A Mountains and Moose Cake Smash: Using watercolor cutouts to create a cake smash backdrop

Happy birthday, Maverick! This cute little guy is one of our recent baby graduates of the Collective Membership. For the last year, I’ve had the joy (and honor) of photographing Maverick’s milestones. I’ve gotten to know him and his parents pretty well. I can’t believe it’s already time for his first birthday cake smash! We planned a super fun mountain and moose cake smash, to echo his nursery theme at home. It turned out so perfect! 

I am a huge fan of watercolor art. There’s something about the soft colors and the way the edges bleed into each other, not to mention the delicate details. I like to decorate our home with watercolors, and I enjoy incorporating it into my styled portrait sessions, too! When families come to me with a specific theme idea for their baby’s cake smash, I often look to see how I can include watercolor artwork cutouts in their setup. Maverick’s cake smash theme turned out to be the perfect chance for some watercolor cutouts! 

One of my favorite places to find these designs is from independent artisans on Etsy, and you know I love supporting other artists and small business owners! I purchase the design, and print it as large as possible on a 40” poster. Places like Staples can do this for you, and you want to make sure to use a matte finish paper to avoid any shine being reflected back at the camera in the studio. Then I cut it out and use it to create the backdrop. I have done this for countless themes for my clients (and even for my own children’s portrait sessions and birthday parties!), and I love the variety that it lends to my sessions without cluttering up the studio with even more expensive props. Plus, as a minimalist at heart and a huge fan of reduce/reuse/recycle and avoiding one-time-use props and items, this works for me!

Bringing everything together for Maverick’s theme was especially fun, and I scoured the internet for adorable moose artwork. His nursery has a moose & mountains theme, with a mural that his father hand-painted, and we wanted to incorporate that into his first birthday portraits. I adore how it all came together, and the moose really are the cutest little moose I have ever seen!

Happy birthday again, little guy!! I’ll miss seeing you in the studio every few months - but I’m so proud to have captured your big moments this past year.

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6 Tips for an Evening Family Portrait Session

As a family photographer, summertime means one thing: SUNSET SESSIONS GALORE! And you know what that also means? Late bedtimes for your kids - and late photo sessions in the evening!

I absolutely love capturing family portraits in the golden hour when the last rays of sunlight make the whole world glow. This is usually in the hour or so before sunset, and as you know, the sun goes down awfully late in the summer time! This can be so tricky with little ones, and I completely understand.

As a mom of two littles, I know what those meltdowns look like when my kids are overtired, and how quickly those meltdowns can come on, too! I’ve been there with planning my own family portraits, and I absolutely understand your hesitation when it comes to booking a family portrait session at that coincides with your normal dinner and bedtime routine. I promise it’s 100% worth it for the dreamy summer light, though!

So today, I’m also here to share a few tips with you that will make it soooooo much easier for everyone, and I can promise you we’ll still capture smiles, laughs, and adorable moments shared between everyone in your family.

These are my top 6 tips for an evening family portrait session with kids - as both a mom and a family photographer!

1. Plan on a late nap.

For the longest time, my son was religious about napping. We couldn’t skip a nap because he needed that time midday to rest and recharge. When you know you’re going to be going to bed a little later than normal, plan to bump your nap a little later in the afternoon, or if your baby is young enough, do an early nap and then a catnap later in the day, too. If you know your child will inevitably fall asleep in the car, leave a little earlier than necessary for your session and drive around while your little one sleeps in the backseat. They’ll wake up and be refreshed and ready to play!

2. Pack snacks.

Have snacks handy, because hungry kids are grumpy kids and we want to avoid that. ;o) I recommend everyone eat dinner before the session, and bring a little snack for the car in case they need it. Avoid messy foods like chocolate and juice, and opt for cheese, crackers, dry cereal, fruit, a pouch, etc. Be sure it’s a food that won’t stain their teeth and tongue. Basically, gummies and oreos are a bad idea because they will be stuck in their teeth in every. single. photo.

3. Bring their PJs and change into them when we’re all done.

This will make bedtime even easier when you get back home. Toss those pajamas in the car and they’ll be ready when we finish photographing your family. I’m all about working smarter, not harder - and this is one of my favorite hacks for late-in-the-day sessions.

4. Don’t underestimate the power of a bribe.

And don’t feel like you need to apologize for it, either! I know from photographing my own kids just how well a bribe can work to get him to listen and smile for a short period of time, and I fully support whatever you choose and I will help get the kids excited about it during their session, too!

