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I didn’t think it was actually quite fall yet in Maine, but it felt like it to this southern fam. Our late summer temps in Bar Harbor were a bit cooler than expected. So just before their session, mom made a Target run for some warmer clothes and sweaters. That resulted in the perfect fall look for the upcoming months! I really enjoyed this fall family session at Sand Beach.

With four kiddos and two grandparents, it can sometimes be a bit of a job to get everyone looking and smiling at me at the same time. But holy moly, these guys made it easy! They were up for some playful fun at Sand Beach in Acadia. Because of this we were able to get lots of combinations of photos. Quick and painless..except for maybe the sand that was consumed by the little one.

Thinking about getting family portraits of your own? Here are my top three reasons why you should consider taking family portraits soon. First, it’s an opportunity to capture precious memories with your loved ones. As time passes and children grow up, having these images to look back on can be incredibly meaningful. Second, a family photo session can be a fun and bonding experience for everyone involved. It’s a chance to spend quality time together and create something special as a family. Finally, professional family photos can be a great way to update your home decor or share with friends and family. Overall, a family photo session can be a valuable investment in creating lasting memories and cherished keepsakes.

Enjoy these images from this sweet fall family session at Sand Beach!

A family session that feels like you. One that shows your family dynamics – the love, the silly, the unbreakable bonds. 

Every year on family vacation, the Fox family has photos done in the cool, new place that they are visiting. While they were here camping in Acadia, doing lots of hiking and outdoor activities, they decided to throw in their annual family photos. This year was a bit different for them though… 

Mom didn’t feel like battling with the kids to wear nice dress clothes that didn’t really feel like them. So instead, she very tastefully coordinated everyone in clothes that truly felt like them.

I couldn’t believe how much I loved this idea and the outcome. I’d just met these strangers, but I knew that their L.L. Beans jackets and hiking boots truly felt like them. They were comfortable in what they were wearing and it really solidified the Maine, camping, adventure vibes of their trip. 

Moral of the story, you don’t have to always follow a style guide – that’s really just there for suggestions and guidance. You should wear what makes you feel good and reflects this chapter that you’re living.

Related Post: Tips for Planning Your Family Vacation Session

A common question that photographers hear – “Do we need to do an engagement session?”

The short answer – it’s not required, but I highly recommend it! Here are FOUR reasons why it’s important:

1. It gives us a chance to meet in person (if we haven’t already). Meeting in person prior to your wedding day is so beneficial and it helps us get to know each other a little bit more!

2. “What if we’ve already done an engagement session with another photographer?” – That’s perfectly fine, but I still recommend doing one with your wedding photographer. Every photographer has a different approach to shooting, posing, lighting, and the overall experience. It gives you some experience in front of my camera! You will be able to get a feel for how I typically shoot, pose, and handle lighting. This will help you know what to expect from me on your wedding day.

3. It will make you feel SO much more comfortable on your wedding day. Like I mentioned above, you will know what to expect from me and my overall experience, it’s basically a practice round for your wedding portraits! Knowing what to expect and having done it before will help ease the anxiety for you and your partner, and you’ll be able to feel more relaxed and comfortable during your wedding portraits! Which in turn, is one less thing for you and your partner to have to worry or think about, it will allow your love and personality to shine through even more in your portraits.

4. Plus, you’ll get some awesome new photos! You can use them for you Save The Dates, around your home, or even as wedding decor.

Check out some of my engagement sessions HERE!

READY TO START PLANNING YOUR SESSION?

One of the biggest mistakes that I see from weddings…is planning your ceremony time.

There are lots of factors that come into play when determining the ceremony will begin on your wedding day.

As a wedding photographer, I encourage you to consider the sunset time when choosing your ceremony time. This is especially important for outdoor ceremonies. It is even more important to think about in the fall, with the days getting shorter and shorter. The sun can go down pretty early (especially after daylight savings!).

Keep Sunset Time in Mind

Scheduling your ceremony towards the end of the day allows you to have soft, beautiful lighting in your photos. You often don’t have to worry about squinting or harsh, unflattering shadows on your face. For most wedding days, I typically recommend scheduling your ceremony 2-3 hours before sunset. This way you will get the best natural light for your ceremony and all of the portraits to follow afterwards!

