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! 

---

Save this post for later!

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.

---

Save this post for later!

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!

---

Save this post for later!

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.

---

Save for later!

Winter Family Portraits in Downtown Saratoga Springs

---

Save this post for inspiration later!

Outdoor Family Portraits in Saratoga Springs with a One Year Old

Can we talk about how adorable this family is?!?!

We celebrate Henri’s first year with family portraits at SPAC in Saratoga Springs, and it was so much fun to see how much this sweet boy had grown since his winter milestone session. He is full of personality & big smiles, and he loves walking all over the place! We truly had a blast as we spent the evening laughing and talking, and capturing the most beautiful memories for this family to enjoy on the walls of their home.

Standing up like a big boy! One of the things I miss most from when my toddler was a baby are those chunky baby legs, so we made sure to choose an outfit for Henri that would emphasize those cute baby rolls that will only be there for a little while.

I love that we captured so many portraits that show his tiny front teeth! Soon he’ll have a mouth full of teeth, but for now it’s just those little ones in the front peeking through. So adorable!

---

Inspired by this fun outdoor session? Pin this image or any from the post above!

A Relaxed Family Session at Home

This lifestyle session in the S family’s new home in Saratoga Springs was so perfect! I absolutely loved capturing the four of them together in the space where they are most comfortable — at home!

We started off playing in big brother’s room, and he was so happy to show me his little tent and play peek-a-boo with his baby brother.

My favorite room in the house was the nursery. There was a wall of windows, and it was perfect for lots of family cuddles and kisses! Big brother Henry was so sweet with baby Charlie, and I loved watching these two adorable brothers together!

Like all of our in-home family sessions, we always love cozying up in the master bedroom and capturing the whole family together on the bed.

---

Love this in home lifestyle session? Pin this image or any from the post above!

2017 Best of Siblings - You've Got a Friend in Me | Saratoga Springs NY Family Photographer

We’re continuing with our BEST OF 2017 blog post series, and today we’re sharing a peek into some of our favorite sibling images from last year. 
 

Brothers & sisters share a special relationship that is part friend, part soulmate.  They know how to make each other laugh and how to cheer each other up.  They know how to tattle on each other to mom & dad, and how to push each other’s buttons and annoy them the most. 

But at the end of the day, they love curling up together and just enjoying each other’s company.

2017 was filled with family sessions, newborn sessions, and cake smashes where the siblings truly stole the show and made for some memorable moments captured on camera.  Digging into their baby brother or sister’s birthday cake, the sweetest newborn cuddles, and tickle fights on the beach were just a few of the top sibling moments of the year!  

Enjoy a peek at a few of our most memorable sibling moments from 2017, and be sure to check out our other “BEST OF 2017” blog posts!

Enjoy a peek at a few of our most memorable family sessions from 2017, and be sure to check out our other “BEST OF 2017” blog posts!

Best of 2017 Cake Smash Sessions
Best of 2017 Lifestyle Sessions
Best of 2017 Studio Newborn Sessions
Best of 2017 Maternity Sessions
Best of 2017 Fresh 48 Sessions
Best of 2017 Beach Sessions on Cape Cod
Best of 2017 Family Sessions

Family Fall Portraits with Grandma and Grandpa - Boston & Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

Three generation sessions are always so much fun!  Grandma & Grandpa always bring a whole new level of excitement to our family sessions, and I love watching them interact with their grandchildren. 

In these sessions we always make sure to capture the more traditional "looking at the camera" shots (because that is what grandparents are always looking for!), and then we add in lots of playful candid moments as well!

Josslyn has been coming to me for her portraits since her first birthday, and this was the first time I watched her with her grandparents!  She loved cuddling up with them, and she was a huge fan of tickling them to make them laugh for the camera.  We definitely shared a lot of laughs during their fall family session!

Family Portraits on Saratoga Lake with Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

I always love checking out new locations for our family portrait sessions, and when Nia reached out to me and told me that she lives on Saratoga Lake, I knew that we would find the perfect spot for her family photos!  The lake did not disappoint...

Baby Blake was the most handsome little guy, and he gave us about a million different smiles during our hour together, each one unique.  At 8 months old, he is filled with personality and it's so clear that he brings so much happiness to his parents' lives.  I love all of the adorable moments we captured of the three of them!  

This is the family's dock on the lake where they spend so much time in the warmer months, and it was the perfect spot to document their baby's first fall portraits.  Imagine returning to the same spot throughout the year to document their family's life, and what that will look like 10 and 15 years from now! 

