Andover Mass Portrait Photographers
Cordele Photography
Home »
Favorite Portraits

Andover Mass Portrait Photographers

Looking for a photographer around Andover Massachusetts for Portrait photographs of your children, well you found one right here!

This little girl was standing in front of the wall at Phillips Academy in Andover. Andover Massachusetts, located north of Boston, has a lot of locations good for family portraits. The key to a great location is good light, an interesting background, and let's face it, no distractions for the kids. While a park might seem ideal to head to, there are too many people for the little eyes to wander away from the camera.

How to prepare for a family portrait session?

First, you want to pick a time of day that works for the youngest in the group. You do not want dinner time or around nap time. That's a recipe for a cranky uncooperative toddler. You want to make sure that everyone is well-fed, happy, and willing to have their photo taken. Most of my family sessions are quick and easy, so making sure everyone knows this is not a long shoot helps. I also encourage families to not bribe children with food. If a child is motivated by goldfish, telling them that they will have goldfish if they smile, will get one quick smile, and then the entire rest of the shoot will be spent trying to get the goldfish. Try not to offer food as an incentive to be happy and cooperative. Have rewards be a trip to a park or a special place they can go after the photos have been taken.

How do you pick the color palette to work with for family photos?


First, if you have one outfit you KNOW you want someone to wear, work off that. Lay it on the floor or couch. Then find pieces that complement the main piece. As the family members' outfits are picked, you will see them come together in a cohesive unit.


I tell my clients that the outfits matter. While it seems that jeans and white T-shirts is the easy option, it also helps date a photo really quickly. I tell people to head on over to Pinterest or any fashion magazine and find a color palette. Families want to be sure that everyone blends together and no one sticks out. You have to think about the color scheme of your clothes against the background too. If we are shooting in a field with tall tan grass, you do not want to wear tan, as you will blend into the background! You want to add a pop of color! If we go to a place with yellow leaves, you want to offset your family with reds and pinks, and blues. There are great suggestions for color palettes all over the internet. You just need to look around. If someone is wearing earth tones, I recommend everyone stay in that same color family.


What shoes do you recommend for the shoot?


For shoes, you must avoid white sneakers! White sneakers draw the eye into the photo right to the spec of white. Try and find neutral color shoes. If all else fails, I recommend we go barefoot! Bare feet look great in photos. With babies, I always say keep them barefoot, Little ones with tiny feet are so cute!



LOCATIONS around Andover Massachusetts for Family Photos?

There are a bunch of locations that give you the background you desire for family photos in Andover. Below is a list of locations;

  • Deer Jump Reservation, 2.2 miles of trails formed by glaciers
  • Harold Parker State Forest- a huge nature preserve with loads of trails and wonderful ponds to create the perfect photo backdrop.
  • Downtown Andover on Main Street- the cutest storefronts to give a more modern look to your family photos
  • Ward Hill- up on the hill in Andover you will be able to find fantastic light and a view of the city of Boston! A rare occurrence to find a spot like that around here!

    If these locations don't work, please let me know and I will help find the perfect location for your family photos

Location: Phillips Academy 10 Main Street Andover..

Reading Photographer Headshots-Portraits-Kids-Families-Senior Portraits 40 Marla Lane, Reading MA 01867 | 781-315-6030 - aw@cordelephotography.com