Session Prep Guide
Thank you for choosing me as your newborn photographer. I look forward to working with you. In order to help me create a successful session for you, please carefully read through the following information and try to follow it the best you can:
What to Expect
Your session starts at the time it is scheduled for so please do your best to be on time. Lateness will result in less poses and set-ups which means less images that I will be able to create for you. Newborn sessions generally last between 2.5 – 3 hours so please plan for that. The studio will be VERY warm in order to keep your baby comfortable and sleeping. I try to emulate a ‘womb’ like environment for your baby to keep them calm and soothed so I will have white noise playing loudly in the studio. As my studio doesn’t have a lot of seating room and is kept VERY warm, I kindly ask that you do not bring extra family members/friends with you to the session who are not involved with the shoot. I have a workflow of poses that I go through during the session. I will try my very best to get every pose and prop possible with your baby, however some babies don’t like to be touched or moved around (especially if they are held a lot at home or don't get much naked time) and so no pose is promised. Please note that even though your baby may sleep and be calm at home, you aren't moving them around like I am and so of them do become sensitive to the different positions I put them in. Should your newborn become unsettled, then I will move onto some simpler posing/props that will involve your baby being swaddled the entire session. A re-shoot will only be offered should your baby not settle at all and we haven’t gotten enough images.
Before your Session
About 45 mins to an hour (no longer than this please) before you leave your house, please try to keep baby awake and alert as best you can via stimulation & playtime (baths work great). If your session is scheduled at 11am, then wake your baby up around 9-9:30am and keep them up until you have to leave. If you are coming from Grande Prairie, try to keep baby awake for some of the car ride and then let your baby fall asleep the rest of the way to the studio. Should baby still be awake when you arrive then I will get you to give him/her a top-up should they need it. It is very important to ensure your baby has a VERY full belly for the session. It is advised to try to feed baby about 30 mins before you leave the house so that we don't have to spend time feeding when you arrive. The more time we spend having to feed during the session the less images we will be able to get.
If you are bottle feeding, please bring extra bottles of formula and/or pumped breast milk to help fill up baby faster and get them into a sound sleep. If breast feeding, please try to avoid eating the following foods 24 hours prior to the session as it may upset baby’s tummy: Spicy or gassy food (such as broccoli, beans etc), heavy dairy, caffeine & chocolate. If your baby has a tendency to be gassy then please bring gripe water or oval drops with you or give it to them before the session. Dress baby in ONLY a button or zip up sleeper (no onesies underneath please). When you arrive at the studio please leave baby in the car seat. I will take the car seat from you and start preparing baby right away. During the session I will take care of your baby if he/she gets fussy or starts to wake up as I have many soothing techniques that will help settle baby down, I try to allow very little handling with the parents during the session as it can often make baby more irritable especially if they can smell ‘mommy’. I will only hand your baby back to you if I feel he/she needs feeding. I may occasionally ask a parent to help with a specific pose but otherwise, I kindly ask that when you come in to sit back and relax in the comfortable seating area and allow me to work with your newborn safely without standing over me.
What to Bring
Please bring the following: Extra bottles, wipes, receiving blankets, gripe water/oval drops (if your baby is gassy) and a soother (very important!). Even if your baby hasn't taken a soother, I still request you bring one as this could make or break your session. My goal is to help keep baby happy and calm during your session and it's only used if assistance is needed to capture certain poses and won't create any habit forming behaviours. If you would like family photos done with your new baby, please wear a black or white tank or t-shirt. Siblings should also wear a plain black or white top with no logos/motifs (Girls can wear a denim or white dress, keep as simple as possible). Due to the nature of the session workflow, we will do family shots and sibling towards the end of the shoot so that we get all of the beanbag poses and props done first while baby is sound asleep and has a full belly. If you are bringing an older sibling to the session, I kindly ask that keep them busy until we are ready for them as they can be a distraction. As toddlers are very busy and still adjusting to a new baby in the home, most won’t want to pose next to their new sibling for a photo, so please be prepared for that. I have a variety of props, headbands and hats that fit within my style to use during the session that have been sanitized ready for use.
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me prior to your scheduled newborn session.