Top 10 Tips for Clients Before their Holiday Mini Session

I’m so excited to be welcoming families to the studio in just a few short weeks for our holiday and Santa sessions. They’re some of my favorite magical moments as a photographer and I love being able to create an atmosphere that is fun and joyful. While there is a lot that falls on me to create that space for the children (and families) that enter my space, there’s a few things that parents can do to help us have a holly jolly good time together during their holiday mini session! Below are my top 10 tips for planning, scheduling, and enjoying your holiday mini session!  

1. Schedule wisely around your children’s nap times.

Timing matters!  Schedule your session for a time when your children will be well-rested.  If your photographer is offering morning sessions, the earlier time slots usually work out best for little ones when they’re still coming off of a good night’s sleep.

2. Fill those bellies up with snacks & a full meal before the session.

Hungy kids are cranky kids, but full bellies will yield lots of smiles and cooperation!  Trust me on this one.  ;o)

3. Keep your phone (and any apps or Youtube videos) hidden during the session.

Mini sessions are short & sweet, and your photographer has a whole arsenal of tricks to capture your child’s attention and get the very best smiles from them.  Pulling out the phone to put on their favorite song or video often leads to more time spent trying to get the phone away from them than actual smiles in front of the camera.  Tell the photographer ahead of time if your child has a favorite song they respond to, and your photographer can cue it up on their phone or on the Alexa in their studio.

4. Coordinate your outfits.

Choose outfits that complement each other without being completely matchy-matchy.  Stick to a cohesive color palette.  For holiday sessions, I am a huge fan of neutrals, deep forest green, gold, silver, navy, a hint of red (but not with Santa because he will be all in red!).  You may even consider unexpected and rich jewel tones for a fresh take on holiday portraits.

5. Try on everyone’s outfits ahead of time.

From shirts and dresses, to tights and shoes.  Try on every piece of clothing and give every accessory a test-run so that your children can be comfortable in them.  Particular “pain points” that I’ve had families experience who have not tried everything on are: sweaters or tulle dresses that are too itchy (put a layer underneath them to protect the skin); baby pants that are too tight on the waist so they cannot sit up comfortably (most common on babies 6-12 months); forgetting to plan for shoes in the dressy portraits (barefoot is fine for holiday pjs).

6. Think ahead for holiday cards.

If you have a certain template that you love, keep in mind the layout of the card when choosing your favorite family portraits for the card.  This is especially important if all of your favorite portraits are horizontal/landscape orientation, but your template is vertical/portrait orientation.  Be flexible, or let your photographer know ahead of time that you mostly want a particular orientation of family portraits.

7. Be prepared.

Arrive a bit early to get everyone settled. Bring snacks, water, and any comfort items for younger kids. Consider packing a change of clothes for little ones in case of spills. Being prepared will help everyone relax and enjoy the experience.

8. Keep it fun.

The most important part of a mini session is to have fun! Keep the mood light and playful. If kids are involved, don’t stress if they’re not posing perfectly—some of the best moments happen when they’re just being themselves. A bit of silliness can result in some truly memorable photos.

9. There is so much more that you can do with these photos than just holiday cards!

Ornaments, framed prints that you display every winter, a keepsake album to look through every year as your children grow, and gifts for family are just a few ideas.  Just remember that the possibilities don’t stop with a 5x7 card.

10. Enjoy the moment.

Finally, remember that this is a time to celebrate your family.  Take a moment to breathe, enjoy the time together, and focus on each other rather than just the camera.  Your love and connection will shine through in the photos, making them even more special and treasured.

I can’t wait to welcome you to the studio! If you still need to book your holiday session, check out all the details here! 

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Our Santa Experience - Holiday Photo Sessions at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio

This was our first year doing Santa sessions in the studio and I had a blast creating a dream experience for every family that came in the door. It was important to me to create a magical Santa Experience for each family - from the moment they arrived to their goodbyes. I’ve never taken on Santa sessions but I’m so glad that we’ve finally broken the seal on this incredible holiday adventure in our Saratoga Springs studio! 

