How to Prepare for Your Newborn Session

Newborns

Congratulations to you and thank you for allowing me the pleasure of photographing your new baby in his/her first few days of life. I am truly honored to be able to capture this incredible milestone in your lives and look forward to getting to know you and your sweet baby, and present you with some amazing photographs that will be treasured for a lifetime!

This newborn session guide will help you prepare for your newborn session and make everything as smooth as possible.

• Please keep your baby awake for as long as possible the day of our session. This is probably the most important step you will take to prepare for your session. A bath, awake time and/or interacting with your baby for at least 2 hours if not more before the session will ensure that they are asleep during the session so we can get those snugly and curly newborn poses. Even if your baby normally is a sound sleeper, or goes right back to sleep after eating at home, please follow this step. You can plan to either feed your baby right before you leave your house, or as soon as you arrive at the studio. Try giving a bath, let baby kick with only a diaper on, tickle their toes, and let them fuss for a little bit (no pacifiers) for the few hours beforehand. For feeding just before, try to feed them about 75% of their feeding, and save a little bit for once you arrive in the studio. Usually the baby will fall asleep on the car ride over, and once we get them ready (out of car seat and naked!) for their shooting they may wake up. This will allow us to get them back to that sleepy state.
• Please do not overly dress baby in clothing that is hard to take off, an easily removed sleeper with a zipper or buttons will work great so they do not have to be disturbed. No tight socks or clothing that may leave indents in the skin. Additionally, if your baby has any band-aids on the foot, thigh, etc., please remove them as soon as you possibly can to allow the imprint marks to disappear.
• For the baby, clean away flaky skin and eye boogers with a wash cloth. Trim those tiny fingernails and toenails with baby trimmers. For stubborn flakes on the skin, using a baby lotion that doesn’t leave a shine or excess oil can help subdue those flakes, leaving babes skin smooth and soft! I always have lotion on hand in studio in case extra is needed.
• The shoot may last up to 2 hours, getting a baby to sleep before posing them takes time and they may need to be fed during the shoot as well. Babies usually need to eat more during a session, so even if you are on a schedule, or the baby eats a certain times, please be flexible with on demand feeding during the session. The safety and comfort of the baby is the most important thing, so times, to keep baby comfortable, calm, and safe, a pose can take up to 20 minutes to perfect before the picture is taken. Please keep this in mind when scheduling your session with me.
• Be prepared for messes of all kinds. Babies do not care where, when, and who they pee, poo, spit up or vomit on. That is why I will be dressed in comfy clothes as I work and why you (if you want to be in the photos with your newborn) would want to bring an extra set of clothing. Even if your baby never spits up – today could be that day!
• Nothing is the best wardrobe for a newborn. No outfit fits a newborn well and they often look swallowed in clothes. Accessories are good though– little hats, dainty headbands, etc. I have a wide selection of props that you can choose from or if you prefer, bring your own.
• Photographing the connection between you and your baby is one of my favorite things. Just as they encourage in the hospital or at home birth, skin to skin contact creates the most beautiful images. Mom: A subtle application of makeup can soften your skin and accent your facial features. Neutral looking fake lashes can really flatter your eyes. Keep the color neutral and design simple. Be sure your nails are tidy and clean (no nail polish) as your hands will make their way into the images. Also, rest assured, aim to photograph using flattering angles and lighting to bring out the natural beauty in you and your family. Dad: Be freshly shaved with a new razor, shaving cream and moisturizing after-shave lotion to avoid bumps and redness. Trim your beard, sideburns, mustache or goatee. Look especially for wiry stray hairs. Make sure your nails are clean and trimmed. If you prefer not to be shirtless, wear a tight fitting v-neck t-shirt with a pair of jeans.

• Including older brother/sister(s) in your newborn’s portrait is the perfect way to document this fleeting time in your lives. Clean, clean, clean- clean nails, clean hair, clean feet, fresh scrub teeth, and wipe away eye boogers and snotty noses. The cleaner the child, the better their photos will turn out. If your child is still of napping age, make sure they nap before the shoot. It is perfectly okay to bring bribes to a photo-shoot, some cereal, snacks or candies that won’t stain their teeth. Avoid colorful drinks or lollipops within 24 hours of your shoot. Do not let them eat or drink anything will stain their cheeks, mouths or teeth. Sister(s): The girl’s hair should be natural and free of bows, headbands, etc., and just like Mom, no nail polish please, without shoes. Brother(s): A snug pair of jeans and shirtless are preferred, with out shoes. Due to the duration of the newborn session, I recommend bringing young children into the studio either in the beginning Of the session for about 30 minutes. Please arrange for childcare for them when they are not being photographed. Young children do not have long attention spans (2-2.5 hours are way too long for them). They may not do well in unfamiliar places and will disrupt the environment in the studio necessary for newborn photography You may bring an IPad (you can connect to my Wifi) to help keep them entertained when it is not their turn. We will always start witht he family / sibling shots first, then once done with the toddler/siblings, i will proceed to work with just the baby.