Léa Cartier has been photographing NYC families for over 15 years. Her boutique studio specializes in maternity, newborn, family, boudoir, and portrait sessions, with two locations — Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens and Broadway in Manhattan. Book your session online below.
book nowArrive and we take care of the rest. Our hair and makeup artists get you camera-ready while you relax. Our wardrobe room holds around 30 gowns and silks across every size, so you don’t need to shop or pack. Léa guides you through posing, pacing, and lighting — the whole session is designed so you stop worrying and start enjoying it.
Pregnancy is a chapter that disappears fast. Léa has 15 years photographing NYC pregnancies — elegant, modern portraits that feel true to you, not the stiff pregnancy photos you’ve seen elsewhere. Sessions happen at our Brooklyn or Manhattan studio, with our full wardrobe of gowns, silks, and wraps. Editorial lighting, private space, nothing rushed. See the full maternity experience on the next page.
Maternity Experience
Newborn sessions are calm, quiet, and safe. 15 years of newborn experience means Léa knows how to soothe a fussy baby, position them safely, and work around feedings and naps. Sessions happen at our Brooklyn or Manhattan studio — or at your home, especially in those first two weeks when keeping baby settled is easier there. Expect soft neutral backdrops, organic wraps, and thoughtful, unhurried images your family will keep forever.
Newborn photo session
For newborn and baby milestone sessions, we come to you. Getting a baby or toddler across town is hard — in-home sessions eliminate that. We bring our studio lighting, wraps, and backdrops to your living room or nursery. We serve all five boroughs, with frequent bookings in Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, and downtown Manhattan. The image quality matches our studio work.
Newborn experience
You don’t shop for your session. Our wardrobe has 30+ gowns, silks, and wraps in sizes XS through 3X, plus accessories — so you arrive, we pull what works, done. For newborn sessions we have a second wardrobe: organic wraps, delicate knits, simple outfits, and photo props (baskets, swings, wooden bowls). Every piece is chosen to match the clean, editorial look of our portfolio — what you see on the site is what your session produces.
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Every image we deliver is color-corrected and edited in our signature style — softer skin tones, consistent color, clean backgrounds. Files come to you through a private online gallery. From the gallery you can order deeper retouching (smoothing, body sculpting, digital compositions) or prints. Nothing is outsourced — Léa edits every session herself.
For a handful of favorites, optional advanced retouching takes an image from a nice portrait to something you’d see in a magazine. We smooth skin thoughtfully (not plastic-looking), adjust posture, soften fabric wrinkles, and clean up stray hair. Every decision is discussed with you — nothing is done you didn’t approve. See our before/after gallery for examples of what’s possible on real sessions.
Maternity retouching
Printed photos outlive hard drives and phone lifespans. We offer archival fine-art prints, matted and framed wall pieces, folio boxes, and linen-bound albums. Everything is printed in a professional lab on heavyweight archival paper, color-managed to match what’s on your screen. You order directly from your online gallery. Most clients end up with one larger wall piece and a family album.
newborn fine art
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Your prints are orderable about two weeks after your session, when your final gallery goes live. Options include open-edition fine-art prints, matted and framed wall art, folio boxes of matted prints, and linen or leather-bound albums. Everything printed on archival paper that won’t yellow or fade for 100+ years. Choose what suits your home and budget — we’ll guide you if useful.
book nowOur Brooklyn studio is at 74 Verona Street (Red Hook / Carroll Gardens) — free street parking, F and G subway lines nearby. Our Manhattan studio is at 873 Broadway near Union Square — elevator access, 4/5/6 and L/N/Q/R/W trains one block away. We work with clients across the five boroughs plus New Jersey and Long Island. Say hello via the Contact page and we’ll get you on the calendar.
About our studio
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I was super nervous to be photographed with my big belly, but Léa was warm and comforting and a great modeling coach. I felt pampered by Léa’s team, and guided every step of the way. There were soft silks and beautiful necklaces options I felt like I was on a fairytale maternity shoot for Vanity Fair… so glamorous, sexy, and fun! Even my husband enjoyed being in the family photos. Definitely a great maternity photoshoot experience!
Léa is my go-to photographer. I came in for a headshot in 2017 when I got a promotion at my job and it was such an incredible experience. Léa understood exactly what I wanted and my photos came out stunning and natural. When I found out I was expecting, I immediately rebooked Léa. Honestly, the experience exceeded all my expectations. It felt incredible to be cared for and glamourized in my maternity shoot. I chose the soft blue silk and felt like an enchantress. I can’t recommend her enough and can’t wait to come back for a newborn photoshoot.
I am in love with Léa’s work. We came in for a cake smash photoshoot with my one year old son. It was such a good time. Usually my son is super fussy with strangers but his attitude stood no chance at Le Studio. Léa brought out the works to make him feel comfortable and smile: bubbles, foam, and songs! We have the most adorable photos of that day. When I saw her maternity photos, I knew I had to come back. The pregnancy shoot was so special. I framed my favorite and mounted it in my bedroom. It honestly brings me to tears when I see it. It was such a difficult pregnancy, but in the photoshoot, I felt blissful and joyful, and I am so grateful to have captured that moment. Thank you, Léa, for everything.
