Cozy studio newborn portrait session for Winter Lily | Saratoga Springs newborn photographer

I recently had the honor of welcoming Winter Lily to my Saratoga Springs studio to capture her newborn portraits! Winter Lily was accompanied by her big brother, Phoenix, and her parents. Her big brother was SO proud and it was the absolute sweetest thing to watch throughout our session. Our portraits for Winter Lily really focused on the interactions between these two babies and the family together. Winter Lily’s solo portraits featured beautiful pastel colors - and I even got to play with some fun winter overlays and snowflakes! 

While I was photographing Amanda’s family, I knew I was going to fall in love with the final portraits. And, I definitely did! This family’s outfits were perfect in the studio.

When you’re planning what to wear for your own studio newborn portraits, consider light neutrals. Light color shirts reflect light back onto the baby’s face when you hold them up against your chest, it keeps the focus on the family & expressions & love. I’m a huge fan of creating imagery that will be classic, timeless, and simple. Light neutrals help make that possible! 

I’m so happy for this family of four and I’m thrilled that they asked me to document this incredibly special time in their family’s lives! Welcome to the world, Winter Lily! 

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Celebrating baby sister’s arrival with family portraits - saratoga springs newborn photographer

Welcome to the world, Ava Margaret! This sweet baby girl’s arrival was much-anticipated! Her mama went two weeks past her due date, and everyone was so excited when Ava finally arrived. I couldn't wait to meet her at their studio newborn portraits in my Saratoga Springs studio. This family is absolutely the sweetest and I loved every moment working with them. 

Ava was welcomed to the world by her big siblings, Adam and Ellie. I loved watching her big brother and sister with her! They were so gentle and nurturing, and their interactions were adorable. Plus they loved being involved in the session and even wanted to pose for their own individual portraits, too! I call that a definite win in my book - both as a photographer and mom of two littles of my own. 

For Ava’s portraits, we chose a beautiful neutral palette featuring ivory, tan, and some peach accents for her solo portraits at the end of the session. Most of our session was spent capturing this sweet girl with her parents and big siblings, but I loved being able to slowly transition down to her portraits. We focused on simple setups, with some cozy knit blankets and some of my favorite props to show off Ava’s adorable little features. 

Congratulations to this beautiful family! I’m so happy that your newest member has arrived and is so loved!!  

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Classic Studio Newborn Portraits for Baby Ea

Say hello to Baby Ea! Ea’s portrait session was my last newborn session before going on maternity leave to welcome my own baby girl! Ea was the sweetest girl, wide awake for our entire session… but perfectly calm. With that attitude, every single portrait was just adorable and I’m so happy she was so relaxed in the studio. 

For her session, Ea’s parents didn’t have too many requests. We wanted to keep the timeless and classic feeling for each of her setups. One of my favorites was the teddy bear setup because I caught the cutest little smile! Baby Ea is definitely already stealing hearts!! She’s seriously so sweet. Her parents did want to include fresh flowers in her setups, and I personally loved how the purple setup came out with them. 

After their session, we had their ordering session! All of these gorgeous portraits were turned into an heirloom album and circular wooden wall art. I hope that one day Baby Ea flips through her own album of portraits, like my son does, and that they can all look back on these early days of her life with fondness and happiness! 

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Newborn Portrait Ideas - Sentimental Props to Bring to Your Newborn Session

What should I bring to my baby’s newborn session?

I get asked this question all the time, and while the easy answer is “Not a thing! Don’t worry, I have everything here that you need!”, the more complicated answer is, “Well, what’s important to your family? Is there anything special you want to incorporate in your baby’s first portraits?”

(By the way, if you’re wondering what to expect in your newborn session, check out this post with all the details here!)

My portrait style tends to lean towards simple, clean, classic images where the baby is the focus without too many props or distractions taking away from this perfect little being that you just welcomed into your family. However, I understand wanting to make your little one’s newborn portraits your own and I encourage finding beautiful and creative ways to incorporate something meaningful into their portraits. Here are a few of my favorite ideas!

Bring a favorite swaddle from home.

These custom name swaddles are very popular right now, and there are literally hundreds of beautiful designs on lightweight muslin swaddles. I’m sure you were gifted a dozen of them for your baby shower! If you have one with colors that you love or colors that match the nursery or your home decor, bring it! I always love incorporating swaddles into our newborn portraits, and we usually do them as a backdrop or layering blanket to be able to see the full design. Plus, every time you use that swaddle in the coming months you’ll think back to your favorite portrait of your little baby!

