Lifestyle Newborn Session with Toddler in Saratoga Springs

Krystie and Andrew recently welcomed baby Bennett Cyril to the world! I’ve been honored to document this family’s milestones ever since they welcomed their first baby (Easton) into their family, and this time they chose to do a lifestyle newborn session in the comfort of their home to capture these special moments as they welcome their second boy boy home. I loved getting to see them again - and spend time in their beautiful Saratoga Springs home. 

Krystie and Andrew’s home is absolutely gorgeous. It’s got a wonderful light-filled nursery and master bedroom, so figuring out where to capture Bennett’s newborn portraits was a no brainer! Easton was a great sport and snuggled with Bennett in his beautiful wooden crib for me. He was honestly a great big brother our entire session. Lifestyle newborn sessions are wonderful for big siblings, especially toddlers. They can take a break, hang out in their favorite spaces, show me their toys, and even enjoy a snack. It definitely helps them feel more relaxed and excited to be part of the portraits. 

After spending time in Bennett’s nursery, we captured a few portraits of the whole family on Krystie and Andrew’s bed. I loved watching Easton snuggle with his brother! He was so sweet. We finished up the session in their living room. They had the most beautiful built-in shelves and window light - so it turned out to be a perfect spot for their newest family portraits. 

Congratulations to this sweet family! I’m so happy for you all and I loved getting to meet Baby Bennett! I’m so excited to watch him grow and to see Easton settle into his role as big brother. It’s going to be a wonderful adventure.

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A lifestyle newborn session in a mountain-themed nursery

Welcome to the world,  Maverick Henry! I’m so happy to have been able to meet Stephanie and Matt’s sweet new baby boy. They recently came to my studio for maternity portraits, and I was so excited for their lifestyle newborn session. We knew that we wanted to capture Maverick’s newborn portraits at home, in the coziness of his nursery. 

One of the reasons that we wanted to plan a lifestyle session is because Matt is a painter. He hand-painted the incredible mountains on the walls by hand. Stephanie and Matt’s inspiration for the nursery came from the Adirondacks, which is perfect since we live so close! Maverick’s entire nursery was simply beautiful, full of blues and greens. It’s definitely a wonderful space to welcome their first baby boy home to. 

During their lifestyle newborn session, I also got to meet Cash and Cleo, Stephanie and Matt’s two fur babies. They were so precious and very interested in their new little brother. I loved watching them want to be nearby, and hang close during our portraits. Adding your fur babies into your portraits is always a fun perk of a lifestyle session!! 

Maverick, it’s clear you are very loved. Your mom and dad absolutely adore you, and so do your fur siblings. I can’t wait to watch you grow, little guy! 

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In-Home Lifestyle Newborn Portraits at Christmastime

World, meet Lucas.

This sweet baby boy is proof that miracles really do happen. His mama is one of my closest friends, and we all waited and wished and hoped for his arrival for a very long time. After working as a newborn photographer for over a decade, I truly have such respect and awe for each family’s unique journey to parenthood. For so many families, mine included, the road is long and rough and filled with some twists and turns that break your heart. But when it ends with a sweet little bundle like this boy right here? It makes it all worth it.

Katie and I have known each other for about 15 years. We worked together when I was an elementary teacher in Massachusetts, and then fate brought us back together as roommates in Boston a few years later. We both wound up marrying Jeffs, and you can often hear us refer to “my Jeff” or “your Jeff” in conversation to keep it from getting too confusing. ;o)

We had many conversations about their journey to parenthood, and a few years ago I told Katie that I had had a dream about her the night before. She and I were sitting in front of a Christmas tree holding a baby. I couldn’t tell from the dream whose baby it was or whose lap the baby was on, but I felt certain that it was hers and we took it as a positive sign. For years, that dream kept popping up in both of our minds and gave her a glimmer of hope that good things happen around Christmastime.

And then one day she told me she was pregnant and due at the end of November. She was having her Christmas tree baby!

