Rose Garden Portraits with Toddlers in Schenectady

I absolutely loved this gorgeous session at the Central Park Rose Garden in Schenectady! This is definitely my new favorite location from the summer and I’m thrilled I had the chance to host another family here. Although it’s a drive from Saratoga Springs, I 100% believe it’s worth the time and effort. Roses bloom from June to September in every single color imaginable and it’s truly a beautiful backdrop for special moments. This family’s portraits were a dream come true! 

For this session, I got to work with two little boys and their parents. Cole is 4 and his little brother, Chase, is 1.5. Both boys are full of their own personalities and I loved watching them come out in front of the camera as they got more comfortable. They were also so sweet together - hugging and enjoying their time with mom and dad around the gardens.  

Young toddlers are always tricky during a portrait session because they never sit still for long, but we play games and keep everything moving to keep them engaged and happy in their portraits, plus lots of breaks and snacks help, too. I’ve been doing this for many years, and have two littles of my own, so I definitely bring a lot of experience - and patience - to my family sessions. I’m all about letting your little ones lead so that they can feel comfortable and confident. It really changes the atmosphere so that your portraits are more enjoyable and relaxed. When you choose a family photographer, particularly with young children, look for one with the experience and patience you know you'll need! 

Thank you again to this wonderful family for spending the evening with me at the Central Park Rose Garden. It was so much fun (and I love all of the pink and tan palette you chose to complement the blooms) and I hope that you did too! 

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Flowers and Pearls - Pretty Little Accents for Newborn Portraits in our Saratoga Springs Newborn Photography Studio

Welcome to the world, Alexandra! I had the best time welcoming this beautiful little girl and her parents to my Saratoga Springs studio. She’s one of the newest members of our Collective Membership, so this is just the first of a few sessions I’ll be photographing for this family throughout Alexandra’s first year. It was wonderful to kick things off with her newborn session - featuring some of my favorite classically feminine details! 

Alexandra’s family wanted to include some of the studio's gorgeous headbands and wraps for their little girl. They dreamed of portraits with details like pearls, lace, and flowers - lucky for them, I have plenty of options in the studio! Truly, there’s so many pearl headbands for baby girls and I love that I have such a beautiful variety to offer my families. Everything we chose for Alexandra really worked within a gorgeous blush, ivory, and tan palette. 

Honestly, it was so fun when her parents came into the studio and began gushing about how much they love what I have on hand - and trust my style - to plan their newborn baby’s portraits. It means a lot to hear that confidence from the parents I work with, and Alexandra’s were no exception. I think we settled on some truly gorgeous setups for this sweet girl and I look forward to seeing her in the studio again for her next set of milestone portraits!

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7 tips for capturing back to school photos this year!

I can’t believe it’s already time for back to school photos! As a mom and photographer, these back to school photos are important to me. I want to document my children’s growth and the stage they’re in each year when that school bus arrives. I am so excited to be sharing my top tips for back to school photos this year - plus it’s a great excuse to share Grayson’s photos from the last two years in preschool and kindergarten. I can’t believe he’ll be starting first grade next week (and I know I’m not the only mama who feels that way!). I hope that these tips help you create special back to school photos that you’ll treasure forever.

#1: Use natural light. 

Head outside and capture a few photos on your front porch or by the front door, or even waiting at the bus stop! If you’re taking your photos inside, choose a clean uncluttered background by a big window with lots of great light coming through. Make sure that any lights within the room are turned off or you’ll have competing sources.  The more natural light, the better! 

#2: Plan ahead. 

Sometimes it can feel chaotic getting ready in the morning on the first day of school after having a slower schedule all summer. You may want to take a few photos in their nice outfit the day before school starts to help hype your child up about school starting the next day, and do a practice run getting ready for the big day. If you plan to use any signs or print outs, get them ready the night before too! 

#3: Use a cute sign (or even a piece of paper!) with the year or grade level. 

If you’re going to be sharing the photos online, consider not including the name of their school or teacher on the sign for privacy reasons, or cover those elements up when you edit the photo before posting. It’s always fun to see how your children’s answers change over the years! 

#4: Capture candid moments, too. 