I have created a prize box this year, and after the session your little ones will get to choose a prize! It’s filled with all sorts of goodies, and there’s nothing quite like a good bribe to help them power through. My old classroom skills are starting to come out - but I promise, it’s all in the name of beautiful portraits for your family!

5. Pack bug spray

Summer nights are notoriously filled with bugs who want a little snack! If your session is going to be on the beach or in one of the fields around Saratoga Springs, you’re definitely going to want that bug spray! It’s a simple thing but one that will help your little ones (and big ones!) feel more comfortable during our time together in the evening. 

6. The most important one: relax and have fun.

This is key. If you’re stressed, the kids will sense it and they will feed off of the vibes and be unwilling to cooperate and enjoy themselves. Relax. Take a deep breath. Let go of expectations, and enjoy the moment! Have fun loving on your little ones, and remember that these are the memories you want to look back on when they are grown. Portrait sessions are meant to be fun and joyful - not full of stress. Try to enjoy your evening together as a family and I’ll do the rest. 

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Our 2024 Client Appreciation Event: Gorgeous Motherhood Portraits with Spring Florals

This summer, I’ll be celebrating 12 years of running Nicole Starr Photography - and the last 8 of those years have been here in New York. None of the last 12 years would have been possible without my incredible clients. The last few years, I’ve held a Client Appreciation Event in my Saratoga Springs studio because each of my clients is worth celebrating. I want each and every one of them to know how deeply I appreciate them. Being their chosen family and newborn photographer is a gift - not just because I get to do what I love, but because I genuinely enjoy working with each of them and building relationships as we see each other over the years. Watching their children grow and being able to document more special memories is something I will never take for granted.

My Client Appreciation Event really started as a way to celebrate and thank the mamas. I wanted to thank them for choosing me but also, I wanted to pamper them! As mamas, we’re often the last one to be taken care of or spoiled. Thus, this event was born. My mamas are invited to my studio for motherhood sessions. The #1 goal is for them to feel pampered, loved, and update portraits with their little ones, creating artwork I hope they will treasure forever. It’s so much fun! We have a hair stylist at the studio and they have full access to my Mama Wardrobe to choose a beautiful dress to wear for their portraits. On top of that, they get to leave with an incredible swag bag filled with goodies from local businesses I love! 

While I always document families with their babies when they come in for newborn or milestone sessions, I think it’s important for these mamas to have a chance to be photographed with their babies. It’s special to see them shine with their little ones. I know as a mama myself, we’re always behind the camera, and so rarely in photos with our little ones. But these are the photos that our kids are going to want to look back on when they are grown, and they are the ones that tug at our own mama hearts now and many years from now. My favorite photos in our home are the ones with my babies, and I will cherish them for many, many years. I hope these mamas do, too. These portraits are super special to me and I hope that my clients love them as much as I love making them possible! 

I just want to give a huge shout out of thanks to all of the amazing Saratoga Springs vendors who made this year’s Client Appreciation Event possible with their contributions to our setup or goodie bags for our mamas! Without them, I would not have been able to celebrate and spoil the families who support my small business every day. 

Make sure you check out these amazing businesses! 

Samantha Nass Floral Design
Jessica Lee, A Saratoga Stylist of LaLume Salon
Simply Stated NY
Cookie-tastic
Slice of Saratoga
Advanced Dentistry of Clifton Park - Dr. Katie Tonkin
House of Colour Saratoga Springs
Fit4Mom Queensbury-Saratoga Springs
Glampover Events
The Hair Fairy at Hive Salon
Festivefetti

Thank you again to every business that contributed - and to every client that has worked with me in the last 12 years. I literally couldn’t do this without you! Enjoy a peek into our Client Appreciation motherhood portraits this year! 

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Classic blue and green newborn portraits for baby boy

Welcome to the world, Eamon! This sweet baby was born on St. Patrick’s Day, so it was important for us to include some green in his newborn portraits as a nod to his special birthday and heritage. In addition to the green, his parents loved our light blue romper and tiny teddy bear hats. I absolutely LOVED the romper on him! He was absolutely adorable the entire session and so easy to work with! 

Before newborn sessions, I help prepare my parents with a few tips to help their newborn session to be as successful as sweet Eamon’s was. One of the most important is to keep baby awake for an hour before the session. This helps ensure they’re ready to snuggle and sleep during our work together. I also encourage parents to give their babies a bath in the morning before coming to my Saratoga Springs studio so they’re awake but also relaxed! My studio is kept warm, helping babies drift into sleep as we swaddle and hold them. I always have my white noise going and we’ll take our time until your little one is ready (and if they don’t sleep, that’s okay!). Finally, plan for a full feeding right before our session. All of this will comes together for a happy, calm, easy to pose baby just like this little guy.

