She’s brand spankin new….pretty much straight out of the hospital and right into my studio for some newborn shots. If there is one thing that I love, it’s photographing newborns within the first week. A Lafayette newborn photography session can be challenging, but it’s so amazing to be a part of a baby’s life when they are just days old-I LOVE their little grunts and coo’s. There are so many factors that have to come together for the session to go smoothly… and if there’s one thing a photographer must have, it’s patience AND a nice warm and toasty studio space 🙂 . A session can go quick and be done in an hour, or it may take 3 hours or longer, but the end result is totally worth it as you will see in the below images.
Before I had my studio, Often times when I would shoot newborn photos at people’s homes and I would say a little prayer before leaving that their house/space would have enough light and be condiusive for what I needed to create the images I had in mind. Now that I have a studio space, I’m finding that I can control my enviroment so much easier. There’s plenty of seating for moms (and grandmas) to relax, for feedings, etc. in between shots and I have less props to lug around (tee he he) and everything is right at my finger tips.
So you’re probably wondering, how do I prepare for these types of sessions? I’ve put together a few tips for you expecting mom’s who are intersested in having your newborn photographed.
• The best time to take newborn photos (because they sleep a lot and do not really move) is before the two week mark!
• If possible schedule your session around time when baby is usually most sleepy. We want him or her to sleep as much as possible during our shoot so that they will relax and curl into those cute newborn poses.
• Due to the frequent breaks needed to feed, change, sooth and get baby to fall asleep, newborn shoots often last longer than the average session. Please be prepared for your session to last anywhere between 1-3 and sometimes up to 4 hours.
• Be patient and remain calm. If baby is cranky and not cooperating please do not worry.
We have plenty of time to allow him/her to get comfortable. If you are stressed baby can feel it!
• Since baby will be undressed for the majority of pictures (unless otherwise requested) we want to make the room as comfortable as possible for him/her. I will turn the heat up a abit. For your comfort feel you may want to wear shorts and a tank during the pictures you are not in.
• If baby needs to nurse, have a bottle or a diaper change we can take a break at any time… We are working on baby time!
• Feel free to have some special mementos ready for the shoot. (ie: handmade blanky from grandma, knitted caps, booties ect.) These are great for making babies 1st pictures even more personalized and special.
• Details – I will often do images of babies little hands and feet. These will look best if his or her nails are trimmed and clean. Also, please be ready to help me keep an eye on your little ones face to ensure boogies or a sleepy do not appear in our portraits.
• Before the shoot, put baby in a sleeper and loosen diaper. Lines from tight socks, diaper or pants take a while to get rid of, and do not look great in photos!
• Be ready for pee! I don’t need to tell you that newborns pee a lot. LOL. Unfortunately, we may get peed on. Have a backup change of clothes for ready yourself in the event that this does occur. Especially if you are in some of the pictures.
•..and a bonus tip: Minimize distractions – Please limit the amount of people present at the shoot to those who are being photographed so that there are less distraction for baby and so he/she can stay in a deep sleep. If older siblings will be around, please have an activity planned for the during times that they are not actually in the pictures.
Great advice!
Remember – if you go to a studio in a store, your newborn session (or any other) is designed to be 10-15 minutes long. You will probably get some good shots – they are trained to do standard poses quickly – but they make their money up-selling you digital enhancements, not by taking quality photos. You won’t get the intense personal quality you get in a session like the one described above.
How do I know? I’ve worked for 2 of the major national studios 🙂