A Boho Lifestyle Newborn Session

Lifestyle newborn sessions are always some of my favorites. I love being invited into a family’s home to enjoy a peek into their first few weeks at home with their baby. The moments we capture are so intimate and cozy, just quiet little moments that unfold as you get to know your little one.

These sessions are especially beautiful when there is a new big brother or sister! Just look at Jack and the sweet curiosity he has around his baby sister Sloane!

This family’s home was an absolute dream to shoot in. This was the father’s childhood home, and the family has completely redone it with new flooring & white paint, adding in their mix of boho & midcentury modern furniture for a light and airy look — perfect for photographs!

These cuddly shots of Sloane in the crib with her big brother were some of my favorites!

The master bedroom is always a favorite spot for family portraits, and this one with the white bedding & high ceilings was just dreamy!

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Henry's Newborn Portraits with Adorable Big Sister

I always love capturing family portraits during our studio newborn sessions. I love seeing how tiny the baby is in his parents’ arms, and the happy cuddles as everyone cozies up with the new baby. It’s always exciting when there is a big brother or sister and we can capture those adorable interactions, too!

Choosing what to wear is so important for studio newborn sessions. Neutral colors help the baby be the star of the show, and they are also classic so that they look amazing on your walls for years to come! More outfit tips here on the blog.

Henry’s newborn session at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio was absolutely perfect. We captured the cutest family photos and plenty of individual portraits of their baby boy, too. Just a few years ago we were photographing Emma’s newborn session, and now here she is with a baby brother!

Want to know what my favorite part about this session was? Big sister Emma.

She was sooooo excited to be in photos with her baby brother, and even more excited when I placed him into her arms (for the very first time ever!). The joy on her face was unforgettable, and she kept giggling and looking to mom and dad with the proudest smile. It was so sweet!

Her first time holding her brother! Just look at that huge smile!

This pose of baby in dad’s hands is always a parent favorite!!

Sleepy little yawns are always fun to capture on camera! Especially in tiny striped outfits like this one!

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Cape Cod Family Portraits at Corporation Beach

I’ve been photographing the R family since their oldest was around 6 months old. These boys are used to being in front of the camera, and they bring all of the smiles & laughter to their portrait session. Within 30 seconds of pulling out my camera, they were hamming it up at the beach while being silly together. I just love the sibling portraits we captured of these two brothers together that really showcase their personalities and all of the childhood fun of a summer on Cape Cod!

Our beach family portrait sessions on Cape Cod are some of my most-anticipated sessions of the year. I look forward to them all year long, and our families do, too! For this session we met at Corporation Beach in Dennis just before sunset for beautiful family photos to capture that golden light that is magical at the beach at that hour. One of my favorite things about Corporation Beach are the sand dunes, and this little nook is perfect for some portraits all cuddled up together.

Then as the sun sinks further in the sky we head towards the water to dip our toes in and capture that golden light. Perfect, right? Plus, they did such an amazing job coordinating outfits. I love the patterns together!

This beach also has gorgeous sea grass that emerges in low tide. It’s one of my favorite spots for low tide because of the variety in scenery at that hour.

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A Succulent Theme Cake Smash for Baby Elliana

I love it when parents request a unique theme for their baby’s cake smash session. When Elliana’s mom asked for a succulent theme and sent me some floral hoop inspiration, I was all over that! I went to the craft store the very next day to find succulents and gold metal hoops, and I got to work creating gorgeous floral & succulent decor for our Baby Planner.

Doesn’t she look adorable in this little dress with the Peter Pan collar? It was perfect for portraits, and the colors were so soft & beautiful.

Her mama brought a baby-sized bouquet from The Posie Peddler in Saratoga Springs, and it was the cutest little thing. I had never seen such a small bouquet before, and the succulents and lavender (from mama’s baby shower) were the perfect finishing touch.

Some of our cake smash babies are walking by the time of their session, and I always love capturing them standing with their cake! It’s a great way to show their size, and also their new (often wobbly!) skills on their chunky little baby feet!

Elliana loved the tub and she did some major splashing in the studio! Like most babies, she’s happiest in the water and the bathtub brought out all of her very best smiles!

All of our cake smash sessions start with family portraits. In the warmer months we head outdoors for these before the cake. I loved the colors that this family chose for their portraits, and especially the softness of mom’s tulle skirt. Don’t they all look amazing???

