Making Memories with Grandparents & Grandkids: Extended Family Portrait Session in our Saratoga Springs Studio

Nicole and Chris are longtime clients and I've photographed their two babies and all of their milestones ever since they were born. It’s such a special gift to be able to see my clients year after year and watch their kids grow up. I absolutely adore Elli and Colton. So, when Nicole and Chris reached out about surprising his mom with a portrait session for Christmas, I was absolutely on board! Together, we planned an extended family session with Chris’s brother and his family.

The day of their session was so much fun. I loved watching Elli and Colton with their cousin, Easton. Easton and Colton are only a few days apart, so their bond is incredibly special. Extended family portraits are SO important to me because I love photographing all the relationships, especially grandparents and their grandkids. It’s so sweet. I loved watching Nicole, Chris, and their family just be together in the studio.

I also absolutely loved the colors of the outfits they chose! When planning extended family portraits, coordinating outfits can be a bit tricky. Obviously the images will wind up in multiple homes, so try to consider where they’ll be displayed as you choose your palette. Stick to a color palette of 3 or 4 total colors for everyone’s outfits. This family did a great job with that - definitely use it for inspiration! When you’re thinking about studio portraits, too, the lighter colors will photograph so beautifully!!!

Psst!! A quick update about 2022’s outdoor portrait season! This year we’re only scheduling outdoor family portraits this for May, September & October. With limited availability, I expect the calendar to fill up even faster than ever. Be sure to reach out early to reserve your spot! If you’re thinking of an outdoor session in 2022, NOW IS THE TIME TO SCHEDULE.

---

Save it for later:

Studio Family Portraits in Saratoga Springs

I truly believe that there’s no special “season” for family portraits. While it’s easy to think there might be, especially in the fall and around the holidays, there’s no magical date you have to update your family photos by. After all, aren’t your family portraits for more than just a Christmas card that will hang on your friend’s wall until January 1?

I was reminded of this when Amy’s beautiful family came to the studio this winter. We weren’t trying to capture family portraits for a Christmas card or a gift, but we were slowing down time and freezing these moments with her adorable toddler and baby. We captured their cozy cuddles, their joy, their giggles, and their dimples. We played, we laughed, and I clicked the shutter the whole time to document this stage that their family was in. Honestly, it was pure magic and these are the portraits that I know this mama is going to look back on in 5 years when her kids are tossing their backpacks on the floor, and in 15 years when they’re getting ready to head to college. These will last longer than any Christmas card, and they truly are the pieces that make up this family’s LEGACY.

That’s why I’m so happy to offer family portraits year-round in our Saratoga Springs studio. You know the weather around here is only nice for a few months a year when we can head outdoors for sessions, but these studio sessions are so timeless and cozy, too. Your family’s story deserves to be told, no matter what time of year it is.

As you can see with Benjamin and Josie, kids still grow and your family still has a story - even when the leaves aren’t starting to change to orange and red, and when the holiday decorations are tucked away for another 11 months. If family portraits are still on your to-do list at the beginning of the year, that’s 100% okay! Let’s plan for a cozy studio session together so that you can update your family’s story for the year. Family portraits always matter.

Psst!! A quick update about 2022’s outdoor portrait season! This year we’re only scheduling outdoor family portraits this for May, September & October. With limited availability, I expect the calendar to fill up even faster than ever. Be sure to reach out early to reserve your spot! If you’re thinking of an outdoor session in 2022, NOW IS THE TIME TO SCHEDULE.

---

Save it for later:

Best of 2021 Sibling Portraits

Another year has come to an end! 2021 was full of so many family and newborn portraits with my families. I loved getting to see everyone again to update their portraits. As I was starting to go through my portraits for my end of year recaps, I realized I had captured some truly beautiful moments between siblings and I decided it was worth these moments in their own blog!

Sibling portraits are so special. These relationships are meaningful and I love knowing that so many of these moments are the ones their parents love when they come in the studio. I can’t tell you how many of these images wound up as beautiful wall art or in heirloom albums to be enjoyed for years to come. It makes my heart so happy!!

Have you updated your family portraits yet this year? I’m booking studio family portraits this winter and opening my outdoor calendar through May 2022, so make sure you hit the button below and get on the books! I can’t wait to see you. Until then, enjoy some of these sweet sibling moments from 2021!

