Classic Newborn Portraits with Family Heirloom Knits

Ten little fingers and ten little toes. The most adorable little baby girl came to the studio, and we captured so many adorable portraits of her!

Wynn was wide awake when we started her session, and I loved capturing her curious eyes and wide-eyed stare in portraits. However, all newborns fall asleep eventually and Wynn did, too! We were able to capture some really adorable sleepy portraits of this sweet girl, and I love how beautifully they turned out with all of the neutral layers and headbands!

This one is my favorite. The bonnet and beige blanket were handmade family heirlooms passed down for generations. It was so special getting to incorporate them into her photographs! I love it when families bring sentimental items like these ones!

Of course, we couldn’t pass up the chance to do some pumpkin portraits for this fall baby! Blush pink and cream kept it fresh and girly.

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Best of 2019 Newborn Sessions with Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

Every year I love going through all of my sessions and compiling a collection of favorites for a huge blog post, and this year I am so excited to share the “Best of 2019” newborn sessions!

I was truly honored to welcome so many babies to the studio and celebrate their arrival with their families. It really is the best job in the world to be invited into their lives to cuddle their newborns and photograph their first days with their new baby. I will never get tired of those new baby yawns, their cute little back rolls, and those tiny toes. Newborns are pure magic, and it’s such a joy to document this stage on camera!

Enjoy a peek at a few of our favorite portraits from the year!

We had the most amazing big brothers & sisters in the studio this year, and it was beautiful to see how sweet and cuddly they were with their new babies.

And baby makes three! So many beautiful moments for these brand new parents!

It’s always extra special when three generations join us at a newborn session, and I love capturing that special bond with all of the baby’s loved ones.

This year we really simplified the studio’s colors to keep the focus on the baby with clean, timeless portraits. I find white to be an absolutely beautiful color for brand new babies, and we started many of our sessions off with the baby in a clean white onesie just laying on a blanket, unposed and settling in to however was comfortable for them. Those were some of my favorite candid moments of the year!

And of course, swaddled up tight with whites & creams will never go out of style! Just look at these perfect little babies!

Let’s not forget our lifestyle sessions, which steal my heart every single time! I always love getting to photograph a family at home with their brand new baby. These sessions are a relaxed peek into their lives at home and we photograph the new family in the nursery, master bedroom, and any other spot with beautiful light! One of my absolute favorite spots this year was a wooden porch swing in the summertime.

As always, I am so incredibly grateful for all of the families that entrusted me with their most precious treasures this year. Thank you for inviting me into your lives to document this special time, and for letting me snuggle your little one in the process, too! :o)

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Olivia's Newborn Portraits with her Siblings - Saratoga Springs Newborn Photographer

Let’s talk about how cute these brothers & sisters are together!!! Can you even believe how much adorableness fits into one photo?!?! I cannot!

I love that their mama printed this as a large wooden wall art to hang above the couch. This is going to put such a huge smile on her fave everyday to see her babies all cuddled up together!

Little Miss Olivia is surrounded by love, and we captured so many beautiful moments with her family during their studio newborn portrait session.

She had the most beautiful creamy skin, and every color looked amazing on her! I adore this pop of lavender!

I’m always adding to the flowers that we have in the studio, and I was excited to try out this new garland of gardenias. They’re perfectly fluffy and feminine, and they made such a beautiful wreath around Olivia!

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Beautiful Newborn Portraits at our Saratoga Springs Baby Photography Studio

Our latest Baby Planner has arrived, and she is oh-so-sweet!

Meet Elliana. She visited me at the studio and was the most cuddly little baby. I love that we captured these portraits of her resting in her mommy & daddy’s arms to show just how small she was when she was born!

Looking over dad’s shoulder is always one of my favorite angles to capture during a newborn session. This is the view you’re never going to forget when you think back on holding your daughter in those first few weeks, and seeing this image twenty years from now will bring you right back to feeling the weight of her in your arms and the way she made her happy little newborn sighs when she settled in comfortably.

Can you find the hidden hearts in the portrait below?

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Gorgeous Mama and Baby Portraits in our Saratoga Springs Studio

I am 100% head over heels in love with this session! We did some stunning mama and baby portraits in the studio to celebrate Sebastian’s arrival, and new mama Kate wore a few of the gowns in our studio closet. (By the way, have you seen the new Mama Wardrobe yet? Go check it out and borrow a dress or two for your session!)

I love how peaceful and serene these portraits are, and she looks so elegant in these gowns! My favorite thing about the studio wardrobe is how classic the styles are, and how flattering they are on all body types — even postpartum bodies! Trust me, all mamas feel GORGEOUS when they step into these dresses!

