Sweet and simple portraits for a newborn baby boy

Oh my goodness. I loved Baby Ollie’s newborn portrait session so much! This little guy was the absolute sweetest, and he had a head full of hair that just popped against all of the neutral layers and wraps. His skin was so creamy and he was a dream to photograph. I used a new waffle-knit wrap and posing blanket for this baby boy, and I love how beautifully the texture photographs and that special little touch that it adds to his portraits. Scroll down for some of my favorites!

Those wide-eyed newborn shots are always a favorite for the parents! Ollie was so calm and cozy while awake, and we even captured a few portraits with his mama’s stethoscope as a nod to her profession — she’s a surgeon in NYC!

His mama had seen a recent cake smash of mine with mint & navy balloons, and she loved the look and wanted to incorporate those colors into her son’s portraits, too. I love the variety here!

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Giuliana's Studio Newborn Portraits

Seriously now. This is quite possibly the CUTEST newborn photo I have ever taken:

Giuliana was a little sweetheart, and I loved capturing all of her different expressions during her newborn portrait session in my Saratoga Springs portrait studio. She was wide awake and happy for the first half of her session, and then she fell into a deep sleep and she curled right up into all of the little poses and wraps. I absolutely adore the portraits that we captured, and I’m excited to share them with you, too!

Her parents brought this little swaddle blanket from Caden Lane, and it was perfect as a blanket backdrop to show her name! I love when families bring beautiful swaddles from home to incorporate into their session. It always makes for extra personal portraits!

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Best of 2020 Newborn Sessions - Saratoga Springs Newborn Portrait Photographer

Wrapping up our Best of 2020 posts, I’m excited to share a peek at some of my favorite newborn portraits from last year! I was lucky enough to photograph so many sweet little babies, and I loved celebrating each one’s arrival with their family. Of course, the best part was the sweet little cuddles! More than 8 years into running this business, and I can still hardly believe that this is my job!

2020 was a little different because we were closed for three months in the spring at the start of the pandemic, but that gave me the opportunity to welcome so many older babies into the studio for their older newborn portraits in the summer! I loved working with these older babies. Their eye contact was amazing, they gave the sweetest smiles, they interacted with their parents, and they had gained a few pounds so those cheeks were beyond adorable! I fell in love with older newborn sessions, and I will definitely continue offering them for babies of all ages!

Loving the colors & the outfits in this blog post??? Me, too! Check out our wardrobe inspiration for newborn sessions here!

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Studio Newborn Portraits for Baby Boy and Big Brother

Can we talk about how awesome this big brother was?!?!

Luciano absolutely blew me away with how wonderful he was during his baby brother’s newborn session. Usually I expect toddlers to act like toddlers, which means I am always prepared for some hesitating, negotiating, games, bribes, possibly a couple of tears, lots of laughs, a few snack breaks, and more during newborn sessions with a new big brother or sister.

But Luciano? I couldn’t stop exclaiming to his mama how wonderful he was with his little baby brother, how patient he was for photos, and how cooperative he was the entire time!

So for all of the other mamas out there, let me repeat: I never expect perfect behavior and I never expect little angels during your portrait sessions. We capture them just as they are, but Luciano just so happened to be on his best behavior that day and it was a very pleasant surprise! We captured so many beautiful family portraits, and I love all of these!

Here he is shushing his baby brother with his mama!

Baby Antonio was so sweet and cuddly, and we captured so many adorable portraits of this sweet baby boy. I love the mix of neutrals and blues that we used in his portraits, and they will coordinate perfectly with their decor at home!

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Simple and Sweet Newborn Portraits for Baby Erin

Are you ready for something really sweet to start your day? Just look at adorable baby Erin! I love these simple newborn portraits that we captured for her family, and I can’t stop staring at how absolutely perfect this little cutie is.

I always love starting our newborn sessions in a white onesie on a white blanket to capture those natural newborn movements. The way they curl up their fingers and move their little bodies in slow motion. Their sleep little yawns with their mouths stretched wide open. The tiny finger wrinkles and flaky skin on their wrists. There is so much perfection in their itty bitty bodies, and I love capturing this newness on camera!

Of course, it wouldn’t be a newborn session without a few wraps and an expertly swaddled baby! I love how squishy and flexible they are at this stage, curling right up just like they did in their mama’s belly!