So proud of her newfound walking skills!

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First Birthday Portraits with a Camping Theme

When your family loves camping, you do a camping theme for your first birthday portraits! Ryder celebrated his first birthday in style with a studio session that highlighted his family’s favorite summer hobby. We used buffalo plaid, birch trees, a campfire, and a camping lantern to create the perfect whimsical setup for their little boy.

Ryder did such an amazing job and he was so happy the entire time. Such a little sweetheart!

This little guy was all smiles, especially by the time we pulled out the bathtub!

Every birthday session includes family portraits, and we went to the nearby Spa State Park for some family portraits at sunset with Ryder’s three big sisters. I’ve been photographing them for years, and it was wonderful seeing how comfortable and excited they were in front of the camera.

And then when the camera was turned back around to Ryder, he was thrilled!! He is one lucky little brother to be so loved by all of his sisters.

The sunlight was perfect streaming through the trees. We really had the best sunset that evening, and it gave these portraits a beautiful golden glow.

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Grayson's Summer on Cape Cod

Another summer come & gone. How is that even possible?!?! We only get 18 childhood summers with our kids, and the years are just going by so fast.

This was Grayson’s third summer on Cape Cod. My parents live in Dennisport and we love spending a few weeks with them in June, July, and August. We’re so lucky to get to enjoy so much time in the sunshine & salt air, and it was just what we needed after months at home! Every September is so bittersweet to see another beachy summer come to an end, even more so this year.

This year was especially fun because Grayson was so excited to go to “the beach house”, as he calls it. He lovesssssss the beach, so every time we started talking about going to the Cape he would throw all of his favorite things in a bag and tell me he was ready to go right now — even if it was days before we were actually going to make the trip! We visited our favorite beaches at least twice every day and he was obsessed with chasing the seagulls and plovers, throwing seashells into the waves, and filling up his dump truck with sand. At the end of each visit he never wanted to leave, and I have the feeling he’s really going to miss these laid back beach days!

I brought Grayson to one of my favorite little spots in downtown Dennisport where there is a giant DENNISPORT mural painted across an entire building. I have a photo from his first summer on the Cape when he was 3 months old all snuggled up in my arms in front of this same mural. Now this summer he was so happy and fun and he loved exploring this little pocket garden and checking out all of the details in the paintings! I can’t wait to add these to our annual family photo album!

We also managed to sneak in some sunset portraits at the beach on our very last night on the Cape. You know how the cobbler’s kid never has any shoes? Well, the beach photographer’s kid never has any beach photos! All of my nights were booked with family sessions and rain dates were filled up, so we snuck his photos in after I finished my very last session of the summer at one of my favorite spots in Harwich.

I promised Grayson we’d bring this sailboat prop that I have used with other families for years. I was so happy to use this with my own little boy, and I never want to forget his windblown blonde hair and those sturdy toddler legs running through the sand!

Plus a few cell phone photos of our summer fun! Seriously, this kid LOVES the beach! In July he insisted on walking to the beach with a pool noodle under each arm every. single. time.

Such an awesome summer!

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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A simple white and floral cake smash for Baby Isla

Now that is the face of a baby who loves her birthday cake!!!

We chose a simple theme for Isla’s cake smash with white balloons, twinkle lights, and a hint of blush florals and greenery. This let her really stand out in her perfectly adorable blush pink romper!

I’m going to tell you a secret. Isla didn’t really love the idea of a cake smash the first time we tried to do her portraits. We had finished up her family portraits in the park and headed back to the studio for her cake smash, and like many of the post-quarantine babies, she had a little heightened stranger anxiety and was a bit nervous in the studio. After pulling out all the stops and doing all of my usual tricks to help her feel comfortable, it just wasn’t her day so we decided to reschedule and try again a few days later.

And wow, am I glad we did! Just look at her huge smiles! Isla was so happy on the second day and she did amazing with her cake. We captured so many adorable smiles and laughs, and she really had so much fun.

Sometimes that’s all it takes — hitting the pause button, working around the baby’s mood, and trying again later. No big deal!

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Older Newborn Portraits with Twins Lillian and Liam

What do you get when nearly 3 month old twins come to the studio for their newborn session? SMILES LIKE THIS!!!

