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?!?!

Sweet Dreams: A Peaceful Newborn Session with Baby Joey (Saratoga Springs Newborn Baby Photographer)

There is something so magical about a brand new baby that is heavy with sleep and curled up in your arms.  Their tiny fingers wrap around your own, their lashes flutter over their eyes, and the soft sighs that they give as they drift in and out of sleep are just so peaceful.  

Our newborn sessions are always relaxed and calm to focus on the baby's needs, and this dreamy session with Joey's family was no exception.  We kept the colors nice & simple with just a few neutral wraps and minimal props, keeping the focus exactly where it should be: on that beautiful, brand new baby boy.

I always encourage parents to step in front of the camera for a few photos of their new family all together.  Twenty years from now, you will treasure these images as you look back on your first days as a new mom, reliving the moments your husband held your baby in his arms.  And just look at the love shining on their faces in these photos!  These are the moments that I love capturing.  

Baby Joey was an absolute dream to photograph.  Once he fell asleep, he was as happy as can be and moved easily from one pose to the next.  A few of my favorite images, though, are the unposed ones.  The ones where he tosses his arms overhead, stretches out, and relaxes into a deep, deep sleep.

Newborn Baby Tommy: Saratoga Springs Newborn Photographer

Everyone has their ideal client, and you work hard to find them.  But what I'm noticing is that more and more often, my perfect clients are finding ME.  We chat during their pre-consultation, and they mention simple set ups, a focus on baby, soft neutral colors, and the most tender family moments that they want captured on camera.  

Tommy's family was no exception, asking for a pure & simple session with soft grays, blues, whites, and a few nautical touches to tie in with his nursery theme.  I had been dreaming of the perfect nautical image for awhile now, and I was so happy to finally bring it to life!

Tommy's mom is an active member of the local Boston blogging community.  She manages her own health & fitness website and video collection at www.sarahfit.com.  She has shared with the world her personal journey of a healthy pregnancy and continues to share health and fitness tips for the postpartum mom.  

This gorgeous mama came in for their session, and she truly glowed with happiness while holding her brand new baby boy in her arms.

His dad definitely shared a few "proud papa" moments, too.  Watching a new dad with their baby is always the sweetest thing!  I'm so happy we captured these moments for their family.

Finally, is there anything sweeter than itty bitty baby toes?  No, I don't believe there is.  Tommy was such a little charmer, and his parents are lucky to cuddle with this sweet bundle of love every day.

9 Tips for Surviving Life with a Newborn

I am so excited to announce our next collaboration with you!  Over the next few months we will be sharing the blog space with local moms & mompreneurs.  Our guest bloggers will share with you a peek into their personal lives, the moments they were able to laugh about, and their expertise from what they have learned on this journey called motherhood.  

I truly believe that the relationships I love to cultivate with families I work with are about more than just photos.  These relationships are about your stories, the experiences that connect us all together, and the experiences that every single one of you who comes to this blog can relate to.  

With that, I am happy to introduce you to Melanie Venuti, our first guest blogger.  Melanie is a mom to an active little toddler, with Baby #2 on the way.  Through MV Breastfeeding Support (www.mvbreastfeedingsupport.com), Melanie supports families individually through counseling as well as in group classes, sharing her expertise on breastfeeding and parenting success. Melanie is excited to share her 9 tips for surviving the first few weeks at home with your newborn.

As we left the hospital after the birth of my son, my husband encouraged me to sit in the back seat because he said "that's what you’re supposed to do!", he drove slow on the highway and kept the music low so we didn't wake the sleeping baby. Upon arriving home, we walked into the house, placed the car seat down and gazed at our new beautiful baby and each other. They let us leave the hospital and we are now responsible for this tiny human being! What now...? 

 The first six weeks of your baby’s life are a series of ups and downs. But here are some tips and ideas that may make the transition easier for you.

As a new mom, I felt like I needed to do it all to be the best mom, super mom, super woman! But who was I kidding? Boy did I wish I didn’t forbid my husband from laundry that time he washed the white and navy towels at the same time, boy do I wish my friend came over every night with grilled chicken and butternut squash, boy do I wish I took advantage of all my friends and family who said ‘what can we do for you?’. After the birth of your baby, you are responsible for caring for your baby, so allow for your friends and your family to nurture and care for you.