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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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Newborn Portraits for Eloise with Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

There’s nothing I love more than family portraits in neutral colors where the focus is on the family, the love, and all of that sweet emotion! Just look at those smiles, those cuddles, and the cute little kisses. This is one that will hang on the wall for many years!

This sweet mama brought her second daughter to our Saratoga Springs portrait studio for her newborn session, and I absolutely loved capturing these portraits for their family. It’s hard to believe that exactly two years ago we were documenting their first daughter’s arrival, and now here she is a big sister!

Eloise was absolutely perfect in every way. We captured a variety of portraits with blush pink and cream to match her big sister’s newborn portraits, and we incorporated a hint of greenery, too! I love the layering and textures it provides, don’t you?

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Lavender and Sage Newborn Portraits with Saratoga Springs Newborn Photographer

Sweet little Rohen is finally here, and she was the smiliest newborn I’ve had in the studio in awhile! This adorable baby girl’s arrival was much anticipated, and I loved celebrating with her family with some beautiful portraits. We turned all of their favorites into an heirloom album, and I know they’re going to turn those pages hundreds of times with their daughter to relive these days as she grows.

We chose cream, sage green, and lavender to match the nursery decor. This was my first time using these new eucalyptus branches in newborn portraits, and I’m in love with how it turned out!

I mean, can we talk about that SMILE?!?!?!?! Melts your heart, doesn’t it?!

Mom and dad rocked the outfit selection, thanks to these tips on what to wear to your newborn session!

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Vivienne's Older Newborn Portraits

One of the things I love most about this job is connecting with families and watching their little ones grow. This family has trusted me to capture ALL THREE of their babies’ newborn portraits, and they have 24” canvases hanging in their home from each session. I’ve loved watching the boys grow, and I was so excited to celebrate their baby girl’s arrival with them.

We originally planned on capturing newborn portraits for Vivienne, but she was born right when everything started shutting down with the quarantine so we had to postpone. We eventually got into the studio for her milestone session, and we even managed to capture a few sleepy portraits of this sweet girl! She’s starting to show more personality now, and those rolls on her arms and legs are one of the many perks of waiting a bit for her older “newborn” portraits!

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A lavender and cream newborn session for Baby Ingrid

Meet Baby Ingrid.

Don’t you just love her name? This is the first Ingrid I have photographed, and she was absolute perfection. We used a mix of blush and lavender in her portraits with dainty little headbands for a soft and feminine touch. She slept like a dream and was so adorable, and we even captured some beautiful wide-awake portraits, too!

This pose in dad’s hands is always parent favorite. She looks so tiny in his strong hands!

I especially loved watching Oliver settling into his new role as big brother. I photographed his newborn session a year and a half ago, and now he’s so grown! Just look at his cute little smile!

Capturing family portraits with toddler siblings is always unpredictable, but I absolutely love the cute little expressions, the curiosity, and the excitement that always shines at this age when the toddlers are with the new baby!

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An Older Newborn Session for a Sweet Baby Girl

Tess was born in the spring when everything was closed due to covid, so we did an older newborn session for this sweet girl and I absolutely fell in love with photographing older newborns. Traditionally, newborn photographers try and do their newborn sessions in the first 2-3 weeks after the baby is born because that is when they are tiny and new, sleepy and easy to pose. But after seeing so many older babies in the studio this summer, I am excited about welcoming older babies into the studio who missed that window in the first two weeks. Because seriously, photos like this don’t happen with a 10 day old baby! Just look at that eye contact!

Tess’s mama wore a beautiful mauve gown from our studio’s Mama Wardrobe, and it perfectly complemented the mauve colors we chose for Tess’s portraits.

We also chose lavender and sage green to coordinate with the colors in the baby’s nursery. These are going to look so amazing on the walls!

A newborn baby’s body at 10 days old is so different from an infant’s body at 3 months old. The way they can hold their heads, how flexible they are, how much you can help them curl up into those cute little poses. It all changes as they start to grow, put on weight, gain muscles, and solidify their bone structure. That is why it is sooooo important to hire a newborn photographer who is comfortable posing babies and is trained in newborn safety to take good care of your little one. Read more about newborn safety in your portrait session here on the blog.

