Newborn portraits are created during the first 5-10 days after birth. Please be sure to contact us as soon as possible in order to tentatively schedule your session date. The more advance notice we have of an upcoming arrival, the more flexibility we will have in rescheduling should your little one decide to arrive earlier or later than expected.
We highly recommend that you add us to your email list of those you plan to notify of your little one’s arrival so that we can be prepared to reschedule if necessary.
The session will be focused on sleeping baby images. At this early stage, newborns have a difficult time focusing with their eyes (which can give them a bit of a cross-eyed appearance). We are also rather limited on the style of images that can be captured during a session with a baby that is alert. In order to achieve the best possible session and images, we have a few requests:
First - Please make sure your newborn has a VERY FULL belly just before you leave to come to the studio. A full belly is to ensure that once you arrive, we can get right to work with your little one.
Second – If you can keep your newborn up for 30-60 minutes before coming in, that will also help keep them a little sleepier for the session.
Third - Because a newborn’s instinct is so strong to nurse, if your newborn gets hungry or fussy during the session, it helps to have a binkie and bottle on hand. Often a the binkie or bottle will help pacify your child so that we can continue working.
We will keep the studio at a warm 85 degrees (since we will be photographing your newborn in their birthday suit), so be sure and wear something light. If you need a break from the warmth, feel free to step outside and enjoy the river view. Mommies, we have a special area toward the back of the studio just for you. Most newborn sessions last a minimum of 2-3 hours, so please feel free to bring snacks, drinks, and reading material to pass the time. We are very comfortable working with newborns and have had several mothers even catch up on a little sleep themselves during their little one’s session.
FAQ’s:
*Can we have images taken of the family or siblings at the session?
In order to focus solely on the arrival of your bundle of joy and provide you with beautiful imagery, we recommend scheduling a second mini session when your baby is about 4-5 weeks old to capture images with mom, dad, siblings, or grandparents if you choose to. At this time baby is more alert, siblings have had a chance to adjust, and parents have had a bit more rest. This is the best time for those relationship style images where we can focus on the family as a whole. For those clients who schedule a full newborn session at the studio, we will waive the mini session fee for the family. If you choose to not have a full newborn session, we can schedule you as a regular family session at the studio with primarily relationship style images.
*Do you offer special packages to capture stages?
As so many of our clients have different needs and budgets, we have found that it is best to work with each client on a one on one basis. When we schedule your newborn session, we will also be scheduling an initial consultation. At this time we can discuss your goals of the first year and work together on a plan based on your budget and product interest.
*What stages do you recommend for the first year?
Without a doubt, the brand new (5-10 days old) stage is a primary session. The next session is best for approximately 6-7 months. This is the sitting stage where they can interact with their world and show an array of wonderful expressions. We do not recommend scheduling based solely on age! Rather, give us a call to schedule the session as your child is becoming more stable and stronger at sitting on their own. All babies develop at different rates, this may be 6 months, it may be 7 or 8. The important thing is to capture when they have found this important independence and strength! Next on our list would be their one year birthday! This is a major milestone. Please visit our children’s site for images on the sitting and one year birthday session.
*My baby is already past 10 days old. Can I still schedule a newborn session?
Absolutely. However, the session may not be created the same. Much of this will be relative to your baby’s particular development and established habits. Please contact the studio so that we can help you determine the best type of session for your little one.