While everyone loves the traditional photos of your child smiling at the camera, don’t forget the candid ones! My personal favorites of my son on his first day of school are when he is laughing and being silly, and really letting his personality shine.

#5: Make sure you get their teeth in the photo! 

These little ones start losing teeth so quickly, and their smiles change month by month. Document it before it transforms! Plus, asking your kids to smile with their teeth is a fun prompt to get some laughs and real smiles! 

#6: Incorporate school elements to tell the full story. 

Show off their backpack that they picked out, their lunch box, them getting onto the bus. Show them by the sign or entrance to the school, or outside their classroom if you’re dropping them off. Again, if you’re sharing your photos online, consider keeping some private for their safety and including them just in your own personal photo album.

#7: Have fun! 

Your back to school photos shouldn’t be stressful (for you or your kids!). Keep it light and easy for your child, and don’t put any pressure on to get that perfect shot. Let them be kids, and capture them where they’re at! Trust me, you’ll treasure those photos way more in the years to come.

Enjoy this exciting time and good luck to all of the kids who are starting school this year!

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My favorite stage to photograph: Classic 6 month portraits

I have to be honest with you: 6 month milestone portraits are my favorite milestone to photograph! Around the 6-8 month mark, babies are really coming into their personality and learning all sorts of new and fun tricks. When they come into my studio, they’re able to show off their tummy time, sitting up skills, and oftentimes, some of their first smiles…not to mention, the cutest belly laughs are happening! It’s such a special time and if there’s only one milestone session you plan to schedule within your baby’s first year, I highly recommend it be this one! 

Recently, Cooper came into the studio for his classic 6 month portraits. If you know me, then you know I’m a fan of anything neutral and simple that will keep the focus on your sweet baby during their portraits. Cooper’s mom, Zara, chose the cutest knit outfits for him to wear. I think they were perfect and allowed us to really focus on all of the little faces, squishy details, and smiles he gave us. 

Reflecting back on Cooper’s portraits, I love how his smile and personality shine in these portraits without getting lost in a busy backdrop or too many props. He was the happiest little guy, and I kept telling his mama that I could photograph him every day with that great big smile and soft milky cheeks. This setup and the simple outfits allowed me to document the perfect pieces of him that his parents love so much – like his tiny little toes! As you can see, this studio milestone session was such a joy to capture and I hope that Cooper’s parents will treasure these portraits forever!

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A personal post: Cape Cod portrait session at Corporation Beach with Grayson and Adelaide

I’m so lucky that my parents live in Dennisport year round, and it’s so special to get to visit for a few weeks every summer. The kids love visiting the different beaches, floating in Scargo Lake, crabbing, searching the tide pools at low tide, collecting shells, building sand castles and digging trenches in the sand. As any photographer who is also a mom will tell you, I always find it so hard to take photos of my own kids. But the night we captured these new Cape Cod portraits, they let their personalities shine and just loved on each other and we captured the most adorable sibling portraits. 

Both Grayson and Adelaide were 100% agreeable and excited about taking photos at the beach one evening at sunset, and knowing that they would be rewarded with a cookie afterwards certainly helped with the cooperation. ;o) We finally found a night with good weather at Corporation Beach in Dennis and I’m so happy that we were able to freeze time together.  

I’ve been doing beach portraits of Grayson since he was 1 year old, and it’s bittersweet watching him grow up a little more every summer. He looked at this portrait of him and he said, “That’s not me! That’s a 10-year-old!” because I had told him during our little session that that pose was for really big kids. And it’s true – he looks like he’s ready to grab the keys and go for a drive! It makes my mama heart stop for a beat just seeing how quickly it goes by. It’s one of the reasons that I love capturing these portraits in Cape Cod every summer. My babies won’t stop growing (though I so wish they would!). 

Fun little fact about our session on Corporation Beach – I ended up with a gallery of 34 favorite portraits, and we took them in less than 12 minutes. You don’t need a lot of time to capture great portraits of your kids – just someone who knows all the tricks to get them to hug & smile. ;o) After doing this for the last 10 years, I’ve got plenty of tricks that even work on my own kids! 

My goal was one good one to hang on the gallery wall in our dining room, but with so many that I love like this, I don’t know how I’m going to choose which one to print & frame! I hope you enjoy this little peek into our family’s summer tradition!