I truly loved baby Eamon and his parents. After our session, we sat down to pick out their favorite portraits for their beautiful heirloom album. I can’t wait for them to be able to flip through it together - and as Eamon grows up, too. What a special memory!

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Putting Your Trust in a Photographer to Capture Baby’s First Portraits

I had the absolute honor of welcoming Maizie Elizabeth to my studio for her first portraits ever during her newborn session in Saratoga Springs. I adored working with Maizie and her parents. It was such a compliment to me as an artist and such a show of trust when mom said to me, “I love everything in your portfolio! You can pick the colors and the headbands and the setups! I trust you!” Of course I was a little nervous, and I told her to please let me know if I pulled something that she wasn’t a fan of, but in the end the family was thrilled with the session and they were over the moon with their daughter’s portraits. I can’t express how happy all of this process made me! 

Maizie was one of the most smiley newborns that I have had in the studio in a long time, and this sweet girl gave us multiple smiles during family and individual portraits, too. She was super sleepy and I loved watching those smiles form on her face throughout the different setups I planned. Some of my favorites have to be with the tulips - I absolutely love flowers in my newborn setups!! 

I just want to express my thanks again to Ashley and her husband for trusting me to plan a session they would love. Every time a family books me for a newborn session still feels like such an honor. These are once-in-a-lifetime memories and I get to capture them for you! It’s so important to me that families feel comfortable with the entire process of a newborn session, as I want it to be special and stress-free! Building that trust takes time and as we plan your newborn portraits, I’m going to be with you every step of the way. We have phone calls and planning emails to work out details and I pride myself on sharing exactly what to expect with your newborn portraits - from before you ever step foot in the studio to the moment your heirloom artwork is delivered. All of this helps parents feel 100% comfortable during their portrait experience. I never take for granted what a special moment this is and I truly hope that all of my clients feel supported through the whole process! When they do, magic like Maizie’s session is possible.

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A light and airy cake smash with blue and white balloons

Baby Alex is one! Alex is an extra special little guy to me because he lives in our neighborhood and is one of the 7+ babies born in the last year. It’s been such an honor to watch him grow up and to watch his dads become parents. Although I can’t believe it’s been a year since his newborn session, I was excited when it came time to plan his light and airy cake smash to celebrate his first birthday! 

His dads wanted a classic session that was light & airy with blue and white balloons. They found this adorable romper at Lex & Cleo, the cutest little baby boutique in downtown Saratoga Springs. It matched Alex’s eyes perfectly, and complemented the setup beautifully. Plus, you know I’m a huge fan of supporting other local businesses - so I was thrilled to hear where this outfit was from! 

Alex loved the family photo portion of his session, but wasn’t a huge fan of the cake. That’s okay! We went with the flow, tried a few tricks, and moved on to the next part of the session to keep him comfortable. Not all babies love their cake, and that is 100% normal and okay! WE still captured so many adorable portraits of the birthday boy and I know his family is going to treasure them forever. His personality shone through as he played in front of my big ONE display in the studio and I couldn’t stop smiling at Alex! 

I can’t wait to hear stories of Alex admiring their new portraits on the wall of their home and I love that they're planning on sharing their mini accordion albums with the grandparents. Portraits are always a great gift for your loved ones!!

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A teddy bear theme cake smash for an Adirondack Mountain baby

Happy birthday, Bennett! I’m so excited that Krystie brought her sweet babies back to my studio for their youngest’s cake smash this spring. Baby Bennett is now one! To celebrate his first birthday, we created a super fun teddy bear cake smash setup inspired by the family’s trip to the Adirondacks. Bennett loved their time in the mountains and near the lake, and I love that they wanted to incorporate such a special memory into his portraits. 

For Bennett’s cake smash setup, I kept things clean and simple. We had a sweet cut out of some mountains and then he brought his favorite bears from home for a personal touch. With a rustic inspired ONE sign and some twinkle lights, his setup was complete. Mom and dad chose a super sweet brown overall onesie for the birthday boy and a custom crown. He even had a bear ear hat! It was perfect - and I think a great way to honor such a big moment! Bennett was all about the cake - digging right in, with lots of excitement and great expressions. I’m not at all surprised though! When his big brother Easton came in for his music themed cake smash, he was also super into his cake! 