If you schedule your ceremony too close to sunset, you may not have enough daylight for portraits. You want to be sure to capture those just married portraits with your spouse, family, or wedding party. If you want to have your ceremony close to sunset, you may need to consider doing a first look. This way you can do all (or the majority) of your portraits prior to the ceremony. But keep in mind, this would mean that you need to be ready sooner. Your family would also need to arrive sooner to be in those portraits.

If a first look doesn’t seem like a fit, move the ceremony up to ensure sunlight for those portraits!

Every wedding day and every photographer is different. You should definitely check with your photographer about this. They can help you decide the best time of day and amount of time needed for your portraits. Planning your ceremony time and overall timeline planning is something that is offered for all of my wedding couples!

Related Post: Benefits Of Doing An Engagement Session With Your Wedding Photographer

Hey, I’m Emily – Your Local Bar Harbor, Maine Photographer

Growing up near Bar Harbor, it was easy to take advantage of all that it has to offer. It was so easily accessible to my family and often was avoided during the busier months to avoid the crowds of people from away. But that’s not the case for me anymore! After spending a few years living outside of Maine, and traveling to many new places all over the country, I am discovering a new love and admiration for this beautiful little town on the coast of Maine.

Partly because of it’s quaint charm and yummy eats, but also for what it brings me…. It brings me the majority of my portrait clientele! When I’m not photographing weddings, I get the opportunity to meet, photograph, and capture memories for families, couples, and high school seniors visiting from all over the world! And with that, I also get to find and photograph some of the most beautiful views that I’ve ever seen. I love to create the most epic photographs for my clients!

Since the majority of my clients are from away, I’m always getting asked for recommendations, so I thought I’d jot down some of personal favorites and share them with you all! (Please note: this isn’t in any way sponsored or promoted. I just wanted to share some places that I have personally enjoyed.)

A Few Of My Favorite Things To Eat In Bar Harbor –

Side Street Cafe – My most frequent go-to place. I love their mac & cheese, that has the option to add whatever you want to it!! It’s usually pulled pork in the mac for me. They also have a yummy blueberry vodka lemonade 😉

Rosalie’s Pizza – This was a family fav growing up. You can eat in or get it to go and have a picnic nearby at Agamont Park.

Geddy’s – A fun vibe, with great nachos and many other options!

Thirsty Whale – I ate here for the first time this spring and I was not disappointed. My mom and I each had a cup of clam chowder and shared a Captain’s Platter that was full of fresh seafood (haddock, clams, shrimp, scallops).

The Fish House – indoor/outdoor seating near the water with all the seafood options!

Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium – my favorite place for a sweet treat!

Jack Russell’s Steakhouse – If you’re looking for some surf & turf this is a great option just outside of downtown!

Bar Harbor Catering Co. & Abel’s Lobster – perfect for events, dining, and picnics! (pictured below)

Pictures: Luxury Picnic with food from Bar Harbor Catering Co. on handcrafted charcuterie boards from East of Acadia Woodworking, and florals from Floret Maine.

A Few Of My Favorite FREE Things To Do In Bar Harbor –

Walk Around Downtown – lots of different shops on main street, bites to eat, grassy park with waterfront views of lobster boats.

Walk The Shore Path – 1.5 mile paved path along Frenchmen’s Bay that starts in front of The Bar Harbor Inn.

Have A Picnic In The Park – pack a lunch or grab takeout nearby and have a picnic in the grass at Agamont Park.

Drive Through Acadia National Park – you just need a National Park Pass to enjoy some of the most incredible views.

Sand Beach – listen to the waves crashing along the rocky shore as you stroll through the sand, or lay out to catch a tan!

Trails – so many trails! One of my faves is Great Head Trail with amazing views of Sand Beach.

Jordan Pond – walk around the pond, then stop in for tea and popovers at the Jordan Pond House.