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Older Newborn Portraits with an 8 week old

Welcome to the world (and Saratoga Springs!), Aidan! This sweet family traveled to Saratoga with their 8 week old and booked a newborn session while they were in town! Visiting Saratoga is becoming an annual tradition for them, and they were excited to document their son’s first portraits while on vacation. I love our little town, so it was special to hear about their tradition and how special this year’s visit would be. 

We started Aidan’s newborn session with updated family portraits on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. It’s such a beautiful and classic downtown, and I love that we were able to make these happen with an early morning session before Broadway became too busy (as it does in the summertime with the tourists in town for track season!). No matter what kind of portraits we’re capturing, I want to document what is special for you. It makes me so happy that we could include this spot that Aidan’s parents love in their first official portraits with their baby boy! We ended their session in my studio - with a white and grey palette for Aidan’s portraits. They feel so classic and timeless! Since Aidan was about 8 weeks old during our portraits, we captured some special moments of him with his parents - featuring his wide and beautiful open eyes. You can already start to see his sweet little personality coming out! 

Aidan’s newborn session was wonderful for all of us. Bringing an older newborn to the studio is perfectly okay! I know that many new parents worry about the “perfect” time to schedule their newborn session, but I’m here to tell you that there is no perfect time. Don’t worry if you were in a newborn haze and missed the traditional 2-3 week window for newborn portraits. Older newborn sessions are actually one of my favorites, and I love this stage when babies are more alert and interactive with their parents. They begin smiling socially around 6 weeks, and we’re able to capture smiles and eye contact, and a lot more engagement with the world around them. 

We still work hard to keep them calm and happy, while also capturing more of their personality. Some older newborns still curl up into the little sleepy poses, and others are a little more stiff and won’t curl up like those early babies, but there are so many beautiful ways to pose them and document the very stage that they are in right now. As you can see from Aidan’s portraits, they’re still just as magical and meaningful, no matter how old your new baby is! 

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Tips for working with toddler siblings at a newborn session

I adore working with this sweet family! They recently welcomed their second baby girl to the world and brought her to my Saratoga Springs studio for newborn portraits. We had a wonderful time capturing baby Ellie and her big sister, Brynlee. Brynlee was excited to show off her baby sister! Their parents were so patient and lovely - and I even got to meet the girls’ grandmother. All in all, it was a gorgeous newborn session for Ellie! 

Newborn portraits with a big siblings can be a stressor for parents. They wonder what will happen if their toddler doesn’t cooperate or doesn’t want to be around the baby. After doing this for 12 years (and as a mom of two myself), I promise you that I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve. Being a big sibling is a huge adjustment, especially for little ones. Oftentimes, when they come into my studio, it’s their first time becoming a new big sibling and they may not have a lot of experience in their new role yet! That’s completely understandable and it’s important to me that I allow those big siblings to feel comfortable, confident, and seen during their time in my studio. 

When they come to the studio, the most important person for me to connect with at the beginning of the session is the sibling. It’s so important for them to have something that feels like it’s all about them, so I take time to show them the toys in the studio, to have a peek at the snack cart and pick out what they’ll want to enjoy when we’re done with portraits. Sometimes they want just a solo portrait by themselves, and I always say yes to that! All of this comes together to help them feel like they are seen & heard, and they feel a bit of control over what would otherwise be a new and unfamiliar situation. 

Families can let me know if they want to start with just them and baby, or the whole family. I even make sure to ask the big siblings what they think. It goes a long way to be thought of - even at a young age. Additionally, I have lots of fun prompts to help big siblings engage with their new baby – from cuddling to pretending to sleep to looking for glitter boogies in the baby’s nose. I can even hide a squeaky toy in my palm and go to squeak their belly, getting the biggest smiles and so much laughter! Some little ones need more help than others - but I promise you, no matter what, we’ll make magic together! 

In this session, big sister Brynlee did amazing with her baby sister Ellie. She especially enjoyed pushing her in the little rattan stroller and I’m so happy I was able to capture these early moments for their parents to treasure forever.

