Congrats on your sweet baby’s arrival!
I am SO EXCITED and honored to be chosen
to tell this chapter of your story!
Below you will find a few tips to help you
prepare before our time together
to ensure a successful and enjoyable session!
SESSION Prep & breakdown
The days after a new baby arrives are restless and hectic. Especially when it comes to being as organized as you once were! You might be panicking already about someone new coming into your home. But don’t worry! I have seen countless houses post-baby (aaand I’m a mom- like seriously, no judgement here!) so I understand that life will be a little crazy. Maybe you didn’t put the dishes away or try cleaning up the piles of clothes, it’s okay! I understand that you are exhausted at this point so please don’t feel like everything has to be spotless before I arrive. As long as the area that we are shooting in is picked up (nursery, master bedroom, etc) please don’t stress over cleaning. We only use a few small areas of the home anyway! I can work with you when I arrive to help pick out the best spots in your home and tidy up those areas if we need. If you already have a favorite location in your home, we will work together to make it picture perfect!
The main thing that we will be looking for is an area in the room with a lot of natural light from windows. The more natural light, the better! We try to use as much natural light as possible, to give images the most airy & joyful vibe to them. Before I arrive, go ahead and open any blinds or curtains in our shooting area so we can let that light in! Below, you will find some additional home prep and wardrobe tips to apply before my arrival!
Timing:
Session time largely depends on baby’s needs combined with our session style. Does baby nurse a lot? Is baby fairly content and has larger gaps in feeds? Are we doing many props or are we doing mostly lifestyle images (such as you interacting with baby)? *If baby is older than 10 days, we will shoot mostly lifestyle images.
The average session time is 90 minutes. However, sessions can take anywhere from 1-3 hours depending on the situations above. The 3 hour sessions are more for the babies that are breastfed and don’t like to be separated from mom, ESPECIALLY if they are cluster feeding at the moment. Bottle fed babies tend to have larger time blocks between eating and we can get a larger portion of the session done in between bottles. Additionally, if we are doing less props, session time is faster. Less studio set up = quicker session.
We will be shooting a variety of images with baby: baby with mom, baby with dad, baby with siblings, etc!
2. Temperature
The more comfy baby is, the easier and quicker our session is. One of the more important tips for parents for a successful newborn photo session is keeping the baby warm. If your baby normally gets fussy when not bundled up in a blanket, I suggest preparing the temperature in the house (or room) to a comfortable “warmer” temp that baby loves, about thirty minutes to an hour before your session start time. Closing vents in the summer, and opening vents in the winter are ideal. Space heaters also help! If you want to keep your home your preferred normal temp, using a space heater to warm the area where baby will be most, such as the nursery, is a great option! I know the thought of being warm isn’t the most pleasant, but if we are not close to breaking a sweat, chances are the baby is cold. We will monitor the heat and your baby’s temperature all session long! Baby’s safety comes first! I will also bring along a few things to soothe your baby and help keep them cozy! I have a few pretty cool tricks up my sleeve! ;)
NOTE: This is just for the babies that get fussy when not bundled up. If your baby doesn’t mind being in a thin layer, you can just keep your temp as normal!
3. Feeding & Breaks
Newborns WILL need feeding breaks throughout the photo session, especially if they are a little fussy and upset. A quick meal paired with some cuddling and your little boy or girl will be ready for the spotlight again!
Although we try to maximize shooting time anywhere we can, we definitely want your baby to remain comfortable. (Babies often eat sooner than normal during session day. They are moved around more than usual and expend more energy.) Tip: Make a plan with dad ahead of time to quickly prep a bottle when baby becomes fussy, or momma have your nursing area/supplies ready for when you need to step away from session! I understand nursing babies take a little longer with their feedings, however if we can keep feedings around 20 minutes or less, this would maximize session time! (We will absolutely allow your baby to decide this. But if baby falls asleep enough while nursing/eating, we can try shooting again!) Also, we will use your moments of comforting your baby, such as rocking to sleep, as photo opportunities! We use our time wisely anywhere we can without upsetting baby!
It is helpful if you feed your baby JUST BEFORE your photo session so they will be ready to sleep. We will do our best to plan our session around your baby’s feeding time. I definitely don’t want you to allow your baby to go hungry; however, if you can push the feeding back a few minutes until I arrive, warm milk equals a happy, model-ready baby! This will maximize our session time!
Keep extra wipes, diapers, burp cloths, blankets, and trash bags nearby for quick cleanups. Newborn babies do tend to have more accidents, so it’s a good idea to be ready. Just remember to be patient and don’t get embarrassed or frustrated when things go wrong. Mom to mom, I understand mishaps ABSOLUTELY happen! Fabrics are washable and we can always take a minute to clean up!