To create a magical Santa experience, I wanted to bring in unique elements leading up to their session date. Each child received a personalized letter from Santa the week of their session, complete with a certified North Pole stamp and a wax seal on the gold-lined envelope. Their letter invited them to the studio to help Santa finish making some toys that the elves forgot to finish. It was so cute and every little one loved it! 

Upon arriving, I wanted to make sure families and children had time to warm up to Santa. I didn’t want anyone to feel rushed. Instead, the kids had plenty of time to discover that Santa was in the studio, warm up to him, ask him questions, find their name on the nice list, help him with the toys, sing songs, and more. It was a beautiful chance to watch interactions unfold naturally. 

My absolute favorite part was seeing the pure magic and innocence on children’s faces. I loved watching their expressions light up when they saw Santa, how they were filled with joy when they saw their names on the Nice List or when they discovered that the “magic paint” on the nutcrackers really worked. The wonder when they sang “Jingle Bells” or “ho-ho-ho-ed” and Santa appeared behind them out of nowhere was special, too. It was incredible.

Thank you to every family who visited my studio to help make these magical sessions possible this winter. I’m so in love with how they turned out and I hope it’s not the last time Santa visits the NSP studio!

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The More the Merrier! A Peek at our Holiday Sessions | Saratoga Springs and Boston Family Photographer

I love Christmas.  Every year I look forward to the holiday season because it is filled with twinkly lights, delicious aromas, cozy family traditions, and so much festivity everywhere you look. 

That's why our holiday sessions are always some of my favorite sessions of the year here at our studio.  So many families come and visit, and many are families that I have photographed for years, plus there are always a few new families that I'm excited to meet, too!  This year we did holiday portraits with families in Saratoga Springs and in Boston (at our Attleboro studio), and it was so much fun creating a little holiday magic with these babies and children!

Our set-ups were simple & classic this year:

A fluffy red and white bed that was adorable with Christmas pajamas.
And a huge wreath filled with twinkly lights for some family portraits.  

CUTENESS OVERLOAD with these adorable twins!!

A Family Session & a Cake Smash in Downtown Boston

Even though we've moved to Saratoga Springs, I find myself going back to Boston more than just a little bit to visit with clients and capture some beautiful memories for them.  Boston has always had my heart, and I can't even begin to count how many hours I have spent wandering the streets of that city with my camera in hand.  It is such a BEAUTIFUL city that I truly can never get enough of.  Because of that, I still love every chance I get to head downtown for a portrait session, and this one was no exception!  

This family session in Downtown Boston was one of my favorite sessions lately.  We stepped out the family's front door and we were in the heart of Newbury Street, and only one block away from the tree-lined Parkway on Commonwealth Avenue.  This was the perfect backdrop for their family photos, capturing the hustle & bustle as well as the beauty of their neighborhood, and I love the images that we were able to capture together.  These ones here in the park are some of my favorites, especially with their little dog, Bojangles!

After their sun-dappled family photos outside, we went indoors for Brodie's cake smash to celebrate his first birthday.  His parents wanted to tie in their love for Boston with Brodie's dad's Scottish background, so we found the perfect balance of the two: a Make Way for Ducklings cake smash with a plaid Scottish kilt, and a cake from Jennifer Lee's Bakery on Hanover Street in Boston.  

Brodie wasn't quite sure what to think of his cake, which happens sometimes during our cake smashes!  Some babies dig right in, loving the mess and the sweetness, while others are a bit more hesitant and would rather keep their fingers clean.  ;o)  Brodie was a little trooper, and he kept going back for another taste time and time again.  Now that he's had his first few bites of cake, I bet he will love his cake at his party now after sampling frosting for the first time during his smash!! 

JUST A REMINDER TO MARK YOUR CALENDARS!  

We're planning stunning holiday sessions this year, and I can't wait to share all of the details with you.  Sign ups for our Limited Edition Holiday Sessions will be released on October 3, and if you subscribe to our newsletter you will have priority access to scheduling your family's session.  Trust me, these are going to be SO GORGEOUS and you don't want to miss this!  Join our newsletter list today!

SESSION DATES:
OCTOBER 29 & 30, ATTLEBORO, MA
NOVEMBER 5 & 6, SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY