Preparing for a Newborn Session at Home

When it comes to your session, the planning part is the most overwhelming part of it… even though it can be a tricky time planning your session, it doesn’t have to be. My goal as your newborn photographer is to make this special time one of the best experiences and to capture the newest addition in your beautiful family.

SCHEDULING YOUR SESSION:

When is your due date?

It is no secret that baby's do not always pop out on their exact due date! When you reach out to schedule your baby's newborn session, it helps to know what your due date is so we can plan your session around that. In most cases, baby may be a few days early or a few days late and that is totally okay. I am flexible and will be checking in with your prior to your session to make sure baby didn't arrive early, or if baby is still not out :) Once we keep in touch, we will be able to coordinate a near date to make sure we photograph your newborn as soon as we can.

What package are you interested in?

For all of my photography services, I offer three packages. My packages all differ in pricing, amount of time, and amount of images which are included in your session. For newborn sessions, I recommend the premium or platinum package to ensure we have enough time to capture baby and all the little details.

For more information on packages, click HERE.

What's included?

During newborn sessions, I provide a few props for the sessions such as light fabrics, and a few different basket options which we may use for individual portraits of baby. These props are optional and if you rather provide your own props for the session, you may do so. 

I will be bringing all of the fabrics, but I ask my clients to let me know if they are interested in a basket(s), to let me know which before our session so it is easier to bring to our session. Taking a look at the fabrics I have will be helpful so you are able to see what colors I have and may want to consider your family’s outfits and make sure everyone coordinates! Additionally, if there is a certain color or pattern (floral, stripes, etc) that you are looking for, you may feel free to purchase your own swaddles, headbands, hats, etc for baby or let me know and I will see if I am able to provide a fabric that fits what you had in mind. 

PRIOR TO YOUR SESSION:

Once you schedule your session, now is the time to plan the details for your session. This may be the hardest part to your session, but in reality, it shouldn't be! Make sure you are prepared for your session and have all of the little details planned out. Try to think about:

Plan where you'd like to take the photos:

It is always useful to plan where in your home you would like to take your photos. Most families opt to have their newborn session in the living room, the nursery, and sometimes the parent's bedroom. Depending on what package you have booked will reflect how much time we have for our session. 

Planning outfits:

Prior to your session, consider what you and the family will wear. To help with outfits, consider the following:

• What is the color pallet of your home? Use this as a guide to pull colors of what you may want to wear. It is important to consider this since the background may show off your blue wall, and if you’re wearing red, it may not clash too well. 
• What colors look best on your skin tone? Some families often plan their wardrobe based on colors that look best on their skin tone. For example, for those of fairer skin, some families often opt to avoid light colors such as light pink or white since it may flush their skin tone out more.
• What season is it? If it is Winter time, it may be more ideal to dress a bit warmer. While your session will be in your home, it is totally up to you if you wanted to dress according to the season or not. 
• Think of a color pallet you would like to incorporate into your outfits. Try finding outfits with colors similar to the pallet to coordinate outfits. 
• I often advise against matching outfits for newborn sessions. While it may seem cute and classic to wear matching outfits, it is visually more interesting to wear outfits that coordinate with one another. When you wear matching outfits, it doesn’t show off everyone’s unique personalities. 

Consider if you want to add props:

For newborn sessions, I have few props I provide for your session. If there are any props, fabrics or blankets you would like to provide, may sure to have them set aside and ready for the day of our session. Often times, families like to add the following props to their session:

• Letterboard with birth information (name, date of birth of baby, time of birth, weight)
• Baby blanket/bear
• Items with significance

If there are any "need to have shots", make sure you send some inspiration over to the photographer!

With each session I have, I hope that my clients have a vision for what they would like to achieve. My job as the photographer is to help coordinate and direct you while taking your portraits. While I have a set of go to posing and a list of necessary shots lined up in my head, I want to make sure I am capturing all the ideas YOU have in mind too. If you would like to do a certain pose with baby, make sure you let me know before the session so I remember that we need to take that shot for you! One of my favorite spots to look for inspiration is Pinterest.

If you don't have any set ideas in mind, that is okay. I'm here to guide you already and will make sure to capture a large variety of images! Sometimes, it is just useful to know what exactly your vision is so I can achieve it in camera for you :)

ON THE DAY OF:

It is important to consider what needs to be done on the day of your session to help avoid stress! For the most part, hopefully you have already done your planning and finished the hard part of it all.

Make sure baby is happy:

Before your newborn session, it is important to make sure baby is happy. I know for the new parents it can be hard to know what baby may need at such early stages of their life, but it is important to try and prevent baby from being fussy during their session :) Make sure baby is well fed on their normal schedule, is changed, and wearing comfortable clothing. 

Tidy up the home:

Make sure your home is tidy in the areas where you would like to take photos. This is a crucial step as we want to focus on baby and family for photos, not clutter in the background! 

DURING YOUR SESSION:

Go with the flow:

During your newborn session, we will go with the baby’s flow. If they want to cry in between shots, that is totally ok. As long as the parents make an effort to make sure baby may be happy, that’s all that counts :) We will have the time to capture a variety of shots of baby, as well as family shots you may have had in mind.

AFTER YOUR SESSION:

Once your session is done, I know you may be eager to see your photos! Now it’s time for you to relax with baby. Everything is done and all that you need to do is await for an email with your photo gallery, which you can expect approx. 7-10 days after your session. If you happen to have any questions, you can always contact your photographer and we will keep in touch.

EXTRA POINTS TO CONSIDER:

• I try to work fast to make sure we get the most out of our session and I try my hardest to start on time.
• Once I arrive at your home, we will quickly go over our game plan and make sure we have all of our bases covered on what to expect, what shots we are hoping for, etc. I will ask you what spots in your home you would like to have photos taken at, so please make sure whatever you have in mind is tidy and has a little bit of space :)
• I will be taking photos with my camera and using an external flash to help light the space. Please be mindful if there is anyone sensitive of flash or any pets in the home who may be.