Family Portraits at SPAC and First Birthday Portraits

Ahhhh, it’s outdoor family portrait season again! I love our outdoor family sessions, and one of my favorite portrait locations in Saratoga Springs is in Spa State Park near SPAC and the Hall of Springs. There are so many gorgeous areas filled with beautiful greenery, pretty textures, and curvy pathways that photograph so beautifully.

I was excited to see this family of five for their portrait session. Their littlest, David, recently turned one and we did a cute little birthday setup at the end with a vintage wooden high chair and a mess-free wooden cake!

This family has been coming to me for years for their portrait sessions (ever since little miss Julia turned one!), and I love seeing how comfortable the kids are with me and the camera now. They had so much fun laughing and running around, and we captured some of their favorite-ever family portraits that I know they are going to enjoy for many, many years!

The wooden cake! How adorable is this?!?!

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Summertime Family Portraits at SPAC in Saratoga Springs

One of the best parts of quarantine has been spending more time at home & out in our yard. This is the first summer that Grayson is mobile and able to walk around & really play outside in the yard. One of the big perks of being home and out in the yard more (rather than just rushing in and out from work & the grocery store!) is that our neighbors are home and hanging in their yard more, too! With the slower pace, quarantine has brought so much connection to so many families. It’s definitely a silver lining to all of this!

Grayson asks us nearly every day to “go play with the girls”, and he loves talking about them and the cool toys in their backyard. He’s especially obsessed with their dump truck & sand box! He listens for their voices when he’s outside, and he’s always the first one to comment when he hears them outside playing. These kids have had snacks together on the driveway, blown bubbles through the fence, and watched the leaf truck come and pick up our leaves. They have shrieked in excitement when the fire hydrant sprayed all over the road when getting flushed, waved to the school bus that comes by every morning, jumped in a kiddie pool together, and shared countless homemade baked goods from one porch to the other.

It’s been a blast, and Grayson loves having these new friends to play with next door!

Naturally, we celebrated the end of quarantine with a socially distant portrait session at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, which is only 2 miles from our house! This family enjoys attending many shows at SPAC every summer, and it wound up being the perfect backdrop for their family portraits.

Genevieve and Lucy were all smiles and they loved the attention of the camera! They enjoyed skipping & dancing, and we shared lots of giggles during their session.

This portrait of the sisters together is everyone’s favorite, and it’s going to be a beautiful canvas for them to enjoy at home! I can’t wait for it to arrive back from my photo lab, and I know Grayson will love watching me unwrap it from the box and be so excited when he sees his friends in the picture. He’s always my little assistant when it comes to photo deliveries, and he’s going to love being my assistant for this extra special delivery when it comes in!

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For the Love of Neutrals: All About Why My Baby Portrait Studio is Filled with Whites & Creams

Neutral & Natural.

Whites. Creams. Tans. Grays. Blush pink.

Weathered wood. Whitewashed wood. Linen. Wool. Textured fabrics. Delicate details. Handmade with love.

That describes my studio in a nutshell, and all of the elements that I love to incorporate into your baby’s portraits. You won’t find any crazy props or cluttered setups here. I am all about keeping the focus on your baby and showcasing their perfect little details and personality while embracing simplicity.

It’s timeless. It’s classic. It’s beautiful.

From the wooden props to the furniture & the walls, almost everything in the studio is shades of white & cream. I have a few colors of seamless paper and lots of colorful balloons, garlands, and flowers that we use for cake smash sessions. I use wraps, chunky wool bump blankets, and headbands for pops of color in our newborn portraits. But after many years of designing sessions and creating artwork for families to hang in their homes, I am drawn to those soft neutral colors and I just can’t get enough of them!

One of the questions I get asked often is WHY. So today I’m sharing a few of the reasons that our studio is filled with neutrals for our baby portrait sessions.

1. Neutral portraits match everyone’s decor.

Whether your home is decorated in neutrals, bold colors, or darker tones, family portraits in soft neutral colors will look good on any wall in your home. What if you redecorate in a few years and completely change your style? These portraits will still look perfect on your walls with the new decor. Your artwork is meant to be timeless, to last for generations, and to become a part of your home. Our neutral color base helps that happen!

