Fall Family Portraits with an Outdoor Cake Smash

Some families love the idea of choosing a cake smash theme for their little one’s first birthday, and others want something classic and theme-free. That is why more and more families are opting for outdoor cake smashes when the weather is nice to showcase their little one in nature without any props. That is exactly what Ravi’s family wanted for his first birthday portraits, so we combined his fall family photos with a cake smash at the park, and it was perfect!

Just look at the gorgeous and colorful leaves lining this path in Saratoga Spa State Park! It was perfect with the golden sunlight streaming in through the leaves, and I loved this spot for their portrait session!

For the most simple and classic cake smash look, nothing beats a white high chair and a simple cake! A fancy cake topper completes the look, and the focus really stays on the birthday boy!

This little guy really got into it, and he had a frosting beard in no time!

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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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Fall Family Portraits with Pumpkins at Saratoga Spa State Park

I loved this family’s fall portrait session at sunset in Saratoga Spa State Park! I’ve been capturing their portraits ever since they were waiting for Baby Georgia to arrive, and to see her now at one year old with so much personality was so much fun. We got together for a beautiful session right as the leaves were starting to change colors, and we had so much fun exploring a few of my picture-perfect spots in the park for their family portraits.

Oftentimes with toddlers, their favorite toy makes an appearance in their portrait session because they like something familiar to hold and play with while in front of the camera. Georgia’s favorite doll, “Miss Avery”, was no exception and is now memorialized in their family portraits. What a sweet memory!

Of course we had to head over to the pumpkin display on South Broadway, a favorite fall landmark in Saratoga Springs every year. I just love how these beautiful fall colors pop against Georgia’s neutral cream sweater dress!

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Fun and Laid-Back Fall Family Portraits in Saratoga Springs

Just look at these two brothers! Aren’t they the cutest, most adorable little guys you’ve ever seen?!?!

We had so much fun during this fall family portrait session in Saratoga Springs at Saratoga Spa State Park. It was unseasonably warm and the family had to swap out their sweaters and boots for short sleeves and sandals that afternoon, but we still captured so many fun and cozy moments of this beautiful family together!

My favorite thing about this session? The minion shoes! In typical toddler fashion, little brother decided that he only wanted to wear his brand new yellow minion shoes that day, so they made an appearance in their family portraits! I love that this will be a part of their story forever!

One of my favorite ways to get kids to cuddle up and smile during a portrait session is to get them really close together and have them take turns telling jokes, tickling each other, and trying to squeeze a laugh out of the other one. It works every time!

This portrait session really was so much fun. It was filled with laughs and giggles, and so many games! The boys had a blast and they were surprised when we were all done! Wondering how to make your family session this easy? Check out the link for more tips!

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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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Family Portraits in Saratoga Springs with Fall Foliage

Aren’t these two the most adorable brothers you ever did see???

I loved meeting up with this sweet family at Saratoga Spa State Park for their family portrait session this fall. We had the most beautiful golden evening and the leaves rustled and sparkled on the trees for a picture-perfect scene. The session was filled with laughs, storytelling, and cuddles for baby brother, and we captured so many memories on camera for them to enjoy.

I love the outfits they chose for their session, and the colors coordinated perfectly without being too matchy-matchy. Find more tips for what to wear to your fall portrait session here!

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Fall Family Portraits in Congress Park, Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

This gorgeous family session in Congress Park already has me looking forward to doing a roundup post with the Best of 2020 Family Portrait Sessions. I just don’t know how I’ll choose only one or two for that post! So for now, enjoy soooo many of my favorite images that we captured of this sweet family during their fall family portraits in downtown Saratoga Springs.

We had originally planned on doing a Fresh 48 session when Baby Wells arrived, but unfortunately the covid closures happened at the hospital the week of his birth so we were not able to capture his portraits last spring. We waited until he turned 6 months old for a fun family session, and his mama even made his little outfit!

This sweet baby boy was so happy and smiley, and he loved cuddling up in his mama and daddy’s arms. It’s clear to see just how much joy he has brought to their lives this year, and he has definitely been a bright spot for them!

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Cape Cod Family Portraits in Dennis

I loooooved seeing this family at their favorite beach in Dennis for their family portrait session this summer! Their Cape house is literally steps from the beach, and they’ve been coming here for generations.

I haven’t been to many beaches on the Cape where you have to climb a huge sand dune to get to the water, and it was extra special to watch their sweet little girls climb up over the top and run down towards the sea, knowing that they are going to create so many magical childhood memories there on that stretch of sand just like their mama did when she was a little girl.

Beach hair, don’t care! This was definitely one of my favorite images from their session!

It’s always a joy when grandparents join in for family portraits, and I loved capturing this happy grandmother with her adorable granddaughters in everyone’s happy place!

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Studio Newborn Portraits for Baby Jacob

I’m always so honored when families bring their new babies to me for their newborn portraits, and I especially enjoy when those babies grow up and become big brothers & sisters who visit the studio with their brand new sibling.

I’ve been capturing portraits for Jonas’s family since he was born, and now he’s a big brother! He visited the studio with Baby Jacob and we captured the most adorable family portraits. Just look at how mom & dad look at their boys!!

This sweet baby boy was a dream to pose. He was so sleepy and cuddly, and he curled right up into the sweetest poses. We used a mix of cream, white, blue & gray to match big brother’s newborn portraits and to complement the decor in their home.

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Baby Girl's Cake Smash at the Beach - Cape Cod Family Photographer

Ohhhh, I miss those warm summer beach days already!! Every summer I spend more than a few weeks on Cape Cod. Nearly every evening is spent with families at the beach, laughing & collecting seashells, running & jumping the waves while capturing portraits the entire time.

One of my favorite evenings last summer was the night I met this sweet family in Harwich for Niamh’s first birthday cake smash at the beach.

Pleasant Road Beach was the perfect spot for a cake smash with the little wooden boardwalk stretching across the sand, the waves crashing on the shore just ahead of us. We brought a few sand dollars and starfish for the decor, but kept it simple to keep the focus on the birthday girl.

Niamh LOVED her cake! I always love it when babies dig right in and take a bite out of their cake by leaning into it.

Her big sisters were eager to join in, and they waited patiently for their turn. Then everybody dug into the cake together!

Of course we also did family portraits on the beach, and I love how perfectly golden the light was that evening with the most beautiful sunset. Aren’t their sundresses beautiful and just right for summer portraits?

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Family Photos with Grandparents at the Beach - Cape Cod Family Photographer

Do you know the term “head swap”?

This terms is used when a photographer uses Photoshop and takes a head (or a body, or a part of the backdrop) from one photo and moves it onto another photo to create a composite. When done correctly, you can’t even tell anything was changed and it just looks like the perfect photo where everyone is looking and smiling.

Some people are familiar with this term, and when I explain it to other people they look at me like it’s some type of sorcery. But honestly, it’s a very common term in the photography world and photographers need to do head swaps more often than you might think. Especially in family sessions. Especially in extended family sessions.

The photo below, for example, took SEVEN head/body swaps to create and image with every single family member looking towards the camera!

This is definitely not the norm, but when an old friend from high school reaches out for a family portrait session at their favorite beach on Cape Cod, I might go a little above and beyond when it comes to the editing to give them that one perfect photo that includes all 5 toddlers and every adult looking!

Extended family portrait sessions are always a blast and I love getting to meet all of the smaller families that make up the big family. I especially love when we have so many little grandchildren to photograph! Seriously, how cute are these kiddos?!?! Just adorable!

But of course, toddlers at the beach make for a lot of running around in the sand at sunset. Definitely worth all of the extra sand in my camera bag and the extra sweat after an hour of chasing them! I truly had a blast with this family and we enjoyed the most beautiful Harwichport sunset for their portrait session.

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Classic First Birthday Portraits with a Year of Baby Photos

Now this was a fun session! Baby Ari’s mama reached out and wanted to plan an extra special portrait session to celebrate her baby boy’s first birthday, and she was really excited about creating some truly classic and timeless portraits of her little guy. With all of the beautiful neutrals in my Saratoga Springs portrait studio, it’s easy to pull together simple setups that let your baby shine, and we did just that with Ari’s first birthday portraits!

You see the cute little stool he’s sitting on? It’s actually a custom cake stand his mama ordered for his birthday party, and it worked perfectly as a toddler bench!

Instead of a cake smash we compiled a collection of their favorite portraits from the past year and turned them into a truly one-of-a-kind backdrop to celebrate their birthday boy’s first year. I love how he pops against the black & white photographs!

No first birthday portrait session is complete without family portraits! We went to the nearby Saratoga Spa State Park for family portraits, and this little man was on the go! He was just at the brink of walking when we did his session, and it was so much fun to capture on camera!

Of course, it wouldn’t be 2020 without documenting the reality of our year: masks. For Ari and many babies, masks are just part of their version of “normal” and this will definitely get noted in their baby book. We’re all looking forward to the day when we can see everyone’s WHOLE face when out in public while still feeling safe.

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Cape Cod Family Photos at Lighthouse Beach in Chatham

Ohhhhh, this session makes me miss the Cape already! This family met me at Lighthouse Beach in Chatham for the most perfect sunset one evening in August. We captured their family portraits on a nearly deserted beach, and it was so beautiful and fun.

The kids were full of personality and they had us laughing the entire hour, and I loved watching them play and joke together, knowing that these are going to be the summertime memories they have for the rest of their lives. I look back at my summertime memories as a kid and the Cape is prominent in all of the best ones, and it’s pretty amazing getting to watch those future memories unfold for other children knowing that one day they’ll look back at these summers the same way I look at mine.

I love extended family sessions like this one, and it’s always fun when grandparents and cousins join in the fun. We capture a mix of portraits of everyone in all of the different groupings, and when they kids are older like this it’s always such a breeze!

Their grandmother is going to cherish this photo forever!

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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 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!