Here are a few of my favorite images using swaddles that parents brought from home.

Grandma’s handmade blanket, or another family heirloom.

The beige blanket in the floor of the image below was passed down from the baby’s great grandfather. So was the bonnet! How special that we got to use it in this sweet girl’s first portraits?!

If you have a blanket that has been passed down in the family, or one that a family member knit or crocheted for you and you would like to incorporate it into your session, just let me know!

Jewelry.

There are so many beautiful ways to incorporate a little sparkle into your little one’s portraits! I’ve had families arrive with pearls that were a first Mother’s Day present for mom and baby. Other families with bracelets that mom wore as a baby and now they fit baby. Families with prayer beads that they used during their journey to get pregnant. Families with necklaces passed down from Grandma to the baby, who was given that same grandmother’s name. Whatever meaningful piece that you have, don’t hesitate to incorporate it into your photographs!

A special prop to honor your family’s journey up to this moment.

Rainbow babies. Miracle babies. IVF babies. We’re so lucky to welcome every single baby into the studio for their portraits, and I know that no two journeys to parenthood are the same. Whatever led you here, feel free to honor that story in a special setup for your little one. From ultrasound pictures and photos of embryos, to pineapples to represent their IVF journey, to rainbow hearts and stuffed animals with their angel brother or sister’s heartbeat inside. Your portraits tell your story. Whatever is meaningful to your family should make its way into your portraits.

A nod to a parent’s career, heritage, or hobbies.

This part is so much fun! Think if there is something special that defines your family or that one or both partners like to do. If you’d like to incorporate it into your little one’s photographs, we can! Stethoscopes for doctors during Covid, wedding saris, hiking boots, a hat or badge from a police officer, wooden shoes for a Dutch family, hot air balloons for the family that met at the hot air balloon festival.

There are all things that I have loved incorporating into photographs, and I know there are so many more creative ideas, too! I can’t wait to see what you come up with to make your portraits your own!

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Grace's Newborn Portraits with Two Big Brothers

The last time I saw this family they were welcoming their second little boy into their new home with a lifestyle portrait session, and now we celebrated again with the arrival of their daughter! The S family joined me at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio for a newborn session for their baby girl, and we captured so many sweet and beautiful family portraits of this family of five. Their mama wore one of the most popular new dresses in the studio wardrobe, a gorgeous white maxi dress from Baltic Born that looks amazing on so many mamas and also happens to be my favorite style dress that we have, too!

Big brothers Charlie & Henry were in their element and they enjoyed every minute in the studio, especially the toy corner and the snack cart! Having all of these fun things to play with and enjoy in between shots made it easy for them to come in for the family & sibling portraits and give their very best smiles.

Wondering what to expect during your upcoming newborn session? Check out the full blog post here to know just what will happen when you come to the studio for your portrait session with your new baby!

Can you even believe how adorable and proud they are here with their baby sister Grace?!?!

For Grace’s individual newborn portraits we used a mix of whites, creams, ivory, and peach. Plus fresh tulips because I can’t resist stopping by the florist before my sessions in the spring!

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Adorable newborn portraits with dainty flower headbands

Adorable Baby Melina joined me at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio for her newborn session, and I absolutely loved capturing these moments of this beautiful baby girl’s first days with her family. She had a head full of dark hair that looked so beautiful against all of the soft colors and dainty headbands in the studio and we had so much fun pulling together the blush pinks, creams, and neutrals for her first portraits.

Melina slept like a dream and was so easy to pose into those adorable, squishy baby poses. Her mama chose a mauve lace gown from the studio’s Mama Wardrobe, which is our closet filled with dresses for mothers to borrow during their sessions. It looked amazing on her!

Big brother Vincent was so excited to welcome his new baby sister into the family, and we captured his excitement through great big smiles and giggles and lots of snuggly cuddles with his new sister.

I love it when parents choose this lace bonnet from our shelf for their newborn girl! Doesn’t Melina look so sweet in this?!

Her mama brought her favorite baby swaddle (above) and we incorporated it as a peachy layer in one of her portraits. The theme of her baby shower was mermaids and she received a little mermaid tail as a gift, which we were able to use in two portraits of Melina as well!

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

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

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

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

Because THIS is what matters:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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