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A Dusty Rose Cake Smash for Baby’s First Birthday

Happy birthday, Amelia Rose! This darling little girl just turned one and to celebrate, we planned an elegant rose garden cake smash. It was beautiful and so fun to put together. I love any chance I get to use my classic ONE letters - especially filled with flowers! 

As with all of my cake smashes, we started the session off with new portraits of Amelia Rose. Her mother and grandmother were also there to celebrate. There’s not much I love more than generational portraits, particularly when it’s easy to see how much of a special bond these three ladies have. I adored the light purple that Amelia’s mother chose as the base for their outfits. It looked perfect on each of these ladies and their own unique outfits worked well together in the light setup of my Saratoga Springs studio. 

After her studio portraits, Amelia got to change into a super sweet dress. I loved the layers of tulle and the gold accents paired with her floral crown. She was a little princess!  Amelia was one of the most excited babies I have ever had in the studio, and she truly smashed that cake! We were all laughing when she picked up the entire cake in her hands and brought it up to her mouth to bite. So sweet and I loved watching her personality fill up the room. 

Happy birthday again, beautiful girl! I hope you have a wonderful year ahead of you!

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Rose Garden Family Portraits with Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

I am so excited to be sharing this beautiful family portrait session at the Central Park Rose Garden in Schenectady with you! This was my first session here and it’s truly an absolute hidden gem of a location!!! I will definitely be back - it’s certainly become one of my top 5 favorite locations in the Capital Region! A huge thank you to this darling family for exploring this gorgeous garden with me! 

Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better spot for this summer family portrait session. There were roses everywhere - in every color imaginable. The blooming season lasts from June to October, so we were graced with plenty of blooms. For this session, I spent a lot of time in the red and white roses. They were just so pretty! But, the bottom line is that the Central Park Rose Garden offers a true variety that means you have even more options for your family portrait session! 

This family is simply the sweetestI loved getting to laugh and explore with mom, dad, Bradley, Savannah and Jules. All three kids were amazing for me - willing to play and enjoy our time together. Having all of my fun prompts and games ready to pull out during our sessions is always a great backup, but these three were naturals! I also really loved the color palette and outfits that mom chose. Her blue dress is definitely one of my favorites so far this year! The girls wore cute pink dresses - complimentary but not matching. Bradley and his dad rounded out the look with their button downs. All five outfits looked amazing among the roses and greenery of the gardens. Beautiful options! 

I hope that this family enjoys their summer portraits for years to come. They’re so beautiful and I can’t wait to see how you choose to display them in your home! 

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Dreamy sunlit maternity portrait session in Saratoga springs

This beautiful mama and dad-to-be are the sweetest people and they’re so excited to meet their second baby girl this summer (who will be their first baby Earth side). We first connected a few years ago when this mama reached out to schedule a maternity session, but sadly we had to cancel when they lost their baby girl. As a mama to an angel baby, too, my heart ached for them. They had been on my mind all this time, and I was so touched when she reached out to me to schedule her new maternity session this spring, and excited for them when she told me that they were expecting their rainbow baby. Being along for the journey of any family - but especially those who have experienced this deep sense of loss - is incredibly special to me. I’m so thankful that I had the chance to work with this sweet couple! 

We celebrated their daughter’s upcoming arrival with maternity portraits at one of my favorite spots in Saratoga Springs, and we lucked out with the most beautiful sun-drenched skies that evening. This couple was amazing, and I love the connection and excitement that shines in their portraits! We also incorporated special mementos in jewelry to honor their first daughter, and I know that their new baby is going to be so lucky to have her big sister watching over her from up above. I thought it was so beautiful that we were able to document and celebrate both their baby girls in these maternity portraits. 

No matter what your journey to parenthood is, I am so honored to celebrate alongside your family as you welcome your little ones. Thank you to all of the families that invite me into their lives to document this special time for them. An extra congratulations to this sweet family as they finish their preparations for their baby girl to arrive!

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Newborn portraits at 5 weeks old for a NICU warrior

Brooks Michael, I am so happy I had the chance to meet you and photograph your sweet newborn portraits in my Saratoga Springs studio! This darling little guy was born 7 weeks early and turned out to be a true fighter. He was out of the NICU within a matter of weeks! He was actually the second of two newborns who came to my studio who arrived 7 weeks early in the spring - and both were delivered on the SAME DAY in Albany! How wild, right?!  

