2025 {The Favorites} | Maine Photographer

Happy New Year, everybody! I hope the holiday season was full of love, rest, and quality time with the people and things you all love. As always, I am excited to kick off the new year with my annual post of favorite images. I REALLY tried to do this differently this year. I was SET on the fact that I could pick only TEN images and share them over the course of the week on Instagram. I was DETERMINED to make this happen.

Spoiler alert: I failed. 😂

BUT, in the spirit of really picking the best of the best this year, I did narrow it down to just 19 images, many fewer than last year’s 30+, so I’ll take that as growth and progress. 😁

Before I get into the sharing though, I would be remiss if I didn’t properly wrap up 2025. 2025 was such a cool year. I had 64 returning clients/families, and 23 new. I photographed all of the seniors in my neighborhood (and cried with each edit and post). I photographed families I hadn’t seen in a few years, a few wedding couples (including my first ever wedding couple!), more seniors than I have ever photographed in one season, newborns who stole my heart, kids who made me laugh out loud, beautiful houses and condos, amazing sunsets, and a whole lot of love and joy. I cherished my evenings with families that have become friends over the many years, and loved meeting new ones. The weather was amazing (bad for the environment, great for photogs 😬), I had so much fun playing around with silhouettes, and am proud of the collections of images I delivered to my clients. And on the personal side, I chose to take care of myself more this year and made it through my entire season with regular workouts, healthy eating, time with my books, and even a mid-season getaway to London. For the first time EVER, I am entering January with some energy in the tank, and not my familiar sense of burnout and exhaustion. It’s pretty awesome.

On the scenic side of things, the amazing weather allowed me to create a gorgeous new collection of scenic fine art images. I’ll be sharing a post with those favorites tomorrow!

Ok – on to the photos! Nineteen images made it into this year’s list. As always, I let my heart be my guide and chose images that spoke to me the most, and that I think most represent who I am as an artist. I hope you love looking through them and reading their stories. Thank you to ALL who were in front of my camera this year – what an amazing year we had together, and I am forever grateful to have captured a piece of your 2025 memories.

In chronological order, here are my favorite images of 2025. ✨

1. The H Family, Lynch Park – Beverly Massachusetts, June

I love love love my time with the extended H Family. We were supposed to gather for photos in the fall of 2024, but the scheduling ended up not working out for everyone, so we bumped our session to June. When Maura asked if I’d be willing to meet in the middle of all the families, I reached out to some Massachusetts photographer friends, who suggested Lynch Park in Beverly. This spot was SUCH a gem, and towards the end of the session I wanted to try for one more photo of all the kids together. The light peeking in over the brick wall, shining on all of these cuties was absolute perfection. I knew this image was a winner the second I snapped the photo.

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2. Esme, Crescent Beach State Park – Cape Elizabeth, June

As I mentioned above, this was the year for the seniors, and I am still drooling over my session with Yarmouth High School senior, Esme, at Crescent Beach in June. I literally could have picked any photo from this session to make this list, but from the moment I edited this one, it has been my favorite. The purple-pink sky, the leading line of the path, the flowers, the gentle movement in her dress, and the overall softness of Esme in this moment – this photo still takes my breath away.

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3. The D Family, Falmouth Town Landing – Falmouth, June

When Emily asked me to come to the Falmouth Town Landing for their annual session in June, I was a bit nervous. The light at the landing can be super challenging, and I knew she wanted to start at a house up on the hill. If it was super bright, I knew it would be hard to capture the subjects and the harbor from that vantage point. The weather gods were totally on our side that evening though, and I arrived to a harbor with the softest light, a touch of fog, and the most fantastic colors. When we made our way down the hill to the beach, little Arthur decided to explore, and this image of him walking the marshy tide, just screams growing up in coastal Maine. This was another image I knew would be a favorite as soon as I snapped the shutter.

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4. The PC Family, Footbridge Beach – Ogunquit, June

Before our session, I as warned that little Mairead was most likely not going to be interested in photos. We got lucky though, and this little one was such a ham for the camera our whole session, as she splashed around mom and dad, in and out of the waves of Footbridge Beach. It was this photo out of the water though, that stole my heart. As we headed back towards the footbridge, Mairead turned around with Jessie and Buzz in hand (like us, they are a big Disney family!). The moment with the sky, the boardwalk, and her sweet little figure with her Toy Story buddies waiting for what comes next stole my heart, and quickly became a favorite moment and image.

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5. Sebastian, Old Port – Portland, June

Sebastian is one of my neighbors for whom I had the extreme pleasure of photographing senior photos this year. A senior at Yarmouth High School, Sebastian has grown up to be one cool cat, with a quiet sense of humor, and a bright smile. I won’t go all sappy again, but during his Old Port session, I kept commenting that he was “effortlessly cool” in front of the camera. And no photo captured that quite as much as this one. Besides the super cool pose, the light and moment of this photo is also what brought it to this list. As we left the city blocks to head towards the water, storm clouds rolled in offshore, making for some of the coolest light ever, and giving Sebastian an even cooler set of photos with dramatic light to complement his laid back charm.