---

Save it for later:

Fun Fall Family Portraits with Brothers - Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

I can’t believe that I had another chance to work with this sweet family! I’ve been working with them since their oldest, Miles, turned one (you can see his cake smash below!). Now he’s grown so much and he’s a ton of fun. Every time I see these four, I consider myself so lucky. Over the last 4 years, we’ve had many sessions together and they’re always a great time.

We captured their most recent fall family portraits at Pitney Meadows this year - which is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots for portraits! I’m loving the fact that it’s close to the studio and has provided such beautiful fall foliage for me and my families. For this session, there were lots of laughs as we explored Pitney Meadows together. The boys were so excited to play games and follow my prompts and we captured their portraits.

Looking back over their session, the portraits of Miles and his brother Oscar are some of my favorites - and I know their mom couldn’t wait to get prints and gorgeous wall art with them to hang up. They were so sweet together and I hope their relationship continues to grow like that for years to come!

---

Save for later:

Fall Family Portraits with Young Children at Congress Park in Saratoga Springs

I’m so thankful I had the chance to capture another beautiful fall portrait session for Henry, Emma, and their parents! I’ve been working with this family since Emma turned 1 and now they’ve recently celebrated Henry’s first birthday, too. Over the years, I’ve watched them grow and become such an incredible family. I feel so lucky that they’ve trusted me with their memories, including this fall family portrait session at Congress Park.

We truly lucked out with the most beautiful day for their session at the park. Early October turned out to be the best time for peak foliage all around this year - and I’m so happy we caught it in time. Henry and Emma were amazing our entire session, playing together and enjoying the leaves. Henry has just started to walk and he loved chasing after Emma as we were together. She was the best at making him laugh, too! It’s clear they’re going to be amazing friends.

I can’t wait for you to see this beautiful session!

---

Save it for later:

Fall Family Portraits at Pitney Meadows in Saratoga Springs

This family is so special to me because JB is one of Grayson’s best buddies. He and Grayson were born 2 weeks apart and I’ve had the honor of watching him grow up - and documenting him along the way. Since JB was a year old, I’ve captured annual family portraits for him and his parents. They welcomed Henry to the family last year during the pandemic so it’s been an extra joy to watch him grow, too! Our boys are all so adorable and I feel so lucky that I get to work with Allison and her gorgeous family over and over again.

This year, we planned a sunset fall family portrait session at Pitney Meadows in Saratoga Springs. Sunset sessions with young kids can be tricky but with the right tips and tricks up our sleeves, anything is possible! We definitely may have bribed JB and Henry with some snacks for those smiles :o) But it was so worth it! JB and Henry are SO cute and I loved this year’s session.

Planning an evening session? Check out more tips for sunset sessions with kids below!

---

Save it for later:

Fall Family Portraits in Saratoga Springs

I am going to miss Henri and his sweet parents SO much. This family has been with me for a few years now and it has been an honor to capture their little boy as he grows. I’ve photographed milestone portraits and annual family portraits since Henri was born, and I cannot believe he’s growing up so quickly! When Jaimie reached out about a fall family portrait session at Pitney Meadows, I was thrilled. However, she told me that they’re moving out of the area and I was immediately a bit sadder. I really will miss these three and the chance to catch up with them every year.

This year, we met at Pitney Meadows in Saratoga Springs. This is such a beautiful spot - especially in the fall! There’s such gorgeous fall colors, so vibrant around us. They had just cut the tall meadow grass but it was still the perfect spot for this family of three. Henri was able to run around as his parents played with him and enjoyed the evening. We lucked out with some super vibrant yellow trees behind us during our session - and it worked perfectly with the outfits they chose. The yellow totally matched Henri’s shirt! It was so cute!

8 Tips for a Meltdown-Free Session with Toddlers

---

Save it for later:

Family Portrait Session at Jackson's Garden in Schenectady

I’ve got another gorgeous fall session for you today! Jennifer and her beautiful family met me at Jackson’s Garden in Schenectady for their portraits this year. It was my first time set this location - another local photographer friend recommended it to me. I’m so glad we decided to go here! There were tons of gorgeous fall colors for us to play with.