Katie’s sweet baby boy did not want a November birthday, so he held on until the wee hours of December 1 to start making his arrival into the world known. From the very beginning, or even before the very beginning, he was destined to be a holiday baby.

But the funny thing about that dream is how I couldn’t tell whose baby it was that we were holding. Because as I sat in front of my own Christmas tree holding my own little six-month-old girl while looking at a photo of Lucas that Katie had just texted to me, I realized that it was BOTH OF US with our babies in front of that tree.

I went out to visit Katie & Jeff to document this milestone for their family with a lifestyle portrait session in their home. My little Adelaide came along as my “assistant” and she got to meet her new friend Lucas. Katie and Jeff’s Christmas decor was up, which was the perfect touch to bring this story full circle. I love how you can even see a hint of a window wreath in the nursery portraits! After we finished their portraits, we sat in front of their tree with our babies and we just savored this long-awaited moment.

It’s funny how life works, isn’t it?

Enjoy a peek into this cozy at-home newborn session with this sweet family!

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Lifestyle Newborn Portrait Session in a Coastal Home

I have been lucky enough to document this family’s milestones since their oldest was just a few months old, and now he is six and he is a big brother to TWO little brothers!! I always adore catching up with this sweet family and we share a lot of laughs during our summertime sessions together. This year they were welcoming a new baby, and we did a lifestyle newborn session in their beach house on Cape Cod.

Big brothers Nick and Harry couldn’t get enough of their baby brother, and they snuggled and loved on him the entire time. They truly made my job easy with sibling portraits like this one.

During a lifestyle portrait session we look for rooms in your house that have great natural light.  We didn’t have to look far, as this sun room was directly inside the door when I walked in!  The wicker sectional sofa was the perfect spot for family cuddles.

Do you love this family’s style? This mama is incredible with interior design and decorating. Go follow her on Instagram here, and check out her blog (A Modest Life) filled with tips for family, fashion, and your home!

The boys enjoyed picking out a few spots in the living room for portraits with the baby.  I always bring a light from my studio to bounce off the ceiling in case the other rooms in your home don’t have as much natural light, and it illuminates the space beautifully.  So if your home is a little dark, don’t worry!  We can still capture light and airy portraits like these ones!

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A Lifestyle newborn session with Albany Newborn Photographer

I first met this family three years ago when they welcomed their daughter into their family. They reached out when Baby #2 was born, and I was excited to join them for another lifestyle newborn session in their beautiful home. And this time with big sister Emerson!

We captured so many sweet moments for this family of four in their home. Baby Madeline’s nursery is the same as her big sister’s was three years ago, and I had a sense of deja vu capturing parent portraits in that cozy little blush pink room. The best part was watching how excited and proud Emerson was with her new baby sister, and she gave us so many beautiful smiles while holding her new sister!

Oh my goodness, those little tiptoes melt my heart! Big sis was so excited to peek in on Baby Madeline, and mom and dad told me that she loves bringing her step stool into the bedroom to look into the crib. Of course we had to document this for the family to remember forever!

It’s always so sweet and unexpected when clients email me a thank you, and I loved getting this note in my inbox. I’m truly thankful for all of the amazing families that I am lucky enough to work with, and I couldn’t love this job any more!

It’s perfect! We can’t wait to have the album. Thank you so much for everything. We feel so fortunate to have had you capture these moments with both of girls that we will have forever.

Wondering how I got started as a newborn photographer? Read more here!

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A Boho Lifestyle Newborn Session

Lifestyle newborn sessions are always some of my favorites. I love being invited into a family’s home to enjoy a peek into their first few weeks at home with their baby. The moments we capture are so intimate and cozy, just quiet little moments that unfold as you get to know your little one.

These sessions are especially beautiful when there is a new big brother or sister! Just look at Jack and the sweet curiosity he has around his baby sister Sloane!

This family’s home was an absolute dream to shoot in. This was the father’s childhood home, and the family has completely redone it with new flooring & white paint, adding in their mix of boho & midcentury modern furniture for a light and airy look — perfect for photographs!

