2021 Holiday Portraits in our Saratoga Springs Photography Studio

Holiday portrait sessions are some of my favorite moments to capture in our Saratoga Springs studio! I wait all year long for these days to arrive because they’re always so much fun and filled with joy. This year, I chose to offer three new setups for holiday portraits. We had a white snowflake room, evergreen seamless paper with a loveseat for the family and some flocked trees and a holiday bed. Everyone LOVED getting in the holiday spirit here in the studio.

I welcomed lots of longtime clients and families to the studio over our holiday sessions. It was so great to see everyone again and catch up. I also had the chance to meet plenty of new families too. I’m so excited to have been part of their holiday tradition this year!

Thank you to every family that chose to come celebrate with me this year. Here’s a little sneak peek at some of my favorite holiday moments in the studio this year!!

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Newborn portraits in a beautiful mauve and floral nursery

Reagan Ann has made her appearance in the world! Alexandra, Dan, and Baby Lincoln are over the moon with their newest family member - and I don’t blame them. When I had the chance to meet her during their lifestyle newborn session, I was instantly in love. This sweet baby girl is SO loved and can we just talk about her nursery?! Her nursery was just gorgeous! Alexandra and Dan chose a mauve and gold color scheme with floral accents and it’s beautiful. I’m so happy we were able to do her portraits in their nursery. What a special memory!

Lincoln’s not quite sure about being a big brother yet but he loved getting to hug mama and look at his little sister. These early moments at home are so precious. I’m thrilled I was able to capture these newborn portraits for Reagan Ann and her sweet family!

Can’t get enough of them? Check out Alexandra’s maternity portraits below!

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Tiffany & Co Cake Smash for Baby's First Birthday

I cannot believe Giuliana is already one! She’s a Baby Plan graduate so she’s no stranger to the studio! I’ve loved watching her grow up. We started her portraits before she was even born with her mom’s maternity session then once she arrived, we captured her newborn portraits and milestones, too. And most recently, she came into the studio for her Tiffany & Co cake smash!

This session was so much fun to design. I love the colors of Tiffany & Co… I mean, who doesn’t?! Giuliana’s mom brought in boxes and ribbons from her own collection of Tiffany gifts, so it was perfect. Not only did everything look amazing but it was so personalized because this are her mom’s! How special is that? I actually learned how to tie a Tiffany bow using the ribbon and it was so fun! I’ll definitely be using those bows moving forward because they’re actually knotless bows and so easy to untie!

Giuliana definitely brought her fun personality to her portraits. I loved watching her explore and get a taste of that teal icing. She kept making me think of her newborn portraits when she was posing with her hands under her chin. We used a similar pose when she was a baby. What a fun little throwback! Enjoy a peek into this sweet Tiffany & Co cake smash for Giuliana’s first birthday!

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Fun Fall Family Portraits with Brothers - Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

I can’t believe that I had another chance to work with this sweet family! I’ve been working with them since their oldest, Miles, turned one (you can see his cake smash below!). Now he’s grown so much and he’s a ton of fun. Every time I see these four, I consider myself so lucky. Over the last 4 years, we’ve had many sessions together and they’re always a great time.

We captured their most recent fall family portraits at Pitney Meadows this year - which is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots for portraits! I’m loving the fact that it’s close to the studio and has provided such beautiful fall foliage for me and my families. For this session, there were lots of laughs as we explored Pitney Meadows together. The boys were so excited to play games and follow my prompts and we captured their portraits.

Looking back over their session, the portraits of Miles and his brother Oscar are some of my favorites - and I know their mom couldn’t wait to get prints and gorgeous wall art with them to hang up. They were so sweet together and I hope their relationship continues to grow like that for years to come!

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Studio Newborn portraits with our new Moses basket prop

This fall, I welcomed sweet baby Mitzi and her big brother Ezra to the studio for her newborn session. We planned a classic and simple session for Mitzi that featured our newest prop in the studio: a Moses basket! It wound up being the perfect prop to use in their session because Ezra was all about being around his baby sister. She was able to lay quietly in her basket while he smiled and loved on her. It was absolutely adorable how into her he was! You never know how big siblings will be feeling the day of your session, but Ezra was definitely a cutie!

