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!

The Branding Series - Part 1 | Thoughts on rebranding & an interview with designer Erica Clayton of Refinery Original

Ohhhh, this post has been a long time coming!  

If you've been following along with our bimonthly business newsletters & blog posts, you know by now that I truly love sharing lessons I've learned along the way as a creative entrepreneur & baby photographer.  Today's blog post is extra special, and it's truly an inside look at one of the  best changes I have ever implemented in the past 5 years of business!

Only one and a half years ago, I had a website that didn't work, a generic logo from Etsy, packaging that didn't match anything else, and no other client touchpoints to really "wow" the families that I worked with.  That sounds pretty awful, right?
 

At the end of 2015, I knew that I needed professional help to not only define my brand, but elevate my brand's visual presence to the luxury & boutique feel that I was moving towards in my business.  With the broken website that I hadn't managed to fix on my own after more than a year of a malfunctioning landing page (because let's face it, coding and web design is so NOT my forte, but it is a definite strength for other individuals!),  I knew that it was time to seek a web designer & branding specialist to help me out!  

In January of 2016, I started working with Erica Clayton of Refinery Original.  We worked together to do a complete rebrand of my business.  I knew that my website & brand was not truly reflecting who I am and the service I wanted to provide to the families that I work with, but I felt completely stuck.  Honestly, I didn't even know where to begin!  

Erica sent me an incredibly detailed questionnaire, and we had a few FaceTime calls to get started and get to know each other.  This woman must have the most incredible intuition and be truly amazing at reading people and their goals, because somehow she was able to take me from being lost in a sea of ideas to narrowing it down the create the most perfect vision that would direct me in my business... and all of that happened in about 3 weeks!  

I spent hours on Pinterest searching for anything that inspired me -- fabrics, kitchens, quotes, clothing, fonts, paint colors, jewelry, home decor.  I sent her links to web layouts that inspired me, and pages upon pages of content for the website.  Through all of that mess of ideas (as you know, us creative spirits can be a bit messy sometimes!), Erica was able to see the threads of consistency that wove them all together -- a little bit of whimsy, a touch of femininity, the innocence of childhood, just a hint of sparkle, and a whole lot of emphasis on STORYTELLING.  What she came up with blew me away, and I remember thinking, "Wow, so THAT is what Nicole Starr Photography should look like!" the very first time she sent me my inspiration board, below:

But still, after the inspiration board I remember thinking, "Now how exactly is that going to be translated into everything I do in my business?  What does that look like?"  She figured it all out, and it was such a smooth process as she created my logo, website, and collateral pieces.  She frequently paused to ask me for more info on this part or that part, images for this section, or to really dig deeper into the heart and the WHY behind another part of the brand.

I loved the entire process, and I had never been as proud of anything I've done with my business as I was when it was officially #NSPLaunchDay.  Finally, I was able to present the heart behind Nicole Starr Photography to the world in a way that I knew truly represented who I am, why I do what I do, and the type of experience I always aim to deliver to the families that I work with.

Back in January of 2016, I thought then that launching was the best part.  But I discovered that, as cheesy as it sounds, the best truly was yet to come!  

It's been one and a half years since I launched my new brand, and I am so pleased to say that it is now ever stronger than it was when we launched -- and I looooooved it back then, but I love it even more now that I've been able to grow into it!  That's what you want, right?  To create a business that represents who you are in such a way that you'll be able to grow into it for years to come!  

Ever since we launched I've carried the design elements that Erica dreamt up for me into my newsletter, my social media pages, my product offerings, and my packaging.  My album designs and birth announcements even show those elements that represent my business, right down to having the same two recognizable fonts on every piece of written material that ever goes out from me.  Everything goes together so beautifully, and it's now so much easier to create something new since I already know my fonts, colors, and layouts that work together for the best first impression!  

Rebranding professionally truly has made my life as a business owner so much easier.  I have created countless pieces of printed & digital marketing materials, and I now consider every little detail from the size, colors, and font, right down to what kind of paper they are printed on. 

Over the past 18 months, I have been at multiple events where I had potential clients comment on the look & feel of my marketing materials, be left breathless when going through my products (that is seriously such a compliment and I am so honored when that happens!), and others even tell me later on that the reason that sealed the deal and they decided to book me was because of how professionally I had presented everything to them.  Every time that happens I write Erica a quick little note to thank her again for her services, because I know that I never would have been able to do this on my own!

So today, I wanted to welcome Erica Clayton of Refinery Original to the blog as our guest blogger.  We are going to start a series of blog posts this summer focused on discovering & defining your brand, and Erica is here to get us started!  Check back in every two weeks for the next post in our series, or sign up for the newsletter to have the post delivered directly to your inbox!

So now, please meet Erica, my favorite designer who has a big heart for helping creative entrepreneurs make an incredible first impression!  (P.S.  She's also a member of The Rising Tide Society, one of the ways in which we first connected!)

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I’m Erica Clayton, the designer behind Refinery Original. We are a husband + wife team, he’s the visionary with the big dreams and plans to get there and I am the designer that takes the vision for our business and our clients’ businesses and bring them into a cohesive brand.  Or rather, he’s the brains, I’m the beauty. Our ultimate goal is to support, educate and CELEBRATE creative entrepreneurs. 

 

Tell us about you and your family:

We were married young, he was 22, I was 21 and we quickly grew our family over the last 10 years {we celebrate our 10 year anniversary in a couple weeks!!!}. We have 5 incredible kids — our girls, Noah (8), Shea (6) and Tatum (5) and our boys — Diesel (3) and Lincoln (1). People think we’re crazy for having so many but I wouldn’t have it any other way! They may drive us crazy sometimes but it’s worth every minute, even with every fight, every fit and every failure, there is always a victory in the end. We, as parents especially, and them as our kids, simply have to persevere {perseverance is a huge part of our family mission statement}. 

As a family, we are avid roadtrippers, like drive across the country in 3 days roadtrippers. A few summers ago, we conquered a 48 state road trip in 3 weeks. If you ever get the opportunity, do it. The sights and differences in topography are incredible. We also love adventure {hence roadtripping} and we try and make a new adventure happen every couple weeks. It’s a time for building our relationship as a family and our legacy as parents. Those times of motivation when hiking up a 700 foot waterfall with our then 5 and 3 year old and seeing their faces when they reach the top and feel like they conquered the world — that is when character is built and they view victory as attainable.

We are coffee connoisseurs, our current favorite is Kicking Horse Cliff Hanger {buy it on Amazon, it’s robust flavor is unrivaled}. More than the flavor, we enjoy coffee because of the feelings and emotions that are derived from a cup of coffee, comfort, warmth, nostalgia, safety, all the good feels in one cup. Also, Sunday dinners are our favorite, they include opening our home to our friends and family for a home cooked meal {I love cooking!} all in an effort to create a safe haven and opportunity for fellowship. Through our 10 years of marriage, we have found that all good conversation and growth happens over food or a cup of coffee, combine the two and you’re in for a sweet, satisfying time.

Tell us about your business, and your favorite types of client experiences:

I could talk about our family for days because I just love them so much and they are fun in abundance but let’s get down to business {to defeat the Huns — Mulan fans?}. We started branding and website design 7 years ago. After years of navigating the entrepreneurial world, we honed in on our target audience, nailed down our services and watched our business grow in ways we only dreamed of. Working with creative entrepreneurs not only made the design aspect of our business fun because I had beautiful images to work with but it made the nitty gritty business side of our company enjoyable because creatives appreciate the time and effort that goes into creating a brand. It’s not something slapped together, it takes thought, precision, and craft to take someone’s visions, dreams and goals and bring them into a visual reality. 

The client experience is the bread and butter of everyone’s business. It is in a sense, free marketing. Make the client experience something that leaves your client with jaw dropped — you can double down on the fact that they’ll be sharing your name with everyone they know. My absolute favorite part of the client experience is the feelings that rise up in your client. #1 goal — leave them with all the good feelings and they’ll never forget your experience. Brand visuals, gifts, collateral all go into creating that unforgettable client experience but the greatest component of your client experience is YOU. The way you interact with them, the communication, the support, the joy, that is the definition of your brand. 

