Preparing for a Newborn Session

           There are a few things to keep in mind before your newborn session.  Hopefully these suggestions will prepare you and your home for capturing the most beautiful and special photos. 

Light

The best spot to shoot your newborn’s photos will probably be near the largest window.  The day of the session, I will walk around the house and find the best places with the most natural light to capture the baby’s photos.  The best rooms are the ones with the simplest, most white and neutral backgrounds, with lots of light.  If you have a room like this with lots of clutter, try to put some things away before the session.  We will probably move chairs and other furniture to set up.  

Location

The shoot may take place in the babies nursery or we may decide that the lighting/style would be better in another room.  I love shoots with the family sitting on the parent’s bed, especially with light-colored, neutral bedding.  If you are interested in having the photos on your bed, a neutral colored blanket would be best! These make a big difference in the quality of photos.  

Timing

Relax-newborn sessions can take time.  Newborns are very unpredictable and usually have a very short window of time that they are happy laying down alone.  Don’t worry.  If your baby is unhappy, we can take a feeding break. I also shoot mostly with the baby in mom or dad’s arms, which is usually calming to a baby.  If sleep doesn’t happy it is totally fine, we will come up with beautiful, special photos.

Temperature

It is best to warm up your house to 80 or so degrees.  Newborn are used to being held and in warm, tight places.  Having the temperature of the house warmer will help them to be happy longer laying on their own.  

Feeding the Baby

Try to feed the baby right before the session begins.  It would be perfect even if you are still feeding the baby when the session time begins to give me a minute to set up the scene.  In this case, the baby hopefully will be happy and calm for us to capture him or her.

“Props”

I would love for you to pull out some of your basic swaddles ahead of time. If you don’t have any send me a quick note before and I can bring some.

If you have any specific ideas before the shoot, please email me in advance to make the planning process and actual session go smoother.

Siblings

I love to have siblings included in the photos.  Communicate ahead of time when the kids “peak” time is so that we can shoot to photograph them with the newborn during this window.  

Attire

Wear something lightly colored, pastel, or neutral.  Layers, vests, accessories, earrings, headbands, all these things add depth and character to a shoot.  They can be done perfectly or overdone.  Check out my pinterest board for inspiration and let me know if you need help putting together your outfits.   

For moms- make sure that your fingernails and toenails aren’t chipped, it will show up in photos.  New moms are incredibly beautiful no matter how you feel.  Don’t hesitate to have your hair and makeup done.  Let me know if you need suggestions of hair and makeup artists. 

The baby can be dressed in just a diaper at the session start time.