Prepping for Your Newborn Session

Baby Prep

To get these sweet little poses, we need your baby sleepy and with a full tummy. Keep baby up for at least an hour or 2 before you come. You can feed him/her right before you leave your house or as soon as you arrive to the studio. Please do not dress baby in clothing that is hard to take off.  A onesie or easily removal pajamas work great. No tight socks or clothing that may leave marks on the skin.

What To Expect

The session with baby only takes about 2 hours, 2-3 hours if we are doing family, too. I keep it super warm for baby, so dress light. You don't need to bring anything for baby except diaper bag essentials: paci, wipes, diapers, etc.. Feel free to bring yourself a snack or a drink. You might need to feed your baby during the session to help them settle, so bring a bottle if you are not breast feeding. I might need your hands to help hold baby in their pose, but other than that, you can just sit back and relax.

Family Photos (traditional)

If you choose to do traditional family photos, they will be taken in front of a plain background. It'll be waist up so don't worry about fitting into your old jeans or anything. For moms, we can use one of my wraps. The skin on skin with your baby is beautiful. If you're uncomfortable with showing your arms, you can wear a simple, light, neutral-colored shirt or dress. Remove any dark or old fingernail polish from your nails. Soft colors or nude polish works perfect. For dads, my favorite is a long sleeved light neutral-colored t-shirt or something similar. It doesn't hurt to bring a change of clothes. Naked babies sometimes have accidents.

Family Photos (lifestyle)

For the family portion of your newborn session, you can choose between lifestyle or traditional photos. We’ll do baby the same either way. Lifestyle images will be taken on a white bed and include more full body. Light neutral colored clothing work best: creams, whites, grays, tans. My favorite is long dresses for mom, which I have available if you’d like to use one. Just ask about the client closet.

Siblings

When siblings are included in a newborn session, we usually photograph them and family first. This allows for dad (or whoever comes with you to help) to take siblings home after their part is finished. For family photos, dress big sister in a simple neutral colored dress. For the sibling photo, we can keep them in their dress or I love just using one of my wraps. For big brother, a solid neutral colored t-shirt or no shirt are both really cute. You can pair it with some solid colored shorts or pants. It's also a good idea to bring a special treat to reward them for their participation.