Tips for your Newborn Session
- LET’S PENCIL YOU IN – (the sooner the better)
We recommend that you schedule your newborn session PRIOR to your baby’s birth to ensure a spot on our calendar. Communication helps the most! Text or message me when you know things are happening or scheduled to happen! - It's Time!
Newborn sessions should be scheduled within the first 14 days. However, I have done a few all the way up to 3 weeks that have worked out. The posing will change a little depending on their age. We’ll be moving them around and scrunching them into those sweet poses, so we want to make sure they’re sleepy enough to allow us to handle them. Every baby is different and other factors such as due date, early delivery, and such come into play in how the session goes. - WHERE?
The majority of our newborn sessions take place in my studio. If the weather is warm enough and you’re comfortable with the idea, we can do a few outdoors. - CRANK THE HEAT!
Newborns are used to being all bundled up,warm + cozy…and then we come in and yank off all their clothes for those adorable naked baby shots. They tend not to like that too much!
Pushing up the thermostat is guaranteed to make the session flow more smoothly and help them sleep better. We may be sweating, but baby will be nice and warm…and that’s really all that matters! So you may want to wear short sleeves so you don’t burn up in all that baby warmness. - LOOSEN UP!
Please loosen your baby’s diaper and clothing at least 30 minutes before the session. This gives those little imprint marks time to disappear. (You baby will be naked in most of the shots, but we pose them so that all the “important bits” are not on display.) Tight socks and shoes will also leave lines and marks. - SLEEPY?
Most of the images we’ll be shooting work best if the baby is in a deep sleep. To encourage this, we recommend that you do whatever it takes to make sure baby is nice and exhausted. Keeping your little one awake or giving them a good bath before coming might help them settle into that deep slumber we need. - HUNGRY?
A well fed baby is a happy baby! Please feed and burp baby right before our session to ensure a happy, sleepy (“milk drunk”) baby. We’ll also be more than happy to take as many breaks as needed to help him/her re-fuel. It’s tough work being a model! - SIBLINGS
If you have children and would like them to be included in some photos, we recommend bringing them in at the beginning or end of a session and then having someone take them. Only those children being photographed should be present to help maintain a calm environment. - PATIENCE IS KEY!
Newborn sessions can last anywhere from 2-4 hours. It all depends on baby’s mood and willingness to sleep. Unfortunately…this isn’t something we can predict! We ask that everyone remain calm, should he/she not want to sleep, since your baby will pick up on any frustration in the room. And if sleep doesn’t happen, that’s okay! Wide-eyed newborn photos are beautiful too. - RELAX!
Moms tend to stress out because this is a new experience…and they aren’t used to the waiting game that is newborn photography.
They see their baby being fussy or having a difficult time getting settled and panic.
“This is a disaster! They aren’t going to get ANY good photos!”
It isn’t, and we will! We take the baby’s lead; getting them to sleep before posing takes time and they may need to be fed or cuddled a few times first. In fact, we’d say that a good 50% of your session will involve feeding, diaper changes, and cuddling to get baby comfortable. If that doesn’t work, we’ll take a break or we’ll work with what baby is giving us - POOP HAPPENS!
Your baby is going to be in the buff for a lot of this shoot. Poop and pee happen!
This is natural and we expect it! Please don’t feel embarrassed or worry when this happens, because they all do it. We wash all of our baby props and blankets between each session.
If you would like shots in a diaper, it’s a good idea to have a cloth diaper, diaper cover in a solid color, bloomers, or something to put over the diaper. Diapers on their own tend to look a little messy and distracting in photos, but throwing a cover over it cleans things up. - PROPS!
We have a collection of bowls, baskets, blankets, knit hats and headbands. But to make them very personal, we welcome your own props and blankets. Looks for items with texture and color to help make your images unique. I love special props that make your photos unique to you and your family.
If you have any family heirlooms, toys, hats, favorite sports team items, props, etc. that you would like me to use in your session, bring them along. We may not get the chance to use ALL of the items, but we’ll look through them with you to determine what will work best.
*We also STRONGLY recommend that you discuss any ideas, props or poses you have in mind at least a week prior to your session. If you have a Pinterest board, share it with me or send me some images by text. - SPEAK UP!
Your baby’s safety comes first! If there is ever a point where you become uncomfortable, just let us know! We take every measure to ensure that your baby is never in any danger. For that reason, we will always make sure that a parent or assistant is nearby to lend support if needed. - BUT WHAT DO *I* WEAR?
I know! You just had a baby and aren’t feeling your best. But we think this is the perfect time to get a couple of shots of you too. This is an exciting time in your life and we want to capture all of that…so take care of yourself first!
As far as clothing? Keep it simple. Throw in a little color if you’d like, but skip the busy patterns. (And please don’t feel the need to match everyone.)
If you want some skin on skin shots with your newborn, consider a strapless top, cami or tank. - FOR THE MEN.
Your hands might play an important part in this shoot. J Even if you aren’t planning on participating much in the session, you’ll still be handling your baby a bit.
Trim and tidy your nails and apply lotion to any dry skin. A little clothing advice? Long or short sleeved knits are best. (Make sure there isn’t too much bagginess in the sleeve.) Undershirts also work well. We suggest you NOT wear button down shorts, and make sure your t-shirts are free of logos or too much writing.*Wrinkles do show up in photos, so please make sure all clothing is ironed or steamed.