I’m so excited to offer this brand new prop in the studio. It’s just great for sibling portraits and I can’t wait to use it for family, newborn, and milestone sessions soon. Having access to these fun props is definitely one perk of having a studio newborn session. Our client wardrobes are another great perk. Samantha chose a few sweet floral headbands for Mitzi to wear during her portraits too, and I think everything came together so beautifully for this baby girl!

Wondering if a studio or lifestyle session is best for you and your new baby? Use the button below to read up on what makes newborn sessions in the studio unique! And then keep scrolling to see Mitzi’s precious newborn portraits!!

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Fall Family Portraits with Young Children at Congress Park in Saratoga Springs

I’m so thankful I had the chance to capture another beautiful fall portrait session for Henry, Emma, and their parents! I’ve been working with this family since Emma turned 1 and now they’ve recently celebrated Henry’s first birthday, too. Over the years, I’ve watched them grow and become such an incredible family. I feel so lucky that they’ve trusted me with their memories, including this fall family portrait session at Congress Park.

We truly lucked out with the most beautiful day for their session at the park. Early October turned out to be the best time for peak foliage all around this year - and I’m so happy we caught it in time. Henry and Emma were amazing our entire session, playing together and enjoying the leaves. Henry has just started to walk and he loved chasing after Emma as we were together. She was the best at making him laugh, too! It’s clear they’re going to be amazing friends.

I can’t wait for you to see this beautiful session!

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Studio Newborn Portraits for the Littlest Yankees Fan

Welcome to the world, Joseph Paul! How precious is this little guy? He came into the studio recently for his newborn portraits and I just can’t get enough of him. Joseph Paul was super alert during our session, giving me lots of wide-eyed looks. It was adorable! After a bit, he did fall asleep (I guess I must be boring ;O) and we were able to capture more traditional portraits of him swaddled up. That’s what the magic of a good swaddle, white noise, and heat in the studio will do!

When we were planning his newborn portraits, Joseph Paul’s parents asked if they could bring in a few special items. One of them was a onesie from the restaurant where they met for the first time. How sweet is that? I love that they wanted to honor the place that brought them together andstarted their love story - which lead to this sweet baby. His parents are also HUGE Yankees fans and brought in a jersey inspired onesie to celebrate that. We included Yankees colors throughout his sessions and I have to say, I always love a good blue and white color palette.

Enjoy a little look into this precious studio newborn session to celebrate Joseph Paul!

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A Beach Theme First Birthday Cake Smash

I cannot believe Oliver is already a year old! He came into the studio for his newborn portraits just yesterday, I swear! :o) Now, he’s a year old and came back to the studio for a beach inspired cake smash. His family recently moved to the beach and he absolutely LOVES it there - so it was definitely a perfect theme for this little guy. His parents brought a beautiful cake from Kelly’s Kitchen to bring this setup to life and it was just stunning!

Despite the delicious looking cake, Oliver wasn’t quite sure about it all when he actually got to the studio. Even though he wasn’t too fond of the cake, we managed to capture some great expressions! I’m all about capturing your little ones as they are - happy, sad, or in between - when it comes to their smashes. Even if your baby isn’t too sure about their cake or the icing, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve for their time in the studio!

Worried your little one won’t be interested in their cake? Try one of these tips:

• Hide snacks in the frosting that they love! They’ll dig for them, trust me.

• Let them play with wooden spoons - they can eat from them or just bang them around!

• Play their favorite songs on Alexa!

• Take a break and grab a snack or their favorite toy.

• Have the parents hang near the edge of the backdrop so they’re nearby.

• Lots of breaks for hugs and kisses!

• Toys and rattles on hand for distractions can be a great option!

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Fall Family Portraits at Pitney Meadows in Saratoga Springs

This family is so special to me because JB is one of Grayson’s best buddies. He and Grayson were born 2 weeks apart and I’ve had the honor of watching him grow up - and documenting him along the way. Since JB was a year old, I’ve captured annual family portraits for him and his parents. They welcomed Henry to the family last year during the pandemic so it’s been an extra joy to watch him grow, too! Our boys are all so adorable and I feel so lucky that I get to work with Allison and her gorgeous family over and over again.

