Please contact me ASAP with your the due date of your newborn. I will pencil your due date in the calender and send you the portrait agreement and link to pay for your session. Your session fee locks in current pricing and a reservation for your newborn. Once the baby is born – call me or email me and we will schedule your session within the first week (the best time) or up to 2 weeks old.
Newborn sessions are best done within the first two weeks of the baby being born. I prefer the first week simply because they are still usually very sleepy and able to be put into the newborn style poses that everyone loves. When you schedule your maternity session or just your newborn session, you’ll tell me when you are due and we will make a tentative session date for a weekday following your due date. Obviously, as babies don’t like to follow schedules, we will adjust as needed. Once the baby is born, you will call or email me to let me know and we will go from there!
I prefer to do the newborn session at my home studio. I am able to control the light and I have all the props. You may also choose to have the session at your home but I may be limited as to the different poses I can do. The light and space in your home will determine that. The Session Fee for a Newborn is $200.
How long will the session take?
I allow extra time for newborns, so the sessions are a little longer than others. These sessions can take up to three hours because I really like to relax and take my time with the families, the babies, the poses and the shots. We may also need extra time to get the baby to fall asleep or for feedings.
How can we best prepare for the session?
If the newborn session is at your home there are a few very important things that I do insist on before coming for a newborn session. The first is that about an hour before your scheduled session, you turn the heat up in your house – ideally about 75-80 degrees. The reason for the heat is simple – newborns need things very warm. In order to do the traditional newborn shots with them undressed they need to be warm in and out of blankets. We will be sweating, but they will be happy! Portable heaters are also an option – the potential drawback is that if we switch rooms, the room may not be warm enough.
The second thing is that you try and feed the baby about 20 minutes before I get there and change their diaper. A fed baby is a happy sleepy baby. I am also more than glad to do nursing pictures if that is something you are interested in during the session. As with any session, breaks for feedings, diaper changes, etc., are perfectly acceptable and expected. Along this same line, at some point the baby will go to the bathroom, possibly several times — it’s okay! I have seen and experienced it all. I have been pooped, peed and puked on — that is what soap and laundry are for. We will stop to clean as needed and then continue from there.
The last thing is that the baby should already be undressed by the time I get there. Keep the diaper a little loose starting about 30 minutes prior and wrap them up in a warm snuggly blanket. The reason for the diaper loose is that then there are no diaper marks on the skin in the photos.
What should we wear?
For newborns – nothing! A diaper can work if you have a diaper cover, or if you use plain cloth diapers. We will also do pictures swaddled in blankets and using any hats or booties that you may want. For mom and dad I recommend black shirts and pants or another dark colored plain shirt – very flattering on a new mother and provides a beautiful backdrop for pictures. There is the possibility that I will ask the father to take his shirt off and pose with the baby for skin-to-skin pictures. Of course, dad can always say no! It is really up to you, these are just recommendations.
Is there anything else we should know?
Only that I ask that you trust me with your child. I understand the difficulty in handing over a new baby to someone you do not know. You also may not always see the picture I see in my head, but if we work together we can get some amazing shots that you will treasure for years to come.
What happens after the session?
Within two weeks of your session, I will email you a custom slide show of the best images from the session. During that time I will contact you to schedule your proofing session which is done at my home studio. During your proofing/ordering session you will see all your images on my HD Monitor as well as see samples of the various framing options and custom albums available. I will work with you to help you choose exactly what you need. all of your proofs will be online here on the website in a password-protected proofing gallery. You will have 4 days to look at them and decide what you want to order. You will then place an order through me, and all prints will be delivered two to four weeks after you place your order. Custom work can take between four and six weeks.
