How to prepare for your newborn photography session
Meeting your new baby is a time of incredible wonder and joy! Capturing those first moments of connection and joy you feel is an absolute honour. You might be wondering what things you can do to help ensure your first session with your beautiful baby is successful…let’s walk through the process together!
1. Book your appointment early!
Booking your session early will help ensure availability and allow for easier rescheduling should baby arrive early or late (these wee ones never seem to like to arrive on time!) It also helps me to prepare any special props or poses you may like in advance.
2. Session day
Sessions usually take place within the first 10 days of baby’s birth when they will still be sleepy and ready to curl up for a nap and a smooth photo session. If you need longer than 10 days, we can also make that work, but sessions are definitely smoother with a younger babe who hasn’t learned how good it feels to stretch out those long arms and legs yet.
Newborn sessions take place at our home studio in Port Moody, BC. Everything is ready for your new bundle of joy just in case you should need anything. You’ll have bottles of water, diapers, wipes, baby lotion, props, swaddles, a comfy couch if you need a nap…you name it, we’re ready for you!
Your baby will need to be sleeping during most of their session to get the best results. They are usually not yet happy while awake unless they are being held, so they may be awake for your family photos, but for the rest we want to get them nice and sleepy.
One of the key ways we accomplish this is keeping the studio warm (28 degrees celsius to be precise) so you may want to dress in layers! We will all be sweating, but remember, baby will be mostly naked, and if it’s not warm enough they will also be very unhappy. If it is a warm day and you’d like some outdoor images we can also take the show on the road to the trail near the studio for a few beautiful outdoor images!
It is important to make sure your baby has a full belly, so please try to rest as much as possible the day before your session (I KNOW some days with a newborn this is impossible!) and drink LOTS of water as you may be nursing quite a bit to keep them full! If your baby uses a soother it’s a good idea to bring a couple along as well just in case we need them.
Speaking of full bellies…it’s possible you may be here for up to 3 hours, so please ensure you eat a good, healthy breakfast and bring a few snacks (I used to provide these pre-covid, but out of an abundance of caution, water bottles are provided since they can be properly sanitized, but food will have to wait). I know there’s a lot that goes in to preparing for your big session. Please remember it’s better to be a few minutes late and be comfortable, than to be hungry or feel unwell during your session.
3. Oopsy poopsy!
Your baby may relieve themselves on blankets or props during their session. Rest assured your baby will not be the first, nor the last to have that happen! All blankets and props are washed and sanitized after every session.
4. Safety
Choosing an experienced newborn photographer is the first step to a safe newborn session. With over 13 years experience photographing newborns and specialized classes in newborn safety for the purposes of photography, you can rest assured you have selected a photographer who takes the safety of your family extremely seriously! Mom or dad will act as an assistant as needed, and I will give full instructions on how to ensure extra safety precautions are taken during posing.
4. What’s next?
Once your session is finished, I will upload your images to my computer, select the best of the best and send those out to my editor right away. She will return them to me within 1-2 weeks and I will email your gallery to you as soon as it’s ready where you can select a collection to order or add on to your existing collection. This is where you may also download any digital files that may have been included with your session or that you purchased afterwards. As soon as I have your order back from the lab, I will contact you to arrange a time for pick up or to meet up and get your beautiful art pieces to you to enjoy your treasured memories for a lifetime!
Thank you for trusting me to capture this truly special time in your family’s life. I look forward to meeting you!
Love,
Ashleigh