Sunrise/ Sunset at Cadillac Mountain – drive to the summit of Cadillac Mountain to be the first person to catch the sunrise. They are requiring reservations now, so be sure to check that out in advance.

Pictures: View of the Margaret Todd Schooner from the Bar Harbor Inn, Jordan Pond and Bubble Rocks with fall foliage, Engagement session with Emily Brianne Photography on top of Cadillac Mountain overlooking Frenchmen’s Bay.

A Few More Favs –

Boat Rides – so many to choose from. There are schooner sails, lobster boat tours, and more. The Bar Harbor Whale Watch is the only I’ve used to so far. They offer many trips other than just whale watching. I did the nature cruise last summer and had an awesome time! They have indoor / outdoor seating so you can still enjoy it even if the weather isn’t great.

Scenic Airplane Ride – I did this when I graduated high school almost ten years ago and it was an unforgettable experience with Scenic Flights of Acadia!

Mini Golf – Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf is still fun even as an adult. Afterwards, you can head across the road for a bite to eat and some ice cream. The nachos at Mainely Meat are some of my fav! And of course, dessert at Udder Heaven is a must!

Narrated Driving Tours– I haven’t actually done this one myself, but Oli’s Trolley offers lots of tour options for the Bar Harbor and Acadia area!

Luxury Picnic – I recently collaborated with Luxury Picnics Acadia to create the dreamiest picnic inspiration – check that out here. “Relax in luxury as everything from set up, to take down, is done for you…enjoy the scenic views of Downeast Maine, and create a memory not soon forgotten.”

Have Photos Done – How could I forget this one?! I’m a believer in capturing little snippets of every chapter.

Whether you’re celebrating a big milestone, visiting Maine on vacation, or just documenting everyday life – it’s all so special and deserves to be photographed! Plus, you’ll have the most unique holiday card this year! Many couples find this to be the perfect place to propose, elope, or even have their wedding! Check out Emily Brianne Photography.

Pictures: Proposal Inspiration with Luxury Picnics Acadia, Elopement at The Bar Harbor Inn, Family Portraits in Acadia National Park with The Bar Harbor Whale Watch boat in the background.

A Little Extra…

If you’re staying in the area for an extended period of time, I would recommended taking a day trip to Winter Harbor. It’s about an hour drive, to an even smaller, quieter lobster fishing town that has a separate branch of Acadia National Park. This is right next door to where I grew up, so it’s extra special to me.

While you are there… drive through town to check out some of the local shops like the 5&10 and whopaints.

Drive through Acadia on the 6 mile one-way road. You could have a picnic at Frazer Point before you get on the one-way, they have picnic tables and fire pits. Once you’re on the one-way road, there are a couple spots to pull off the road or hike. Definitely stop at Schoodic Point for some amazing views of the rocky coast line and Cadillac Mountain on the horizon. On a nice day, you’ll likely even see some lobster boats with fishermen hard at work.

The Pickled Wrinkle – Once you exit the park, you’re going to come out near one of my favorite restaurants – The Pickled Wrinkle! They have so many yummy seafood (and non-seafood) options to choose from, but my go-to is a crab roll or fried shrimp with sweet potato fries! They offer craft cocktails and local canned brews. Takeout and heated outdoor seating is available!

Me & Ben’s – Right next door to the restaurant is my favorite childhood ice cream shop! The have so many ice cream and dessert options to choose from, my favorite choice is the Maine Black Bear ice cream. While you’re there, be sure to check out East Hope‘s one of a kind earrings & more!

Pictures: Winter Sunset in Bunker’s Harbor, Cliffs in Winter Harbor’s Acadia National Park, Ice Cream from Me & Ben’s During an Engagement Session with Emily Brianne Photography.

I hope you found this helpful and have the best trip! Be sure to follow me on instagram @emilybriannephotography to see what I’m up to next! You can also check out my print shop and order scenic Maine prints for your home!

It’s wedding weekend for Kayla and Joe so I am reliving their fun engagement session from last fall while I charge up all of my gear, print my shotlist, and triple check that everything is good to go! Last weekend kicked off my first of many events at the Bar Harbor Inn for this season, and I am so pumped to be back there again this weekend celebrating these two!