2. Neutrals keep the focus on your baby’s personality & tiny features.

When you look back at these portraits in 15 years, you want to remember your daughter’s big smile and those cute little elbow dimples. That is why we keep the background clean and uncluttered with tones that make your little one’s features pop.

3. Neutrals don’t have to be boring!

I could work with all whites & creams every day and never grow tired of it! Layers, textures, different fabrics, and a mix of tones keep it interesting! Plus we add pops of color with outfits, flowers, and blankets.

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Our studio's COVID health & safety policies.

Updated January 2022.

Yes, I am fully vaccinated and up to date on boosters.

We’ve all adapted to this new reality to keep our families safe, and I want you to know that your family’s health & safety is as much a priority in running my business as my own family’s health & safety is.

Because I work with so many babies with vulnerable immune systems, I’ve always made it a point to sanitize and disinfect the studio and props between clients, and now we’re taking a few extra measures to protect everyone as well. Read on for how we’re keeping families safe during their portrait sessions.

Overall safety precautions during Covid

• In accordance with the current NY mask mandate, I ask that everyone over the age of 2 wear a mask during their session. You may remove the mask when being photographed.

• I will wear a mask the entire time.

• If you have a 2 or 3 year old who has a really difficult time wearing a mask, and having them keep a mask on is going to only cause a mini meltdown, let’s skip the mask for them. We want them in their best mood in front of the camera, so if that means we don’t ask them to wear a mask, that’s okay.

• Fever?  Cough?  Shortness of breath?  No problem at all.  Let’s keep everyone safe and reschedule.  

• If anyone in your household or any immediate caregivers have tested positive for coronavirus in the 14 days prior to your session, please notify me immediately and we will reschedule.

• All pre-consultations will be done through video chat. You have the option of scheduling your ordering appointment either through video chat or in-person at your home, whichever you feel more comfortable with!

What can you expect with our studio sessions during Covid?

Please follow all of the guidelines above.  In addition, we are implementing extra safety measures in the studio to keep everyone healthy and worry-free.

As always:

• Studio will be cleaned & disinfected before every session.

• Fabric and props will be sanitized between sessions.

• No shoes in the studio.

Extra precautions:

• 48 hours between studio sessions.

• Immediate family only.

• No outside props.

• All clients will wash or sanitize hands upon arriving to the studio.

• Hand sanitizer and face masks will be available.

Thank you for your understanding & cooperation as we all work together to keep our families healthy!

Getting in the Picture: My Quarantine Self-Portraits with Grayson

Recently I shared a “Letter to All Moms: Please Get in the Picture!”. I talked about how important it is to make sure we document the fact that WE WERE THERE in our little one’s childhoods. In fact, we are often so “there” in their daily lives that we never have any pictures to prove it!

I get it. I truly do! During Grayson’s first year I had only a handful of photos of me with my baby. There was nothing I ever wanted more in life than to be a mom, and I spent my days documenting everyone else’s motherhood, but I barely had any photos of my own experience with my baby.

So I set out to change that.

I took an online course in self-portraits. I purchased a tripod. I learned how to use the interval timer on my camera, and how to nail the focus when looking through my lens at the empty spot on the floor (or chair, or steps) where I would be. I joined online communities for inspiration & encouragement. I started sharing these photos, talking with other moms, and holding each other accountable for getting in the picture more often so that our babies would have memories to look back on one day, and so that we could look back on this stage of motherhood 20 years from now and remember what it felt like when our littles held our hands, sat on our laps, and curled up close to us.

And I am so glad I did!

During the coronavirus quarantine I created many goals for myself, and one of them was to get in the frame more with my little boy. I wanted to capture our daily lives. At the beginning of quarantine, we spent a lot of time indoors because it was so cold and rainy outside. This giant cardboard box became a reading nook, a hiding place, a soccer goal, a train car. So we got inside for a few photos!