These cuddly shots of Sloane in the crib with her big brother were some of my favorites!

The master bedroom is always a favorite spot for family portraits, and this one with the white bedding & high ceilings was just dreamy!

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Lifestyle newborn portraits at home in the South End | Boston Newborn Photographer

Since moving to New York I definitely spend less time in Boston, and I miss it like crazy!

I was so excited when this sweet family reached out to plan their newborn session at their apartment in the South End. I have worked with families all over the city in spacious condos and tiny apartments, with lots of natural light and with teeny tiny windows. Every time I am invited into a family’s home is an adventure, and I always love watching the moments that unfold.

You really don’t need a lot of space to photograph a family welcoming their baby home, and I love finding creative new ways to work with the space in the master bedrooms, living rooms, and nurseries.

We captured the most beautiful portraits of sweet baby Julia and big brother George. He was so excited to hold his little sister, and we definitely got so many cute expressions from him!

Cozy family portraits in front of the windows are my fave!

I love everything about this cozy, close up portrait of miss Julia being showered in love.

This chair has traveled with Julia’s mama from apartment to apartment after she inherited it from a previous owner, and it now sits in a sunny corner of their living room. I love that it has such a rich history, and that the beautiful fabric was the perfect backdrop for their baby girl!

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Welcoming Baby Georgia Home - Lifestyle newborn photographer in saratoga springs

Ohhhhh my goodness! This lifestyle newborn session in Saratoga Springs absolutely stole my heart, and now I am 100% obsessed with newborn portraits on front porch swings.

I mean, can’t you see why?????

I loved literally every frame of this session with Baby Georgia, and watching her mama and daddy love on her right in their cute little home was so perfect. We usually do our lifestyle newborn sessions in the nursery & master bedroom, but when I saw their front porch with golden light brushing the ferns hanging from the ceiling, I knew we had to do a few family portraits on the porch, too!

Then we headed indoors to this sweet baby girl’s nursery.

I love how tiny she looks in her daddy’s arms!

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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.  Nicole also works with families year round at her Attleboro, MA portrait studio, and on location May through October in Boston and on Cape Cod.  Nicole has a clean and classic style, and the studio is filled with neutrals and luxe fabrics.  We use very minimal props to keep the focus on your perfect little baby.  Our sessions are relaxed and fun, and we’ll enjoy an hour together (or up to 3 hours for a newborn session!) laughing, cuddling, and capturing authentic smiles and belly laughs with your little ones.  

A Lifestyle Newborn Session at home with 3 big sisters

Sweet little Shiloh is a lucky baby girl. She was welcomed home by her three big sisters, and her first days at home were filled with love and cuddles.

I was invited into this adorable family’s home for a lifestyle newborn session, and I loved getting to document this intimate peek into their lives at home with their newest addition to the family. They live in a beautiful old home filled with so much charm, and it truly was the perfect backdrop to their story.

One of my favorite parts about our lifestyle sessions is that the fur babies get to join in on our portraits! Do you have a dog you’d love to incorporate into your newborn session? A lifestyle session might be perfect for you!

Welcome Home, Emily Ann! Lifestyle Newborn Portraits in Boston

Walking into this sweet family’s home was a moment of deja vu. I felt like I was just there for Connor’s newborn session, and then I blinked and he became a big brother! I loved meeting his new sister Emily and watching this little family become a family of four. Plus it was so amazing to see Connor now as a toddler & big brother. He was so sweet and gentle with his sister, and I adore all of the amazing sibling shots we were able to capture during their lifestyle newborn session at home.

Checking out those itty bitty baby toes!

Emerson's Lifestyle Newborn Session

Stepping into this family’s home was like stepping into a model home that Chip & Joanna Gaines had styled for Fixer Upper. This beautiful home had Magnolia-style written all over it from the farmhouse accents, scripted and rustic word art on the walls, boxwood wreaths, and black & white accents.

