Six Month Milestone Portraits with Maizey

Maizey is one of our Collective Membership babies! Her family joined so that they could enjoy 4 sessions over an 18 month period, and this was Maizey’s second session! I love our Collective Membership families. It’s so fun to get to know them over those months, and watching their little ones grow. Maizey came in for her 6 month milestone for her second session, and it was a great time with this grinning little girl! 

As you’ve heard me say a million times, this is one of my favorite stages to photograph when babies are smiley, giggly, and starting to sit up on their own. They’re happy on their tummies, they grab at their little toes when on their backs, and they’re proud to be upright (with a parent’s hand nearby for safety!) when practicing their newly acquired sitting skills. Maizey showed off her sitting skills and even got to snuggle with her momma, who looked beautiful in a pastel pink gown! 

For Maizey’s session, we used soft colors - pinks, peaches, and ivory. We even used a few of the same layers from her newborn session to have that cohesiveness across her portraits from the first year. That’s one of my favorite things to do with Collective Membership babies. All of the portraits will hopefully be displayed together in your heirloom album or through your wall art, so using similar colors and vibes across the 4 sessions. 

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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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Grayson is FIVE!

Our sweet Grayson is FIVE!

Five feels like such a huge milestone for our little guy, and I know that this year will bring so many exciting new changes & adventures for him. This birthday marks the transition away from the baby & toddler years, and into the big kid years. As a mom, I truly don’t know how time has slipped away so quickly. So of course, I wanted to celebrate his first five years with an extra special portrait session.

A few years ago I did a black & white photo setup for a client’s baby, and ever since then I’ve been hoping to create one for our little guy! I just love the contrast between the black & white backdrop and the vibrant, happy birthday boy. I went back through our photo archives from the past five years and printed all of my favorites into a photo backdrop for Grayson. I loved looking back through these memories, from his first day at the hospital to holidays and birthdays and silly toddler days at home. The hardest part was choosing which ones to include!

Looking through these images, I can’t believe how grown he looks! Love this little boy so much! Happy birthday, Grayson!

A Baby Milestone Portrait Session with Christmas Trees

Although it’s early January, we can share one last Christmas session on the blog, right?

I absolutely loved that this family chose to incorporate holiday lights & colors into their son’s milestone portraits, and we made it a whole family session to celebrate their little 6 month old!

Of course baby Ronan slept through the first part of the session, and these cozy family portraits are just so cute with him all curled up in his daddy’s arms!

Ahhhhh!!! Cutest sibling photo of the holiday season!

This six-month old cutie LOVED the camera! Doesn’t he look like a little model?!?!

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Inspired by these Christmas milestone session? Pin this image or any from the post above!

Best of 2019 Milestone Sessions

As we continue our “Best of 2019” blog series, I’m excited to share our favorite milestone sessions from the year! I absolutely LOVE milestone sessions. As a photographer it is so hard to choose what my favorite type of session is, but I must say that milestones come close! This age is always one of the sweetest when babies are developing their personalities, smiling, reacting, and trying out new skills!

Scroll through and enjoy a look into some of my favorite milestone session moments from the studio & outdoors!

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Poppy's Milestone Session at Yaddo in Saratoga Springs

Meet Poppy.

She’s two years old, filled with spunk, and such a joy to be around. She has the sweetest laugh, and her eyes twinkle when she smiles. She is an absolute chatterbox, and I was amazed at how well-spoken this sweet little girl was. We had such a great time during her milestone session at Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, and I loved getting to know her family while capturing these fall portraits for them.

Poppy brought her favorite toy to her session, so of course we had to capture a few snuggles of them together!

Her smile shines so bright, and I love those wispy little baby hairs!

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Sneak Peek of Our Holiday Mini Sessions with Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

It was another magical year of holiday mini sessions at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio! I look forward to these Christmas sessions every year. I love seeing the babies & children all dressed up in their holiday plaid, fancy dresses, sweaters, and bowties, and it’s always so much fun watching them cuddle up in their cozy holiday pajamas, too!

Here’s a little peek at some of my favorite portraits from our 2019 holiday sessions. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do, and as always, a huge thank you to all of the families for trusting me to capture these beautiful memories for their families this winter!

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Inspired by these classic holiday mini session setups? Pin this image or any from the post above!

Baby Milestone Portraits at the Saratoga Springs Track | Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

When Oliver was born, his mama was already talking about his milestone session. They spend their summers at the Saratoga Springs race track, and they knew they wanted to capture their sweet baby boy’s sitter session at the track in August! We dressed him in a dapper little outfit, added a hat (of course!), and enjoyed a beautiful morning at this classic upstate New York destination.

I brought my camera, and Oliver brought the cuteness. 100%.

