Whimsy Photography

Newborn Sessions

 

• Book your session PRIOR to your baby’s arrival, as newborn time slots are longer than most of our other services require for shooting, and they tend to fill up quickly. We recommend sometime near the end of the Second Trimester.

• Consider booking your session when your child is between 7-10 days old, but no later than two weeks, as the positions we are trying to achieve are less likely to be uncomfortable for your baby before they learn how to stretch out.

• Home sessions are best for baby, as you will be most comfortable in familiar surroundings, but when weather permits it, we are happy to do outdoor sessions as we too love the natural backdrop against the softness of newborn skin. Remember, we have seen it all, so do not stress about how clean or messy your house is, it is not as important as staying relaxed and calm, and enjoying these beautiful hours. Babies are small and we do not need much room to photograph them.

• For the best skin tones, we work with natural light, and as such, opening the window coverings ahead of time will allow us to find the perfect spot, and more time for shooting!

• Turning up the heat in the hour before the session will help baby feel comforted and relaxed. We also recommend a small space heater in homes that perhaps do not have the ideal airflow for a toasty warm space ideal for newborn nudity. We want them to not realize we have taken their sweet little sleepers off at all if possible!

• Loosening the diaper straps in the hour before the shoot also will help speed up the process of shooting, as we will be looking to avoid denting or wrinkling baby’s skin.

• Try to encourage your newborn to be as sleepy by the time of our arrival as possible, and feed them right beforehand. Happy sleepy babies make for wonderful models. Of course, they may need to wake up for feedings and changes throughout our session, but minimizing those interruptions as well as the noise level in the house will greatly affect the outcome of the session for the better.

• Most importantly, be patient with your baby and be patient with yourself. Newborn sessions are long for a reason, and even if things aren’t going the way you planned right off the bat your baby doesn’t seem to be cooperating, we will get the shots, don’t stress out about it. By following the cues of the baby, the images will come.

• If you prefer a diaper-less session, please understand that poop and pee will happen, and it is no big deal at all!

• Please discuss props and pose ideas with the photographer in your consultation prior to your session, as this will maximize the ease with which the session flows. It is also a good idea to discuss wardrobe for yourself at this point as being prepared for all changes to the plan will speed up the session. It may make sense to use this session as an excuse to get your hair and nails done, and get that feeling-good-about-yourself process on a roll! We encourage hair and makeup to be done before the photographer’s arrival. Wearing un-patterned clothes work best for newborn sessions, as they don’t take away from the simple nature of the shots. We recommend mani-pedi’s for both men and women as often in these sessions, hands and feet are a lovely focal point for perspective and comparing the teensy size of a baby’s features to their parents (or siblings) are just adorable keepsakes.

• Remember that your personality as a family is what we want to capture too! It doesn’t have to be all about the cute solo poses of that little peanut, but it can be about the candid moments too. The laughter at baby passing gas, or piling into bed together to get some much needed rest. It can be about that over-worked rocking chair and your husband’s huge socks that seem to be the most comfortable thing right now. Like with any of our sessions, what we’re looking for is the real stuff. The beautiful stuff. So just be yourselves and the rest will follow.