This year, we planned a sunset fall family portrait session at Pitney Meadows in Saratoga Springs. Sunset sessions with young kids can be tricky but with the right tips and tricks up our sleeves, anything is possible! We definitely may have bribed JB and Henry with some snacks for those smiles :o) But it was so worth it! JB and Henry are SO cute and I loved this year’s session.

Planning an evening session? Check out more tips for sunset sessions with kids below!

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Fall Family Portraits in Saratoga Springs

I am going to miss Henri and his sweet parents SO much. This family has been with me for a few years now and it has been an honor to capture their little boy as he grows. I’ve photographed milestone portraits and annual family portraits since Henri was born, and I cannot believe he’s growing up so quickly! When Jaimie reached out about a fall family portrait session at Pitney Meadows, I was thrilled. However, she told me that they’re moving out of the area and I was immediately a bit sadder. I really will miss these three and the chance to catch up with them every year.

This year, we met at Pitney Meadows in Saratoga Springs. This is such a beautiful spot - especially in the fall! There’s such gorgeous fall colors, so vibrant around us. They had just cut the tall meadow grass but it was still the perfect spot for this family of three. Henri was able to run around as his parents played with him and enjoyed the evening. We lucked out with some super vibrant yellow trees behind us during our session - and it worked perfectly with the outfits they chose. The yellow totally matched Henri’s shirt! It was so cute!

8 Tips for a Meltdown-Free Session with Toddlers

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Newborn Session with Blush and Cream Pumpkins

Meet Evelyn Marie, or "Evie" as her parents like to call her! This sweet little girl graced my studio recently for her fall inspired newborn portraits. From pumpkins to neutral colors in her setups, this session was a dream come true for fall lovers! You might recognize her parents because they were just featured on the blog during their maternity session. Evie decided to come 3 weeks early so they came back to the studio pretty quickly for their newborn session… but it was great to see them all again so soon!

One of my favorite parts about Evie’s newborn session was that we replicated some of the portraits we put together for their maternity session. It was really sweet to see the commonalities between their portraits! I know they’re going to look amazing together in their heirloom album. Patty and Jared were so much fun to work with for both their maternity and newborn session with Evie. I absolutely adore them both and I hope to see them again more over the next few years!

Enjoy this look into their fall newborn session to celebrate sweet Evie!!!

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Golden Sunset Maternity Portraits in a Field, Saratoga Springs Maternity Photographer

Alexandra, Dan, and Baby Lincoln are welcoming a little girl to their family this year! I was so excited when they contacted me about maternity portraits this fall. This sweet family just moved here from Hawaii and they were so excited to document this season of anticipation. I know they’re all so excited for their baby girl to make her arrival!!

Alexandra’s one request from the start was that her portraits felt candid and had a nice bohemian feel to them. She chose the perfect gowns from our studio’s Mama Wardrobe to bring her vision to life! She decided on sweet little suspenders for Lincoln, who just turned one this summer. The entire session, he was having blast with his parents playing and running through the field. He’s going to be the best big brother!

I can’t wait to meet their little girl soon for her lifestyle newborn session. They have a beautiful nursery all ready for her arrival, and it will be so perfect in her lifestyle portraits. After her newborn session, we’ll be creating a stunning heirloom album with both sets of portraits to preserve their memories. I’m so excited to design it for them!

See more from our mama wardrobe!

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Maternity portraits in a meadow with Saratoga Springs photographer

Patty just has the glow every woman dreams of when they find out they’re pregnant! This beautiful mama and her husband, Jared, came to my Saratoga Springs studio to capture this incredible milestone in their family. For her maternity portraits, we were able to head to a field about a mile from the studio and then come back inside to do a few more looks in the studio!

Doesn’t this mama look absolutely radiant in this beautiful peach gown in the field?! If you happen to love the gown, too, you’ll be pleased to know I’ve now added it to my Mama Wardrobe! Patty looked incredible and the peach color was the perfect pop against the green grass around her and Jared. Despite some pesky (and persistent!) mosquitos, they were both champs and put up with them for the sake of gorgeous portraits!

Then we headed back to the studio for two more beautiful looks. This gorgeous mama brought a sweet striped dress that she wore in the studio - and actually brought back to wear again in her little girl’s newborn portraits a few weeks later. And their newborn session really was just a few weeks later. Their sweet baby arrived 3 weeks early, before we even had a chance to finish the ordering appointment for her maternity session! We had a great time recreating portraits from their maternity session during their second session in the studio.

After both sessions, these new parents chose all of their favorite portraits for a stunning heirloom album that I know they’re going to enjoy looking through with their baby girl for many years to come!

TIPS FOR LOOKING & FEELING YOUR BEST DURING MATERNITY PORTRAITS!

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Older Newborn Portraits for a Sweet Baby Girl

Welcome to the world, Nora! Sweet Nora is a NICU Warrior who was born 2 months early. She spent 5 weeks in the NICU before she was able to come home with her incredible mom. When she was finally able to come to the studio for her newborn portraits, she was already 9 weeks old. But, that’s okay! Nora Jean was just adorable for me, curling up and sleeping during her session. We even got a few portraits of her with a tiny little smile!!

Because Nora’s dad is in the military and overseas, he wasn’t able to be with us for her portraits. Instead, Nora’s grandmother came along and we were able to capture her with her beautiful granddaughter. It’s such a special relationship and I’m honored I could document it for this sweet family forever. I love the color scheme we chose for this session, too. Nora’s mom loves dusty rose and sage green, so we used it throughout the session and captured some truly beautiful portraits.

However, the entire family was able to be online with me during their ordering session! With 5 screens total, Nora’s mom, grandparents, and dad were able to join in on Zoom. It was a lot of fun getting to show her dad the portraits for the first time. And, while watching the slideshow video, Grandma said happily, "I can't see through all the tears!"… so, I’d say they were a hit!

WHAT TO WEAR FOR NEWBORN PORTRAITS!

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Milestone portraits with adorable knitted overalls and rompers

How sweet is Colton? This little guy was just in the studio for his newborn portraits and he recently returned for his 4 month milestone portraits. Because he’s a Baby Plan member, he’ll be doing sessions all year long with me in the studio! We did the same thing for his big sister, Elliana, too. I love when clients return with their new babies and I get to see families again and again! It truly makes my job so special.

Keeping with the colors we chose for Colton’s newborn portraits, he wore blue and green for his milestone portraits. His mom actually brought all of his outfits with them for their session, but if you love the looks, know that we have very similar outfits in our Baby Wardrobe! I absolutely love the look of these knitted rompers and jumpers. They’re so classic and super sweet on these adorable babies.

Baby Colton made my job super easy during his milestone portraits. He was so happy and giggly our entire session! I love the final images they chose for their prints and products - they’re going to look perfect alongside his newborn images!!

Want to see more adorable milestone sessions? Click here!

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Family Portrait Session at Jackson's Garden in Schenectady

I’ve got another gorgeous fall session for you today! Jennifer and her beautiful family met me at Jackson’s Garden in Schenectady for their portraits this year. It was my first time set this location - another local photographer friend recommended it to me. I’m so glad we decided to go here! There were tons of gorgeous fall colors for us to play with.

Jennifer was ready to update her family portraits (and beautiful wall art) now that their little girl, Annabelle has turned 1. How cute is she with her little ponytail and first teeth coming in?! The Strange family also brought their sweet pup to our portraits and we had a lot of fun getting him to pose with the family. We captured some beautiful moments that will look perfect in an heirloom album for this family - or some stunning wall art. Picking out products with my families is almost as much fun was capturing their portraits!!

Thinking about bringing your dog to your session?

I’m all about bringing your furry family members to your session. Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to make everything run a little more smoothly for all of us. Before your session, take your dog for a walk so they’re more tired during our portraits. Consider switching out your leash to a neutral color (like this family, who swapped a bright orange leash for a brown one).

