Penelope's 7 Month Milestone Session with a Strawberries & cream milk bath

I love catching up with our Baby Plan babies for their milestone sessions halfway through the first year, and I was so happy to welcome little miss Penelope back into the studio.

First, I couldn’t even get over how much hair this sweet girl has at only 7 months old, and second she won me over with her smile, tiny little teeth, and the cute little cleft in her chin.

Her mama bought this pretty pink outfit for her when she was pregnant — it was the very first outfit she bought for her baby girl. So of course we had to capture some portraits of sweet Penelope in it at the studio!

I love this phase when they lay on their backs and discover how much fun their toes are!!

Then we used a beautiful new watercolor romper from the STUDIO CLOSET that her mama saw on my Instagram stories and fell in love with. Doesn’t Penelope look so sweet in this?

This happy baby girl finished up with a strawberries and cream milk bath, perfect for a summertime baby!

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Classic and Nautical Milestone Portraits for Baby Holden

I love watching our Baby Plan babies grow! Holden came to our Attleboro portrait studio for his 6 month milestone session, and he showed off his smiley personality and ALL OF HIS ROLLS! This sweet boy seriously has the best leg rolls and arm rolls ever, and I could just hug and squeeze him all day long to enjoy that squishy baby stage that he is in right now!

We started off his session in the baptism outfit that has been passed down in his family and worn by so many little babies.

Then of course we did a striped romper for a few nautical inspired portraits to complement the nautical newborn portraits that we took when he was born. He is just recently working on sitting up, and I love how proud he is of himself when he finds his balance and sits upright without any help! Just look at that big smile!

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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.  

7 Month Milestone Portraits for Baby Jonas

These milestone sessions are so much fun, and I love seeing how much these little babies have grown since their newborn session! This age is perfect for portraits because babies are coming into their little personalities and they’re becoming curious about the world and the people in it.

They are learning to sit on their own, grab their toes, play on their backs, and laugh. They rock tummy time, have the cutest smiles, and some babies even have their first tooth already!

Jonas joined me at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio for his 7 month milestone session, and he did such a wonderful job in front of the camera! He was so playful and curious, and he loved all of the attention! Plus, his mama planned the most adorable outfits for her baby boy!

Can you even believe how beautiful his blue eyes are? And that wispy hair?!

Peek-a-boo! Always a favorite game at this age!

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

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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, and she also works with families at her Attleboro, MA studio and on location in Boston and on Cape Cod. 

The portrait studio is filled with neutrals, luxe fabrics, and 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.  

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A Boho and Peony Milestone Session with Corinne

Peonies have long been my favorite flower. We had them on the tables at our wedding, and I even made my own wedding bouquet full of these fluffy pink beauties. I have a vase of faux peonies on our nightstand, and we planted six peony bushes in our front yard when we moved into our house.

This spring I am so excited to use these beautiful blooms in the studio! Corinne came to the studio for a boho milestone session filled with peonies, and I love the dreamy look of her portraits! Her romper & floral crown were the perfect complements to these flowers.

She had the cutest little giggle, and I was so happy that we captured this whole-body laugh!

Funny faces are my favorite! We always capture the smiles, the serious faces, and the faces filled with wonder… but the ones where they scrunch up their faces into the cutest little expressions always make me smile!

A 6 month milestone session for baby Ella

Ella is one of our Baby Planners, and I loved seeing how much she has grown when she came to the studio for her 6 month milestone session! It’s always amazing to watch these little babies during the first year as they begin to master new skills and really come into their personalities, and Little Miss Ella was no exception. This girl is so happy & smiley, and she truly rocked her portrait session!

Ella LOVED hanging out on this tiny bed that we just added to the prop closet. Her favorite part was using it as a teething toy, hahaha! Once she realized she could fit the wooden rails in her mouth she didn’t want to let go, and it had us all cracking up watching how excited she was!

Then we did a few portraits on our big girl bed (a.k.a. the white fluffy adult sized bed!). Ella’s mama packed the cutest white onesie with lace eyelet sleeves, and I love how simple and classic it looked in this all white set up. The lace ruffles really made it special!

Have a favorite toy or doll? Be sure to bring it to your baby’s milestone session! These cuddle + kind dolls have been making an appearance in many of our sessions for the past year or two, and I love it when they’re the same size as the babies!

Ella’s mama and daddy’s favorite portraits were in this chair with the mauve romper from our studio closet. We probably only spent about 2 minutes in this set up, but Ella brought out all of the smiles and belly laughs for so many adorable portraits! Here are just a few favorites!

Baby Outfit Ideas | Wardrobe Inspiration for Your Baby's Milestone Portrait Session

You’re so excited!!! You just booked your baby’s milestone session and you can’t wait to capture their little smile, that tiny curl of hair, and those adorable chubby legs that you love to cover in kisses. These portraits are always some of my favorites

But wait a second… what does a baby wear to a milestone session?!?!

This is probably your first time dressing your baby for portraits (after all, they just wore a swaddle in their newborn photos!), but I’ve dressed hundreds of babies for their portrait sessions and I have plenty of ideas to make it easier for you.

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OUTFIT INSPIRATION FOR YOUR MILESTONE SESSION

Flaunt those itty bitty baby features that you love so much.

