A Simply Baby Milestone Session with Elena, 7 months

Sweet little Elena flew all the way across the country for her milestone session at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio! 

Elena's mama wanted to capture these portraits before her teeth grew in, and we fit her in just in time as her first tooth was starting to come in right around the same time as her session.  Teething was no problem for this happy little girl, and she was an absolute dream during her session -- filled with personality, sparkling eyes, and so much curiosity!

I love our Milestone Sessions because the babies get to be the star of the show.  We don't need a lot of props and clutter because I believe that your baby is absolutely perfect, and I want their personality to shine through in their portraits. 

We use our simple white wood backdrop, our fluffy white bed, and our cream colored couch for most of these milestone sessions.  Sometimes we'll use bump blankets or scarves for a hint of color, or my natural wood or woven props like baskets, benches, stools, and crates to give baby something to sit on or climb on.  The soft furry rug is always a favorite and babies love sitting on it, the soft texture calming them down immediately.  But that's it!  We keep it simple so that your baby can truly shine.

Our baby milestone sessions are all about the details.  The ones that you don't want to forget 15 years from now. 

The little dimples on their elbows. 

Those rolls on their baby thighs. 

The way your baby played with her toes for hours and hours. 

The way she turned her head just so to look at you, with her tiny little chin turning up towards your face.

The way her fine baby hair curled at the nape of her neck, just barely brushing her collar in soft wisps.

One of my favorite milestones to capture in baby's first year is when they're sitting up on their own unassisted.  This is usually between months 6-9.  But another favorite is around months 3-4 when they're rocking tummy time, smiling, and holding their head up on their own! 

Check out Quinn's 3 month session here on the blog for an entirely different stage of milestones, and then let's plan your baby's next portraits here at the studio!

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!
 

Sleepy Newborn Photos - Saratoga Springs & Boston Newborn Photographer

Ask any newborn photographer -- there is nothing we love more than a sleepy, cuddly newborn baby!  Those little baby yawns that come right before they slip into what we lovingly call a "milk drunk" state of sleep are the best!  

So why do photographers love sleepy newborn babies so much?  Well, they are much easier to settle into a pose without stretching or startling themselves awake.  For a baby that is just a week or two old, when they are awake they typically want to eat.  Of course, you didn't hire a newborn photographer to capture dozens of photos of your baby eating, so we like a baby to have a full belly and be nice and settled during their session.

When a newborn baby is in a deep sleep during a studio session, it's easy to move them from the beanbag to buckets and other small props to curl them up inside of.  

This also gives your photographer the chance to really slow down and zoom in on all of the details that you don't want to forget -- their perfect pout, the flaky newborn skin on their hands, their tiny toes, and that thin layer of downy newborn hair on their back.

Plus, sleepy newborn smiles are OH-SO-AMAZING!!!

But do newborn babies need to be asleep during their newborn sessions?
No, of course not!  

I actually love it when they're awake for a few shots so that we can capture their sparkly eyes and intense gaze.  Check out yesterday's blog post filled with so many of
our favorite awake newborn images from recent sessions!
 

Saratoga Springs Cake Smash Photographer: A Whimsical First Birthday Photo Session

Where to begin?  I loved everything about this cake smash session in the studio to celebrate Valentina's first birthday.  Every single thing was MAGICAL.  When her mom first contacted me and told me her dream for a whimsical, soft, and feminine cake smash, I knew that we would be the perfect fit to bring this dream to life in the perfect portrait session for her baby girl.  

Every flower on the backdrop was handcrafted by me, and though it took hours upon hours to create, I am so pleased with how it turned out.  When I first posted a sneak peek of this baby girl on social media, it got a lot of love in my baby photography groups.  

The biggest surprise of all was that an amazing opportunity came out of this session, and I am now designing a line of custom photography  backdrops for Baby Dream Backdrops to sell on their site, with this sweet floral design being the first one!  I am so excited and grateful for this opportunity, and it just goes to show you that hard work pays off and your dreams can really take on new directions when you do what you love.  You can purchase the backdrop here, and more designs will be coming soon! 

Now, back to Valentina Rose.  She is the sweetest little thing, and her infinite expressions made us laugh throughout her session.  She was so happy and playful, and I could seriously photograph babies like her all day long and never grow tired of it.  

Going back through her images, I had the hardest time narrowing them down because so much personality shines through in each and every one.  We got together on her exact birthday for her reveal session, and her parents fell in love with every single photo of their baby girl who was right on the brink of toddlerhood.  Though she wasn't walking yet at the time of our session, two weeks later she was taking solid steps around the kitchen while we oooooooh-ed and aaaaaaaaah-ed over her photos.  This baby girl amazes her parents more and more each and every day!

Now are you starting to see why I had such a difficult time choosing favorites from her session?  She is seriously the cutest!  On to the cake smash, my favorite part of these birthday portrait sessions.  Between her outfit, the floral crown, the whimsical backdrop, and the swirls on the cake... this might just be my new favorite cake smash!  I will definitely be making some large framed prints and canvases to hang in the new studio, that's for sure!

Looking to plan your baby's cake smash session?  The recommended age for these sessions is between 10 months and 12 months, and families book as early as 3 to 4 months in advance!  I would love to talk with you more to plan the perfect session for your baby's birthday!  I'm booking cake smash sessions in our new Saratoga Springs portrait studio starting in early July, and I will continue to return to my Boston clients for cake smash sessions after the move to New York.  Use the contact tab above and let's chat!  

