A Stylized Portrait Session for Mom & Four Children - Saratoga Springs Photography Studio

Do you know what's coming up this weekend?  Our Celebrating Motherhood event in Boston!  

I am so excited to capture lots of beautiful, candid, and truly breathtaking moments shared between moms and their little ones.  I'm looking forward to pampering them with hair & makeup by Tiffany Cantin, HMUA of Six Bay Road Salon.  I can't wait to watch moms, babies & grandmas come together for three-generation memory-making.  And I'm truly looking forward to watching the REAL moments unfold...

Like this one: 

Baby Sister knows that all eyes are on her and she is the star of the show!

April came to the studio for her Celebrating Motherhood session with her four children.  She's also a photographer, but has very few portraits of her with all of her babies, and she was thrilled at the opportunity to capture them all together in this moment.  I just love the way her daughter snuggled up against her, and the way her oldest son was so serious when the camera came out, turning those soulful eyes towards me.  Her younger son was an absolute blast, so funny and full of energy.  And baby girl was just so happy, knowing that everyone in her family was going to give her cuddles, tickles, and sweets throughout the session.

The pink gown that Mia wore is an absolute favorite of mine.  I rented it just for this session, and now I'm scouring websites to find one to add to our studio collection.  It's the perfect twirling dress, don't you think?

Mom and her boys.  One day they will tower over her.  One day their voices will be deep and melodic, and she'll no longer be able to fit them on her lap.  One day they'll be scooping her up into great big hugs in their strong arms.  But today, she's enjoying every bit of their childhood while it lasts!  

This last little outtake is a favorite of mine from their session!  Are you ready for the story behind the image?  

Our Saratoga Springs studio is on the whole first floor of our home.  April's family was in the studio in the late afternoon, and I heard the front door open and close when my husband Jeff came home from work.  I called him downstairs, and he popped his head in to say hello.  Before he came in, baby sister was all over the place in typical toddler fashion.  But the moment Jeff walked into the room, she stopped, completely mesmerized.  We were able to capture the image above within seconds of him coming into the studio, and when he went to leave, the image below is what happened next!  She didn't want him to leave, and ran towards him with her arms wide open searching for a hug!  ;o)   It's definitely my favorite outtake of 2017!

Just a few spots left for this weekend's Celebrating Motherhood portrait sessions!  I'll be in Attleboro on May 6, and in Saratoga Springs on May 20.  Click below to reserve your session!

Did you love this motherhood session?  
Check out a few more recent favorites on the blog, too!

A Springtime Mommy & Me Session

Portraits of Motherhood

The B Family {A fun and playful backyard family session}

We started planning this session back in the middle of a snowy, New England winter.  Dreaming of sunnier days while staring out the window at the 8-foot high snow banks, we knew that warmer days meant fun family time outside.  While planning our session, I usually recommend a number of locations to the families that I photograph, and I am always open to their suggestions, as well. The B family requested that we do their session in their backyard since it held so much meaning for them being the spot where they gathered, played, laughed, and celebrated together.  It turned out to be the PERFECT location with so many little areas that made for the best photo spots -- rustic sheds, a textured wooden wall, a little gate, winding paths, the perfect tree branches, and more!

Max told me he wanted to show me his favorite spot in the yard, so we climbed through the forsythia bushes to this quiet little space.  

Rebecca LOVED being in front of the camera, and she gave me so many natural smiles!  

Eleanor Katherine {A delicate and floral springtime newborn session}

Eleanor Katherine

April 16, 2015  |  1:28pm

6 pounds, 3 ounces  |  18 inches

I was so excited to welcome Ellie and her parents for their newborn session.  This little girl's arrival to the world was much-anticipated and long-awaited, so we were so happy to welcome this tiny little girl into the studio for the perfect springtime session.

Eleanor was a dream baby.  Her parents followed my prep packet steps exactly, and she arrived to the studio all tuckered out, slipped right into a milk coma, and was in dreamland the entire session.  This allowed us to get so many adorable set ups of their little girl, and many of the specialty shots that the parents had requested for family members.

I always love starting with the family shots, and this has become one of my favorites of showing a baby girl in her daddy's strong hands...

Look at all that hair!

Cute new wrap, you say?  Why yes, it is!  Luckily my husband, Jeff, didn't mind browsing the scarf racks with me at TJ Maxx this spring when the perfect baby wraps were on sale.  He's a keeper.  ;o)

I love how tiny she looks in this one!

Congratulations on your beautiful baby girl!

She is perfect in every way.

Spring Fling Mini Sessions!

I am so excited to announce the limited spots available for my Spring Fling Mini Sessions.  Two spring days.  Two gorgeous locations.  Sixteen beautiful families.  And a whole lot of fun, laughter, and memories to create and share.

WHERE TO GO

On Saturday, May 4 we'll meet at Cushing Park in Framingham.  If you're not familiar with the location, it's a beautiful area that just comes alive in the spring.  There are so many backdrops right there to incorporate into your photos -- vast expanses of green grass, tall sweeping pine trees, the stone walls of the chapel, a gazebo, benches, and right across the street some of my favorite clusters of trees standing tall before a pond.  Check out a Cushing Park mini session here.

But I'm going to make it even better.  For my Framingham sessions I'm going to have a stylized shoot set up.  The theme will be "Family Picnic".  I'll bring a great big colorful quilt, my vintage picnic baskets, some fun classic toys for the kiddos (pinwheels, anyone?), and some other colorful picnic props.    The idea is to have a fun, colorful, classic background for your family pictures and to capture some real and raw moments with your family or of your kids.

On Sunday, May 5 we'll meet at the Boston Public Garden.  Please, somebody, tell me that they're bringing their littlest kids to get some adorable pics by the bronze ducks from Make Way for Ducklings.  There's that gorgeous bridge over the pond, the stone arches underneath the bridge, the weeping willows, the pathways and flowerbeds.  The options are truly endless and I can't wait to meet all of the families there for some stunning photos.

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

The mini session is just that -- mini.  If you've been hoping to book another session with Nicole Schwalm Photography, if you've been waiting for a special offer to afford a session, if you'd like to give a session as a gift to the grandparents, if you'd like some fresh springy photos on your walls to shake off the winter... then this is it!  The mini session is a taste of what my full sessions are like, and they're a great way to "try it on for size."

What are my full sessions like? Check out the testimonials page for some rave reviews from NSP families!

Sessions are 20 minutes long.

You can bring up to 5 people.

You'll have access to an online gallery for viewing, sharing, and ordering.

You'll receive 5 fully retouched digital images with printing rights.

You'll also get a special 30% off your print order and have access at an unbelievably low price to my high-quality and stunning lab prints and canvases -- trust me when I tell you that these are way above and beyond what you'll get at the drug store or hour photo lab!  What a great way to showcase your family and artwork on your walls!

TELL YOUR FRIENDS

When you refer a friend, your session fee will be lowered from $125 to only $99.  You still get all the great benefits of the mini session, only at a lower price!

FOR THE MOMS

If you want your pics in time for Mother's Day, just let me know and I can get the retouched gallery to you by Monday evening.  If you order prints right away (prints, not canvases), I'll have them ready for you to come pick up by the Friday before Mother's Day.  What perfect timing!  Grandma is going to LOVE this.

ARE YOU READY TO HAVE SOME FUN?

Let's create some memories together!  Email me by clicking the "Get in touch" button on the right hand side of my page and let's reserve a spot for your session.   Please tell me:

Your name

A little something fun about your family

Number of people and ages

Location

Time preference

Then I'll get right back to you and we'll be counting down the days till our spring fling mini session!  There are limited spots available, and they are going FAST.  (I emailed my previous clients last week, and a mere 4 minutes later had already booked the first slot!)  You'll want to jump on this!  And at this price, how could you pass it up?

**Please note that the mini sessions are not  appropriate for newborns since I cannot give newborns the full attention they need.  They are ideal for families with babies that are older than 3 months along with older siblings, or single babies that are 6 months (sitting up stage) and older.  If your baby is too young, contact me and I'd be happy to chat with you about how else we can work out a session for your little one!

Sweet Sophia {4 months}

Earlier this month I got to meet the absolutely darling 4-month old Sophia.  Her mom had contacted me to schedule a session after being referred to {Nicole Schwalm Photography} by a friend (check out baby Stephen's photos, here!).  That referral actually happened in the middle of baby Stephen's shoot and put such a smile on my face.  Word-of-mouth referrals are the best and are my favorite way to get in touch with new clients since you have an instant connection based on the referral.  Plus, the new clients already know exactly what they are looking for in their family's photographs since they saw their friend's session and could already picture how their own family's portraits would turn out, inspiring them to schedule their own session! I walked into Veronika, Alec, and Sophia's sunny home and met their loving and happy family.

Veronika already knew that she loved my B&W baby portraits, so we were sure to capture those classic and simple moments that always translate so well to B&W.  I adore the love that fills these photos, the soft back lighting that lends an airy touch to them, and the precious candid moments that I was able to capture between little Sophia and her parents.  Plus the light coming through those doors resulted in my two favorite characteristics in a photograph: beautiful bokeh AND catchlights... oh, be still my photographer's heart!  ;o)

Ooooh, and did we ever have fun playing dress-up with Sophia and these gorgeous little handmade hats that had been given to her!  I love the sherbet-colored bonnet and how it just pops against the white background.  It's reminiscent of Genevieve's Christmas session, but a touch more spring-like with the colors.

Sophia spent most of our session clasping her little hands together and bringing them up to her lips, a move her mother explained that she perfected in utero and that they saw time and time again in her ultrasounds.  So cute to now be able to see that in person and on film!

And I loved the B&W image and the color one so much that you get to enjoy both of them full-size right here, too!  Look at the way those beautiful eyes of hers sparkle and are full of so much depth!  THOSE are the perfect catchlights in her eyes.

Next came the adorable little pea pod hat and some tummy time.  Sophia was such a little model and was in such a pleasant mood, not fussing one little bit during her tummy time photos!  She was in love with the soft, furry background and just burrowed herself in it, smoothing it along her cheeks to feel how soft it was.  So cute!

And finally, another favorite from her tummy time.  This one is much more dramatic with the light and shadows!

I'll end with this gorgeous soft-lit frame of Sophia chilling in her dad's arms.  Her blue eyes really pop against his shirt!  Since she was so much older than the newborns I've been photographing lately, she really kept her focus on the camera the entire time and stares right into the depths of the lens in many of her photos.  Love the effect that has!

Thanks for a wonderful session, Veronika and Alec!  It was a joy photographing your family.

Remember, everyone... word of mouth referrals!!!  :o)