A Summertime Family Portrait Session in Saratoga Springs with an Outdoor Cake Smash

What a cute family!  This mama was excited to capture some summertime portraits for a mommy & me session, and she dressed her little ones in coordinating nautical outfits to match the dress that she found for her daughter.  We had a blast running around Spa State Park for their portrait session, and the kids were all smiles.

I always love capturing a few extra special mom & baby portraits, and I love how cuddly Ronan was with his mama!  Just look at his adorable little smile, and those cute baby teeth!

We celebrated Ronan’s first birthday with an outdoor cake smash! We typically do our cake smash sessions in our Saratoga Springs studio, but due to the reopening restrictions after covid and the timeline of this session, we opted for an outdoor session for everyone’s health & safety. It did not disappoint! We did a fun little beachy theme for the birthday boy, and he loved digging into his cake!

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A Mommy and Me Session in the Boston Public Garden

Meet Jack. The smiliest, most adorable little boy who I had the pleasure of photographing in the Boston Public Garden this spring with his mama. This sweet 4 year old is constantly on the go, and we spent a playful hour together filled with giggles, laughs, and bubbles for an extra special Mommy & Me portrait session.

Boston is such a beautiful city in the early spring, and tulip season is always breathtaking. The misty weather didn’t dampen our spirits, and Jack and his mama layered on their rain gear and enjoyed splashing in the puddles in the garden.

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About Nicole Starr Photography 

Nicole Starr specializes in newborn, baby & family photography and has been serving families in New York and Massachusetts since 2012.  She has a portrait studio in Saratoga Springs, NY for families in the Capital Region, and she also works with families at her Attleboro, MA studio and on location in Boston and on Cape Cod. 

Our sessions are relaxed and fun, and we’ll enjoy an hour together laughing, cuddling, and capturing authentic smiles and belly laughs with your little ones.  

Portraits of Motherhood: Slowing Down to Capture the Moment (Saratoga Springs & Boston Family Photographer)

I just love our motherhood sessions.  Every time that I am so lucky to capture a mama and her babies in front of the camera, it's my absolute favorite experience!  So often moms hide behind the camera, shying away from stepping in front of the lens, focusing instead on just their children and saying that another day, another time, another month, then they'll get in a picture with their children.  For so many moms, it just isn't a priority right now.

But I like to think otherwise.  

I think that motherhood is such a beautiful journey (even the tough bits!), and that you deserve to capture this on camera.  I believe that getting moms in front of the camera with their babies is one of the most amazing gifts that you can give to your children.  

During every single phone call I have with moms before their sessions, I always tell them how they will be so grateful they spent a few minutes capturing a handful of portraits with their babies, because soon their little ones will grow up.  They won't cuddle up in your arms anymore.  They will no longer fit on your lap.  You'll forget how their cheek felt rested against your shoulder, and the way their tiny hands wrapped around your fingers for comfort.  They'll go out into the world as independent children, then teenagers, then adults.  And that is the moment when you'll be so grateful for these images that take you back in time.  

These images freeze a moment and bring you back to the early days of motherhood filled with chubby baby cheeks, melodic giggles, and that amazing baby scent that you'll be so nostalgic for when they are grown.  These images will remind you of sticky fingers, goldfish cracker crumbs, and boo-boos covered in colorful bandaids.  You'll recall the way they sang their favorite songs in a high-pitched voice, making up the words to the parts they didn't know yet.  You'll remember the way they held their baby brother and sang lullabies while giving their new sibling a kiss on the forehead -- you'll even remember the part where the kiss turned into a toddler tackle because... well, toddlers!!  

And then one day, when your babies have babies of their own, you will give them these portraits of the two of you.  You'll show them just how tiny they were, how loved they were, and how much happiness they brought into your life.  They will see a glowing and confident mom who was proud to be in a photo with her little one, a mom who put herself first sometimes and made it a priority to capture these beautiful moments with her baby rather than always hiding behind the camera.  

And they will understand, and treasure these portraits that much more when they have a glimpse of you as a new mom.

If you've been hesitant about getting in the picture, giving a long list of reasons why you shouldn't be in front of the camera right now... stop.  And think of the even longer list of reasons why you SHOULD step in front of the camera.  

Or, just think of the one reason why, the most important reason in the world: your child.

Motherhood is a crazy beautiful journey, and you're doing an incredible job.  Celebrate it!

Our popular Celebrating Motherhood Sessions will be on May 6 (Attleboro) and May 20 (Saratoga Springs).  I would absolutely love to see you there!  

Registration opens on April 3, and spots are expected to fill very quickly as this event always sells out within a couple of days.  Be sure to join our newsletter for more info, and follow our Facebook page for announcements and links when registration is open!   

Meet Robyn: Nicole Starr Photography's Newest Spokesmama

YOU GUYS!!!!  I've been keeping a secret... a very huge & exciting secret that I dreamt up almost a year ago and that has taken nearly twelve months of planning, designing, connecting, and searching... And today's the day for the big reveal!  