Babies are only this little for a little while, and their elbow dimples, chunky thigh rolls, and puffy little tummies are the cutest things ever about this stage. Show it off! I recommend avoiding dresses that cover the legs — instead, choose rompers for baby girls to give them room to move their legs and find their toes. For boys, wearing just a pair of pants to show that cute baby belly is so classic. Plus, you’ll see those photos and just want to smooch that perfect little belly!

There’s nothing more classic than a simple white onesie.

I did my son’s monthly photos in a white onesie, and I always suggest clients go for this look when they want a few simple and extremely classic portraits. They make some cute ones with ruffles and eyelet lace details on the sleeves for baby girls if you’re looking for something a little special, too!

Go for a pop of color against our all white studio!

Pale blue, lavender, aqua, and pink all look amazing against our white walls, couch, and bed!

Make sure baby can move freely.

Opt for fabrics with a little stretch so baby can reach, crawl, and wiggle. After all, they’ve been practicing all of these new skills so let them use their whole body and show us what they can do!

Go barefoot.

Yes, baby shoes are cute, but they don’t look cute in photographs because you can only see the soles of the feet. Let’s show off their toes instead!

Show some skin.

When they’re this little, baby boys & baby girls are oh so sweet with their cute little baby bellies and soft arm rolls. Don’t be afraid to have one of their “outfits” be just a diaper, diaper cover, or a pair of knit pants! We can always use a soft blanket to cover up, too — and to play peek-a-boo!

Ruffles & lace.

Both beautiful options in photographs. You can’t go wrong with these sweet feminine details.

Consider fabric textures and your baby’s sensitive skin.

Remember when you were a kid and your mom dressed you in a scratchy tulle dress or itchy wool tights? You were miserable. Let’s give your baby the best shot at a happy session by making sure they are cool, comfortable, and content. Use soft fabrics that won’t irritate their skin. Opt for knitted fabrics (think sweater knit, not jersey knit) for a truly beautiful texture in photographs.

Avoid anything crocheted for the best portraits — even though sweet Aunt Sally was so excited to give you that crocheted turtle outfit, I’ve found that these are usually made with cheap yarn that cause the babies to sweat and immediately get a red heat rash on their skin. Then they’re crying and inconsolable the rest of the session. Nobody wants that! Plus, crocheted items don’t usually fall right on their little bodies the way clothing that is knitted can hug them beautifully. Thank your dear Aunt Sally, snap a cell phone pic, and share that with her. ;o)

Neutrals never go out of style.

Avoid anything too busy, bold, or neon. Neutrals look amazing with details like stripes, lace, eyelet lace, smocking, buttons, and knitted textures.

Still not sure what to wear? Check out our studio closet filled with beautiful options for your little one! If you’re thinking of wearing a studio outfit, let me know ahead of time what size your baby is and which outfits you have in mind and I will let you know if they’ll fit and get them ready for you ahead of time. Plus, be sure to ask me what’s new in the closet because we’re always adding new pieces for families to enjoy!

Nora's Six Month Milestone Session

Six month old babies are definitely at the top of the list of my favorite things to photograph.

Nora came to our Saratoga Springs portrait studio for her milestone session, and she was all about showing off those two adorable new teeth! This sweet baby girl was right on the brink of learning to crawl when we did her portraits, and she was happiest on her tummy while moving her little arms and legs as if she were swimming.

Nora’s mama chose a few outfits from our studio wardrobe for her session — did you see that WE HAVE AN ENTIRE BABY CLOSET FILLED WITH OUTFITS for your little one’s portraits? You can show up with just your diaper bag and we’ll do the rest to help you create beautiful portraits with outfits and a style you’ll love!

Nora’s big brother Greyson joined us for a few sibling portraits, and he did such a great job getting his baby sister to smile. He is such an amazing big brother!

Merry Christmas from Baby Starr | Grayson's Gingerbread House Smash

A few things I’ve learned as a photographer and now first-time mom this year…

Before having a baby I said that I would have a million photoshoots of Grayson this year. My husband joked throughout the pregnancy that he was putting a limit on how many photos I could take of the baby. One thousand photos… PER DAY. ;o) I remember saving a few ideas last Christmas and thinking I would love to do so many of them next December when our little guy was here.

And then I had a baby. Once I went back to work and started juggling work & a baby, I realized that if I didn’t carve out time for documenting my son’s first year it wouldn’t happen. So I started putting it on the calendar and I am so glad I did! Grayson’s first holiday photo shoot is one of my favorites that I have done with him this year, and I am so excited to share it here on the blog!

Of course it was going to be clean & simple with a very minimalistic look. I adore stripes, and the majority of my closet AND Grayson’s closet is stripes. So Jeff and I picked out this cute red and white striped pajama set for our little guy’s portraits, and I chose a few bottle brush trees for the decor. The gingerbread house was enough to add some color and make it all come together!

Confession: I had never made a gingerbread house before this one! I scoured Pinterest for ideas and found out that they can really get quite intricate. I stayed up late decorating this little house and listening to holiday music with a Christmas candle burning on the counter. It was one of my favorite nights so far this holiday season! Now I think that gingerbread houses are going to have to become a holiday tradition as our son grows and can start adding his own creative confections to the houses!

Grayson loved his little gingerbread house smash — even though there wasn’t much smashing that happened because that icing held everything together like cement! He also loved practicing his new favorite skill — blowing raspberries and making us laugh!

He’s my favorite little elf.

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.