There’s a good chance you have hundreds, if not thousands of photos on your phone made up of all your favorite moments. But once they’re saved to a camera roll, many just sit there or get posted to social media and are never looked at again. To better memorialize some of the most important moments, families turn to a trusted photographer. Hartshorn Portraiture {located inside the Monroe Center at 720 Monroe St, Studio E 418} was created by photographer Mac Hartshorn and his wife Jennifer and is focused on creating personal photographic portraits of families, infants, children, and expectant parents. And now Hoboken Girl readers can get $200 off a session if you mention ‘Hoboken Girl’ when booking. Learn all about this high-end Hoboken photography studio that’s creating custom portraits for residents in Hoboken, Jersey City, and NYC.
Exclusive Offer:
Mention ‘Hoboken Girl’ when booking your portrait session to receive $200 off. Call 201-610-1199 to schedule.
A Tucked Away Gem on Monroe Street
Mac Hartshorn worked in the industry as an established fashion photographer for over 30 years before opening Hartshorn Portraiture in Hoboken in 2002. He and his wife Jennifer built the studio with their three passions in mind — quality, customer service, and a deep appreciation for memorializing important moments.
The studio, inside the Monroe Center in West Hoboken, is a unique space where fine-art photography meets a family-friendly atmosphere, resulting in a luxurious photographic experience, no matter the type. Drenched in natural light, the space still has its original industrial feel with high ceilings and large, industrial windows. From the moment you meet Mac and his team to when you finally unwrap your custom-designed pieces of art, customer service is an underlying quality that’s never lost. The photography sessions focus on creating personal, bespoke portraits of families, including infants, children, expectant parents, generations, and more. {You’re even welcome to bring your pups — they are family too, and the space is dog-friendly!}
Mac and Jennifer have two daughters of their own, so they understand first-hand the fleeting moments of childhood and the power of capturing a cherished moment. “Our business is all about families, because family is our driving force,” Jennifer told Hoboken Girl. “Hartshorn Portraiture was born out of the desire to keep our family close and connected while pursuing our passions. We like to think of ourselves as ‘family-preneurs’,” she continued.
Pregnancy + Newborn Photo Sessions
Pregnancy and newborn or newborn and baby packages are available so that you can capture the moments most important to you. For expectant moms, pregnancy photos are taken at 7-8 months and newborn portrait sessions take place within the first few weeks of the baby’s life. If you’re a little overwhelmed with newborn life and want to wait a little longer, 6-9 months is the perfect age to capture the baby’s joyful and innocent expressions, according to Mac. Expectant moms can pick from a variety of custom, ethereal maternity gowns to match your desired aesthetic. Mac’s background in fashion and knowledge of how to best capture a woman’s body ensures the perfect pose each time.
Portrait sessions in the Hoboken studio are the best choice for families with newborn infants, babies under the age of two, and expectant moms. Being able to control the temperature, allow for naps, snacks, and diaper and clothing changes keep everyone comfortable and happy.
Once your little bundle has made their debut, Mac suggests that newborn sessions take place between five days to two weeks of age, when they’re at their sleepiest and snuggliest. Associate Photographer Milena Lopez is known as the “baby whisperer”, and for good reason. Her experience in posing newborns {and her sweet, maternal demeanor} gives clients the peace of mind to know your baby is in capable hands.
Family Sessions at the Park + Beach
Family portraits are also available in the park and are perfect for capturing special moments in a natural setting. Mac and Jennifer have put a lot of time and research into finding unique settings for family sessions, with areas including Pier A in Hoboken, Central Park, Cora Hartshorn Arboretum in Short Hills, Davis Johnson Park in Tenafly, and more.
Beach sessions are also available, and Mac will travel to your beach house or favorite stretch of sand for your portrait session, easy peasy. Sessions at the beach take place early in the day before the sun gets too bright or during the magical evening hours when the sun is in the ideal backdrop spot. Getting the family out of bed early or keeping the kids up a little later is 100% worth the effort once you see the final images, promise.
COVID-19 Safety
For the safety of families and staff, newborn sessions continue to remain in the studio and families with older children will have sessions on location. All shoots are conscious of social distancing and masks will be worn by staff. And as always, clients are seen by appointment only. Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the studio and there is frequent sanitization of surfaces during and in-between each client session. If you or someone in your family is feeling unwell, Hartshorn Portraiture will be glad to reschedule your appointment.
Other In-house Services
If you think that it’s too early to plan for the holidays, think again — holiday cards and birth announcements come in a variety of different collections and have a host of new designs each year created exclusively for Hartshorn Portraiture. You can even opt to have your cards addressed and stamped as part of your service to save time.
To round out the process and keep everything in-house, Hartshorn Portraiture also offers state-of-the-art editing, printing, and conducts every aspect of production from color approval to hand cutting to museum-quality framing. Standard prints, canvases, and hand-torn watercolors are created using archival inks to produce museum-quality prints. These heirlooms are signed by the photographer and are exceptional artworks that will grace your walls for a lifetime.
Giving Back to Hoboken
Hartshorn Portraiture frequently donates photography packages to schools and local non-profit organizations that focus on education, health, and wellbeing all over New Jersey as well as New York City.
The Hoboken Family Alliance was one of the very first foundations that this family business started to support nearly 18 years ago, and since then are proud to have also helped more than 50 others including CASA, The Help for Children Foundation, MDA, and Summit Speech School. To date, they’ve donated over $500,000 worth of photography services and artwork.
Mac explains, “For me, giving back is a vital part of a full and rewarding life. What could be more fulfilling than doing what you love to do while contributing to the quality of life of others in need within your own community? Hoboken and its surrounding areas have been great to us. We love living and working in this vibrant community.”
Exclusive Offer for Hoboken Girl Readers
Hoboken Girl readers can get $200 off a portrait session if you mention ‘Hoboken Girl’ when scheduling. Call 201-610-1199 or fill out this form to get started. If there’s anything 2020 has taught us, there’s no better time to capture your family moments than the present.
