A Sesame Street Cake Smash for Aiden's First Birthday!

One of the things that I love the most about our studio cake smash sessions is planning a unique theme and set up for each baby.  From the outfit, to the cake, to the custom decor and backdrop, every little step along the way comes together to create the perfect session for celebrating this little one's birthday. 

For Aiden's Sesame Street session, we used bright primary colors, simple shapes, and a delicious Cookie Monster cake to pull it all together, with a little nod to the classic television show with a green & yellow street sign like those you might see on Sesame Street.  This cake was especially fun to make, and I love that it is covered in lots of ooey-gooey frosting perfect for smashing!

Aiden, however, was not a huge fan of cake or frosting.  He was much more interested in the cookies than in the cake, and thankfully the baby-sized cookies kept this little baby happy during his session!  

I just love the big smile that he showed us here!  Happy birthday, baby boy!

On a sidenote, we are in the process of moving to Saratoga Springs, NY (did you miss our moving announcement?).  I spent all day painting our Saratoga Springs photography studio today, and I cannot wait to welcome some birthday babies in for cake smashes starting in July!  Is your little one turning 1 this summer or fall?  Use the contact tab above to get in touch!

Welcoming Baby Michael with a Pure & Natural Newborn Session: Saratoga Springs & Boston Newborn Photographer

Spring is all about celebrating new life, and that is no exception here in the Nicole Starr Photography studio!  With so many newborns coming in for their sessions, I have felt like the luckiest girl in the world getting to cuddle with all of these sweet new babies!  

Michael was born only one day after Lucas, our last newborn session that I shared on the blog with you.  This tiny and healthy little baby arrived a few weeks before his due date, and when he came to the studio at just over 5 pounds I knew we would show how tiny he was in his photographs.  I love it when they curl up in these sleepy little poses, just like they were in the womb only a few short days ago!

You know me, and I always love the pure & natural newborn images.  Soft colors, natural textures, and classic styles that keep the focus on the baby rather than on the props.  Michael's session was no exception, and I just love how his beautiful skin shines in these images against the creamy fabrics.

However, my FAVORITE images from his session are the ones with his happy new parents.  They were excited, amazed, in awe, and impressed by this tiny human being that they brought into the world together.  Michael loved cuddling up with his mommy and daddy, and I just adore these gorgeous parent shots that we captured on camera.  They are such naturals as a new mom & dad, and the peacefulness that they brought into the room with their baby was so beautiful.   Congratulations, Vinessa & Mike!

Finally, we were so happy to capture this sweet moment of Michael in his father's police hat honoring his dedication to the Boston Police Department.  This one will be going up on a wall in their home!

A Springtime Newborn Session for a Sweet Baby Boy: Albany Newborn Baby Photographer

Lucas Benjamin
March 16, 2016
8 pounds, 6 ounces, 21 inches

Every time a family walks into the photography studio with their brand new baby, I feel so excited and honored to capture these sweet moments for them.   New moms & dads have had their world turned upside down and inside out with the arrival of their little miracle baby, and they are adjusting to all sorts of new schedules and routines, but for a few hours we slow it all down and just soak in the newness of their tiny little one.  We celebrate this amazing little life and capture all of the tiny details.

Every newborn session is filled with lots of cuddles, and Lucas's session was no exception.  This little boy was such a sweetheart and I loved capturing his tiny newborn goodness from the other side of my lens.  His parents both enjoyed the delivery of his wall art and fine art album yesterday, making today the perfect day to showcase his studio newborn session with a blog post!

This little boy was such a good sleeper, and he was in dreamland for most of our session!  I just love these beautiful images that we were able to capture of this sleepy little baby during his newborn session.  When his mom told me that she wanted some springtime colors for her springtime baby, I was so happy to pull out my favorite vintage quilt for his set up.

These sleepy little photos below are some of my favorites, and I just love how tiny and cozy Lucas is all tucked into his little bed.  Plus, doesn't he have the most handsome and adorable profile in the second image?  Those little lips and that tiny bump of a nose, plus his mini mohawk.... ahhhhhh!!!  Doesn't it melt your heart?!?!

A Rock & Roll Cake Smash with Twins!

