A return to Boston for a very special family & senior portrait session

There’s something incredibly meaningful about working with a family more than once. I get to see them grow up and capture so many stages of life. When that family has a child who was a former student of mine, everything about our time together becomes even more special. Meet Karyn, Todd, Jenna, and Annabelle!

Jenna was a student in my first grade class back when I was a teacher at a bilingual school in Framingham. We’ve done family portrait sessions together many times over the years, and the last time was on the Cape in 2018. When they reached out a year ago about doing senior photos, I was honored that they wanted to document this special milestone with me as Jenna gets ready to finish up her last year in the Framingham Public Schools! They had been planning to make a trip out to Saratoga for portraits, but it just so happened that I would be in Boston for a prime weekend this fall, and we made it work!

We met up at Larz Anderson Park in Brookline, MA. This was one of my all-time favorite spots when I lived in Boston. It’s so beautiful during the fall, especially. The night we met was cloudy with a little bit of mist, so the park was very empty. It was nice to have it all to ourselves!!

Seeing Jenna again after all of these years was amazing. I loved getting to hear her talk about her plans for the future and what she’s thinking of studying in school. She’s come such a long way from that tiny little six year old with a backpack that was half the size of her, and she’s now a poised and multi-talented young woman. It really was so special to get to see them & capture these last family portraits before she heads off to college. This session truly reminded me that your children are never too old for family portraits - and perhaps they even become more meaningful the bigger your kids get.

Thank you for asking me to document this special time in your life, Jenna - and thank you to Karyn, Todd, and Annabelle for working with me. It was so good to see you all again!!

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A Playful Outdoor Fall Photo Session at Larz Anderson Park

This is what happens when you bring two brothers outside for a photo session on a chilly November day: Giggles, laughter, wrestling, running across the park to warm up, and SO.MUCH.FUN.  Nathan & Noah were an absolute blast to capture on camera, and I am so happy that we fit in a last-minute photo session for these boys in time for their family's holiday cards.

These two arrived to Larz Anderson Park ready to play, and the beauty of our laid-back sessions is that playing is always an option.  It's even encouraged!  I always aim to capture the real you -- your real smiles, your real laugh, and the real way that you elbow your brother in the ribs when you think no one's looking.   ;o)  After all, these are the moments their mom will remember in 20 years, and these are the ones I want her to treasure right now.

I love the smirk in this photo below!

This next photo was captured after the boys were jumping off the wall, and I'm pretty sure they were trying to fly.  Any mom of boys knows that this is just how your photo sessions go.  So, like any mom of boys, this mom was worried about what we did or didn't capture during our session together.  Of course, I told her that it's not all of the crazy moments that we capture -- though we do get a few of those, too!  It's the millisecond in between, and knowing right when to click that shutter button to capture the photo of her boys that she will have on the wall for the next 20 years.

This one right here.  That's the one.

Are you a parent living in Newton, Brookline, Brighton, JP, Roslindale, West Roxbury, Chestnut Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods?  Check out Macaroni Kid -- Newton-Brookline!  The boys' mother, Ali, runs this weekly e-newsletter and website bringing you a list of local family-friendly events.  There is so much amazing information for families on their website, including DIY projects, recipes, local events & festivals, shopping guides, crafts for your kids, and coupons for some special savings for your family!

Macaroni Kid is also on Facebook, so be sure to follow their page for daily updates for family fun!

Macaroni Kid featured Nicole Starr Photography earlier this fall after hearing about our photo sessions for National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.  Check out the featured post here.

A Dr. Seuss Cake Smash | Boston & Albany Baby Photographer

JJ's cake smash was extra special. It wasn't just the Dr. Seuss theme that I created to match his nursery, or the sweet little outfit that his mom found on Etsy with the most adorable bow tie. It's the story behind what you see in these photos.

I first met JJ in October as a part of our gift sessions to local families for National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. With his 1st birthday coming up, his mom knew she wanted to celebrate with a photo session in December. When we first talked about celebrating with a birthday session for JJ, I could tell how important this was to her to give her son this amazing and fun experience that is so typical for one-year olds.  

Though she did have one lingering question -- What about the cake?  JJ receives his nutrition through a feeding tube, and he is a healthy and happy little boy thanks to an amazing team of doctors and two loving parents.  Because he has Down syndrome, JJ may take a little longer to reach certain milestones such as sitting and eating on his own, but he is still their little baby who is turning one later this week, and it was so important that we document this milestone by adapting our cake smash to meet his needs.  His mom really wanted the cake, the messy frosting, the whole experience. So of course, we made it happen!

JJ's cake is actually filled with two pieces of styrofoam that I then decorated to look just like a giant cupcake. His frosting is extra squishy for those little fingers to explore.  I went out searching for the perfect vintage high chair to support him comfortably in a seated position, and I found it at a new antique & gift shop in Sudbury, Laurel Grove. These were two easy little tweaks that allowed this handsome baby to enjoy his cake smash.  JJ got to celebrate his first birthday with a birthday cake & a sugar high, just like his big sister did 5 years ago when she turned one.

