Preparing Your Baby
A well fed baby is a happy sleepy baby! Gently waking and feeding your baby approximately 15 minutes prior to my arrival helps get baby soothed and ready for the session. Please undress baby and loosen the diaper (you make keep them wrapped lightly in a swaddle or blanket) so that clothing lines disappear prior to the session. One of the main reasons babies wake up and get upset before their session is due to having to undress them. Putting them in something easy to remove will make a huge difference. This will save a lot of time and will prevent us from having to spend the first part of our session soothing the baby back to sleep. Sessions tend to make babies hungry so please plan to be at the entire session and to feed baby along the way if needed.
Don’t worry about baby acne or little scratches. My retouching will either eliminate or drastically minimize these imperfections. If your baby has extremely dry skin, try putting baby lotion on prior to coming to your session. This will help the retouching process.
Preparing Your Family
For any family members being photographed I recommend a simple white, cream, grey or black t-shirt or tank top/camisole. For younger siblings they can wear a light colored shirt or simple plain dress, or for boys they can go shirtless while holding the baby for a beautiful photo. Please no prints or logo t-shirts.
I know new moms don’t usually feel their most beautiful after just giving birth, but these photos are so special to have! I can work wonders with dark circles under your eyes from your sleepless nights. I can pose you in a way that will be flattering. Do not worry about any skin issues you may still have. I can retouch all that away! Remember, I am a mom too, and I remember all too well what those first two weeks were like!
Timing
Posed & lifestyle newborn sessions can take 3-4 hours in length. Lifestyle ONLY sessions take approx. 2 hours. The younger the baby, the sleepier and the quicker the session will be. We plan this much time in order to ensure we have plenty of time for extra feedings, diaper changes and bouts of crankiness.
One Last Thing …
No matter what your baby does, please know that I am always relaxed. I do this all the time and have seen everything. All babies poop and pee (on me, on my props, on you) it does not bother me at all! Please don’t feel bad or embarrassed. I want your session to be a special experience for you and I don’t want you stressed if the baby starts to cry. The baby can sense stress and it usually makes them cry more. Just relax and enjoy watching your baby. We have plenty of time allowed for your session. If we need to take a break to feed, walk, rock, etc. we can do that. I want you to enjoy the experience of your session and this special bonding moment for your family.