Capture us happy: family portraits in our Saratoga Springs Studio

When Jen first reached out to me, she was nervous about how her toddler would behave during their session. The last time she tried to do a session with another photographer, they were not able to capture many portraits that she loved and her little one wasn’t in the mood to cooperate. I reassured her that this time, we would take our sweet time and let her daughter warm up to me & the studio, play games, and have lots of fun together. The thing that this mother wanted most was to “capture us happy.” We did just that.

I asked them all about Julianne’s interests and favorite things ahead of time, and had a few toys in the studio that I knew would capture her attention and motivate her to participate. From the moment she entered, she was eager to participate. As a mom of two littles myself, a former teacher, and a photographer of many years, I know how important this prep work is to help make sure little ones stay happy and engaged in the studio.

Julianne wowed her parents with how she sat right in the chair and giggled and smiled for me. She was so adorable, and wanted me to see her unicorn necklace in a few photos. We were careful with transitions, bringing mom and dad into the portraits when she was ready and giving her some say in everything because as we all know, toddlers like to be in charge!

With some patience and practice, we captured the cutest cuddles with mom and dad, and my squeaky toys were a big hit – they even found their way into a couple of photos! I was able to edit them out of a few images, but we left them in others because it’s part of the memory of their session and it’s what made her smile the most. Julianne did a phenomenal job, and really had a lot of fun. The whole time I kept “capture us happy” in mind, and I think we really managed to do that. In the end, Jen and Josh loved the gallery and we printed their favorites as an heirloom album so that they can relive these moments again and again with their little girl.

I’m so happy that we met our goal together - and had a great time doing so! As a family photographer, my job is to really listen to you and your needs so we can capture the moments that matter to you.

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Family portraits with a toddler in their own front yard

This fall, I had the absolute pleasure of capturing the sweetest one-year-old, Violet, and her parents Morgan and Dan. We met for a session at their home in the early fall, and it was so perfect! We wanted to capture how much Violet has grown over the last year and all of her sweet mannerisms, personality, and the family’s interactions.

Violet was full of personality and gave us so many different expressions! I love photographing this age, because they always have so many new skills to show off. And, show off she did. She loved showing me how she stands, claps, and crawls. She’s so close to taking her first steps unassisted! Honestly, she was so adorable the whole time. I loved watching Violet’s little personality come out through the entire session.

It was really important to Morgan to capture some portraits of her and Violet together. Mom is usually behind the camera, so I always make sure to capture a few extra portraits of mom loving on her little ones, and I was thrilled that Morgan treasured these moments with her baby, too. I’ll never tire of capturing moms and their babies!

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Fall family portraits on a sunlit path in saratoga springs

Fall family portraits might be one of my favorite parts of the year. When the Coppola family reached out about a session in Saratoga Springs, I couldn’t wait! I loved working with Mariesa, Benji, Benjamin and Nora for these sunny fall portraits. During our session, we tried to keep things super light and fun - relaxed for the kids AND their parents. Family portraits don’t have to be stressful, trust me! 

Throughout the session, one of my goals was definitely to bring everyone’s personalities out. While Benjamin was a little more reserved and shyer, Nora was all about the camera. It was a lot of fun to watch them interact and see Benjamin open up a little bit as the session wore on. Nora being silly definitely helped him relax a little bit! We also made sure to capture lots of cuddles with mom and dad in the photos too. 

Mariesa and Benji chose a great color palette for their portraits. With navy and creams, they stood out against the yellows and greens of the Saratoga Springs path we were on. I also love that the guys had their puffer vests on - they looked so cute together! Choosing what to wear is not only about picking colors you like together, but also making sure you’re comfortable and can move. I want us to play, run, and cuddle up during your portraits! 

Enjoy a peek into this beautiful fall session here in Saratoga Springs! 

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A return to Boston for a very special family & senior portrait session

There’s something incredibly meaningful about working with a family more than once. I get to see them grow up and capture so many stages of life. When that family has a child who was a former student of mine, everything about our time together becomes even more special. Meet Karyn, Todd, Jenna, and Annabelle!

Jenna was a student in my first grade class back when I was a teacher at a bilingual school in Framingham. We’ve done family portrait sessions together many times over the years, and the last time was on the Cape in 2018. When they reached out a year ago about doing senior photos, I was honored that they wanted to document this special milestone with me as Jenna gets ready to finish up her last year in the Framingham Public Schools! They had been planning to make a trip out to Saratoga for portraits, but it just so happened that I would be in Boston for a prime weekend this fall, and we made it work!