On their vacation to Bar Harbor last year, we got to document their recent engagement! We started on the cliffs in Acadia National Park – popping some champagne and giggling with some silly poses. For the second half of the session, we headed to their hotel in downtown Bar Harbor so that they could change their outfits and finish up the session there. They were staying at the Bar Harbor Inn, which would soon be their wedding venue too! So it was only fitting that we did some photos there!

I can’t wait to recreate some of these with them this weekend!!

A long weekend spent exploring Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Kennebunkport!

The first stop was in Kennebunkport on our way out of Maine Friday evening. I had a photo session with a couple that was celebrating their 5 year wedding anniversary with their new baby. We did the session at The Nonantum Resort, where they got married – you can take a peek at that here.

Before the session, I walked around town a bit, drove through some neighborhoods to admire all of the beautiful homes, and stopped along the way at the George H.W. Bush memorial, and walked along the rocks and beach.

After the session, I was southbound again to make it to Cape Cod for the weekend!

Day One: Started with breakfast at The Original Gourmet Brunch, which was right down the road from the Hyannis Inn, where we were staying. I started with the fried french toast bites, and they were AMAZING, def need to try these. My caffeinated hot chocolate and hearty omelet was great fuel for working a wedding that day.

After the wedding, we stayed in downtown Hyannis for the evening because I was too tired to venture off elsewhere. Started with an early dinner and delicious cocktails at Torino. Afterwards, we walked around downtown to check out all of the shops and strolled past the marina. Finished the evening with dessert on the patio at Colombo’s Cafe & Pastries.

Day Two: I was hoping for a beach day, but I ended up wanting to do more exploring. We ventured all the way down the Cape, stopping in a couple different places along the way. We walked around Downtown Chattham and checked out the fishing pier there.

From there, we went to the lighthouse that is on the bag of Cape Cod Chips (my fav). It’s called Nauset Lighthouse in Eastham. It is such a beautiful lighthouse! This would have been the perfect spot to lay out on the beach at the National Seashore, but I wanted to get going further down the Cape. How beautiful is that shoreline though?!

That afternoon, we made it to Provincetown and it was time to eat! I was dying to eat on the water. So I found one of the few places there, and they squeezed us in on the bar deck railing at Pepe’s Wharf and it was perfect! There was such a nice breeze and pretty view of the water. I enjoyed a frozen vodka lemonade and some fried seafood. We shared fried shrimp and a haddock sandwich that was quite yum!

After lunch, I walked around Ptown, checking out the colorful shops and quirky art along the streets!

Clouds and rain showers started rolling in that afternoon so we weren’t able to catch the sunset, but we still drove out to the very tip just to have a look, then headed back to Hyannis for the evening. That evening we needed a little snack so we shared some delicious mussels from Fresh Ketch and went back to Colombo’s Cafe & Pastries for dessert that we took back to the hotel to eat in bed and pack up for an early morning departure!

Day Three: Martha’s Vineyard! Woke up early to catch a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard for the day. We chose the Steamship Authority ferry departing from Falmouth because there were more times, it was cheaper, and it was towards our way back home. There’s a couple of different ferry options to choose from for Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, so be sure to check those out online in advance and figure out which works best for you!

Upon arriving there, we rented bikes from Anderson’s Bike Rentals in Oak Bluffs and they gave us great directions / recommendations on how to spend the day! We biked into Edgartown with beautiful ocean views along the way.

Once we arrived there, we were on a quest to find a lighthouse and this one did not disappoint. It was a short sandy walk through tall grass and rose bushes!

After seeing the lighthouse and biking through some neighborhoods, we went into town and had lunch outside at The Seafood Shanty. We each had clam chowder and shared a captain’s platter with fried haddock, shrimp, and clams. It was all so delicious!!

On our way back into Oak Bluffs, before dropping off our bikes and getting back on the ferry, we stopped to check out the gingerbread houses! So cute and colorful!