Grayson’s room is the one room in the house that gets the BEST LIGHT all day long. I especially love the way the light streams through the windows in the mornings. We always cuddle up in this chair to read three books before nap and before bed, plus many more books throughout the day. Our little guy loves books! So of course that was something I wanted to document, too! Plus, look at him with his little purple ball! He always finds a ball to hold!

We have spent soooooo much time outside in the yard. He helped me with yardwork in the early spring, trying to “rake” leaves with his tiny snow shovel, and picking up stray sticks to put them in a pile. Then we started gardening, planting flowers, watering flowers, and planting tomatoes & strawberries. I do not have a green thumb, but every year I wish I did! So we’re trying it out, and he’s getting so excited to watch everything grow! Plus, he discovered that he really likes to play in the dirt — even though he hates being messy!

We have baked SO MANY THINGS during quarantine! I’ve always loved to bake, and he has been my little helper in the kitchen since very early on. We made him a learning ladder/stool when he turned one, and he has been standing and helping at the counter ever since! He especially enjoys baking, and he gets so excited and yells “Yayyyy! Baking! My favorite!” whenever it’s time to bake, running into the kitchen and climbing right up on his stool.

I wanted to document our baking adventures, but our little baking corner of the kitchen is so dark and narrow, so I moved everything to the table where we get great light through the patio doors. Grayson helped me scoop and measure. He can name and identify all of the ingredients, and he counts the eggs when passing them to me. Somehow we haven’t broken a single egg yet, but I’m just waiting for the day we have gooey egg dripping down the side of the bowl!

Another realization in this self-portrait process?
Apparently I own A LOT of striped shirts!!!

The official taste tester in the Starr household! He takes his job very seriously!

You don’t need anything fancy to get in the photos more with your own kids. Set your phone up on the counter and press the timer, then run into the frame and love on your kids. Hand your camera off to your partner and ask them to snap a few photos of you doing something you love with your kids.

Just get in the picture. You will treasure these memories forever!

Best of 2019 Beach Sessions on Cape Cod - Cape Cod Family Photographer

Every year I start counting down to July & August because our Salt Air Sessions on Cape Cod are some of the most magical moments that I love capturing on camera every summer.

And guess what???? Summer is almost here, and we are now filling up the calendar with family portrait sessions on the beaches of Cape Cod!

A salt air breeze in your hair.
Sandy toes.
The gentle waves crashing over your feet.
A symphony of seagulls overhead.

It doesn’t get any better than that!

I’ve been spending summers in Dennisport for more than 20 years, and I have so many favorite beaches in Dennis and Harwich, and even a few favorite ones in Eastham & Falmouth! Every year a family introduces me to a new hidden gem, a stretch of sand that I haven’t explored before, and if we’re lucky it becomes one of my very favorites — like this beach in Bourne with a gorgeous weathered pier leading up to the sand!

I am so grateful for all of the families that trust me to capture these beautiful summer memories for them. You only get 18 summers with your little ones, and these are the sun-soaked memories you want to cherish. The ones that will define their childhood summers and make Cape Cod hold a special place in their heart. That is why I love these portrait sessions so much!

We still have a few dates available in July & August 2020! I would LOVEEEEE to see your family then!

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8 tips for a meltdown-free portrait session with your kids

You found the perfect photographer.  You picked a date and rearranged your family’s schedules.  You shopped for the most perfect outfits that coordinate but aren’t too matchy-matchy.  You even know which wall you’re going to hang that new family portrait on after your session.  You are 100% ready for this portrait session!

But, wait… what if your kid melts down?  What if he loses it and you don’t capture a single smile?  What if your kids start fighting halfway through the session?  

That’s every mom’s worry, right?  I’ve never met a mother who didn’t have those same panicked thoughts running through her head before a portrait session with her little ones.  

Lucky for you, I’ve worked with hundreds of families and getting kids to laugh, listen, and smile comes pretty naturally to me!  My teaching background plus a solid 20 years of working with kids has made that pretty easy for me, and it sure comes in handy during our family portrait sessions!

