After photographing newborns the past few years, I thought I’d share a few tips to prepare you for the best session! Have you ever seen photos and think, “how did they get these dreamy photos?”. A lot of the magic happens in the planning and prep! This tips will give you a head start to having the cutest pictures of you and your newborn. Let’s get started!
Tip #1 – Book Your Session While You are Still Pregnant.
There are so many things happening in the last few months of your pregnancy. Doctor visits, nursery plans (aka nesting), baby showers and just trying to take things easy. That is why I highly recommend booking your newborn session before your baby comes. The most popular time to go ahead and book is usually 3-4 months before your due date. I hear from so many mamas who scramble to plan their session after their baby is born, that it makes it an un-necessary added stress and scheduling conflict. While you might think that picking a date for your session is nearly impossible (I mean, who actually knows when your baby will come), but the easiest strategy is to pick a tentative date the week after your due date. With my clients, I like to put a “tentative” session date on my calendar and then plan around that. If baby comes early or late, we still have some wiggle room to re-schedule you. Speaking of scheduling…
Tip #2 – The Newborn Stage
Timing is everything! Your new baby is only a newborn for a short amount of time. Days actually! The best time to catch them at their newborn stage is 5-10 days after birth. Then they are at their squishy stage and easier to curl up into those cute newborn poses. After 10 days, they become stronger and are a bit more wigglier, making it harder to capture them in those sweet sleepy poses. Booking your newborn session after your baby is born….is a bit stressful, especially if you need the pictures done asap (you won’t believe how many parents do this). Now, there is an exception! If you have a medical situation or have your baby in the nicu, don’t fret! Their health is the most important. Of course, preemie babies can schedule their session later since they are still growing to be strong. There are some things you can’t plan on, but going ahead and booking your newborn session is a huge stress reliever and you will be so glad you did!
Tip #3 – Your Environment
Back in the day, having a photographer come to your house was unheard of! You would pack up your bags, bring all the blankets, bottles, diapers, clothes, extra clothes, carseat, stroller, wipes and lug them into a photography studio. Talk about totally exhausting! And not to mention germs or planning in your feeding schedule. What a mess! Thankfully, newborns do not take up a lot of space and most of my props are mobile. Babies are also most comfortable in their home environment where the scent, sounds & atmosphere are already apart of their memory. You also have everything you need within arms reach. Making your session a lot more relaxing! I also like to recommend that you keep your home temperature slightly warmer than what you would normally keep it at. This helps keep your baby calm in between outfit changes and diaper shots. You can also achieve this with a space heater; they are the bomb!
Capturing the first few days of their life, makes you realize how fast they grow! Seriously, in just a few days their faces start to fill out and that newborn look begins to fade. Having these pictures really shows how tiny they are! I’m also a huge sucker for love stories, and newborns are SO loved! Engagements and weddings are romantic, but the next life steps of growing a family are just as precious. Let’s not forget all the moments that make life sweet!
To inquire for a newborn session, contact me here. I’d love to hear from you!
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