Newborns-What to Expect

Thanks so much for reserving your session! I am thrilled to meet you and your newest addition!

Below are instructions to help your newborn session go smoothly!

• Turn the temperature up a little. It may be a little warm for us, but babies will sleep SO much better with all the posing when they are warm. I will have my space heater for solo baby photos, but 70-72 degrees is probably just fine for summer, and 72-74 in the winter. During the summer, I hate to have you turn it up too much, so do what's comfortable for you, and we will use the space heater for baby if needed. When the weather is warm, we can even do some outdoor photos if you're comfortable with that.

• I will scope out your home for areas with the prettiest light and the most picture-friendly colors/decor. We may want to move some things around or take a frame off the wall and will move everything back. Please try to hide away any distracting items for the session. Having your bed made with a neutral quilt/comforter on top is a bonus.

• I usually try to start around 10am the day of so we have plenty of daylight variety from different rooms. Please have baby in a diaper, and swaddled in a blanket (instead of a onesie) to keep red lines at a minimum. Applying lotion to any dry spots the day before the session can be helpful.

• Feed baby a full feeding just before I arrive and burp as normal. I will load everything in, take a little walkthrough of your home, and decide where we want to start. I usually start with family first and then finish with solo baby photos.

• I recommend wearing muted tones, like grays, white, navy, light blue, cream, blush, etc. Black is fine too, but I think those other colors are softer and allow your newborn to stand out even more. Ultimately, I want you to be comfortable, so wear what you feel best in. I prefer a more casual look overall, but not too casual (generally no polos or camping/fishing shirts for men, and no t-shirts for ladies). Maxi dresses and long-sleeved items usually photograph well for mom. I’m happy to help narrow down what will photograph best if you want to wait until I get there to decide.

• Feel free to have some music/white noise playing if you'd like. I’ve found babies do better with noise during our sessions than in a completely quiet home.

•  Feel free to incorporate any special family quilts, heirlooms, or baby blankets, stuffed animals, newborn hats, etc. that you would like to use in the photos.

• Be patient. :) Newborn sessions can average about 3-4 hours, depending on how well they sleep. Don't worry if they get fussy or don't want to sleep. The most common reason a baby won’t sleep is being cold or gassy. This is all normal, and I will work to get them back to sleep. In some cases, I may even have mom step out of the room since her scent may be distracting for your newborn. I never try to rush a baby to pose, and I have tons of patience and will do my best to get them in the poses we want. I may snap a few awake photos as well. We may also take some naked photos if you’d like. It's completely normal to have accidents. I wash all my props, so don't worry if this happens.

• I always work off the feel of baby, and make sure they are safe in each position. If they aren't liking a pose, or if I'm not comfortable with it, I will never force it. One pose I don't do is the chin resting on the hands, also known as frog pose. It's not a natural pose, puts unnecessary pressure on the baby’s hips, and really isn’t the safest pose. It requires another person to help hold the baby’s head and some extra editing in photoshop. The pose with their head on their arms is another one I don’t love. I just don’t want to risk any harm. I prefer to stick with poses that are natural for baby. Here's an example of frog pose and head on arms-

• Relax. This is a good time for you to take a break. Make sure you are able to rest, snack, and hydrate as well. We need you feeling good for any extra feedings you'll be giving baby. :) If baby gets fussy or alert, don’t worry. A baby can sense your anxiety and we want to keep the environment as calm as possible.

• I always aim to deliver your final images as soon as possible. My typical turn-around is about 2-3 weeks from our session date.

   

• Click here to view my current props.

Please let me know your preferred color palette, if you have specific props you'd like to use, and if you have wood flooring and window lighting in your home.

*All wraps and blankets are washed with 100% dye and perfume-free detergent.

Can't wait to meet you and your newborn!