Three things I’m loving in the studio this spring!

Every year, my Saratoga Springs photography studio undergoes a huge cleaning and prep for the next season of babies! In addition to this major clean out, I find myself going through all of my wraps, headbands, and outfits for my client closet. It’s a chance to refresh what’s available to each of my families. Not only does it ensure beautiful options for each of them, but it allows me to really evaluate why everything is in my studio. This spring, I can already tell I’m reaching for and using certain props and options for my newborn sessions. Here’s three things I’m loving in the studio this spring: 

Dainty pearl headbands and tiebacks! 

I just added a few new headbands and tiebacks to our ever-growing collection of baby headbands, and every single family has chosen to use at least 1 or 2 of the pearl options in their sessions! I think they’re simply perfect. Timeless and a sweet little accent for your darling baby! 

All of the spring flowers! 

I look forward to tulip season every year, and they are always one of my favorite flowers to incorporate into newborn portraits. Plus, I loved putting some fluffy flowers on our rattan stroller for a new look, too! I will never say no to more flowers in newborn setups! They’re just perfect to showcase the season - without taking away from your baby! 

Soft colors!

If you know me, you know that I can’t get enough of whites, creams, beige, and blush pink when it comes to outfits or setups for babies, milestones, and cake smashes. There was a time when my entire wardrobe consisted of these three colors, and I jokingly said to my best friend that my closet looked like Neapolitan ice cream. Since then I’ve done my color analysis with Amy Latta at House of Color Saratoga Springs (she’s participating in our upcoming client appreciation event in April!) and my closet is less Neapolitan and more colorful with my best Summer colors. But for studio portraits, especially baby girl newborns? Give me alllllll the Neapolitan ice cream colors, please! 

If you can’t tell, I definitely love spring time here at the studio. It’s a beautiful time for portraits - and I can’t get enough of the soft colors and overflowing florals. What’s your favorite prop or outfit for the spring?

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Beautiful newborn portrait session in Saratoga Springs

I’m so happy to be sharing Baby Sahana’s newborn session with you today on the blog! This winter, I captured maternity portraits for Shreya and I was anxiously waiting until their baby girl was born so we could plan her studio newborn session. Shreya and her family are part of our Collective Membership, where you can receive 4 sessions over the course of an 18th month period, so we’ve been able to document some special moments for them already. As a reminder, we’re currently  booking membership clients for 2024! This is perfect for your family if you’re planning to do 2 or more sessions over an 18 month period (not just for baby’s first year clients, either!).

For Baby Sahana’s portraits, Shreya wanted a soft and light color palette. She was excited to incorporate my Moses basket, as it was similar to the one Ariya was in when they did her newborn portraits in South Carolina. I was more than happy to include it - creating imagery that connects your sessions is important to me. 

The other great part about these portraits was that Sahana’s grandmother was present. It was really special to be able to capture all three generations in portraits of the women in the family. You can tell she’s enamored with her granddaughters - and I think the feeling is definitely mutual. I hope that she’ll be able to hold onto and treasure these portraits for years to come. Including other family members, like grandparents, is a wonderful way to create truly meaningful portraits to display in your home! 

I am SO happy I got to meet Baby Sahana now that she’s made her entrance in the world. Her session was really special to me, and I hope that her family loves it as much as I do!

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Lavender and Blush Pink Newborn Portrait Session in Saratoga Springs

Welcome to the world, Edelyn! This sweet baby girl visited my Saratoga Springs studio for her first portraits (ever!) and I had the best time catching up with her moms and big brother, Everett. Back in 2021, I had the honor of photographing Everrett’s newborn portraits so it was even more exciting to capture his baby sister’s!

For Edelyn’s studio newborn portraits, her moms really wanted to use a hint of lavender and blush pink to bring some color into her setups. I think that the palette of soft, neutral tones with these pops of color came together beautifully for this sweet baby girl. During the session, we captured beautiful portraits of just Edelyn, as well as many of her moms and big brother, too. Have I said how special it was to watch this family welcome their newest member?! 

We even created a few portraits for Edelyn inspired by her big brother’s portraits, and their moms are going to hang them side by side in their home! I absolutely LOVE that idea and am always open to matching color palettes and poses whenever possible between your sessions with me. Similar posing is a really fun way to connect your special moments. Congratulations again to this sweet family - I’m so happy I got to see you again in my studio!

