NEWBORN SESSION INFORMATION
Congratulations on the birth of your baby! This may be the first time that you are doing a custom in-home newborn photography shoot. So let me go over what you can expect the day of your session.
ARRIVAL AND LENGTH
When I arrive at your home, it takes me about 15 minutes to set up the equipment and backgrounds. You can plan on me being in your home anywhere from 1-3 hours.
PROPS
I will bring baskets, a beanbag, blankets, backgrounds and some wraps. Feel free to add your own special touch to these items. I also make use of digital backgrounds!
CLOTHING
I prefer to shoot babies in a diaper only. Wraps cover the diaper, and accessories are welcome! For girls, headbands work well. Hats work well for both boys and girls. However, don’t get carried away with clothing. Newborns usually swim in clothes, even newborn sizes. And all the outfit changes wake a sleeping baby, which is a no-no. If you do have a special outfit you want to use, we can try to work it in during the end of the shoot.
COMFORT
Since your baby will be without clothes most of the time, please know that your baby will pee/poop on my props. Don’t stress over this. I haven’t photographed a newborn yet that hasn’t. All of my props and blankets are sanitized after each shoot. Also, it will be best if you have the house warm. Newborn babies like to be warm, and especially in colder weather, they will be unhappy when naked unless the area is warm. (Space heaters work well to keep the area warm).
SLEEPY BABY
Babies are creatures of habit. Eat, sleep, poop, repeat. Ideally, we want baby in a deep sleep for their model debut. How do we do that? For the hour prior to my arrival, keep your baby up. Try a bath, or extra handling. Dress and redress the baby. Whatever method you can think of to keep your baby stimulated for that hour will contribute to the right mood for their pictures. Then, right before I arrive, start feeding. If you have a long nurser on your hands, you can plan accordingly. If all goes well, when I get there your baby will be settling down into a nice deep sleep. What if nothing goes according to plan? Don’t stress out – they pick up on your emotions. We will just sit, talk, walk, rock and whatever it takes until things are just right. Babies can smell their mothers, especially if you are nursing. It may be best to not be overly hands-on with your baby during the shoot. In fact, feel free to use the time to nap. Relax. Unwind. If we need another feeding, we’ll find you.
SAFETY
As a mom, safety is my number one priority. I make sure I wash my hands before handling your brand new bundle of joy, and when it comes to posing, I will enlist your help to achieve some poses so that your baby is safe at all times.
If you have any questions or ideas, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I’m very excited for our shoot.