That's the thing about photographs. 
They are a part of your family's legacy.

Family Portraits at Home with Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

Fall is such a short-lived season here in New York, and we only get to enjoy these colors for a few weeks before everything becomes cold & gray (oh, hey, November!!).  I've been loving all of our outdoor family sessions lately, taking full advantage of the warmer weather, the vibrant colors, and the chance to be outside without a heavy coat.  

When Jenny told me about her vision to photograph their family at home in their backyard with their beagle, and she started talking about a furry vest for her daughter and a leather jacket for her son, I just knew we were going to have a beautiful session together!

These playful, unposed portraits are always some of my favorites, and I loved watching this family love on each other (which from the little ones, sometimes included hugs that turned into sibling tackles!).  I don't think I've ever laughed so much during a session!

Airplane arms!  Isn't he the cutest?

While we've wrapped up our family sessions for the year (because, who wants to be outside when everything is cold and gray???), I'm looking forward to a busy winter at the studio with lots of babies and mamas-to-be.  And I'm already day dreaming about warm springs days, buds on the trees, lots of colorful blossoms, and our playful outdoor family sessions in 2018!
 

A Family Session on the Charles River Esplanade - Boston Family Photographer

Ohhhh, springtime in Boston.  I truly don't believe that there is anything my photographer heart loves more.

Did you know that spring in Boston was how my photography journey first began?  When I first moved to Boston at age 22, I spent all of my free time wandering around the city for hours and hours with my camera in hand.  Spring, summer, fall, and winter.  I wanted to walk every street of that city and capture all of its beauty through my lens.  I can remember so many days spent in the Public Garden, on the Esplanade, and walking through Beacon Hill & Downtown Crossing while finding interesting little stories to capture -- a flower vendor on the sidewalk, a couple waiting outside of a bakery, a reflection in a glass window.  That's how it all started, and how I fell in love with photography!

Ruoxi's family contacted me about planning a family session to celebrate the end of their year living in Boston before moving back to Singapore.  She really wanted an album filled with gorgeous & classic Boston portraits before their big move.  I was thrilled to be able to spend a fun morning with this family on the Charles River Esplanade, right across the river from the MIT campus where the husband had studied all year.  Plus, all the trees were in full bloom, making this one of my favorite sessions in the city this year.

Big brother Lucas was so adorable, full of spunk & energy and ready for a big adventure!  His little brother Elliott was eager to do everything that his big brother was doing, and I just loved hanging out with this fun family.  

Aren't the tulips in front of the Hatch Shell the perfect backdrop?

Of course we had to wander over to the docks, my favorite spot on the Charles River.  I just love that gray-blue of the water in these images!  The wind in the boys' hair makes for some fun energy, too!

Who ever said portrait sessions are all about being serious?  A little fun & games makes it memorable!

Did you enjoy this session?  Check out these other sessions in Boston!

A Family Session on Newbury Street

A Mom & Her Girls in Beacon Hill

Looking for a family photographer in Boston?  We're now booking through October!  Use the contact tab above and let's chat!

A Pink & Teal Cake Smash in our Saratoga Springs Portrait Studio

One of my FAVORITE things about our cake smash sessions is getting to become fully immersed in the creative side of things while I make each baby's custom birthday set-up.  

When we started planning her daughter's cake smash, Addison's mom told me that she loved our blush pink paper flowers (you know these flowers by now, they're the super popular ones in this post, this post, and this post -- and they're for sale here!).  I wanted to do something unique for her session, and after seeing her inspiration boards that included pops of teal & gold as well as pink, I knew exactly what we would do for a shabby chic cake smash for her baby girl!

Addison LOVED IT.  When the birthday girl first realized that the sugary confection was just for her, she gave us the most awe-filled look that said, "Really?!?!  For me?!?!?"  And then she dug right in!

I first met this sweet family from Rutland, VT a year ago when Addison was only two days old.  I visited them in the hospital for a Fresh 48 session to celebrate her arrival, and we captured some of my favorite Fresh 48 moments ever in their light-filled hospital room.  And now she came to my Saratoga Springs portrait studio one year later, all grown up with the biggest smile and the most bubbly personality.   This little girl is pure sunshine, and I loved capturing these family photos of everyone together.  They adore their baby girl, and she very clearly brings so much light into their lives.  

Thank you so much for joining me at the studio for your first birthday cake smash!  

Did you love this whimsical cake smash? Check out a few of my favorite cake smash sessions here on the blog!