I am absolutely obsessed with older newborn sessions now that we have had so many post-quarantine. I love that we’re still able to capture beautiful portraits of these babies while they are still tiny and new, even if they are a little older than the traditional 2-week old newborn session.

Lillian and Liam were such a joy in the studio, and I loved seeing these twins interact with each other (and with the camera!) during their older newborn session. You just don’t get expressions and eye contact like this with a baby who is only a few days old!

These babies spent the entire session switching off between who was awake and who was asleep. It made for some very engaging portraits! I especially loved these ones of them cuddled up in their parents arms. Plus, aren’t the parents’ outfits perfect? So beautiful and classic.

This mama is Super Mama! Her heart has grown to fit these two babies, and the love just shines in her expression!

Their nursery has a star and moon theme, and you know I love anything with gold stars in it! I really enjoyed creating this magical “twinkle twinkle little star” setup for the twins. And my new star headband from Polka Dot Poppy was perfect for Lillian!

The twins’ mama really wanted a blush & blue setup, so we made a sweet little heart for her babies. This was one of the family’s favorite portraits at their ordering appointment!

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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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An Ice Cream Cone Cake Smash for Ella's First Birthday

The first solid food Ella ever tried was ice cream, so naturally we chose an ice cream cone theme for her cake smash session! This sweet girl’s first birthday portraits were delayed due to covid closures, but we got her in the studio as soon as we could to celebrate the start of the toddler years. This little cutie pie LOVED the camera, and I can’t get over how adorable her little pigtails are!

Ella dug right into her cake, and kept looking at her big brother and sister to see if they were going to sneak in there for a bite! We let them join in at the end, and it was so cute watching the three of them together enjoying the birthday girl’s cake.

Her little dress was from our studio wardrobe. Isn’t it the perfect color on her?

All of our cake smash sessions begin with family portraits, and in the warmer months we’re lucky enough to head outside to nearby parks for family photos! We captured a good mix of portraits of the whole family, letting each child’s personality shine. These are going to look amazing on a new gallery wall above their sofa!

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Maternity Portraits in our Classic Studio Gowns

I know one mama who is excited to see her maternity session blog post! This sweet mama-to-be is due in September, and she was absolutely radiant for her maternity portrait session. We started with studio portraits in our Saratoga Springs portrait studio, and Genna selected a few of her favorite gowns from our Mama Wardrobe. I especially love the boho lace off-the-shoulder gown on her! Doesn’t she look like a goddess???

Genna was excited to show off that gorgeous baby bump with some bare bump photos, too! An oversize shirt was the perfect accessory. Wondering what else looks good in bare bump photos? Cozy cardigans, lace kimono tops, swimsuit coverups, and bathrobes!

Next up were sunset portraits at the Hall of Springs with their puppy! I loved doing a mix of indoor and outdoor portraits for their maternity session, and the outdoor portraits were the perfect opportunity for their fur baby to join us.

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A Tea Party Cake Smash for Mia's First Birthday

Oh, baby! Look how you’ve grown! The last time I saw Mia was for her tummy time milestone session, and now she’s ONE and back at our Saratoga Springs studio for a cake smash!

We wanted her first birthday portraits to complement her milestone portraits, so we used similar greenery and mauve peonies with twinkle lights for this adorable little birthday girl. We did a subtle “tea for one” tea party theme with a little ceramic tea set and a cake topper. Mia looked absolutely adorable in her fluffy white tutu, tying it all together for a perfectly whimsical and feminine look!

Such a beautiful baby! Look at those big eyes and how they just light up!

Mia dug right into her cake and really enjoyed smashing it! She especially loved using her spoon to bang on the cake stand and feed herself!

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Classic Cape Cod Portraits in Downtown Chatham

What a summer! I have been loving all of our time on the Cape this summer, and especially all of these beautiful family portrait sessions! Last summer this family of three met me at the beach, and this year we decided to do their portraits in downtown Chatham for a change of scenery.

We met up early in the morning before the sidewalks were busy, and we had the streets all to ourselves! Two year old Rosie LOVED the attention, and she was seriously adorable with her classic vintage-style dresses and bows!

One of my favorite family portraits from their session! The colorful awnings and flower boxes on the shops in Chatham are the perfect backdrop for family portraits.

