Newborn Preparation

How do I prepare for my new baby’s shoot?

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there’s no greater moment for a parent when they can take their new baby home to the room they spent months thinking up and creating and building.

Naturally you want to save these memories not only in your head but in photos.

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Here are some tips on how to prepare for your Newborn baby shoot:

  • Newborn sessions MUST be scheduled within the first 14 days of life. However, the BEST time is between 3-7 days after their arrival.
    We’ll be moving them around and scrunching them into those sweet sleepy newborn images, so we want to make sure they’re sleepy enough to allow us to handle them. After day 14, they have discovered the joys of stretching and you wont get those sleep poses 🙂
  • Sessions take place in your home. You can have a lifestyle session where it’s day to day interaction with your new bundle of joy as you have since you took them home or you can do posed photos where they are bundled up and curled into cute sleepy poses (with their cooperation of course) Or you can do a combo of both!
  • Pinterest ideas are certainly welcome for inspiration, however I can only do what your baby will allow me to do so don’t get too caught up on something specific as it may not comfortable to baby.
  • We don’t need too much space to take their photos so if your home isn’t that big or you haven’t cleaned up the home, don’t worry. Gorgeous natural light is desirable so open up all your curtains and blinds!
  • Babies like to be cozy and warm! So if you plan on wanting any naked poses of baby or just a tutu or diaper wrap, make sure you have your home toasty (atleast 80 degrees)
  • Sleepy photos require babies to be “milk drunk” and deep sleep! So make sure they’re fed and happy.
  • Poop! Be ready to change your baby at any time during the shoot! you may be prepared for the shoot, but they have no idea. Keep extra blankets, towels, and wipes handy near by!
  • Props! If you have any you’d like to use, we welcome all and any. We can incorporate baby’s toys, signs, etc for the shoot
  • Safety! You’ll be there the whole time with me while we plan baby’s next moves and make sure they’re comfortable and tended to
What do I wear?

For the Mommies:

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I know! You just had a baby and aren’t feeling your best. But we think this is the perfect time to pamper yourself!
Go have your hair + makeup done (or better yet, have someone come to you!), schedule a massage or have your nails done. Looking super relaxed and at your best will make you feel more comfortable during the session. This is an exciting time in your life and we want to capture all of that…so take care of yourself first! And feel free to tell your husbands that we’re making you if they need a little convincing!  As far as clothing? Keep it simple. Throw in a little color if you’d like, but skip the busy patterns. (And please don’t feel the need to match everyone in white shirts and jeans – there’s simple…and then there’s boring!) For moms, we suggest cotton knit camis and knit tops.  We’re also big fans of skin-on-skin portraits with you holding your baby against you. They’re so simple + timeless! So if you want some portraits like this with your newborn, consider a strapless top or tank as an alternative.


For the Daddies:

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Your hands, and possibly even your feet, will play a major role in this session, so it’s important that you tend to them too!
Even if you aren’t planning on participating much in the session, you’ll still be handling your baby a bit, so it’s a good idea to touch up on your grooming.
Trim and tidy your nails and apply lotion to any dry skin. (It also never hurts to dab a little moisturizer on your face to help you look more refreshed. Those late nights can take a toll on your skin!)
Long or short sleeved knits are best.  (Make sure there isn’t too much bagginess in the sleeve.) Undershirts also work well.
We suggest you NOT wear button down shorts, and make sure your t-shirts are free of logos or too much writing. *Wrinkles do show up in photos, so please make sure all clothing is ironed or steamed. The retouching involved is extensive and will incur an extra fee.


The Bed

MAKE THE BED!
Is there anything more simple + gorgeous than a new family cuddled up in bed together? The answer is no!
So we might suggest that we move the session to your bedroom at some point. If that’s something that appeals to you, a few tips:
1. Make the bed, just this once.
2. A solid blanket/comforter (or something that isn’t TOO busy is best.)
3.We highly recommend white to light cream bedding to keep things light and airy.