I loved everything about it, and it made their lifestyle newborn session even more special because they will get to show their baby girl one day the house that they moved into right before she was born, and the house that they got ready just in time to snuggle her as a newborn baby.

Sweet little Emerson’s nursery was the softest blush pink with beautiful floral accents, and I loved getting to photograph some adorable family cuddles in there!

We always do a few family portraits on the master bed, and this might have been my favorite space in the whole home. It made for some amazing quiet moments of this whole family together, snuggling up with Emerson and getting to know this sweet baby girl that they just welcomed home a few days ago.

Aren’t baby yawns the cutest?

A Lifestyle Newborn Session in Jamaica Plain, Boston Lifestyle Photographer

Lifestyle sessions will always have my heart. These newborn sessions are such a special time in a new family’s life, and I love being invited into a family’s home to celebrate their baby’s arrival with them.

These first few days pass by in a blur. They are some of the hardest days you’ll ever experience, and oddly enough, they are also the days that you’ll barely be able to remember. These first days are filled with quiet moments that happen in between the chaos and exhaustion — the long nights, trying to figure out their cries, working on getting them eating enough, so many diapers, and wondering how in the world a tiny little baby can go through SO. MUCH. LAUNDRY.

But the quiet moments in between all of that are where the magic happens. Watching your little one’s chest rise & fall. Feeling their tiny fingers wrap around and grip your own. Tracing their perfect little hairline. Watching their sleepy eyes flutter open and a little half smile cross their lips. Those are the moments that you won’t ever want to forget.

Lia’s newborn session was filled with so many magical moments. Tiny sleepy stretches. Wide eyed stares. The most amazing whirls of hair on her perfect little head. Lots of cuddles in the nursery that her mommy & daddy spent months putting together for her arrival. Everything was just perfect!

A Lifestyle Newborn Session for Baby Ella with Delmar NY Newborn Photographer

Do you remember Ashley's beautiful lifestyle maternity session?  Well, her baby girl Ella is finally here, and we celebrated with a newborn session in their home.  It was pretty special to be able to have Ashley stand in the same little alcove where she stood pregnant a few weeks ago, this time holding her sweet little girl in her arms.  

We always take a few family portraits and individual portraits of the baby on the master bed, and I brought a little gray wrap and headband for a few unposed portraits showing Ella just stretching, looking around, and checking out this great big world.  

My favorite part was when their two dogs joined us for a few family portraits.  This moment was pure luck, but doesn't it look like the dogs are kissing?

We finished up in the nursery with some beautiful close-ups that are perfect for the birth announcements, and one of our favorite family photos that show the perfectly decorated "night sky" wall in the nursery.

A Lifestyle Newborn Session in a Dreamy Nursery in Rexford, NY

Oh my goodness!  Can I just live in this beautiful nursery?  I fell in love with the great big windows and the sunlight streaming in, plus everything was decorated so beautifully and serene.  

Little Luciano's newborn session was an absolute dream.  This tiny little sweetheart was wide-eyed and curious, checking out everything going on around him, resulting in some beautiful awake portraits.  

These backlit family portraits are always my favorites during our newborn sessions, and Luciano seemed to know this and decided to give amazing eye contact during his family portraits.  Just look at how alert he is!

He enjoyed all of the snuggles with mom and dad, and their two dogs (Romeo & Juliet) even joined in for a few portraits!

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Did you love this session? 

Check out Baby Harry's lifestyle newborn session with his two dogs, too!

Saratoga Springs Lifestyle Newborn Session with Big Sisters

Baby Harry was welcomed home by the cutest big sisters, and I love the excitement that they brought to our lifestyle newborn session in Saratoga Springs!  

This very special family moved into their new home just in time to welcome home a tiny little brother.  It was all blank walls and huge windows with lots of natural light streaming through, perfect for capturing these moments and newborn cuddles on camera!