Jennifer was ready to update her family portraits (and beautiful wall art) now that their little girl, Annabelle has turned 1. How cute is she with her little ponytail and first teeth coming in?! The Strange family also brought their sweet pup to our portraits and we had a lot of fun getting him to pose with the family. We captured some beautiful moments that will look perfect in an heirloom album for this family - or some stunning wall art. Picking out products with my families is almost as much fun was capturing their portraits!!

Thinking about bringing your dog to your session?

I’m all about bringing your furry family members to your session. Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to make everything run a little more smoothly for all of us. Before your session, take your dog for a walk so they’re more tired during our portraits. Consider switching out your leash to a neutral color (like this family, who swapped a bright orange leash for a brown one).

Make sure you bring treats for your pet and ask a friend or family member to come be the designated dog wrangler/watcher. This ensures you can focus on your session and time together during the human portraits! ;o) I’ve worked with tons of dogs and one of my favorite ways to keep our portraits together stress-free is to work around the dog, much like I do with kids! We’ll plan to sit and stand around where your pup decides they want to be. It’s much easier that way!

Tips for a meltdown-free session with kids!

---

Save it for later:

Saratoga Springs Family Portrait Session in a Grassy Field

I can’t believe Ari is now 2! I had the honor of photographing him multiple times during his first year of life, so I was elated when his parents wanted to schedule a family session to celebrate his birthday this year. We planned his session right here in Saratoga Springs, and found this beautiful field to shoot in. It was perfect early in the morning - the light was coming up behind the trees and just made everything glow!

Ari had a great time playing with his parents. Their love for him really does shine through in every interaction they share together. I love that they were able to relax and just be with him while I documented it all. That’s how family sessions should be!

Happy birthday, Ari! I can’t believe how much you’ve grown!

Tips to look your best during family photos!

---

Save it for later:

Organic and Candid Family Portraits in a Field of Wildflowers

I love it when families come back to me year after year to capture their portraits.

This sweet family has trusted me to capture their portraits since late-2018 when Nora was 6 months old. Now she’s a big sister and three years old, and we have created so many beautiful portraits in the studio with her, her baby sister, and her big brother! This time was extra special because the whole family joined in (mom and dad, too!) for an outdoor family portrait session in Saratoga Springs.

The field close to the studio was filled with wildflowers, and we met there on a warm summer evening for a beautiful session together. In the summer we do our outdoor sessions in the evenings to capture that beautiful golden light. In the early summer the sun doesn’t set until late, so our sessions often begin around 7pm (and then they get earlier and earlier as the summer fades into fall, approaching 4:30pm in October!). Wondering how to avoid toddler meltdowns when your session is scheduled for sunset? I’ve got you covered! Check out this blog post below for tips!

This sister portrait just melts my heart! I loooooove the energy in this one, and their little sisterly bond is so joyful here. Definitely one to hang on the wall for many years to come!

Even the dog joined in their family portrait session!

---

Save it for later:

Beautiful Family Portraits in their own Backyard - Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

This was by far one of my favorite family sessions this spring! When the dad reached out to me to plan a portrait session as a Mother’s Day surprise for his wife, I knew that this was going to be an extra special session with his girls.

He told me that they “had a lot of land” and that he would love to do their session on their property to make it extra meaningful, but he was worried that they hadn’t landscaped much yet. No worries, I told him! Photographers have a knack for finding picturesque spots in the midst of something that the naked eye would think is just ordinary.

In order to make sure that we planned it for the perfect time of day when the light was most flattering, we chatted a bit about the yard, shared some cell phone pics to see how the sun sets behind the trees, and then walked around the property when I arrived to find the perfect spot. There was this one cluster of trees where the sun was setting directly behind them, and the sunlight was truly sparkling beautifully as it came through the leaves. Everything was golden, and I knew that it would be gorgeous in their photographs. Plus it had bright pops of color from a few flowering plants, and I love how it all came together as a backdrop for their portraits!

These sisters were ADORABLE and so, so good in front of the camera! We didn’t catch a single bad expression because they kept smiling and laughing the whole time! Read these tips for a meltdown-free portrait session with kids!

Don’t you just love how the light sparkles here?!?! Yeah, me too!

It’s hard to believe, but our calendar is already filling up for fall portrait sessions. If you’re planning on capturing beautiful memories like these of your family this year, now is the time to reach out and set a date for your session! I have plenty of locations in mind, and if you have a spot you’d like to try (like your own back yard!), let’s chat!

Check out these excuses to stop making for putting off your family portrait session!