We met up at Larz Anderson Park in Brookline, MA. This was one of my all-time favorite spots when I lived in Boston. It’s so beautiful during the fall, especially. The night we met was cloudy with a little bit of mist, so the park was very empty. It was nice to have it all to ourselves!!

Seeing Jenna again after all of these years was amazing. I loved getting to hear her talk about her plans for the future and what she’s thinking of studying in school. She’s come such a long way from that tiny little six year old with a backpack that was half the size of her, and she’s now a poised and multi-talented young woman. It really was so special to get to see them & capture these last family portraits before she heads off to college. This session truly reminded me that your children are never too old for family portraits - and perhaps they even become more meaningful the bigger your kids get.

Thank you for asking me to document this special time in your life, Jenna - and thank you to Karyn, Todd, and Annabelle for working with me. It was so good to see you all again!!

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Boho Family Portraits in a Field | Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

I've been photographing this family every year since Johnathan was a newborn. We've done portraits in every season and every stage so far, and I always look forward to our sessions together. Johnny is now 3 years old, and he’s just a joy! This year, we planned fall family portraits at one of my favorite hidden gems in Saratoga Springs.

This little spot is just beautiful this time of year. With tall grass and lots of trees, it’s a lovely quiet location for family photos with a boho vibe. The grass grows tall in this spot during the late summer/early fall, and I drive by constantly in the final weeks of summer to be sure the town hasn't mowed it yet. It's perfect for early morning sessions, especially with toddlers who are early to rise! Here, we can walk and play - even bring a small stool or box for your little ones to sit on. I seriously can’t get enough of this little gem!

Speaking of boho vibes, Kristen and Matt planned the most perfect outfits! Kristen’s dress was on point and I LOVED her hat with the this gorgeous long dress and jean jacket. Everything was perfect!! Johnny even looked adorable in his little overalls during our session too! After working with this family for the last few years, I can say I still adore watching them interact and now, seeing even more of Johnny’s personality come out in our session. Enjoy a little peek into their perfect fall family photos!

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Family portraits at Yaddo Gardens in Saratoga Springs

I’ve been photographing this beautiful family for several years now. In fact, I can’t believe Ari just turned 3! This has to be one of our most silly and smile-filled sessions to date. Each year, they plan a special family portrait session in the late-summer/early-fall to celebrate Ari’s birthday. It’s always so special to see these three and I truly can’t believe how big Ari already is!

For this year’s session, we met at the beautiful Yaddo Gardens here in Saratoga Springs! This was our first time at Yaddo Gardens, which had been closed since March 2020. I was so happy that they reopened, and it was wonderful to see the beautiful gardens in bloom and return to some of my favorite spots for family portraits. I can’t wait to be back here more now that it’s open again!!

This was Ari's happiest, most smiley portrait session to date! He surprised all of us with his good mood, and he loved being in front of the camera. He could not stop smiling and giggling, and he absolutely adored loving on his mama. It was special to capture all of these beautiful moments for them. I can’t wait until next year!!

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Family portraits at Empire Plaza in Albany

When your baby turns one, it’s definitely time for updated family portraits - and that’s exactly what Luke’s family planned! Luke recently turned one and he and his parents celebrated with family portraits at the same spot his parents were married at a few years earlier: Empire Plaza in Albany, NY. It was a beautiful spot for their portraits! We had a gorgeous sunset the day of their session that worked in our favor. The sunset gave us beautiful light, and the light color of the building reflected so much of it back on these three. It made my job so easy!

Luke started walking just a few weeks before our session and he was so excited to be showing off all over the New York State museum grounds. I can’t believe how big he his now - I still picture him as that little baby in his newborn portraits a year ago!! He’s such a fun handful now and I know his parents are excited to be watching him grow and change.

I love that the Underwood family wanted their portraits at the place they were married - it’s such a special way to see how your family changes over time, and honor a place that means a lot to you. I’m always open to sentimental locations for your portraits, especially if they’re as beautiful as this spot in Albany!

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Black & white personality portraits for adorable siblings

I was so happy when Nora and Benjamin’s mom reached out to me about capturing personality portraits for them here in my Saratoga Springs studio! These sessions are always a lot of fun. They’re simple and to the point, focusing on your little ones so we can truly capture what makes them unique. During personality sessions, all portraits are done in black and white. Your kids have the chance to show off their expressions and milestones, no matter what age they’re at!

For Nora and Benjamin, we photographed each of them individually in the studio before making sure to take some portraits of them together. I hope that they’ll treasure these portraits forever because you can just see how silly and fun both of these kids are! That’s truly my goal when it comes to personality sessions!! And these are great for kids of all ages once they pass their first birthday and you may not be in the studio regularly for portraits.