Anyway… Back to Brooks! We waited for Brooks to settle in at home and made sure he was strong and healthy before his newborn session at the studio. Because of that, Brooks was 5 weeks old at the time of his session. As a newborn photographer, I care less about how many days or weeks old a baby is when they come into my studio. Instead, it’s more important that they (and their families) are ready for their session, particularly when they’ve had a NICU stay, like Brooks did! There’s never any rush to get them into my studio within that traditional 2-3 week window post birth. I am a photographer that loves older newborn sessions, and we have so many tricks to still get those sweet sleepy poses (plus plenty of awake interaction sometimes, too!) with those older babies. I’d rather everyone involved feel healthy, strong, and comfortable with our time together. 

Brooks was a champion, and we captured so many adorable poses of this sweet boy. His family photos are my favorite, and I love the dress mom chose to wear. We leaned into a simple palette of light blue and white for his studio portraits. I even got to pull out one of my favorite baskets for him to snuggle in!! Brooks was absolutely perfect. I’m so happy I had the chance to work with him. 

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Best Buds: Saratoga Springs family portraits with two brothers in Congress Park

I can’t believe that the last time I saw this sweet family was for Ezra’s newborn portraits - and now he’s running around with his brother, Elliot! This spring, we met up in Congress Park, one of my favorite spots in Saratoga Springs NY for outdoor portraits. We had the most beautiful morning with soft colors and blooms everywhere you looked. It really turned out to be the perfect day to capture new family portraits for these boys and their parents. 

Having photographed them before, it was extra special to see Elliot and Ezra’s bond now that they’re both a little bit older. They have such a playful relationship! It was important for me to capture that as we created new memories and portraits. With their energy in mind, we played lots of games, encouraged many tickles, and I loved watching them run around. Capturing candid and real moments between your family members is always the best part of any family portrait session! 

I have to admit, keeping up with everyone running around can be a lot - especially as the weather warms up. But, sessions pass in a blur and we always capture the most incredible smiles and moments with kids because we’re letting them be who they are at this stage of life. It’s amazing and SO so worth it! Thank you to this beautiful family for trusting me to capture your memories again! It was wonderful seeing you this spring.

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Classic personality portraits for toddler and baby

While I love photographing all sessions in my Saratoga Springs studio, personality portraits really hold a special place in my heart. There’s just something so wonderful about documenting little ones as they are at this exact moment in time. For these two brothers, Mom planned on portraits of her boys as a surprise for her husband for Father’s Day, and I can’t imagine a better gift than unwrapping these two adorable faces smiling back at you. I loved that these were going to be a gift for dad, but also the entire family really!! 

I know that in the busyness of life, it can be easy to say that family portraits can wait. It’s so simple to push them off, until you realize that years have gone by without you documenting what’s special about your little ones at this moment in time. Trust me, there’s something about this stage of life that you’re in right now that you’ll want to remember. Maybe it’s their smile, their freckles, the curve of their soft arms, or their rounded cheeks. As they get older, you want to freeze time with smiles that show the gaps in their teeth documenting how many visits the Tooth Fairy has made. Their personalities will grow and having something tangible to look back on as years go by is one of the best things that you can do for your family. 

It’s never too late for photos. Slow down time, don’t let the little details fade from your memory. This family will forever be able to look back on the special relationship their two boys have together. Not only that, but now they've documented their sons’ silly smiles and bright eyes. Can’t you just imagine having heirloom artwork to hang in your home or flip through as a family for years to come to look back on these special little details? That’s why family portraits or sessions in the studio, like these personality portraits, really matter. 

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8 Tips for your Family Portrait Session at the Beach - Cape Cod Family Photographer

Summer is almost here, and I am so excited to welcome so many families to Cape Cod for their family portrait session on the beach! This is one of my favorite times of year because I love visiting the Cape and being able to capture other families and their special memories at the same time. This summer will be extra fun because I have so many of my longtime New York clients planning their summer vacations to Cape Cod around their portrait sessions! I’ve been living in NY for eight years now, and these families have heard me talk about the Cape for years, and now so many of them are excited to bring their little ones to this classic beach spot this summer!