Make sure you bring treats for your pet and ask a friend or family member to come be the designated dog wrangler/watcher. This ensures you can focus on your session and time together during the human portraits! ;o) I’ve worked with tons of dogs and one of my favorite ways to keep our portraits together stress-free is to work around the dog, much like I do with kids! We’ll plan to sit and stand around where your pup decides they want to be. It’s much easier that way!

Tips for a meltdown-free session with kids!

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Saratoga Springs Maternity Portraits with a Horse

I can’t believe I’m finally getting to share Jillian’s maternity portraits with you! When she reached out to book her portraits, she mentioned the idea of having her session at Rolling Oaks Stable with her horse. I was absolutely excited for that! What’s more classic Saratoga than portraits with a horse?!

Jillian, her husband, and I all met up at the stable for their maternity session. I couldn’t wait to meet Jillian’s horse, Zita. Zita was an absolute dream for us - even wearing a sweet floral garland while Jillian cozied up next to her. I know these two (well, three with Zita!) are excited to welcome their baby girl Gianna to the family. This sweet mama can’t wait to bring her little one out here and introduce her to the stables. What a special moment it will be for Gianna and Zita to meet one day soon!

For her session, Jillian chose to wear two of the maternity gowns I have in my mama’s wardrobe. Both looked amazing against the backdrop of the stable. I can’t wait to see which portraits they choose to display in their home as they await Gianna’s arrival. I’m so excited for this sweet family! Enjoy this absolutely dreamy Saratoga Springs maternity session featuring Zita!!

TIPS TO FEEL YOUR BEST AT YOUR MATERNITY SESSION!

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Saratoga Springs Family Portrait Session in a Grassy Field

I can’t believe Ari is now 2! I had the honor of photographing him multiple times during his first year of life, so I was elated when his parents wanted to schedule a family session to celebrate his birthday this year. We planned his session right here in Saratoga Springs, and found this beautiful field to shoot in. It was perfect early in the morning - the light was coming up behind the trees and just made everything glow!

Ari had a great time playing with his parents. Their love for him really does shine through in every interaction they share together. I love that they were able to relax and just be with him while I documented it all. That’s how family sessions should be!

Happy birthday, Ari! I can’t believe how much you’ve grown!

Tips to look your best during family photos!

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Fun family portraits with cousins on Cape Cod

The last time I saw this family was when I just gone full-time with my business after leaving my teaching carreer in 2015, so to say I was excited to see them this summer is an understatement! It’s been 6 years since Baby Anna’s cake smash and when I opened up the inquiry email, I couldn’t stop smiling. Anna and Mikey have grown so much, and I got to meet their cousins, aunt, and uncle for these fun family portraits on Cape Cod at Corporation Beach, too.

Their Dennisport portrait session was so much fun! It’s always great to watch kids just be kids - especially on the Cape. The sand and the waves crashing just make everyone happy. These little ones loved playing with each other and swinging like monkeys between their parents. I’m not lying when I say we just went out and had the best time together!

I hope their grandparents absolutely love all of these photos. They have the cutest grandkids and I’m just so happy I had the chance to photograph Anna, Mikey, and their family again. Enjoy this peek into their beach portraits from this summer!

WONDERING WHAT TO WEAR? FIND IDEAS HERE!

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Cape Cod Family Portraits at Corporation Beach

I am so happy I got to see this beautiful family again! They are local to me in New York, but like me, they vacation on the Cape every year. So when they reached out about setting up a portrait session on the beach, I was thrilled! We met up for a sunset session at Corporation Beach in Dennis, and it was absolutely gorgeous.

This isn't my first session with Reese, Matteo, and their parents. When Matteo arrived, we captured studio newborn portraits for him and his family. Since then, he has grown so much and now he is starting to show off his big personality! I love these summer nights with toddlers, running around with big laughs and sandy toes.

Reese and Matteo's grandparents joined us for part of their session, too. It's so special to me to capture these summer memories for the whole family. We lucked out with a gorgeous night for everyone to come out on the beach. Corporation Beach is seriously one of my favorite beaches at sunset in Dennis - especially during low tide. I can't wait for you to see this entire session!

Read 8 tips to make your beach family session even easier!

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