My favorite time of year for outdoor portraits is coming!

In Saratoga Springs, New York we begin shooting portrait sessions outdoors again at the beginning of May, and it is my absolute favorite time of year for portraits! Everything is starting to bloom, the colors are soft and beautiful, the trees are fluffy, and it’s not too hot out yet (so no one is sweating or red-faced in their portraits!). Plus, we can finally break out the gorgeous summer dresses and the cute little rompers and shorts for the kiddos. It is literally a dream and the spring provides the perfect backdrop for portraits - milestones and family sessions alike. 

I love this season for family portraits so much that I have already scheduled my own family’s portrait session for May! I can’t wait to capture some sweet portraits of the four of us just as the seasons are beginning to change. To be honest, I will always, always opt for spring and summer portraits over fall portraits for my own family because the colors are so much softer and they are more year-round for displaying in my home. 

Our home is filled with neutrals and blue accents, and the red and orange leaves of fall just don’t look quite right on our walls. But the muted greens, soft pinks, and whites of spring fit right in (and then of course the blues of the ocean during our time on Cape Cod every summer are perfect for our decor, too!). There’s absolutely nothing wrong with fall colors and for many families, the palette works better for their home and life! But if you’re someone who loves neutrals and pastels, springtime portraits are going to look beautiful in your home! 

If you’re like me and lean towards spring colors for your portrait session, reach out today! I have limited available dates in May and June, when the colors are soft and the weather is warm. I can’t wait to see some of my favorite faces and many new families this spring - I hope you’ll be among them.

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Beautiful & playful family portrait session in Saratoga Springs

Spring is coming - and it happens to be one of my favorite times of year for family portraits in Saratoga Springs. The light is beautiful, the grass is green, and flowers are blooming everywhere you look. In upstate New York, our outdoor portraits begin in May so that we have the most gorgeous natural backdrops. You might notice more outdoor sessions on the blog over the next few weeks, because I just love capturing family portraits outside under the sunlight and in the fresh air! 

Today, I’m sharing the beautiful Evans family. I’ve created portraits with them for many years now - since their first daughter’s first birthday, actually. It’s been so amazing to watch them grow and come into their personalities over the years. I can’t believe how big Wesley, Julia, and David are. This session took place in the fall, but it’s definitely one of my favorites in this spot. The light is always so gorgeous and the open fields give the kids plenty of places to run and play throughout our session together. I just want to say a huge thank you to Kat and her family for trusting me with another beautiful portrait session together! 

Like I said, this path is one of my favorite locations in Saratoga Springs, and it’s perfect in the hour or so before sunset! I can’t wait to bring more families here this spring when the trees start to blossom. It’s going to be so beautiful in the springtime. I can’t wait to see everything in bloom! 

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Family portraits with toddlers in our Saratoga Springs studio

I was so excited to welcome Andrea’s family back to my Saratoga Springs studio this winter! Now that the family has welcomed Valerie, it was time for new family portraits! Her children, David and Valerie, are simply the sweetest. They were amazing for me the entire session - smiley and happy to cuddle each other! I couldn’t have asked for better models. The family even brought their sweet dog to the session, too! I’m all about including EVERY family member - including your furry ones! Our session was joyful and simple, really focusing on the interactions between the kids and their parents. 

In fact, the portrait of Andrea and her daughter looking over her shoulder is my absolute favorite. As a photographer, there are portraits from every session that speak to me, and my goal every time I pick up my camera is to capture a moment that takes your breath away and makes you feel something when you look at it. This photo does that for me, and it is such a gorgeous depiction of motherhood that I hope Andrea will enjoy looking back on for many years to come. 

After their session, I went to Andrea’s home to complete their ordering session! I loved going to their house and seeing all of their family portraits from our previous session (2 years ago!) on the walls. They were thrilled to update their family portraits now that they have welcomed a new baby into their family, and it was a joy choosing their favorites to display at home. There’s not much more that excites me than knowing my families are displaying and enjoying their artwork every single day. 

