While my sessions should be pretty easy for you and your family, the following considerations might help you prepare for it, remove some of the anxiety, and make the most of our time together:
1. Location.
Choosing the best spots in the house.
The best spots in your home for the photo session will be rooms with natural light coming from big windows. The more natural light, the better! Take a good look at your home and choose two areas - nursery, bedroom, or living room are the most popular ones-.
2. Tidiness.
To clean up or not to clean up?
Getting home with a new baby can be a little messy. I know it! So don’t worry about it. Your home doesn’t need to be perfectly clean, and rooms don’t need to be immaculate. Just put away any items you wouldn’t like to have in your pictures.
3. What to wear.
Just be yourself.
I’m a lifestyle photographer. I will capture candid images that will tell your story at this beautiful moment. Natural, neutral, and solid colors will help me bring the attention to faces, hands, and smiles. Avoid any brand logos, and bright or neon colors that will cast on your skin.
For the baby outfits, I suggest prepping two changes for an hour-long newborn photo session. Additionally, if you feel comfortable, I’d love to capture some images with your baby wearing just a diaper or swaddled with a simple neutral color blanket.
4. Props.
All eyes on baby.
Although there are endless adorable hats, bows, and stuffed animals, my recommendation is to keep them to a minimum in your photos. Unless it is an important item of family history or has sentimental value, I prefer to leave aside all objects to focus the session on your baby.
Don’t worry about the variety in your photos, since it will be created changing up the location, as well as the surfaces where your newborn will be laying on. A recently made bed, blankets, and pillows are great for adding texture and color to the session.
5. Siblings, grandparents, or even pets.
Everybody is invited.
If you are lucky to have grandparents around, please leverage the opportunity to create some memories together. This session is for documenting your new baby’s lovely connection with everybody around him/her. Documenting a portrait with mom, the giggles of older siblings, and the warm grandparent hugs are equally important to me.
6. Getting ready for the session.
Relax, hold your baby and enjoy!
Having everybody in the right mood will be great for the session. For some families, this means giving the baby a relaxing bath, while for others, it will be feeding the baby and changing the diaper a few minutes before. And let´s say it, for many of us, life gets very busy and that´s ok too. I can start working while you feed your baby or change his/her diaper if you feel comfortable with that. Or I can start with some photos of your older kid while you´re busy, or I can even just wait for a few minutes. I want our session to be a celebration of this moment in your lives.
Thank you for letting me be part of the celebration.