Congratulations on the upcoming arrival of your baby! Whether this is your first baby or your fourth, you will undoubtedly want to capture the very beginning of their precious life and these photos will be keepsakes for you and for them to cherish always. I feel so fortunate when hired to document the life of any family, and feel especially honored when I am the one chosen to photograph brand new babies!
The best time to schedule your newborn session is during your pregnancy –- the earlier the better. This ensures a spot on my calendar while we wait for your little one to arrive. While sometimes babies do arrive weeks earlier than planned, for the most part, scheduling a session based on your due date is the best way to go. I always check in on my mommies-to-be and ask that you keep me updated at the end of your pregnancy.
The ideal time to take newborn photos is within the first 2 weeks of birth–preferably in the 6-10 day range. This is because babies at this age sleep so soundly and are more easily moved. Also within this time frame babies will still have what is referred to as the “newborn curl”, where they still can maintain the fetal position and therefore are still very pose-able. If for whatever reason we are unable to photograph your baby during these 2 weeks–do not worry! Babies are beautiful at every age, and your session, whenever it takes place, will reflect life at that time. Even if your baby doesn’t sleep a wink, you will still receive images to cherish forever. Newborn sessions can be scheduled up to 2 months of age.
Please note that I schedule newborn sessions on weekday mornings (if you're unable to do a weekday morning, weekend mornings can sometimes be accommodated for an additional fee). Anywhere the most natural, indirect light coming in is ideal, though we will move around your home as well!
Whether you’ve already booked a session with me or are just thinking about it, here you’ll find some information you’ll need to know about scheduling a session with me that will help provide a relaxed and successful shoot for you and your new baby. My goal for your newborn session is for you to be comfortable, calm, happy and stress-free and to capture this magical time in your lives. I want you to look at these photos and be brought back to this very special time in your family’s life, just as it was.
Newborn sessions generally run anywhere from 2-3 hours—I am much more flexible with time for these sessions as opposed to a traditional family session, allowing for time to feed and change your baby and whatever else is needed. Newborn sessions are held in your home so we can take these photos not only in the privacy and comfort of your personal family space, but to have these memories in the place you brought your baby home to.
I am a natural light photographer and whenever possible rely solely on available natural light. For this reason I will ask that you scope out your home for the room that is the brightest and gets the most indirect sunlight at the time of day we plan to shoot (almost always in the morning.) If you feel that your home does not provide the adequate light and space to shoot, please let me know and we can talk about alternative locations.
A packet of more detailed information will be emailed to you as we get closer to our session.