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6. The M Family, Footbridge Beach – Ogunquit, July

Back to Footbridge Beach for this one, with a photo that is so representative of an awesome Maine beach session. After an hour of running in and out of the water (the M Family is always full of so much fun and playful energy!), I had them group back together for a few more “formal” photos. End of session “formals” (formals in quotes because well, I’m not very formal, and neither is my work!), are always my favorites because everyone is soaked, totally relaxed, and comfortable in front of the camera. And to add just the perfect element to this gorgeous eveing, we had a pack of seagulls fly overhead just as I snapped this photo. I love how their personalities are all so well represented in this image, I love the colors of the sky along with the blues of the water and their outfits, and of course the seagulls just sealed the deal on this gorgeous moment captured.

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7. The L Family, Drakes Island Beach – Wells, July

Oh this night. This night, this night, this night. Picking just one from my session with the L Family at Drakes Island was a CHALLENGE. This family is FULL of goofy, fun, playful energy that does not stop, and of all the photos in this year’s set, this one captures their spirit, and makes me laugh out loud. There is nothing better than kids who know they can be themselves during our sessions, and Ben had no problem at all letting his spirit shine. His jump out of the water makes me giggle every time I see this photo, and I have to laugh at Thomas in the background, who looks a little defeated, but was he himself jumping up and down just minutes prior. What a fun and GORGEOUS evening this one was on Drakes Island!

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8. Ava, Sandy Point Beach – Yarmouth, August

Freeport High School senior Ava blew me away during her senior session. Ava wanted field photos, and maybe some photos by the water at the end of her session. She *almost* decided not to go to the beach, but decided to do a few photos by the water, and I am so glad she did. This was one of the evenings where smoke from Canadian wildfires was causing some crazy haze, and this haze created some crazy gorgeous purple skies at the beach at sunset. I love the way Ava’s skirt matches the peeks of sea grass coming out of the water, and the soft and sweet mood of this image represents her personality so well. I knew this photo would be a favorite the moment I snapped it.

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9. The F Family, Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park – Freeport, August

Hands down, this was my silliest session of 2025. 😁 I adore this family so darn much, and kiddos Tessa and Simon were on fire with the jokes and giggles on this August evening. And while I have so many favorites from this session that highlight their goofy energy, it’s this one that is my favorite of the bunch. If you’ve never lived along the coast you may not know this one fact – seaweed is slippery. And so when my eyes saw the potential for this photo, I wasn’t sure the family would be on board, but they didn’t even hesitate to make the climb up the seaweed covered rocks. I love the framing, the colors, and the sweet connection captured between this four in this colorful image.

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10. The FY Family, Boothbay, August

When I arrived in Boothbay for year four with the FY family at their family home in the Trevett neighborhood, I was excited when they suggested we adventure a little further along the property line than we had in the past. When we reached our final destination, a point overlooking the bay, I was taken by the calm of the water and the stunning light. Getting a snuggly group photo of these four can be a big of a challenge – Amos tolerates photo day, and Imogen prefers her solo model shots 😍. But as the light became just perfect, I gathered the crew together on the rock and told them to snuggle up. Together we made a beautiful image of this family together in their happy place, and I think I actually “awwwwww-ed” out loud as I snapped the shutter.

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11. The BG Family, Goose Rocks Beach – Kennebunkport, August

While planning our beach session for this summer, Cait called me and said she really wanted to just have a session where the kids got to play. My lifestyle photographer heart beat out of my chest as I responded with a very enthusiastic “yes!” Hugo and Mila were dressed for the occasion, in the cutest lobster bathing suits, and after a few quick group photos, we let them have at it. If there were ever a photo that screamed “beach play,” I think this might be it. I love Hugo’s focus on his budding sand castle, and the way Mila’s eyes are shut tight while her hair and sand fly around her, is so uninhibited and joyful. This photo is exactly what a summer night on the beach should be, and I love this fun moment captured.

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12. The R Family, Littlejohn Island – Yarmouth, September

✨ FAVORITE OF THE YEAR! ✨

Yup, this is the one. My MOST favorite image of 2025! There is SO much to share about this image, not the least of which is the sheer luck that I nailed it. For several years now, I’ve had Mac, his brother Alex, and his mom Rebecca in front of my camera. For Mac and Alex – well, photo day is not so much their thing. So this year, Rebecca thought that maybe we could try photos at the house, and then venture to the Littlejohn dock, a place that is pretty special to the boys. The change in Mac was instant upon arrival. His mood lightened, he told me a story about how he and his buddies ride bikes to watch the sunrise here in the summer. I vehemently believe in the power of the ocean for mental health, and it was so obvious that the ocean is where Mac belongs. At the end of our session, he asked if he could climb to the very top of the dock, and do a flip. I’ve seen Mac flip before, but never from this height. Rebecca was on board, so I was too, and knew this had the potential to be a very cool image. Images like this are challenging – nailing the focus on a quickly moving and falling target is hit or miss, and I knew I wanted to silhouette him, so I had to get my light right too. We got this shot in one take, and for the second year in a row, it is a silhouette that takes home the cake as favorite of the year. Thanks for making such a fun photo with me, Mac! 🙌🏻

