The Photos You'll Be Glad You Took: Meet Boston Baby Photos

2 days ago
4 min read

If you have a baby, you probably have a camera roll that looks a little something like this:

A hundred photos of your baby sleeping.

A few blurry ones from the middle of the night.

Tiny hands. Tiny feet. A very serious face during tummy time.

And probably not nearly enough photos of you.

Because when you're the parent, you're usually the one taking the picture.

But years from now, those ordinary little moments might be the ones you want to remember most.

The way your newborn fit perfectly against your chest. The morning cuddles. The chaos of your living room. Your toddler's favorite pajamas. The way your baby looked at you before they knew how quickly everything would change.

For more than 23 years, Boston Baby Photos has been helping families capture exactly those moments.

And this year, we're so excited to have them supporting The CLIMB Boston 2026.

Meet Jess

Jess McDaniel started Boston Baby Photos more than two decades ago because she wanted to spend her days doing something pretty simple: telling family stories through photographs.

Since then, she's photographed just about every stage of family life.

Maternity sessions. Newborns at home. First birthdays. Family celebrations. Kids running around the Boston Public Garden. High school seniors getting ready to head off into the world.

And somehow, after all these years, she still loves it.

Especially the beginning.

The Newborn Days

Newborn sessions are Jess's favorite.

It's that strange, beautiful time when everything feels brand new. You're exhausted and completely in love. You're figuring out how to care for this tiny person while also figuring out who you are in this new version of your life.

Jess gets to step into families' homes during that time and document it as it really is.

Not overly posed.

Not perfectly staged.

Just your family.

The snuggles, the little details, the sleepy faces, and the moments in between.

And sometimes, that first newborn session becomes the beginning of something much longer.

Jess has had the privilege of watching families grow through the years, photographing their babies as newborns and then seeing them become toddlers, kids, and eventually teenagers.

There's something pretty special about that.

You Don't Need to Photograph Everything

Jess has a piece of advice for parents that we love:

“Capture the moment that tells the story, then put your phone down and be part of it.”

Because you really don't need 47 pictures of the same moment.

You just need the one that makes you feel something.

And then you can put the phone away.

Watch your baby discover something for the first time. Sit on the floor and play. Let your toddler pull you into whatever game they've invented that day.

The photo is there to help you remember the moment, not replace it.

And Please, Get in the Picture

There's another part of Jess's advice that might be even more important:

Get in the photo.

It's so easy to spend your children's entire childhood behind the camera.

You're the one taking the birthday pictures.

You're the one documenting the first day of school.

You're the one making sure everyone else is in the frame.

But someday, your kids are going to want to see you, too.

They'll want to see what you looked like holding them.

They'll want to see the way you laughed together.

They'll want proof that you were right there beside them through all of those little years.

So hand someone your phone.

Set the timer.

Hire the photographer.

Whatever works.

Just get in the picture.

Helping Parents Tell Their Own Stories

Jess is also taking her love of family storytelling beyond professional photography.

She's currently building Family Iconic, an online membership designed to help parents use their phones to capture the moments that matter during their child's first three years.

Instead of feeling like you need to photograph everything, Jess helps parents understand what to photograph at each age and stage, how to make those photos beautiful, and how to make sure they're actually in them.

She'll even help families turn those photographs into an album they can keep and look back on for years.

It's basically a little guidance for parents who want to document their families without spending their entire lives behind their phones.

And honestly, we love that.

Because These Years Go Fast

Jess has spent more than two decades photographing families, but she knows that the photographs are about much more than pretty pictures.

The postpartum period can be joyful and overwhelming at the same time. It can be full of love and still feel lonely. It can be everything you hoped for and completely different from what you expected.

That's why supporting perinatal mental health is so important to Jess.

She believes parents deserve support, connection, and a community around them.

And that's exactly what we're working toward with The CLIMB Boston 2026.

Because building a village isn't only about helping families through the difficult moments.

It's also about giving them the space to slow down and appreciate the good ones.

A Little Reminder From Jess

You don't need the perfect house.

You don't need the perfect outfit.

You don't need your baby to be perfectly happy.

You don't even need a professional camera.

You just need to notice the moment.

Take the photo.

Then put your phone down.

And go be in it.

Because someday, those little moments that feel completely ordinary might be the ones you miss the most.

Save the Moment. Then Live It.

We're so grateful to have Boston Baby Photos supporting The CLIMB Boston 2026 and the work we're doing to build stronger postpartum support for Boston families.

If you're expecting, newly postpartum, or simply want to document your family as it grows, Jess offers maternity, newborn, baby, and family photography throughout the Boston area, along with resources for parents who want to learn how to capture their own everyday moments.

You can learn more at www.bostonbabyphotos.com or follow @bostonbabyphotos.

And in the meantime, consider this your reminder:

Get in the picture. Your kids will want to see you there.

Check out our host websites and learn more about The CLIMB Boston 2026: