Simple and Sweet Newborn Portraits for Baby Erin

Are you ready for something really sweet to start your day? Just look at adorable baby Erin! I love these simple newborn portraits that we captured for her family, and I can’t stop staring at how absolutely perfect this little cutie is.

I always love starting our newborn sessions in a white onesie on a white blanket to capture those natural newborn movements. The way they curl up their fingers and move their little bodies in slow motion. Their sleep little yawns with their mouths stretched wide open. The tiny finger wrinkles and flaky skin on their wrists. There is so much perfection in their itty bitty bodies, and I love capturing this newness on camera!

Of course, it wouldn’t be a newborn session without a few wraps and an expertly swaddled baby! I love how squishy and flexible they are at this stage, curling right up just like they did in their mama’s belly!

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Love this simple color palette? Pin this image or any image from the post above!

Baby Starr | Grayson's Second Month

Oh my goodness, Grayson!  How are you two months old already?!?!  Time is truly flying by, and I can’t believe how fast you’re growing and changing every day.

I look back at your one month photos (and your newborn photos!) and I find it hard to believe you were that tiny…. or maybe it’s hard to believe that you’re so big already?  Where did the itty bitty 5 lb 15 oz baby go that curled up on my chest with wide cheekbones, a narrow chin, and loose skin hanging around his knees?  In his place is a long baby with the cutest cheeks who loves to exercise those leg muscles and “stand up” when I lay him on my chest, straightening those little legs to lift his body in the air.  Oh, and the most adorable chunky thighs that I can no longer wrap my fingers around!

You continue to make us laugh every single day, mostly with the strange and often loud noises that come out of your body!  This month I realized just what a loud eater you are while feeding you in the dressing room at Target for the first time — so many grunts and so much lip smacking that the other shoppers must have wondered what was behind that red dressing room door!  

I’ll also remember your second month as the month FILLED with smiles. You smile intentionally now, and your happiest time of day is in the morning after you wake up (for the second time).  We lay on the bed cooing, making silly faces, and cuddling.  In the last week or two you’ve started to love getting kisses, and when I cover your face in kisses you light up with the biggest smile.  You haven’t laughed yet, but I know that’s coming next!

You’re officially out of newborn size clothing, and filling out those 0-3 month outfits pretty quickly!  You spit up on everything (notice the bibs in these pictures?!) and have you so many outfit changes each day that we’re definitely getting good use out of all your clothes before we’ll have to pack them up when you outgrow them!  At your 2-month checkup you were 22.5 inches long and weighed 11.2 pounds.  You’ve grown 4 inches since birth, and nearly doubled your weight!

Ohhhhh, those chunky thighs!!!!  

You learned how to stick out your tongue this month.  You've started doing that mostly when I give you kisses!

This month was a big month for you as you spent a lot of time out & about around Saratoga Springs.  We went on countless walks with your new friend, Baby John, who was born only two weeks before you.  We visited Gaffney’s and took a family photo underneath the tree where Mommy & Daddy got married three years ago.  You enjoyed your first trip to the Farmer’s Market, and spent Mother’s Day walking around town looking for the baby ducklings in Congress Park.  You’re starting to love outdoor time, and it’s so nice getting to spend some time with you in the fresh air.  

This was from our first Mother's Day:

But our favorite part of the month....  you slept through the night for the first time!  It's definitely NOT consistent yet, but you're getting better and better at night and you love the new swaddle we wrap you up in so that you're nice & snug.

A few of your favorite things this month:

• Bathtime
• “Say Something” by Justin Timberlake — it literally calms you down within seconds every time you’re crying.
• Kisses
• Walks around town in your baby carrier
• Car rides

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And a few of our favorite cell phone pictures from this month!  Notice that all of a sudden you're wearing an awful lot of bibs to catch all of that spit up.  ;o)  

Floral Crowns and Teepees | A Milestone Session for Everleigh | Saratoga Springs NY Baby Photographer

Usually we go for a super simply & classic look in our milestone sessions here at our Saratoga Springs baby photography studio, but sometimes it's fun to add a little bit of flair & whimsy.  That's exactly what we did for little miss Everleigh, who joined me for her 8 month milestone session.  

In planning her session, I told her mama that I had everything available at the studio for her baby girl, including outfits.  She showed up with just her baby & a diaper bag, and left the rest to me!  We used a beautiful floral crown with a simple diaper cover from the studio closet, and later a blush pink and lace romper and a fluffy beige tutu -- also from the studio closet!

And Everleigh was one happy little girl!  She loved sitting up, crawling, and showing off her clapping skills, and she giggled the entire time!  I was excited to use our boho teepee (check out this DIY tutorial to make your own -- it's one of the most popular and most pinned post on our blog!) with the perfect pink and peach floral crown.  

The studio bed is another favorite for our milestone sessions, and Everleigh loved having a soft space to cozy up on and crawl around!  Plus, the moment she had those pearls in her hand she was smiling, laughing, and shaking them all over the place!

Thinking of a milestone session for your growing baby?  Let's chat!  

Quinn's 3 Month Milestone Session | Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

I love watching our Baby Plan babies grow!  Quinn Madlina first visited me in the studio a few months ago for her newborn session, and then she came back for her three-month milestone portraits!
 

This sweet baby girl is such a beauty, and I loved seeing how much she had grown!  She's getting so strong and really rocked her tummy time, but her favorite and most comfortable spot was laying on her back and looking up at her daddy, who got all the best smiles from his little girl! 

We used the same headband from her newborn session and a soft pink blanket that was so beautiful on her.

Of course, I love all of the creams & whites with our milestone babies because they are so classically beautiful and simple.  Quinn cozied up in one of our handmade knit rompers, and her tiny new earrings stole the show with just a hint of sparkle in her ears.

Milestone sessions are the perfect opportunity to capture a few seasonal portraits, and we used a nice holiday plaid for Quinn to celebrate the season!

Milestone sessions are best around 3-4 months (tummy time & back), 6-10 months (sitting up unassisted, clapping, smiling, and crawling), and of course the birthday cake smash between 10-13 months!

A Bathtub Splash after the Cake Smash - Saratoga Springs NY Baby Photographer

We have the most adorable new prop in the studio, and I think you're going to LOVE it!  It is simple, classic, and just perfect for our littlest clients! 

Just look at this adorable baby-sized bathtub.  Riley LOVED using it after her cake smash session for a little SPLASH (with a rubber ducky, of course)!

At this age, I love capturing all of the little details that make your baby so beautiful and unique.  Thick eyelashes.  Beautiful curls that are just starting to take shape.  Perfect little lips.  Finger dimples.  And those adorable leg rolls that you just want to squish and cuddle.

Many babies spend the happiest part of their day splishing & splashing in the bathtub.  For them, it's a playground filled with so many giggles and the biggest smiles.  Riley, of course, adored her bath time and she made the biggest splash!  

Huge smiles.  Lots of happy squeals.  And non-stop laughter as she played with her rubber duckies.  

Are you ready to book your SMASH & SPLASH?  What about a petite session with just a baby bath?  Email me and let's chat to plan your baby's perfect session together!
 

How to Know if a Lifestyle Newborn Session is the Right Fit for You - Saratoga Springs Newborn Photographer

Are you thinking you'd love to celebrate your newborn baby's arrival with some family portraits at home?  Then a lifestyle session might be the right fit for you!  If you've been wondering which style of newborn session is best for your family, read on to learn more about our lifestyle sessions to see if this one feels like it was designed with you in mind!

I offer three types of newborn sessions -- studio sessions, lifestyle sessions in your home, and Fresh 48 sessions at the hospital.  Each one tells a different story, and gives you a different style of images.  Some families choose to do just one session, others do a combination of two (typically Fresh 48 and then either lifestyle or studio), and still others do all three!

Fresh 48 sessions are natural, raw, and filled with emotion.  They are a peek into your first hours meeting your newborn baby, and they are filled with some of the most magical moments I ever have the pleasure of photographing.  Sure, the hospital decorating choices might leave a little to be desired, and you're going to be exhausted because you just delivered a baby the day before, but these are moments you will never get back and you will always cherish.  Check out our blog post about why you might want to consider hiring a Fresh 48 photographer.

Studio sessions are a bit more posed, and we'll capture family portraits on a clean background, positioning the baby so that we can perfectly see everyone's face.  We do a few setups on the beanbag with blankets and wraps, and also use simple bowls, baskets, and crates to tuck your baby into for some classic shots.  If you're looking for "froggy pose" or "taco pose", this type of session is probably the best fit for you!  Check out our blog post about studio sessions to see if this might be the right fit for you!

But today is all about LIFESTYLE newborn sessions in your home!

1.  You have lots of natural light in your home.

Photographs are made with light -- you need light to create an image, and it's incredibly hard to do that in a home with tiny windows and dark rooms.  I always bring my flash to supplement the light if necessary, but if your home has a room or two that receives good natural light, we'll shoot there!  We typically look at the master bedroom, nursery, and living room, though I've been known to shoot in the hallway, on the porch, and in the kitchen if there's a great bit of light coming through!

2.  You prefer a more relaxed, natural, unposed style of family images.

Lifestyle sessions are a relaxed and intimate peek into your lives with a new baby at home.  I won't pose you, but I will guide you -- sit together on the bed, move in close, look down at your baby girl.  I will ask you questions to loosen you up, and I will encourage you to relax and feel comfortable in front of the camera.  I won't tell you how to hold the baby in your arms -- you'll do that however is naturally comfortable for you!  I may tell you to lean in close, bring the baby closer to your face, or to look over at your husband for a quick second -- but that's it in terms of "posing"!

3.  You're not looking for "froggy pose" or a baby in a bucket.

At home, a swaddle is our best friend and most of the images of your baby will be wrapped up snugly so that they sleep.  We may capture a few portraits of the baby in just a diaper on the master bed, or in a classic white onesie in the family portraits.  But we won't be positioning them into any particular poses, and we'll really treat it as very natural and unposed.

4.  You may not be in your forever home yet, but it’s important to you that your baby see where they came home from the hospital.

Many young families are in apartments or condos, and they're not in the home yet that their child will grow up in and remember for the rest of their life.  Still, how amazing to be able to one day show your child beautifully captured images of the first home that they came home to?  Let them see the apartment that you were in as newlyweds and as new parents, let them see what your life looked like when you went from 2 to 3.  

5.  You love portraits filled with emotion.

Photographs are a moment frozen in time, a moment that you will never get back but that you can always relive by looking through your favorite images.  That look that a new dad has when holding his newborn son?  It truly is priceless.  

6.  You want your pets to be involved in the portrait session.

Your fur-baby was your first baby, and so many families would love to capture their ENTIRE family together, including their pets.  Lifestyle sessions are the perfect way to include your dogs or cats in your session, and I am always up for the challenge of dog-wrangling to capture a shot of your baby with your favorite animal.

7.  You’re just as comfortable cuddling up on the sofa as you are on the master bed.

Your home is a living & breathing space filled with personality.  It tells your family's story, and it tells your story as a couple and the adventures you've enjoyed together.  It makes sense to tell the beginning of the next chapter of your story in your home, and that means we'll do your photographs in the rooms that you spend the most time -- the master bedroom, the living room, and the nursery.  You're going to spend so much time rocking your baby to sleep and getting to know your little one on the master bed, and I love capturing a family cuddling in close on the bed for some unposed shots together.  

8.  You put lots of thought & care into decorating the nursery.  You’d love to remember it exactly as it is, and share it with your baby years from now so that they can see their first bedroom.

You spent weeks looking at bedding, mobiles, and curtains.  You spent days pulling everything together, arranging the trinkets on the shelves, and placing each book lovingly on the bookshelf.  You rocked in the rocker and imagined what it would be like holding your baby in your arms in that very room.  You counted down to your baby's arrival in that room, and you'll bring your baby home and into that room the day they come home from the hospital.  Your nursery is the most special place in your home, and it's truly the best possible spot to enjoy your newborn portraits.

Some families don't have a nursery -- it's a corner of the office, or another crib in their toddler's room.  That's okay!  We'll capture some of the details you lovingly put together, and of course your baby in their crib.  In this blog post, some of the nurseries in the photos were shared office spaces or off the living room in little Boston apartments, but at just the right angle you'll have nothing to distract you from your baby and the space you prepared for them!

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So, does a lifestyle session feel like it could be the right fit for you?  Let's chat and find out!