One of the many joys of being a professional photographer is being able to capture people at the happiest and best of times. In the past two weeks I was booked to photograph two families that were going to be in Maine for a few days. The two shoots were to be at very different venues, under very different circumstances. That is just one of the reasons a professional should be booked for your family events. We can adapt to different environments and produce a lasting memory for our clients. 

The first family booked me for their family reunion at the 555 Restaurant on Congress Street in Portland. They were a great, fun loving family from Florida, Massachusetts, and Virginia. Smiles galore seemed to be the theme of the reunion. 555 is a five star restaurant in Portland, Maine with Executive Chef Steve Corry, who has appeared in Food/Wine magazine. The only downside was lugging my equipment up three flights of stairs to the 3rd floor function room. On the upside, the wait staff and employees of 555 were more than helpful in getting everything up the stairs. I am very grateful for their help.

The Chase Family was one of those clients I love to book. Everyone was so full of smiles and laughter. I asked Stephanie Chase how they came to choose Portland as the location of their reunion. She told me the family home was in Florida, "She loved Portland", and "Have you ever been to Florida in the summer?" I guess that answered that question. I am just thankful she chose me as the photographer for this occasion.

I used two lights to illuminate the room. A 400 Watt Alien Bee and a 600 Watt White Lightning, both from Paul C. Buff, with white shoot through, umbrellas. Set at about 1/2 power they did a good job of providing good light, without over doing it. That allowed me to shoot at ISO 100, 1/250, and F8.

The following week I was booked to photograph the Strout Family at the Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. It has been said that this is the most photographed light house in the United States. I do not doubt that, judging from the amount of tourists that visit the Lighthouse throughout the year. 

The Strout's had a special reason to visit this particular Lighthouse, especially as the family lives in Sheridan, Wyoming. Richard and Laura had brought their family to Maine on vacation and made a two day stop in Portland before moving on to Blue Hills and the Bar Harbor area downeast. 

Richard is a direct descendant of the Strout family that were Light House Keepers at Portland Head Light for 4 generations and a grand total of 128 years. Joshua Strout, and his family, were the keepers when the Annie C Maguire ran aground on Christmas Eve of 1886.

The day began with rain, but by the time of the scheduled photo shoot, it was 75° and partly cloudy, with just enough breeze to make it comfortable. The family was happy to be here and relaxed, which made for some great group photos, as well as several family units. They had quite a history with the Light House and its keepers.

The lighting conditions were constantly changing as the clouds moved overhead and we moved around the Lighthouse. I was comfortable shooting at ISO100 and 1/200, with constantly adjusting my aperture to account for the change in lighting and how much depth of field I wanted. A perfect day for a Family Photo Session at Portland Head Light.

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