I have been spending my summers on the Cape for more than 25 years, and I have so many favorite beaches, bike paths, ice cream shops, and more that I love sharing with my clients when they schedule their Cape Cod portraits. Every single one provides the perfect vibes for summer portraits - and it always makes for an unforgettable evening! I love that I know this area inside and out and can give them an inside scoop on where to go, what to do, and what to pack!

Today’s blog post is filled with tips for your family portrait session at the beach. Read on for lots of great ideas, plus plenty of beautiful outfit inspiration for your family! I want your session to be truly enjoyable and feel like an extension of your summer vacation!

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Plan accordingly for traffic.

On the Cape, Saturday and Sunday are typically the heaviest traffic days coming over both bridges. Plan to come early in the morning and make a day of it!

Baby’s first trip to the beach?

The beach can be a sensory overload for some babies.  Get them used to the sand by letting them play with and sit in sand a few times before your session.  Make sure they have bare legs and feet so that they get used to the feeling of the sand on their skin.  Bring a blanket (neutral colors look best!) if they might need a layer to sit on.

What to wear

Colors that you would find at the beach look incredible in portraits — shades of blue, khaki, linen, white, cream, blush pink, lavender, teal, mint, aqua, and gray are my favorites.  We have many helpful blog posts with outfit ideas — check them out here! 

Keep these in the car…

Sunglasses, hair elastics, cell phone, wallet (bulky things that show in your pockets), stroller, diaper bag, baseball caps or visors. Trust me: you don’t want them in your portraits! It’s better to just leave them behind so you don’t have to keep track of them during your session.

Always have a rain date.

I will let you know 4 hours in advance if we’ll have to reschedule due to the weather, but even on cloudy days we can get some great portraits! Clouds mean less direct sunlight, which is better for all of us. As long as it isn’t outright raining or storming, we’ll try to keep your session. But, planning a backup date never hurts!

Protect your skin.

Try to avoid a sunburn the week of your session.  Especially on your face and nose! It’s no fun - but it also will show up in your portraits.

Barefoot is best! 

We’ll leave our sandals at the entrance to the beach so we can walk in the sand easily.

Embrace the sand & the water, and don’t be afraid to get wet!

I love finishing the session in the water.  Let’s be adventurous and walk in the waves or let the kids splash around a bit.  Bring a towel or a change of clothes for the kids just in case they get a little too excited at the opportunity to splash!  

PLAN FOR AFTER YOUR SESSION

Keep a towel in the car to brush sand off of everyone’s feet after the session. I also recommend keeping a travel-sized container of baby powder in the car. Sprinkle a little on everyone’s feet and calves, and the sand slides right off!

If you have a long drive back home, pack the kids' PJs in the car so they can change into them right after the session and sleep on the way home. I’m a huge fan of anything that will help avoid meltdowns after portraits!

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About Nicole Starr Photography 

Nicole Starr specializes in newborn, baby & family photography and has been serving families in New York and Massachusetts since 2012.  She has a portrait studio in Saratoga Springs, NY for families in the Capital Region, and she also works with families at her Attleboro, MA studio and on location in Boston and on Cape Cod. 

Our Cape Cod sessions occur from June through September at beaches all over the Cape. Be sure to reach out early to plan your family’s portrait session as these always fill up early in the season!

My annual July 4 photos of Grayson and Adelaide

Every year, since the summer of 2018 when Grayson was born, I’ve pulled out this beautiful patriotic backdrop and captured my children’s 4th of July photos. It’s become our annual tradition since 2018, and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon! This all began because I had a cake smash that summer for a little boy born on the fourth of July (hi, Oscar!). My son was a few months old at the time, and as a new mom, I was constantly bringing him into the studio for baby portraits. I remember taking photos of him on the handmade backdrop, and then I pulled it out again the next summer, and a tradition began! 

Now I am so lucky to have two little ones to join me in these cute Americana portraits, and I love our little summer tradition. We print them out in our annual photo album every year, and they love looking back through the albums and seeing how they’ve grown. I’m hopeful to get at least a few more years of this!

During these sessions, I love to capture each of my babies and their unique personalities - but as a mama, I also love documenting them together. They’re both so sweet and seeing them love each other in portraits like these is something I know I will treasure forever! 