Andrea, thank you for asking me to document your beautiful family again! I loved seeing all of you - and meeting Valerie. I hope we’ll get to work together again soon! 

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Best of 2023 Family Portrait Sessions in Saratoga Springs NY

2023 was truly an amazing year here at Nicole Starr Photography. This year, I had the honor of working with many repeat families for their new portraits as well as lots of new faces! Every time I show up to a family session, I am humbled and overjoyed that these families trust me to document their memories. I am so grateful to each and every one of them for believing in me to capture the best moments for their families. 

While I will never take this honor for granted, I also love how much fun I have every day at work. My family portraits are never boring! I’m all about laughing and finding genuine moments of connection between everyone. This year was filled with lots of tickles, games, and silly prompts to help bring out the belly laughs! I even brought some fun tricks along with me - like squeaking dog toys - to capture a toddler’s attention. Worked like a charm! 

In 2023, I captured my families all over the Saratoga Springs and Cape Cod areas. From beaches to parks, from benches to picnic blankets, and the city sidewalks… I loved every moment exploring with my 2023 families. This year brought some new locations to me and I am so happy that we have even more options for the future now, too! It’s important to me to find a location that feels authentic and genuine to each and every family I work with.

While I’m thankful for all of the fun and all of the beauty we found, I’m incredibly grateful that I was able to help all of these families create beautiful heirloom albums that they will be able to enjoy for years. Our albums and heirloom artwork are so important to me. I want to create something tangible and meaningful that my families will enjoy for decades to come with their children. It’s such a huge honor to be a part of creating something so important. 

All of our 2023 clients will be invited to our second annual Client Appreciation Event in a few months, and I look forward to seeing them for this extra special celebration to capture some new portraits for them to enjoy! Thank you again for trusting me to document your family and I hope that I’ll see many of you again in 2024!! 

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Our 2023 Holiday Portrait Sessions in Saratoga Springs

I always look forward to our holiday portrait event, and this year was no exception! Each year, I am reminded of how lucky I am to have so many families that come to the studio year after year for their holiday portraits! It’s always a joy getting to catch up with them and see how their kids have grown. Plus, it’s so much fun coming up with our setups each year! Honestly, I really do look forward to these holiday portrait sessions each winter. 

For this year, I wanted to create something really special! When I first saw these golden arches I knew that they would be incredibly versatile and that they would look gorgeous with garland & some sparkly ornaments. I love how this turned out! I think it’s such a classic holiday look. It was the perfect spot for kids to warm up to me and get ready for more portraits!

We always create two setups in the studio for families to have some variety in their holiday portraits, and you know I’m a big fan of neutrals because of how timeless they are. This year I found the perfect stockings with little pearl accents, and I love the simple & luxurious touch that they added to our setup alongside my simple Christmas tree. 

To every family that came to celebrate the holidays with me this year, thank you! It was so special to have you in the studio and I hope you have a wonderful season with your loved ones! 

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Fall family portraits with a toddler in Saratoga Springs

Daniel, Shannon, and Isla are adorable! We captured a fall family portrait session for them in Saratoga Springs. It was actually the first family portrait session with the three of them, which made it all even more exciting for me. From the start, Daniel and Shannon shared that they were thrilled to put some beautiful new canvases up on the walls of their home and to send some gifts home with Isla’s grandmother who was coming to visit from South Africa.

For their portrait session, Isla wore the most adorable pigtails and inspired me to go home and try pigtails on our daughter for the first time the very next day! She was so cute! I even loved the cute little fall dress she had on. It was adorable, and the perfect little nod to the season. As a girl mom, I have to admit I get extra excited seeing such cute outfit options! Isla was just full of pure joy, which made her so fun to photograph. She loved playing with her parents and was always excited about each of the games I played during our session, which meant we captured so many neutral moments between them all. 

Isla was full of personality and really playful. She especially enjoyed the little squeaky toys I’ve started to use to help with the toddlers… so much so that she hid one under her foot to stomp on it. That resulted in the most adorable expressions! Daniel and Shannon, thank you so much for trusting me with these beautiful family portraits. I hope that your family will treasure them forever! 