You truly have a magical way of connecting with your clients & tapping into who they really are to represent that in their websites and branding.  How do you do that?:

When designing alongside my clients, we dive deeper than just the pretty things they think they want. We go into their goals, the dreams they have, the legacy they want to leave. We get to the root of their story. Your story is where it all began, what drives you, what will keep you motivated when the trials of business come. It’s your why and the most important step when developing your brand. Establish your why and everything else will follow. 

I have included a short tutorial, The Refining Process, for you that will walk you through. These 3 simple steps will help you narrow down your why, your ideal client and how you’ll deliver your why to your ideal client. So — we go into their why and evolve from there, sorting through aesthetics, creating content that makes an impact and tells a story, curating a cohesive portfolio and choosing collateral piece that only further enhance the client experience. From your first touch point to the last and even years beyond, your brand should be strong and cohesive, always delivering a story. 

What advice do you have for photographers or business owners who are looking to get started with developing a brand for the first time?

There is so much that goes into developing and designing a brand but when it comes down to it, telling a story is the greatest thing you can do. People are consumers, they consume content. You want your content/your story to be one they can’t get enough of. Outline your story, make a plan of deliverance and put it into motion. 

You don’t need a completely custom website design to build a strong brand and honestly, if you are just starting out, your money can be spent better elsewhere {like marketing} BUT you do need a logo and website and it is ALWAYS better if it is aesthetically pleasing! 

With creative entrepreneurs in mind, I have designed prebuilt brands and websites that can be customized for your business. This alleviates the need for a $5000+ budget and puts a powerful, beautiful tool in the hands of those with more conservative budgets. On June 2, Refinery Original will be launching 7 new brand experiences, from the logo to website to collateral, all cohesive, all gorgeous. Follow along with us for more details about our launch {it’s going to be a big one!} and if you sign up for our newsletter, you’ll get first access to our designs with an exclusive subscriber discount.

I’ll close with this, establish who you are in your business, how best your business can serve others and how you can deliver an incredible experience and you are set with the essentials of a growing business. 

REFINERY ORIGINAL

www.refineryoriginal.com

Instagram: @refineryoriginal

Facebook: Refinery Original

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I would love for you to have an amazing experience digging into the heart & soul behind your brand, and to work with a designer who will help you make the very best first impression with your potential clients.   Just because we're photographers & business owners, doesn't mean we're good at web design and branding and every other task that we take on as creative entrepreneurs.  

Take my advice, and hire a professional who surpasses all of your expectations!  If you're thinking of working with Erica, please let her know that I sent you!  Be sure to follow her page for info on the exciting new templates she is launching on June 2, too!

The next post in our Branding Series is coming on Monday, June 5!  Check back then to learn all about discovering your branding style!

A Studio Newborn Session with Tulips - Boston Newborn Photographer

You know how some things were just meant to be, and certain paths were meant to lead people together?  I 100% believe in that, and it rang true with sweet little Brynley Marie's newborn session at our Attleboro portrait studio.

Right before her session I headed to the florist to pick up some fresh blooms for Brynley's session.  After a streak of one newborn boy after another, I was excited to bring some pretty florals in for a baby girl.  I knew I wanted tulips, and there were only two colors there that day: pink or yellow.  I went with the pink, and I'm so glad I did!  Read on to hear the full story.  

When Brynley's mother walked into the studio and saw the little setup with our pink tulips, I turned around right as I heard her exclaim, "Oh my god, pink tulips!" 

Although we had never talked about this in our pre-consultation, the fates aligned as Jill told me the story of pink tulips in her life.  When Jill (baby Brynley's mother) was born, her aunt brought her a bouquet of pink tulips in the hospital.  Every year after that, her mother gave her pink tulips on her birthday.  When Brynley was born, the excited new grandmother brought pink tulips into the hospital to welcome her granddaughter into the world.  And then at her newborn portrait session, I coincidentally also had pink tulips for this sweet baby girl!

Truly, it couldn't have been more perfect!

We didn't stop with just tulips!  This springtime baby enjoyed lots of beautiful florals in her session, and I am in LOOOOOOOVE with the portraits that we created in the studio.  Brynley was nice and sleepy, which allowed us to capture these sweet poses all curled up and dreamlike.

Capturing portraits of the new mommy & daddy is always one of my favorite parts of our newborn sessions.  It's so magical to be able to see yourself through someone else's eyes, capturing the swirl of emotions that you're feeling during your first days as a family of three.  These are portraits that you're going to come back to year after year, when your baby no longer curls up in your arms or comes to you asking you to kiss their boo-boo.  

Many years from now when they are all grown up, your baby will have a baby of their own.  And you know what they'll want to see, hear, and know?  What life was like for YOU as a new parent when you welcomed them into your family.  They will want to connect with you and share in this life-changing experience with you.  These family portraits are the very beginning of their story, and they are worth capturing every single time.  

I tell all of the moms & dads that I work with -- get in the picture.  You will never, ever regret it.

Check out a few of our recent studio newborn sessions!  

Killian's Cream & Gray Newborn Session

Blake Vivian's Nautical Newborn Session

We are now booking newborns at our Saratoga Springs & Attleboro studios, and the best time to book is during your second trimester.  Be sure to reserve your spot early as we do fill up quickly!

Welcome home, Harrison! A Lifestyle Newborn Session with "A Modest Life" - Boston Newborn Photographer

Oh my goodness, these lifestyle sessions have my whole heart!

Our Spokesmama, Robyn Racheotes of www.amodestlife.com, invited me into her home to celebrate the arrival of her second son, Harrison.  Robyn's Instagram account is filled with beautiful images of her home -- lots of airy light, nautical details, the most perfectly styled shelves, and lots and lots of stripes.  When she mentioned that she'd love to do a lifestyle newborn session at home, I was thrilled to join them in this cozy & beautiful space to capture so many moments together!

Aren't newborn cuddles the best?  Robyn & Pete were so in love with their little boy!

This family loves spending their free time at the beach on Cape Cod, so of course it was important to capture all of those beachy details in the nursery.  Aren't these board books the cutest?!?!

Newborn sessions with a toddler at home always keep me on my toes as a photographer -- we have to act quick to capture the perfect shots with an active toddler who is just getting used to the idea of not being the baby of the family anymore.  Nicholas was so excited about his baby brother.  He wanted to cuddle & kiss the baby at full speed, the same way that toddlers explore their whole world.  The moments that we capture with a toddler are always short & sweet, but they perfectly portray this stage that they're in while welcoming their new sibling home!

Congratulations to your sweet family, Robyn!  I can't wait to watch the boys grow together as they discover how awesome it is to have a brother!

Want to be inspired?  Go follow A Modest Life for your daily dose of pretty food, travel, decor, and motherhood!

Killian's Studio Newborn Session - Saratoga Springs Newborn Photographer

April was the month that it rained babies here at our Saratoga Springs boutique portrait studio, and I was getting phone calls from new moms every few days letting me know that their little one had arrived.  It was truly such a magical month, and I am so grateful for all of the baby cuddles that I got to enjoy, and the incredible moments I was lucky enough to capture of new moms & dads welcoming their babies into their families.

Killian came to the studio for his portrait session, and I had so much fun with his mom & dad.  They were absolutely amazing and relaxed the entire time, and we spent the three-hour session getting to know one another, learning about their jobs, the dad's tattoos (such a cool story behind those!), and a very unique baby company that makes gear that this police officer dad loves.  I always enjoy when the clients I work with make it so easy to pass a few hours together during the session, and then we get together a few weeks later for the gallery reveal and it's like old friends sharing the baby's images together.  Really, how did I luck out with such incredible clients?  

But of course, Killian was the star of the session.  He has the sweetest little lips, and soft hair that is blonde in some spots -- I see so few blonde newborns, so it's always a treat when one comes to the studio!  He absolutely loved the Huck Finn pose (below), and was super comfy in this adorable hand-knit romper that I just recently added to the studio collection.  

