Planning Your Session – Typically I photograph newborns in the first 5-21 days so they look really fresh and new. If your baby is older than this, it’s ok! I have great options for older babies and can still get amazing photos. Booking your session while you are still pregnant is ideal and usually what families do, to ensure they have a spot. I pencil in your due date and once baby is born we schedule your session date and time. I share my Newborn Prep Guide with you as soon as you are booked in and this covers lots of answers to questions you may have, including what to wear and what to bring. I provide most everything, as long as you bring baby and baby’s food I pretty much take care of everything else. Everything I use in the session is neutral, soft and freshly washed. I want this to be a relaxing and easy experience for you, so if you have any other questions, just email me and I’ll answer anything you throw at me.
During the Session – Studio newborn photos like you see here are done in my Burlington studio and usually take about 2 hours depending on how much time is needed to feed and soothe baby. Families opt for this type of newborn session, rather than a home session for a few reasons. Maybe they LOVE the natural, simply posed photos I am able to capture in studio, maybe they are in the process of moving or renovating, maybe they are coming from a far distance outside of my travel area or perhaps they don’t believe their home is photo ready due to decor or lighting. Whatever the reason, I’m happy to open up my home studio and welcome new families in.
There is a seating area for parents where you can relax and watch me capture your baby’s first portraits. There is a television with Netflix to keep you entertained, although most parents are intrigued with watching their newborn while I gently guide them into the cutest natural poses. We take breaks for feeding, comforting and cuddling as needed. The studio temperature is set to very warm to keep baby happy and warm. Sessions are scheduled for mid-morning, giving you a decent amount of time to get up, get ready and leave (and giving me the time to get my kids out to school and set the studio up perfectly). If you choose to add family pictures, I always start with those so that everyone is fresh (remember the heat I just talked about) and then you can relax and Dad can even head out to work if need be. During this time you can peek in at the product samples I have on display and get some ideas of how you’d like to use your print credit and display your images.
I am very “go with the flow”, relaxed and calm while photographing your sweet newborn. If baby arrives and they are completely asleep then we will start with unwrapped images. I watch to see how baby likes to move and lay and always try to capture their true self. I love the womb-like poses that baby naturally puts themselves into.
We can incorporate wraps and textures which also helps keep baby still and calm if they are not quite fully asleep. I always include both colour and black and white for every image.
I will photograph baby’s details so that you can always remember their sweet newborn features.
I really like involving mom and/or dad’s hands into images with their new baby. It shows just how small baby really is and I also enjoy how it showcases the connection between everyone.
I love to capture awake images and baby’s personality which tends to shine the most when they are awake. Parents sometimes worry that their baby won’t sleep, personally, I really like when baby has a bit of an awake time during their session. I use this time to document their cute little expressions, frowns and happy faces. I’m very watchful and pick up on the things that make your baby unique. From experience I can attest that these images are always family favourites and printed big. You can see why – look at how adorable awake images can be!
After the Session – At the end of our time together, I let you know when you can expect the images- spoiler alert! It’s always the same, within two weeks! 🙂 Don’t worry, if you are a bit sleep deprived and can’t remember what I’m saying, I send a follow-up email with all the info that you can read when you get home. Once you get your gallery, I am happy to assist you in making choices on what images to print and display in your home. I will mockup wall decor for you so that you can see how it’s going to look before you place your order. I LOVE doing this, so please don’t feel like it’s too much to ask.
I hope this provides a little bit of insight to what goes on before, during and after a studio newborn session. Newborns are my heart and soul and I would be honoured to capture yours. Contact me for more details and availability.
