Preparing for your Newborn Photo Session

Do you love the look of our newborn portraits? If you are thinking of booking a newborn session with our studio,  or already have done so, this page will  help you properly prepare for your session.

We take great pride in the unique pieces of art we are able to create for your family.  The images you see on our website were achieved not only from the talent and creativity of our photography, but also from the parents’ participation and preparedness.

We hope this page will help you to prepare for your newborn session, however we love talking with and helping our clients. Please pick up the phone and call us with any questions you may have

        Scheduling– Newborn portraits are best done within the first 15 days of birth. If the baby is healthy and mom is doing well, we prefer to photograph in the first 10 days. During this first week, the baby is still very sleepy and we can mold them and place them into all of the adorable poses that families love.

Unless you are having a scheduled c-section, you are not going to know when your baby will be born. If you are planning on doing your newborn portrait with us, please email us to let us know your due date. We will reserve time in our schedule around your due date to ensure we can schedule your session. As soon as your baby is born, have someone e-mail us to get on our calendar that week.

      Session Packing List– We own all of the props.  We have a bucket / faux-fur obsession and buy them whenever we have the chance. We have on hand many baskets, blankets, custom made crochet bonnets and other props. To personalize your session, we recommend you call or email with your request. Sometimes Beverly can custom make them for you at no extra charge. We recommend you come to us with the bare necessities like diapers, formula and one outfit.  If you want to bring a prop, please let us know before hand.

           Preparing Your Baby – A well fed baby is a happy sleepy baby! We recommend feeding right before you leave your home. Plan on an extra feedings (Sometimes 3 or more). Our sessions tend to make babies hungry and you will need to feed them to put them back to sleep. Bottles are faster than breast feeding.  We suggest trying to keeping them awake before the session, including the car ride over.

       Make sure you get a good burp in! A baby with gas is not a happy baby and can result in lots of crying.

Don’t worry about baby acne or little scratches. Our expert retouching will either eliminate or drastically minimize these imperfections. If your baby has extremely dry skin, try putting baby lotion on prior to coming to your session and bring extra with you. This will assist with the retouching process.  Trimming your newborn’s fingernails or wearing mittens over your newborn hands will also speed up editing.  Before leaving for your session, be sure to loosen the diaper, as this will reduce the diaper marks from their bare little bottoms.  Also, please make sure they aren’t wearing tick socks because they will leave sock lines at their ankles.

         Preparing Your Family-For any family members being photographed, we recommend dark pants and long sleeve black shirts. For younger siblings, they can wear a light colored shirt to match the gender of the baby.  For mothers who really want to shine, we recommend professional hair and makeup (you won’t regret it).  It will be warm in the studio to keep the newborn comfortable.  Moms, don’t worry about the baby weight you haven’t lost, or any skin issues you may still have. We can retouch all that away! We recommend black as it is very slimming.  Mom’s and Dad’s hands will be shown in many of the close up photographs.

      Timing – Plan on being at the studio for around 1-2 hours. The younger the baby, the less likely it is we will need all 2 hours, but we still recommend it to avoid any stress. We like to leave plenty of time for extra feedings, diaper changes and the fussiest of moods.

      One Last Thing … No matter what your baby does, please know that we are always relaxed.  We do this all the time and have seen everything. This session is supposed to be a special experience for you and we don’t want you stressed if the baby starts to cry.  We have plenty of time allowed for your session. If we need to take a break to feed, walk, rock, etc., we can do that. We want you to enjoy the experience of your session and this special bonding moment for your family.