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Celebrating a 5th anniversary with fall family portraits in Congress Park - Saratoga Springs family photographer

Emily and Chris came up to Saratoga from Brooklyn to celebrate their fifth anniversary and brought along their sweet baby boy, Bennett. Bennett is already 4 months old and was so adorable our entire session! Their portrait session coincided with the last week of Emily’s maternity leave, and they wanted to celebrate all the things that had been going on recently for their little family, and slow down time with some gorgeous family portraits.

We met up for their family portraits in Congress Park in downtown Saratoga Springs. It’s one of my all-time favorite spots in Saratoga Spring! The day of our session, we had the coziest green colors throughout the park and it was a little grey… but honestly, it worked for the vibe of Emily, Chris and Bennett’s outfits. 

Speaking of… I love the outfits that Emily planned for everyone! The matching cable knit sweaters on Chris and Bennett were too cute. Her dress gave off the perfect fall vibes, and her loose waves were gorgeous on camera (and in person!). I love that she chose a beautiful patterned dress and the boys had more solid colors - everything looked amazing together on camera! The fall weather also led to lots of cuddles with Bennett, which was super sweet. 

I hope that Emily and Chris will always look back on these portraits with fondness and that they captured this special time for this beautiful family! 

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Light and airy fall family portraits with Saratoga Springs family photographer

I absolutely adored working with Lauren, Will, Charlotte, and Harrison! This was such a fun session, because it took place in one of my favorite new spots in Saratoga Springs. This little spot is just perfect with gorgeous golden light streaming through the trees before sunset. It resulted in the most glowing light for this sweet family - and how amazing do their outfits look?! 

With family sessions, you never quite know what’s going to happen with the little ones. But Lauren and Will’s kids are so sweet. Harrison loved the camera and he gave us so many adorable smiles. Charlotte enjoyed the great open field to run around and loved playing games and snuggling with her little brother. We captured some truly beautiful portraits of them and their growing personalities. 

My secret weapon for getting toddlers excited this fall has been using little squeakers like the kind that go inside of dog toys. I buy them these clear plastic squeakers in bulk, and they fit perfectly in little hands without being seen in photographs. Plus, kids have fun squeaking them and tucking them into their shoes to make them squeak while walking. This was a hit with Charlotte and really got her engaged in the session! It was so fun - and I love the natural smiles we got.

Lauren, Will, Charlotte, and Harrison: thank you so much for a beautiful session. I adored working with you all and had a great time making you laugh! You’re all so sweet and this was definitely the perfect fall portrait session! 

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Simple and candid family portraits in our Saratoga Springs studio

Lyndsay, Niral, and Ari come to me every year to capture portraits around his birthday. It’s hard to believe that Ari is already 4! It seems like I just met this beautiful family yesterday.  Lyndsay and Niral love documenting their sweet boy’s personality and celebrating each new stage as a family, and I always adore our sessions together. Whenever they leave my studio, my heart feels so full and I feel beyond grateful for another session together. 

We’ve done sessions in gardens and fields, pathways and parks, but it had been awhile since we had done family portraits in the studio. So when the endless rain wasn’t working in our favor this fall, Lyndsay sent me some photo inspiration and told me she wanted really candid, simple portraits with minimal color. Basically like our Little Loves portraits, but for the whole family. I was absolutely on board with the idea. If you’ve been around at all, you know that I believe less is more when it comes to portraits - whether it’s your baby’s milestone photos or family photos in the studio. 

Lyndsay, Niral and Ari kept their outfits very minimal so the focus would be on their interactions with each other, and on Ari’s adorable expressions. I feel like they were definitely channeling a 90s vibe with the matching white button downs and jeans, and it looked amazing on them! Simple and sweet, and it totally works to show their personalities here. Sometimes the simplest ideas really do pay off. 

