Newborn Photography Session Guide
Updated: Jun 12
I am too excited for you on your new bundle of joy! Thank you so much for considering me to be your family photographer. I pinch myself every day knowing my job is to play a small part in capturing your unique story.
LIFESTYLE/CANDID NEWBORN SESSION
My photography approach to newborn sessions are lifestyle family and candid poses. These sessions are baby led and last about 1 - 1.5 hours. I will capture your family’s connection and genuine moments.
SCHEDULING YOUR NEWBORN SESSION
Newborn sessions are typically done within the first 2 weeks of life. You’ll let me know when your expected due date is and we will work around that. Please update me on when you delivered within 2 days of giving birth so we can accommodate you in the schedule. You have just delivered a baby and your world has completely changed - it’s okay to need more time to recover. 2 weeks is just a benchmark, but newborn sessions can happen after 2 weeks and still make beautiful photos.
SESSION DAY PREP
FEEDING - feed your baby right before the session - either right before leaving home or in the car before we meet. Feeding right before a session can sometimes guarantee a smoother session as babies generally feed every 2-3 hours. If baby still seems hungry during the session, we will take a break and allow some private feeding time.It’s important to know that this is a baby led session where baby is the boss.
OPTIMAL LIGHT - If you opted for an in-home session, please open all blinds and curtains. We will mainly photograph where there is the most natural light source. Kindly keep this area clutter-free for a clean backdrop.
AESTHETICS - Please have your nursery, living room, bedroom, and/or any other room that will be used nice and tidy so that it can be picture ready. Having solid white or cream blanke
ts and comforters will bounce the natural light and will improve image quality.
KEEP COZY AND WARM - if you opted for an in-home session, raise your home’s temperature to at least 23-34 degrees celsius; this will help keep baby stay cozy and sleepy for longer. I will also have a small space heater with me.
SUPPLIES- Please have extra diapers, wipes, blankets, and pacifiers with you.
CLOTHING- Dress baby in loose fitting clothing to avoid any dents or lines in the skin and for easier outfit changing. If we are doing any nude shots, please loosen the diaper and wrap your baby in something warm just before the session - diaper can remain on if we are not doing any nude shots.
SIBLINGS - if you would like sibling shots, we recommend having this one at the beginning of the session or at the very end. It is also helpful to have another family member or friend to keep them entertained while Mom and Dad helps me with the rest of the newborn session.
WHAT TO WEAR - For a timeless and clean look, avoid any heavy patterns, plaid, or large logos on your clothing as it can very distracting. It helps to pick one outfit or one light pattern on a clothing item and work around the colours in your chosen pattern/or stripe.
For baby - multiple outfits are welcome. I recommend having a classic white onesie and 1 or 2 other outfits of your choice.
Pinterest is the holy grail for some photo outfit ideas. You can search lifestyle family photography outfit ideas with plenty to choose from. Most important is that you dress comfortably and stick with your usual style so you feel most confident at the session.
WHAT TO EXPECT WITH POSING
To capture more candid shots, I take a very minimal approach to posing. I will lightly guide you into poses and let you unfold in them naturally. From there I will shoot away and making any slight adjustments needed to improve the photo if anything seems awkward.
POSING GUIDE
DON’T LOOK AT THE CAMERA - This session is about capturing your family’s connections. You will mainly be interacting with each other, your new bundle of joy, and embracing your family. We’ll get a few classic photos of everyone looking at me, but I will let you know when that’s the case.
HANDS - hands tend to be the most daunting part of posing, don’t worry! since this is all about capturing connection, your hands will either be placed on your partner’s waist, chest, hand, snuggled into each others neck, and/or placed on the child (head, hands, feet, holding baby, etc.). I basically want you to touch each other as much as possible!
SMILING SO MUCH IT HURTS? my camera is super quick - no need to feel like you must be stiff and frozen. Embrace movement as much as possible. Laugh, have a conversation together, caress each others face, hair, baby, etc).
RETOUCHING
All photos will receive basic retouching: colour adjustment, brightness, and temporary blemish removal. Please don’t stress if your baby has acne or peeling skin - I will retouch these along with evening out the skin tone. If you prefer to leave some of the peeling skin to show the newness of your baby, please let me know I will leave those details in your photo.
AFTER YOUR SESSION
You will recieve an online image gallery with your edited images. You will be able to download your images in both high resolution (for prints and enlargements) and web-size resolution (ideal for social media posts). This online gallery will be available for 3 months - it is your responsibility to download all your desired images before the expiry date.
THANK YOU
Now that you’ve read this prep guide, I hope you feel much more at ease for your upcoming session. Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions that you may have.