This age is always so much fun as babies learn to sit up on their own, and they are amazed at everything around them! Oliver looked at the track in such wonder, and he had the most adorable giggles. What a cutie!

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Love this Saratoga Springs racetrack milestone session? Pin this image or any from the post above for inspiration!

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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 Pastel Woodland Birthday Session for Karsyn

Karsyn joined me at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio for a magical first birthday session. Her mama asked me to create a floral and rustic woodland scene for the birthday girl, so we used the Lavender Fields backdrop by Heidi Hope Backdrops, along with some birch trees, hanging flowers, and twinkle lights for the perfect scene.

Like most one-year olds, Karsyn was very interested in playing with the pearl beads that we keep in the studio to keep tiny hands busy!

We finished with a bathtub splash, and this sweet birthday girl loved the water! She started splishing and splashing all over the place, and she was especially fascinated in the soap bubbles.

Thinking of a birthday session for your baby? Let’s chat!

A 6 Month Studio Session for Baby Charlotte

Charlotte is one of our Baby Planners, and she came to the studio for her 6-month milestone session with the cutest outfits and the most adorable smile!

I love this age so much! Once babies start sitting up they really start showing off their personalities, and Charlotte was such a gem. She is a very playful baby and she showed us so many different smiles & expressions. It was hard to choose just a few favorites from her gallery!

I always love including these shots with mom or dad’s hands reaching in to catch or help support the baby. While some photographers might edit that out or throw the shot away, I love capturing this little moment that shows how you were always there for your baby. You have their back, you always catch them, and you’re watching right over their shoulder as they slowly start to gain independence and try out new skills, ready to help if they need it.

A Soft & Cuddly Milestone Session for Abigail | Saratoga Springs NY Milestone Photographer

Look who is all grown up!  Abigail came to me for her  n e w b o r n  s e s s i o n  last summer, and I was lucky enough to see her again to celebrate her 8 month milestone this spring!  This little sweetheart is sitting up, smiling all the time, and super playful.  A week after she came to the Attleboro studio she started crawling!  I'm already looking forward to her cake smash this summer, and I bet she'll be walking (or running after her big brother!) by then!

I am officially obsessed with the way her sparkly blue eyes just POP with the gray and white in these images, and I seriously just want to kiss those cheeks of hers!  Such an adorable little cutie!  

Wild hair, don't care!

This is one of my favorite set ups ever.  I love how classic and simple it is with the bone seamless paper, that dusty rose blanket, and the cutest baby you ever did see.  I just melt when I look at these sweet photos -- this baby girl clearly LOVES the camera!

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Love this session?

Check out another milestone session with this pretty teepee and a beautiful baby girl, here on the blog!

Using Rainey's Closet Dress Rentals for my Portrait Studio Wardrobe

Can I let you in on a little secret?  It's the way that every little girl can feel like a princess for her portrait session.  It's called Rainey's Closet.  

Every photographer (and mom!) wants to find the perfect outfit for their portrait sessions.  You want something unique, fun, and just a little bit whimsical.  Something a little bit fancier than your everyday clothing, because photo sessions are a time to have a little fun and experiment with something new!

But that can get a little expensive, especially if you're just going to wear it once, and even more so if your little girl will outgrow it in no time at all.

The solution?  Rent the perfect dress for your session!

Rainey's Closet is a boutique rental company, similar to Rent the Runway, but with couture dresses and adorable little outfits for babies, little girls, and even some items for little boys!  Their website is filled with the most popular brands that photograph so beautifully -- Tutu Du Monde, Dollcake, Nellystella, Well Dressed Wolf, Joyfolie...  The list goes on and on!

I adore this service because for about $35, you can rent the most perfect dress that will truly make your session that much more magical.  A dress that is perfect for twirling, with little hints of sparkle and lots of movement that looks amazing on camera.  

I have discovered so many gorgeous brands and gowns through this website, and it's definitely a favorite resource of mine that I recommend to all of the families I work with.  Planning a beach session this summer?  Rather than spending $30-40 on a dress at the store that you may or may not love, and one that may or may not photograph nicely, rent one from Rainey's Closet that will look STUNNING for your session and that will make your little girl feel like a princess.

I would love it if you'd use my unique referral code
when you rent from Rainey's Closet!  

It's 141372.

Many moms like to send me pictures of the outfits they are thinking of before the session, and then it's so easy to pick one of the dresses from Rainey's Closet to coordinate.  Their colors are soft with lots of neutral tones that will go well with every combination you could possibly dream up.  I have marked dozens of their dresses as favorites, and pinned even more on our wardrobe inspiration boards on Pinterest.  Stuck on outfits?  Start with Rainey's Closet and the rest will come together beautifully!  