A Butterfly Cake Smash in Saratoga Springs
A Cookies & Milk Cake Smash in Saratoga Springs
"I Love You to the Moon & Back" Cake Smash in Boston
 

Celebrating Motherhood Sessions with Boston & Saratoga Springs Portrait Photographer

It's hard to believe that we just wrapped up our THIRD year of Celebrating Motherhood sessions!  This was the first year I brought the sessions to Saratoga Springs, and my third year capturing these special moments for our Boston-area mamas.  (Check out the 2015 and 2016 sessions here!)

This year's event was extra special.  In Boston we enjoyed hair & makeup by Tiffany Cantin, HMUA of Six Bay Road Salon.  In Saratoga, Breeanna Nicholas Artistry and Laura Graver pampered our moms with hair & makeup.  

Sweet Ivie was one of our sponsors, providing lots of lovely headbands for the little girls to enjoy, while Simply Made created beautiful bandana bibs and bowties for the baby boys.  And special thanks to Crown City Bread Company for the sweet treats, and Butterfly Baby for goodies in the swag bags for the moms.  And of course, our beautiful and whimsical wardrobe was supplied by Rainey's Closet!

Now, let's get to the fun part!

Ohhhh, these moms & their babies were just the sweetest!  I always love capturing these sweet little moments between them, slowing it all down to celebrate the beauty of motherhood and of this sweet but fleeting stage of having little ones at home.  Pampering the moms with hair & makeup always makes them feel extra glamorous, and these moms were such naturals in front of the camera!  They showered their little ones in cuddles and kisses, and we captured so many beautiful moments for them to enjoy!

Waiting for baby is always such a special time filled with anticipation & love.  Laura joined us with her son, who is about to be a big brother!  He leaned in close to listen to his baby sister, and he was just the sweetest!  Plus, seriously now... how amazing does Laura look?!?!  She has such a beautiful glow about her!

Funny story behind this image below...  So often little kids lean in for a quick peck on the cheek, and they pull back before I can click the shutter.  Laura told her son to "pretend you're a zombie sucking brains out" to get him to slow down for a kiss.  I doubled over laughing, so surprised at this description.  But it worked!  

Sofia was an only child last year when she came with her mama to our motherhood sessions, and her mom was waiting on Baby #2's arrival.  This year I was so lucky to get to meet her little baby sister, Catania.  Their grandfather was there for moral support, and he truly saved the day by capturing the girls' full attention and getting them to smile for us.  They lit up the moment he walked in the room, and it's clear to see that he shares a very special bond with his granddaughters.

And the twins!  Bella and Finley have been coming to me since their newborn portraits, and I was so happy to see these girls at our Motherhood event this year.  Their mama appeared so calm & relaxed, which is definitely a feat for a mama of two little ones under two!  The girls looked like princesses in our dresses from Rainey's Closet, and we had so much fun capturing the sweetest cuddles of them with their beautiful mama.  

The last time I saw Michael and his mama, he was a tiny six-pound newborn baby!  Now he has such a big personality, filled with smiles and ready to give hugs to everyone in the room.  We had so much fun in their three-generation session, and his mother and grandmother were such a joy to capture together for their portraits!

This was Elyse's first year at our motherhood event with her son, after meeting at my DSLR workshop a few years ago.  Her little boy loved being the center of attention, and jumping on the bed was definitely his favorite part!  He curled right up into his mama's arms, enjoying lots of cuddles.  He won't always be this small, and he won't always come looking for hugs and kisses, which is why it's so important to enjoy every single one now while you can!

Heather came to our event for a three-generation session with her two little ones and her mother, and I loved capturing some sweet moments of all of them together!  Plus, their outfits were beautifully coordinated with the pops of pink and teal that went so well with her maxi dress.  Looking for more tips on how to select outfits for everyone in your family?  Check out this helpful blog post on wardrobe ideas for your session this spring!

A Springtime Mommy & Me Session in our Saratoga Springs Studio

This sweet little family was so much fun for their springtime session at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio!  If you haven't noticed, I have been loving all of our spring sessions lately.  I'm shaking off the winter blues by incorporating lots of flowers, greenery, and pastel colors.  Plus, these adorable little headbands from Sweet Ivie are my new favorites, and they're part of a new collaboration I'm doing with the designer!

This family has been living abroad for a few years, and they just moved back to the U.S., so it was the perfect time to capture some sweet memories of this gorgeous mama and her little ones!

Federico had the most amazing curls, and such a spunky personality!  He is an adventurous little guy who brought his big imagination into the studio.  The moment he saw my curved bench he decided that it was (of course!) a racetrack, so he pulled his toy cars out and started racing them up and down the seat of the bench!  Love his creative little mind!