---

Save for later:

Outdoor Portraits for Adorable Sisters in Saratoga Springs

The start of spring welcomed so many beautiful family portrait sessions at some of my favorite photo shoot locations around Saratoga Springs! I truly loved seeing this sweet family again for their family portrait session in Saratoga Spa State Park. We captured so many beautiful images of their girls, and the most adorable sister portraits of the two of them together.

Now they are going to have so many gorgeous portraits to enjoy in their home, and their hallway will look amazing with their new artwork hung in frames of their two little girls!

If you’ve been putting off your family portrait session, check out these 10 excuses to stop making and schedule your portrait session this year!

Clara was all smiles, and she loved getting her turn to sit and be the star of the show! The last time I saw her was for her milestone session at the studio, and she wasn’t quite sitting up yet! Now she is an adorable toddler with so much personality, and she brought so much joy to the session!

Big sister Hannah brought all of the smiles to their sibling portraits, and some adorable sass to her individual portraits, too! She loved looking for caterpillars on the sidewalk and finding curiosities in nature at the park, and we had so much fun watching the little insects cross the path in between clicks of the camera.

---

Save it for later:

9 Tips to Look your Best in your Upcoming Family Portrait Session

Your family portrait session is coming up, and you want to look your very best in portraits that will be hanging in your home for years. While it’s true that your family portrait session is really about the kids, you still want to look & feel good in photos, too! You and your kids are going to be looking back on these photos for literally decades, and I completely understand the desire to capture your very best self in portraits.

First of all, you might be feeling a little self-conscious in front of the camera. I can assure you that nearly every adult I have ever photographed is at least a little bit self-conscious when the camera comes out, but once we start your session it all melts away. We keep things light and fun with games, laughs, conversation, and plenty of tickles for the kids. By making the session all about the kids having fun, the adults are automatically more focused on the kids and less focused on what their chin looks like on camera.

But still, a few tips go a long way! Read on for tips to look and feel your best at your next family portrait session.

1. Be comfortable in your clothing.

Choose clothing that is appropriate for the weather. You don’t want to be too cold OR too hot because that discomfort will show in your smile. Opt for fabrics that feel nice against your skin. In the summertime I love flowy, lightweight fabrics on moms. Dresses and long skirts photograph especially beautifully in the warmer months. In the fall, lightweight sweaters and layers are beautiful — avoid chunky knits that add bulk to your frame. For pants, tops, and dresses, choose a cut that is flattering and comfortable to move around in, and one that doesn’t keep slipping down so that you have to adjust it every 30 seconds.

PRO TIP: Try your entire outfit on (including shoes!) at least a week before the session and wear it for an hour around the house to make sure you can sit, stand, pick up the kids, and move freely without being too restrictive or too revealing.

2. Hydrate!

Drink lots and lots of water in the week leading up to your session. Also, be sure to pay extra attention to your skin and exfoliate & moisturize. All of this together will give you a beautiful glow that radiates from within, and you are going to love your portraits!

3. Take care of yourself before you take care of the others.

I know, I know. As a mom this is such a hard thing for us to do! But I promise you that a little extra self-care the day of your session will help you be and appear more relaxed in your portraits. Consider having the kids sleep at grandma & grandpa’s the night before so that you can get yourself ready in peace. Sneak away for a blowout at your favorite salon. Leave work a little early if it’s a sunset session so you have some time to listen to your favorite music or an audiobook or podcast, and just be intentional about taking a little extra time for yourself.

THEN get everyone dressed and out the door. Plan to arrive early so you don’t feel rushed in case something causes a slight delay — potty breaks, traffic, a wrong turn. With the right mindset ahead of time, all of those are tiny little speed bumps and they won’t throw you off even a little bit.

4. Consider getting your hair & makeup done professionally.

A hair & makeup artist knows just what to accentuate and which makeups look best on camera. They know how to apply a little more for emphasis without going overboard. Every time you step out of their salon you’re going to feel amazing. If you can, set aside 1.5 hrs before the session and treat yourself!

5. Know your most flattering angles.

I will guide you during the session, but sometimes when juggling a few kids and trying to get them to stay in one spot and smile, we don’t always notice every little thing about mom or dad’s pose. It just happens! So, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

• Angle your body so that one side is slightly towards the camera, and then put your weight on the back leg. Avoid being straight on with your shoulders squared to the camera.

