Natalie contacted the studio a few weeks before her due date to inquire about reserving a newborn session. She was concerned that we might not have availability since we do become fully booked a few months out for newborns sometimes. We’d had a couple of our newborns arrive early that month, so we had room on our calendar to reserve her spot.
Reserving your spot doesn’t mean that we are scheduling your session date and time. It means that we are guaranteeing you a spot on our calendar when your baby arrives! Babies are unpredictable. We’ve had micro preemies, 32 weekers, 37 weekers, and up to 42 weekers! Even if your baby is born early or late - it doesn’t matter, you’re still guaranteed your spot with your reservation. You’ll let us know within 48 hours after birth that your baby has arrived, and we’ll respond with a few questions to help us determine the best dates for you. We’ll want to know the weight of your baby, how you both are doing, if you want to add on hair and makeup services, and if you had any complications such as a c-section delivery. These factors all affect the dates we send for you to choose from.
When Natalie, Scott, and Cecilia arrived at the studio they had an armful of clothes from their own closet. We send every client a newborn prep packet that goes over guidelines of what to wear from your own closet! The studio wardrobe is available to new moms as well should you want to do that. Natalie opted for a more casual look with white jeans and a pretty pink off the shoulder top. You should dress how you feel most comfortable! We also talked about Natalie’s preference for whether she wanted Cecilia to wear any headbands during her time with me. Some moms want every image to have a headband, others opt to skip it entirely, and some ask for a mix of with and without. I choose the headbands based on your baby’s skin tone and head size. We don’t do anything the size of Texas around here!
Cecilia was sound asleep, so I took her to the newborn shooting room to get started, and Natalie settled herself into the hair and makeup chair. Other than a couple of nursing breaks, Cecilia was a pretty sleepy and curly baby. I photograph babies with neutral colors (mainly creams and whites) and often bring in pale blushes and peaches for baby girls. She gave me a few smirks, and is just the cutest! As I was finishing up with her solo portraits, our HMUA was putting the finishing touches on Natalie. Cecilia needed to nurse, so Natalie took care of her while I set up our main shooting room for the family and parent portion.
Newborn sessions in the studio are anything but stressful. They are laid back, slow paced, and quiet. This is a time to enjoy being together as a family. I am here to guide you through every single step, and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. The studio fridge is stocked with an assortment of beverages, and we have quite a few snacks as well. If you need a break, we’ll take one. The parent and family portion usually only takes 30-45 minutes but it’s all dependent on your baby and how they’re doing! I love photographing awake babies, but if they are awake and fussy there isn’t much that we can do in terms of photographing until they calm and settle. Taking a patient approach is what works best, and I promise we’ll have fun too!
Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Cecilia’s newborn session!
If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