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Pretty Mauve Flowers for a Studio Newborn Session

Little Anaís is our newest Baby Plan member, and I loved welcoming her family into our Saratoga Springs portrait studio for her newborn session! We incorporated mauve florals and soft greenery to coordinate with her nursery, and I just love how it all came together for this sweet baby girl. Plus, this new mauve headband from my favorite boutique coordinated perfectly!

I always love wrapping the babies up so that we can see their tiny arms and legs, and Anaís looked so beautiful in this peach wrap against our white blanket. All of these headbands are also from Polka Dot Poppy, which is where I’ve been buying our studio headbands for years! They are all handmade, and I love how the designer incorporates such dainty details and beautiful colors into each one!

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The Cutest Newborn Session with a Dragon and a Smile

When this family told me that their second baby boy had arrived, I did a little happy dance in my studio! I captured portraits for them throughout their oldest son’s first year, so of course we got to know each other during that time while documenting their first year as parents. Their oldest son, Jackson, was always such a joy and I loved the variety that we captured for him with his milestone sessions & cake smash session. I was so happy to hear that they had welcomed another little baby into their family, and especially excited to watch Jackson as a big brother with his new little sibling!

Welcome to the world, Xander Draco!

His middle name means “dragon,” so we used that for a few adorable set-ups and I love how they came out! Keep scrolling to see!

Seriously with this big brother pose?!?! I just adore this portrait, and I still can’t believe that Jackson did so well with his baby brother. He isn’t even two yet, and he did better than some of my 2 and 3 year olds! This is one of our safest poses that we do with toddler siblings. Read more about why hiring a newborn photographer who focuses on safety should be at the top of your list!

Love these snuggly family portraits!

The dragon portraits that you’ve been waiting for! I found this cute little felted dragon on Etsy, and it was perfect for Xander’s portraits! I love how it popped with the blue.

His parents brought this little hat & tail, and we combined it with the felted dragon for a burst of color against our neutral backdrop.

We finished Xander’s newborn session with some more neutrals, always a staple in my studio! Love these? Check out a few of our favorite newborn sessions from 2019 here on the blog!

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How I Got Started with Newborn & Baby Photography | Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

One of the questions that I get asked all the time is how I got started with newborn photography.  My son is only 2 years old, so my story is not like so many photographers’ stories who fell in love with newborn photography while photographing their own little one.  In fact, I started capturing those tiny newborn details as a single twenty-something!  So, how did I get started?

I used to be a first grade teacher.  A few years into teaching, I knew that I needed a creative outlet so I decided to learn how to take better portraits with my DSLR camera.  Before then, I primarily did travel photography and I took big international trips almost every summer.  I loved wandering around new cities with my camera in hand to document all of the stories around me, but as a teacher I needed a creative outlet that would take me through the school year and fuel my creative spirit.  I knew that one day I would want to be able to take beautiful pictures of my own children, so I started practicing early on all of my friends’ children!

In the beginning, I photographed everything.  Families.  High school seniors.  My friends.  My students.  Babies.  Big kids.  Little kids.  Everything was new and exciting, and I carried my camera with me everywhere I went.

My first newborn sessions were in May of 2012.  Two sweet baby girls who happened to be born on the same day — one was my best friend’s daughter, and one was a coworker’s daughter.  At that point, I had done some online courses in newborn posing and I bought every basket I could find at HomeGoods with the idea of “I could put a baby in that!”

Back then, I was traveling to clients’ home with all of my props in the back of my car.  I carried a huge newborn posing pillow, a bulky backdrop stand, boxes filled with props and wraps, baskets, and my camera bag.  It was so much work lugging all of that in and out of their houses, and I definitely don’t miss those days of filling my car to the brim, unpacking it, carrying it up flights of stairs, and packing it all back up! 

In January 2015 I took an in-person workshop with another baby photographer, and I was so inspired that I came home and decided to convert our living room in our tiny Boston apartment into a studio.  Thankfully, my husband (then fiancé) was on board.  Actually, I think it was his suggestion!  So I created a studio, set up all of my props and backdrops, and finally stopped lugging everything into clients’ homes for their newborn sessions.  I started welcoming clients into the studio that spring, and by summer I left my teaching job to pursue my photography business full time!  

