Safety is ALWAYS first. As we are busy behind the camera, it is always your responsibility to watch the baby to ensure his/her safety.
Newborn shoots take time. It is simply so. Don’t worry about it, plan on enough time for it. We will take changing and feeding breaks as necessary. We might have to wait until the babies are sleepy again. We take that into consideration.
For newborn photos I strongly encourage my customers to do unclothed baby photos. Babies with one to three weeks are simply too tiny and get lost in all those clothes. We will pose in such a way that the essential parts will not be exposed.
Feeding and preparing for the session:
For nursing moms, I recommend to watch what you eat for at least one day before the shoot… just to make sure that their tummy is not upset.
I recommend trying to keep the baby awake as much as possible for an hour or two before the photo session. Please feed the baby about 15 Minutes before starting the session, making sure he/she is full and relieved of any burping. . If you are traveling to the studio make sure the last feeding is just before you leave, so we have a chance to start right away once at the studio and take advantage of the sleepy time.
While feeding please leave the diaper a bit loose to avoid the marks on his/her skin. If we are shooting at your place remove all clothing and wrap him/her in a blanket, so he stays warm. If you are traveling to the studio, please dress him/her in a loose fitting button-up or zip-up sleeper, something that might be very easy to remove without waking them up (please nothing over the head).
If your baby uses a pacifier, please bring it along.
The room where we shoot will be VERY warm. It will make us sweat, but babies will be feeling very comfortable. If we are shooting at your home, make sure to crank up the heat before hand at the location where we will be shooting.
Bring a black long arm T-Shirt or Pullover if you own one, we might need to use you as a prop to hold the baby and a change of clothes in case you get peed on ;0)
If there are any special props you would like to include in the session, please feel free to bring them along or have them ready. If there are any special wishes (colors/props) make sure to let me know before, so I can bring or prepare what is needed.
When doing unclothed newborn photos, poop and pee are meant to happen. The question is not whether it will happen, but more so, when will it happen. So don’t worry, we know that and it’s not a problem, I usually have a change of clothes for myself handy as well.
Working with siblings is another challenge, especially if they are small children or toddlers. We will try to include them in some joint photos, if they are willing to cooperate. Sometimes little kids are going themselves through their own struggles of not being the only one anymore. Toddlers are usually unpredictable, so please understand that we will only try poses, where the safety of the infant is not compromised.
But above all…please bring loads of patience and relax. Newborn shoots take long. Bring some entertainment (books, electronic media, etc..), especially if you need to wait around with siblings.
It will require much patience. But the memories are forever and will be worthwhile!