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

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

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

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

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

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White & blue newborn portraits in our light and airy studio

One of the most special parts of my job as a newborn photographer is getting to welcome families’ brand new babies and seeing their first babies turn into big siblings. It’s always so magical to have those deja vu moments when looking at the new little siblings and seeing similarities to their big brother or sister’s portrait session from a few years earlier. That was definitely true with sweet Parker’s session. About 2.5 years ago, I did his big brother Ollie’s newborn portraits. I was definitely experiencing deja vu as I photographed Parker! 

For Parker’s newborn session, we chose a simple palette of white and blue to incorporate in his outfits and setups. I always aim to keep things simple and focused on the baby in our light and airy studio, so that your portraits always remain classic and timeless. Nothing crazy, always classic! Parker looked so sweet, all bundled up and was an angel - sleeping well for me throughout the session. Ollie especially loved when Parker was in my Moses basket and he could look at Parker and fawn over him. It was SO sweet to watch him be so excited for his little brother. I know these two are going to be great friends one day! 

While Parker did sleep for most of his session, we did get a few portraits near the end of him with his eyes open. As much as I love sleeping portraits, I always adore babies with their eyes wide open! They’re so precious. Congratulations to Ollie and his family for welcoming Baby Parker to the world. I can’t wait to watch him grow! 

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Baby Starr | Classic Black & White Newborn Portraits of Adelaide Olivia

I'm savoring this stage that we're in with our baby girl. I want to remember the newborn squeaks and grunts. How she stretches her little body, arches her back, and curls her hands up by her face. The way that her tiny fingers grasp my pinky and hold on tight. How her legs fit together perfectly like two puzzle pieces when she tucks them up together and fold them across her tummy. I find myself pulling out my phone more and more often to capture videos of this newborn goodness, the precious little mannerisms and reflexes that I know she'll soon outgrow but that I don't want to forget anytime soon. And of course I can't help but document it all on my camera as well, beautiful portraits that I know I'll look back on years from now and feel a yearning to go back to those sleep-deprived newborn weeks when she snuggled up so peacefully on my chest and her breathing synced with mine.

When capturing Adelaide's newborn portraits, I wanted to document a few that were raw and natural. Perfectly unposed. The black & white images and the clean white background keep the focus on the baby, and all of the sweet little details are front and center.

Some photographers like to refer to this as "baby led posing," and that's exactly what happens to capture images like this. You let the baby run the show, and you let them curl up, stretch, sigh, and settle into the comfy positions that they naturally find comforting because it's how they were curled up in the womb. As the photographer, you can guide them a little bit by wrapping a swaddle around them or gently bringing their arm in when it floats out to the side, but you capture all of that newborn goodness and the natural movements and expressions that they make.

These are a few of my favorite sleepy, unposed newborn portraits from Adelaide's first few weeks, and just looking at them now already has me missing those early days when she was so light and tiny in my arms. It really is true that it goes by so quickly, and it's hard to believe it until you're experiencing it that you can miss something already even as it's happening right before your very eyes.

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Why Most Newborn Portraits are of Sleeping Babies

Have you ever wondered why most newborn portraits are of sleeping babies? It's not just because photographers are pros at getting babies to sleep. There's actually a whole science and reasoning behind it!

When they babies are sleepy, they are:

-more relaxed

-easier to pose

-safer to pose

Sleeping babies make our job easier and safer. As you know, a baby’s safety is always my priority in the studio or at home, so any time we can allow baby to sleep during our portraits, everyone feels a bit better! (Of course, it’s okay if your little one doesn’t sleep, too!!).

Newborn babies tend to sleep more than they’re awake.

All babies are different, but most newborn babies are asleep more than they are awake -- even though sometimes it doesn't seem that way to new parents! Most often in those first few weeks, the only times they are awake are when they are eating or getting changed, and it's rare to have many moments when they are awake and relaxed at the same time. This means that in order to find those moments of peace for our session, we want baby will be asleep and therefore relaxed during our session!

Some poses just aren’t safe to do if baby isn’t sleeping.

The first priority in every newborn session is the baby's safety, and some poses are just not safe to do with a newborn while they are awake. For example, tummy poses are not safe for an awake baby because they can kick their legs and wiggle off the posing bed or prop. In other poses, the babies have their heads carefully balanced on their arms or hands, and even though this is done in a very safe manner to distribute their weight evenly and keep their bodies balanced, an awake baby is too wiggly to attempt this safely.

We work to create a relaxing atmosphere for your baby!

Since we want your baby to sleep (so they’re relaxed and even safer), newborn photographers work hard to get babies to relax during their session. That is why we crank up the heat in the studio, swaddle and rock the babies, use white noise, and use gentle repetitive motions such as patting and stroking to soothe them. Our goal is to get babies as relaxed as possible so that they will fall asleep and be easy and safe to pose for their portraits. Plus we are able to capture the most variety in images and poses while they are sleeping, too!

But what happens when a baby just won't sleep?

Honestly, this happens fairly often, so if your baby is one of those ones that just won't settle, don't stress! Usually it's a digestive issue. Some babies have upset tummies and they're trying to work out some gas or a BM. Others are affected by caffeine in breastmilk, or maybe a new formula just doesn't sit well in their tummies. Some had a stellar night's sleep last night and they're just not tired right now (but you know the second you leave they're going to drift off to dreamland!).

Newborn portraits are about photographing your baby!

No matter what happens (or doesn’t), we'll figure it out and work around it to capture beautiful portraits while you're in the studio. Typically newborn sessions last 2-3 hours, and most babies would struggle to stay awake for such a long period of time in those early weeks. We keep their tummies full and use all of the tricks to help them relax and stay happy. While they're awake, we swaddle them up and capture those big bright eyes and funny little expressions. I looooove photographing awake babies because they are so expressive, and those wide-eyed shots always make it onto the front of their birth announcement cards. Eventually they all fall asleep and they give in to the heat and the white noise, but some babies just take a little longer than others.

When should you schedule newborn portraits?

For the traditional posed newborn session, we usually schedule those for between 7-15 days old. The ideal time to reserve your newborn session is before the baby is born to ensure a spot on the calendar. After the two week mark babies are often much more alert and wiggly.

I love photographing older newborns, too, but the type of images we create in those sessions is more about interactions and expressions while they are relaxed and awake. Older newborn sessions are less posed and they are usually done with babies 4-8 weeks old.

Ready to get your session on the calendar?

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Springtime newborn portraits with florals and hints of purple

Welcome to the world, Avery Marie! Everything was in bloom at the studio for Avery Marie’s springtime newborn portraits. Since her mom’s favorite color is purple, we decided to lean into the purples and spring season for her setups. I have a funny feeling it will be a favorite color of Avery for years to come.

Purple looked amazing on both Avery and her mom. Her mother chose to wear a lavender gown from our Mama’s Wardrobe, and I’m so glad she did! It was the perfect color on her with her hair and complexion, and it looks amazing against the baby's complexion, too!

Avery’s parents brought a few props for their session that are special to them, including a fun little ice cream movie. They love ice cream, so it was the perfect prop to celebrate that connection they’ll share with Avery one day. Her mom also spent years as a ballet dancer, so we made sure to incorporate a tutu for one of the photos. It was purple, of course!

Avery, you are SO loved and I can’t wait to see you grow this year. You are so lucky to have your incredible parents with you along the way.

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Gianna's Studio Newborn Portraits with Blush and Lavender

Welcome to the world, Gianna! This sweet girl came to the studio at 2.5 weeks old for her newborn session, along with her mom and dad. I loved getting to see them all and finally getting to meet Gianna! I had been waiting impatiently since Jillian’s maternity session at the stable.

For Gianna’s newborn portraits, we kept things classic and simple with a blush and lavender color scheme. She got to use some of my favorite headbands from Polkadotpoppy and she looked absolutely adorable in every single one!! After the classic setups were done, we used some of the fun props her parents brought along. We did her mom’s maternity portraits at her stable and with her horse, Zita, so it was fitting that she brought one of her saddles. Her dad has been dabbling in homemade pasta, so they brought some of it with them. Gianna makes the cutest little chef! It was a fun nod to her Italian heritage, too. :o)

I absolutely love her sweet newborn portraits and I hope you will, too! I’m so happy I got to meet you, Gianna. You are so loved!

LEARN MORE ABOUT STUDIO NEWBORN PORTRAITS!

WHAT TO EXPECT WITH NEWBORN SESSIONS

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Best of 2021 Newborn Portraits

2021 was such a wonderful year here in the studio. I had the chance to meet so many sweet babies and I loved working with each and every one of them. Every family and baby had their own unique setups, so everything was a lot of fun to design and put together! I’m so thankful for every family and baby that came into the studio this year. These recap blogs are always some of my favorite blogs each year. I love the chance to look back at all of my sessions with you!

In this year’s best of 2021 newborns, you’ll see some gorgeous setups, lots of siblings who were incredible with their new brothers and sisters, and many happy families. It’s been such a dream to work with everyone for another year.

If you’re expecting in 2022, I’m currently booking for due dates through May 2022. I usually book sessions and reserve dates with families in their second trimester - so don’t wait on getting on the calendar. I hope these sessions inspire you and make you excited for your own newborn portraits this coming year. Until then, let’s look back at some of my favorite 2021 newborn moments!

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Studio Newborn Portraits for the Littlest Yankees Fan

Welcome to the world, Joseph Paul! How precious is this little guy? He came into the studio recently for his newborn portraits and I just can’t get enough of him. Joseph Paul was super alert during our session, giving me lots of wide-eyed looks. It was adorable! After a bit, he did fall asleep (I guess I must be boring ;O) and we were able to capture more traditional portraits of him swaddled up. That’s what the magic of a good swaddle, white noise, and heat in the studio will do!

When we were planning his newborn portraits, Joseph Paul’s parents asked if they could bring in a few special items. One of them was a onesie from the restaurant where they met for the first time. How sweet is that? I love that they wanted to honor the place that brought them together andstarted their love story - which lead to this sweet baby. His parents are also HUGE Yankees fans and brought in a jersey inspired onesie to celebrate that. We included Yankees colors throughout his sessions and I have to say, I always love a good blue and white color palette.

Enjoy a little look into this precious studio newborn session to celebrate Joseph Paul!

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Newborn Session with Blush and Cream Pumpkins

Meet Evelyn Marie, or "Evie" as her parents like to call her! This sweet little girl graced my studio recently for her fall inspired newborn portraits. From pumpkins to neutral colors in her setups, this session was a dream come true for fall lovers! You might recognize her parents because they were just featured on the blog during their maternity session. Evie decided to come 3 weeks early so they came back to the studio pretty quickly for their newborn session… but it was great to see them all again so soon!

One of my favorite parts about Evie’s newborn session was that we replicated some of the portraits we put together for their maternity session. It was really sweet to see the commonalities between their portraits! I know they’re going to look amazing together in their heirloom album. Patty and Jared were so much fun to work with for both their maternity and newborn session with Evie. I absolutely adore them both and I hope to see them again more over the next few years!

Enjoy this look into their fall newborn session to celebrate sweet Evie!!!

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Older Newborn Portraits for a Sweet Baby Girl

Welcome to the world, Nora! Sweet Nora is a NICU Warrior who was born 2 months early. She spent 5 weeks in the NICU before she was able to come home with her incredible mom. When she was finally able to come to the studio for her newborn portraits, she was already 9 weeks old. But, that’s okay! Nora Jean was just adorable for me, curling up and sleeping during her session. We even got a few portraits of her with a tiny little smile!!

Because Nora’s dad is in the military and overseas, he wasn’t able to be with us for her portraits. Instead, Nora’s grandmother came along and we were able to capture her with her beautiful granddaughter. It’s such a special relationship and I’m honored I could document it for this sweet family forever. I love the color scheme we chose for this session, too. Nora’s mom loves dusty rose and sage green, so we used it throughout the session and captured some truly beautiful portraits.

However, the entire family was able to be online with me during their ordering session! With 5 screens total, Nora’s mom, grandparents, and dad were able to join in on Zoom. It was a lot of fun getting to show her dad the portraits for the first time. And, while watching the slideshow video, Grandma said happily, "I can't see through all the tears!"… so, I’d say they were a hit!

WHAT TO WEAR FOR NEWBORN PORTRAITS!

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Classic Family Portraits during a Newborn Session

Family portraits are one of my FAVORITE things to capture during a newborn session (even more than baby smiles!). I love watching new parents interact with their brand new baby, marveling at how tiny and perfect they are. I love seeing the size of the newborn in their parents’ hands. I love watching new moms “ahhhhh” over every little movement and expression.

