A Sparkly Simple Studio Session in our Saratoga Springs Portrait Studio

As we move further into 2017, I love that my style is evolving to include even more soft, airy & whimsical session designs.  Give me all of the creams, whites, blush pinks, florals, flowing fabrics, chiffon, and a little bit of sparkle and I am one happy photographer.  Add in an adorable baby and a twirling little girl, and it's pure bliss here in our Saratoga Springs portrait studio.

When Kahini and Aarnya joined me for their spring portraits here at the studio, I was thrilled to use a few of our sparkly dresses & rompers from the studio wardrobe collection, as well as these beautiful new headbands from Sweet Ivie.  

If you have not heard of Sweet Ivie yet, you must check them out!  The owner of this Etsy boutique lovingly creates the most beautiful felt flower headbands I have ever seen.  Each one has the perfect combination of colors, and they are so wonderfully made that they will quickly become a favorite for special occasions and day-to-day hair accessories for your little girl.  Plus, the nylon headband is super comfy and will stay put on your little one's head without sliding off, and it's stretchy enough to fit all sizes and ages!  Seriously, I kind of want to start wearing their headbands...   ;o)  

Look at that sweet little twirl!  Kahini looks like a flamenco dancer with the swirl of her skirt and a flower in her hand, don't you think?  

While baby sister Aarnya was a little unsure of the camera, we found a few songs and snacks to keep this little girl happy during the session.  You never know how your baby will react during their portrait session, and I always suggest parents come prepared with an easy snack (puffs, cheerios, a bottle) and a favorite song ready to go on their phone.  It does the trick every time to keep babies in a happy mood as they get used to their new space!

We are now booking springtime sessions at our Saratoga Spring boutique portrait studio.  The studio is fully stocked with dresses, rompers, diaper covers, headbands, backdrops, and adorable little props to complement your little one's session while not overpowering the star of the show -- your child!  Contact me today at hello@nicolestarrphotography.com and let's plan your session!

A Tiny Ballerina Session at Boston Ballet School

On a chilly winter morning, I was lucky enough to be invited to Stella's ballet studio to capture some moments of this tiny ballerina in action.  Stella takes beginner ballet classes at Boston Ballet School in Newton, and I always love seeing her mama's posts and videos on Instagram of her little dancer.  

I have always dreamt of doing a tiny ballerina's portrait session in a light-filled ballet studio, so when we started planning Stella's session together and I saw the studio with their gleaming floors, exposed brick walls, and huge windows with natural light streaming in, I was in photographer heaven!

One of the things that Stella's mama and I were most excited about with this session was knowing that this tiny dancer will be able to look back at these images in 15 years and see her innocence, curiosity, and budding dance skills from the very beginning.

Stella LOVED running around the studio and showing me her ballet moves -- did you know that she calls her feet a "pizza slice" when moving them into position?!?!  We did a few quick little outfit changes for this tiny ballerina, and my favorites were with her little ballet slippers, simple leotard, and classic wrap sweater & leg warmers.  

These next two might be my favorite images from the entire session!  Those little lashes, those tiny toes, and that cute way she has to reach up above her head to touch the barre.  

These are the moments you want to remember when looking back at her early days in ballet lessons.  

These are the memories that will forever come to mind when you watch your ballerina at her recitals 5, 10, 15 years from now and one day much later when she brings her little ones to ballet classes of their own.

Would you love to plan a Tiny Ballerina session for your little dancer?  Email me at hello@nicolestarrphotography.com and let's plan the perfect session for your ballerina today!  Now booking in Saratoga Springs & Boston.

Colorful Fun at the Fair with Saratoga Springs Family Photographer, Nicole Starr Photography

I am a huge fan of summertime, and also of the amazing and colorful moments all woven together that just scream, "This is what childhood is made of."  Magical, colorful, innocent memories that bring you right back to that summer evening when you were little.  Lemonade stands, carnivals, swimming lessons, sprinkler days, ice cream trucks... the list goes on and on! 

So when Jessi of Lovebug Photography in Rochester, NY, came to visit me for a mentoring session the same week as the Saratoga County Fair, and she told me that her kids would be traveling with her, I knew that we had to spend an evening exploring this amazing space.

Just look at Clark.  Clearly, he was a huge fan of the fair!!