Here I’m sharing a few tips to help your family portrait session go more smoothly.  But the most important thing that I want every parent to remember is that I never expect to show up to a portrait session and have the kids be little angels.  I expect them to act like kids, and kids like to run, jump, spin, be loud, get silly, sing, show off, say no, and assert their independence.  When they are free to do all of those things, that is when we capture the best portraits that showcase their beautiful personalities.  That is when we have fun and create memories that your family will laugh about twenty years from now.  

So please, mama.  Don’t put too much pressure on yourself or on your kids, and let’s just have fun together! 

The most important thing to remember is that your kids will feed off of your energy.  Stay calm, happy, and relaxed, and your kids will, too!  

Give your kids a snack before the session.  With a full belly, they’ll be able to run and play without getting distracted by hunger.

Healthy babies are happy babies!  If your child is sick, please reach out to postpone!  I promise you we’ll capture better smiles when your little one is feeling 100% like themselves.

Plan the session around nap times, and if it’s a sunset session, sneak in a late afternoon nap.

Talk with your photographer and let your photographer know what interests your child.  Tell them about your child’s personality, songs that they love, characters that they like.  Your photographer will use this information to help your child feel comfortable and open up in front of the camera!

For little ones, bring a favorite toy or have a song queued up on your phone ready to go in case they need a little extra familiarity and motivation.

If you have older children who are in the “awkward smile” phase, spend some time encouraging them to smile naturally in the week leading up to your session.  Help them see and feel what their natural smile feels like versus what their “forced” smile feels like.

If you have a baby and we’ll be doing a family session on grass or sand, be aware of possible sensory issues that the baby may have of the grass or sand against their bare legs.  Have you seen those funny videos of a mom or dad putting the baby in the grass, and the baby holds their legs straight up into the air so it doesn’t touch their skin?  Cute on video, but it can be stressful during your portrait session, especially if baby bursts into tears and won’t stop!  Ease the baby into it by letting them play in grass or sand in the weeks leading up to your session, and bring a neutral blanket (or swaddle, or scarf) to sit them on top of. 

Finally, don’t feel awkward about doing a small bribe to get everyone through the session!  It’s amazing what kids will do when they know they have a treat to look forward to!

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful!  I can’t wait to see your family to capture some beautiful memories for you!

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Floral Cake Smash Inspiration - A few of Our Favorites with this popular theme!

The most requested cake smash theme that we get here at the studio is FLORAL CAKE SMASH. It is perfect for little girls, and it is so simple, timeless, and sweet. I absolutely love designing floral cake smash setups, and it’s always a fun challenge to make each one unique. Here we’re sharing a few of our favorite floral cake smash designs for inspiration for your little one’s upcoming first birthday portrait session!

This hanging floral wall had a nice bohemian vibe, and I loved how clean and elegant it looked with these tiny little rosebuds!

The fresh purple hydrangeas cut from the front yard on my way to this birthday girl’s portrait session were the perfect finishing touch to her tea party cake smash!

More fresh florals! You can never go wrong with fresh blooms!

This sweet girl’s mama made her flower crown, and I designed the balloon garland with greenery to match!

Our paper flower backdrop really sparkled with a little gold bling!

More pretty peonies for an English garden theme.

Some-bunny is one! This perfectly springtime theme wouldn’t have been complete without gorgeous flowers and greenery!

I love how versatile our garlands are for weaving different flowers into them!

Crepe paper flowers were a nice touch for a flower wall filled with fluffy peonies!

Floral hoops for a bit of a boho vibe!

This is the paper flower backdrop that started it all! It is our most re-pinned image on Pinterest, and the DIY tutorial is the most viewed blog post on our website!

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A Letter to All Moms: Please Get in the Picture!!

Dear Mamas,

Get in the picture. Stop hiding behind the camera and step in front of it with your babies. Hand your camera over to your partner, your friend, your neighbor, ANYONE walking by on the street, and ask them to please take a picture of you and your kids together.

You already know that these years go by too quickly. You already know that your children are only this little for a little while. I don’t need to remind you of any of that.

But 20 years from now when your kids are looking back at old family photos, you don’t want them to ask you, “Wait, mom, where were you? Why aren’t you in any pictures with us?”

And 30 years from now when your kids are becoming parents to little ones of their own, they’re going to want to see YOU in the same stage that they are going through. They’re going to want to see you pregnant, you as a brand new mom, you as an exhausted but ridiculously happy toddler mama. They’ll want to see you getting your hands messy and baking with your family, you running into the waves with your kids at the beach, and you cheering them on at their first sports game or recital or play. They’ll just want to see YOU in the pictures.

During Grayson’s first year, I was always the one taking the pictures. As he was about to turn one I realized that I barely had any photos of the two of us together except from our Fresh 48 session at the hospital, a few photos I prioritized on my first Mother’s Day, and some cell phone photos.

So I did three things.

• I started handing my camera off to my husband and asked him to take some photos of us just doing regular stuff together. A lot of photos were blurry or my head was cut off, but hey, at least I was in the picture!

• I started using a tripod and capturing more of our everyday moments at home. Cuddling up together after nap, learning to walk, playing on the kitchen floor. The simple motherhood moments that I knew I wanted to remember forever.

• And I booked two professional portrait sessions — one family session, and one mommy & me session. Those two photos at the top of this blog post? They are two of my most treasured photos, and both of them are hanging up in our house so that I can enjoy them every single day and remember how perfectly Grayson fit in my arms!

You can do those same three things.

Hand your camera off to anyone and ask them to take a few photos of you snuggling your kids. It can be on a special day like a holiday, but it can also be on some random Tuesday out in your garden.

Set your camera up on a tripod (or a chair, or a stack of books, or on the floor!) and set the timer, then jump in and start loving on your kids. Or capture some moments of you guys doing an activity together that you love, and just set your camera off to the side to do the work while you’re busy with the kids!

Find a professional photographer whose style you love, and talk with them about what you’re looking for in your portrait session. Talk with them about meaningful locations, things your kids do that you want to remember forever, and that dream shot that would make you so happy hanging on your walls. Be open and tell them what you want, and they will make it their mission to bring that to life for you.

So mamas, please get in the picture! You’ll only regret the photos you didn’t take, and you’ll never look back and wish you had taken fewer.

With love,
Nicole
(and Grayson, who will appreciate this many years from now!

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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!

Quarantines & Newborn Photos | A Free Guide to Capturing Your Newborn Photos at Home During Social Isolation

Congratulations on your little one’s arrival! 

I created this FREE guide to help families affected by social isolationdue to the global pandemic. I know how special this time is for yourfamily as you welcome your new baby home, and I’m sure you wereimagining the most adorable newborn portraits of your little one.Just because our studio is closed right now does not mean youcan’t capture these moments while your baby is still so tiny!

I’ve filled this guide with tips and inspiration to help you capture this fleeting newborn stage at home with whatever camera you have available -- a phone, point and shoot, or a DSLR!

I look forward to celebrating with your family when it is safe to gather again, and I can’t wait to meet your brand new baby and capture some beautiful portraits for you.In the meantime, enjoy those newborn cuddles, and I can’t wait to see what you capture!

Click on the link below to download your PDF!

Get your free Quarantines & Newborn Sessions Guide here!

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Grayson Turns Two! A School Bus Cake Smash for My Little Guy

My sweet little boy turned TWO this month, and I still can’t believe it!

We celebrated with his favorite thing of all time — SCHOOL BUSES! Grayson is absolutely obsessed with school buses, and he points out every single bus we pass when we’re in the car. The hardest thing about the quarantine for him? There are no school buses on the roads, and he never gets to go out in the car, either! He’ll be so excited when he starts spotting them all over town in the fall again!

Grayson wore the cutest little outfit with suspenders and a bowtie, and I couldn’t even believe how much he smiled for the camera. Normally he’s hesitant around the camera, but he brought all of the grins and laughs this day. He dug right into his cake, which is the first time that has ever happened with him! I did three cake smashes for him last year (perks of being a photographer’s kid!) and he didn’t like the cake for any of them. But this time, he got out some big chunks, picked up the whole cake, and got a little bit messy!