Of course, before Bennett got all icing covered, we spent a few minutes creating new family portraits for Bennett, his parents, and big brother. Their parents put them in the cutest matching ivory sweaters that looked great in my neutral Saratoga Springs studio. Great choice! Bennett wasn’t too sure of me then, but by the time his moment in the spotlight came, he was ready! 

I’m so thankful this family has trusted me to capture their sons’ first birthdays in my studio. What a great family tradition! 

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Ready, Set, Smash: Top 10 Tips for a Successful Cake Smash Photo Session!

Let the messy, giggly, and utterly adorable chaos begin! I LOVE cake smash sessions to celebrate your baby’s first birthday! A cake smash session isn't just about capturing cute photos; it's about embracing the sheer joy and whimsy of your little one's special first year. While they’re super fun, I’ve learned a few tricks over the years to ensure that your baby has a great time and so you get the portraits you’re dreaming of to celebrate the end of this first year!! 

Before Your Cake Smash: 

Give your baby a cupcake or a bowl of frosting a week ahead of time and let them play and get messy. 

So often the feeling of frosting stuck between their fingers is a new sensory experience. Many babies need some time to adjust to that, and it’s easier (and happier!) if they get that experience before the camera comes out. Plus, if they know that they’re allowed to play and have fun, you’re going to have even better photos! 

Let your baby eat a snack or a meal while sitting on the floor in the week or two leading up to the session.

If they are used to being in a high chair 100% of the time, they will not know what to do when we seat them on the floor in front of a cake. Practicing this ahead of time lets them know that there are many different places where they may be able to eat, and not just in a high chair.

Bring your cake to room temperature so that it is soft and easy to smash. 

Cold cakes are rock solid, and babies always hate touching them. If your cake is soft, they’re more likely to dive right in and enjoy this special treat. Don’t forget to pack finger foods like puffs, yogurt drops, or cheerios to hide in the frosting if they are hesitant to try the cake.

Try on their outfit ahead of time. 

Not only is it important to make sure it actually fits, but it’s important to make sure that they can sit, stand, and crawl comfortably. We want to capture your little one moving around! 

During Your Cake Smash

Show that you can eat the frosting! 

Give your baby a taste of frosting on your fingertip, and show them that you can eat the frosting/cake, too! This helps them feel safe because they trust you, and it piques their curiosity in the cake. Anything that helps your baby be more comfortable with this new food is key.

Be patient. 

Most babies take a little time to really get comfortable during their cake smash. We will never force a baby to eat the cake, and we will take as many breaks as they need. Some babies dig right in, but others need a little more time. Don’t worry, and just remember that however your baby reacts, IT IS NORMAL and we’ve seen that in dozens of other babies before.

If your baby is a walker (or a super speedy crawler!), be prepared to get messy. 

Your job is going to be baby-duty to bring your baby back over to the backdrop every time they crawl or walk away. Just be sure they are always turned with the front of their body towards the light source when you place them back down on the setup. This will help us capture more photos quickly throughout our time together. 

Follow the photographer’s lead. 

Your photographer has a flexible workflow to introduce baby to the cake and to ensure they capture all of their standard shots, and your photographer will adapt to whatever mood your little one is in and whatever situation arises. Stay calm, and have fun!

Don’t panic if your baby cries. 

I promise you, we’ll help them get comfortable or move on to the next part of the session. And anyways, those always wind up being some of the cutest photos that parents love when they put on their crocodile tears. ;o)

Savor this experience. 

Really pause and take a moment to take it all in and remember this celebration of your baby’s first year. Look at their little smile, watch the way their hands grab at the cake with those tiny finger dimples, and listen to their joyful giggle as they clap and cheer. This is such a huge milestone for your family, so make sure you slow down to enjoy the experience. 

Don’t worry about getting your baby to smile or calling their attention – your photographer will handle that part. For now, just enjoy these moments as a parent and love on your little one who is about to celebrate a whole trip around the sun!

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Motherhood in the Studio: Insights from a Business Owner Balancing Work and Family

My sweet daughter Adelaide will turn two this summer, and for much of her little life she has been following me into my photography studio while I set up for sessions, clean up after cake smashes, photograph products, package up client orders, and organize our props. Grayson was the same way, always coming into the studio with me at a young age and finding something to play with. I have always recognized what a gift this business is to our family. Beyond providing an option for me to be a small business owner, it’s shown my children what is possible for them, their lives, and their futures is only limited by their imaginations. 

