Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Starr.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Photographs have always held a certain magic for me. As far back as I can remember, I have always been the girl with a camera in hand and a stack of photo albums on the shelf at home.
When I first moved to Boston at age 22, I remember spending hours walking around the city just photographing all of the little alleys, brick buildings, street vendors, and landmarks. Every weekend was a new adventure and time to explore another part of the city with my camera. I also spent a lot of time traveling in South America and Europe in my twenties, and of course, my camera never left my side. I would arrive home and meticulously go through my images to create albums and decide which prints to hang on my walls. My favorite travel photographs were always the ones that showed a story unfolding between the people just off to the side of those historical buildings — a grandmother hanging her laundry in Italy, a couple walking through a plaza in Spain, a dog laying at the feet of an accordion player in Argentina. These were the photographs that made me fall in love with portraits and made me want to start photographing more people and not just cityscapes!
I started Nicole Starr Photography in 2012 as a creative outlet while working full-time as a teacher. It wasn’t long before I found that my true passion lay in capturing moments for young families. I fell in love with newborn and baby photography. Now, rather than spending hours photographing buildings and cityscapes, I spend hours getting lost in the sweet perfection of a little one who is only a few days or months old. By 2015, I left my teaching job and started running my business full time!
I’m now six years into chasing this dream and I truly adore watching babies grow into toddlers and school-age children. It really is an honor to be invited into their families’ lives to capture their stories for them year after year. I have expanded my portrait photography business into Saratoga Springs, NY; started mentoring other photographers from around the country; and created a line of backdrops for sale that are inspired by the hand-made drops I design for my cake smash sessions. It truly has been a wild ride0 and I am loving every second of it!
Please tell us about your art.
I am a storyteller with a camera and I specialize in baby & family photography. I love working with young families to celebrate their little one’s milestones, and most of my portrait sessions at the studio are bumps (maternity), babies (newborns and milestones), and birthdays (cake smashes). In the warmer weather, I spend my evenings photographing families in downtown Boston and on the beaches of Cape Cod.
I believe that babies are perfect just as they are and that we don’t need a lot of props to distract from that beauty. My sessions are simple and classic with just a touch of whimsy. I use a lot of neutrals (creams, whites, grays) in the studio, as well as natural materials in the handful of classic props that I keep on hand. Our cake smashes are a bit more colorful with the handmade backdrops that I create for each session, and I truly love bringing these themes to life and planning the sessions down to the very last detail with my clients — the backdrop, the cake, the outfit, and even the cake topper are all carefully selected to create a beautiful birthday experience for your little one.
All of my portrait sessions are relaxed and playful as families cuddle up together, babies explore, and children let their personalities shine. I aim to capture the real moments that unfold — your babies laughing, your children dancing together, the way your little one curls into your chest when you hold them close. My goal is to capture moments for you that you’ll look back on in 30 years and that will transport you right back to this moment and the way your family felt back then.
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
My favorite memories growing up involved sitting next to the cabinet and pulling out all of the photo albums, carefully going through the stories that were spread across the pages. But now we live in a digital world where technology becomes outdated faster than we can keep up with it, and families have so many things in their lives that steal their attention and their time that printing their photos is often the very last priority. Photographers often comment on how our children will not have any physical photographs to look back on 50 years from now. Sadly, they will all be lost on a hard drive somewhere and inaccessible with whatever new technology replaces the USB.
As an artist, my goal is to create a keepsake for every family that they can hold in their hands or hang on their wall to enjoy these portraits. Whether it’s a beautifully crafted fine art album (these are my personal favorite!) or framed prints for a gallery wall, I want them to see their memories every single day. I want their portraits to put a smile on their face and give them something in their homes that they can enjoy with their children as they grow.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You’ll find me on Facebook and Instagram, where I share new images every day to give you a peek into our sessions and behind the scenes at the studio. Check out the hashtag #NSPbaby on Instagram for cuteness overload! You’ll also see lots of inspiration on our blog and website.
We’re now booking for the summer and fall in Boston and on Cape Cod, as well as at our studios in Attleboro and Saratoga Springs. I would love the opportunity to chat with you about creating the perfect portrait experience for your family!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nicolestarrphotography.com
- Email: hello@nicolestarrphotography.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/nicolestarrphotography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/nicolestarrphotography
- Other: www.pinterest.com/nicole_starr/
Image Credit:
Cassandra Lauren Photography, Nicole Starr Photography
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