Saratoga Springs Maternity Portraits with Traditional Indian Dresses

Shreya and Alvin are expecting again! This sweet family chose to do a maternity session as part of their Collective Membership. It’s hard to believe this was actually our first session together! Shreya, Alvin, and Ariya are naturals in front of the camera! While we included maternity portraits, it was also important to me that we captured what life is like as a family of three (soon-to-be four) right now. The result was some truly sweet portraits of Shreya, Alvin, and Ariya. 

We did their session right before the holidays, and we started off with some holiday portraits for their Christmas cards. Ariya was so adorable, and I love these family portraits and her individual poses! This little girl has so much personality, and we had a lot of fun with her in the studio. She was not shy at all and loved being the center of attention with her parents. 

After we were done with the holiday portraits, it was time to move into Shreya’s maternity portraits. Shreya brought this handmade white anarkali, a traditional Indian dress that she also wore when pregnant with her firstborn. It was stunning in person and photographed so beautifully on her, and I love the simplicity of these portraits in our all white studio. Including Shreya and Alvin’s traditional Indian outfits was so special to me. I always want my families’ portraits to feel like them - including what’s important to you. 

Shreya and Alvin, thank you for trusting me with this special moment in your family’s story. I can’t wait to see you all again for our next session together! 

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Autumn maternity portraits with a toddler

Andrea and Robi are expecting their second baby girl and reached out to me about family portraits in Congress Park this fall to celebrate their pregnancy! I love these two and their sweet daughter, Giuliana so much. It was a joy to see them all and hear about how things have been going for Andrea through her pregnancy.

The day that we planned to meet in Congress Park turned out to be stunning. We had the most beautiful fall colors all around us and I was just obsessed with capturing this family of three (almost four!) in them. Their little girl, Giuliana, had a great time playing in the leaves too. She looked so sweet in her little blue dress and boots. Her parents had a great time hugging and snuggling up on her, making her laugh!

Andrea brought two looks to the session - a dressier maternity gown and a casual fall ensemble. I think the mix was perfect! She picked a beautiful pink gown to start the session and it popped against the yellow trees. I always love a good maternity gown! Afterwards, she changed into a more casual outfit for the rest of her portraits. The black shirt and leggings were a great option for the fall colors around us.

I’m so excited for this sweet family and hope to meet their second little girl soon!

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Maternity portraits for a yoga instructor

I’m so excited for Lauren and Tim to be welcoming their first baby, a little girl named Anna Marie. This family is extra special to me because they’re actually our neighbors! They moved to Saratoga Springs from Boston last winter, and we are thrilled to be two doors down from them with their little girl on the way. We can’t wait to watch their daughter and Adelaide cross our lawns and knock on each other’s door for play dates when they get older. It was definitely emotional when Lauren reached out asking about a maternity session!

When we began to plan their session, Lauren mentioned she wanted to incorporate her daily yoga practice into the portraits. She’s a yoga instructor so it was something meaningful to her. She had this colorful pillow in her yoga studio and it was perfect for her portraits. We planned her outfit to coordinate, and I love the brilliant pop of color! We used the same yoga pillow in her newborn session (which will be on the blog soon!). It was really fun to see the continuity between the two sessions.

Another wishlist item for her maternity session was a silhouette portrait. This was so fun to capture for her, and so beautifully classic as a black and white portrait. I love when my clients help me to lay out what they want in their portriats. Finally, Lauren and Tim wanted a more casual vibe for their couples portraits and I love how this turned out with the chunky knit sweater and jeans. The lace bralette is officially one of my new favorite items to recommend for maternity portraits, and I love the look of it with the cardigan in these images! Lauren - you are absolutely glowing and I’m honored that I was able to document this special moment for you and Tim!!

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Why you should add on a maternity session when scheduling newborn portraits

Most couples and families come to me with the plan to schedule newborn portraits to celebrate the arrival of their new baby. But, not many mamas think about a maternity session for themselves. Pregnancy is a journey - and one that should be documented and captured. While it’s fun and exciting to think about the day your little one arrives, there’s still so much that happens before they ever make their appearance earthside. That’s why I want to share why you should add on a maternity session when scheduling your newborn portraits!