Now that my children are growing up, looking back on each of the times they visited the studio is so meaningful to me. I remember Grayson always loved playing with my ONE letters and playing peek-a-boo in the curtains, and I have so many videos of him on my phone playing in our old studio and collecting all the sample baby photos so he could look at them. Of course, the studio’s snack cart has been a big hit with both of my kiddos, and they have both raided it more times than I can count!

Adelaide isn’t into playing with the ONE letters like her big brother was, but instead, every time she hears me say I’m going to go downstairs to the studio she has to grab one or two of her dolls and bring them down to the studio. She picks out little bed props and blankets, grabs a toy camera, poses her dolls, and says “cheese! cheese!” when pressing the button and pretending to take pictures of the babies. She is absolutely obsessed with babies, both real and pretend, and she loves greeting my clients at the door and peeking into their car seats to see their little ones. She knows the word “client,” and she understands that I take pictures of clients' babies and that I go to their houses to see their babies. It’s just… an incredible experience watching the two of them as an important part of my business. 

I love that my job allows me the flexibility to work from home while raising our children, and that my kids will both grow up seeing their mama build a thriving business. They get to see me follow my passion, be creative, share art with others, and work hard. I think that this might be my favorite part. They’re both going to see that women and mothers can do anything they want. It’s a lesson I hope they both carry forever, especially Adelaide. I want them to both feel empowered, strong, and creative in their own lives. I hope that they will remember these days in the studio while Mommy worked - chasing her dream - knowing that they can do the same, with whatever they choose to do in life. 

Beyond the work I do, both of my little ones truly appreciate the power of printed photographs, and they love seeing our family portraits up around our home. They both spend hours looking through our family photo albums. Grayson actually has a few digital kid cameras, and he can often be heard saying, “Wait! I want to take a picture of this so I remember it!” I just love that. 

The photos in this blog were all completely unprompted and taken in the studio. Adelaide was posing her little dolls while I was cleaning up after a session, and I turned around and saw this adorableness happening behind me. Another day she was in the studio and she wanted to try on all of the pretty dresses in the Baby Wardrobe. After she put the first one on, she insisted: “Cheese! Cheese! Picture!” And she ran over to the couch setup in my studio and sat herself there and smiled. When I went to take a picture with my phone, she yelled “No!”, hopped down, and pointed to my real camera. She asked me to put the monkey on it (a fun little attachment to help kids know where to look), and then she got back onto the couch and waited for me to take her picture. All unprompted. I couldn’t stop smiling.

I hope that my children will grow up knowing that they can do anything, be anything. I hope Adelaide will  be inspired by her mama to appreciate the power of printed memories, and to savor the little details in life. I hope the same for Grayson, and I hope that he’ll always remember those early days together spent growing this business alongside him. I’m forever grateful for these incredible moments with my babies in my little studio! 

A peek inside an awake newborn session

At 3.5 weeks old, Patsy was wide-eyed for much of our session in my Saratoga Springs photography studio and we captured so much beautiful eye contact with this sweet girl. Working with awake newborns is much different than working with asleep newborns, but I always remind families that we can capture beautiful portraits of their babies whether they are awake or asleep. No matter what your little one (or their big sibling) might do, we’re going to document their arrival in the world, I promise! 

The trick with the awake babies is to keep them calm and relaxed, and usually a combination of swaddles, heat, white noise (or the amazing Baby Shusher app that all families who visit my studio wind up downloading!), and plenty of patience will get them to stay calm. When the babies are in my studio, I talk to them as if they can understand me, and parents often hear me whispering, “You can be awake, little one, as long as you stay calm.” Sometimes when the awake babies get really wiggly I’ll wrap them up in a swaddle with a layer underneath to keep them from pulling a Houdini and escaping with their arms flailing all over the place, and oftentimes then the parents will hear me telling their baby, “You’ve lost your arm privileges for a little bit!” 

Actually, now that I think of it, this may be why my clients often exclaim some version of “You’re like a baby whisperer! Can you come home with us?!” during their newborn sessions in the studio. It may sound silly, but it always works for me. Patsy was one of those sweet babies who was wide-awake but calm for us! She allowed me to work my magic and we captured so many sweet moments of her. We even got to use my favorite Moses basket and managed a darling portrait of her with her big brother.   

With more than a decade of experience photographing newborns, there are so many tricks up my sleeve. The babies all do give in to sleep eventually, but for some babies it just takes a little more time depending on their age and their digestion – upset stomachs mean upset babies, which always take a little longer to settle. Luckily we never rush our newborn sessions, and we take all the time we need to capture a wide variety of portraits (awake & asleep!) of all of the cute little babies.

