Part II: How to Prep for Your Newborn Shoot
How to Prep For Your Newborn Shoot Part II
The newborn stage is a strange time full of conflicting feelings and a rollercoaster of hormones. You’re so in love with your kid, and also incredibly traumatized by what just happened to your body (at least I was lol). There is too much to think about at that stage. So the last thing you want to do is stress about a newborn photoshoot. This is why I try to keep these shoots as chill as possible for the parents.
Here are a few question’s and answers to help you envision what your shoot might be like with me:
Do I need to do a lot of cleaning beforehand?
While a clean backdrop will definitely help with a more minimalistic and clean look- this is not everything. If you happen to have a family member or friend who can come and tidy for you, take advantage of this! If not, I will move anything out of the way that I feel like needs to be. Other than that, do not stress about it. What matters is that you are relaxed and enjoying yourself as much as you can.
What if the nursery is not set up yet?
Totally fine. I get creative with my surroundings. So we might spend most of the time right near the window, or if weather allows, the backyard. We could work with a different room in your home (which I do at almost every newborn shoot), options are endless. Your space does not to be perfectly decorated before your shoot.
What kind of outfits should I have for the baby?
I like to keep things simple. So I usually say to pick one swaddle, and one outfit. This way we are spending more time focusing on relaxing and snapping photos rather than changing constantly.
Do you pose the baby?
Nope! I am all baby-led. At some point when baby is nice and sleepy we can do portraits of just your baby lying down. We can do some with the swaddle and/or with just a diaper. But in these instances I will try to just capture natural yawns, stretches, etc. If I feel like the baby needs to be adjusted a little, I will ask you or your partner to move your baby around. This way I have a chance to capture all shorts of little details and interactions of you and your baby. Some of my favorite shots are ones where the dad is swaddling the baby.
What if my baby is fussy?
Baby is boss! Again I am all about making this a really chill time. So plan on things happening like they normally do. Dirty diapers, feeding time, skin to skin time- these will all probably happen at one point during the shoot. No stress about it. Some of that I will capture (feeding or rocking, swaddling, etc). If the baby is just not having it, we will take a break!.
I highly suggest having snacks and waters set out for your and your partner (or just going to the kitchen for that) during the shoot. This way everyone stays happy and not hangry.
Ok so envision this:
I arrive at your house, we chat for a few minutes and I take a look at your nursery/house.
I set up some chill music on my bluetooth speaker, and you guys relax and snuggle all around the house for an hour and a half while I snap pictures. It might feel awkward for the first 10 minutes (having a stranger with a camera up in your business is not very natural haha), but as we get to know each other it gets really fun and hopefully feels natural by the end :)
a week or two later you receive your gorgeous gallery and start picking the images you want to hang or put in an album!
Sound good? Want some more info?
All my sessions include an unlimited amount of edited images in your digital gallery where you can download and share. And I am a big fan of printing photos- so your gallery has your own personal store where you can design your own albums (or have me do it for you), print wall hangings, and get gifts for the extended fam.
My prices have bumped up slightly for newborn sessions, but they are honestly still so affordable especially with my flexible payment plans.
So the pictures below are an example of just one newborn session, but reach out if you want to see more examples and are interested in booking!
