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Notes & Guides

Journal

Notes on photography, session prep, and what to expect.

Couple photographed in New York in late autumn by Dylan van Druten Photography

01New YorkSeptember 2026

The Best Holiday Photo Spots in NYC (and When to Go)

Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park, Dyker Heights and the West Village: the 2026 dates, the best time to go, and how to beat the crowds.

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Couple walking together in Central Park, photographed by Dylan van Druten Photography

02New YorkSeptember 2026

How to Plan a Surprise Proposal in NYC (With a Photographer Hiding Nearby)

Choosing the spot and the light, how I stay hidden until the moment, the signal, the details people forget, and the portraits after the yes.

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Couple photographed in Brooklyn by Dylan van Druten Photography

03New YorkSeptember 2026

A Photoshoot on Your NYC Trip: What Visitors Should Know

When to schedule it in your trip, how to use jet lag, routes that double as sightseeing, what to pack, and getting your photos home.

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Family photographed at home in New York by Dylan van Druten Photography

04New YorkSeptember 2026

Family Holiday Photos in NYC: When to Book for Your Cards

Work backwards from the mailbox: the session date that gets holiday cards out on time, where to shoot in November, and how to get the card photo first.

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Couple under the covered arcade of Bethesda Terrace in Central Park

05New YorkSeptember 2026

What Happens If It Rains on Your NYC Shoot

How weather rescheduling works, why a grey sky is often good news, and the covered places in the city where a session can move when it pours.

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Family photographed in a New York park in autumn by Dylan van Druten Photography

06New YorkAugust 2026

Fall Photos in NYC: When to Book and Where to Go

When peak colour actually arrives in the city, the November date that ends the good light, and the parks worth booking before September is over.

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Family photographed together in New York by Dylan van Druten Photography

07FamiliesAugust 2026

What to Wear for Family Photos in NYC

How to build one palette across four people, what to leave in the wardrobe, dressing for a park in each season, and the five minute test that solves most of it.

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Engaged couple photographed in New York City by Dylan van Druten Photography

08CouplesAugust 2026

Engagement Photos in NYC: How to Plan the Session

Choosing a location that means something, timing the hour around the sun, what to wear, and what actually happens once the camera comes out.

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Corporate headshot photographed on location in New York by Dylan van Druten Photography

09HeadshotsAugust 2026

Team Headshots at Your Office: How the Day Actually Works

The space needed, how to schedule thirty people without losing the morning, what to tell your team, and how to keep a whole company looking consistent.

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Couple photographed on their City Hall wedding morning in New York by Dylan van Druten Photography

10ElopementsAugust 2026

What an NYC Elopement Photographer Costs, and What You Get

Real numbers for City Hall coverage, the license and ceremony fees on top, what moves the price, and what a cheap package usually leaves out.

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Couple photographed inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art by Dylan van Druten Photography

11CouplesJuly 2026

Couples Photos at the Met: Romanticising a Museum

The rules to know before you go, the rooms worth walking, what to wear against those gallery walls, and what an hour inside the building actually looks like.

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Couple photographed in Brooklyn by Dylan van Druten Photography

12New YorkJune 2026

The Best Photo Spots in Brooklyn for a Photo Session

DUMBO, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Prospect Park, and the Williamsburg waterfront: where to go, when to arrive, and what to expect from each location.

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Couple photographed in New York City by Dylan van Druten Photography

13CouplesJune 2026

What to Wear for a Couples Session: A Simple Guide

Coordinate don't match, skip the logos, think in layers. The outfit advice I give every couple before we shoot.

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Maternity session photographed by Dylan van Druten in New York City

14MaternityJune 2026

What to Expect from Your Maternity Shoot in NYC

When to book, what to bring, what to wear, how long it takes, and how many images you walk away with.

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Maternity portrait photographed by Dylan van Druten in New York City

15MaternityJune 2026

When to Book Your Maternity Session (And Why It's Earlier Than You Think)

The sweet spot is 28 to 34 weeks. But the time to reach out is closer to 20. Here is why the timing matters more than people expect.

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Professional headshot photographed in New York City by Dylan van Druten

16HeadshotsJune 2026

Why Your LinkedIn Photo Is Costing You Opportunities

A blurry selfie signals low effort before you've said a word. What a good headshot actually communicates and how to prepare for one.

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Couple photographed during golden hour in New York City by Dylan van Druten Photography

17New YorkJune 2026

Golden Hour in NYC: The Best Times to Shoot by Season

When the light is best in New York, by season, plus the locations that make the most of it and why overcast days are more useful than they look.

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Couple photographed during a session in New York City by Dylan van Druten

18Behind the scenesJune 2026

How I Approach a New Client's Session

From the first enquiry to gallery delivery: the booking process, pre-session prep, how I structure the time on location, and how the edit works.

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Couple walking together during a photography session in New York City

19CouplesJune 2026

How to Feel Natural in Front of the Camera: A Guide for Couples

Movement over posing, talking to each other, what to do with your hands, and how the first ten minutes of every session work.

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Patricia and Carlos in City Hall Park after their wedding ceremony

20New YorkJune 2026

An NYC City Hall Wedding: How the Day Actually Works

A photographer's account of a City Hall wedding in New York: how fast it moves, the light inside, and where to take photos after the ceremony.

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Crossing 72nd Street at the entrance to Central Park, yellow cabs and old apartment buildings in the background

21New YorkJune 2026

The Best Photo Spots in Central Park: A Walk from 73rd Street to the Mall

A route through the park's best photography locations, from brownstones on the Upper West Side to the elm-lined Mall.

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Headshot photography by Dylan van Druten — client in a clean, mid-toned outfit against a natural background

22HeadshotsMay 2026

What to Wear for Your Headshot Session

Colour, fit, what to avoid — the things I tell every client before we start.

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Headshot open in Adobe Photoshop during the retouching process

23Behind the scenesMay 2026

How I Edit My Headshots: The Process from Shoot to Delivery

The cull, Lightroom corrections, Photoshop retouching, and what ends up in your gallery.

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