I am so honored you have chosen me to capture your newest love! I take the upmost care in making sure that "my" babies are always in safe positions, warm, and of course looking their best. There are a few things that I will ask you to do before arriving for the session, this helps the session to run more smoothly, and for you not to stress that we will get great images for you to display.
Before the baby arrives:
-"Schedule" your session. Send your estimated due date. I will pencil you in so I can be on baby watch and know when I will need to fit you in to the schedule after baby arrives!
-Send me nursery pictures! I want to tailor the session so that it matches your style and the baby's decor. I also like to work with some neutrals to ensure that you will be able to hang these pictures anywhere in your home/office.
-Tell me about any must have shots. I am happy to accommodate a few requests if possible. Do you have a special blanket or prop that you're just itching to include in the session? I want to see how to incorporate beforehand it so I can be prepared when you bring it. This is also why I ask for nursery shots, I may see something that would look great in pictures. (Ie this adorable elephant was in a nursery and I asked mom and dad to bring it along to the session! As it turns out, grandpa gifted it to Maxwell and made it so much more special to be in the pictures!)
Once the baby arrives we will pick a time/day for your session! But don't worry, I've likely been expecting you and will have some options ready!
The day of the session:
-Wake | Feed | Sleep. We need the baby to have a little time awake before you leave for the session, this will help them to be sleepy (or sleeping!) upon arrival. I usually suggest parents to give the baby a bath and then feed them FULL. Think, Thanksgiving dinner unbutton your pants full. The bath will wake them up, the feeding will help put them to sleep, and the car ride will continue that. If you are more than 20-30 minutes away you may have to feed again when you arrive, but I usually can transfer baby from carseat to posing without too much disturbance.
-AM Scheduling. I usually schedule sessions to start in the 9-10AM timeframe. The lighting is great in the studio if we choose to use natural light, and I feel for those babies that are confused on day/time that this is the time of the morning (since they've been up all night!) that they are settling to a deep sleep. We can be a little flexible on time though as long as we schedule it in advance.
-Don't stress! If you need a few minutes to freshen up when you arrive, that is totally fine. I almost always start with baby posing and have a full bathroom at your disposal. These pictures are ones you will treasure forever so should you need to put the finishing touches on your makeup or just do a quick glance over yourself, you will have the time to do so. Occasionally throughout the session I may ask for a hand (usually the parent that didn't just give birth unless they are tied up with other children!) or two in posing some of the more complicated poses. (Because, here's a secret, they're photoshopped!) This cute little baby's hands on his chin never actually put the weight all on himself, we merge two photos together.
Safety first, you guys! So important with newborn sessions. Even note in the second picture when dads hands were on top of the head, his right hand was only 2 inches away just incase baby started to wiggle.
At the session:
Relax! This is the easiest part! Aside from maybe assisting a few times and snuggling your baby a bit, you get to relax! I have a coffee maker and mini fridge right in the room along with lots of different snacks to choose from! As long as I don't tell my husband when it's restocked you will have everything you need. I've caught him sneaking things a few times ;) You get the comfy bed area to sit on, and I've even had a few dads get really relaxed fall asleep. Don't worry, we wake them up when it's time for them to help ;)
Temperature. I keep the room around 80 degrees. I always recommend wearing layers/tank top and usually that's all that's needed to get more comfortable. If you are hot natured and need to step out of the room for a minute that is totally fine.
I have lots of props and blankets to style your session beautifully, so if you do not have anything to contribute to the actual pictures, that it okay! All you have to do is bring your baby! There are a few items that will help the baby at the session:
- Paci (Sometimes baby may need to suck for a minute or two while swapping scenes, they may not need to eat but just need a little paci comfort to get them back fully asleep
- Milk. If you're not breastfeeding be sure to bring a bottle. If you are breastfeeding and have already begun pumping a little bit, you can bring that! Babies can drink faster from a bottle and that will help them settle back to sleep quicker. If you've made the decision to 100% breastfeed for the time being, I totally support that!
- Neutral top for you + your husband. I INSIST you being in the pictures! And I do not charge extra for parent pictures. Years from now, you will want these images, and I want them for you! :) I love white for parents against that sweet baby skin, but anything neutral and not busy will work nicely!