This sweet little boy slept so well during his session, and he was the perfect little model for us!  There were soft "oooooh, how cute!" cries the moment this bear bonnet went on, and he loved it so much that he couldn't help but give us a cute little smile!

Oftentimes parents like to bring a small sentimental item to use during their session -- a handmade blanket passed down from great grandma, a medal from a marathon mom ran while newly pregnant, an item that represents one of their careers.  Killian's dad brought his police badge & hat to use during the session -- he's with the Schenectady Police Department.  I love how we were able to capture a few images of Killian holding his dad's police badge!  

When his dad told me the significance behind his tattoos (every single item represents a family member and the story behind the entire sleeve is truly amazing!), I knew that we had to incorporate this visual family history into his portraits.  This may be one of my favorite dad & baby images we've capture so far this year!  

And of course, his mama was absolutely radiant and so happy to have her little baby boy cuddled up in her arms.  I love being able to capture these moments that show parents in their first days of parenthood, getting to know their little one.  It really is magical!  

Thank you for such an incredible session together!  I look forward to seeing Killian again this year as he grows!

If you're looking for a newborn portrait photographer, we are now booking through October 2017!  I would love to chat with you to plan your session.  Check out our three unique types of sessions through the link below, and use the contact tab to get in touch!

A Rainbow Cake Smash for Lucas | Boston Cake Smash Photographer

Sometimes our cake smash sessions are SUPER COLORFUL (like this Very Hungry Caterpillar cake smash here!).  When Lucas' mom told me that she wanted bright rainbow colors in her son's cake smash, I was thrilled to find a creative way to develop this set in a whimsical way without overpowering her sweet little boy.  Some balloons, garland, and a felt banner did the trick!  Oh, and lots and lots of sprinkles on his birthday cake!  His parents own an ice cream shop, so how could we not include sprinkles?  

This sweet little birthday boy wore the cutest striped romper from June and January, and I just love how well it coordinated with his set.  Plus, it was simple and playful, and perfect for a little baby boy.  By the way... he LOVED his cake.  

This is definitely my favorite shot as he's reaching for his first bite of cake, and I love how he is suspended in midair with those bright blue sparkling eyes looking right at me.  

Lucas' big sister, Ella, came and joined in the fun.  She was so excited to show her brother how to eat his cake like a puppy dog, and she really got into it.  There were sprinkles everywhere, and we loved every second of watching these two sweet little siblings interact.  

Of course, all of our birthday sessions also include family photos, and we had so much fun playing and laughing together to capture some fun memories for this family to enjoy.  Want to see how much Lucas has grown?  Check out his lifestyle newborn session here on the blog to see this cutie when he was only a few days old!  Even back then, his big sister was so sweet and attentive!

Photographer Education Post: Lessons Learned from a Failed Hard Drive

The unthinkable happened to me.  Every photographer’s worst nightmare:  my external hard drive bit the dust.  It was a Friday afternoon, and I had just sat down to edit my very last session after an incredibly productive week filled with too many sessions to count, travel, and lots and lots of editing.  I was in such a good mood because my to do list was dwindling right before my eyes.  I only had one thing left to cross off on the entire list, and it was to edit one final session from the week…  
 

And then my hard drive failed me.


My hard drive tipped over on its side, right on top of my desk.  It didn’t fall off the desk, it didn’t shatter, it didn’t get dropped down a flight of stairs.  It just tipped over, but it was as awful as it would have been if I had dropped it out a window.  It started emitting those dreadful clicking noises and my computer didn’t recognize it was plugged in anymore. 

I panicked.

I tried restarting it.

I yelled.  

I tried plugging it into a different computer.

I definitely screamed a few choice words.

And I was almost in tears when I called customer service.

But you know what?  Only 48 hours later and I still had no idea yet if the data recovery people would be able to salvage anything on my hard drive.  During those 48 hours I decided to be proactive and fix/save/re-do everything that I could.  So that two days after the incident, I had already resolved everything that had sent me into a tailspin when the hard drive crashed. After all that worrying, everything worked out completely fine in the end.  So what happened???

This tiny little catastrophe has forced me to look at my workflow and make a few changes.  I have figured out a much safer system for backing up my files to hopefully prevent this from ever happening again.  And honestly, I went the easiest route possible because this is the most tedious part of my workflow and one that I would rather avoid — give me all of the pretty creative things, because I just don’t have the patience to deal with technical tidbits.  

After my experience with my failed hard drive, I wanted to share a post on what to do when your hard drive ever fails you -- let's be honest, it's not IF your hard drive fails, it's WHEN.  You always think, "That will never happen to me."  But it will happen.  And I want to share with you how you can prepare your workflow now to prevent a total meltdown and loss of files, clients, and sales when this inevitably occurs.

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First I have to say, there is not one “right” or “wrong” way to do anything.  This method works for me right now, and I’m sure I will change it as time goes by.  Take what you’d like from this post, and I hope it helps you take a good, long look at your workflow to see where any gaps might be so that you always have a solid backup plan in place.

Prepare for the worst case scenario with every single session.  You never know what is going to happen — your hard drive could tip over on your desk and just stop working on a Friday afternoon like mine did!  Follow these tips to always keep your images safe! 

Tip 1:  Don’t reformat those SD cards yet!

Keep all images on your memory card until you have delivered the final gallery to your clients.  This saved me.  Luckily I still had every single recent session on my SD cards so that I could go back, transfer the RAW files again, cull, and edit.  Yes, I wasted time having to go back and do all of this work again, but I was so grateful that those images were still there.

Tip 2: Have a backup to your backup.

I own two external hard drives where I am storing all of my 2017 sessions.  Honestly, I didn’t used to do this, but a friend walked me through her storage process last year after I had spent a very, very long time worrying about what would happen if my one lonely hard drive ever malfunctioned.  So now I have two just for this year, and they are set up to mirror image one another once a week.  My problem this time was that they hadn’t mirror imaged each other yet the week this all went down, so all the work I had done that week was gone.  Clearly I need to change that setting and make it happen more often now!  Once I get my hard drive back from the manufacturer, this will be the first thing I do!

Tip 3:  And then back them all up online. 

I had been putting off setting up an online storage account that a friend kept recommending to me, and the instant my hard drive failed I was kicking myself for not doing it sooner.  But then I realized that a few of my “missing” galleries were actually saved online in Shootproof because my clients had requested online access for a few days to finalize their orders that we discussed in person.  This was a total lifesaver, and I had all of those high-res, beautifully edited JPEGs ready to download because they were backed up in Shootproof.  I plan on upgrading my account to the unlimited version, and I now upload every single gallery to Shootproof just for storage after I edit the session.  First I save them to my external drive, then I backup to the backup external drive, then I upload to Shootproof.  They are in THREE locations.  Since I do IPS, I rarely use these galleries for clients to view, but now it will serve as an online library for me in case I ever need it again.

Tip 4:  Allow yourself some grace.

You know the saying, “under promise and over deliver”?  In this industry, many of us live by this motto, and I truly believe it is so important to always wow your clients every step of the way.  

So when we tell our clients their images will be ready in two weeks, we’re really trying to set up their gallery reveal for 1-1.5 weeks from now so that they feel like we made their experience our top priority.  I do this all the time with every single client!  But sometimes you need to build in a buffer on the calendar and allow yourself a few extra days just in case you need to edit those images again, or in case you order proofs from your lab and there is a delay in shipping.  

When my hard drive crashed, I had not yet started setting up my gallery reveal appointments for the sessions I had finished editing that week.  This gave me a little breathing room when it came time to re-edit everything.  Thankfully the clients still enjoyed their gallery reveal sessions n the promised amount of time, with just as many images as they would have received the first time around.  My portrait clients will never even know that there was a glitch on my end because I was able to fix it in two days by following all of the advice I’m including in this post.  Yes, I had to give up half of my weekend to recover everything, but now it’s all done and I can breathe easy again.  Allow yourself some grace.  This way you can still over deliver to your clients and continue to wow them every step of the way, even if the unthinkable happens.  

