Here are a few things to keep in mind and to bring in preparation for your session.
1. Book your session in advance! As your due date grows near, you will have a lot of other things to worry about, so the further ahead you plan the better. It is recommended to book your session within about 5-10 days to the two weeks of life as this is the best time to photograph newborns. This is when they are sleepiest, most flexible and overall best to photograph before they start to stretch out. We will put down a tentative time for your session as it may need to be changed according to the due date, recovery etc.I have photographed babies outside of this window, though understand, the poses and approach to the session will be different for that age.
2.Your home or my home studio.
I offer two options for newborn photography. I can come to your home or on location (for outdoor summer newborn portraits) or you may come to my home studio. I offer a wide variety of colors, textures etc when it comes to backdrops, as well as various props. Anything from buckets to baskets etc. I can offer a wider variety of things at my home studio should we decide on something we would like to do last minute, we have that option. At the beginning of the session, we lay out any attire (headbands, hats, etc...) or you may choose from mine, and from there the backdrops will be set up. The choice is up to you, however, here are a few things to consider when trying to decide (are there distractions such as pets, other children etc, does your home have adequate natural light?)3. Wait to feed the baby until arriving at the studio.
4. Try your best to keep the baby awake the 1-2 hours before arriving as it is best to photograph a sleepy newborn. Babies sleep a large portion of the day, however, it is better if they are sleepier.
5. Newborn sessions take time. They can take anywhere from 2-3 hrs, as we take gentle time with a precious little baby. Diaper changes, additional feeding etc, slowly posing the baby to keep them asleep etc all take time to create those elegant sleeping angel pictures. While there will be times I may ask for your hand to help support your little one in a pose, come, sit back and relax. Bring a book even.
6. Collaboration When I shoot newborns I love to capture a variety of traditional and unique cute ideas. I would love to hear from you too if you have anything you would like to do. For example, a little boy laying in a fluffy blanket in an antique toy dump truck is a cute idea. Just let me know your thoughts in advance! And we can go from there.
7. Bring a change of everything :) From diapers to burp cloths to a change of clothes for yourself. Babies are messy! Especially with nude baby pictures, we will likely go through a few diapers and maybe even a shirt.
If you want to bring baby attire I recommend short sleeves or tank tops, as a newborn can quickly get buried in too much fabric. Lace rompers are super cute. Diaper cover-ups, knitted or a simple color fabric is ideal. I will pull out a few options of my own too.
If your baby has enough hair, bring a small baby brush for brushing their hair.
8. Stick to simple.
If you plan to get parents and baby, mother and baby etc photos, the attire you have on should be very simple. No patterns that draw attention away from the baby. A plaid covered sleeve can be very distracting right next to a little baby and our eyes should be drawn straight to the little one. I recommend black or grey shirts, one short sleeve and one long. If siblings will be part of the pictures, this same rule applies. Simple solid white, grey or black shirts.
9. Headbands, hats, bows, oh my!
Bring your collection! Let's have fun with it. And you are welcome to filter through my large collection of cute accessories too! A cute little headband can go a long way on that little bald baby head.
10. Relax!
Babies cry. And it is nothing to stress about most the time. As I said before, we take our time with newborns and I am prepared for that. We will take the needed measures to assure the comfort of your baby. From a warm setting to white noise, etc to make that little treasure curl up in comfort for the camera.
Tags: Longmont family Photography, Newborn Photographer Longmont, longmont newborn photography, northern colorado family photographers, Boulder newborn Photography