It was such a great weekend exploring all of the different little towns and eating yummy foods! So thankful my job presents me with opportunities like this to be able to travel and explore new areas for work. Can’t wait to visit here again!

Follow along on instagram to see where I’m adventuring next!

*All photos taken on an iphone. #maineweddingphotographer #capecodweddingphotographer #marthasvineyardweddingphotographer #newenglandweddingphotographer #travelweddingphotographer #destinationweddingphotographer

My newborn sessions aren’t your typical posed and propped session that you mostly see on the internet. While I love seeing those photos so much, they are a whole different ball game when it comes to skill and studio space. So as a wedding photographer, when I am requested to take newborn photos, I typically come to your home for a lifestyle type of session! That could look like: lounging on the couch, cuddling on the bed, rocking the baby in the nursery, just your everyday type of things.

This session was extra special for me because the baby just so happened to be my nephew! As a first time auntie, and a photographer, I was of course getting in on this action. And now, almost a whole year later, we just did his first birthday photos (how?!) so I figured I should get this session on the blog. A year later and I am still so in love with these photos.. I know, I may be a little biased. You HAVE to see for yourself how precious his nursery is and his big (dog) brother Jesse, who couldn’t resist being in all of the photos too. 

An out of the box branding session for a creative soul with many passions. Lauren invited me to her home to capture some life-style photos of her and the things she enjoys the most. The photos would be used for a variety of purposes, including her website where she offers intuitive coaching and tarot readings. Lauren has many hobbies and passions that we wanted to incorporate in these photos to help the her story. We started our session where she spends most of her time – in her writing room where she reads, writes, and meditates surrounded by books, plants, tie-dye tapestry, and her work space.

From there, we transitioned to her porch that is shaded by tall trees and overlooked a field with bright yellow goldenrods swaying in the breeze. We took some candid shots of how she would construct a tarot reading and a day of creative writing on the porch with her favorite coffee mug, followed by unwinding with a little yoga and meditation with her dogs. Next, we headed out to the farm where her and her husband grow free range chickens and cannabis! It was so much fun to switch things up from my typical sessions and take a peek into life on their farm, frolic through the fields, and capture some personality photos for this creative and compassionate lady.

So basically, I am here to tell you that your photos can be whatever you want them to be and they should 100% reflect who you are and what you are passionate about! Can you notice all of the creative and personal touches that we incorporated into these photos?

When a session ends, and the strangers I just met feel like my best friends, I am reminded of why I love this job so much. Being a photographer in a small, coastal town in Maine brings me new clients from all over the country while they vacation here on Mount Desert Island.

When Sean reached out to me inquiring about surprising his wife with a 20 year anniversary session on their celebratory vacation, I didn’t realize this wouldn’t be like my typical session. They requested to do their session at the Claremont Inn, in Southwest Harbor, as that was where they’d be spending the majority of their time, and they wanted their photos to truly reflect that. I met them at the hotel and I was immediately greeted with big smiles and their fun energy. They showed me all around the Claremont Inn property (that was just voted one of the best new hotels in the world by Leisure + Travel), I was immediately blown away with all of the photo opportunities that could be had around the hotel.

Sara and Sean were literally up for anything and they were such a blast to hang out with. We started the session by grabbing them a couple of their favorite cocktails at the bar so they could loosen up and be relaxed for our adventure together. From there, we walked down to the pier and they shared a short slow dance on the dock while the golden light lit up the bay behind them. Although there was a bit of a nip in the air, I couldn’t resist having them get cozy in the cutest green and white cabanas by the pool, just for fun. The fall decor that was tastefully sprinkled around the property was a lovely touch to really reflect their time there. After a quick outfit change, we took a couple of bikes for a stroll through the fall foliage. We ended the session on the lawn, where they sipped their cocktails in the Adirondack chairs and watched the final bit of sunlight glisten on the ocean.

Scroll through the photos to see all of the beauty that the Claremont Inn has to offer. If you’re visiting the MDI or Bar Harbor area, I highly recommend considering them for your stay…and don’t forget to plan your photo session with Emily Brianne Photography in advance 😉

Honestly it was our favorite part of the trip”

– Sean