Lyndsay, Niral, and Ari: thank you for letting me capture another beautiful session for you. I am so grateful to get to work with you year after year and watch Ari grow up! I’m already counting down to next fall!! 

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Spring family portraits with Saratoga Springs Photographer

Katie and Zach are the sweetest parents. I’ve loved getting to know them over the last few years as their boys Carter and Bennett have grown up. I’ve had the joy of photographing these brothers for their milestones in my studio over the last two years and each session is better than the last. There’s some real magic that happens when a family trusts you as much as Katie and Zach trust me. 

All of my cake smash sessions include time for updating family portraits. We were all so excited about the blossoms on the stress in my favorite spot in Saratoga Springs. It’s such a short-lived season here in Saratoga, and it’s my absolute favorite time of year to photograph families.These pink blossoms just lend themselves so well to soft pastel colors in the spring! 

Katie and Zach dressed the boys in super cute blue, green and pink colors. They worked perfectly in the park! You can never go wrong with blue and white, and chambray is one of my favorite fabrics for spring and summer. You always want to aim for a mix of patterns and solids, but keep in mind not to have too many people in patterns or the outfits will be visually competing for your eye, and you won’t be able to focus on the happy subjects. Katie and Zach did a wonderful job of balancing out the patterns and solid colors for their portraits. I’m just in love with the final images! 

Katie and Zach, thank you for trusting me to capture your sweet boys again! I absolutely adore working with all of you. 

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Capture us happy: family portraits in our Saratoga Springs Studio

When Jen first reached out to me, she was nervous about how her toddler would behave during their session. The last time she tried to do a session with another photographer, they were not able to capture many portraits that she loved and her little one wasn’t in the mood to cooperate. I reassured her that this time, we would take our sweet time and let her daughter warm up to me & the studio, play games, and have lots of fun together. The thing that this mother wanted most was to “capture us happy.” We did just that.

I asked them all about Julianne’s interests and favorite things ahead of time, and had a few toys in the studio that I knew would capture her attention and motivate her to participate. From the moment she entered, she was eager to participate. As a mom of two littles myself, a former teacher, and a photographer of many years, I know how important this prep work is to help make sure little ones stay happy and engaged in the studio.

Julianne wowed her parents with how she sat right in the chair and giggled and smiled for me. She was so adorable, and wanted me to see her unicorn necklace in a few photos. We were careful with transitions, bringing mom and dad into the portraits when she was ready and giving her some say in everything because as we all know, toddlers like to be in charge!

With some patience and practice, we captured the cutest cuddles with mom and dad, and my squeaky toys were a big hit – they even found their way into a couple of photos! I was able to edit them out of a few images, but we left them in others because it’s part of the memory of their session and it’s what made her smile the most. Julianne did a phenomenal job, and really had a lot of fun. The whole time I kept “capture us happy” in mind, and I think we really managed to do that. In the end, Jen and Josh loved the gallery and we printed their favorites as an heirloom album so that they can relive these moments again and again with their little girl.

I’m so happy that we met our goal together - and had a great time doing so! As a family photographer, my job is to really listen to you and your needs so we can capture the moments that matter to you.

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Family portraits with a toddler in their own front yard

This fall, I had the absolute pleasure of capturing the sweetest one-year-old, Violet, and her parents Morgan and Dan. We met for a session at their home in the early fall, and it was so perfect! We wanted to capture how much Violet has grown over the last year and all of her sweet mannerisms, personality, and the family’s interactions.

Violet was full of personality and gave us so many different expressions! I love photographing this age, because they always have so many new skills to show off. And, show off she did. She loved showing me how she stands, claps, and crawls. She’s so close to taking her first steps unassisted! Honestly, she was so adorable the whole time. I loved watching Violet’s little personality come out through the entire session.

It was really important to Morgan to capture some portraits of her and Violet together. Mom is usually behind the camera, so I always make sure to capture a few extra portraits of mom loving on her little ones, and I was thrilled that Morgan treasured these moments with her baby, too. I’ll never tire of capturing moms and their babies!

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Fall family portraits on a sunlit path in saratoga springs

Fall family portraits might be one of my favorite parts of the year. When the Coppola family reached out about a session in Saratoga Springs, I couldn’t wait! I loved working with Mariesa, Benji, Benjamin and Nora for these sunny fall portraits. During our session, we tried to keep things super light and fun - relaxed for the kids AND their parents. Family portraits don’t have to be stressful, trust me! 

Throughout the session, one of my goals was definitely to bring everyone’s personalities out. While Benjamin was a little more reserved and shyer, Nora was all about the camera. It was a lot of fun to watch them interact and see Benjamin open up a little bit as the session wore on. Nora being silly definitely helped him relax a little bit! We also made sure to capture lots of cuddles with mom and dad in the photos too. 

Mariesa and Benji chose a great color palette for their portraits. With navy and creams, they stood out against the yellows and greens of the Saratoga Springs path we were on. I also love that the guys had their puffer vests on - they looked so cute together! Choosing what to wear is not only about picking colors you like together, but also making sure you’re comfortable and can move. I want us to play, run, and cuddle up during your portraits! 

Enjoy a peek into this beautiful fall session here in Saratoga Springs! 

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2022 Holiday Sessions in Saratoga Springs

Happy holidays!! I’m so excited to share a little sneak peek into our holiday sessions this year. I was so happy to see a lot of repeat families this year, and I love when they visit the studio year after year for their holiday portraits. It’s so much fun watching the kids grow, and this year I loved when the children walked in and asked right away about the toy corner and told me, “I remember this toy! We played with this last time!”. It’s seriously such a special moment for me each time a family comes back to my studio. 

The all white studio is so versatile for these classic holiday portraits, and I keep adding to our furniture collection of chairs, benches, and loveseats with linen upholstery and weathered wood.  Every year I add more trees or greenery, and I love how it all comes together so beautifully and I can mix and match furniture, wreaths, and trees across the setups while still keeping everything classic and minimal with the focus on the family and not too overwhelming with props. This year, I created three different setups. 

The one I was most excited about was a collaboration with a talented local floral designer, Samantha Nass Floral Design.  She absolutely nailed the design with the inspiration photos that I sent her and incorporated the most beautiful greenery, winter stems, and a hint of red flowers.  

I’ve been wanting to do another giant wreath setup.  The last time I did an oversized wreath was in 2017, but since then I’ve refined my studio style and I am in love with flocked evergreens, so a flocked wreath with frosted berries mixed in was just the perfect look for the studio.  This was so much fun for some casual family & sibling portraits, and the perfect spot for fun Christmas pajamas!

I added the ornament wall the day before our sessions began when I saw that we had enough room for one more simple setup.  I love everything in muted neutrals like gold and champagne, and this wound up being a favorite setup for just about every family! I love that I have the flexibility and space to do that for families in the studio. 

Happy holidays! I hope everyone has a cozy year with their loved ones. 

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Fall Family Portraits with Young Children at Congress Park in Saratoga Springs

I’m so thankful I had the chance to capture another beautiful fall portrait session for Henry, Emma, and their parents! I’ve been working with this family since Emma turned 1 and now they’ve recently celebrated Henry’s first birthday, too. Over the years, I’ve watched them grow and become such an incredible family. I feel so lucky that they’ve trusted me with their memories, including this fall family portrait session at Congress Park.

We truly lucked out with the most beautiful day for their session at the park. Early October turned out to be the best time for peak foliage all around this year - and I’m so happy we caught it in time. Henry and Emma were amazing our entire session, playing together and enjoying the leaves. Henry has just started to walk and he loved chasing after Emma as we were together. She was the best at making him laugh, too! It’s clear they’re going to be amazing friends.

I can’t wait for you to see this beautiful session!

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Saratoga Springs Family Portrait Session in a Grassy Field

I can’t believe Ari is now 2! I had the honor of photographing him multiple times during his first year of life, so I was elated when his parents wanted to schedule a family session to celebrate his birthday this year. We planned his session right here in Saratoga Springs, and found this beautiful field to shoot in. It was perfect early in the morning - the light was coming up behind the trees and just made everything glow!

Ari had a great time playing with his parents. Their love for him really does shine through in every interaction they share together. I love that they were able to relax and just be with him while I documented it all. That’s how family sessions should be!

Happy birthday, Ari! I can’t believe how much you’ve grown!

Tips to look your best during family photos!

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Beautiful Family Portraits in their own Backyard - Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

This was by far one of my favorite family sessions this spring! When the dad reached out to me to plan a portrait session as a Mother’s Day surprise for his wife, I knew that this was going to be an extra special session with his girls.

He told me that they “had a lot of land” and that he would love to do their session on their property to make it extra meaningful, but he was worried that they hadn’t landscaped much yet. No worries, I told him! Photographers have a knack for finding picturesque spots in the midst of something that the naked eye would think is just ordinary.

In order to make sure that we planned it for the perfect time of day when the light was most flattering, we chatted a bit about the yard, shared some cell phone pics to see how the sun sets behind the trees, and then walked around the property when I arrived to find the perfect spot. There was this one cluster of trees where the sun was setting directly behind them, and the sunlight was truly sparkling beautifully as it came through the leaves. Everything was golden, and I knew that it would be gorgeous in their photographs. Plus it had bright pops of color from a few flowering plants, and I love how it all came together as a backdrop for their portraits!

These sisters were ADORABLE and so, so good in front of the camera! We didn’t catch a single bad expression because they kept smiling and laughing the whole time! Read these tips for a meltdown-free portrait session with kids!

Don’t you just love how the light sparkles here?!?! Yeah, me too!

It’s hard to believe, but our calendar is already filling up for fall portrait sessions. If you’re planning on capturing beautiful memories like these of your family this year, now is the time to reach out and set a date for your session! I have plenty of locations in mind, and if you have a spot you’d like to try (like your own back yard!), let’s chat!

Check out these excuses to stop making for putting off your family portrait session!

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5 Tips for an Easy Sunset Portrait Session with Young Kids

As a family photographer, summertime means one thing: SUNSET SESSIONS GALORE!

I absolutely love capturing family portraits in the golden hour when the last rays of sunlight make the whole world glow. This is usually in the hour or so before sunset, and as you know, the sun goes down awfully late in the summer time! This can be so tricky with little ones, and I completely understand. My 3 year old has had a firm 7pm bedtime since he was an infant, and I know what those meltdowns look like when he gets overtired, and how quickly those meltdowns can come on, too! So I get it. I’ve been there with planning my own family portraits, and I absolutely understand your hesitation when it comes to booking a family portrait session at that coincides with your normal dinner & bedtime routine.

But I’m also here to share a few tips with you that will make it soooooo much easier for everyone, and I can promise you we’ll still capture so many smiles, laughs, and adorable moments shared between everyone in your family. Read on for more tips for an easy sunset portrait session with young children!

1. Plan on a late nap.

For the longest time, my son was religious about napping. We couldn’t skip a nap because he needed that time midday to rest and recharge. When you know you’re going to be going to bed a little later than normal, plan to bump your nap a little later in the afternoon, or if your baby is young enough, do an early nap and then a catnap later in the day, too. If you know your child will inevitably fall asleep in the car, leave a little earlier than necessary for your session and drive around while your little one sleeps in the backseat. They’ll wake up and be refreshed and ready to play!

2. Pack snacks.

Have snacks handy, because hungry kids are grumpy kids and we want to avoid that. ;o) I recommend everyone eat dinner before the session, and bring a little snack for the car in case they need it. Avoid messy foods like chocolate and juice, and opt for cheese, crackers, dry cereal, fruit, a pouch, etc. Be sure it’s a food that won’t stain their teeth and tongue. Basically, gummies and oreos are a bad idea because they will be stuck in their teeth in every. single. photo.

3. Bring their PJs and change into them when we’re all done.

This will make bedtime even easier when you get back home. Toss those pajamas in the car and they’ll be ready when we finish photographing your family.

4. Don’t underestimate the power of a bribe.

And don’t feel like you need to apologize for it, either! I know from photographing my own son just how well a bribe can work to get him to listen and smile for a short period of time, and I fully support whatever you choose and I will help get the kids excited about it during their session, too! I can’t even begin to count how many sessions we’ve talked about “So, what kind of ice cream will you have when you’re all done?” to get a little one to smile and excitedly tell me their favorite flavors, and it makes them happy to chat, smile, and interact when they have something to look forward to afterwards.

5. The most important one: relax and have fun.

This is key. If you’re stressed, the kids will sense it and they will feed off of the vibes and be unwilling to cooperate and enjoy themselves. Relax. Take a deep breath. Maybe have a glass of wine before heading out the door. Let me coax the smiles out of your children, and you just worry about loving on them and making some memories together. And you can guarantee that those cuddles and memories will be oh-so-beautifully documented for you to enjoy for many, many years!

Check out more tips for a meltdown-free session with young children!

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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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9 Tips to Look your Best in your Upcoming Family Portrait Session

Your family portrait session is coming up, and you want to look your very best in portraits that will be hanging in your home for years. While it’s true that your family portrait session is really about the kids, you still want to look & feel good in photos, too! You and your kids are going to be looking back on these photos for literally decades, and I completely understand the desire to capture your very best self in portraits.

First of all, you might be feeling a little self-conscious in front of the camera. I can assure you that nearly every adult I have ever photographed is at least a little bit self-conscious when the camera comes out, but once we start your session it all melts away. We keep things light and fun with games, laughs, conversation, and plenty of tickles for the kids. By making the session all about the kids having fun, the adults are automatically more focused on the kids and less focused on what their chin looks like on camera.

But still, a few tips go a long way! Read on for tips to look and feel your best at your next family portrait session.

1. Be comfortable in your clothing.

Choose clothing that is appropriate for the weather. You don’t want to be too cold OR too hot because that discomfort will show in your smile. Opt for fabrics that feel nice against your skin. In the summertime I love flowy, lightweight fabrics on moms. Dresses and long skirts photograph especially beautifully in the warmer months. In the fall, lightweight sweaters and layers are beautiful — avoid chunky knits that add bulk to your frame. For pants, tops, and dresses, choose a cut that is flattering and comfortable to move around in, and one that doesn’t keep slipping down so that you have to adjust it every 30 seconds.

PRO TIP: Try your entire outfit on (including shoes!) at least a week before the session and wear it for an hour around the house to make sure you can sit, stand, pick up the kids, and move freely without being too restrictive or too revealing.

2. Hydrate!

Drink lots and lots of water in the week leading up to your session. Also, be sure to pay extra attention to your skin and exfoliate & moisturize. All of this together will give you a beautiful glow that radiates from within, and you are going to love your portraits!

3. Take care of yourself before you take care of the others.

I know, I know. As a mom this is such a hard thing for us to do! But I promise you that a little extra self-care the day of your session will help you be and appear more relaxed in your portraits. Consider having the kids sleep at grandma & grandpa’s the night before so that you can get yourself ready in peace. Sneak away for a blowout at your favorite salon. Leave work a little early if it’s a sunset session so you have some time to listen to your favorite music or an audiobook or podcast, and just be intentional about taking a little extra time for yourself.

THEN get everyone dressed and out the door. Plan to arrive early so you don’t feel rushed in case something causes a slight delay — potty breaks, traffic, a wrong turn. With the right mindset ahead of time, all of those are tiny little speed bumps and they won’t throw you off even a little bit.

4. Consider getting your hair & makeup done professionally.

A hair & makeup artist knows just what to accentuate and which makeups look best on camera. They know how to apply a little more for emphasis without going overboard. Every time you step out of their salon you’re going to feel amazing. If you can, set aside 1.5 hrs before the session and treat yourself!