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Zhua Zhou Portraits and a Cake Smash for Baby’s First Birthday

This was my first time photographing a Zhua zhou, a traditional Chinese ceremony celebrating a baby’s first birthday. When Kayden’s mom reached out to plan her session, she told me she wanted to do it in two parts: a zhua zhou ceremony to honor their Chinese heritage, followed by a traditional western cake smash. I absolutely loved the idea and couldn’t wait for them to come into the studio! 

Zhua zhou is a ceremony marking the baby’s first birthday. During the ceremony, parents place an assortment of items in front of their child and the child chooses what they want. Tradition said that what the child chooses would determine their future capabilities and interests. Each item symbolizes a career path and helps reveal the child’s potential personality traits, too! Zhua zhou is really about parents sharing their good wishes and hopes for the future of their children. It was so special to be a part of Kayden’s ceremony! 

Kayden loved exploring the different objects, picking them up, and putting many of them into her mouth. Some of the objects were a ball (to represent an athlete), a steamed bun (to represent a little foodie), a gavel (a lawyer), a scepter (diplomat), a book (teacher), etc. She kept coming back to the bun, and her parents laughed at how much she enjoyed food and how she was their little foodie.

Next we did her cake smash, and this little foodie did not disappoint! She was certainly one of the most enthusiastic smashers I have enjoyed having in the studio this year, and I adored her session. We had the most beautiful cake from Indulgence Bakery! I loved the swiss dot pattern on the buttercream, and it may just be my new favorite style of a simple cake. Kayden was definitely a fan, too! 

Thank you to Kayden and her parents for trusting me to capture both parts of their family’s story. I’m so honored and I loved learning about this unique tradition! 

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Lifestyle Newborn Session in Nursery

Welcome to the world, Carter August! To document his arrival home, Carter’s parents and I planned a lifestyle newborn session in his nursery at home. This little boy’s nursery is simple and sweet, full of neutral colors and darling accents. It was the perfect space to photograph him, his parents, and his big fur brother! No matter how many times I capture a lifestyle newborn session, it will always feel so special to me. 

Photographing newborns in their nursery is super meaningful. Parents put so much energy, time, and love into preparing the nursery while they wait for baby! You’re creating the very first space that your baby will know as “home” and that’s magical. Families take the time to select the furniture, paint the walls, and decorate with special little details all for their new love. 

Alyssa, Carter’s mama, made a beautiful felted mobile with black labs and stars, knowing that her son’s first best friend was going to be their black lab, Lincoln. She spent months lovingly working on this and dreaming about her sweet baby boy. How special is it now to see her holding him and rocking him in this very nursery, while he watches the shapes of his mobile swirl overhead? 

Carter August, you are so incredibly loved. Thank you to his trio for welcoming me to your home. It was beautiful and your session was wonderful! I’m so happy for you all! 

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Take the photo: why right now is the perfect time for a portrait session

If you’ve been around the blog, you know that I LOVE my Little Loves portrait sessions. These classic and simple portraits are a wonderful way to document your little ones - as they are, right now, forever. I truly believe that there is never a bad time to take photos, and as your kids grow there is never going to be a time when you wish you hadn’t taken more photos. My Little Loves sessions are all about freezing this moment in time for your family to cherish forever. 

Do they still have softly curved baby cheeks? Take the photo.

Do they have their baby teeth? Take the photo.

Have they lost a tooth? Take the photo.

Have they grown three inches this year? Take the photo.

Do they still like to snuggle you and hold your hand? Take the photo.

Are they almost taller than you? Take the photo.

New braces? Take the photo.

No matter what changes they are going through, it is such a gift to slow down time and document this stage they are in right this very moment. That’s one of the things that I absolutely love about our Little Loves sessions.

I’ve been photographing this family ever since Kayden’s first birthday, and now he is so grown! We had so much fun capturing these personality portraits during their Little Loves session. Both Kayden and Karina brought their A-game, and I love how their unique personalities shine: silly, serious, sweet, playful, strong. Because there’s nothing but your baby and a simple studio setup, we really have a chance to photograph what makes this stage so unique and meaningful for you all. 