Not to be left out, Sebastian even slipped into one of our newborn outfits from the Baby Wardrobe at the studio. I love these blue stripes!

Whether you’re planning a maternity session, newborn session, family portraits, or a cake smash — mamas, if you don’t know what to wear and you’re worried that nothing in your closet looks just right, then come ask me what we can do with the outfits here at the studio. I would love to help you pick out the perfect one for your session!

What to Wear to Your Newborn Session - Parent and Sibling Wardrobe Inspiration

So, you scheduled your newborn session and you listened to me say that you don’t need to worry about the baby’s outfits —our Saratoga Springs studio is stocked with wraps and cute handmade outfits that will be perfect on your little one.

But then a moment of panic sets in….. what are YOU going to wear?!?! What is going to fit one week postpartum? What’s your spouse supposed to wear? What looks good on camera?

Sooooooo many questions, and you’re not alone! All new moms and moms-to-be ask me the exact same questions. That’s why I’m here to make it easy for you as you figure out what to wear to your newborn portrait session.

Whether we’re photographing your newborn session at the studio or in your home, these tips apply to all families. Read on for lots of great ideas!

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Wear a gown from our studio wardrobe, or a maxi-length dress like the one from your baby shower!

Long dresses are super flattering on new moms, and we have tons of them available at the studio. They elongate your body and are very elegant and classic in portraits. I suggest sticking to soft, flowy fabrics that are not too clingy around your midsection. We have lots of dresses in the studio’s Mama Wardrobe that you can choose from, and you are welcome to bring your own, too!

Always stick to white, cream, and other light neutrals on top. AVOID BLACK AT ALL COSTS.

While everyone always says that black is the most slimming color to wear, it’s really the least flattering option when we’re doing newborn portraits in my light & airy style. Because you’ll be holding your baby on your chest, a dark color is going to make the baby’s skin appear rough, red, and shadowy. Stick to light colors that bounce lots of light back on the baby to really illuminate their complexion, and yours!

Lace details are gorgeous! So are any other PRETTY little details on your outfit.

Lace has such a beautiful texture in photographs, and other lightweight fabrics photograph beautifully, too.

Keep in mind the STORYTELLING DETAILS in your portraits. Have a favorite necklace or a ring with sentimental value? Wear those to your session, and you’ll tell your child the story behind the jewelry for many years as they look back at their portraits.

What about the dads?

The most popular colors I see for dads are white, light blue, and gray. These go great with your neutral top or dress, and they coordinate beautifully with any colors that might be in the outfits, too.

If dad is a fan of button down shirts, wear one! Roll the cuffs to be a little more casual because he doesn’t need to look like he just came from the office for portraits with his new baby.

If he’s a laid back kind of guy, I love the look of a long-sleeved henley or a solid tee for portraits.

What should the kids/siblings wear?

I love helping with outfits for the big brothers and sisters! I always recommend sticking with neutrals like white, cream, gray, blue, beige, blush pink. Clothing can have patterns on it, but nothing too loud and crazy, and definitely no words or characters/cartoon pictures. The most classic portraits are ones where the outfits don’t compete for your attention, but they’re subtle enough that you can focus on the sweet moments between the new siblings. Look at how the outfits just blend in below and instead your eye is drawn right to the smiles & connection!

As for shoes, barefoot is always my favorite for the kids!

Whatever you wind up wearing, ultimately you want your family’s portraits to feel classic, timeless, and easy. I love being able to provide families with outfit ideas and items from my baby & mama wardrobes - making it even easier for you to relax and enjoy your newborn portraits!

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Quinn Emerson's Watercolor and Blush Newborn Portraits

You know what we need to brighten up these chilly and long winter days?

A nice pop of springtime colors, and a whole lot of baby cuteness!

Meet Quinn.

This little sweetheart stole my heart — and her parents’ — during her newborn session here at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio. This sleepy baby girl was absolutely perfect, and I adored her smiles and cozy cuddles during her session.

Just look at those perfect and tiny newborn fingers!

My absolute favorite portraits from Quinn’s session were with this gorgeous watercolor swaddle that her mama brought to the session. It coordinated perfectly with our mint green bump layer, and the colors remind me of spring. Such a joyful combination!

Newborn Portraits for Penelope James

Little miss Penelope is another one of our Baby Planners, and I am so looking forward to watching her grow this year! It feels like only a few weeks ago that we enjoyed her mama’s maternity session here at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio, and then in no time at all they were back with their baby girl!