5. Know your most flattering angles.

I will guide you during the session, but sometimes when juggling a few kids and trying to get them to stay in one spot and smile, we don’t always notice every little thing about mom or dad’s pose. It just happens! So, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

• Angle your body so that one side is slightly towards the camera, and then put your weight on the back leg. Avoid being straight on with your shoulders squared to the camera.

• Tilt your top half slightly towards the camera.

• Be sure to turn your face to the camera. If you feel like your face is hidden behind a family member’s, it probably is. Bring it out so I can see your whole beautiful face!

• Remember that I am going to ask you to get extra close to your family members, so don’t be afraid to lean in and squish those faces together.

• If it bends, bend it! Keep your arms slightly bend and away from the waist to define your waist. If you have pockets (dads!), a great way to do this is to place a hand in a pocket — I prefer just a few fingers in the pocket so your hand doesn’t look like it’s been cut off. Bend your front knee just a little for a relaxed and flattering look.

• Bring your chin out and slightly down to avoid that dreaded double chin.

6. Choose everyone’s clothing carefully.

I have sooooo many blog posts on choosing the right clothing, and every family receives a welcome packet with tips, too. Neutrals with a few pops of color are wonderful, and coordinating colors (but not matchy-matchy) is definitely the way to go. Plus, make sure every single person is comfortable in their outfit ahead of time, and don’t forget about shoes. The last thing you want is neon green light-up sneakers to stick out like a sore thumb in your classic family portrait!

7. Focus on the kids (instead of you!)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Portrait sessions are so much easier with kids! When you’re busy making them smile and laugh, your natural smiles will come through, too. Focus on them and any worries about how you look on camera will melt away. And trust that your photographer (me!) has plenty of experience with where to stand in relation to you, where to place the kids in a way that’s flattering to you, and how to use light for the very best effect to give you absolutely stunning images.

8. Understand how Photoshop can help (and how it can’t!).

We’ve all heard that Photoshop can do amazing things. And when it comes to family portraits, I let every family know that most things that stand out to parents in their portraits can usually be clicked with just a click or two in Photoshop. Honestly, it’s usually a little more than just a click, but there are so many little things that might bother you in a photo that if they just disappeared you would love it, and oftentimes a photographer will edit those before you ever see the finished images, and it will still look perfectly natural and just like you so that you’ll never even know it was corrected.

Here are just a few. Some of these I do automatically, and others I only do if a client specifically requests it. My goal is to only remove temporary blemishes and leave any features that are more permanent unless a client requests it (i.e. scrapes and pimples are removed, but birthmarks or scars stay unless requested otherwise).

• Removing blemishes, cuts, scrapes, bug bites, nose boogies from toddler noses.

• Slimming arms and legs

• Filling in a sparse hair line

• Adjusting a neckline that may have slipped or revealed more skin than you would like.

• Removing bra straps, bra lines, panty lines.

• Fixing flyaway hairs

• Removing a stain on a shirt or piece of clothing

However, Photoshop is not a cure-all. You still need to do a little work before the session to arrive put-together. Here are things I suggest you do that will not be easily fixed in Photoshop.

• Iron your clothes and remove wrinkles ahead of time. If your child’s outfit will get wrinkled in the car seat, wait to get them dressed until you arrive at the session location.

• Remove any stains in your clothing before getting dressed that day.

• Clean your glasses lenses so they do not have any marks on them.

• Remove chipped nail polish. Have bare or freshly polished nails for your session.

• Choose your clothing and undergarments carefully and be sure they fit. We cannot fix something that is too tight or too low-cut.

• Be sure you love your clothing. Colors will not be changed in Photoshop.

Psst! I recently published a blog post with tips to look your best in your maternity portrait session! Check it out here.

9. Remember to HAVE FUN!

This is the most important part. We’re only together for about an hour, and I want these memories to be ones that you look back on and LOVE. Not ones that you look back on that stress you out. Stay calm, let me worry about getting the kids to show their personalities, and trust that I will capture their very best smiles and the most amazing cuddles that you want to remember forever.

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