FAQ’S AND TIPS

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION

​

 When to book 

We recommend that you schedule your newborn session PRIOR to your baby’s birth to ensure we will have a date open for you. Contact us during your second trimester and we’ll pencil you in for a date range around your due date. We ask that you call or email us as soon as you can after your baby is born to set up your session time.

​

 When do we shoot? 

Newborn sessions must be scheduled within the first 14 days of life. However, the BEST time is between 5-10 days after their arrival. In order to get those adorable, sleepy images we all desire, it’s best to do the session while your baby is still unaware and tired from birth. Plus, babies just tend to do a lot better with the session within their first 7 days. Around 8 days old, babies figure out that they can streeeeetch out and it’s more difficult to get them into those scrunchy newborn poses. After day 14, it’s almost impossible to get baby into that deep sleep that came so easily in their first few days. And, keep in mind that newborn acne (and sometimes colic) is likely to flare up after day 14. While I can edit problem areas, I prefer to do as little retouching as possible to baby’s skin.   ** Morning shoots almost always work best for baby **

​

 Where do we shoot? 

We shoot in my small home studio in Wyong. There is a comfy couch for you to relax on during the session, however, I do suggest you bring something along to entertain yourself (feel free to use this time to relax, read a book or catch up on your fave Netflix show). If you are bringing children with you, please bring quiet toys to keep them entertained as they tend to get bored very quickly. note: As sessions can run for 4 hours, and small children easily become bored (and quite noisy), it is recommended that they head home with a parent/grand-parent after the family portion of the session to ensure a quiet and stress free session if possible. 

​

 How long is the shoot? 

Newborn sessions typically start at 10am, and can last anywhere from 3-4 hours. The key to getting good images is to be very patient and not rush or force the baby into poses. This gives you a chance to sit, relax, and try to enjoy the peace & quiet while I work. (please bring yourself a snack or 2 in case you get hungry)

​

 Hungry baby 

Getting baby into that ‘milk drunk’ state is what we are looking for, so please try to hold off on feeding your baby for 1 hour before your session starts, and aim for a big feed whilst I set up my equipment. Of course, we’ll take plenty of breaks for messes, additional feeding and cuddling if baby needs them during the session. If you are swapping between breast and formula feeding, please opt for formula on the day of your session. (the thicker consistency seems to fill bub up a little more and they tend to stay settled for longer whilst being moved around and handled). note: Please ensure you bring several feeds with you as bub will wake up a quite often during the session and may need a bit of a top up if they start to become a fussy or unsettled. 

​

 Heated room 

I will need to have a small fan heater on, and the room will be warmer than normal temperature (approx 28-30 degrees), so be sure to wear something light and comfortable and be prepared to sweat a little. Newborns cannot regulate their body temperature, therefore we heat up the room so your baby can be comfortable when we remove his or her clothing. note: If having parent shots, we will only see fromt he waist up so please feel free to wear something comfortable on the bottom as you will be sitting for several hours. 

​

 Loosen babys clothes 

Please loosen your baby’s clothing and nappy at least 30 minute prior to our session. This allows time for those little imprint marks and redness to disappear. Bub will be naked during session so we want the skin to be its natural, flawless self.

​

 Sleepy baby 

All of those classic, sleepy newborn images we like to capture, require your baby to be in his or her deepest sleep. It may sounds counter-intuitive, but please try to keep your baby awake for 1 hour before our session time. Don’t stress if you cannot do this! It’s simply a suggestion but baby’s have their own ideas of when they want to sleep and that’s ok too.

​

 Dummy 

If you can, its a good idea to have a dummy on hand (even if only for the session), this will make the work much easier. Babies get comfort from the sucking motion, and it helps soothe them into the poses  as well as getting them off to sleep a little quicker to allow for more shooting time. If your baby won’t take a dummy, or you do no feel comfortable offering one, don’t worry. I can work with whatever is right for you and your family.

​

 Poo is alright! 

I expect your baby to poop and pee all over the blankets and props. It happens! I wash everything after each session I do, so don’t worry about it. Please just have some wipes or towels handy just in case we need them in a hurry.

​

 Props and Backdrops 

I have a selection of props, hats, headbands, boxes and backdrops to choose from. Please be sure to discuss your desires with me before the session and I will do my best to accommodate. And, please also let me know of any special items of your own that you would like to incorporate into the session.

​

 Parents & Siblings 

If you plan on having some parent and/or sibling images done, neutral earthy tones are best for clothing where possible. Solid colours work best (no big logos or crazy patterns please as they cannot always be removed from the photo during the editing process). Please also iron shirts etc as wrinkles will be more noticeable under the studio light. We will aim to do the family images photos first, however, it is encouraged for smaller children to head back home with a parent or grandparent after their photos are taken as bored kiddies tend to get quite loud which can upset or startle baby whilst he/she is sleeping (which can in turn making capturing sleepy poses extremely difficult). (dark colours look great if having a black backgound)

​

 Photos 

Please note, whilst a large number of photos are taken during the session, not all will be useable (working in low light prevents the camera from finding focus at times resulting in blurry images). As such, I will choose the best 30 images from your session to include in the proofing gallery (with basic colour and exposure adjustments only), from here you can choose which images you'd like to have fully edited (which includes removing of red spots and skin flakes, skin smoothing etc)

 

 ** Please do not ask for additional or unedited/raw photos as refusal often disappoints - I appreciate your undertstanding **

​