Little Sister Ruthie took a little convincing to get in the photos (it's tough becoming a big sister and realizing you're not the baby anymore!), but once she did, she had the BIGGEST smile on her face and was so excited to love on her baby brother!

Big sister Havah was such a little mother, and she melted all of our hearts when she cuddled up to Harry to tell him how much she loved him.  

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Did you love this lifestyle newborn session?
Check out Ronan's session with his adorable big brother here!

Ronan's Lifestyle Newborn Session at Home in Charlestown | Boston Newborn Photographer

This newborn session was one of my FAVORITE ones of the entire summer.  I spent months looking forward to welcoming this baby boy home, and it was so amazing to finally meet him and watch his family love on him.

That's because sweet baby Ronan's mama and I were roommates in Boston in our twenties.  I was there when she met her husband, and now we both have little baby boys that we're excited to watch grow up and play together! 

Ronan has a big brother, Holden, who absolutely adores him.  He covered him in kisses our entire session, and he couldn't stop talking about his "baby brudder". 

My little baby Grayson came to their session, and when Holden saw Grayson he was a little concerned that there were not one but TWO babies in his house now.  We had to reassure him that don't worry, this other baby would not be staying and would be going back to his own house soon.   ;o)  

But back to Ronan.  Just look at how tiny he looks asleep on the bed!  I love his little hands!

Brotherly love!

I love watching my friends become mamas, and seeing how they love their little ones is purely magical.  

I've been doing a few "unposed" shots at the end of every lifestyle newborn session lately, and they are often my very favorite ones!  I love how Ronan just stretches, covers his eyes, and gets comfortable.  He really is such a sweetheart!

A lifestyle newborn session at home with Andres James | Saratoga Springs NY Lifestyle Newborn Photographer

Our lifestyle newborn sessions steal my heart every single time.  It's always such an honor to be invited into a family's home to capture their new baby, and I love watching all of the love unfold within those walls. 

These sessions are simple and sweet, without too much formal "posing" and really with just a little bit of guidance to cuddle up closer, lean in, and soak in the moment with their little ones. 

Plus, I love getting to photograph all of the different nurseries!  This nursery for Baby Andres is elegant, classic, and clean without any frills to distract from this beautiful family loving on their new baby boy.  (P.S.  Look at that chandelier!!!!!)

Big sister wasn't so sure about this new little baby, just like most toddlers are, but she got nice and close and loved looking at him through his crib.

I adore this parent portrait -- don't they look so well-rested with two under 2?!?!  And I love how tiny Andres is all curled up in their arms.

A close-up of this sweet baby boy with his head full of hair and those perfect little lips...

Toddlers always make these sessions so much fun!  We laugh, play games, share lots of tickles, and really get them giggling.  With a new baby at home that needs so much attention, they love getting to be the star of the show for a little bit during their portrait session, and sweet little Aria was full of so much personality and really enjoyed getting playful with us!

Did you love this session?  Check out these gorgeous nurseries:

A Rustic Woodland Nursery

A Floral Nursery Inspired by Little  Unicorn Designs

Product feature - Welcome Home Baby Blair | A Lifestyle Session in Our Linen Storybook Album

Now that we have a little one of our own, our keepsake albums are even more special to me.  I truly love being able to hold all of our favorite memories in my hands, flipping through the pages of a beautifully bound book and feeling the linen cover beneath my fingers as I trace the debossed words on the cover.

These are such beautiful keepsakes, and our albums stole my heart long ago.  Today we're showcasing this beautiful lifestyle newborn session in our Sand linen storybook album.

Album details:
8x8 Storybook Album
Linen color: Sand
Font color: Rose Gold

One of my favorite behind-the-scenes tasks as a business owner is album design.  I truly enjoy weaving together all of your favorite photos across the pages of a book to tell your story, trying different combinations and layouts to get it just right while showcasing your beautiful family.

These albums are perfect for our lifestyle sessions because the sessions are true STORYTELLING sessions.  You might not hang every portrait on the wall, and that's okay!  But the moments are ones that you're not going to want to forget, and it's so special to be able to preserve them and relive them through the pages of your family's album.

