Newborn Session Prep Guide
Congrats on your New Little One!
Thank you so much for choosing me to be the photographer to document your new addition in their first few days of life. It’s an incredible honor you’ve invited me into this moment in your family’s story, and I appreciate you!
The Studio…
My studio is located at 1509 Draper St., Kingsburg CA 93631.
I am upstairs above the Mercantile boutique and Bella Bakery. The door to my stairwell is between those two shops. Come up the stairs, and you will see my studio door at the top and a little to the right.
Come through the glass door with my logo on it, and make yourself comfortable in my front room. There’s coffee and tea available, as well as an assortment of sodas in the fridge.
Choosing Props & Outfits…
I have a lovely collection of tiny outfits, swaddles/wraps, headbands and hats, and props available for use during your session. A day or two before your session, please take a few minutes to click through the gallery linked below and click “Favorite” on the items you’d like me to have prepped and ready for our time together.
(If i don’t have these selections from you before our session day, no worries! I’ll prep some popular options and plan for a few special things I think you’ll like.)
Getting Baby Ready…
Before our session, please feed baby 2-3 hours prior, and plan on feeding him/her as soon as you get here! Also, please do not let them sleep beforehand, instead try giving them a bath, let them kick with only a diaper, tickle their toes, and even let them fuss for a little bit (no pacifiers) for the few hours beforehand. This will ensure those squishy, sleepy newborn pictures! I can’t stress that it’s so important to do your best to keep them awake!!
Many parents come in saying “baby has been sleeping all morning, but trust me, he sleeps SO good this time of day!” Then, we have baby wake up ready to party, as soon as we start changing/swaddling them, as the new location/sounds/sights can be very stimulating to them.
It will be at least 80 degrees in the main room of the studio. Due to this, I come dressed for a warm few hours and suggest you do too! We want baby to be as comfortable as possible.
Sessions last between 2-3 hours, sometimes longer if baby is a light sleeper, or is hungry! The easiest way to ensure a sleepy baby is the willingness to nurse/bottlefeed off and on as needed for the duration of our time together.
If you can, bring the soothie pacifier the hospital sent you home with. It’s the bendable, green/blue/orangish one, and won’t leave marks. Even if you haven’t used one, just for the 2 or so hours that I’m posing him/her usually really helps.
If you don’t happen to have one, I keep unopened soothies here in the studio (as well as plenty of newborn diapers). However if you really prefer that we don’t use one, that’s fine as well!
Parent Prep…
You guys are a big part of the show! Photographing the connection between you and your baby is one of my all time favorite things.
I typically use neutral backdrop colors for family shots during newborn sessions – a soft medium brown color, and a dark gray color. (If you’d prefer a different background color just let me know the day before your session.) The brown background looks best with neutrals and warm colors, and the gray background looks great with any colors.
Mamas
We want you to feel confident and comfortable, so plan your outfit accordingly. Soft tops/blouses and comfy pants are popular, as are flowy dresses. Make sure you’re comfortable and able to move your arms well in the outfit you choose.
Dads
I recommend soft materials for your shirt without too many buttons or pockets on the front. That way when we snuggle baby to your chest it’s the softest and most comfortable spot possible for them.
I recommend solid colors or soft, subtle prints for parent outfits. This allows baby to be the star of the show in your images, without too much else distracting the viewer’s eye. Keep nail polish neutral if you want these images to look timeless for years to come, and be sure to remove any chipped nail polish!
If you’d like some help choosing outfits for your session, just ask!
Sibling Time…
Including older brother/sister(s) in your newborn’s portraits is the perfect way to document this fleeting time in their lives! I choose to photograph siblings at the very beginning of the session in order for them to be fresh and engaged, and not worn out from waiting through the rest of the session for their turn.
After we’ve completed family/sibling poses, I highly recommend arranging for siblings to have something along to entertain themselves, or someone who can take them for a walk to the park across the street, or back home. The front room of the studio does have books and a few toys, as well as coloring materials, and the television in there is set up for streaming with all the major services, so you’re welcome to use that to watch a few episodes of your kids’ favorite show.
See You Soon!
It is my hope that you come to the studio feeling comfortable and at home. I am truly honored to be able to document this incredible time in your lives and look forward to getting to know you and your sweet baby!
Warmly,
Becky