Preparing for Your Newborn Session

Newborn Studio Sessions: What Every Parent Should Know

What an exciting time! Your precious baby is here, you've scheduled your baby's first photo shoot, and by now, you may have already had your consultation call with Tina to discuss *all the things.* (*All the things* are color schemes, backdrops, themes and props, studio clothing options, personal vision and purpose, special requests and more...) What else is there to know before your session to help make it a wonderful experience for you and your baby?

We've put together this article to help parents understand the basics of Newborn Photography and how these sessions are structured a bit differently than other types of photography sessions we offer. Here is a little of what you can *likely* expect during your child's Newborn Studio Session.

The Importance of Peaceful Beginnings

We take care to provide a warm and soothing, friendly and casual environment for your little one. That's why when you arrive at the studio, we will start by sitting together and sharing a few minutes of coffee and conversation so that your baby can get used to the sights (if awake), sounds, and smells of our studio. They take cues from Mom and Dad that let them know that this is a safe and happy place, and part of this welcoming conversation is to help the baby acclimate and be at ease. We will also take a few moments of this initial time together to review our goals for the session and to talk about how you plan to use the final images. Are we curating images for a newborn album, a wall collage, or gifts for friends and family? Will you be using these photos for birth announcements? We will review the types of newborn images you like the most: close-ups, overhead shots, simple vs. themed, etc. We will have discussed this before, but it we like to refresh. All of this information factors in to the way we approach the session, and the images we capture for you.

Starting the Session

Once we have chatted a bit, I will hold your baby and prepare to begin the session. If we have decided to start with a few family photos, I will wait until these are complete to begin to handle your baby and get him or her used to me personally. Once I start shooting the photos of the baby alone, I will likely do all the handling of your little one. We strive for the least amount of movement between posing and settings in order to help baby stay sleepy and compliant. There are certainly times when I ask Mom (or Dad!) to take the baby to comfort, or change a diaper, or feed them, but I have found that it is often easiest if I handle the baby for the most part, as they don't always want Mom to lay them back down again!

Session Timing and Listening to Your Baby

We plan and we prepare...and we pray! The first time I said that, it was with a little chuckle, but honestly... we do! We pray that your little one is having a good day and isn't experiencing tummy troubles, and doesn't feel anxious in different surroundings. Little ones take a lot of cues from Mom and Dad, so when you know what to expect and can be relaxed and confident that we will get precious images, no matter what it may seem like that day (haha,winky-smile!) your little one will also relax and be chill.

It is also important to understand that even with our planning and preparation, and fully relaxed parents, and perfect studio temperatures... there are times when baby just isn't feeling it. So much happens in the first week of a baby's life. Soooo many changes and adjustments. As I'm sure you are learning at home, and it's no different in the studio, we have to be patient - sometimes really patient - and take our cues from the baby. We give plentiful studio time to our newborn sessions for a reason. Not all that time is given to photography. A good amount is given to nurturing your baby and waiting for the opportunity to capture the most peaceful, relaxed images. So all that to say, we are going to use our professional training and experience, and patiently wait on your little one to show us the beautiful creation that they are!

Now, it may almost seem like we don't expect things to go well! Quite the contrary.

It is very rare that we just need to reschedule and start over on a different day. Baby usually gives us the grins and yawns and tiny smiles we hope to see! But we also know that until you have experienced working with Newborns and Babies during the first year, you may not realize that these sessions are not just, "snap, snap, snap" like it is when we do wedding and family photography with older children. Babies are special. And so is our approach to photographing them.

A Few Helpful Hints

Here are a few ideas about things you can DO to help prepare for your baby's session.

• Items to pack and bring from home:
• Gripe water
• Medicine dropper (to use for tastes of milk, as needed)
• Newborn Pacifier (even if you haven't used one before)
• Blankets that smell like home
• Special outfits, stuffies, or other gifts that are unique and that you want to include in your session

We look forward to serving your family soon! We are always here to answer any questions, or discuss other thoughts and special considerations you may have. Reach out by phone, text, or email at your convenience. We do try to observe business hours, so if you reach out when you are feeding the baby at midnight, it MIGHT be tomorrow until you hear back!

Oh...and if you are reading this and haven't booked your session yet... why not?! We'd love to hear from you.

Hugs,

Roger and Tina Woods