Prepping YOUR Baby FOR THEIR SESSION
Before your newborn session, please plan on feeding your baby just before I arrive. Leave them in their diaper with no clothes on. You should wrap baby in a blanket to keep them warm.Please try not to let your little one sleep in the hour beforehand, instead try giving them a bath or letting them kick around a bit. After they feed, I recommend burping your baby and then keeping them upright to avoid any upset stomachs. We want to aim for a nice deep sleep during the session and these tips will help ensure we can nail those sleepy newborn pictures! Your session will last around 90 minutes, depending on how much they’re able to sleep during our time together.
If your baby’s skin looks flaky or dry, you can use a little bit of baby lotion leading up to your photoshoot but please do not use any oil or lotion on their skin the day of your session as this can make baby look too shiny. I do love capturing fresh baby skin, and even a little flakiness on their skin can be super sweet. If there’s anything more serious like a rash that you wouldn’t want in your photographs, please let me know as soon as possible as we may be able to reschedule.
Please have a pacifier handy, ideally one that wont leave marks on their face is best. Even if you haven’t used one before, just for the few hours that I’m posting him/her can be helpful if your baby is unusually fussy. That said, I know some parents are hesitant to introduce a pacifier. If this is the case, don’t worry. We can complete the session without one but it might take a little bit longer.
WHAT TO WEAR
What you wear to your session is very important. It can mean the difference between good and great photos.
Mama, I recommend something you’re comfy in, first and foremost. A flowy dress is usually the best option. Pants are ok too, if that is what you’re most comfortable in! Soft, neutral colors with muted tones are best. Think: white, cream, tan, olive, blush pink, grey, etc. Definitely steer away from bright colors and t-shirts and tops with logos or bold patterns.
It’s best to plan your outfit first and then coordinate dad and sibling outfits around this. Try not to be too matchy-matchy, but think complimentary!
Let’s face it, taking care of yourself can go on the back burner when you’ve just had a baby. The only tip I’ll give you is to make sure your fingernails are clean and tidy and that your hands are moisturized as I often use your hands to hold baby in photos. If you need help with clothing options, I’m just an email away!
SESSION FLOW
The first part of your session is when I usually photograph your newborn on their own. This is done on my bean bag which will be set up next to a window with natural light. I like to include a couple of parenting/sibling photos during this time. I will pull you each into the photo for a few minutes, and when you are not needed, you can just sit back and relax. If baby is wide awake when I arrive, we can always do individual bean bag newborn photos last.
With sibling images, I will gently encourage them to get involved but I will not force them as we don’t want to turn them off the experience completely. We all know toddlers and young children can be very strong willed! Bribes are encouraged to help get the shots you want!
The second part of the session is parent/family photos. I love capturing these in a relaxed lifestyle way. This captures the more natural and intimate moments of you all interacting with your new baby and it’s definitely best when toddlers and young children can be involved!
I love doing these on the bed or couch, but will defer to a spot where we can find best lighting, even if this means just standing by a window!
To get your room ready for your parent and family photos, make sure that your bed has a white, off-white, or cream colored bed spread. If your duvet cover is colored or patterned in any way, you can always take the duvet cover off and just leave the white insert as your bed spread. Alternatively you can throw a big white blanket on top of your bed to cover the colored duvet. Colored blankets and duvets can cast colors onto your faces making it difficult to edit skin tones. Please remove anything from your side tables and floor around the bed so that you do not see any additional clutter in your photos.
AFTER YOUR SESSION
Around 2 weeks after your session, you will receive an online gallery link to your final images. At this stage, you will choose which digital collection you would like to purchase. Your options will be to purchase 10 images, 20 images, or ALL images from your online gallery. You also have the option to add beautiful print products that will get delivered straight to your door if you wish. At a minimum, you must purchase 10 images. Anything over that is optional.
Your gallery will be open for 3 days for you to make your choices. If you are needing more time to choose your print products (prints & frames) these can be purchased at any time after you have your digital collection.
Remember to store your purchased digital images somewhere safe! I do not guarantee images after 2 months.