Pretty soon, everything will be about the baby.

It's important to celebrate this stage where it's just the two of you as a couple, too. It's the last time it'll ever be just the two of you again!

You will positively glow in front of the camera.

Pregnancy hormones may not always be fun to deal with, but your skin & hair has never looked more amazing. Why not take advantage of that extra glow with some portraits celebrating the journey you’re on?

Mamas, your body, your mind, and your heart have gone through so much to carry this baby.

Pregnancy is not easy, but it is beautiful. Honor this moment and capture portraits that you can look back on to remember just how incredibly strong your body is!

These moments are part of your family’s story and history.

If you're having a little girl, one day she may have children of her own and she will want to look back on these portraits of you carrying her in your belly. She's going to look at her beautiful mother and identify so much with the woman in the photographs. This is a gift you can give your baby 30 years from now.

Document all of life’s milestones.

Your walls tell your family's story, and framing your wedding, maternity, and newborn portraits is such a beautiful way to document all of life's most important milestones for you to look back on daily.

My own journey with pregnancy + maternity portraits…

I’m ending this blog post on a personal note… My #1 regret with my first pregnancy was not documenting it with anything more than cell phone selfies every couple of weeks. I had planned to take some portraits right at the end, but then we wound up delivering a few weeks early and I never got the chance to. Me, a photographer, barely had any photos of my first baby bump.

So when we were expecting our next and last little one, I made sure to capture photographs to remember this season of our lives. I am so glad that I slowed down and made it a priority to step in front of the camera this time around, and I know I will treasure those photographs (and my little girl will, too!) for the rest of my life.

Finally, did you know that adding a maternity session on to your newborn session is only $100? We usually schedule maternity portraits for 28-36 weeks.

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Sunlight Maternity Portraits in Downtown Saratoga Springs

Heather and Lee are expecting their first baby, a little girl, and I had the honor of photographing their Downtown Saratoga Springs maternity session! As with all of my outdoor sessions, we scheduled a rain date in the hopes that we wouldn’t need it. But, we wound up having to switch to that date after all! The night of our original session, we had torrential downpour. Instead, we truly lucked out with our second date. We even got the most beautiful gorgeous golden light peeking through the trees and buildings during their session.

One of the best parts of Heather and Lee’s session was getting to explore Downtown Saratoga Springs with them. I found a few new spots I loved along Broadway and North Broadway. They turned out to be gorgeous for these new parents! Heather chose three outfits for her maternity session. This is very common with my mothers! It’s nice to switch up the fancier and casual looks, especially when doing an on-location session like this one. Honestly, I love Heather’s yellow dress that we started with! It popped perfectly against the buildings downtown.

Congratulations, Heather and Lee! I’m so excited for you and your new little girl!

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Celebrating Baby #2 - Maternity Portraits in Congress Park with Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

How beautiful is Katie?! This is my second time capturing a maternity session for her and Zach, and I’m so thrilled I was able to document another milestone for their family! Katie and Zach are one of the sweetest couples I know and their older son, Carter, is always a joy to see, too! I’ve been working with them since Katie was pregnant with Carter - for her maternity session and milestone sessions for him, too!

Now they’re expecting another little boy and Katie reached out to me about her maternity portraits. I couldn’t wait to get them on the schedule! We decided to split her session between Congress Park and the studio. It allowed us to capture a few different looks for her - and I think it worked out perfectly!! She used some of my gowns from the Mama wardrobe for the studio, which I loved. That green and white lace dress is one of my favorites and Katie looked amazing in it. Carter was all about being a brother already - hugging his mom’s belly and smiling nice and big for us.

I can’t wait to meet their newest addition. Katie and I are actually due the same week - so I’ll be thinking of her as we welcome Baby #2, too! Congratulations again, Katie, Zach, and Carter! I’m so excited for your new baby boy to enter the world!!! He is already so loved.