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Making Memories with Grandparents & Grandkids: Extended Family Portrait Session in our Saratoga Springs Studio

Nicole and Chris are longtime clients and I've photographed their two babies and all of their milestones ever since they were born. It’s such a special gift to be able to see my clients year after year and watch their kids grow up. I absolutely adore Elli and Colton. So, when Nicole and Chris reached out about surprising his mom with a portrait session for Christmas, I was absolutely on board! Together, we planned an extended family session with Chris’s brother and his family.

The day of their session was so much fun. I loved watching Elli and Colton with their cousin, Easton. Easton and Colton are only a few days apart, so their bond is incredibly special. Extended family portraits are SO important to me because I love photographing all the relationships, especially grandparents and their grandkids. It’s so sweet. I loved watching Nicole, Chris, and their family just be together in the studio.

I also absolutely loved the colors of the outfits they chose! When planning extended family portraits, coordinating outfits can be a bit tricky. Obviously the images will wind up in multiple homes, so try to consider where they’ll be displayed as you choose your palette. Stick to a color palette of 3 or 4 total colors for everyone’s outfits. This family did a great job with that - definitely use it for inspiration! When you’re thinking about studio portraits, too, the lighter colors will photograph so beautifully!!!

Psst!! A quick update about 2022’s outdoor portrait season! This year we’re only scheduling outdoor family portraits this for May, September & October. With limited availability, I expect the calendar to fill up even faster than ever. Be sure to reach out early to reserve your spot! If you’re thinking of an outdoor session in 2022, NOW IS THE TIME TO SCHEDULE.

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Studio Family Portraits in Saratoga Springs

I truly believe that there’s no special “season” for family portraits. While it’s easy to think there might be, especially in the fall and around the holidays, there’s no magical date you have to update your family photos by. After all, aren’t your family portraits for more than just a Christmas card that will hang on your friend’s wall until January 1?

I was reminded of this when Amy’s beautiful family came to the studio this winter. We weren’t trying to capture family portraits for a Christmas card or a gift, but we were slowing down time and freezing these moments with her adorable toddler and baby. We captured their cozy cuddles, their joy, their giggles, and their dimples. We played, we laughed, and I clicked the shutter the whole time to document this stage that their family was in. Honestly, it was pure magic and these are the portraits that I know this mama is going to look back on in 5 years when her kids are tossing their backpacks on the floor, and in 15 years when they’re getting ready to head to college. These will last longer than any Christmas card, and they truly are the pieces that make up this family’s LEGACY.

That’s why I’m so happy to offer family portraits year-round in our Saratoga Springs studio. You know the weather around here is only nice for a few months a year when we can head outdoors for sessions, but these studio sessions are so timeless and cozy, too. Your family’s story deserves to be told, no matter what time of year it is.

As you can see with Benjamin and Josie, kids still grow and your family still has a story - even when the leaves aren’t starting to change to orange and red, and when the holiday decorations are tucked away for another 11 months. If family portraits are still on your to-do list at the beginning of the year, that’s 100% okay! Let’s plan for a cozy studio session together so that you can update your family’s story for the year. Family portraits always matter.

Psst!! A quick update about 2022’s outdoor portrait season! This year we’re only scheduling outdoor family portraits this for May, September & October. With limited availability, I expect the calendar to fill up even faster than ever. Be sure to reach out early to reserve your spot! If you’re thinking of an outdoor session in 2022, NOW IS THE TIME TO SCHEDULE.

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Best of 2021 Sibling Portraits

Another year has come to an end! 2021 was full of so many family and newborn portraits with my families. I loved getting to see everyone again to update their portraits. As I was starting to go through my portraits for my end of year recaps, I realized I had captured some truly beautiful moments between siblings and I decided it was worth these moments in their own blog!

Sibling portraits are so special. These relationships are meaningful and I love knowing that so many of these moments are the ones their parents love when they come in the studio. I can’t tell you how many of these images wound up as beautiful wall art or in heirloom albums to be enjoyed for years to come. It makes my heart so happy!!

Have you updated your family portraits yet this year? I’m booking studio family portraits this winter and opening my outdoor calendar through May 2022, so make sure you hit the button below and get on the books! I can’t wait to see you. Until then, enjoy some of these sweet sibling moments from 2021!

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Fun Fall Family Portraits with Brothers - Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

I can’t believe that I had another chance to work with this sweet family! I’ve been working with them since their oldest, Miles, turned one (you can see his cake smash below!). Now he’s grown so much and he’s a ton of fun. Every time I see these four, I consider myself so lucky. Over the last 4 years, we’ve had many sessions together and they’re always a great time.

We captured their most recent fall family portraits at Pitney Meadows this year - which is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots for portraits! I’m loving the fact that it’s close to the studio and has provided such beautiful fall foliage for me and my families. For this session, there were lots of laughs as we explored Pitney Meadows together. The boys were so excited to play games and follow my prompts and we captured their portraits.

Looking back over their session, the portraits of Miles and his brother Oscar are some of my favorites - and I know their mom couldn’t wait to get prints and gorgeous wall art with them to hang up. They were so sweet together and I hope their relationship continues to grow like that for years to come!

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Fall Family Portraits with Young Children at Congress Park in Saratoga Springs

I’m so thankful I had the chance to capture another beautiful fall portrait session for Henry, Emma, and their parents! I’ve been working with this family since Emma turned 1 and now they’ve recently celebrated Henry’s first birthday, too. Over the years, I’ve watched them grow and become such an incredible family. I feel so lucky that they’ve trusted me with their memories, including this fall family portrait session at Congress Park.

We truly lucked out with the most beautiful day for their session at the park. Early October turned out to be the best time for peak foliage all around this year - and I’m so happy we caught it in time. Henry and Emma were amazing our entire session, playing together and enjoying the leaves. Henry has just started to walk and he loved chasing after Emma as we were together. She was the best at making him laugh, too! It’s clear they’re going to be amazing friends.

I can’t wait for you to see this beautiful session!

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Fall Family Portraits at Pitney Meadows in Saratoga Springs

This family is so special to me because JB is one of Grayson’s best buddies. He and Grayson were born 2 weeks apart and I’ve had the honor of watching him grow up - and documenting him along the way. Since JB was a year old, I’ve captured annual family portraits for him and his parents. They welcomed Henry to the family last year during the pandemic so it’s been an extra joy to watch him grow, too! Our boys are all so adorable and I feel so lucky that I get to work with Allison and her gorgeous family over and over again.

This year, we planned a sunset fall family portrait session at Pitney Meadows in Saratoga Springs. Sunset sessions with young kids can be tricky but with the right tips and tricks up our sleeves, anything is possible! We definitely may have bribed JB and Henry with some snacks for those smiles :o) But it was so worth it! JB and Henry are SO cute and I loved this year’s session.

Planning an evening session? Check out more tips for sunset sessions with kids below!

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Fall Family Portraits in Saratoga Springs

I am going to miss Henri and his sweet parents SO much. This family has been with me for a few years now and it has been an honor to capture their little boy as he grows. I’ve photographed milestone portraits and annual family portraits since Henri was born, and I cannot believe he’s growing up so quickly! When Jaimie reached out about a fall family portrait session at Pitney Meadows, I was thrilled. However, she told me that they’re moving out of the area and I was immediately a bit sadder. I really will miss these three and the chance to catch up with them every year.

This year, we met at Pitney Meadows in Saratoga Springs. This is such a beautiful spot - especially in the fall! There’s such gorgeous fall colors, so vibrant around us. They had just cut the tall meadow grass but it was still the perfect spot for this family of three. Henri was able to run around as his parents played with him and enjoyed the evening. We lucked out with some super vibrant yellow trees behind us during our session - and it worked perfectly with the outfits they chose. The yellow totally matched Henri’s shirt! It was so cute!

8 Tips for a Meltdown-Free Session with Toddlers

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Family Portrait Session at Jackson's Garden in Schenectady

I’ve got another gorgeous fall session for you today! Jennifer and her beautiful family met me at Jackson’s Garden in Schenectady for their portraits this year. It was my first time set this location - another local photographer friend recommended it to me. I’m so glad we decided to go here! There were tons of gorgeous fall colors for us to play with.

Jennifer was ready to update her family portraits (and beautiful wall art) now that their little girl, Annabelle has turned 1. How cute is she with her little ponytail and first teeth coming in?! The Strange family also brought their sweet pup to our portraits and we had a lot of fun getting him to pose with the family. We captured some beautiful moments that will look perfect in an heirloom album for this family - or some stunning wall art. Picking out products with my families is almost as much fun was capturing their portraits!!

Thinking about bringing your dog to your session?

I’m all about bringing your furry family members to your session. Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to make everything run a little more smoothly for all of us. Before your session, take your dog for a walk so they’re more tired during our portraits. Consider switching out your leash to a neutral color (like this family, who swapped a bright orange leash for a brown one).

Make sure you bring treats for your pet and ask a friend or family member to come be the designated dog wrangler/watcher. This ensures you can focus on your session and time together during the human portraits! ;o) I’ve worked with tons of dogs and one of my favorite ways to keep our portraits together stress-free is to work around the dog, much like I do with kids! We’ll plan to sit and stand around where your pup decides they want to be. It’s much easier that way!

Tips for a meltdown-free session with kids!

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Saratoga Springs Family Portrait Session in a Grassy Field

I can’t believe Ari is now 2! I had the honor of photographing him multiple times during his first year of life, so I was elated when his parents wanted to schedule a family session to celebrate his birthday this year. We planned his session right here in Saratoga Springs, and found this beautiful field to shoot in. It was perfect early in the morning - the light was coming up behind the trees and just made everything glow!

Ari had a great time playing with his parents. Their love for him really does shine through in every interaction they share together. I love that they were able to relax and just be with him while I documented it all. That’s how family sessions should be!

Happy birthday, Ari! I can’t believe how much you’ve grown!

Tips to look your best during family photos!

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Organic and Candid Family Portraits in a Field of Wildflowers

I love it when families come back to me year after year to capture their portraits.

This sweet family has trusted me to capture their portraits since late-2018 when Nora was 6 months old. Now she’s a big sister and three years old, and we have created so many beautiful portraits in the studio with her, her baby sister, and her big brother! This time was extra special because the whole family joined in (mom and dad, too!) for an outdoor family portrait session in Saratoga Springs.

The field close to the studio was filled with wildflowers, and we met there on a warm summer evening for a beautiful session together. In the summer we do our outdoor sessions in the evenings to capture that beautiful golden light. In the early summer the sun doesn’t set until late, so our sessions often begin around 7pm (and then they get earlier and earlier as the summer fades into fall, approaching 4:30pm in October!). Wondering how to avoid toddler meltdowns when your session is scheduled for sunset? I’ve got you covered! Check out this blog post below for tips!

This sister portrait just melts my heart! I loooooove the energy in this one, and their little sisterly bond is so joyful here. Definitely one to hang on the wall for many years to come!

Even the dog joined in their family portrait session!

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Beautiful Family Portraits in their own Backyard - Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

This was by far one of my favorite family sessions this spring! When the dad reached out to me to plan a portrait session as a Mother’s Day surprise for his wife, I knew that this was going to be an extra special session with his girls.

He told me that they “had a lot of land” and that he would love to do their session on their property to make it extra meaningful, but he was worried that they hadn’t landscaped much yet. No worries, I told him! Photographers have a knack for finding picturesque spots in the midst of something that the naked eye would think is just ordinary.

In order to make sure that we planned it for the perfect time of day when the light was most flattering, we chatted a bit about the yard, shared some cell phone pics to see how the sun sets behind the trees, and then walked around the property when I arrived to find the perfect spot. There was this one cluster of trees where the sun was setting directly behind them, and the sunlight was truly sparkling beautifully as it came through the leaves. Everything was golden, and I knew that it would be gorgeous in their photographs. Plus it had bright pops of color from a few flowering plants, and I love how it all came together as a backdrop for their portraits!

These sisters were ADORABLE and so, so good in front of the camera! We didn’t catch a single bad expression because they kept smiling and laughing the whole time! Read these tips for a meltdown-free portrait session with kids!

Don’t you just love how the light sparkles here?!?! Yeah, me too!

It’s hard to believe, but our calendar is already filling up for fall portrait sessions. If you’re planning on capturing beautiful memories like these of your family this year, now is the time to reach out and set a date for your session! I have plenty of locations in mind, and if you have a spot you’d like to try (like your own back yard!), let’s chat!

Check out these excuses to stop making for putting off your family portrait session!

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Outdoor Portraits for Adorable Sisters in Saratoga Springs

The start of spring welcomed so many beautiful family portrait sessions at some of my favorite photo shoot locations around Saratoga Springs! I truly loved seeing this sweet family again for their family portrait session in Saratoga Spa State Park. We captured so many beautiful images of their girls, and the most adorable sister portraits of the two of them together.

Now they are going to have so many gorgeous portraits to enjoy in their home, and their hallway will look amazing with their new artwork hung in frames of their two little girls!

If you’ve been putting off your family portrait session, check out these 10 excuses to stop making and schedule your portrait session this year!

Clara was all smiles, and she loved getting her turn to sit and be the star of the show! The last time I saw her was for her milestone session at the studio, and she wasn’t quite sitting up yet! Now she is an adorable toddler with so much personality, and she brought so much joy to the session!

Big sister Hannah brought all of the smiles to their sibling portraits, and some adorable sass to her individual portraits, too! She loved looking for caterpillars on the sidewalk and finding curiosities in nature at the park, and we had so much fun watching the little insects cross the path in between clicks of the camera.

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