This sweet boy is so full of personality, and it really shows! He loves being silly and making others laugh, and he really let that shine for his portraits. Love him so much!

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How to Care for your Artwork | Saratoga Springs Baby & Family Portrait Photographer, Nicole Starr Photography

Yay! Today’s the day! You have your beautiful new artwork from your portrait session, and you can’t wait to display it in your home. You know just the perfect spot to hang it up, but wait… did you know there are a few simple tips to keep in mind that will help your artwork stay beautiful and last longer???

Today on the blog I’m sharing a few tips for how to care for your artwork. Don’t worry! It’s nothing too complicated, just a couple of little things to keep in mind so that your family can continue to enjoy your portraits for many, many years to come!

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Photographic Prints

1. Keep your artwork out of direct sunlight to prevent fading and damage to the paper. All of our artwork is treated with a UV protective layer, but it is still a good idea to display your prints in a room that does not receive extreme heat or sunlight.

2. Photographic prints are meant to be displayed under glazing such as glass or acrylic. This is to protect the print from UV exposure, dust, and other elements that can be damaging to the composition of the material. Prints should be framed with acid free mats and acid free tape to avoid any moisture reaching your print and damaging it.

Wall Art

Canvases, framed portraits, wooden wall art. These tips are good for any heirloom pieces that are displayed on your walls! Follow these simple tips to enjoy your artwork for many years at home.

1. Keep your artwork out of direct sunlight, and avoid displaying it in a room that experiences extreme atmospheric changes (heat, cold, humidity).

2. Dust your artwork with a soft rag or cloth, or a wool duster.

3. Display your artwork in a room away from mess or a high traffic area — right near the stove in the kitchen is probably not a good idea since over time it can accumulate a thin layer of dust, grime, and cooking pollutants that could damage the artwork.

4. Prints should be framed under glass, while canvas is meant to be displayed without glass to allow it to breathe.

5. When transporting your artwork, pack it in a sturdy box and with bubble wrap, and avoid placing prints with glass on a flat surface to move them — they will break more easily if stored flat. I use painter’s tape to make an X across the glass of all of my artwork when moving them to prevent glass from going everywhere should one of them break. Luckily I’ve never broken a frame when moving, but I’m glad to take that extra step to prevent a big, dangerous mess!

Books & Albums

All of our albums are printed on archival photo paper, which means that your portraits are crisp, vibrant, and true to color on paper that is designed to last 100+ years. Our albums have ultra thick pages, making them durable for even the littlest pair of hands in your family to turn and enjoy. My toddler looks through our family albums all the time, and I never worry about him messing them up because they are meant to be enjoyed, and there is a coating on the pages that even protects against fingerprints!

But a few tips to keep your album looking just as beautiful as the day you brought it home:

1. Store your album away from direct sunlight to prevent UV damage and fading.

2. The pages are heavy and thick. To prevent them from separating from the spine of the book, store the album flat on a shelf or a coffee table (and not standing up on its side). I stack our family albums vertically on a bookshelf, and I love seeing the colorful linen spines all facing out into the room!

3. Keep your album in a room where the humidity does not fluctuate too much. If it gets too humid, the pages may warp as they absorb excess moisture. If this happens, simply place a heavy object on top of the album (with a dishtowel between the album and the object for extra protection) and let it flatten out again in a room that is not too humid.

4. Spots of stains on the cover? Wipe it down with a damp, white cloth.

Matted Portraits & Collection Boxes

These portraits are meant to be displayed under glass or acrylic glazing, so find a few of your favorite frames and pop them in around the house! The mat protects the portrait from touching the glass, and it is made from acid free paper to prevent any damage to the photograph over time.

You can also store your matted portraits inside the collection box when they are not on display. Be sure to keep them in a room that is not too humid.

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The most important tip for caring for your artwork?

Put it somewhere where you can enjoy it every day!

Choose a spot that will bring a smile to your face when you see it — in the living room over the mess of toys, at the top of the stairs to look at after a long day, over your little one’s crib to enjoy at bedtime. Put your album on a low shelf in your living room with other favorite family books to encourage little ones to enjoy it with you, and don’t tuck anything away out of reach. Out of sight, out of mind, right? And I don’t want you to forget about these beautiful memories we created together!