There really is something so beautiful about being invited to capture these first family portraits for your family, and I truly enjoy watching the beauty unfold and seeing that magical bond you share with your baby.

This session was no exception, and I adore the collection of family portraits that this family chose to showcase on their walls at home. Scroll down for lots of tender moments with the new mom and dad, and their baby Rudy!

The all-white clothing for this session photographed SO beautifully and it kept the baby the focus of the images. I have a whole blog post filled with tips for choosing outfits for your newborn portrait session. Have you read it yet? Go check it out!

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Grace's Newborn Portraits with Two Big Brothers

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

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

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

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

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

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Elselina's Newborn Portraits with Tulips

Elselina Alice and her family are so special to me. I photographed her big brother, Willem, throughout his whole first year. We captured his newborn, fresh 48 and cake smash sessions. When their mama reached out about capturing her maternity and newborn portraits for Elselina, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. I just LOVE these four.

Mama wore one of our gowns from the studio wardrobe. She looked absolutely stunning in it, too! I love knowing that my mamas have one less thing to worry about by using the client wardrobe. It’s all about making your newborn portraits a stress-free experience. Willem was the proudest big brother! He couldn’t wait to show off Elselina!

While planning their session, Elselina’s mama told me that the pineapple has become a universal symbol for families struggling with infertility. The fruit reminds women to "stand tall, wear a crown, and be sweet on the inside." It's a symbol meant to give women strength and solidarity when they are going through a difficult journey on their way to adding to their family. I love that this sweet family wanted to include pineapples to celebrate their miracle baby’s journey.

Since both Amy and her husband are Dutch, we also incorporated tulips to honor their heritage. They’re also Amy’s favorite flowers. I loved the touch of spring they brought to Elselina’s newborn portraits in the studio.

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Blush Pink Newborn Portraits with Adorable Big Sister

Baby Sienna was as sweet as can be! She joined me at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio for her newborn session along with big sister Gianna, who I have been photographing since SHE was a little baby. I absolutely loved watching these two sisters together and capturing their very first portraits as a family of four. We used a lot of creams and blush pink to go along with Gianna’s previous sessions so that everything will coordinate beautifully on their gallery wall in the living room, and I just love how it all turned out!

Plus, I am officially in love with the white room we’ve built into the corner of the new studio. The light coming through the curtains is beyond magical and it is so soft and perfect in portraits. Don’t you just love these family portraits?!?! Mama looked amazing in the white lace dress from the studio’s Mama Wardrobe, and she chose the most adorable looks for big sister, too!

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Adorable newborn portraits with dainty flower headbands

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

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

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

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

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

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Giuliana's Studio Newborn Portraits

Seriously now. This is quite possibly the CUTEST newborn photo I have ever taken:

Giuliana was a little sweetheart, and I loved capturing all of her different expressions during her newborn portrait session in my Saratoga Springs portrait studio. She was wide awake and happy for the first half of her session, and then she fell into a deep sleep and she curled right up into all of the little poses and wraps. I absolutely adore the portraits that we captured, and I’m excited to share them with you, too!

Her parents brought this little swaddle blanket from Caden Lane, and it was perfect as a blanket backdrop to show her name! I love when families bring beautiful swaddles from home to incorporate into their session. It always makes for extra personal portraits!

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Studio Newborn Portraits for Baby Boy and Big Brother

Can we talk about how awesome this big brother was?!?!

Luciano absolutely blew me away with how wonderful he was during his baby brother’s newborn session. Usually I expect toddlers to act like toddlers, which means I am always prepared for some hesitating, negotiating, games, bribes, possibly a couple of tears, lots of laughs, a few snack breaks, and more during newborn sessions with a new big brother or sister.

But Luciano? I couldn’t stop exclaiming to his mama how wonderful he was with his little baby brother, how patient he was for photos, and how cooperative he was the entire time!

So for all of the other mamas out there, let me repeat: I never expect perfect behavior and I never expect little angels during your portrait sessions. We capture them just as they are, but Luciano just so happened to be on his best behavior that day and it was a very pleasant surprise! We captured so many beautiful family portraits, and I love all of these!

Here he is shushing his baby brother with his mama!

Baby Antonio was so sweet and cuddly, and we captured so many adorable portraits of this sweet baby boy. I love the mix of neutrals and blues that we used in his portraits, and they will coordinate perfectly with their decor at home!

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