NEWBORN SESSION
1.) What goes into your newborn pricing?
With the availability of low-cost digital cameras and a plethora of websites devoted to photography these days, there are new photography businesses opening up all the time. Some newborn photographers entice in new clients by will offering low “starter” prices that make choosing them very tempting but it’s important to consider the following thoughts when choosing your newborn photographer…
Because working with your newborn baby should not be taken lightly, the session takes a large amount of time and patience (2-4 hours), we have attended trainings on how to SAFELY pose your newborn so they are never at risk. We are gentle, patient and flexible which works well in this field because as we like to say, “The baby is the boss!”.
Once the shoot concludes and the best images are put into a proofing collection, each image is slowly handcrafted to perfection in Photoshop. Newborns often have skin imperfections (bumps, veins, blotches, birth marks, hair, scratches, etc.) and in order to retain a soft and natural appearance to the skin, attention to detail is a MUST!!
Careful consideration has been given to each newborn pricing bundle in order to offer the client a value while still respecting the time and expertise of the photographer. We never want a client to feel mislead and that is why our pricing is upfront with digitals and prints included in each package. Of course you can add on more, but we have no purchase minimums so you are not obligated to spend over what you have budgeted or desire.
2.) When do I need to book my newborn session?
We HIGHLY recommend contacting us at least 2-4 months prior to your EDD. A deposit toward your session places your due date on our calendar. We limit how many due dates we’ll add to our calendar per month. Although we make every effort to fit in last-minute newborn session requests, our schedule fills up quickly and it can sometimes be difficult to do so. Once you are on our calendar, you will be given priority after your baby arrives and we will be sure to schedule your session within 14 days postpartum. If your baby has already been born and is under 14 days old, you may still contact us and inquire about a session, as we do try to accommodate each newborn inquiry whenever possible.
3.) When will my newborn session take place if my baby arrives early or late?
Once your newborn has arrived, have someone contact us immediately so that we can select a date for your session. To ensure the sleepy, curly, intricate newborn poses we advise scheduling a newborn session 4-10 days after delivery.
4.) Why does my baby need to be so young in order to be photographed?
After a tremendous amount of experience, we firmly believe that the ideal time for a newborn session is generally when a baby is between 4-10 days old. They are still very sleepy at this time and are still comfortable being curled up similar to how they were positioned in the womb so their legs tuck up underneath them very comfortably. We can pose them in all those sweet poses quicker and more easily while they sleep. Every passing day after birth brings more awake time and less tolerance to the posing and handling needed in our style of posed newborn photography. After 10 days some babies will not sleep through the session and therefore getting the desired images we are hoping for may become quite difficult.
If your baby is over 3 weeks old you may be better to consider booking a “baby” session. These sessions begin at around 12 weeks of age (and up) and capture alert babies in cute interactive and playful images.
5.) Do I bring my own props to the session?
No! You have hired us and we provide it all. In fact we prefer when clients have seen our portfolio and style of posing and trust us to make the best decisions based on their baby’s age, temperament, skin condition, etc. We will always consult with you about preferences in color, feel, the level of posed vs. lifestyle shots you desire, but truly allowing the baby to guide the session ALWAYS results in the best images with the largest variety of great shots to choose from. Going into a session with a predetermined idea of what the baby should do or wear often does not result in the best outcome as babies always remind us that THEY decide when they want to sleep, what they are willing to do and whether they like to be swaddled or not ?
6.) Where will my newborn session take place?
Newborn sessions can take place either in our home studio in San Marcos, CA or in your home. We will consult with you and discuss the requirement for lighting and space and then together we will make the decision that seems to be the best fit.
7.) What if my baby does not want to sleep during the session?
Well, first of all, DON’T worry! We have a lot of experience and the chances of us not being able to get your baby to sleep at all are extremely rare. If baby is awake for any length of time, we will swaddle and photograph the baby with you and most likely get some beautiful “open eyes” images! Then we will once again continue to concentrate on getting your little one to sleep for some poses. The best tip for a sleepy baby on the day of your session is to make sure you contact us right away once your baby is here so that we can book your session ASAP and while your little one is under 10 days old.
8.) How are the images that I am given in my proofing gallery chosen?
Narrowing down the images usually begins with a quality inspection. Out of focus images or technically “unusable” images are removed immediately as we only give our best to the clients! The next step is to compare very similar images and narrow things down even further by removing images that are essentially “duplicates” of each other. We also remove images where the baby is making a face, pulling their hands up, fluttering their eyes, etc. It can be quite overwhelming for clients to view 5 images that are almost identical to one other so our clients are always given the best images from the day. Depending on the newborn session you purchased, you may be given 15- 20 images to view.
9.) How do I know that you are not getting rid of an image I may have liked?
We pride ourselves on providing each and every client with final images that are beautiful and the best from the session (and of course, providing images that we know our clients will love and cherish for years to come)!
We would love for you to trust that we will not discard any image that we feel a client should have. If that means we go slightly over the amount of proofs specified with your session, so be it.
10.) What is the difference between a PROOF and a DIGITAL negative?
A PROOF is a image that you get to view from your collection. Proofs are provided so you may see each image before deciding wich ones you want to keep or print. Some newborn packages allow you to keep ALL of your proofs (images) while other packages allow you to view your proofs and then keep a limited number (ex: 10 images) from the session.
A DIGITAL NEGATIVE is the image that you get to keep. Like in the “olden” days when cameras used film, you own this “negative” digitally and can reproduce it, upload it to social media, keep it forever…. IT IS YOURS!!!
11.) Why do I need prints from you when I own the digitals and can print them on my own?
A few reasons…
Your baby’s portraits shouldn’t live on your computer…
100% of our clients that purchase digital images from us plan on printing their images as beautiful wall portraits, photo books, etc. Now guess how many actually do… Only about 20%!!
Life just tends to get in the way. We get that, so let us help you! When we have your images ready, we’ll upload them to a digital gallery from you that you can place an order from if you desire. You’ll have 7 days to do this and once you do, you can relax! We will design, order, and have everything shipped directly to you!
Nothing beats the quality of a professional lab…
A professional lab specifically calibrated to the artists computer will ensure perfect color and sharpness every time! Professional high quality materials and printers will ensure long lasting durability so you can pass down your images as prized family heirlooms. To see more about the superior quality of professional product visit our “product” tab here: http://www.alexisstonieaphotography.com/prints-products/
Products designed just for you…
We will custom design and revise the products you order (birth announcements, collages, photo books, etc.) until you love your design. This is a win-win for both of us. We get the ability to design final products that we know will make the images we produced for you shine and you will get a final product that you love and can’t wait to show off!
Appropriate cropping…
Because different crops have different ratios, thus producing different “shapes”, careless cropping of consumer labs (Costco, Shutterfly, Minted, CVS, etc.) can take an image from amazing to unbalanced or can even result in important parts of an image being cut off. Unfortunately, consumer labs do not manually and professionally crop the photos before printing so often times, the images have very unappealing crops. Let us handle the printing and we promise to have your images printed in crops that will only enhance them.