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Grayson's Two Year Studio Portraits | Saratoga Springs Child Photographer

How did my sweet little boy turn TWO already?!?! The past two years have absolutely flown by, and while I thought Year 1 was fast, Year 2 sped by at warp speed!!

I remember that I captured so many studio portraits of Grayson during his first year. We did portraits every month, sometimes two or three times! But now in the second year it was such a challenge to find the time to bring this active toddler into the studio for portraits. I’m so glad that I captured these classic portraits just days before his second birthday. They showcase his sweet and curious personality, his wispy blonde hair, and those cute little toddler toes on feet that have become so strong from all of the walking and running he has learned to do this year!

A few things I always want to remember about my sweet boy at two years old.

• Grayson is obsessed with trucks and cars. He can identify every type of construction truck, mail truck, ambulance, police car, firetruck, school bus, city bus, and more. He could spend all day playing with his little trucks, driving them over roads we’ve made from cardboard, digging around in sand with his excavators, and pushing choo-choo trains on imaginary railroad tracks.

• He is OBSESSED with buses, especially school buses, and he points them out every time we’re in the car.

• He loves hugs and cuddles, especially “mama huds” (and yes, he says HUG as HUD, and it’s so cute!).

• He thinks that all eggs have baby dinosaurs inside. On Easter, he exclaimed “What’s hatching?? Baby dinosaur!” for every easter egg that he opened up. Sadly, there were no dinosaurs inside! Even when we’re baking, he’ll get so excited to crack an egg in the bowl, shout “Baby dinosaurrrr!!!!,” and then look in the bowl and see it’s just an egg and say, “Oh, no dinosaur. Just water.” And he’s always so disappointed!

• He gets so excited to FaceTime family and friends, and he always wants to hold the phone or put the phone in his fire truck to take it for a ride around the house.

• Somehow he learned all of his letters already, and he talks about “ABCs” all day long!

• He is currently obsessed with eating Cheerios with almond milk, and he’ll have multiple bowls for breakfast, and then try to have the same for lunch, too!

• He loves it when Grandma comes over to play with him, and he does a happy dance at the top of the stairs every time she walks in the door.

• He loves going for walks when he can just ride along in the stroller. He settles in, looks around, and gets into his happy place. He gets really quiet and relaxed, and every time I bend down to check on him he says “Grayson happy.”

• And my favorite thing? Whenever I say “I love you,” he always responds with “So much” and it just melts my heart!

I love you. So much.

You know, I started doing children’s portraits many years before I had a child of my own. I knew that one day I wanted to have beautiful portraits of my own little one, and I am so grateful that I’ll have these timeless photos of our sweet little toddler forever. Now it’s time to figure out which ones to print and hang in our home, and which ones to go into his yearly album!

Welcome Miles! A newborn session with baby and big sister

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Why You Should Hire a Newborn Photographer that Focuses on Newborn Safety

Hiring a newborn photographer can sometimes feel like a daunting task.  You are looking for someone who is going to hold and handle your brand new baby in the first few weeks of their life.  Someone who will spend a few hours with your family as you navigate new territory with your first baby (or second! or third! or fourth!).  Someone who will treat your family with care, walk you through the portrait experience with ease, and deliver heirlooms that you will treasure for decades.  

One of the most important things to consider when hiring a newborn photographer is the photographer’s training and experience photographing and posing newborns.  Whether you are considering a Fresh 48, lifestyle, or studio portrait session, safety is such a huge consideration.

Why is this so important? 

• Newborns cannot hold their head up on their own, and they must be posed with care to not put any stress on their joints, their circulation, or their airways.

• Newborns are not able to tell you when they are uncomfortable, so an expert in posing will gently guide the baby into comfortable positions, including baby-led posing options that keep the baby’s comfort and mood as the #1 priority.

• Newborns cannot regulate their body temperature, so an experienced photographer will know just how warm to keep the room and how to keep the baby cozy and comfortable while posing them.