I repeat: there’s never a bad time to photograph your child. Capturing milestones and memorizing all of the little details that will change as their children grow, and imprinting this on your hearts truly matters to me.

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An Ice Cream Truck Cake Smash for Adelaide’s Second Birthday

Who says cake smashes are just for one year olds?! My son did cake smashes all the way up through his fifth birthday, and I’m sure he’ll want one again as he gets older. So of course with our daughter’s second birthday this month, I knew we had to do a sweet little cake smash to celebrate our birthday girl.

Adelaide has been a fan of ice cream ever since her first taste of it last summer. She had her own little way of pronouncing it for months, calling it “i-ga”, and we all knew what she was talking about. She would run over to the freezer whenever we opened it up, shouting “i-ga! i-ga!,” and pushing aside the top drawer and looking into the bottom where we keep the ice cream.

With our favorite local ice cream shop open again for the season, Adelaide hasn’t missed a beat and she continues to be a big fan of ice cream. When thinking of a theme for her second birthday, I knew immediately that this would be it! I chose to keep the decor simple with just a watercolor ice cream truck and some ice cream cones on the floor as confetti. Her pastel rainbow dress was the perfect match to the beautiful colors, and I couldn’t resist doing our favorite new hairstyle on our little toddler – pigtail buns!

She LOVED IT! She was cute & dainty, dipping one little finger in the frosting at a time. Grayson (6 years old) accompanied us in the studio and took pictures on his own little digital camera the whole time. I loved seeing how excited he was to capture her smiles, and how he kept exclaiming, “Ahhhh, this one is so good!”

While I can’t even believe that we have a two year old already, I’m excited to celebrate our sweet girl. She is most looking forward to blowing out the candles on her birthday cake, and she talks about it every day. Happy birthday, baby girl!

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Maternity portraits in a hospital room just hours before delivery

Christine and Sondra are expecting their first baby. We planned to have a maternity session in my Saratoga Springs studio to celebrate the upcoming arrival of their little one. But, life had other plans. Christine was hospitalized at 33 weeks for HELLP syndrome, which is a very rare complication in pregnancy affecting less than 1% of women. It’s thought to be a type of severe preeclampsia, and it can cause life-threatening conditions in mothers and their babies. This was a very unexpected surprise for this couple, and they called me the week of their maternity session to let me know that they were in the hospital, the baby would be coming any day now (or really, any hour now with how things were going!), and utterly devastated that they would not be able to do their maternity portraits.

My heart broke for them, and I texted them later that night to see if they might want to find a way to make an in-hospital maternity session work before the baby arrived. Christine was ecstatic! With her doctors' permission, lots of breaks, and nurses on standby in case we needed anything for the mama-to-be, I went to the hospital the very next morning and we did their maternity portraits. This was such a special experience for all of us and I’m thrilled that we found a way to document Christine and Sondra’s journey into parenthood. 

I brought a simple white backdrop, gowns from my studio, and lighting because I didn’t know what the lighting situation would be at the hospital. We lucked out and didn’t have to cram into the tiny corner of her shared room, but found a huge open space in the hallway that was private and filled with huge windows to let in lots of natural light. It truly couldn’t have worked out any better! We worked with what we had available, using painters tape to hang the fabric on the wall, and trusting Photoshop to extend the backdrop and edit out her “hospital jewelry” (IVs and medical bracelets) in a few of her photos.

The end result? Two happy mamas and a beautifully documented pregnancy. All I could think when I was driving home from the hospital was that THIS is what my job is all about: finding a way to document something important, no matter what is going on for my families. 

Oh, and perhaps the very best part? Adorable baby Thomas was safely delivered by c-section only 8 hours after we finished their session. He spent two weeks in the NICU and made amazing progress every day, and then he got to head home early and enjoy bonus time with his mamas.

This hospital maternity session truly filled my heart and I enjoyed getting to capture these portraits in what was otherwise an incredibly stressful situation for this family. I love that we were able to safely spend an hour together, bringing a little levity to their week, and helping them ground themselves and celebrate their relationship and their pregnancy before their son’s arrival. It truly was an unforgettable session.

For more information about HELLP syndrome, visit https://www.preeclampsia.org/hellp-syndrome!

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