I photographed a newborn session for a sweet family with a baby boy named Maverick. Want to see that one? Just click here! As they were leaving his mom said, “By the way, I told one of my friends about you! She’ll be in touch.”
And so she was. Angela contacted us to schedule a newborn session for her son, Sven who hadn’t arrived yet. A lot of folks ask when they should schedule a newborn session with us. The answer? When you know you want one. We’ve had many first trimester bookings, and the majority seem to book in their early to second trimester - especially those planners who want to make sure they’re on the books! We don’t schedule an exact date in our calendar until your baby has arrived but you’re guaranteed a spot. You simply contact us when baby has arrived, and we’ll handle the rest.
Angela emailed us a couple of months later to let us know Sven had arrived safely, and that she wanted to add on hair and makeup services as well. We sent back a couple of dates to choose from. She chose one, and then we sent over the newborn prep guide for her review. It’s a short and sweet document that goes over how to best prepare everyone for your newborn session! Knowledge is power… and knowing what to generally expect makes for a much smoother experience for clients.
On the morning of their session, the new family of three arrived at the studio. Angela and I looked through the studio wardrobe dress options and she chose one of my favorite cream lace dresses. The lace dresses I have in the wardrobe are beautiful and subtle - to the point where many clients who aren’t big fans of lace fall in love with them. They add beautiful texture and visual interest to any photo and lend well to the tender aesthetic that naturally occurs during a newborn session. Angela headed to the makeup chair and I took Sven back into the newborn shooting room to get started on his solo portraits! Lots of clients ask if they can bring along something to include in a session and more often than not, it’s a hat or a small lovey that someone made or has special meaning for the family. The other most popular option is a special blanket that has been handed down or specially made for the baby which I will often incorporate in a whole family image by wrapping the baby in it while mom and dad hold them.
I will include one prop of my client’s choice should they wish to do that with the understanding that if the prop does not match the aesthetic, it’s going to look quite strange in the gallery when compared to the others! In this particular case, it was a cute little grey Viking hat to pay homage to his Swedish heritage. I laughed when I saw it, because it was just adorable. Hats are pretty easy to incorporate into sessions if baby is up for it. I unfortunately can’t guarantee that every baby will cooperate for it!
Sven needed a couple of nursing breaks during his part of the session, so I simply carried him out to his mama. We have two different types of nursing pillows here in the studio, and our HMUA’s are well versed in applying makeup around a nursing baby. We all support however you choose to feed your baby and have had moms nurse in the chair, give a bottle in the chair, and even pump in the chair. Whatever you need to feed - we’ll accommodate you!
I was finished with Sven’s newborn portraits just as Angela was finishing up, so we moved right into the family part of the session. Lots of clients tell me their biggest concern is not knowing what to do. The other big concern is being new to holding their baby. If you’re a first time parent, you’re still getting the hang of it in many cases - because up until your time in the studio you’ve most likely been sitting down or in your bed while holding your baby and not standing up. I’ll walk you through everything and your baby will be safe and secure the entire time. We have a few practices in place to ensure that, and I’ll verbally explain them to you when we start that. If at any point you need a short break to sit down, or you’d rather sit - we can also make that happen too. Your comfort level is just as important as your baby’s!
After giving the new parents some prompts and direction, we started the session and flew right through it since Sven had already eaten during his solo portraits. Sometimes the parent portion will take a bit longer if baby needs to eat - no two sessions are ever the same in terms of length and flow. Your baby basically leads the way when it comes to how everything goes, and I’ll read their cues to determine what their needs are and determine how to proceed and structure our time together.
Sven was actually wide awake when we started the parent portion, and I just loved the sweet eye contact he made with his parents. Eventually he started to yawn and after being bundled up fell right to sleep. I think he has some of the most distinctive features I’ve ever photographed - what about you?
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.