• Newborns have fragile immune systems, and a photographer that puts safety first will have systems in place to protect the health of all of their littlest clients.

There are many poses that you see online that are actually composites, which means the photographer brings 2-3 images together in Photoshop to create one final image.  This is because some of those cute little poses are not safe for baby to do on their own (for example, the popular “froggy” pose where baby rests their head on their hands while laying on their belly).  Other poses require a parent to support the baby’s head to prevent it from leaning uncomfortably to the side, and their fingers are edited out in Photoshop later on.  

Another huge aspect of newborn safety to consider is posing the baby with siblings. Children are unpredictable, which can put many parents on high alert around the baby as they worry that an impulsive action might hurt their new baby. An experienced newborn photographer will only pose siblings with baby in a way that is developmentally appropriate for the siblings — whether that is laying down on a soft blanket, sitting on a bed, or in mom & dad’s lap where they can lean in to baby while being fully supported by mom and dad. Parents are always nearby spotting the baby, and the photographer will keep the siblings engaged in a fun and interactive way while also letting them know how to be safe around the baby.

Often in our studio we pose the siblings laying down on a rug like this. I lay down first with big brother or sister to show them what to expect, and then I place a pillow in their arms and have them pretend to hug it like they will hug the baby. We make up a safe word together that will be the magic word to mean “all done” — usually it’s something silly like “hot dog” or “unicorn”, and we remind them that they cannot move or get up until we say the magic word. Finally, we lay a sleepy baby in their arms after all of those safety steps have been taken. Usually it takes just a few seconds to capture the perfect sibling portrait, and that’s because we spent a few minutes first prepping for it!

Another favorite sibling portrait is actually a composite (remember, that’s where 2 images are stitched together in Photoshop). Sometimes toddlers are hesitant to get too close to the baby, and we will pose baby all by herself first in a crate or a basket. Then we will take baby out and mom or dad can hold her, while the toddler poses with the same crate or basket. Then the two images are brought together to create one beautiful sibling portraits! We don’t always need to use this technique, and sometimes the toddler will snuggle up with baby in the basket, but it’s a nice little trick to have on hand in case we need it!

Please, please, please. Whatever you do in your search for the perfect newborn photographer, please be sure to communicate your expectations and your concerns to your photographer. Ask they about their experience and training in safety, and make sure you are 100% comfortable putting your baby in their care during your portrait session. Your baby is your most precious gift, and you want to be sure to find a photographer who will take care of your little one like they would their own baby.

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Twinkle Lights and Peonies - A Beautiful Baby Milestone Session

It’s been quiet in the studio lately with everything going on with the COVID-19 pandemic, and I miss all of the regular baby cuddles and giggles that I normally get to enjoy every week! Thankfully I have a bunch of adorable sessions that still need to be shared, and this adorable baby girl tops the list this week!

Mia came to our Saratoga Springs portrait studio for her 5-month baby milestone session. We keep the focus on the baby for these portrait sessions with simple backdrops and colors to let her personality shine. I loved incorporating a hint of spring with some gorgeous florals and twinkle lights, too!

Mia is such a happy and smiley baby girl! I absolutely loved her session, and we captured so many unique expressions. This is one of my favorite ages to photograph, and this little girl absolutely rocked her session.

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An Easter Bunny Cake Smash Session

Who says cake smashes are just for one year olds? Clark is turning TWO and we had so much fun with his birthday session!

We start all of our cake smash sessions with family portraits, and I loved capturing these sweet brothers together for some playful family portraits at our Saratoga Springs studio. There were lots of tickles and laughs, and so many beautiful, natural smiles!

We planned a pastel Easter bunny cake smash for the birthday boy, and I loved this colorful balloon garland with bunny balloons. I couldn’t bear to pop it after the session, and it’s been hanging in our dining room all month! Can you believe that these balloons last for weeks & weeks?!?!

Clark was a big fan of his cake, and he dug right into it and loved going after the really big bites!

Big brother Zak joined in for a few bites, too!

We finished with a very cheerful bathtub splash!

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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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