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If you follow steps similar to those above, you should be all set if your hard drive ever does crash, malfunction, tip over, or just fail.  But if you find yourself in my situation where you are panicked, possibly yelling, and wondering how in the world you’re ever going to work through all of your sessions again, here is one other tip that sped up my re-editing process and truly saved me hours of work as I went through these sessions for the second time.  

Make culling & editing easier the second time around with 2 computer screens.

Since I had already chosen my final images the first time around, I simply opened Lightroom on my laptop, where all of the “missing” images were still able to be viewed, just not downloaded or edited.  Then I opened Lightroom on my desktop with the new RAW files and marked them one at a time based off of the file numbers that I could view on my other screen.  This cut my culling time down immensely, and I was able to re-cull all of that week’s galleries in record time.

Same thing for editing!  I had made a couple of very particular tweaks to my images because of difficult lighting or skin tones — anyone that works with newborns knows that a lot of work goes into correcting the skin tone of a baby who has jaundice!  Rather than reinvent the wheel and edit everything from scratch, I was able to view the changes in the Develop module of Lightroom on my laptop, and make those exact same changes on one image at a time on the images on my desktop.  I still had to go in and do certain tedious tasks in Photoshop, but because I had already done them once before this week, they were very fresh in my mind and they didn’t take long at all.

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So there you go!  I hope you never need these tips, but if you do, I hope you'll find them helpful!  Enjoy a few more blog posts written just for photographers here:

A Month of Content Ideas for Social Media

A Guest Blog Post by Jessi Metzger: Why Work with a Mentor?

Why I Decided to Invest in my Baby Photography Business

4 Essential Props for a Baby Photography Studio

What to Wear for Your Family Portrait Session this Spring

Do you have a portrait session coming up this spring or summer, and you're wondering what to wear?  OR, have you been putting off a portrait session because you're worried you'll never find matching outfits for everybody?  

Stop worrying, and let me help you!

Long gone are the days of matchy-matchy outfits -- come on, you know what I'm talking about!  White button down shirts and blue jeans on every member of the family, or black tops and khaki pants on every single person.  That style is incredibly dated, and it's no fun at all!  That's not how you normally dress in real life, so why should that be how you dress in your portraits?

When we plan a custom portrait session together, I want to create images for you that reflect who you truly are.  I want to show your personality, your unique style, and to give you artwork that will complement your home decor so that you can proudly hang your favorite memories over the sofa or in your hallway.  I want your portraits will blend in seamlessly and complement your space & your decor.  

This post is filled with ideas on what to wear, and you can find many more looks including easy ways to shop what you see in the images over on our Pinterest board.     Looking for even more ideas, along with some photo inspiration?  Check out this blog post from 2015 to see perfectly styled sessions with some of my favorite clients!

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Choose 2-3 colors, including a neutral color, and use a little bit of it in everybody's outfit!  Here we're selecting from shades of blue and gray to coordinate everyone's clothing.

Keep your fabrics similar!  If mom is wearing a linen sundress, then you don't want dad to be in a sweater and heavy jeans!  Actually, have you noticed that none of these inspiration boards include jeans?  Fitted dress pants look great on dads, and they definitely give your portraits a much dressier, classier look!  Try shaking things up with a look that's a little bit different from your everyday jeans, and you might just love it!  Layers also look amazing in portraits -- a vest on your son will be so adorable over a button down or a T-shirt!

While I don't recommend everyone wearing solid white, it's a nice addition to any wardrobe compilation!  Here the texture on the dress keeps it interesting, as does the pattern on the little sister's leggings.  Play with patterns and texture to give your wardrobe more personality -- the more you have, the more you will love your images!

Think of the location we're going to be shooting in, and also think of your complexion & hair color.  Choose a color palette that flatters you and that you feel comfortable and confident in.  Blush and cream doesn't suit everyone, and some women look stunning in vibrant jewel tone colors!  Go with what works for you, and let me know how I can help you pull all of the outfits together!

Be daring!  Have a little fun with patterns.  Spring is the perfect time to incorporate floral patterns into your outfits for a family portrait session, and there's nothing I love more than seeing a mom completely rocking it in her floral print dress.  If you love it, wear it!  Then choose a few colors from that design and base the other family members' outfits on those colors to coordinate.  Below, we chose the coral, gray, and white from the dress to use in everyone else's outfits.

Last but not least, if we're going to be shooting outside anywhere other than the beach, don't forget the shoes!  Your perfectly styled outfit will look just a little bit "off" when your son's everyday-wear fluorescent green light-up sneakers are paired with his gray & blue vested outfit.  Simple, neutral shoes are best to protect your feet during the session, but be sure everyone tries their shoes on and wears them around for at least 1-2 hours before the day of your session to ensure that they fit comfortably.

After all of that beautiful inspiration, are you ready to book your family portrait session?  We're now booking for the spring and summer, and I would love to capture some gorgeous memories for your family -- perfectly styled, of course!  
 

A Relaxed Newborn Session at Home in Charlestown | Boston Lifestyle Photographer

Welcome home, Catherine Grace.

Your mommy & daddy loved you long before they brought you home from the hospital, and they were beaming with pride and joy holding you in those first few days after you were born.  There are always these moments of awe that take your breath away when you look at a family that has just gone from 2 to 3, and this sweet little family was no exception.

I loved getting to visit Catherine's family at their home in Charlestown for a lifestyle newborn portrait session.  It was a warm spring day, and their home was filled with soft sunlight peeking in through the curtains, with Boston's old brick buildings just outside the windows.  Inside, the three of them cozied up together, the new mommy and daddy cuddling their fresh baby girl.  

She was a dream baby, so sleepy and calm.  We captured so many yawns and smiles from this adorable little girl during her newborn session!

She was also my most smiley newborn to date.  Normally we're lucky if we capture one smile in a session -- Catherine gave us FOUR smiles, all of them captured on camera.  With her beautiful smiles and that full head of hair, she is gorgeous!

I'm now booking lifestyle sessions through October in Saratoga Springs & Boston!  Please contact me today and let's plan your baby's welcome home session!  

A Stylized Portrait Session for Mom & Four Children - Saratoga Springs Photography Studio

Do you know what's coming up this weekend?  Our Celebrating Motherhood event in Boston!  

I am so excited to capture lots of beautiful, candid, and truly breathtaking moments shared between moms and their little ones.  I'm looking forward to pampering them with hair & makeup by Tiffany Cantin, HMUA of Six Bay Road Salon.  I can't wait to watch moms, babies & grandmas come together for three-generation memory-making.  And I'm truly looking forward to watching the REAL moments unfold...

Like this one: 

Baby Sister knows that all eyes are on her and she is the star of the show!

April came to the studio for her Celebrating Motherhood session with her four children.  She's also a photographer, but has very few portraits of her with all of her babies, and she was thrilled at the opportunity to capture them all together in this moment.  I just love the way her daughter snuggled up against her, and the way her oldest son was so serious when the camera came out, turning those soulful eyes towards me.  Her younger son was an absolute blast, so funny and full of energy.  And baby girl was just so happy, knowing that everyone in her family was going to give her cuddles, tickles, and sweets throughout the session.

The pink gown that Mia wore is an absolute favorite of mine.  I rented it just for this session, and now I'm scouring websites to find one to add to our studio collection.  It's the perfect twirling dress, don't you think?

Mom and her boys.  One day they will tower over her.  One day their voices will be deep and melodic, and she'll no longer be able to fit them on her lap.  One day they'll be scooping her up into great big hugs in their strong arms.  But today, she's enjoying every bit of their childhood while it lasts!  

This last little outtake is a favorite of mine from their session!  Are you ready for the story behind the image?  

Our Saratoga Springs studio is on the whole first floor of our home.  April's family was in the studio in the late afternoon, and I heard the front door open and close when my husband Jeff came home from work.  I called him downstairs, and he popped his head in to say hello.  Before he came in, baby sister was all over the place in typical toddler fashion.  But the moment Jeff walked into the room, she stopped, completely mesmerized.  We were able to capture the image above within seconds of him coming into the studio, and when he went to leave, the image below is what happened next!  She didn't want him to leave, and ran towards him with her arms wide open searching for a hug!  ;o)   It's definitely my favorite outtake of 2017!

Just a few spots left for this weekend's Celebrating Motherhood portrait sessions!  I'll be in Attleboro on May 6, and in Saratoga Springs on May 20.  Click below to reserve your session!

Did you love this motherhood session?  
Check out a few more recent favorites on the blog, too!

A Springtime Mommy & Me Session

Portraits of Motherhood

Keeping Your Social Media Content Fresh When You Have a Brain Freeze

The social media brain freeze.  We've all been there.  

It's when you go to post something and you dig through your images trying to find one that hasn't been shared before.  And then you need to write a caption and you are 100% completely and totally stuck.  What could you possibly have to say that is NEW, INTERESTING, and that people will want to read, click on, like, and engage with?  

You finally figure it out, you hit that "post" button with a satisfying click... and nothing happens.  Facebook has shown your post to exactly 27 people.  And now you have to do it all again later this afternoon, and tomorrow, and the next day because if you don't keep on top of your social media game, Facebook (and Instagram, and Pinterest) will stop showing your posts to anyone at all.

Social media has become this crazy game for business owners where you're constantly trying to figure out the algorithms to get more views, grow your audience, and find the best time of day to post. It's a game where the rules are endlessly changing, and one where you always feel like you're lagging behind everyone else with their curated feeds and their perfectly gorgeous content.  

So for those days when you have an absolute brain freeze and you don't know what to post, I'm sharing some helpful little tips to keep your content fresh on social media!  There are enough ideas here for AN ENTIRE MONTH of content, so print them out and keep them handy!

Tips to Keep Your Social Media Content Fresh
When you Have a Brain Freeze

1. Share a behind the scenes picture of your work space.
   

2. Photograph your studio (props, products, decor) and do a series of posts giving a little peek into your professional space!
   

3. Keep track of your birthday babies, and share their images one year later! Even better, share their blog post to bring more traffic to your website!
   

4. Pay attention to the upcoming holidays, and curate your feed to focus on those. Hint, hint: Mother's Day and Father's Day are coming up, so start saving those images in a folder to post in the coming weeks!
   

5. Celebrate a client's milestone or achievement!
   

6. Share a picture of your client's product order. Not only will they love the sneak peek of their album and canvases before delivery, but it will get your other potential clients excited about the products they can create from their session with you, too!
   

7. If your clients are bloggers or business owners, cross-promote each other and share posts from their page that your audience would find relevant!
   

8. Turn a review into a pretty graphic to share on your page!
   

9. Give a few tips for what to wear to your session, and include a few well-dressed families in the images!
   

10. Outtakes always make people laugh. Share the crying pictures!
    

11. Take a selfie of you at your workspace! Whether you're in yoga pants and a topknot editing on the couch, or you just got spit up on at a newborn session... share the real life moments! People want to see more than just perfectly curated images!
    

12. Tease a new set you're working on with some close-ups of your decor!
    

13. Share an interesting article that your audience would find relevant, and tell they why you found it interesting! Some of my highest-ranked posts have been from sharing articles that weren't even my own, but they brought more followers and more engagement to my page!
    

14. Invite your followers to follow you on a different platform.
    

15. Do a quick introduction for your new followers, and include a headshot!
    

16. Share a recent project you're proud of.
    

17. As you're tackling your to do list, tell your audience what's new with your business this week or this month!
    

18. What are the most common questions you get asked? Create a series of posts educating your clients on this so that they know the answer before ever having to ask you again!
    

19. Every time you get a new prop for the studio, share a pretty image of it with ideas on how they can use it in their session! This will make more clients truly want to spend time with you and hire you for their portraits!
    

20. Talk about the babies, their milestones, their personalities, and something cute that mom or dad said during the session. When in doubt, just share real stories of real life. That is going to get more love than anything else because it's heartfelt!
    

21. Ask their opinion about something! It can be as simple as "Color or B&W?", but get them engaged so that they want to comment on your post.
    

22. Post a before & after image to show the amazing transformations in post-processing that you are proud of! And then talk about the benefits of hiring a professional photographer. ;o)
    

23. State your core brand beliefs. Tell them why you do what you do.
    

24. Get personal. Share a glimpse into your life. Whether it's a peek into your daily life, a hobby or habit you have, a vacation, or a special anniversary or birthday. Your clients want to know that they are hiring a real live person, and they want to connect with you. Let them connect with you by getting to know you!
    

25. Videos. They are your friend!
    

26. Do you have limited dates available for sessions? Share a graphic with the dates! This creates a sense of urgency and you will watch your inbox be flooded with emails from families wanting to grab a session on one of those last dates on your calendar!
    

27. Give an expert tip for something THEY can do at home to take better pictures of their children. After all, the best camera is the one in your hand!
    

28. Direct followers to check out specific content on your website. Are you really proud of your cake smash gallery? Send them there! Want to show them your studio updates? Give them the link so that they check it out!
    

29. Turn your social media followers into newsletter subscribers. Make it easy for them to sign up, and remind them to sign up every now and then!
    

30. Share a behind the scenes picture or video from your session!
    

31. Make a quick little slideshow video for an animated portfolio!

So, there you have it.  31 tips to keep your social media content fresh when you have a brain freeze, and enough ideas to post one every day for a month!  

I hope you've found these helpful, and I can't wait to share more ideas with you to grow your baby photography business!  Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to receive tips & inspiration to grow your business right in your inbox!

A Lifestyle Newborn Session in the South End

Oh my goodness!  Going back through this family's images is the perfect way to start my day.  Lifestyle newborn sessions at home have my heart, and I love everything about these tender & intimate peeks into a family's life during their first few days at home with their baby.

Charlie's mom & dad were absolutely glowing with joy as they cuddled their baby boy, rocked him to sleep, fed him halfway through the session, and sang him a few songs that were playing on Pandora during our morning together.  They were not frazzled parents of a newborn baby, but calm & mindful, relaxed & happy.  It was such a refreshing hour together, and I loved this little peek into their lives at home!

One of my favorite things about their condo in the South End of Boston were these great big windows overlooking the city.  Windows like these are a photographer's dream, and it was the perfect backdrop for their family portraits.  

During their session they told me that the moment they saw those windows when they were house hunting, they were sold and they knew that this was their future home.  Well, the moment I saw those windows when Charlie's mom sent me a few pictures of their home in an email, I was also sold and I knew that our session would be absolutely perfect in their home!

Our lifestyle sessions are relaxed and easy as we drift from the nursery, into the living room, and into the master bedroom to capture natural and unposed moments with your baby.  They are going to spend countless hours feeding their baby on the couch, cuddling up in the master bed, and looking out the windows to show their baby boy the cars, trucks, and trees below.  This space will hold so much meaning for their family, and I love that we get to capture these moments for them in this exact same space where Charlie will grow up.

This image below was one of my favorite moments from our morning together.  While I was taking some individual portraits of baby Charlie, I noticed his parents' reflection in the bedroom mirror.  They were looking at him with so much love, awe, and admiration that I couldn't help but sneak them into the photograph, too!

If you loved Charlie's lifestyle newborn session in Boston,
check out a few of my favorite lifestyle sessions on the blog, too!

A Beautiful In-Home Session with Twins

Let Me Call You Sweetheart: A Lifestyle Newborn Session

A Light & Airy Session at Home with Lucas

Waiting for Baby Luca | Boston Maternity Photographer

Sweet baby Luca...

Long before she held you in her arms, your mama loved you.  She held a special place in her heart just for you, and she ached for the day you would be placed in her arms and she would enjoy her first cuddles with you. 

Maternity sessions are always filled with anticipation, joy, and eager excitement.  I love capturing these calm, quiet moments celebrating what is yet to come.   I love it when these radiant mamas walk into the studio and are eager to celebrate their little one and to embrace their pregnancy and this beautiful stage of motherhood.  

Maternity sessions are quickly becoming one of my favorite types of sessions at the studio.  Many moms get their hair & makeup done before coming to the studio, and then they get to select a few gowns from the studio collection for their portraits.  The gown collection is steadily growing with beautiful, lightweight, floor-length gowns that fit all mamas-to-be, and they flatter you in a way that you can't help but feel gorgeous!  Seriously, put on a lace gown and tell me you don't feel beautiful... no way, you can't do it!  ;o)  

These backlit images (against the clean white backdrop) are always some of my favorites because they lend such an ethereal quality to your images, and they make you & your baby bump the focus of the session with nothing to distract from what is most important in the session -- the two of you!

Maternity sessions are typically done between weeks 32-36, though they can be done up to week 38 of your pregnancy -- we just don't schedule too close to the due date because you never know when your little one will make an appearance!  Many moms book their maternity session during the second trimester, and that gives us plenty of time to plan wardrobe & location together!  

Studio Newborn Session in our Fine Art Album: Boston Newborn Photographer

Every family has a story, and every story is a reason to celebrate.  

I was so honored to be invited to capture Blake Vivian's first days with her family.  They are the absolute sweetest, and I loved our studio newborn session together at the Attleboro studio.  

My most favorite keepsake from their session is this album.  I can just picture Blake at age 2, sitting with her daddy on the couch and pointing out "mama", "dada", and "baby Blake".  I imagine her at age 6, curled up on the couch with her mom and asking her to tell her "just one more time" about the day she came home from the hospital with her parents, and what she was like as a baby.  I like to imagine her 30 years from now, looking through the album to find similarities between herself as a newborn and her own little baby in her arms.

This is why I treasure my job and the moments with these families.  I feel so lucky to be invited into their lives to capture these moments and create heirlooms for them to enjoy throughout their lifetimes.

Enjoy a little peek into a few of my favorite pages of Blake's fine art album -- the colors from her session make my heart do a little happy dance every time I look at them all together!

Why Work with a Mentor? : A Guest Blog Post by Jessi Metzger of Lovebug Photography

I always love opening up our little piece of the internet to guest bloggers, and this week I am so happy to welcome a fellow photographer to the blog!  I first met Jessi Metzger of Lovebug Photography last summer, and today she is sharing her heart on the blog!  

Jessi is a cheerful, colorful, inspiring mama of two; an incredible photographer whose heart is in her lifestyle sessions; and over the past year she has become such a great friend in the industry!

When I asked Jessi if she'd like to write a guest blog post about her mentoring experience last summer, she was all over it!  Actually, she suggested it before her mentoring day had even come to an end last summer.  Throughout the past year, I've loved our FaceTime calls and watching her business evolve to fit her family's lifestyle while feeding her artistic passions, so I am thrilled to share her experience with you today!  Enjoy her post!

**All images in this post are copyright of Lovebug Photography, Rochester, NY.**

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Tell us a little about you and your family.  

I’m Jessi Metzger, the lady behind the lens at Lovebug Photography. I specialize in creating warm, authentic and playful portraiture for babies, kiddos, and families in the Rochester, NY area. Mama bear to my two loves, Clark (4) and Rosie (almost 2!!) and married to my handsome honey, Steve, for almost seven years. Those are my kiddos in the photos below!  I love me some coffee, the ADKs, nerdy novels, playing with my family, watching The Bachelor (haha- don’t judge me!), Children’s ministry and relationship building.  

Tell us about your business, and your favorite types of sessions or client experiences. 

I love my photography business. Deep friendships have been formed because of it. I have been entrusted with journeying through life with precious families. I absolutely adore and treasure my wonderful clients!

Every time I do a session that genre is suddenly ‘my favorite!’ But if I had to step back and choose just one- I’d say lifestyle newborn sessions have my heart. There is something so intimate and precious about capturing a growing family’s first few days home with their beautiful new baby. That sweet time passes so quickly, and I find myself treasuring these sessions. 

What were the key areas in your business you wanted to improve before your mentoring sessions?

Like most, I started my photography business out of a deep love for capturing life’s fleeting moments, and a desire to make that love a profitable income for my family. I remember when I first started building my portfolio I charged $20 a session (yes, seriously…) and felt guilty taking even that. I realize now that $20 barely even paid for the gas to get to and from the session. I slowly started looking around at what other local photographers were charging and priced myself accordingly without really knowing my numbers and cost of doing business.  "$150 for a session? Well, that’s better than $20!"  But I had a horrible wakeup call the first year tax season came around.

All those hours away from my babies? The added stress I added to my family’s schedule? The research, practice, marketing, advertising and countless hours editing? I had barely broken even. Forget about a profitable income- I was donating my time to photograph these sessions.

I felt frustrated and overwhelmed. How could I have worked so hard and have nothing to show for it? I internally battled with myself: no matter how much I loved photography I couldn’t justify the commitment if it wasn’t benefiting my family.  I knew that I needed help in the areas of time management, organization, sales techniques and brand recognition to really allow my business to grow and be beneficial to my family’s day to day life.  That was why I looked into a one-on-one mentoring experience.  

Talk a little about your mentoring experience.

Nicole and I did two mentoring sessions together — first an online mentoring through FaceTime, followed by an in-person mentoring session.  During our first meeting we created a detailed plan of how to jumpstart my business with practical steps to put them in place. I felt confidence for the first time ever since starting my business. I still had a lot to learn, but I suddenly felt as if I had a knowledgeable friend walking along side me, helping to show me the way!

I was blown away by what a skype consultation held, but the in-person mentoring was nothing short of phenomenal. We dove deep into what seemed like every aspect of my business to unearth where I was struggling and why. Nicole was amazingly open about sharing her steps for success, passing along numerous guides, layouts and forms. I didn’t stop scribbling notes the entire time I was with her.  

How has your business & your personal life changed because of what you've been able to implement since your mentoring experience?

My confidence in myself and my business has soared. I know I’m offering my clients a beautiful, high-end experience and confidently stand behind my pricing (which is now done appropriately to account for my cost of doing business!) My branding flows well and my social media presence is much stronger. I feel much more like a successful businesswoman than a mom-with-a-camera-hoping-for-the-best. Not to toot my own horn, but I’m proud of myself. Truly proud of how far I’ve been able to come. 

What advice do you have for photographers who are looking to make some big changes happen in their business, and who are seeking out education opportunities? 

Find a mentor whose style and business model reflects your own. I knew I wanted to offer a full-service, high-end experience to my clients so I sought after a mentor who offered that to her clients. Once you find a mentor you want to work with, GO FOR IT! Nothing has been more encouraging to me than having a business cheerleader who I know has my back and wants to see me succeed. 

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Thank you so much for sharing your heart and telling us a little more about your business, Jessi!  

Are you looking to make some big changes happen in your business this year?  I'm now offering 4 unique mentoring opportunities, both online and in-person.  I'd love to chat with you to see if this might be a good fit for your business this year!

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

Product Feature: Wooden Keepsake Box of Fine Art Prints from our Saratoga Springs Boutique Baby Photography Studio

One of the things that I love the most about being a baby & family photographer is helping families enjoy their artwork in their homes, and creating keepsakes for them that they will pass down to their children one day.

Sure, you could hand your child a USB drive many years from now and say, "Good luck finding a way to view these photos with today's new technology!"  Or you could spend the next 20 years looking through albums together while curled up on the couch and creating new memories together in those quiet moments at home.  You could enjoy your favorite moments on the walls of your living room and creating a path down your hallway leading to your bedrooms.  You can point to a photo in your home and say, "Look how much we loved you from the very beginning."  You can give your children a strong sense of belonging when they see their faces on the walls of their home every single day.

One of my most vivid memories growing up was sitting in the living room with my sister, tucked away behind these big white chairs and poring through photo albums and boxes of pictures.  Whenever we wanted a quiet moment, we'd open those albums and look at the photos of when we were younger, places we'd traveled, trips our parents had gone on pre-children, and lots and lots of baby photos.