Five years later, and I am out of that tiny Boston apartment with a home studio in Saratoga Springs.  I’ve refined my style, found my focus (pun intended!), and learned so much in the world of baby photography and small business ownership.  I’ve taught other photographers how to get their businesses off the ground, and I’ve placed hundreds upon hundreds of print orders at my photo labs.  

I photograph around 100 families a year, and my first little babies that I photographed are so big now.  I look at these new babies that come into the studio, and I know that we’re going to blink and another eight years will go by just like that.  That is why it is so important to me to beautifully document this stage.  To create timeless portraits for families that they can enjoy forever to remember just how tiny and fresh their baby was when they welcomed them home.  

I’m truly grateful for every family that has trusted me to capture these memories with their babies, and I look forward to welcoming many more little ones into the studio!

Welcome Miles! A newborn session with baby and big sister

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Adorable Newborn Portraits for Baby Aadvik

Little Baby Aadvik was so sweet and cuddly, and I absolutely adored his newborn portrait session at our Saratoga Springs studio. He slept like a dream and we captured so many adorable portraits for his family, including some really beautiful family portraits and mom/baby and dad/baby shots!

But cute little baby feet like these are always some of my favorite images from our sessions!

Aadvik’s parents were so calm and relaxed the entire session, and I’m convinced that’s why this sweet boy was so easy for us! He was especially cuddly with his mama, and he even had the cutest little newborn snore while he slept!

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The Sweetest Newborn Portraits with Big Sister

Miss Olivia Grace wins the award for best hair on a newborn. Just look at her!

This little sweetie joined us for a newborn portrait session at our Saratoga Springs studio, and she was showered in love by her big sister. They were so cute together, and we captured so many beautiful portraits of these sisters together. I love that this family will have artwork showcasing this special bond for the rest of their lives!

Big sister Scarlett was so excited to be in portraits with her baby sister, and she gave all the best smiles! My favorite part about this one, though, is that little curl!

I LOVED mama’s dress that she chose for the family portraits! I always recommend light colors, especially white or cream, and the detail on this one was perfect for their portraits.

So much excitement and love in one picture!

We had so much fun incorporating some spring florals into Olivia’s newborn portraits. As always, my favorite dainty newborn headbands come from Polka Dot Poppy!

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Floral Crowns and Lace - Gorgeous Newborn Portraits for a Baby Girl

Ohhhhh my goodness, can we talk about how amazing Madison was during her newborn portrait session at our Saratoga Springs studio?

This little cutie was just the most adorable baby girl and I loved photographing her. She adored being swaddled and was so calm & relaxed the entire session, so we were able to capture such a huge variety of portraits for her family!

This beautiful floral crown is a new addition to the studio from my favorite headband vendor. Madison was the perfect model for it!

Madison’s mama requested shades of purple, and I loved incorporating these muted mauve flowers in her portraits!

This sweet baby girl was joined at the studio by her mama, aunt, and grandmother. We captured the most beautiful three generation portraits of them all together, and dresses from the studio’s Mama Wardrobe gave the portraits a classic & elegant style.

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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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Ravi's Newborn Portraits with a Beautiful Wedding Sari

Ravi’s newborn portrait session at our Saratoga Springs studio was extra special because his mama brought her wedding sari to use in the session! Scroll to the end to see this sweet baby boy’s portraits on the beautifully embroidered red and gold sari as a nod to his family’s heritage and to his parents’ story together!

We started this new Baby Planner’s session with family portraits, and I love all of the sweet cuddles we captured with the proud parents. So many (come on, it’s more like ALL!!!) new moms and dads are tired and exhausted when they bring their babies home, but I promise you that they never in a million years regret stepping in front of the camera to capture these snuggles with their new babies.

These are the portraits that I want my clients to look back on in 5 years, 10 years, 30 years and remember exactly what the weight of your baby on your chest felt like, how their tiny chest moved up and down with each breath, and the sound of those little squeaks as they settled into your arms to get comfortable. This is why I always encourage parents to step in front of the camera. The exhaustion will fade, but you’ll always be so glad you captured these memories.

Ravi’s birth announcements were also holiday cards, so we made sure to capture a few classic holiday portraits of their baby boy.

And finally, the beautiful wedding sari!

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