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Golden Sunset Maternity Portraits in a Field, Saratoga Springs Maternity Photographer

Alexandra, Dan, and Baby Lincoln are welcoming a little girl to their family this year! I was so excited when they contacted me about maternity portraits this fall. This sweet family just moved here from Hawaii and they were so excited to document this season of anticipation. I know they’re all so excited for their baby girl to make her arrival!!

Alexandra’s one request from the start was that her portraits felt candid and had a nice bohemian feel to them. She chose the perfect gowns from our studio’s Mama Wardrobe to bring her vision to life! She decided on sweet little suspenders for Lincoln, who just turned one this summer. The entire session, he was having blast with his parents playing and running through the field. He’s going to be the best big brother!

I can’t wait to meet their little girl soon for her lifestyle newborn session. They have a beautiful nursery all ready for her arrival, and it will be so perfect in her lifestyle portraits. After her newborn session, we’ll be creating a stunning heirloom album with both sets of portraits to preserve their memories. I’m so excited to design it for them!

See more from our mama wardrobe!

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Maternity portraits in a meadow with Saratoga Springs photographer

Patty just has the glow every woman dreams of when they find out they’re pregnant! This beautiful mama and her husband, Jared, came to my Saratoga Springs studio to capture this incredible milestone in their family. For her maternity portraits, we were able to head to a field about a mile from the studio and then come back inside to do a few more looks in the studio!

Doesn’t this mama look absolutely radiant in this beautiful peach gown in the field?! If you happen to love the gown, too, you’ll be pleased to know I’ve now added it to my Mama Wardrobe! Patty looked incredible and the peach color was the perfect pop against the green grass around her and Jared. Despite some pesky (and persistent!) mosquitos, they were both champs and put up with them for the sake of gorgeous portraits!

Then we headed back to the studio for two more beautiful looks. This gorgeous mama brought a sweet striped dress that she wore in the studio - and actually brought back to wear again in her little girl’s newborn portraits a few weeks later. And their newborn session really was just a few weeks later. Their sweet baby arrived 3 weeks early, before we even had a chance to finish the ordering appointment for her maternity session! We had a great time recreating portraits from their maternity session during their second session in the studio.

After both sessions, these new parents chose all of their favorite portraits for a stunning heirloom album that I know they’re going to enjoy looking through with their baby girl for many years to come!

TIPS FOR LOOKING & FEELING YOUR BEST DURING MATERNITY PORTRAITS!

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Stunning maternity portraits in downtown Saratoga Springs

More and more mamas have been choosing gowns from the studio’s Mama Wardrobe for their portrait sessions, and I absolutely adore how beautifully they wear these dresses! Just look at how gorgeous Lindsay was during her maternity session — she truly GLOWS and you can’t help but feel excited for her and her husband as they get ready to welcome their little baby this summer!

Check out the dresses in the Mama Wardrobe here!

This tight crop showcasing her beautiful baby bump is one of my favorite studio shots to capture, and I love how clean and classic it is with the light streaming through the white curtains behind this gorgeous mama!

After her studio maternity portraits, we headed to downtown Saratoga Springs for a few more portraits of these parents-to-be. Two outfit changes, lots of “congratulations” and horn-honking from passerby, and a handful of streets sparkling in the sunset later, and these are some of our favorite images that we created together!

I love how these portraits outside of 15 Church look like they are in their own little world as they lean into each other. They are just soooooo excited to welcome their baby this month! You wouldn’t even know that there were a few diners inside that window peeking out at them to congratulate them!

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Christmas Maternity Portraits in a Greenhouse with Poinsettias

When Amy reached out to plan a maternity session, she knew she wanted to go back to her family’s nursery where she did her first maternity session a few years ago. This place holds a special meaning for her family, and it’s a place where her children will spend countless hours growing up. Plus, it’s picture perfect!

We had a private greenhouse all to ourselves filled with poinsettias just a few weeks before Christmas. It was truly magical. We captured portraits of Amy in one of the gowns from the studio’s Mama Wardrobe, and her son Willem joined in for a few cuddly photos, too!

I absolutely love the colors and how the red flowers pop against the whites and the neutrals. If only I could find a way to photograph all of my sessions in a greenhouse with perfectly soft light and beautiful plants! Just gorgeous!