We chose plenty of neutrals for Penelope’s newborn session — white, cream, and blush pink are always timeless favorites for baby girl sessions!

Don’t you just love this little smile that peeked out?!?!

This little sweetheart was awake almost her entire session, which is rare and usually makes newborn sessions rather tricky because newborns have more relaxed facial expressions and they are much easier to pose when they are asleep. Penelope kept looking around, wanting to take everything in with her soulful eyes. She made a few funny little faces, but so many adorable ones, too! I just adore these awake parent portraits!

Holden's Newborn Session with his Big Brothers

Our newest Baby Planner baby is here! Holden Patrick joined me at the Attleboro studio for his newborn session, and I had such a wonderful time celebrating his arrival with this sweet family! Holden’s big brothers are both so excited and helpful with their newest sibling, and they did an amazing job during the session.

Funny story…. when the big brothers were getting dressed at the beginning of the session, one of the boys slid his arms into his button-down shirt and his thumbs got caught on the button at the cuff. He exclaimed, “Cool! Thumb holes!” and immediately loved the shirt because he thought it was like those athletic shirts that have the slits for the thumbs. His mom and I couldn’t stop laughing and then we had to break it to him that he wouldn’t be using the “thumb holes” during portraits. We convinced him that rolled cuffs were way cooler, and he was excited to wear his fancy shirt. Too funny!

Aren’t they the best big brothers you’ve ever seen?!?!

He doesn’t seem to mind giving up his title as the baby of the family one bit!

Both big brothers had nautical inspired newborn portraits done when they were born, and it was really important to the family to do a matching portrait with white starfish and white layers. I love what we came up with, and it will look perfect as a canvas on the wall with the boys’ portraits!

And of course, the nautical-inspired session wouldn’t be complete without some blue and white stripes!

An Awake Newborn Session with Nora Jude in our Saratoga Springs Portrait Studio

Not every baby is a sleepy little newborn, and sometimes we get the tiniest clients who are also the most alert despite all of my efforts to lull them to sleep (heat, swaddles, white noise, a full belly, gentle rocking, and so many more tricks that usually work for 90% of our newborn sessions!).  

Nora Jude was the tiniest, most perfect little baby girl, and she wanted nothing more than to watch everything that was going on during her newborn session.  At 13 days old, she didn't want to miss a thing, so we went with the flow and captured plenty of wide-eyed shots of this brand new baby.  I just love all of the different expressions she gave me during our little staring "show-down"!

I eventually won the staring contest, and this sweet 6-pound girl drifted off to sleep so that we could capture some adorable, sleepy poses.

Of course, a subtle Christmas set-up was a must for this winter baby!

As I was looking through my viewfinder to take this family portrait, I remember saying, "Oh my gosh, this is definitely a new favorite family portrait!  I just love this pose!"  Mom, dad, and baby look so cozy together, and you can really tell how small their daughter is all curled up in dad's hands like that.  This is definitely a family pose that we will see more of in the studio!

If you loved Nora's session, you're going to adore these next two on the blog!
Emma Adele
Quinn Madlina

Did you know that we are now booking newborn sessions through March 2018?  Most moms reserve their session in the second or third trimester to save a flexible date on the calendar for their little one's arrival.  Let's chat!

Sleepy Newborn Photos - Saratoga Springs & Boston Newborn Photographer

Ask any newborn photographer -- there is nothing we love more than a sleepy, cuddly newborn baby!  Those little baby yawns that come right before they slip into what we lovingly call a "milk drunk" state of sleep are the best!  

So why do photographers love sleepy newborn babies so much?  Well, they are much easier to settle into a pose without stretching or startling themselves awake.  For a baby that is just a week or two old, when they are awake they typically want to eat.  Of course, you didn't hire a newborn photographer to capture dozens of photos of your baby eating, so we like a baby to have a full belly and be nice and settled during their session.

When a newborn baby is in a deep sleep during a studio session, it's easy to move them from the beanbag to buckets and other small props to curl them up inside of.  

This also gives your photographer the chance to really slow down and zoom in on all of the details that you don't want to forget -- their perfect pout, the flaky newborn skin on their hands, their tiny toes, and that thin layer of downy newborn hair on their back.

Plus, sleepy newborn smiles are OH-SO-AMAZING!!!

But do newborn babies need to be asleep during their newborn sessions?
No, of course not!  

I actually love it when they're awake for a few shots so that we can capture their sparkly eyes and intense gaze.  Check out yesterday's blog post filled with so many of
our favorite awake newborn images from recent sessions!