When

Newborn sessions should be held within the first 14 days of baby’s life (ideally during the first week!), as it’s easier to settle them and putting them down to sleep.

Where

These sessions are held at our home studio in Ferny Hills. There is plenty of secure parking within the property, so just come in and leave your car right next to the studio entrance.

Duration

A key difference with these sessions is that we won’t be constrained by time. Newborns can take quite some time to settle, and on top of that, setting up the scene for each shot (pose, lighting, props, etc.) can also take a little while, so expect the session to last a few hours.

However long it takes though, baby needs to be fed and feel comfortable, so everything else will be accommodated around their own schedule.

The shots

The session will consist of a series of photos where baby for the most part will be naked or wrapped up in a blanket and posed using a few delicate accessories and props (hats, headbands, stuffed animals, etc).

The shooting will be under natural light (through window, not outdoors!) and baby will be framed in the scene against a backdrop and rested typically over a rug, blanket or bean bag.

Bring though any small element which is meaningful to you or you think will make a nice addition to the shot. Please drop us a line by email and let us know in advance so we can think about composition ideas including those items.

Sleepy baby

To get those cute, comfy, curly poses, we’d like to make sure baby is sleepy enough to allow us to handle them. We recommend that you interact and play with baby before arriving for their session, so we make sure baby is nice and tired. Of course, we’ll strive to capture some awake shots as well whenever the opportunity arises.

Keeping the baby warm

Newborns lose their body temperature fairly quickly once unclothed so we’ll crank up the heat before you arrive to set a pleasant room temperature and ensure your baby is warm and cozy through the shoot. As you should expect a room warmer than usual, please consider this when selecting your own clothing.

Feed baby

Please feed and burp baby right before our session to ensure a happy, sleepy baby. We’ll also take as many breaks as needed to get baby “milk-drunk” again.

How to dress them up

Arriving at the session with baby in a zip-up or snap-up onesie is ideal, as it makes it easy for us to pull the clothes off without waking the baby.

Please loosen your baby’s nappy and clothing at least 30 minutes before the session. This gives those little imprint marks time to disappear.

Cleaning baby

As baby will be unclothed a large portion of the time, expect baby to pee and/or poo during the session. Do not worry! It’s absolutely fine. We have wipes, towels, and hand sanitizer in the studio.

Keep calm

It’s not so easy for some parents to go through a photoshoot experience with their newborn. Sometimes babies get fussy which tends to stress parents out. It’s really important to remain calm through the session because babies can sense stress and anxiety.

Be patient

Patience is key! A lot of time will be spent trying to settle baby, giving them cuddles, feeding them, and changing nappies. Remember, time is not an issue. We’ll take the baby’s lead and we’ll be here for as long as it takes to get through the session.

Relax

Even when things seem not to be going according to plan, there is nothing to be worried about…it’s just a matter of time. So, take it easy on you, relax, rest, and even allow yourself to drift off to a mini nap while the session moves along.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if there’s anything you may want to discuss before the shoot.