It all started with a KISS onesie...

Have you ever had one of those days where you look in your closet and you have nothing to wear?  Who am I kidding, of course you have!  We all have!  Now, has that ever happened to you when planning outfits for your family's portrait session?  It's not easy figuring our what to wear and how to coordinate outfits for 2, 3, 4, 5, or even 10 people!  That's why I always tell families that when inspiration strikes, you go with it!

(Or you can check out our helpful What to Wear blog post here!) 

When the twins' mom was trying to come up with outfits for her babies for their cake smash, she was also trying to come up with a theme.  After going back and forth a few times, she finally told me that she had a KISS onesie in the basement that she had given to her husband when they were expecting their first baby.  KISS is her husband's favorite band, he has been to hundreds of their concerts, and all three of her children LOVE rock music.

The answer was clear... yes, yes, YES!  Let's do a rock & roll themed cake smash!

I'm a little bit vintage.  They're a little bit rock & roll.  Everything came together perfectly for Emily & Nicholas's first birthday celebration from the handmade backdrop to the individual cakes.  Plus, getting to watch these babies play with their cakes for their first taste of sugar?  So adorable!

I've captured the sweetest moments of Emily and Nicholas together since they were newborns, and I've absolutely loved watching them grow.  Getting to celebrate their first birthday with them was the icing on the cake!   ;o)  

A Cute Baby & A Pretty Hat: Eliana's 7 Month Milestone Session (Upstate New York Baby Photographer)

Every now & then there is a knock on the door and a family walks in carrying the cutest baby I've ever seen... actually, "every now and then" feels more like "every couple of days" when your job is a baby photographer.  I feel so lucky to be able to cuddle with so many adorable babies every day, and when the next potential Gerber baby model comes into my studio for a session, I absolutely love it!  Sessions like this one remind me that I truly do enjoy the best job ever.  :) 

Eliana came to the studio for her 7 month milestone session.  This is such a beautiful age that I love capturing on camera.  Babies are sitting more comfortably, they are smiling and engaged with the camera, they love playing with their toes, and they enjoy being the center of attention for being so adorable.  Babies this age are champs at tummy time, have the best giggles, and have so many sweet expressions to add variety to your photographs.  

We did a little photo series of Eliana wearing the sweetest cream-colored bonnet that I have in the studio.  I just love the way it framed her face and made those blue eyes sparkle!  

I love our Petite Milestone sessions because the focus is all about your baby.  We keep it simple with neutral backdrops, natural colors, and minimal props to focus on your little one, their personality, their developing milestones, and their innocence.  We capture natural moments that are so precious in this fleeting stage of infancy, and I can guarantee that these classic images will hang in your home for many, many years without ever looking dated.

Want to learn more about our Petite Milestone sessions?  Read about them here, and then contact me today and let's plan the perfect session to celebrate your baby's budding milestones this spring!

A Superhero Cake Smash: Saratoga Springs & Albany, NY Baby Photographer

It's a bird...

It's a plane...

It's... SUPERBABY ANTHONY!

I have been having so much fun designing our cake smashes lately!  It helps that the families are coming up with the most amazing themes.  (Did you see our "Where the Wild Things Are" smash?  So adorable!)  When Anthony's parents told me that they were planning a superhero bash for his first birthday party, I knew that I wanted to do an airy cityscape for his set.  That combined with his vibrant cake and the smiliest baby I've ever seen, and this is certainly topping the charts as one of my favorite cake smash sessions so far!

One of my favorite parts of Anthony's cake smash session actually happened AFTER the cake smash.  We got together at his family's home for their reveal session, and his parents fell in love with every single photo in their slideshow.  When they showed the baby the photos of himself, Anthony put on the biggest smile and erupted into the most adorable giggle.  This baby LOVES seeing photos of himself, and he stared and stared at them, taking in every detail.  Such a sweet moment, and I was so happy to be there in person to witness that!

For me, first birthdays are about more than just the baby.  They are about celebrating as a family -- you have survived your first year of parenthood, and that is a major accomplishment!  I always love capturing the love, the joy, and the celebration of parents with their babies just as their little one is about to become a toddler.  Enjoy a few sweet moments of Anthony with his parents...