It's ok to mourn the loss of your old life, but laugh about it. Those moments when I would wear the nursing pillow, feed my baby, and attempt to eat my own meal while trying to weed off my dog from stealing my sandwich all at the same time, Hubby and I would look at each other, and say ‘What did we do?’. We laughed about it, and joked about what used to be and how we used to be able to do xyz! Don’t expect perfection, having a baby is a lifestyle adjustment, and you want to do the best you can.

Remember, you are also recovering from delivery and adjusting to life with a newborn, aka a tiny human who consumes your every moment. For the first week or 2, pay attention to what your body is telling you and don’t hesitate to say no to visitors.  

You have probably heard Sleep when the Baby Sleeps, but to be honest, I never found this to be realistic. I could never get into a deep enough, restful sleep during the day, and there are other things that I want to do while baby sleeps…like shower, eat a snack, and/or watch an episode of The Walking Dead. So I think Rest when the Baby Sleeps is a better and more obtainable goal.

You may not have the time to prepare the most balanced meals in the early days, so keeping some easy and healthy grab and go snacks on hand will be a huge help. Things like cheese sticks, yogurt and granola, fruits with nut butters, or other snacks that offer a protein boost will keep you energized.

After your baby is born, and you and your baby are learning to breastfeed together, sometimes it can be a little bit uncomfortable, and this is when you want to ask for help. When breastfeeding is painful, it typically means that something isn’t right with positioning, latch, engorgement, or even water retention or swelling. A Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) can help! An IBCLC has specialized skills in breastfeeding management and uses a problem solving approach and makes appropriate recommendations as needed to ensure breastfeeding success.

A newborn baby is not born with a handbook, and most certainly is not going to respond to a strict schedule early on. They are born into a world that is very different than their ‘norm’ in the womb. They have to experience things like hot and cold, gravity, lights, the sensation of being hungry, the sensation of having to poop…tough life! It takes them a bit of time to adjust and we want to be able to support that with having realistic expectations for their needs and demeanor.  It will take some trial and error to find a good balance for what works for your baby and for you.

All joking aside, a newborn baby does require quite a bit of sleep, but it may not necessarily be during the times of day that you would like to or are used to sleeping. Help your baby differentiate between day and night early on by doing things like keeping the rooms bright during the day and dim to dark at night, or changing their clothing in the morning to play clothes vs. pajamas which are for night time. I am also a HUGE fan of swaddling a baby for sleep. There is lots of research that supports swaddling being an essential to quality sleep for the first several months of baby’s life. Swaddling a baby with their arms down will help them feel safe, warm, and sleep longer.

Childbirth and new parenthood can trigger a jumble of emotions from joy to extreme fear, as well as something unexpected: depression. About 9-16% of women experience Postpartum Depression (PPD) and up to 80% of women report having some degree of Baby Blues after delivery. Baby Blues may include symptoms of anxiety, mood swings and crying spells, and almost always resolve after the first 2-3 weeks. Some women, however, experience more severe symptoms and this is characterized as Postpartum Depression. If you experience symptoms of Baby Blues or PPD, help is available so talk to your health care provider.
 

My son is now 15 months and we survived, we did it, kudos to me and Hubby! We thought we did such a great job that we are doing it again, Baby #2 arriving this summer. Having a baby is a life altering, scary, joyful, wonderfully exciting and the most fun you will ever have. Although the first few weeks are a bit overwhelming, and perhaps not quite as blissful as the movies make it out to be, you get through it, it’s just a faze, and remind yourself, this too shall pass, you're doing a great job!

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What other tips would you share with new parents about surviving life with a newborn?  We'd love to hear them and help out the new moms & dads that follow our blog.  Leave them in the comments below!  

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2015 Year in Review Video by Nicole Starr Photography

2015 has truly been an incredible year, and I want to thank all of you for sharing so many magical moments with me!  

Enjoy this beautiful little video of some of our favorite images from the year.  I look forward to another beautiful year of storytelling in 2016!

To every family that asked me to tell their story: thank you.
To every mom who let me cuddle her newborn baby: thank you.
To every dad that wanted to surprise his wife with a keepsake gift: thank you.
To every creative entrepreneur that connected, laughed, shared, asked, taught, and learned with me this year: thank you.