• Tilt your top half slightly towards the camera.

• Be sure to turn your face to the camera. If you feel like your face is hidden behind a family member’s, it probably is. Bring it out so I can see your whole beautiful face!

• Remember that I am going to ask you to get extra close to your family members, so don’t be afraid to lean in and squish those faces together.

• If it bends, bend it! Keep your arms slightly bend and away from the waist to define your waist. If you have pockets (dads!), a great way to do this is to place a hand in a pocket — I prefer just a few fingers in the pocket so your hand doesn’t look like it’s been cut off. Bend your front knee just a little for a relaxed and flattering look.

• Bring your chin out and slightly down to avoid that dreaded double chin.

6. Choose everyone’s clothing carefully.

I have sooooo many blog posts on choosing the right clothing, and every family receives a welcome packet with tips, too. Neutrals with a few pops of color are wonderful, and coordinating colors (but not matchy-matchy) is definitely the way to go. Plus, make sure every single person is comfortable in their outfit ahead of time, and don’t forget about shoes. The last thing you want is neon green light-up sneakers to stick out like a sore thumb in your classic family portrait!

7. Focus on the kids (instead of you!)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Portrait sessions are so much easier with kids! When you’re busy making them smile and laugh, your natural smiles will come through, too. Focus on them and any worries about how you look on camera will melt away. And trust that your photographer (me!) has plenty of experience with where to stand in relation to you, where to place the kids in a way that’s flattering to you, and how to use light for the very best effect to give you absolutely stunning images.

8. Understand how Photoshop can help (and how it can’t!).

We’ve all heard that Photoshop can do amazing things. And when it comes to family portraits, I let every family know that most things that stand out to parents in their portraits can usually be clicked with just a click or two in Photoshop. Honestly, it’s usually a little more than just a click, but there are so many little things that might bother you in a photo that if they just disappeared you would love it, and oftentimes a photographer will edit those before you ever see the finished images, and it will still look perfectly natural and just like you so that you’ll never even know it was corrected.

Here are just a few. Some of these I do automatically, and others I only do if a client specifically requests it. My goal is to only remove temporary blemishes and leave any features that are more permanent unless a client requests it (i.e. scrapes and pimples are removed, but birthmarks or scars stay unless requested otherwise).

• Removing blemishes, cuts, scrapes, bug bites, nose boogies from toddler noses.

• Slimming arms and legs

• Filling in a sparse hair line

• Adjusting a neckline that may have slipped or revealed more skin than you would like.

• Removing bra straps, bra lines, panty lines.

• Fixing flyaway hairs

• Removing a stain on a shirt or piece of clothing

However, Photoshop is not a cure-all. You still need to do a little work before the session to arrive put-together. Here are things I suggest you do that will not be easily fixed in Photoshop.

• Iron your clothes and remove wrinkles ahead of time. If your child’s outfit will get wrinkled in the car seat, wait to get them dressed until you arrive at the session location.

• Remove any stains in your clothing before getting dressed that day.

• Clean your glasses lenses so they do not have any marks on them.

• Remove chipped nail polish. Have bare or freshly polished nails for your session.

• Choose your clothing and undergarments carefully and be sure they fit. We cannot fix something that is too tight or too low-cut.

• Be sure you love your clothing. Colors will not be changed in Photoshop.

Psst! I recently published a blog post with tips to look your best in your maternity portrait session! Check it out here.

9. Remember to HAVE FUN!

This is the most important part. We’re only together for about an hour, and I want these memories to be ones that you look back on and LOVE. Not ones that you look back on that stress you out. Stay calm, let me worry about getting the kids to show their personalities, and trust that I will capture their very best smiles and the most amazing cuddles that you want to remember forever.

---

Save for later!

Cape Cod Beach Sessions are Coming Soon

Summer is almost here, and you know what that means:
let’s all head to the BEACH!

Every year I look forward to spending a few weeks on Cape Cod in the summer. My parents now live in Dennisport year-round, and we’ve been spending summers on the Cape for more that 20 years. Grayson gets to grow up heading to the Cape with me for a couple of weeks every July & August, and I love every second of it. We walk to the beach multiple times a day, and he loves the sand and the water and truly can’t get enough of his time at the beach. At 3 years old, this will be his fourth summer on the Cape (how is that even possible?!), and I love watching him evolve into a little beach baby as the years go by.