I would love to introduce you to Robyn Racheotes, Nicole Starr Photography's newest Spokesmama.  (WAIT, WHAT'S A SPOKESMAMA?!?!  READ MORE HERE.)

Robyn and I met last spring at our Celebrating Motherhood Event.  She was the first mom to arrive that day, and we hit it off over makeovers and baby cuddles.  

We connected again last summer for a family session on the beach in Harwichport, which coincidentally turned into a pregnancy reveal session when Robyn discovered that she was 8 weeks pregnant at the time we got together.  

After spending a few hours together during her gallery premiere talking about all things babies, pregnancies, gallery walls, interior design, and blogs (she is an amazing blogger with a focus on style, design, and motherhood), I knew that I had finally found the perfect fit for our very first Spokesmama!

Read on to learn more about Robyn & her family!

Tell us a little about you & your family.  

We are currently a little family of three, soon-to-be four. We spend our weekdays in Boston, but most weekends we can be found on Cape Cod. We love being by the ocean and we are currently working on updating a little home by the ocean. It’s been a fun project and I can’t wait to share our home with friends and family next summer. 

Nicholas is a fun and busy 15 month old and we have another little boy due in early April. Life is about to get really fun, not to mention hectic. 

What do you enjoy most when you get some mommy-time all to yourself?  

Even though my alone time is very limited these days, I try to carve out moments throughout the day where I focus on my passions and what I enjoy, which includes photography, blogging and searching for interior design inspiration. There are days when I’m not able to slip away, but it’s important to me that I still focus on what I love and my passions. 

Share a favorite image from one of our sessions together, and the story behind what you love about it.

My first photoshoot with Nicole, and when we met, was so special because it was a mother’s day session. The shoot documented my first mother’s day as a mom and I will never forget that session.

The smile on my son's face, his excitement and me realizing that even though I’m not perfect, I’m still doing a great job in my new role as “mom”. 

Share a favorite image from your personal family photos, and the story behind what you love about it.

There are so many great memories in this photo. I was 8 weeks pregnant in this picture and hadn’t shared the news with family and friends yet. We didn’t know the gender and I hadn’t had my first appointment yet. Looking at this picture, our first as a soon-to-be family of four truly holds a special place in my heart.

This picture was also taken on the beach near our home that we had recently purchased. It’s also the beach that my husband grew up going to as a kid and there are so many fond memories of this beach. I look forward to creating new ones as our family continues to grow. 

After visiting your family’s home, I fell in love with the many gallery walls throughout your house.  Why is it so important to you to surround yourself with these memories?  Do you have any tips on creating the perfect gallery wall in your home?

Pictures, similar to a song, can bring you bring back memories and the exact emotion felt in a moment, at event or point in your life. I also think there is beauty in the everyday moments in life and capturing your life through photos can truly tell a story. 

My approach to gallery walls isn't precise or calculated. I play around with different frames, colors and textures and try to mix it up so that it feels natural and not too perfect. Pick a variety of layouts, mix and match and select pictures that you will enjoy looking at daily. I also think making it easy and using companies like Framebridge for custom framing can help pull together a personal gallery wall to fit any décor preferences and style. 

Can you share any tips for other moms to make it easy to print their artwork and get their photos off of their hard drives?  

I am obsessed with printing photos and think that printing is just as important as taking the picture. I love apps like Timeshel where you can commit to have iPhone photos printed and shipped monthly (they also remind you to upload your pictures every month). These keeps you from storing great moments on your phone. The print size is also great for a baby book or scrapbook and they are perfect for framing and gifting photos of your little ones.

I also use Shutterfly as the app is easy to order prints, gifts and make albums. I also enjoy Artifact Uprising and their clean and simple approach to prints. And lastly, Chatbooks because it’s so easy to make a photo book from your phone and it’s the perfect way to pull together a collection, a year in review or gift photos from a special event.

In addition to working a full-time job and being a mom & wife, you also find time to write a blog, www.amodestlife.com!  Tell us a little about your blog, your mission, and the inspiration behind your website that focuses on “Navigating Motherhood with Style”.  Also, I hear that there are some exciting new changes coming for A Modest Life… What’s up next?  

I started my blog back in 2008 (yes, that long ago) and it was right around the time that blogs were starting to take off. I started it with the intent of posting daily and focusing on fashion. I was very committed and would only post occasionally.

I decided that the content was marginal and as my personal life shifted (I got married, had a baby) I thought the content and focus need to be adjusted to reflect my new reality. I decided to rebrand and redesign my blog to include a focus on motherhood.

I’ve been working at slowly over the last few months and I’ve really enjoyed coming up with new content. I have some great posts on the horizon and I look forward to growing my following of moms. 

Interested in learning more about our Spokesmama program?
We're currently accepting Spokesmama applications in
the Saratoga Springs/Albany area, and the Boston area.

Click on the Spokesmama tab above, and email us at
hello@nicolestarrphotography.com.
We'd love to chat to see if this would be the perfect fit for you!