That is why I want to give families more than just digital files.  I want to create artwork for you that you'll enjoy every single day, and heirloom products that fit your lifestyle and your home.  I want to give you products that are meant to be seen, touched, and enjoyed.  It is from that desire that our Wooden Keepsake Box was born.

This is one of our most popular products for our sessions, both lifestyle & studio.  Many families with young children are not in their "forever home" just yet, and they're hesitant to invest in large artwork that may not fit in their next home.  The keepsake box is a gorgeous way to enjoy your memories every day, and make them work for your space.

The lid of each keepsake box is printed with one of the beautiful images from the session, and it slides off to reveal ten of your favorite images inside.  Each 5x7 print is mounted on durable matboard (which means it will stand alone on an easel without curling, and it can be handled easily by the tiniest hands in your family).  They are then coated with a lustre coating that protects against fingerprints, so they are kid-friendly and perfect to look at with your children.  This isn't something that needs to sit on a shelf and never be touched -- it is meant to be enjoyed with your family.

You can display the prints on one of the wooden easels that is tucked away in the box, or you can keep them inside the box on an end table or shelf like a loose album.  Later when you decide you'd like to see them on the wall, hang your 5x7 prints in 8x10 frames with mats and create a gorgeous wall display.

The best part?  The box itself is such an amazing keepsake that your children are going to love for years to come.  You can put their first tooth inside when it falls out, the first curl from their haircut, their first letter to Santa Claus.  Use it to collect all of your favorite mementos from their childhood that hold sentimental meaning to you, but that don't quite fit on the pages of their baby book.

So please, print your memories.  You will never regret it.

Did you love exploring one of our favorite products?  Check out our Fine Art Albums in these two blog post features!

A Fine Art Album of an In-Home Lifestyle Newborn Session

A Fine Art Album with a Cake Smash Session

Why I Decided to Invest in My Baby Photography Business

Exactly three years ago I opened an email from a photographer that I absolutely admired, and this is what I read that made my heart skip a beat:

“What would you do if you weren't afraid?  What would you do if money didn’t matter?  What feels so effortless, time slips by unnoticed? 

When does peace and joy and inspiration rush through you?  That is what you have to give the world.  That is what you were born to do.”

I wanted to be unafraid and inspired.  I wanted to take a risk and let my creativity shine.  I wanted to do what I was born to do.  Just in those couple of sentences, she got me.

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The first time I ever decided to truly invest in my photography business was when I saw this photographer whose work I had been following for years was hosting a two-day workshop at her studio.  Even before reading the description and the testimonials from other workshop attendees, I just knew that I had to be there.  Her style was gorgeous, her business was crazy successful, she had such an open and giving personality, and I knew that I needed to learn from her.  I knew that this opportunity would open so many doors for me. 

This workshop was the Boutique Baby Workshop with Heidi Hope Photography.  It was a huge investment for me.  Up until that time, I’m not sure that I truly knew what I needed to do to set my business up for success.  Although I had big dreams, I had no clear plan to reach them. 

When I signed up for her workshop (you can bet I purchased my seat the same day I read that initial email!), I had to wait ten more months for the workshop date to arrive.  Besides my wedding, I don’t remember ever counting down to an event with such excitement and anticipation!  I decided to take those ten months and truly dedicate myself to set my business up for success by making as many changes as I could before then in preparation for all that I knew I would learn and take away from the workshop.

That summer I made some changes to the types of sessions I offered, and I made some pretty big changes to my product line and the way that I presented my clients with their images (Helloooooo, IPS!).  I started refining my style and taking on more of certain types of sessions and less of others.  I loved the changes that I was seeing with happier clients, more artwork in their homes, and of course a greater profit from each session.  I couldn't believe that people were paying me to do this thing that I loved so much!  

Those ten months flew by, and before I knew it I found myself sitting in Heidi’s studio surrounded by other photographers.  This was my very first time meeting other photographers, learning about their businesses, and sharing our art together.  Can you believe it?  Strangely, up until that time I had found photography to be a very lonely hobby.  I was a first grade teacher, and I knew exactly ZERO photographers — it’s hard to grow as a photographer and business owner when you have ZERO people in the field to turn to for advice, to share ideas with, and to look up to!  Only a few years later and I can’t even begin to count the number of close friends I have made through this industry, and the number of professional connections and relationships that have blossomed through owning my own business.  

But back to the workshop -- I loved it.  I loved every single second of it.  I went to the workshop with a brand new notebook, just like a kid on the first day of school.  And I filled every. single. page.  Session tips, decor, wardrobe advice, marketing, website development, album design, studio layout, product offerings, welcome magazines, sales techniques, set design, technical camera settings, newborn posing, client interaction…  This was all a whole new world for me!  Up until then, I was just a girl with a camera trying to figure it out on my own.  There was no Rising Tide Society yet.  There were no Tuesdays Together groups.  I didn’t even have photographer friends to tell me that all sorts of groups and communities existed on Facebook for photographers to share, ask questions, and get together.  This workshop opened my eyes, not only to all of these amazing new changes that I was ready to introduce in my business, but to this great big community of other creatives.  I finally found my tribe!

Heidi & Shaun made me feel like anything was possible, and that if I could dream it, I could do it.  After two days at their studio, I came home with a notebook full of ideas and a head full of dreams.  I remember going on and on about all of these big ideas and these amazing revelations that I had experienced at the workshop.  My husband (then fiancé) was an absolute saint and he had my back through all of this.  When I came home and told him that I wanted to shake things up, he didn't even blink.  He told me that he knew this would happen: he knew that I would come home and be inspired to make huge changes to my business and to our lives, and that there was absolutely no reason to wait any longer to do this!  

It was he who suggested the very first change: Let’s turn our living room into a photography studio.  We rented a tiny Boston apartment, so this was a pretty big deal.  I remember tossing the idea around all weekend — “Wait, we couldn’t actually do that… could we??”  But we decided that yes, let’s do it!  After all, what did we have to lose?

That workshop inspired me to open my very first studio in my home.  I finally had a place to welcome my clients that was clean & professional, and I no longer had to fill my car with backdrop stands, seamless paper, my newborn beanbag, and props every time I wanted to take on another session.  Oh my goodness, the amount of time it saved me was tremendous!  Plus it gave me the ability to start being wildly creative with my sets, knowing that I could set them up in advance and not have to worry about transporting them to my clients’ homes.  My first studio cake smash happened that winter, and soon after that my first hand-drawn backdrop was used for a session.  I was in heaven!

Another huge change came that weekend.  A huge, life-altering change and the biggest risk I have ever taken professionally.  Before attending the workshop, I was a first grade teacher with big dreams of doing something with her little photography business.  Heidi gave me the encouragement and business tools that I needed to make the leap and give my business a chance.  When the weekend was over, I went into work and put in my notice that I would be leaving at the end of the year.  I took a one-year leave of absence from work, and while technically a job would be waiting for me at the end of that year, I knew and my husband kept reminding me that I would need much more than one year to give this dream a true chance at survival. 

And just like that, I left my teaching job to take the leap and become a full-time business owner and photographer!

Because of a two-day photography workshop, my whole life changed.  I know that sounds so cheesy, but it is so true!  I am now almost two years into being a full-time business owner (and five years into running my own photography business!), and I can’t even believe the doors that have been opened because of this opportunity.  I wouldn’t change this path I’m on for the world. 

I never imagined that I would get to make my own schedule, cuddle babies for a living, spend my mornings creating backdrops & editing photos.  I never imagined that I would teach DSLR workshops, organize a Facebook group for cake smash photographers, and take on commercial shoots.  I never imagined that I would have such a gorgeous website (a huge thanks for my designer, Refinery Original!) and that I would have a consistent and beautiful brand that I love so much today.  I never imagined that I would have so many friends in the industry that I used to admire from afar, and that I would now be able to turn to for ideas & advice, vacations & coffee dates.  

That workshop taught me that investing in your business is always a good business plan.  Having a solid foundation and education is always going to help you grow, dream bigger, and achieve more.  After that first experience I began taking more workshops, both online and in-person.  I joined and became an active participant in more photography forums, and I started meeting other peers in the industry when the Rising Tide Society was formed that summer.  Later that year I attended the Creative @ Heart Conference in Charleston, SC, and I’ll never forget the feeling of walking into that room and feeling my heart fill with joy because I felt like I had finally found “my people”.  This was my place, this was my tribe, this was what I was meant to do.

If you’ve been thinking about making some changes to your business or even to your life — today’s the day!  Step out of your comfort zone, take a risk, and do what you were born to do.  Set some big goals for yourself, and watch as you absolutely crush them this year, achieving far more than you ever thought possible.  If you're feeling alone and lost like I was, connect with a friend, find a business buddy, or reach out to a mentor that you admire!  You'll grow so much more when you're together than when you're apart.

The best thing you can possibly do for yourself is to invest in your business.  Trust me, I've never learned anything so well as I've learned that lesson.  Tell yourself that you are serious about this dream, and you are serious about making big things happen.  Find a mentor that inspires you to do better & dream bigger, and then work together with that person to create a plan that will keep you moving forward every single day.  

Be inspired.  Be motivated.  Be amazing.
 

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Guest Blogger: Samantha Boulay on Enjoying a Healthy Pregnancy & Postpartum

Did you know that our newborn sessions are often 2-3 hours long in the studio?  When we're posing a baby for a studio session, it takes lots of extra time to get them settled "just so" into a pose on the beanbag or in a basket, so that means I get to spend plenty of time chatting with the new mom & dad.  I always love the extra opportunity to get to know these new families better, and oftentimes we make amazing connections that go beyond the session that day!

When Samantha Boulay came to the studio for her daughter's newborn session this winter, I learned that she is a fitness trainer and all-around healthy living motivator in Boston.  We talked a lot about her pregnancy, and she told me about her fitness routine and her quick 21 MINUTE delivery!  

I had followed her on Instagram before the session and saw her 38-week pregnant photos teaching workout classes in Boston, and I was amazed by her determination and strength even at the end of her pregnancy!  I knew that she'd be the perfect guest blogger to share more about a healthy pregnancy and postpartum experience, and to give a little bit of encouragement to other moms who are looking to take care of themselves while also taking the very best care they can of their babies.  

With our guest bloggers, I love to break away from just the photography-related posts and also share helpful little tidbits written by local moms, for local moms.  I hope you enjoy Samantha's feature on the blog today!  

Be sure to check out her website, and you can follow her on social media on her Facebook page and Instagram, too!  

Tell us a little about you, your baby, and your family.

My name is Samantha Boulay (Burke) and I am a certified Group Fitness Instructor & Trainer and owner/founder of "B Fit with Samantha." In addition to teaching, I am also a wife & new mommy to a beautiful baby girl, Blake Vivian (and I can't forget my four legged kids - Sammie & KC - 2 adorable Springer Spaniels). I've lived in Southie for just about 8 years & have been teaching at several of the top gyms in and around the Boston area for a little over 6 years. 

Tell us about your work and how you encourage others to live a healthy lifestyle.

Teaching and training is my "job," but I am extremely fortunate to love what I do so much, that it never feels like "work." As a fitness instructor, I strive to motivate people to work out and be their best self. My goal is to teach my students and clients how to change their outlook on fitness, how to achieve goals, get results, and most importantly have fun! 

If you can find a workout that you like, that is fun, and fits your lifestyle, then working out will no longer be a "chore," but it will become something you look forward to. I believe in challenging yourself & stepping outside of your comfort zone - it's the only way to see change! Big or small, whatever your goal is, you CAN do it. 

What was your workout routine like before you were pregnant?  How did that change when you were pregnant?

I'm a pretty competitive person! I grew up playing sports, so I think I've always had that competitive edge. I'm kind of "go big or go home" with my workouts! I like a challenge. When I workout, I like to sweat (the dripping down your face kind of sweat). You can find me in any Bootcamp, Spin, Boxing, or HIIT class. 

Once I found out I was pregnant, I definitely had to slow down a bit & listen to my body. I worked out & taught my classes through the 8th month of my pregnancy, but made modifications along the way. Everybody is different & every pregnancy is different.  I was fortunate enough that I felt pretty healthy and was able to continue my workouts throughout my pregnancy. It wasn't until the last month of my pregnancy that I had to really slow down. Just listening to my body was super important  to me - if doing burpees one day felt good, I did them, and if the next day they didn't feel good, I modified them or did something else. I also incorporated yoga & pilates into my workout routine. Slowing things down, stretching, and clearing my mind was super important to me and helped prepare me for the big day!

How do you believe your workout routine helped you in the last weeks of your pregnancy and during your delivery? 

I believe staying physically active helped me in a lot of ways - both mentally & physically. Working out and teaching is my happy place, so it helped me to feel good about myself, kept me focussed, and connected to my body. I wanted to be as healthy as I could be not only for myself, but for my baby girl! This might be TMI, but my delivery time was only 21 minutes, and I think it's safe to say a lot of that came from staying active and strong throughout my pregnancy.  

Do you have any tips for fitting in a fitness routine with a baby at home?  

This is where it gets challenging! Any new mom can tell you theres not enough time in the day to get things done! Coupled with the fact that you are probably running on zero sleep, can make finding time to get a workout in pretty tricky! Here are a few tricks to help you stay focused & squeeze in your workout either at home or at the gym: 

1. Write down your workout in your "to do" list & check it off when you are done. Something about checking things off your "to do" list is so satisfying and makes you feel accomplished!
2. Squeeze in your workout when your little one naps. Even if your sweet angel only naps for 20 minutes, get up off the couch and get your heart rate up. 
3. Keep it simple & realistic. If you can't get to the gym and don't have equipment at home (which most people don't), keep your workouts simple. Give yourself some time to heal after having a baby, so start small & slow (i.e. basic squats), and when you are feeling better & cleared by your doctor, step it up (i.e. add a jump to those squats). 
4. Get outside. I know winter in Boston isn't ideal, but when there is that rare 50-60 degree day, get outside with your little one and go enjoy a nice long walk. Summer is almost here so once it's nice out, throw on those sneakers and shades and enjoy the sunshine! 
5. Try a mommy and baby class. There a lots of mommy and baby classes in and around the city. Go online or talk to your gym about classes they might offer. It's a great way to bond with your little one, stay healthy and active, and meet other new moms who are in the same boat as you are! 

Before having a baby, I use to just get up & go to the gym whenever I wanted. If I saw a class I wanted to go to, I just walked out the door and went. Now my life is scripted and I have to schedule my workouts & plan around child care.

Make sure to schedule your workouts into your week. Work out a schedule with your husband, your mother, a babysitter, or whoever you have to help with your little one. It's extremely important, both mentally and physically, to take time for yourself (even if it's only 30 min a few times a week). If you're happy, your husband is happy & your baby is happy! 

What advice do you have for new & expecting moms regarding taking care of themselves during and after their pregnancy? 

As I mentioned before, every pregnancy is different & every woman's body is different. My advice for every expecting mom is continue to do what feels right for you & stick to the plan that you & your doctor have discussed.  If you like running & your doctor gives you the green light to continue running, then go girl! If you feel run down, tired, and/or sick throughout your pregnancy then dial it back, maybe keep to a brisk walk or lots of stretching & yoga a few times a week. 

To all the new moms out there, you rock!!!! Having a baby is a lot of work & stress on the body, so give yourself time to heal & please remember to be patient - that's the hardest part! Losing the baby weight is hard & can be very challenging. I was in such great shape before my pregnancy & stayed active during my pregnancy, and everyone told me "oh, the weight will just fall off of you" or, "you will bounce right back." Well, I'll be honest it's tough - tougher than I thought. A lot of people think you can just bounce back to your old self, and for some woman that's true (thanks Gisele), but for most women (including myself), it takes time and hard work.

Look at it this way, it takes 9 months to make a baby, so give your body about the same time to get back to where you want it to be. Get your workouts in where & when you can, eat a balanced diet, and have patience!!! You can do it, I promise. Be kind to yourself and just take care of yourself & your beautiful new baby :) 

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