Ahhh…The time has come to start thinking about your little one’s newborn session. Your first decision is, do you want a posed or lifestyle session…or both? There are a few things to consider when trying to decide. Posed sessions are 2-3 hours. A lifestyle session is up to 90 minutes and if you want both, you should plan on three plus hours. As far as posed sessions go, these are more natural, with neutral tones, and swaddling baby with varying wraps. Keep in mind that I use very few props so that they little one has the full spotlight. If baby is over 14 days old we can definitely do a lifestyle newborn session. If you are wanting posed newborn pictures you will want to schedule your baby for 7-14 days old. My newborn sessions are in the comfort of your home. And please…Don’t worry about house being just so. You just had a baby for pete’s sake! All I need is a window with soft natural light. Read on to find out How to Plan and Prepare for Your Newborn Session.
How to prepare for the posed portion of session, and what to expect.
I use a beanbag and backdrop for the natural posing portion of your session. All we’ll need is a room that we can close off to keep quiet, other than the white noise I will have playing to help baby sleep. I also have a space heater that I’ll bring, since baby will be naked for a portion of the session and their little bodies don’t regulate heat well.
Turn the heat up to 80 degrees around 30 minutes before I arrive. If we are sweating the temperature is perfect. It takes me roughly 20-30 minutes to set everything up. It will take a while for baby to go to sleep and get into these poses. Your little one will most likely soil me and the blankets and that is okay! We are taking their picture without a diaper on, it happens! During your session we will take breaks to feed and love on baby.
It’s best to interact with your baby to try to keep them awake 1-2 hours before we start the session. It’s also ideal to schedule the baby’s feeding about 2-3 hours before arriving so you can feed them again just before the session starts. A tired baby with a full tummy results in a very sleepy and cooperative model. I also instruct the parents to feed their baby as much as they can 12 hours before the session, that way baby will be really full and sleepier. As soon as we’re about to start the session, feed the baby again, loosen their diaper and gently wrap in blanket. Snuggle central, here we come!
Preparing for the lifestyle session:
This portion of your little one’s newborn session is meant to be more candid. My goal as your photographer is to capture the true personality of your growing family in the comfort of your own natural surroundings. My favorite shots are of families cuddling on the bed, maybe playing a board game in the living room if there are older siblings involved, or spending time in your new nursery.
After everything’s said and done, we will have a gorgeous collection of single shots of baby and dreamy family shots that are sure to make for a wonderfully diverse collection that is bound to last a lifetime! I would love to help you in learning How to Plan and Prepare for Your Newborn Session!
Kathy Beaver is a newborn photographer specializing in timeless, classic, emotion filled photography, she photographs weddings and families in Asheville, Hendersonville, Sylva, Brevard and Boone North Carolina. Let’s chat and schedule your maternity session.
