THE PHOTO SESSION:
This is your time to relax! I have a comfortable seating area for you to sit back and enjoy your time off. Feel free to bring a laptop, reading materials, or some form of entertainment as the session will take a few hours. (I do have wifi available for your convenience.) During the photo session, I will take care of baby from A to Z! Please don’t worry if baby has any accidents, this is a common part of almost every session. I will clean it and continue with the session. Sometimes babies get unsettled and want mom when they smell her, so I will do everything short of feeding the baby during the session. This is to ensure baby doesn’t decide to use mommy as a pacifier for the duration of the session.
TIME & PATIENCE
– LOT’S & LOT’S OF IT!
While my goal is to create amazing photos of your new baby, baby and mom’s comfort is my top priority. Babies have delicate specialized needs that require additional time. We will take breaks as needed to feed, burp and calm baby.
In order to get the most out of your newborn session, we will need baby to be in a nice deep sleep, so that I can perfect & change poses without disturbing baby. Getting baby into all those adorable poses you’ll love take a lot of time. Please expect the session to last between 2 to 4 hours.
HEAT
The room thermostat will read about 80 degrees prior to the session. If we are not sweating, it probably isn’t warm enough! Please keep this in mind when deciding what to wear. I do have a refrigerator in the studio with cold drinks (& some snacks and coffee for you as well!). Newborns lose their body temperature fairly quickly once you unclothe them, so it’s essential to keep them warm at all times.
SESSION REQUEST
Cameras, camcorders or any type of recording device (this includes cell phone cameras) are NOT permitted of any portrait setups during the session. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Behind the scenes photos / videos are welcome! We love being tagged if you decide to post behind the scenes of your session.
WHAT TO BRING
QUICK CHECKLIST
√ • Please bring extra bottles of formula or expressed milk for the session. Many babies tend to want more to eat more than usual during their session since we are working with them.
√ • Please bring a pacifier. If you don’t happen to have one, I keep unopened soothies here in the studio. Even if you haven’t used one yet, just for the 2 hours that I’m posing him/her usually really helps.
√ • If baby is over 2 weeks & started having “awake time” – please try to keep baby awake before the session starts. This is a VERY important step and may save us loads of time in the studio!
√ • Make sure baby’s face is clean. Don’t worry about flaky skin – it’s a precious newborn detail!
√ • Bring a change of clothing for everyone in case of accidents
√ • Baby Brush
√ • Extra blanket for baby
√ • Diapers & wipes
HOW TO PREPARE
1. FED & TIRED
The best thing you can do to prepare for this session is make sure your baby is ready to be super, duper sleepy. The sleepier baby is, the more variety of poses & set-ups I can provide. If the baby is over 2 weeks, has deep slept all morning and then arrives to my studio, your newborn just might be ready for a long awake period, which makes the job of getting baby sleepy more challenging. When baby is awake, I am very limited in the variety of poses I can provide, as baby will be moving a lot. I know it will be hard to entertain baby atop of your own sleep deprivation, but if possible, it will be well worth the effort!
To encourage baby to stay awake before the session, I recommend stimulating the baby. Talking and playing with baby in addition to a warm bath can do the trick. Keep baby in loose clothing and a looser blanket and tickle his/her toes . Do not swaddle baby, as that helps them deep sleep.
Many moms tell me “baby sleeps all the time, but trust me, he sleeps SO good this time of day!” only to have baby wake up, since they will be unclothed and un-swaddled during the session in addition to having someone working with them.
Our goal is for baby to have a full tummy when our session begins. To accomplish this, please feed baby 2-3 hours before the session. Assuming your drive isn’t too long (less then 10-15 min), feed baby right before heading out for our session. Since baby will probably fall asleep in the car and will be full, I can immediately get started on the session when you arrive and hopefully get an hour or two of photos done before baby needs a feeding break. If you are driving a longer distance, prepare to feed baby when you arrive at the studio.
If you supplement or give bottles at all, please bring bottles to the session. This will greatly speed our session workflow as we can “top baby off” while being posed if baby fusses a bit.
2. BABY DRESS
Please bring baby in loose fitting clothes that will not need to be pulled over baby’s head (no onesies & no undershirts). I recommend bringing baby in a stretchie with front snaps, buttons or a zipper and wrapped in a receiving blanket. This way, if baby is asleep when you arrive, we can begin the session immediately with less chances of disturbing baby while getting undressed. Additionally, please remove any tight clothing (socks…) and bandages with enough time prior to the expel red lines from baby’s skin.
I have an abundance of wraps and adorable props to “dress” baby in. No need to worry about what baby will wear!
3. MOMMY & DADDY
Newborn sessions are focused primarily on the baby but I usually try to capture a few images with the parents (& siblings) as well.
I highly recommend parent portraits with baby. I understand that many new mom’s are tired and self-conscious. However, please remember that these photos will be cherished by your baby forever!
Please wear simple, solid colored clothing. Avoid bright colors, contrasting colors, patterns or logos. I recommend neutral colors like white, ivory, cream, gray or black. Textures like knit & lace add beauty to the photo.
Moms: please make sure your nails are either freshly polished or bare, no chipping polish!
(Warning: When being photographed with your baby, you may get peed or pooped on! This happens all the time in my studio (usually on me), but some parents are surprised by and unprepared for it, so a change of clothing is recommended!)
I do advise dressing in layers so you are comfortable as well, as the studio will be really hot.
4. SIBLINGS
If sibling are being brought to the studio, please be sure there is an additional adult at all times to be responsible for the children. We will take the sibling with newborn and family photos at the beginning of the session.
Due to the nature of a newborn session, I kindly request for older children to be taken home or out once those photos are completed. Older sibling will become restless, make noise and add stress to mom. Additionally, the studio is not set to handle and entertain older children.
Cream, ivory, white and light pastel colors (without patterns or distracting logos) is recommended for older siblings (tops with jeans or even dresses for girls). The more texture the better (knit, lace, etc). I recommend sibling be barefooted for the photo, however if you prefer not, please make sure shoes and socks look fresh, nice & clean.
SPECIAL PROPS & POSE REQUESTS:
I supply all of the backdrops, furniture, hats, headbands and wraps for the session, and my style tends to lean more toward simple photos that focus on baby. I am always open to new ideas but be aware that I will not use anything that will harm, irritate or look awkward or controversial on your newborn. If you see something you like in any of my galleries, be sure to mention it before your session. I am open to suggestions on poses that you may have seen but please understand that every pose we do depends on how well baby cooperates and how safe the pose is for your little one. I cannot guarantee any pose (even that I have done for another baby) for this reason.
PLEASE NOTE: CIRCUMCISION
Please be advised that if baby has been circumcised, I will wait a minimum of 3 days after the circumcision to allow baby to heal before doing the session.