Patsy, you are darling and I can’t wait to see you grow up! I am so happy I had the chance to document your beautiful eyes - and little personality!

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Three things I’m loving in the studio this spring!

Every year, my Saratoga Springs photography studio undergoes a huge cleaning and prep for the next season of babies! In addition to this major clean out, I find myself going through all of my wraps, headbands, and outfits for my client closet. It’s a chance to refresh what’s available to each of my families. Not only does it ensure beautiful options for each of them, but it allows me to really evaluate why everything is in my studio. This spring, I can already tell I’m reaching for and using certain props and options for my newborn sessions. Here’s three things I’m loving in the studio this spring: 

Dainty pearl headbands and tiebacks! 

I just added a few new headbands and tiebacks to our ever-growing collection of baby headbands, and every single family has chosen to use at least 1 or 2 of the pearl options in their sessions! I think they’re simply perfect. Timeless and a sweet little accent for your darling baby! 

All of the spring flowers! 

I look forward to tulip season every year, and they are always one of my favorite flowers to incorporate into newborn portraits. Plus, I loved putting some fluffy flowers on our rattan stroller for a new look, too! I will never say no to more flowers in newborn setups! They’re just perfect to showcase the season - without taking away from your baby! 

Soft colors!

If you know me, you know that I can’t get enough of whites, creams, beige, and blush pink when it comes to outfits or setups for babies, milestones, and cake smashes. There was a time when my entire wardrobe consisted of these three colors, and I jokingly said to my best friend that my closet looked like Neapolitan ice cream. Since then I’ve done my color analysis with Amy Latta at House of Color Saratoga Springs (she’s participating in our upcoming client appreciation event in April!) and my closet is less Neapolitan and more colorful with my best Summer colors. But for studio portraits, especially baby girl newborns? Give me alllllll the Neapolitan ice cream colors, please! 

If you can’t tell, I definitely love spring time here at the studio. It’s a beautiful time for portraits - and I can’t get enough of the soft colors and overflowing florals. What’s your favorite prop or outfit for the spring?

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My favorite time of year for outdoor portraits is coming!

In Saratoga Springs, New York we begin shooting portrait sessions outdoors again at the beginning of May, and it is my absolute favorite time of year for portraits! Everything is starting to bloom, the colors are soft and beautiful, the trees are fluffy, and it’s not too hot out yet (so no one is sweating or red-faced in their portraits!). Plus, we can finally break out the gorgeous summer dresses and the cute little rompers and shorts for the kiddos. It is literally a dream and the spring provides the perfect backdrop for portraits - milestones and family sessions alike. 

I love this season for family portraits so much that I have already scheduled my own family’s portrait session for May! I can’t wait to capture some sweet portraits of the four of us just as the seasons are beginning to change. To be honest, I will always, always opt for spring and summer portraits over fall portraits for my own family because the colors are so much softer and they are more year-round for displaying in my home. 

Our home is filled with neutrals and blue accents, and the red and orange leaves of fall just don’t look quite right on our walls. But the muted greens, soft pinks, and whites of spring fit right in (and then of course the blues of the ocean during our time on Cape Cod every summer are perfect for our decor, too!). There’s absolutely nothing wrong with fall colors and for many families, the palette works better for their home and life! But if you’re someone who loves neutrals and pastels, springtime portraits are going to look beautiful in your home! 

If you’re like me and lean towards spring colors for your portrait session, reach out today! I have limited available dates in May and June, when the colors are soft and the weather is warm. I can’t wait to see some of my favorite faces and many new families this spring - I hope you’ll be among them.

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Newborn portrait sessions with handmade pearl headbands

Welcome to the world Baby Vivienne! I’m so happy that I had a chance to bring this beautiful family back to my Saratoga Springs studio. 5 years ago, I captured  big sister Madeleine’s newborn portraits. Now she’s a big sister! It was very special to see how much she’s grown and to watch her bubbly personality shine through as she showed off her new baby sister.

This newborn session feels very springlike to me! We captured a few portraits inspired by Madeleine’s portraits a few years back - including the overhead circle bowl shot. It was special to recreate beautiful memories for this family. I’ve also added a bunch of new headbands including some with pearl details to the studio, which Vivienne’s mother chose for her daughter’s session. I love them so much and I’m so thrilled to see them being used. 