These hydrangea bushes are so classically Cape Cod, and I loved how they coordinated with Rosie’s gingham dress! She borrowed one of the little flags decorating the sidewalk and couldn’t stop waving it around!

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A Georgia Peach Cake Smash and Family Portraits on a Porch Swing

Wondering how to choose a theme for your baby’s cake smash photo shoot? While we have a whole blog post filled with tips that you should check out, the first thing I always recommend to families is that you look at your baby and your family and find something meaningful or symbolic to you. That’s what we did with this session!

Meet Baby Georgia. Her cake smash theme was GEORGIA PEACH, and it was perfect for this August baby who was born in peach season!

We started talking about a cake smash theme for this sweet girl during her newborn session last summer, and when her first birthday rolled around we knew that we simply had to do a peach theme for their little girl!

We chose to do it in a similar style to the greenery and florals that I so often do in my studio sessions — all white, simple, whimsical, and classic. It came together so beautifully! I added a “Sweet as a Peach” cutout in the background and it tied everything together perfectly. The best part? Georgia LOVED playing with the peaches in the setup, and she looked so sweet in her peach romper!

But truly my FAVORITE part of this entire session was the beginning. We met at the family’s house for family portraits on the front porch. The same front porch where we did their lifestyle newborn portraits. It was incredible to see this family one year later in the exact same spot with their little girl, one year stronger, one year more connected, one year happier.

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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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Luci's Pastel Balloon Cake Smash

When it’s your birthday, why not go all in? Luci went face first into the cake, and it was priceless!

We celebrated Luci’s first birthday with a simple pastel themed cake smash. A balloon garland, confetti, and ONE letters came together for a minimalist look to make this sweet birthday girl the star of the show. Plus, her tutu matched the decor perfectly — I love it when it all comes together like that! Doesn’t she look like a real life Cabbage Patch Doll???

We captured family portraits with the birthday girl, just like we do for all of our cake smash sessions. In the warm weather I love heading outdoors to a park just a few miles from the studio. It was the perfect location to let these sisters cuddle, giggle, and just be all-around adorable together!

Those two bottom teeth peeking out just kill me! One of the things I love most about photographing the baby stage is showing the babies in transition — with just a few teeth in a gummy mouth, their first curl, those cute leg rolls that will disappear once they start walking, or the most adorable finger and elbow dimples. All of these details are classically BABY, and they are details you’ll want to remember long after they are gone.

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A Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Cake Smash for Carter

Another Baby Planner celebrated his first birthday with a cake smash at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio! I loved celebrating Carter’s first year with his family, and it’s hard to believe that this sweet boy is already ONE! Actually, he’s one and then some — we had to postpone a few times due to covid, but it was definitely worth the wait to capture these adorable portraits!

We planned a timeless and neutral Twinkle Twinkle Little Star cake smash theme for the birthday boy, using all cream and gold in the decor. It really makes Carter pop as the star of the show, don’t you think?

Read more about my obsession with neutral colors in the studio here!

Carter wore the cutest outfit with shorts & suspenders, and I love how classic it looked with the setup. These portraits are going to be timeless 20 years from now, and they will never go out of style!

He dug right into his cake and he really smashed it! The wooden spoon was a big hit and kept him busy!

We finished Carter’s session with a bathtub splash in our white clawfoot tub. Carter loved his bubble bath, and this cute photo of him singing (below) will be hanging on the wall in his family’s bathroom to make them smile every day.

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A Secret Garden Theme Cake Smash

Sweet little Kinsley is our latest Baby Planner to celebrate her first year with a cake smash! I’ve loved watching this adorable baby girl grow this year, from a tiny one-day old baby in the hospital to a spunky 1-year old who loves running around with her big brother’s monster trucks, it’s always such a joy watching these little ones grow as we capture all of their milestones in the first year.

We planned a Secret Garden theme cake smash at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio, and the lavender backdrop, beautiful greenery and peonies, and window frame as a garden gate came together perfectly for this sweet session. Add in the cutest little baby and a rose gold outfit, and it was all too cute!

Click here to see big brother’s cake smash from 2018!

Kinsley was hesitant about her cake, but before long she was covered in frosting! Her big brother helped her dig in, and then she was 100% all about it!

Looooove that cute little smile!

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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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