Newborn Sessions ~ What to Expect
Newborn sessions are my joy. Those sweet brand new little angles are my muse. Photographing them makes my day and that is why I have chosen to make them one of my specialties. I spend some time every day learning to perfect my craft. Hopefully this little section will help you to prepare for your session as well.
Preparing For Your Session:
-Once you decide to schedule a session with me, we will set a tentative date based on your due date. I understand that babies rarely come when predicted and I will accommodate their personal plans for arrival. But a due date will give us a base line. Once your infant is born, please get in touch with me and we will firm up our date and time. Babies are best photographed in the first 10 days of their new little lives. They sleep better, don’t have colic yet, and usually haven’t started developing baby acne or cradle cap. If you are a c-section Mom, we can work out something out. I know that recovery can be slow and painful. Some of my clients send baby to the Studio with Dad.
-When we schedule your session, we will have a conversation about what you are looking for. Do you want only pictures of the baby? Are you more interested in your infant being photographed with family than in some of my props? Are you bringing siblings? Will Dad be there? Do you want some skin on skin shots? Are there specific poses you are looking for? For example, if one of you is a soldier, do you want your infant to be photographed with props that you will bring from home like a flag or helmet? All of these questions will help me to build a session that is a perfect fit for you.
-Please do not feed your infant before coming to see me for your newborn session. I will give you space and time to feed the baby and sooth him/her to sleep once you arrive. The reason this works best is that if you feed your baby before you come he/she will start their sleep cycle while in his car seat. No good. We want them to do that at the studio. This is how we achieve those oh so precious sleeping poses!
- Please bring enough for 4 feedings, weather your baby is breast or bottle fed, running out of food will end the session short if we have a baby who will not settle down. also diapers - 8-10 you never know how the day is going to go!
- It is always nice to have a pacifier. This will help me to sooth your baby in between poses. If you have chosen not to use a pacifier, please be prepared to help me by having your finger ready for your baby to suck on.
- I photograph babies in their birthday suits. I have Props that do include some clothing items, but they are not traditional infant clothing. Newborn babies just don’t fill out clothes properly. They are so much sweeter without all that bulky fabric. I would be happy to schedule another session down the road to photograph your baby in any special outfits, especially christening / blessing outfits.
-What should you wear? Wear something comfortable. Keep in mind that I rarely if ever show anything below the waist in a portrait. So you can wear shorts, jeans, or whatever else you choose. As far as tops are concerned I LOVE black tank tops for Moms. Tan, White or Black shirts and blouses are best, the neutral tones don’t distract from the details of your little one. Bring something to change into after I am done photographing you with baby that is nice and cool. I keep my studio very warm at around 75 degrees. It is all about the baby. So think about keeping cool when you are choosing clothing.
- I strongly encourage you to bring any special hats, hair-bands, bracelets etc…. You may not like what I have and I may fall in love with what you bring. So not only will your additions give us more to choose from they are also extra special since they belong to your little one.
- Siblings - I am perfectly comfortable with your children at my studio. I do require atlas one other adult to be present with the other child or children at all times as to keep our focus on the session at hand. (one adult is required for every two children under 12 besides the baby being photographed.) I have a wonderful play area for them to stay busy when they are not holding their new sibling. My children are always happy to play with new friends if they are with me on that particular day. All I ask is that if they make a mess you help to clean it up. You know your children best. If your youngster has special needs then please stay with them at all times.
- Newborn sessions are very time consuming so please plan accordingly with the session package you chose when planing your day. It's common for a session to run over 4 hours.
- If you have scheduled your session in the late afternoon / early evening please take traffic into consideration. Poor timing can be the death of us all. If you find yourself running behind schedule and even think you might be late, please contact me to give me a heads up, I really appreciate communication!
- Lastly, if you should think of anything before you come please feel free to contact me.
During Your Session:
-Once you arrive I will give you some time in my studio to feed and soothe your baby. Once he/she is happy and sleepy we will start posing. Some props/headbands may be selected and discussed at this time.
-I start my sessions by taking some portraits of your baby on a beanbag. I am looking for some great body shots and capturing some of baby’s bits and pieces like her hands and feet.
-After that we will move on to some relationship poses. I will get my pictures with Mom, Dad and Siblings at this time (if that's a part of your chosen session). These portraits are sure to tug on your heart strings for years to come as you are brought back to those magical first moments you had with your infant. I have the training and skills to make sure you look your best so that you will be proud to hang your
portraits in your home for all to see.
-Once we have these more important poses under our belt, I will move on to photographing your newborn in the props that you have chosen. These hand-picked props are selected with specific criteria in place to insure that they are safe, comfortable for your infant and will not draw attention away from your baby. They help me to create stunning art pieces for you to hang in your home.
-Before you leave, I will ask you to sign a model release. This allows me to use your images to promote my business without compensation; and post images to my blog and Facebook page (yes, that includes “Sneak Peeks”).
{Casting Calls~ the model release must be signed before session starts.}
-I may also ask you if your baby can model some new props designed by me for my storefront on Etsy, it is completely up to you if you’d like your baby to model for my prop line or not. All images taken for my prop line will also be included in your final gallery of images.
After Your Session:
-Now you can go home and relax and dream about all the beautiful images that will soon be yours.
-I go through the images from your session and select the best. I am looking for the cream of the crop. I usually narrow it down to 25-40 images. (Sometimes I get carried away; there may be more Incredible images than this so please be prepared if there are more to choose from!)
-Once I have the “final cut” selected I go through each individual picture. I look to correct any blemishes. Tiny details like baby acne or hairs on shirts once corrected can make all the difference in an image! My process also includes looking for images that would shine with a special artistic touch. Each image I process gets individual attention to detail, I spend anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes per image editing to ensure top quality final images. I convert most of your images to black and white as well. If there is an image I don’t convert and you would like it as a black and white please contact me and I will add it to your gallery.
-Your images will be ready proofing within 2-4 weeks depending on how busy I am at that time of year. (Wedding season and holidays are often very busy times for me) Once they are completed I will send you an email with a link to your gallery. Every Session includes a password protected online gallery on my website where you can view and purchase your images. I offer a WIDE variety of print and product options. You can even choose to have my printing company frame your images for you before they leave the lab!
-All Prints and products purchased through me or my website will be delivered to directly to the address you desire! (unless other arraignments have been made.)
-Now you have your portraits and they look beautiful in your home. Your friends comment on how fantastic they look on your walls and everyone admires the sweetness of your precious new addition! You have wonderful, precious images to remind you of the innocence of your newborn, and you have documented in a beautiful, meaningful way what those first few days of life were like.
JOY!