Many of my newborn clients fall in love with the soft colors and my natural style of newborn posing. I always choose to use minimal props to keep the focus on the baby. Pure and sweet, minimal is my focus - so I can capture the connection between family members. These sibling portraits of the girls are some of my all-time favorites, and the colors in the family’s outfits were perfect for the studio. Everything about Vivienne’s session just fit perfectly with my style and I’m so thrilled to be sharing it with you today! 

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A Simple Woodland Cake Smash Setup for Baby Boy’s First Birthday

How is Lucas already a one year old?! This was our fifth session together thanks to our Collective Membership, and Lucas absolutely loved the camera! He was so comfortable in the studio, and he had a blast digging into his cake to celebrate turning one. Seeing babies be super comfortable with me is definitely a huge perk of being a part of the membership! 

For Lucas’ first birthday portraits, his mom and dad wanted to keep the setup super simple. We brought in elements of the woods, including the gorgeous pine tree trunks and greenery. With lots of fairy lights intertwined with the leaves on the floor, the setup became more whimsical and fun for this sweet boy. His outfit was also simple, but Lucas looked absolutely adorable in his overalls! 

My favorite portraits from his cake smash are actually where Lucas is smiling up at his mom and dad. His eyes just light up when he sees them, and I hope they always look back at these portraits and see the love that they reflected right back on to him. It was so precious to see those moments happen in real life and to have saved them forever for Lucas and his parents is beyond special to me! 

Happy first birthday, Lucas! I can’t believe you’re already such a big boy!! 

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Beautiful & playful family portrait session in Saratoga Springs

Spring is coming - and it happens to be one of my favorite times of year for family portraits in Saratoga Springs. The light is beautiful, the grass is green, and flowers are blooming everywhere you look. In upstate New York, our outdoor portraits begin in May so that we have the most gorgeous natural backdrops. You might notice more outdoor sessions on the blog over the next few weeks, because I just love capturing family portraits outside under the sunlight and in the fresh air! 

Today, I’m sharing the beautiful Evans family. I’ve created portraits with them for many years now - since their first daughter’s first birthday, actually. It’s been so amazing to watch them grow and come into their personalities over the years. I can’t believe how big Wesley, Julia, and David are. This session took place in the fall, but it’s definitely one of my favorites in this spot. The light is always so gorgeous and the open fields give the kids plenty of places to run and play throughout our session together. I just want to say a huge thank you to Kat and her family for trusting me with another beautiful portrait session together! 

Like I said, this path is one of my favorite locations in Saratoga Springs, and it’s perfect in the hour or so before sunset! I can’t wait to bring more families here this spring when the trees start to blossom. It’s going to be so beautiful in the springtime. I can’t wait to see everything in bloom! 

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A sugarplum fairy winter wonderland cake smash with Saratoga Springs baby photographer

Happy 1st birthday, Ella Kate! We’ve been documenting all of her milestones during her first year as part of the Collective Membership and yet, I can’t believe she’s already one! To celebrate the end of her first year, we created a beautiful Sugar Plum fairy winter wonderland cake smash inspired by her mother’s ballet memories! 

Ella Kate’s Mom was a ballerina as a child, and she brought her old ballet slippers and pointe shoes to incorporate into the setup. I loved that sweet personal touch to the winter setup - and it was fun to sneak in something that means so much to her mom, too! Winter wonderland is always a popular theme for babies, so I love that we learned more into the Sugar Plum fairy inspiration for Ella Kate’s portraits! The setup really came together with soft whites, peachy pink, and the sweetest ballet dancers lined up across the backdrop.

As always, I incorporated some portraits of milestone portraits of Ella Kate before we even got to the cake. I’ve fallen in love with using my white wooden high chair with my babies in the studio! It’s always been one of my favorite props because it’s so classic, but it’s fun to be using it regularly again. Paired with the wooden cake (a popular prop for the babies, too!), it’s a great touch to any cake smash. After Ella Kate got to play with her cake, we also wrapped up with my favorite bubble bath setup. I’m all about sending you home with a clean baby! Plus, who doesn’t love a little one playing in bubbles?! Parents always love these portraits! 

Happy birthday again, Ella Kate! Thank you for allowing me to capture another beautiful milestone for you!

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Cozy studio newborn portrait session for Winter Lily | Saratoga Springs newborn photographer

I recently had the honor of welcoming Winter Lily to my Saratoga Springs studio to capture her newborn portraits! Winter Lily was accompanied by her big brother, Phoenix, and her parents. Her big brother was SO proud and it was the absolute sweetest thing to watch throughout our session. Our portraits for Winter Lily really focused on the interactions between these two babies and the family together. Winter Lily’s solo portraits featured beautiful pastel colors - and I even got to play with some fun winter overlays and snowflakes! 