I know that the Cape is special to sooooo many families. And it’s funny, but the number of families I talk to in New York who also happen to vacation in Dennisport is truly mind-blowing. It’s definitely a popular spot for families, and there are so many great places in the area for salty summertime memories.

As summer approaches I start filling up my calendar with portrait sessions on the beaches of Cape Cod. This year I’m spending more time on the Cape than any previous summer, and all of our sessions are almost completely booked!

As I hit “publish” on this blog post today, I currently have room for THREE MORE FAMILIES in August.

***WEEKEND*** August 14 (rain date August 15)
August 18 (rain date August 19)
***WEEKEND*** August 20 (rain date August 21)

The sand. The wind. The sun. These are all natural elements that we embrace during our salt air sessions on Cape Cod. Read on for more tips for a successful portrait session at the beach!

The first step in every portrait session is an email & a phone call. I would love to chat with you to see if this is the perfect session for your family this summer! Send me a message through the button below!

You may have noticed that all of the families in this blog post absolutely ROCKED their outfits, right? They did that with a little help from me! I’ve compiled a list of tips to make planning outfits easy for your beach session. Long gone are the days of matching khakis and white shirts, and here to stay are mixed colors and patterns for real personality in your family portraits. Learn more here as you start to plan your family’s outfits for your next portrait session!

---

Save it for later:

Fun Fall Family Portrait Session with Two Brothers

JB is one of my son Grayson’s best buddies. They were born just two weeks apart and it has been so amazing watching them grow together. It’s adorable to watch them interact and to see how excited they get when they see each other, and while most of their playdates over the past year have been on FaceTime, we look forward to getting together in person again soon!

I was lucky enough to capture family portraits for JB’s family in the fall, and he welcomed a new baby brother in 2020, too! We had so much fun playing and laughing together at Saratoga Spa State Park, and the fall colors were absolutely gorgeous in their portraits. Didn’t they do a wonderful job planning outfits for everyone? This blog post is always a huge help for families trying to figure out what outfits will look best on camera!

Just look at this handsome little guy! Soooo cute!

JB’s little brother Henry always seems to have a smile on his face, and I was so glad we were able to capture his joyful personality on camera during their session.

Check out more of my favorite 2020 family sessions here on the blog!

Did you know that we’re already booking family sessions for next fall? It’s never too early to schedule your family’s portraits, so plan ahead before the calendar fills up!

---

Save this post for later!

Winter Family Portraits in Downtown Saratoga Springs

---

Save this post for inspiration later!

Colorful Fall Foliage for Family Portraits in Saratoga Springs

This is just the sweetest family, and I always have so much fun with them! I love it when clients become friends, and that is exactly what happened with the C family. Aiden was born a few months after Grayson, and now our little guys are buddies. We love watching them interact with each other, and I always enjoy hearing Grayson’s answer when I ask him who his friends are and he tells me right away, “Aiden is my friend!”

Aiden is such a cute little boy, and he couldn’t stop giggling & laughing during our fall family portrait session at SPAC! He loves nature and he was constantly finding sticks hidden under the leaves to pick up and play with. I’m obsessed with these little overalls and I think for toddlers they are such a classic look for portraits.

Speaking of outfits, can we talk about how amazing the whole family’s outfits are here?!?! That yellow silk blouse is everything, and dad looks super sharp in his blazer. This family took the outfit tips from the blog post below and ran with them, using color and textures for a really beautiful combination that photographed so wonderfully.

We found the perfect little spot in the park that was covered in colorful fallen leaves, and the sun was filtered just right through the trees. A week later this path was bare, and I’m so glad we did our portrait session when we did!

One of my favorite things about this location is that there are so many unique spots just a short walk from each other. In 3 or 4 minutes, you can have an entirely different backdrop for your family portraits!

---

Love this fall family session? Pin this image or any from the post above!

Why 2021 is the year to finally schedule your family portrait session

Earlier this week I shared a roundup post with some of my favorite family portraits from 2020. Did you miss it? Check it out here, and then read on!

Today’s post is for the mamas. And dads, if you’re reading this you can keep reading, of course, but I know that it’s usually the moms that schedule family portrait sessions, so this one is for them.