There are 5 beautiful linen cover options to choose from so you'll be able to find the perfect shade to suit your style.  A few of the most classic ones are Tundra (a smooth dark gray), Sand (the beachy beige shown here), and Tusk (a creamy white). 

Plus we can deboss your baby's name & birthdate on the cover, or your family name & the year for a family session!  The debossing options are silver, gold, and rose gold -- the album in this blog post is done in rose gold, which is one of my favorite combinations with the sand linen.

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Curious about our other keepsake products?  We truly believe that you'll enjoy your memories more when they are printed -- check out a few of our options here!

The Wooden Keepsake Box
Heirloom Wooden Wall Art
Accordion Albums
Birth Announcements
Thank You Cards
The Storybook Album

Best of 2017 Lifestyle Newborns | Saratoga Springs NY and Boston MA Newborn Photographer

If you’ve ever talked with me about our newborn sessions, you know that our lifestyle newborn sessions steal my heart every. single. time. 

I am always so honored when parents invite me into their home to capture their little one’s first days at home with their family.  Magic unfolds as they cuddle up with their brand new baby in a space that is filled with their family’s personality, a space that tells the beginning of this next chapter in their family’s story.

We typically shoot these sessions in the nursery, master bedroom, and living room.  But I’ve been known to be a chaser of light, and if I see an amazing pocket of light in your hallway, dining room, or even a corner of your bathroom, you can bet we’ll go there for some great shots!

My favorite product to showcase these sessions at home is definitely our fine art album.  These gorgeous linen-covered books are keepsakes that you will enjoy looking through with your children for the next 30 years, passing down to your kids one day when they have babies of their own.  These books take all of your images and weave them together to tell a story, YOUR STORY.  And there’s nothing better than the story of your family at home, in the place where every story begins.  

Every year I love going back through our sessions and sharing a few favorites on the blog.  Enjoy a peek at a few of our most memorable newborn photos at home from 2017, and be sure to check out our other “BEST OF 2017” blog posts!

Best of 2017 Cake Smash Sessions
Best of 2017 Family Sessions
Best of 2017 Studio Newborn Sessions
Best of 2017 Maternity Sessions
Best of 2017 Fresh 48 Sessions
Best of 2017 Brothers & Sisters: Candid and Fun Sibling Portraits
Best of 2017 Beach Sessions on Cape Cod
 

Welcome Home, Vivian Jane: A Lifestyle Newborn Session with Saratoga Springs Newborn Photographer

Lifestyle sessions always steal my heart.  There is something so magical about being invited into a family's home to capture their quiet moments together as they welcome their brand new baby into the family, and I love visiting them in their space and documenting these moments for them to show their children one day that THIS is the space we brought you home to when you were born. 

Even if they change houses and move states, there is something so amazing about that first home that holds so many newborn memories for them.  The first cuddles, the first smiles.  So many late night feedings, and quiet moments just watching your baby breathe in and out when they're (finally!) asleep.  The walls are filled with stories, and it's always an honor to be invited into their space to capture the beginning of this new love story for their family.

Vivian Jane's house was filled with natural light, and we started off in the bedroom with a simple wrap and a knit blanket that I brought from the studio.  Her mom bought a few headbands before the session for a sweet girly touch.  

Family portraits are always my favorite during our lifestyle newborn sessions at home.  Tina & Curtis cuddled up on the bed with their baby girl, and we captured some quiet moments of the three of them together.  

Are you wondering where in your house we might capture a few portraits?  If you have a sliding door, there's a pretty good chance we'll go there for lots of natural light to flood your portraits!  I love these moments we captured in their living room that show their beautiful bond with their new daughter, and a hint at their style with their furniture and decor showing in the background. 

Check out a few recent lifestyle sessions for some at-home newborn inspiration!

John Aldrich
Connor James
How to Know if a Lifestyle Session is Right for You