We had so much fun finding little pockets of quiet amidst the chaos, capturing these beautiful moments with such a colorful backdrop.  

Clark & Rosie ran around with hundreds of lights sparkling overhead, the smell of fried dough drifting across the fairgrounds, and fluffy cotton candy tempting us around every turn.  We met a few amazing carnival workers who let us take photos at their game booths, and even got Clark involved in an exciting game or two.  

Plus, aren't their outfits adorable?  Their mom was on point in selecting their wardrobe for this shoot, and I just love how well they combine with our fairgrounds backdrop!

As the new girl in town, I am discovering that fairs are such a huge thing here in New York, and I am so excited about that!  I'm looking forward to joining many more families in this classic & colorful setting that is perfect for family photos and childhood memories, and I can't wait to check a few more fairs out this summer!

Interested in a photo session at your local fair?  Use the contact tab above and send me a message.  I would love to chat and plan the perfect memory-making session for your family!

2015 Year in Review Video by Nicole Starr Photography

2015 has truly been an incredible year, and I want to thank all of you for sharing so many magical moments with me!  

Enjoy this beautiful little video of some of our favorite images from the year.  I look forward to another beautiful year of storytelling in 2016!

To every family that asked me to tell their story: thank you.
To every mom who let me cuddle her newborn baby: thank you.
To every dad that wanted to surprise his wife with a keepsake gift: thank you.
To every creative entrepreneur that connected, laughed, shared, asked, taught, and learned with me this year: thank you.

And to every single person that connected with the stories in my photographs, commented on my images, shared their own stories with me, and let these beautiful families into their hearts through the images that I shared with you: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

A Rustic & Magical Session | Boston Child Photographer

We did a family session for this sweet girl's family last spring -- mom and dad, her older brothers, grandma and grandpa, her aunt and uncle, and her little cousin.  It was such a fun session, and we captured so many gorgeous photos for a stunning wall gallery in their home.

But sometimes, you just want to focus on one child at a time.

When Maddie's mom learned about my Simply Baby sessions, and she was so excited to get together with her little girl for a short & sweet session focusing just on her little one.  We planned the perfect rustic session, and I was thrilled to be able to use the beautiful twine lanterns that Jeff and I decorated with above our wedding ceremony last June.

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Maddie is a funny little girl.  She loves laughing, pretty dresses, twirling, and of course, the Frozen song.  (I'm pretty sure "Let it go" played on repeat in my back pocket for most of her session.)  This little sweetheart was a little shy at first, but the moment her mom stepped away she opened right up and showed me the most playful and spirited personality.  I absolutely adored our session together, and I love the whimsical photos that we captured!

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I love the energy in this photo!  What a fun capture!

We walked to the "enchanted forest" and played hide & seek among the tall oak trees.

My favorite photo is this one here, hand on the hip, a breeze in her hair, and a little sass in her expression.  I love it!

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To complete the magical set up, I set up a pretty little lace teepee for part of Maddie's shoot.  These backlit photos of her inside are so beautiful, and they show her expressive and playful spirit!  I love her little profile shot in the last one.

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Check out another magical toddler session here -- with glitter, crowns, and sparkly dresses!

A Magical Glitter Photo Session

What happens when you give a little girl a swirly princess dress, a sparkly crown, and a handful of glitter?

PURE MAGIC.

This was my favorite shoot in awhile, and one that I'd been so excited to try out.  Photographers are creatives with all of these ideas and inspirations inside just bubbling up to get out, and I love developing new ideas and working to bring them to life.  This one was perfectly magical, incredibly whimsical.... so basically, it was my kind of shoot!

(Let's be honest, doesn't every girl want to just put on a crown and a pretty dress, and roll around in glitter?!)

Finley was the perfect little model and I absolutely adored working with her for this photo series.  Plus, her dresses were incredible!  What a sweet little princess.  I love how the crowns turned out -- both new little DIY projects for me.  ;)

Those little glitter toes just make me melt!  <3

Finley's little sister, Riley, even wanted to join in the fun!  I happened to have this gorgeous dress in the studio, and it fit her perfectly!  What a great opportunity for this fancy little tutu to make it's debut.

Are you intrigued?  Would your little one love a glitter mini session?  These are for darling little girls and dapper little boys of all ages, and I'd love to chat with you and schedule one today.  Please use the "Contact" tab at the top of the page to get in touch!