Light and Airy Motherhood Session in our Saratoga Springs Portrait Studio

Katie and Lucas recently came to the studio for a 6 month milestone portrait for Lucas. Katie is one of my dearest friends. We’ve known each other for years. I love watching her on this motherhood journey and seeing how much joy her sweet boy brings to her life. She truly lights up when she is with him, and her face is absolutely radiant when he smiles at her. And just look at the way he looks at her! I was thrilled when they mentioned visiting - and squeezing in some portraits, too! 

She and Lucas came to visit for a few days and we enjoyed some studio time to celebrate the halfway point of this crazy and wild journey of the first year of parenthood. It was so exciting to see everything Lucas can do now - one of the reasons I LOVE milestone sessions! He absolutely loves tummy time and was even sitting up on his own. 

All dresses and outfits that Katie and Lucas used are from the studio’s Baby Wardrobe and Mama Wardrobe. The light grey overalls and white dress looked perfect together - creating truly light and airy portraits that are so classic. I hope that Katie and Lucas will treasure these portraits for many years to come. 

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Springtime Motherhood Portraits at our Client Appreciation Event

I’ve always loved doing motherhood portraits, and this spring I decided to create a Client Appreciation Event to show all of our 2022 families just how grateful I am that they trusted me to capture their family’s milestones last year. This Client Appreciation Event could not have been more fun. I loved catching up with all of my 2022 families and seeing how all of those sweet babies had grown! It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of business and motherhood, but it was so nice to slow down and hear what was going on in everyone’s lives this spring.

Each family that I work with - whether I’m capturing newborn portraits, a milestone, cake smash, or family photos for the year - is so important to me. Family portraits are special. Honestly, they’re one of the only times moms get in the photos and I know the process can feel overwhelming. It’s always been my goal to create a stress-free and joy-filled environment for my families during their portrait sessions. It’s why I have a client closet, a snack bar, and props/outfits onsite for sessions.s I want every single one of my clients to feel special and pampered, and our Client Appreciation Event was one more easy way to do that.

The spots for our Client Appreciation Event filled up right away, and the moms have been raving about the experience. I had a blast catching up, pampering these incredible moms some more, and capturing a few photos too. I’m already excited to plan for next year’s event for our 2023 clients! Thank you to everyone who made 2022 so special - and to all of my already amazing 2023 families. I’m so thankful for each and every one of you!

One of my favorite parts of our Client Appreciation Event was the swag bags we gave everyone! All of the businesses included are local, small business owners and mamas themselves!

Swag Bag Contributors:

Cookie Tastic
Kiwi and Rose (earrings)
House of Colour Saratoga Springs
Turn a New Leaf Intuitive Massage
Kallisto Gems
The Broadway Grind

A huge thank you to our other collaborators:
Hair stylist: Jessica Lee of Sanctuary Salon in Saratoga Springs NY

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Springtime Motherhood Portraits with Florals and a Boho Egg Chair

I have been doing a springtime Celebrating Motherhood portrait event for as long as I can remember. It’s one of my favorite times of year to create something beautiful with lots and lots of flowers and photograph mamas just loving on their babies.

This year I went with a boho floral setup incorporating our wicker egg chair, and I absolutely loved how it photographed. It’s the perfect size for some cuddles, and it looks stunning with the white walls and giant white window in the studio. Plus, with the new (bigger!) studio, I was able to keep our egg chair setup all spring and we even incorporated it into a few other families’ portrait sessions for a shot or two here and there.

As always, neutrals are my go-to outfit recommendation in the studio. A few families did a gorgeous pop of color combined with those light neutrals, and it all came together beautifully. Scroll down for a peek at some of my favorite portraits in our boho floral egg chair prop this spring!

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A Note from the Heart: Being a Mom and a Business Owner

I’ve been a business owner for more than 8 years, but I’ve been juggling the role of business owner and mom for less than three years. And you know what? It’s really hard! For example, as I was writing this blog post I got pulled away no less than 3 times to try and settle Grayson down for his nap! The days of having 8 uninterrupted hours to get things done are long gone. Some days are far from perfect, and there’s always that guilt of “Am I doing enough?”

Enough as a mom.
Enough as a business owner.
Enough for my clients.
Enough education and growth.
Enough for my website.
Enough posts on social media.
Enough creativity.
Enough time for myself.
Enough of everythinggggggg.