---

I am 100% that person that makes resolutions every January with goals for the new year, things I want to work on, little changes to my daily life that I want to get better at. You know the deal.

And the #1 thing I always say every single year is I want to
GET IN THE PICTURE.

How many other moms out there say the same thing? How many other moms out there look back through their family photos and notice that one key family member is missing from almost all of them?

And then, how many of those same moms keep putting off scheduling their family photo session? There are a million excuses that I have heard for why years have gone by without slowing down for a portrait session. I even did a blog post about them a few years ago! But you know what? This is your year to stop making excuses and get in the picture with your babies — because no matter how old your kids are, they will always be your babies!

Reason #1: Let’s start with the obvious. Did you see the year we just survived? Now we all deserve to celebrate with the ones we love!

2020 was something else. But it’s finally over, and 2021 is going to be amazing! Make this the year that you have something to look forward to. Make this the year that you finally do that thing you’ve been telling yourself you’ll get around to scheduling. Book that family portrait session!

Reason #2: Your walls are starting to look a little boring. It’s time for some fresh wall art!

We’re all spending a lot more time at home, and if your walls are looking a little uninspiring these days, isn’t it time you did something to change that? All of our portrait sessions include a complimentary design appointment where we plan artwork to fit your home and your lifestyle. Trust me. We’re going to create something that will be absolutely perfect for your family that you are going to love seeing every day!

By the way, one of the most interesting blog posts that I read years ago was about how when children see themselves in family photos on their walls it boosts their self-esteem. This is so powerful, and every year I keep coming back to this blog post to reread that fact. Check it out here!

Reason #3: There’s never going to be a time when you’re not busy, but you’re less busy now than you used to be!

I know what you’re thinking. Planning a portrait session feels like a lot of work! Picking a date, picking a location, finding outfits, worrying about whether your kids will behave. Who has time for that?

Thankfully, I literally take all of those worries off of your plate when you schedule your portrait session with me. That is why I provide such a hands-on experience to every family that I work with. I’ll help you find a date & rain date. I’ll recommend beautiful locations for the season and time of day. I’ll help you find outfits, and I even have outfits at the studio you can borrow for moms and babies! As for the kids’ behavior? I have a toddler at home and in my past life I was a first-grade teacher. I’ve seen it all! I expect kids to act like kids, and I have a million games and tricks for your session that will make it so much fun for everyone. No stress. No tears. Just laughter and smiles! I promise. :o)

So, with none of that to worry about, you’re not too busy for a session now, are you? One hour. That’s it. Let’s do this!

---

Inspired by this reminder to get in the photo? Pin this image or any from the post above!

Best of 2020 Family Sessions - Saratoga Springs Luxury Portrait Photographer

Happy New Year!

I always love starting the new year off with a recap of some of my favorite photos from the past year, and today we’re getting it started with the best family portraits of 2020! These are a mix of portraits from Saratoga Springs & Cape Cod, and I am so excited to share them with you today!

I have been photographing families since 2012, and each and every session is still such an honor. I truly am grateful for all of the families that trust me to capture their memories for them year after year. It really means a lot that you place your trust in me to beautifully document this time in your lives.

And you know what? I know that 2020 was a rough year. For most of us, it was one of the hardest years we’ve ever been through. There was so much change. So much fear. So much isolation. So much loss.

But the thing I noticed while going back through all of these portraits?

There was also so much joy. So much bonding. So much time for soaking in those little moments that you might have overlooked before. So much slowing down. I spent all of 2020 talking about the silver linings, and I love that the families that I captured in portrait sessions felt the same way.

So without further adieu, here they are! A collection of some of my favorite family portraits from 2020!

Can’t get enough? Check out our Best of 2019 Family sessions here!

---

Loved these family photos from 2020? Pin this image or any from the post!

Fall Family Portraits in Saratoga Springs

Another sun-soaked family session today! Ella and her sweet family joined me at Saratoga Spa State Park for their fall family portraits, and I loved playing games, chasing after a toddler, and singing her favorite songs to get her attention. We had so much fun together and captured so many relaxed family portraits for this family of three.

At this age our family sessions are always on-the-go. We move from one part of the park to the next, giving toddlers room to run and explore while capturing a mix of candids and more posed portraits together. It’s always the candid moments when life is unfolding that families love the most!

---

Love this fall session? Pin this image or any from the post above to save it!