While I was photographing Amanda’s family, I knew I was going to fall in love with the final portraits. And, I definitely did! This family’s outfits were perfect in the studio.

When you’re planning what to wear for your own studio newborn portraits, consider light neutrals. Light color shirts reflect light back onto the baby’s face when you hold them up against your chest, it keeps the focus on the family & expressions & love. I’m a huge fan of creating imagery that will be classic, timeless, and simple. Light neutrals help make that possible! 

I’m so happy for this family of four and I’m thrilled that they asked me to document this incredibly special time in their family’s lives! Welcome to the world, Winter Lily! 

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Beautiful newborn portrait session in Saratoga Springs

I’m so happy to be sharing Baby Sahana’s newborn session with you today on the blog! This winter, I captured maternity portraits for Shreya and I was anxiously waiting until their baby girl was born so we could plan her studio newborn session. Shreya and her family are part of our Collective Membership, where you can receive 4 sessions over the course of an 18th month period, so we’ve been able to document some special moments for them already. As a reminder, we’re currently  booking membership clients for 2024! This is perfect for your family if you’re planning to do 2 or more sessions over an 18 month period (not just for baby’s first year clients, either!).

For Baby Sahana’s portraits, Shreya wanted a soft and light color palette. She was excited to incorporate my Moses basket, as it was similar to the one Ariya was in when they did her newborn portraits in South Carolina. I was more than happy to include it - creating imagery that connects your sessions is important to me. 

The other great part about these portraits was that Sahana’s grandmother was present. It was really special to be able to capture all three generations in portraits of the women in the family. You can tell she’s enamored with her granddaughters - and I think the feeling is definitely mutual. I hope that she’ll be able to hold onto and treasure these portraits for years to come. Including other family members, like grandparents, is a wonderful way to create truly meaningful portraits to display in your home! 

I am SO happy I got to meet Baby Sahana now that she’s made her entrance in the world. Her session was really special to me, and I hope that her family loves it as much as I do!

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Lavender and Blush Pink Newborn Portrait Session in Saratoga Springs

Welcome to the world, Edelyn! This sweet baby girl visited my Saratoga Springs studio for her first portraits (ever!) and I had the best time catching up with her moms and big brother, Everett. Back in 2021, I had the honor of photographing Everrett’s newborn portraits so it was even more exciting to capture his baby sister’s!

For Edelyn’s studio newborn portraits, her moms really wanted to use a hint of lavender and blush pink to bring some color into her setups. I think that the palette of soft, neutral tones with these pops of color came together beautifully for this sweet baby girl. During the session, we captured beautiful portraits of just Edelyn, as well as many of her moms and big brother, too. Have I said how special it was to watch this family welcome their newest member?! 

We even created a few portraits for Edelyn inspired by her big brother’s portraits, and their moms are going to hang them side by side in their home! I absolutely LOVE that idea and am always open to matching color palettes and poses whenever possible between your sessions with me. Similar posing is a really fun way to connect your special moments. Congratulations again to this sweet family - I’m so happy I got to see you again in my studio!

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Timeless First Birthday Portraits with a Cake Smash

Baby Kennedy isn’t such a baby anymore! This little girl is now a year old! We celebrated with timeless first birthday portraits in my Saratoga Springs studio. Mom wanted a simple and classic session and to keep the focus on her birthday baby, which I totally get. With that in mind, we wanted to create really timeless portraits. I think we did it - and I hope you’ll think so too. Kennedy’s session really reminded me that sometimes less is more when it comes to a cake smash setup! 

We chose to do a simple backdrop of super white seamless paper, and let this baby girl be the star of the show! I’m a huge fan of simplicity, and I loved how timeless these portraits turned out. For some of the session, she got to sit in my favorite white highchair for her cake smash - with my infamous wooden birthday cake. Afterwards, we got her down and in her sparkly blue dress, she dove into the simple white cake we had for her. Kennedy was absolutely adorable and I LOVED watching her figure out how to get into the cake.  

It was also important to capture new portraits of her and her parents in the studio. Honestly, family portraits in the studio at this age are always so much fun! There’s also lots of laughs, big smiles, showing off their personality and new milestones achieved. Look at the big personality in the photo of Kennedy walking! Love it!!

Happy birthday, Kennedy! I loved planning and capturing your stunning timeless birthday photos. Enjoy this next year!

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