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Maternity Portraits in our Classic Studio Gowns

I know one mama who is excited to see her maternity session blog post! This sweet mama-to-be is due in September, and she was absolutely radiant for her maternity portrait session. We started with studio portraits in our Saratoga Springs portrait studio, and Genna selected a few of her favorite gowns from our Mama Wardrobe. I especially love the boho lace off-the-shoulder gown on her! Doesn’t she look like a goddess???

Genna was excited to show off that gorgeous baby bump with some bare bump photos, too! An oversize shirt was the perfect accessory. Wondering what else looks good in bare bump photos? Cozy cardigans, lace kimono tops, swimsuit coverups, and bathrobes!

Next up were sunset portraits at the Hall of Springs with their puppy! I loved doing a mix of indoor and outdoor portraits for their maternity session, and the outdoor portraits were the perfect opportunity for their fur baby to join us.

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Inspired by this classic maternity session in our Saratoga Springs studio? Save this image or any from the post above!

Enjoy a sneak peek at our beautiful new mama gowns in the studio

One of my favorite things about our maternity sessions is helping these mamas-to-be feel like radiant goddesses for their portraits. I love celebrating their baby bump and talking with them about their little one’s upcoming arrival, and getting so excited to plan their newborn session together.

However, one thing that clients always ask me is:
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR???

It’s hard. I get it! You want something that is going to photograph beautifully, and when you’re pregnant, you want an outfit with a soft & flowy fabric that is going to accentuate all of the beautiful parts of your shape that you want to show off. It sounds easy enough, but when you go searching for an outfit it turns out they are incredibly hard to find.

That is why I have a studio closet filled with gorgeous gowns for our clients — maternity clients, new mamas with their tiny babies in their arms, and even mamas with older babies and toddlers!

Melissa came to the studio with the most adorable baby bump to model a bunch of our new gowns, and I love how beautiful these classic styles are on her!

Our mama wardrobe has something for everyone.
Flowy fabrics
Lace
Cap sleeves
Strapless
Off the shoulder
Sheer
Floor length
Short
Lots of white
And so many colors, too!

We have a bunch of infinity wrap dresses like the ones below, which can be tied a million different ways to create a different style of dress every time. I love these dresses because they flatter every single body and they help mamas feel amazing and so, so beautiful!

Winter Maternity Portraits with a Red Gown

When Lorraine first reached out to plan her maternity session, we talked a lot about leaving some wiggle room in our calendars to try and align it with a snow day. After a few snowstorms that promised 7 inches of snow simply disappeared from the forecast, we decided to go with a wintery session (minus the snow!) at our original location. The end result? Absolutely lovely maternity portraits!

Lorraine & Moe brought their THREE fur babies with them. I always love incorporating dogs into our sessions, and these three were pretty amazing. Can you even believe we got a portrait with all of the dogs facing forward? No Photoshop head swaps or dog swaps necessary!

This mama-to-be looked radiant in her red gown, and it popped against the neutral and cool winter landscape.

This might be one of my favorite shots from this session! I LOVE the excitement on their faces here!

Lifestyle Maternity Session with Saratoga Springs NY Maternity Photographer

When Ashley & Tyler reached out to me to plan their maternity session, they knew they wanted something a little different.  Something a bit more relaxed.  Something cozy.  I suggested a lifestyle maternity session in their home with their dogs, everyone all cuddled up together on the couch, on their bed, and in the nursery.  They were so excited, and I just love how their entire session turned out!

Waiting for baby is an absolutely magical time, and I love capturing these baby bumps and mamas glowing with anticipation, eager to meet their little ones in a few short weeks.  

Ashley was truly radiant, and so eager to meet her baby girl.  I adore these quiet, backlit moments in this light-filled corner of their home.  When I saw the light streaming through the windows in this alcove, I **may** have asked Tyler to move the dog crate and an end table out of the way.  Definitely worth it for these beautiful portraits!

They designed the most beautiful nursery with stars and a moon on the navy blue walls, and the furniture was Ashley's when she was a little girl.  

