How to Prepare for your Newborn Photo Session
Ajax Newborn Photographer
You’ve booked your newborn session and have been patiently waiting for baby to arrive. The big day arrives and you’re overjoyed with love for this tiny baby in your arms. Then you remember, you’ve booked a photo session!
I know how hard it is just to get out of bed and brush your teeth in those first few days, so here are some ways you can prepare for your upcoming session.
How to Prepare Your Baby
Try to feed and burp baby before putting them to sleep.
For in-home sessions, you can start feeding baby 20 minutes before our scheduled time.
For in-studio sessions, feed baby right before you leave your house so that baby will fall asleep in the carseat.
Dress baby in a zippered onesie and use blankets in the carseat instead of layering baby with multiple onesies.
What to Wear
Whether, it’s in-home or in-studio, prepare to be in the photos. I know you’re tired and running on little to no sleep. I know the last thing you want to do is get dressed and brush your hair but trust me, you’ll never regret being in the photo.
So, for yourselves, make sure to dress in comfortable clothes that stand the test of time. Think of neutral colours without logos, prints or multiple colours.
Keep your makeup and hair looking natural and how you will want to be remembered when your family is going through these photos 50 years from now. Need more tips on what to wear? You can read this blog post for more information.
Heirlooms and Special Mementos
If there are family heirlooms or other special mementos you would like me to incorporate in your session, I am happy to include these in your session.
For In-Home Sessions
Everyone is always concerned about how clean their home has to be for in-home sessions or if they have enough space. Believe me when I say, your entire home does not need to be cleaned, just a small area (like the living room or a bedroom) and I can make it work. If you have a room with a bed and some clean sheets, we’re good! Even if you don’t, I can still make it work! Would you believe me if I told you the photo above was taken in the client’s living room, on top of their dining table?
I will bring sheets, blankets, and swaddles for the baby that have been washed (using Ivory laundry detergent). If you are comfortable to use those, then you don’t need to prepare anything!
My Philosophy
If you haven’t read my story for why I got started with newborn photography, you can read it here. But the gist of it is, we had all these beautiful images with props and colours and backdrops and photoshopped composites but the image that captured the very moment I fell in love with my baby is a simple one. No props. No backdrops. No cute newborn outfits. Just me and my baby, as we were in that moment. That’s what I want to create for you. I only place baby in natural poses (so no taco pose or froggy pose cuz your baby is a human, not an object) and the focus is on your baby, not the backdrop or my photoshop skills. These sessions don’t take half the day and typically last between an hour to two hours at most so that you can stay calm and enjoy the experience.