And to every single person that connected with the stories in my photographs, commented on my images, shared their own stories with me, and let these beautiful families into their hearts through the images that I shared with you: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

A Dreamy Session with Newborn Twins | Albany & Saratoga Springs Newborn Photographer

Sometimes miracles come in pairs.

Finley Grace & Bella James

I love photographing newborns.  Absolutely adore it.  But when you bring newborn twins to me?  Oh my gosh, I'm in heaven!

After arriving one month early and spending some time in the NICU, I was so excited to finally snuggle with these baby girls in the studio.  They are just the sweetest little things, and I adored our session together.  Creamy, dreamy, whimsical & soft are my favorite types of sessions, and this one was no exception!  I love the soft, neutral colors that allow the babies to be the focus of the session, the way we had the most perfect light streaming through the studio windows to illuminate these new parents and their love, and the most peaceful little girls that slept the entire time.

I adore the stunning mama and baby portrait, below.  I recently came across a motherhood quote, and when I read it this photograph immediately came to mind.

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  

She never existed before.  

The woman existed, but the mother, never.  

A mother is something absolutely new."  ~Rajneesh

Love this fun shot of the babies in their daddy's arms!  They won't be that tiny forever, and it's amazing to see and look back on.

The best compliment that you can give a photographer is to have an emotional connection to the portraits that we take and the moments that we capture.  The photo below is the one that brought tears to their mom's eyes during our reveal session.  I just LOVE that a photograph can do that, and I'm truly honored that the photographs I take of your children mean so much.  <3  

And we'll finish with my favorite shot of Finley & Bella, two little twins all snuggled up together.  I love how they just curl up together and mold their limbs together into one tiny little space.  

Check out other newborn twin sessions here, here & here.

Love the clean and organic look of these photographs?  Me too!  View Lucy's clean and simple newborn session.

A Clean & Simple Newborn Session

Photographers are artists, and we find inspiration everywhere.  Our style is constantly evolving, and we are always learning.  I love that I have the opportunity to explore, create, and grow through the sessions and the families that I work with.  I've always been drawn to bright, clean images -- whites, creams, soft shadows, tiny details, and the simplicity that comes with a classic portrait. After being inspired and learning more about minimalist newborn photography in a recent workshop, I decided to go that route with Lucy's newborn session.

Clean & classic.  Simple.  Pure.

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This one below is, perhaps, my favorite image from the entire session.  Her tiny pursed lips, those sweet little back rolls, and those full cheeks just make me want to cuddle right up with her!

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My new macro lens was perfect for these detail shots.  Babies grow so quickly, and capturing these tiny details is always a priority in my sessions!

During Lucy's newborn session, we started with family portraits outdoors and even took a few stunning newborn portraits outside of this sweet new arrival.  Her family's portraits are filled with smiles, kisses, and fall colors.  You can view the rest of her session here in this post.

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I'd love to hear what you think of this new clean & simple style.

Leave a comment below!  Thank you!

Eleanor Katherine {A delicate and floral springtime newborn session}

Eleanor Katherine

April 16, 2015  |  1:28pm

6 pounds, 3 ounces  |  18 inches

I was so excited to welcome Ellie and her parents for their newborn session.  This little girl's arrival to the world was much-anticipated and long-awaited, so we were so happy to welcome this tiny little girl into the studio for the perfect springtime session.

Eleanor was a dream baby.  Her parents followed my prep packet steps exactly, and she arrived to the studio all tuckered out, slipped right into a milk coma, and was in dreamland the entire session.  This allowed us to get so many adorable set ups of their little girl, and many of the specialty shots that the parents had requested for family members.

I always love starting with the family shots, and this has become one of my favorites of showing a baby girl in her daddy's strong hands...

Look at all that hair!

Cute new wrap, you say?  Why yes, it is!  Luckily my husband, Jeff, didn't mind browsing the scarf racks with me at TJ Maxx this spring when the perfect baby wraps were on sale.  He's a keeper.  ;o)

I love how tiny she looks in this one!

Congratulations on your beautiful baby girl!

She is perfect in every way.