All of our maternity sessions have time for an outfit change, which is a great opportunity to do two very different "looks" in your portraits.  I love the more casual tunic and leggings that Ashley chose to wear in the bedroom, and the cozy portraits that we captured of this sweet family of **three**!

Check back soon for their sweet baby girl's newborn portraits!

An Airy Studio Maternity Session in Saratoga Springs | Saratoga Springs NY Maternity Photographer

Jessica's maternity session was extra special because of the timing. 

Her original due date was only one day before my due date, and she wound up delivering her baby girl early, just a few days after her gallery reveal appointment!  I received a text from her one morning saying, "Well, I won the 'whose baby will be born first' contest!"  I was as shocked as she was, and then just a few days later we found ourselves at the hospital getting ready to welcome our little boy early, too! 

I am so happy that we slowed down to capture these moments for this family at the very end of their journey to parenthood.  These maternity sessions are so full of anticipation and excitement, and it's always amazing to celebrate this time as a couple waits to welcome their baby to their family.

Isn't she absolutely radiant?  I love these backlit images that give her such an ethereal quality.

Jessica loved being able to choose a few lace dress options from our studio closet of gowns, and they were perfect on her to show off that lovely baby bump.  

Are you expecting a little one this year?  Plan ahead to do your maternity session before week 36.  You never know if your baby will arrive early, and you wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to celebrate your pregnancy with a maternity session!

Best of 2017 Maternity Sessions | Saratoga Springs and Boston Maternity Photographer

Waiting for baby.  You spend 40+ weeks imagining what it will be like to hold your little one in your arms, dreaming up the perfect nursery, and preparing for life with a baby.  Don’t forget to take time to slow it all down and appreciate this stage you are in right now.  

Pregnancy is an absolutely beautiful time in your life — even if parts of pregnancy don’t feel all that glamorous, you are growing a tiny human inside of you and that little miracle deserves to be celebrated!  This is one of the reasons that I love our maternity sessions so much.  I love working with mamas-to-be, celebrating their bump, and helping them feel glamorous as they get excited to welcome their baby to the world in a few short months.  

All of our mamas have access to our collection of studio gowns for a little splash of something beautiful during their session, and most mothers-to-be radiate happiness and confidence when they look in the mirror and see themselves in one of these long, flowy, perfectly feminine dresses.  With their dress on and a little boost in confidence, they completely rock their session and flaunt their adorable baby bump!  

Every year I love going back through our sessions and sharing a few favorites on the blog.  Enjoy a peek at a few of our most memorable baby bumps from 2017, and be sure to check out our other “BEST OF 2017” blog posts!
 

Did you love this BEST OF 2017 blog post? 
Check out our other top posts on the blog!
 

Best of 2017 Cake Smash Sessions
Best of 2017 Family Sessions
Best of 2017 Lifestyle Newborn Sessions
Best of 2017 Studio Newborn Sessions
Best of 2017 Fresh 48 Sessions
Best of 2017 Brothers & Sisters: Candid and Fun Sibling Portraits
Best of 2017 Beach Sessions on Cape Cod
 

A Summer Maternity Session at Congress Park - Saratoga Springs NY Maternity Photographer

We've been in the middle of a baby boom lately with so many newborn sessions in both Saratoga Springs and Boston, which also means we've enjoyed even more maternity sessions than usual, too!  

Jessica & Matt joined me at Congress Park in Saratoga Springs for a sunset maternity session, and we had the park almost entirely to ourselves on a rare quiet evening downtown.  Jessica wore one of our lavender gowns from the studio collection, and she was absolutely radiant while celebrating her baby bump and counting down the weeks to her sweet little one's arrival.

This is one of my favorite shots from their session, and it's a pose that I think we'll definitely have to do more often!  I love how casual it is while showing off Jessica's beautiful baby bump and her long flowing gown.  

I can't wait to meet their sweet little baby in just a few weeks!  Check back soon for their Fresh 48 session and lifestyle newborn session here on the blog!

