What to Expect for your Newborn Session

How to Prepare + What to Expect

Newborn babies are only so little for so long. Capturing that fresh new baby is an absolute joy of mine and I something I truly love doing. With this information we can ensure to make this a pleasurable and enjoyable event for everyone. Scheduling the session before the baby is 14 days is best – baby’s skin has not yet started to peel and their stomachs are less often upset. As soon as baby has arrived reach out to me and we will match our schedules to find a date that is best for me to come.  If you are having a Bris, please let me know and we will plan to do the pictures before that. I schedule my sessions at 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays with an occasional weekend date. We start with parent and sibling shots and as soon as they are done, I encourage mom to put her cozy clothes back on and for dad to take the siblings away from our working area to keep the room calm and relaxed for baby.

PREPARE

I come with a full mobile studio with all the props necessary for the shoot. You do not need to provide anything. When you have confirmed that baby is here, I send a questionnaire to outline all of your color and prop preferences.

Keep your home warm. If it is the summer, plan to shut the air conditioner vent in the area of the house where we will be working. I bring a portable heater to make it even warmer. A nice hot room will ensure that baby is comfortable and will settle into a nice deep sleep. If we are not sweating, it is not hot enough!

After the last diaper change prior to my arrival, please leave baby’s clothes off with a diaper only. Loosen the diaper to help any red marks disappear, swaddle baby nice and warm and if possible keep baby awake. A nice bath or play time will tire baby out and get her ready for me.I know that this is not always possible but anything we can do to have a sleepy baby for the session is helpful.

As I am setting up, please feed baby – either nurse or a give a full bottle. We want a milk coma! We take plenty of breaks if necessary to feed but it is great to start with a full tummy.

Please have a pacifier available. Pacifiers are so helpful to help baby settle into the poses. A baby will not forever depend on a pacifier from using it sporadically throughout their session.

Please also have wipes and a rags/burp cloths available for me to clean up any messes that will occur during the session! I come in gym/work clothes and expect to get messy while working! All of my swaddles, wraps and backdrops are machine washable so please do not worry when a mess happens!

I set up in a well lit part of your home – on occasion we may move a bit of furniture. When I arrive I will walk around to find the best shooting location.

Often times, the family pictures will be taken on your bed so please make sure the bed is made and the pillows are fluffed. I will sometimes use a blank wall in your home for standing shots. I quick removal of a picture on the wall will be perfect for this.

DURING YOUR SESSION

I encourage you to watch me work my ‘baby whisperer magic’! Please feel free to take a few snapshots with your cell phone – if you post them on your social media be sure to tag me. If you happen to catch a picture of me in it, I’ll ask you to send it to me so I can share it on my Instagram – behind the scenes pictures are a favorite of mine!

If baby is truly not settling I may ask for you to step out of the room. I find that if baby can smell mom they may not always relax as well. Take this time to take a shower, make a cup of tea or close your eyes for a few minutes.

I follow a flow of poses and work my hardest to get every shot. Baby dictates the session and we follow their cues. We will only do what they allow, therefore this makes every gallery unique.

AFTER YOUR SESSION

You will be very excited to see you baby’s very first photo shoot! I will post a sneak peek on both my Facebook and Instagram pages the evening of your shoot. I encourage you to tag and share the beautiful photo of your babe. All your friends and family are very eager to see your new bundle of joy.

During my editing process I select the very best captures from the day and provide all the best ones to you. I guarantee 30 final images all fully edited by me.

Two weeks after to your shoot you will receive a link to an online gallery to download and save all the images from your session. Within the gallery you are able to purchase prints, canvases, and albums. If you elect not to order from me the only service that I endorse for prints is www.mpix.com. They are the consumer division of a professional printer so I guarantee that your images will print correctly from them. I do not guarantee print quality from big box stores such as Walgreens or Walmart.

When you share your images, please tag or mention me as your photographer. Referral business is my favorite business.

I love when my clients refer me to their friends – referral business is my favorite business.

SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What should I wear for the family pictures? I encourage you to wear something comfortable and neutral. You have a new baby so please do not feel obligated to exhaust yourself while getting dressed. Linen, leggings and a tunic, soft robe or dress is perfect. Have dad wear something casual, jeans or khakis and a plain shirt collared or not is perfect. For the sibling shots, I love sister in a simple dress and brother in jeans and a plain shirt just like dad.

Can I incorporate a blanket that my grandma made or an heirloom that has been passed down the generations? Of course, I am always happy to add these beautiful pieces into your session. I will use my artistic eye to feature them in a way that matches my style and makes for a beautiful picture.

I saw something on Pinterest that I really want to try, can we do it? We can certainly try – I will keep in line with my style so it may be a bit different but original and special for you and your baby.

How long do I have to download the final images? Your gallery is active for 30 days after your receive it. I keep galleries for 6 months and then they are purged. Please guarantee you have your photos backed up. I am happy to send you a flash drive of your images as an external back up for $50.