And most days it feels like some areas take priority over others, but I’ve learned to accept that that is okay. I’ve learned to accept that I just want to do enough as a mom first, and then the rest will always be there.

Because THIS is what matters:

So I carve out pockets of time to work on my business and to serve my clients. I take my son into the studio when I’m setting up for sessions, testing out new lighting, or organizing props. He comes with me when I do client deliveries, and he helps put every package in the mailbox when we’re mailing something out. He even joins in for the occasional cake smash if the baby needs a friendly little face to help them feel comfortable!

Grayson watches everything I do. He welcomes every client that comes in the door of our home studio, and he befriends the little ones close to his age. He chooses which of his toys we can put in the studio’s play corner, and he has all of his favorite spots to visit and things to play with when he goes downstairs (the snack cart ranks as #1 for him!).

I’ve watched him take the little lovies and snuggle them up under my posing blankets and in the little beds and cradle props. I’ve watched him pick up his wooden toy camera and exclaim “Say cheese!” more times than I can count. I’ve watched him turn every rectangular thing he can find into a camera, looking through the “lens” and pretending to take pictures. He has a little keyboard that he pulls up next to me when I’m working on my laptop so that he can “work,” too. It’s so cute!

I love that he’s imitating everything I do. I love that he gets to grow up watching me go to work, watching me AT work, and understanding what it is I do.

He knows I take pictures of babies, and he knows that we turn them into prints and albums. He loves the photos hanging on our walls, and as any client of mine has heard me tell them, he is obsessed with our family’s photo albums.

It is so powerful for him to be able to see his mom as a business owner. To learn that women can run businesses AND be a mom. To understand that sometimes I have to go to work and that I will be with other babies and children, and doing something to make that family happy. Don’t get me wrong. I love staying home with my son and being a mom, and it’s a role I’ve dreamed of for more than thirty years! It’s wildly satisfying, but I also love going to work and growing this business, creating art and heirlooms that make others happy. It’s a balance, and I’m finally getting the hang of it!

For now, I’m soaking up moments like these ones when I’m setting up the studio for a newborn session and I turn around to find my son posing the little teddy bears in a bowl with a blanket and telling them to “Say cheese!” My mama-business-owner heart is so full!!

A Mommy and Me Session in the Boston Public Garden

Meet Jack. The smiliest, most adorable little boy who I had the pleasure of photographing in the Boston Public Garden this spring with his mama. This sweet 4 year old is constantly on the go, and we spent a playful hour together filled with giggles, laughs, and bubbles for an extra special Mommy & Me portrait session.

Boston is such a beautiful city in the early spring, and tulip season is always breathtaking. The misty weather didn’t dampen our spirits, and Jack and his mama layered on their rain gear and enjoyed splashing in the puddles in the garden.

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About Nicole Starr Photography 

Nicole Starr specializes in newborn, baby & family photography and has been serving families in New York and Massachusetts since 2012.  She has a portrait studio in Saratoga Springs, NY for families in the Capital Region, and she also works with families at her Attleboro, MA studio and on location in Boston and on Cape Cod. 

Our sessions are relaxed and fun, and we’ll enjoy an hour together laughing, cuddling, and capturing authentic smiles and belly laughs with your little ones.  

Book your Celebrating Motherhood Portrait Session!

This unique event has been designed just for the mothers and their children as we gather together to celebrate YOU.

You are amazing.  You are strong.  You are wonder woman.  You are beautiful.  You have the hardest and the most rewarding job in the world.  You are raising these tiny humans filled with compassion & love, and you are doing a spectacular job. You deserve this.

We believe that moms are beautiful.  We believe that the love that a mother shares with her babies is the most breathtaking thing in the world.  We believe that you deserve to be pampered, you deserve to feel gorgeous, and you deserve to have stunning memories captured on camera with your little ones.

We believe that these moments should be enjoyed and shared with your children over the next many, many years.  Rather than always hiding behind the camera, it is your turn to step in front of it and capture this amazing love you share together. Document it, cherish it, and show it to your children when they are grown.

What is the Celebrating Motherhood Event?

If you've been following my page for awhile now, you're familiar with the most popular event that I host all year!  This is the third year hosting the motherhood event, and my very first year bringing it to mamas in two states!

Join me at the studio for some portraits and pampering!

Attleboro  |  May 6

Saratoga Springs  |  May 20

Arrive early and treat yourself to our complimentary hair & makeup services to make you feel and look your best.  Sip on a mimosa from our mimosa bar and enjoy a sweet treat while our team gets you ready for your portrait session!

This year we're really creating an unforgettable experience with:

• Hair & Makeup for mom
• Boutique gowns available for little girls
• Swag Bags filled with goodies from our favorite small businesses
• Gorgeous portrait keepsakes
• A three-generation package to include grandma, too!

Your children will only be this little for a little while, so capture them in this beautiful & fleeting stage that they're in.  Give them memories to look back on with you 20 years from now.  Let them see how happy they made you as a mother, how you gave the very best cuddles, and that they got their smile from you.  

As a mom, be sure to get in the picture because you will never, ever regret giving your children these memories with you to look back on one day.

This is my favorite event and I love watching mamas and their babies, taking the time to make them feel beautiful and so amazing about this incredible job they're doing with their little ones.  You are ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL, and I would love to celebrate that with you!

A very special thank you to our team of vendors that is making this day happen!

Tiffany Cantin, HMUA (Attleboro)

Brianna Nichols, Makeup Artist (Saratoga)

Laura Graver, Hair Stylist (Saratoga)

Simply Made

Sweet Ivie

Butterfly Baby

Merry Go Sweets

Crown City Bread Company

Coconut Crowns

Rainey's Closet

Portraits of Motherhood: Slowing Down to Capture the Moment (Saratoga Springs & Boston Family Photographer)

I just love our motherhood sessions.  Every time that I am so lucky to capture a mama and her babies in front of the camera, it's my absolute favorite experience!  So often moms hide behind the camera, shying away from stepping in front of the lens, focusing instead on just their children and saying that another day, another time, another month, then they'll get in a picture with their children.  For so many moms, it just isn't a priority right now.

But I like to think otherwise.  

I think that motherhood is such a beautiful journey (even the tough bits!), and that you deserve to capture this on camera.  I believe that getting moms in front of the camera with their babies is one of the most amazing gifts that you can give to your children.  

During every single phone call I have with moms before their sessions, I always tell them how they will be so grateful they spent a few minutes capturing a handful of portraits with their babies, because soon their little ones will grow up.  They won't cuddle up in your arms anymore.  They will no longer fit on your lap.  You'll forget how their cheek felt rested against your shoulder, and the way their tiny hands wrapped around your fingers for comfort.  They'll go out into the world as independent children, then teenagers, then adults.  And that is the moment when you'll be so grateful for these images that take you back in time.  

These images freeze a moment and bring you back to the early days of motherhood filled with chubby baby cheeks, melodic giggles, and that amazing baby scent that you'll be so nostalgic for when they are grown.  These images will remind you of sticky fingers, goldfish cracker crumbs, and boo-boos covered in colorful bandaids.  You'll recall the way they sang their favorite songs in a high-pitched voice, making up the words to the parts they didn't know yet.  You'll remember the way they held their baby brother and sang lullabies while giving their new sibling a kiss on the forehead -- you'll even remember the part where the kiss turned into a toddler tackle because... well, toddlers!!  

And then one day, when your babies have babies of their own, you will give them these portraits of the two of you.  You'll show them just how tiny they were, how loved they were, and how much happiness they brought into your life.  They will see a glowing and confident mom who was proud to be in a photo with her little one, a mom who put herself first sometimes and made it a priority to capture these beautiful moments with her baby rather than always hiding behind the camera.  

And they will understand, and treasure these portraits that much more when they have a glimpse of you as a new mom.

If you've been hesitant about getting in the picture, giving a long list of reasons why you shouldn't be in front of the camera right now... stop.  And think of the even longer list of reasons why you SHOULD step in front of the camera.  

Or, just think of the one reason why, the most important reason in the world: your child.

Motherhood is a crazy beautiful journey, and you're doing an incredible job.  Celebrate it!

Our popular Celebrating Motherhood Sessions will be on May 6 (Attleboro) and May 20 (Saratoga Springs).  I would absolutely love to see you there!  

Registration opens on April 3, and spots are expected to fill very quickly as this event always sells out within a couple of days.  Be sure to join our newsletter for more info, and follow our Facebook page for announcements and links when registration is open!