Everyone wants to have beautiful photos of their newborn baby, but newborn sessions can sometimes not go as expected if you aren’t prepared. Here’s what you need to know to get the best out of your newborn session.
The Timeframe
In order to get the best possible photos, your baby should be between 1 and 2 weeks old at the time of the session. At this age, the newborn will sleep for long, deep periods, which allow for posing and a smoothly-run session.
When your baby hits the 2-3 week old range, he or she will most likely have a growth spurt and a change in sleeping habits. This means that at 2-3 weeks old, your baby won’t sleep deeply or long enough for posing. At this age, some of those curled up sleeping shots where the baby is intricately posed may not be possible, as the baby won’t be as cooperative. However, if you’d like photos at this age, lifestyle and unposed photos are a wonderful option.
When to Schedule
In order to be sure that you can book a session when your baby is the right age, contact the studio when you’re early in the third trimester of the pregnancy. Let me know your due date, and I’ll book you for a tentative session date. Once your baby comes, we can shift the session date forward or backward if your baby is early or late. However, you’ll want to get yourself on my schedule to ensure that I can fit you in even during the busier seasons.
Realistic Expectations
When it comes to the actual session, remember that your baby and/or older children have minds of their own. The photos may not go exactly as planned, especially when there are older siblings involved. Even if you have a Pinterest board full of beautiful photo ideas, that doesn’t mean that your toddler will cooperate and sit nicely next to your newborn.
It may be hard to let go of some of the poses you had hoped for, but remember that you will get beautiful photos of your children even if they won’t consent to the more complicated posing suggestions.
Day Of
On the day of your newborn session, plan for to be at the studio for about 3 hours. Even though this seems like a lot of time, about 2 of those hours are going to be devoted to calming, feeding, or rocking your baby. Some sessions will be longer, and some will be shorter, but 3 hours is typically enough time to move through the session at a relaxed pace.
Make sure that your baby is completely full when you arrive at the studio, and plan on feeding him/her at least once more before the session is over. A full baby will sleep longer and deeper, which will allow the session to move along more quickly.
If you are open to using a pacifier, bring one with you to your session, even if your baby hasn’t taken one yet. The day of your session might be the first day that your baby holds on to a pacifier, and pacifiers can be game-changers in keeping your newborn calm enough and happy enough for photos.
Although newborn sessions can be stressful, they don’t have to be. Following these guidelines will allow the session to go smoothly and seamlessly.
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