Daphne was the sweetest little thing, and she loved pretending to feed the birds on our new hand-painted Lavender Fields backdrop by walking over to them with flowers in her hands and letting them have a little nibble.  She spent the second half of our session bonding with the birds, and we were able to capture so many adorable images of her and those sparkling blue eyes!

Love her dress?  Me, too!  It's from Nellystella, and you can rent the same one from Rainey's Closet for your upcoming session!  You'll be seeing a lot more of Rainey's Closet on our website in the coming months because their dresses are so soft & whimsical, and absolutely the best quality out there for unique looks for your session!

Love the backdrops?  Check out a few other recent spring sessions at the studio!

Hazel & the Lavender Fields Backdrop

Two Sisters with their Sweet Ivie Headbands

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!   

A Relaxed Family Session on a Bed | Saratoga Springs, Albany & Boston Family Photographer

Dreamy backlit images, fluffy white beds, and lots of light.  Those are a few of my favorite things, and I love that this entire session is filled with all three!  

I've been photographing Veronika's family since her daughter was born, and when she told me that Baby #2 was on the way and that they'd love to get some new family portraits a few months after his arrival, I was thrilled to see this sweet family again to capture some new memories of everyone together.

We had a relaxed and comfortable session on our giant studio bed, and everyone was bathed in the natural light pouring through the windows.  I love the beautiful moments we were able to capture of this gorgeous mama and her two little ones.  

Her baby boy Charlie has the wisest, most soulful eyes of any baby I've ever met.  He is such a sweetheart, and I love these images that capture his observant personality perfectly.

And Sophia is growing into such a beautiful, fun, and talkative little girl!  It doesn't even feel like that long ago we did her 3-month milestone session at her home, and now she's grown into a vibrant little girl and a nurturing big sister.  She was so good with her baby brother, and I loved watching how well she took care of him.

Do you love the bed as much as I do?  Email me at hello@nicolestarrphotography.com and let's chat about planning a relaxed studio session for YOUR family!  

A Cookies & Milk First Birthday Cake Smash Session | Saratoga Springs & Boston Cake Smash Photographer

When I was designing our new Saratoga Springs portrait studio, I knew I wanted it to be light & airy.  It's not a huge space, so every item in the studio needs to serve many purposes.  Each piece needs to be beautiful AND functional.  

The white walls work to reflect light back on the space, and they make the perfect backdrop for family portraits.  The wooden floors are durable enough for a cake smash, but beautiful enough for a milestone session.  The leather sofa is the most recent addition to the studio, and it had to be comfortable enough for newborn parents to relax on while I'm posing their baby during a three-hour session, but pretty enough to double as a prop in the studio.  And that's exactly how we used it during Miles' first birthday session here in the studio.  

This new sofa is my favorite piece in the studio because it makes for comfortable, casual & relaxed family and baby portraits.  Plus, it folds down into a bed for all of the crisp white bed images that I love including in our galleries!

I just love the casual family portraits that we captured with Miles and his parents to celebrate his first birthday.  They are a local family that came to our Limited Edition Holiday Sessions for their Christmas portraits, and I was lucky enough to see them again a few weeks later for a very fun first birthday session!

If you look really closely at this image above, you might see a few puffs hidden on the sofa... another reason why it works so well in the studio!  Puffs and cheerios blend right in for our littlest movers to enjoy during their portraits!

Miles is SUCH a happy little boy, and we got the biggest smiles out of him!

For his birthday portraits, we originally planned a Cookie Monster cake smash.  Then we decided to start with some Cookies & Milk portraits before the cake smash.  Miles was a huge fan of the chocolate chip cookies, and all of those melted chocolate chips looked adorable framing his great big smile.  I love how he reached out to share his cookies with us a few times -- what a sweetheart!  

But it's a good thing we started with the cookies, because he later decided that he much prefers cookies to cake, and he was not a fan of his Cookie Monster cake smash!

We finished with a little splash in the bathtub, and this little boy made the studio wetter than it's ever been.  He LOVED bathtime, and we captured so many awesome images of him doing his thing in the water!  Our baths are definitely a fun addition to our cake smash sessions, and I adore finishing up with lots of baby smiles and a bubble bath!

If you loved this cake smash, check out a few more recent birthday babies!

A Very Hungry Caterpillar Cake Smash

I Love You to the Moon and Back Cake Smash

And my favorite...

Our top cake smashes of 2016!