Anastasia Rae Photography

Anastasia Rae Photography Sam Sykula, owner and lead photographer of Anastasia Rae Photography, specializes in lifestyle memoir photography.

To the man of my dreams. 🤍Our protector. Our gentle giant. Our silly man. Our boo-boo fixer. The one who makes us laugh,...
06/22/2026

To the man of my dreams. 🤍
Our protector. Our gentle giant. Our silly man. Our boo-boo fixer. The one who makes us laugh, who holds us together, and who loves us so completely. You are the greatest man I have ever known.
There will never be enough words in the world to truly describe the way I feel about you.
Especially on days like today, my heart feels so full. Full of gratitude. Full of love. Full of thankfulness for you, for the life we have built together, and for everything you have given me and our family.
You gave me space to soften. You gave me permission to need you. You made me feel safe enough to let my walls down and trust that I didn’t have to carry everything alone.
The gifts you have given me are endless, our family, our home, your patience, your laughter, your steady love, and the way you show up for us every single day.
I hope you know how deeply you are loved. How much you mean to us. How lucky we are to call you ours.
Happy Father’s Day to the man who makes our world a little softer, safer, and so much more beautiful. 🤍

Thank you to all of the friends and photographers over the years that have given me the gift of documenting us ❤️

“Was that chaotic? It felt a little chaotic”A toddler. Two Bernese Mountain Dogs. A family session.To them, it felt like...
06/12/2026

“Was that chaotic? It felt a little chaotic”

A toddler. Two Bernese Mountain Dogs. A family session.
To them, it felt like there was so much to manage. So many moving pieces. So many opportunities for things to go “wrong.”
But from where I stood?
It was perfect.
Not because everyone smiled at the camera. Not because their little boy sat still. Not because the dogs followed directions flawlessly.
It was perfect because they were themselves.
They loved on their son. They scratched furry heads. They laughed when things got silly. They wrapped themselves around the beautiful, messy, joyful life they’ve built together.
The truth is, you don’t need to perform for me.
You don’t need to memorize poses. You don’t need perfectly behaved children. You don’t need dogs who sit on command.
You just need to show up as you are.
My greatest gift as your photographer isn’t telling you where to stand or when to smile.
It’s showing you that the family you’re worried isn’t perfect already is.
The chaos. The laughter. The puppy kisses. The toddler wrangling. The way you reach for each other without thinking.
That’s the story worth remembering.
And it’s beautiful exactly as it is.

These beautiful people travel from a land far far away every year to allow me to photograph them. Sometimes things don’t...
05/30/2026

These beautiful people travel from a land far far away every year to allow me to photograph them. Sometimes things don’t go perfectly, like the waterfall is dried up because you’re in a drought but it rains for the first time in forever one your session date…. But you traveled from far away and there isn’t really a reschedule option. Often times, these are my favorite moments. My favorite photos. The little moments on these were some I will never get over ❤️

Six months later and somehow this still feels like yesterday. These never made it to a permanent place on my feed, becau...
04/04/2026

Six months later and somehow this still feels like yesterday. These never made it to a permanent place on my feed, because well, you already know how I am with posting. But this moment has lived quietly in me ever since.

Getting to photograph my brother and sister-in-law, stepping into parenthood, welcoming their twins, was something I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully put into words. It felt like being trusted with something sacred. Like I was able to give a piece of myself to them, and to these two tiny lives who mean so much to me.

They were so small. So new. And already, so connected.

I keep thinking about the way they would find each other without trying. The way their hands would reach, instinctively, like they already knew. Like even then, they understood they belong together. It was a kind of bond that makes you pause, that makes everything else go quiet for a second because you know you’re witnessing some thing special.

Watching two of my favorite people become parents, soft, in love, completely changed, was its own magic.
We don’t live close, which means you don’t see them here as often as I wish. But I carry these moments with me, and I hold onto the hope of documenting their story again and again as they grow.

Even if each time feels a little like letting go.

Had to sneak this post in before the snow melts and everyone forgets how magical it was. Stepping into this quiet world,...
03/11/2026

Had to sneak this post in before the snow melts and everyone forgets how magical it was.
Stepping into this quiet world, fresh snow, unbelievable light and that kind of peaceful stillness that only happens right after a snowfall. The kind where everything slows down and the only thing that really exists is the two of you.
Just love, quiet giggles, and footprints in untouched snow

Walking into a home where everyone is simply being.No rushing. No performing. Just slow moments, quiet smiles, and a new...
03/08/2026

Walking into a home where everyone is simply being.
No rushing. No performing. Just slow moments, quiet smiles, and a new little life settling into the rhythm of the family.
This sweet family welcomed their second baby with so much calm and presence. The kind of presence that makes my job easy. Where I can step back, become a quiet observer, and document the love exactly as it unfolds.
These are the moments that matter. The tiny stretches, the sibling curiosity, the way everyone instinctively gathers close.
Welcome to the world, little one. You are already so deeply loved.

Step 1: Side-eye Santa 👀Step 2: “Maybe he’s okay…”Step 3: Besties by the end ❤️First meetings don’t have to be perfect t...
02/16/2026

Step 1: Side-eye Santa đź‘€
Step 2: “Maybe he’s okay…”
Step 3: Besties by the end ❤️
First meetings don’t have to be perfect to be magical.

I often wish your kiddos would stay this little, just like you ❤️ seeing your babies grow from one session to the next m...
02/13/2026

I often wish your kiddos would stay this little, just like you ❤️ seeing your babies grow from one session to the next makes me look at my kids and realize it’s going just as fast. That we all experience this together. It is such an incredible honor for me to give you something that means a lot to you now, but will mean even more to you later.

Your baby won’t remember their first experience with Santa.But you will.
02/11/2026

Your baby won’t remember their first experience with Santa.
But you will.

One of the quiet gifts of this work is watching families grow with me. New babies become toddlers. Toddlers become wide ...
02/09/2026

One of the quiet gifts of this work is watching families grow with me. New babies become toddlers. Toddlers become wide eyed believers. Each Christmas, those sweet faces, just a little taller, a little braver, a little more themselves. The magic isn’t just Santa. It’s the trust, the familiarity, the coming back ❤️ and year after year, that feels like the greatest honor.

Address

Sparta, NJ
07871

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13475387123

Website

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