So while the photos are oh-so-sweet, it's the story behind the images that truly speaks to my heart, and I hope to yours as well! Leave this birthday boy a little loving below in the comments, and tell us what you liked most about his session!

And of course, these photos of JJ pre-cake smash (and pre-blue frosting!) are too cute not to share.  I love how he is just chilling in the first one!  Such a cutie!

Would you like to see more photos of JJ?   Check out our post from Down Syndrome Awareness Month that features this little guy and so many other heart warming stories from local families.

Finally, want to learn more about Nicole Starr Photography's photo sessions in the Down syndrome community?  Read this amazing post about our collaboration with the National Down Syndrome Society for a series of rockin' photo shoots in NYC earlier this month!

Chasing Chickens at a Rustic Photo Session

Sometimes, you just have to chase the chickens... Brinn's late-fall photo session at a local farm had a few unexpected visitors sharing the frame with her in her images -- chickens!  The chickens were wandering all over the farm the day we were there, and five-year old Brinn loved it!  She went chasing after them, calling out to them to "Come back this way, Chicken", trying to lead them towards seeds and worms to eat.  It was absolutely hilarious, and her mom and I couldn't stop giggling while watching this determined little girl try to herd the chickens during her photo shoot.

One of the things I love most about returning to a location for my sessions is finding new ways to photograph families there.  As a photographer, I know that there are a million different ways to look at any one place or thing.  I love it when, with a little bit of imagination, I can create completely new images at a much-loved location to complement a family's personality.

Brinn is a sweet little girl filled with so much personality, curiosity, and wonder.  I love these sweet images we captured here that showcase her cowgirl boots and her charming little expressions.

Ready for a little more sass?  Give the girl a dance floor in front of a barn door, and she will bring the party!

Finally, it's hard to believe it was late fall when these photos were taken.  The vibrant green grass seems to hint at summer or spring, as does the white fluffy dandelion puff!  I just love how sweet, innocent, and magical this next photo is, and the way those little puffs trail across the image as they float away across the farm.

I absolutely loved capturing this spunky girl's sparkling personality on camera, and I just know her mom is going to treasure her keepsake box of images for many years.

Making Spirits Bright | Our Studio Holiday Sessions

Fa la la la laaaaaa, la la la laaaaaa. As I type this post, my studio smells like a Christmas tree, tiny lights are twinkling behind me, a peppermint marshmallow candle glows on the table, and Ella Fitzgerald is singing Christmas carols on Pandora.   There are presents to be wrapped, cookies to be baked, and cards to be mailed.  And there's definitely a mug of hot chocolate waiting for me somewhere.  It's mid-December, and our holiday cheer is officially at 100%.

I love the holiday season.  Could you tell?  ;o)   The lights, the traditions, the scents, the cozy foods, the gatherings with friends & family.  There is nothing better than those first few weeks of December when the world is a truly magical place.  These are the weeks when everyone is talking about their elves, Santa, and flying reindeer.  The tree in your living room inspired breathtaking wonder, and the colorful lights in your neighborhood fill your evenings with cheer.  The magic of childhood is more tangible than ever.  That same magic that I adore capturing all throughout the year is on full display this month, and I feel so, so lucky to be able to preserve that for the families that I work with.

We hosted our first in-studio holiday sessions, and I had so much fun creating the perfect dreamy set up for our little ones.  We turned the studio into a winter wonderland, a soft cloud-like space where children sat beneath golden stars and told me all about their wishes for Santa and what their elves had been up to lately.  There were giggles, jingle bells, Christmas jammies, candy canes, and songs.

Our holiday sessions were short and sweet, and allowed just enough time for a simple rustic set up, too!  After all, I acquired a vintage sled from another photographer over the summer, and I couldn't let a holiday season pass without using it for some adorable photos!

Wishing you all a magical holiday season!  Take the time to slow down, create memories, and start a new tradition with your family.

Create magic, and inspire wonder.  After all, that's what childhood is all about!

A Fun & Colorful Extended Family Session in Boston, MA {The H Family}

Do you want to know the secret to the perfect birthday gift?  Anniversary gift?  Holiday gift?  New baby gift? A photo session!

Wendy contacted me last winter about booking a family session to surprise her mother for her birthday.  She knew that her mother wanted nothing more than a gorgeous photo of all of her grandkids together.  A portrait of the whole family.  So we gave her just that... plus many more beautiful memories to treasure for a very long time!

We met at Larz Anderson Park in Brookline for one of our first outdoor sessions of the season, and although the overcast sky made us miss a gorgeous sunset, we had the most magical light for our session and it just twinkled in our photographs.

When the first two shots of your session look like these two, you know it's going to be an amazing hour together!

This family was, quite simply, FUN.  We explored, we laughed, we ran around with the little ones, we searched for fish in the pond, we blew dandelion puffs, we climbed trees, and we thoroughly enjoyed our hour together.  It was almost as if we forgot we were there taking photos.  Instead, we just captured the memories.

And the people of honor?  The amazing grandparents that were the reason all of these people came together to play and laugh and love?  

Thank you for SUCH a wonderful session!  I can't wait to see you all again!

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Wondering what else we can do at Larz Anderson Park?  Check out another unique and fun family session here!