A Maternity Session in Congress Park, Saratoga Springs | New York Maternity Photographer

I had so much fun with all of our maternity clients this summer, and I'm excited to share Victoria & Dave's maternity session in Congress Park and Downtown Saratoga Springs with you today!

It's never easy being on the other side of the camera, but these two truly made it look natural as they cuddled up together and told me all about how excited they were for their baby boy's arrival later this summer.  

All of our outdoor maternity sessions are scheduled for the golden hour, that 1-1.5 hours before sunset when everything is bathed in a golden light.  Unfortunately on the day of Victoria's session, the forecast predicted thunderstorms right at the start of their session!  Luckily they were in the Saratoga area early and we were able to get together downtown before the rain started, which was perfect because the moment we each got back into our cars the skies opened up and a downpour began.  

It makes me love these moments captured during the calm before the storm even more, which is a bit what a maternity session is -- 9 months of anticipation before your life is turned upside down in the best of ways.

And of course, anyone that will cross Broadway with me at the Caroline Street stoplight is just so much fun to be around!  We had about 15 seconds before the crosswalk light turned red again the cars started coming again, and I love these moments that we captured in such a short time!  Thanks for truly being up for anything, Victoria and Dave!  You're going to be AMAZING parents!

Maternity Portraits in Downtown Saratoga Springs | New York Maternity Photographer

July & August are filled with newborns this year, and I'm currently waiting on this little one to make his appearance later this summer!  As we count down the days until baby, let's enjoy his mama's beautiful maternity session in Congress Park & Downtown Saratoga Springs!

Meg & Dan were SUCH a joy to work with!  We had the perfect summer evening in Congress Park, and the golden light was the perfect backdrop sparkling through the trees.  These two are absolutely adorable together, and so very much in love.  I loved hearing all about their adventures, and their plans for their baby boy's arrival!  

Congress Park is one of my favorite spots in Saratoga for maternity & family portrait sessions because there is so much variety in such a small little area.  The double staircase built by the Trasks, the gorgeous fountains and stone columns, lots of ducks for toddlers to chase around, so much variety in the greenery, fresh flowers that change with the seasons, beautifully carved stone benches -- the options really are endless for a very fun session and so much variety in your final gallery!

Looking for a family photographer or newborn photographer in Saratoga Springs?  I'd love to chat and plan the perfect session for your family.   Email me at hello (at) nicolestarrphotography.com or click the link below to get in touch!

A Greenhouse Maternity Session with Amy & Lo | Saratoga Springs Maternity Photographer

Sometimes things just come together perfectly, like these two:

Amy & Lo met at the Saratoga racetrack a few years ago on Travers Weekend, and they've been inseparable ever since.  They got married last fall, and reached out to me about planning their maternity & newborn sessions as they eagerly wait for their baby boy to arrive later this summer.

When they mentioned finding a location with a more natural feel, I suggested that we do their session in a greenhouse.  Well, as things just come together perfectly, luck would have it that Amy's family owns a local greenhouse and she grew up planting seedlings and watering the flowers right here in this building.  So of course we decided it would be the perfect location for their maternity session!  

Don't you agree?  I'm in love with the soft, diffused light and the beautiful flowers & greenery!  But of course, the real stars of the show are Amy, Lo, and her adorable baby bump!

They both have family in Holland, so we had to incorporate these vintage wooden shoes into their session.  I love it when families bring a beautiful & meaningful family heirloom to their sessions for us to use in their portraits!

Wondering what to wear for your maternity session?  I have a growing collection of gowns in the studio, like this slate blue one below.  These are perfect for our studio mamas, and I am always happy to let you come visit and try a few on beforehand to choose the ones that you'd like to wear during your portrait session!

Amy absolutely rocked the blue gown, and it looked incredible on her.  I love the way it showcases her baby bump and complements her hair & skin.  She's definitely radiant!

Maternity sessions are best done between weeks 28-36.  If you're expecting a little one, I would love to chat with you about adding a maternity session on to your newborn package!  

Enjoy a few more recent maternity sessions on the blog:

Emily's Backlit Maternity Session in the Studio

Waiting for Baby Luca: A Studio Maternity Session