A Sesame Street Cake Smash for Aiden's First Birthday!

One of the things that I love the most about our studio cake smash sessions is planning a unique theme and set up for each baby.  From the outfit, to the cake, to the custom decor and backdrop, every little step along the way comes together to create the perfect session for celebrating this little one's birthday. 

For Aiden's Sesame Street session, we used bright primary colors, simple shapes, and a delicious Cookie Monster cake to pull it all together, with a little nod to the classic television show with a green & yellow street sign like those you might see on Sesame Street.  This cake was especially fun to make, and I love that it is covered in lots of ooey-gooey frosting perfect for smashing!

Aiden, however, was not a huge fan of cake or frosting.  He was much more interested in the cookies than in the cake, and thankfully the baby-sized cookies kept this little baby happy during his session!  

I just love the big smile that he showed us here!  Happy birthday, baby boy!

On a sidenote, we are in the process of moving to Saratoga Springs, NY (did you miss our moving announcement?).  I spent all day painting our Saratoga Springs photography studio today, and I cannot wait to welcome some birthday babies in for cake smashes starting in July!  Is your little one turning 1 this summer or fall?  Use the contact tab above to get in touch!

A Rock & Roll Cake Smash with Twins!

It all started with a KISS onesie...

Have you ever had one of those days where you look in your closet and you have nothing to wear?  Who am I kidding, of course you have!  We all have!  Now, has that ever happened to you when planning outfits for your family's portrait session?  It's not easy figuring our what to wear and how to coordinate outfits for 2, 3, 4, 5, or even 10 people!  That's why I always tell families that when inspiration strikes, you go with it!

(Or you can check out our helpful What to Wear blog post here!) 

When the twins' mom was trying to come up with outfits for her babies for their cake smash, she was also trying to come up with a theme.  After going back and forth a few times, she finally told me that she had a KISS onesie in the basement that she had given to her husband when they were expecting their first baby.  KISS is her husband's favorite band, he has been to hundreds of their concerts, and all three of her children LOVE rock music.

The answer was clear... yes, yes, YES!  Let's do a rock & roll themed cake smash!

I'm a little bit vintage.  They're a little bit rock & roll.  Everything came together perfectly for Emily & Nicholas's first birthday celebration from the handmade backdrop to the individual cakes.  Plus, getting to watch these babies play with their cakes for their first taste of sugar?  So adorable!

I've captured the sweetest moments of Emily and Nicholas together since they were newborns, and I've absolutely loved watching them grow.  Getting to celebrate their first birthday with them was the icing on the cake!   ;o)  

A Cute Baby & A Pretty Hat: Eliana's 7 Month Milestone Session (Upstate New York Baby Photographer)

Every now & then there is a knock on the door and a family walks in carrying the cutest baby I've ever seen... actually, "every now and then" feels more like "every couple of days" when your job is a baby photographer.  I feel so lucky to be able to cuddle with so many adorable babies every day, and when the next potential Gerber baby model comes into my studio for a session, I absolutely love it!  Sessions like this one remind me that I truly do enjoy the best job ever.  :) 

Eliana came to the studio for her 7 month milestone session.  This is such a beautiful age that I love capturing on camera.  Babies are sitting more comfortably, they are smiling and engaged with the camera, they love playing with their toes, and they enjoy being the center of attention for being so adorable.  Babies this age are champs at tummy time, have the best giggles, and have so many sweet expressions to add variety to your photographs.  

We did a little photo series of Eliana wearing the sweetest cream-colored bonnet that I have in the studio.  I just love the way it framed her face and made those blue eyes sparkle!  

I love our Petite Milestone sessions because the focus is all about your baby.  We keep it simple with neutral backdrops, natural colors, and minimal props to focus on your little one, their personality, their developing milestones, and their innocence.  We capture natural moments that are so precious in this fleeting stage of infancy, and I can guarantee that these classic images will hang in your home for many, many years without ever looking dated.

Want to learn more about our Petite Milestone sessions?  Read about them here, and then contact me today and let's plan the perfect session to celebrate your baby's budding milestones this spring!

A Superhero Cake Smash: Saratoga Springs & Albany, NY Baby Photographer

It's a bird...

It's a plane...

It's... SUPERBABY ANTHONY!

I have been having so much fun designing our cake smashes lately!  It helps that the families are coming up with the most amazing themes.  (Did you see our "Where the Wild Things Are" smash?  So adorable!)  When Anthony's parents told me that they were planning a superhero bash for his first birthday party, I knew that I wanted to do an airy cityscape for his set.  That combined with his vibrant cake and the smiliest baby I've ever seen, and this is certainly topping the charts as one of my favorite cake smash sessions so far!

One of my favorite parts of Anthony's cake smash session actually happened AFTER the cake smash.  We got together at his family's home for their reveal session, and his parents fell in love with every single photo in their slideshow.  When they showed the baby the photos of himself, Anthony put on the biggest smile and erupted into the most adorable giggle.  This baby LOVES seeing photos of himself, and he stared and stared at them, taking in every detail.  Such a sweet moment, and I was so happy to be there in person to witness that!

For me, first birthdays are about more than just the baby.  They are about celebrating as a family -- you have survived your first year of parenthood, and that is a major accomplishment!  I always love capturing the love, the joy, and the celebration of parents with their babies just as their little one is about to become a toddler.  Enjoy a few sweet moments of Anthony with his parents...