For more wardrobe inspiration, check out these helpful links!

Pinterest: Spring Wardrobe Inspiration for Family Portrait Sessions

Pinterest: Beach Wardrobe Inspiration for Family Portrait Sessions

Blog: What to Wear for your Family Portrait Session

A Tiny Ballerina Session at Boston Ballet School

On a chilly winter morning, I was lucky enough to be invited to Stella's ballet studio to capture some moments of this tiny ballerina in action.  Stella takes beginner ballet classes at Boston Ballet School in Newton, and I always love seeing her mama's posts and videos on Instagram of her little dancer.  

I have always dreamt of doing a tiny ballerina's portrait session in a light-filled ballet studio, so when we started planning Stella's session together and I saw the studio with their gleaming floors, exposed brick walls, and huge windows with natural light streaming in, I was in photographer heaven!

One of the things that Stella's mama and I were most excited about with this session was knowing that this tiny dancer will be able to look back at these images in 15 years and see her innocence, curiosity, and budding dance skills from the very beginning.

Stella LOVED running around the studio and showing me her ballet moves -- did you know that she calls her feet a "pizza slice" when moving them into position?!?!  We did a few quick little outfit changes for this tiny ballerina, and my favorites were with her little ballet slippers, simple leotard, and classic wrap sweater & leg warmers.  

These next two might be my favorite images from the entire session!  Those little lashes, those tiny toes, and that cute way she has to reach up above her head to touch the barre.  

These are the moments you want to remember when looking back at her early days in ballet lessons.  

These are the memories that will forever come to mind when you watch your ballerina at her recitals 5, 10, 15 years from now and one day much later when she brings her little ones to ballet classes of their own.

Would you love to plan a Tiny Ballerina session for your little dancer?  Email me at hello@nicolestarrphotography.com and let's plan the perfect session for your ballerina today!  Now booking in Saratoga Springs & Boston.

A Relaxed Family Session on a Bed | Saratoga Springs, Albany & Boston Family Photographer

Dreamy backlit images, fluffy white beds, and lots of light.  Those are a few of my favorite things, and I love that this entire session is filled with all three!  

I've been photographing Veronika's family since her daughter was born, and when she told me that Baby #2 was on the way and that they'd love to get some new family portraits a few months after his arrival, I was thrilled to see this sweet family again to capture some new memories of everyone together.

We had a relaxed and comfortable session on our giant studio bed, and everyone was bathed in the natural light pouring through the windows.  I love the beautiful moments we were able to capture of this gorgeous mama and her two little ones.  

Her baby boy Charlie has the wisest, most soulful eyes of any baby I've ever met.  He is such a sweetheart, and I love these images that capture his observant personality perfectly.

And Sophia is growing into such a beautiful, fun, and talkative little girl!  It doesn't even feel like that long ago we did her 3-month milestone session at her home, and now she's grown into a vibrant little girl and a nurturing big sister.  She was so good with her baby brother, and I loved watching how well she took care of him.

Do you love the bed as much as I do?  Email me at hello@nicolestarrphotography.com and let's chat about planning a relaxed studio session for YOUR family!  

Colorful Fun at the Fair with Saratoga Springs Family Photographer, Nicole Starr Photography

I am a huge fan of summertime, and also of the amazing and colorful moments all woven together that just scream, "This is what childhood is made of."  Magical, colorful, innocent memories that bring you right back to that summer evening when you were little.  Lemonade stands, carnivals, swimming lessons, sprinkler days, ice cream trucks... the list goes on and on! 

So when Jessi of Lovebug Photography in Rochester, NY, came to visit me for a mentoring session the same week as the Saratoga County Fair, and she told me that her kids would be traveling with her, I knew that we had to spend an evening exploring this amazing space.

Just look at Clark.  Clearly, he was a huge fan of the fair!!

We had so much fun finding little pockets of quiet amidst the chaos, capturing these beautiful moments with such a colorful backdrop.  

Clark & Rosie ran around with hundreds of lights sparkling overhead, the smell of fried dough drifting across the fairgrounds, and fluffy cotton candy tempting us around every turn.  We met a few amazing carnival workers who let us take photos at their game booths, and even got Clark involved in an exciting game or two.  

Plus, aren't their outfits adorable?  Their mom was on point in selecting their wardrobe for this shoot, and I just love how well they combine with our fairgrounds backdrop!

As the new girl in town, I am discovering that fairs are such a huge thing here in New York, and I am so excited about that!  I'm looking forward to joining many more families in this classic & colorful setting that is perfect for family photos and childhood memories, and I can't wait to check a few more fairs out this summer!

Interested in a photo session at your local fair?  Use the contact tab above and send me a message.  I would love to chat and plan the perfect memory-making session for your family!