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13. Baby Riley, At Home – Massachusetts, September

Taking little Riley’s newborn photos was so special for me. Riley’s aunt is one of my dearest friends, and so when Emilie asked if I would come to take her newborn photos, I was more excited that I can even express. Riley stole my heart from the second she was placed into my arms (total bonus to photographing newborns of friends who are like family – I didn’t even hesitate to ask to hold this sweet girl!!), and we had a beautiful session with her family at their Massachusetts home. It was this photo at the very end though, when Riley was a little milk drunk and Emilie added a sweet accessory to Riley’s ‘fit that made me giggle out loud, and that I knew would be one of my favorites of the year. You are too cool, little Riley, I can’t wait to watch you grow!

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14. The C Family, Fort Williams – Cape Elizabeth, September

This was definitely the year of silhouettes (thank you to all my families who gave me a little extra time to play and create these when the light was right!), and this one of Nora could not be more perfect. Nora showed up to this year’s session rocking all the teenage vibes. From her corduroy pants to her tie-dye jacket, she also was rocking the rock star vibes. So as we headed back up the hill towards our cars at the end of our session, I saw the perfect opportunity for a silhouette. I told Nora to give me a power pose and snapped the shot. What I didn’t notice until later while I was editing, was the airplane trail on the far left which totally looks like a shooting star – just the icing on the cake for this rockstar image.

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15. Kristel & James, Wolfe’s Neck Woods – Freeport, September

This was a special one. Kristel and James were my first ever wedding couple who took a chance on a newbie photographer capturing their special day on top of Cadillac Mountain sixteen years ago. These two literally changed my life, and I was so so excited to see them for the first time since this fall. I have so many favorites from this session. But at the end of the day, it’s this intimate and sweet moment that takes the cake. Sixteen years later, and these two are closer than ever. I love the way this image and moment capture their connection and make it feel like they are the only ones soaking up time in the woods on this September afternoon.

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16. The D Family, Fels Grove Field – Yarmouth, September

If my session with the F Family was the silliest of the year, my session with the D Family was a close second. Henry and Lily were total goofballs for the entirety of our time together. If you know me, you know I LOVE goofy kids, so I was totally here for the energy! There is a spot at Fels where the light seeps through the trees just perfectly, and it was just that – perfect – on this September afternoon. One of my tricks with very energetic kids is to get them to try to read each other’s minds – it allows for the movement to stop for a moment, and allows me to capture some connection without them knowing I’m doing it. 😁 The light providing a beautiful glow over these two as they attempted the great mind read helped me to create an image with light, love, joy, and a hot moment of pure stillness.

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17. Sophie, Madeleine Point – Yarmouth, September

It was over a decade ago that I photographed Sophie’s moms’ wedding, and I was thrilled (and a bit in shock) when her moms reached out for senior photos. I took Sophie’s photos alongside her sister Nevaeh, and the whole session was so gorgeous I almost couldn’t stand it. For the second half, Sophie put on her HoCo dress, which so perfectly completmented the stunning colors of the water, boats, trees, and sky at Madeleine. I knew I wanted to get some movement in her dress, so I asked her to run away from me, peeking back just before the end of the dock. The resulting image was exactly as I hoped it would be – full of joy, beauty, and confidence. An instant favorite.

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18. Olivia – Higgins Beach, Scarborough, September

I told you, this was the year of the seniors. 🤩 When Olivia’s mom asked if I would be willing to do some of Olivia’s senior photos highlighting her love of ballet, I was thrilled. This was the first ballet-themed session I have done, and I was so excited to combine the beauty of the art with the beauty of the ocean. We took several dance photos on the beach, but as we were walking back to our cars, the granite blocks that line Ocean Ave were just calling my name. Olivia gladly put on her pointe shoes and while I have some really beautiful images of her on pointe, it was the grace, light, shapes, and colors of this one that really secured this one photo as one of my most favorite images of 2025.

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19. The W Family, At Home – Scarborough, December

And last, but certainly not least is this photo of Turner. Turner and his family were my final session of 2025, but they are also my second-longest running family in my clientele, having first photographed them when T was just two. This was a big year for Turner, as he decided to leave Scarborough High School for a boarding school in Massachusetts where he can train at a higher level for football. T has had a football in his hand for as long as I can remember, and every year we try to capture a photo of him with his favorite sport accessory. This year’s photo is my favorite. From the killer light, to the perfect spiral, and most importantly the confidence and joy on T’s face. Oy. This photo is this boy in.his.element. I love seeing the amazing young adult his is becoming, and I’m telling you to keep your eye on this kid – he is going places. 🏈

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And that’s a wrap on 2025 client sessions! Check back tomorrow for my scenic favorites. THANK YOU again to everyone who was a part of my year last year in any way – from being in front of the camera, to purchasing images, to liking my posts. YOU keep me going, and I never could do what I do without all of you. I cannot wait to see what we all make together in 2026. 🎉