera and flash adjustments 

The illuminated clouds were pure luck. There were storms and lighting in the distance which gave the clouds great definition. Here is another example of the same setup, just taken at a different location and a little later in the evening. 

The thing that is difficult with taking these shots later in the evening is that the camera struggles to focus. My camera was searching and searching to focus for the shot above. Last and most important, be careful no one looks at the flash directly when it fires!