I first worked with Matt & Lindsay when they were expecting their first baby for their maternity session, and have worked with them SO many times since then for milestone and family portraits. I was so excited to hear from them again requesting to book a maternity session at the field as well as a newborn session for their second baby. Lindsay let me know that she wanted to add on hair and makeup services as well since she had loved the experience so much with her maternity session. Fun fact: it took me until her pregnancy with Brooks to convince Lindsay to work with one of our artists! She had previously gone to a local salon before her sessions, but then decided to give my HMUA a try for her maternity session. Well…she has now converted and will always use our team for her sessions. I know it can be hard to entrust someone you don’t know with your hair and makeup, but you can be confident that our HMUA is absolutely stellar and their work is impeccable.
I adore working with clients for both maternity and newborn photos and for the long term! The maternity session serves as a great get to know you warmup, and by the time your newborn arrives, we know each other, and you’re very comfortable being with me and in front of my camera.
WHEN SHOULD I SCHEDULE MY BABY’S NEWBORN SESSION?
Answer: It is NEVER too early to book and it is optimal to reserve before they’re born.
I can only accept a limited number of newborns due each month. Limiting the number of newborn clients I take ensures I am able serve each of my clients equally at the level you deserve.
Reserving your newborn session means you are guaranteeing a spot on my calendar, not booking a specific date. We don’t schedule your specific session date when you book a newborn session since we can’t accurately predict your baby’s birth date. When your baby actually arrives, we’ll go from there with exact scheduling! There are many factors that go into when we schedule your session. Paternity leave, any complications, how you’re feeling, how much baby weighed at birth, etc, etc.
All is not necessarily lost if you’re reading this and baby is already here! Sometimes reserved newborns arrive earlier or later than their estimated due dates, opening up my ability to take on a last minute newborn session. Contact us right away to see if I can squeeze you in!
NEWBORN SESSIONS WITH AN OLDER SIBLING INVOLVED
When older siblings are part of a newborn session, we always ask what their nap schedule (if they take one) is! We want them to be well rested and happy. In this case, big brother was 4 and past needing naps, so it wasn’t something we had to take into consideration.
I begin newborn sessions here in the studio in the morning between 9 and 10 AM, with the first 90 minutes of session time devoted to photographing your baby alone. This is the perfect time for you to take advantage of our add on hair and makeup services since you’ll be sitting on the couch doing nothing anyway while I photograph your baby.
Older siblings and partners arrive about 90 minutes after I’ve gotten started with baby only. In this case, because both mamas were receiving HMUA services and they didn’t have any help in town, the whole family came along with quiet entertainment planned for big bro.
When Lindsay and Brooks arrived at the studio, I took him out of his carseat and got started right away. Lindsay got settled into the hair and makeup chair for her beauty services. She already knew which dress she wanted to wear (she loved it when she tried it on during her maternity fitting) for her newborn session, so it was all ready to go!
Brooks was the sweetest little guy, and such a great sleeper! He looked SO much like his dad, and didn't look that much like big brother did as a newborn. That has DRASTICALLY changed as Brooks has grown up though…. the brothers could be twins - that’s how much alike they look now! I have a hard time sometimes telling baby photos of them apart when Lindsay texts them over to me. Matt and Peyton arrived at the studio as our HMUA was finishing up with Lindsay’s hair and makeup services. It was perfect timing since I had just wrapped up Peyton’s solo portraits!
After everyone was dressed, we transitioned right into the family and parent images that included big brother Peyton.
MY NEWBORN SESSION FLOW WITH YOUR FAMILY
Brooks was in and out of sleep at this point in the session. If you are in the studio for a newborn session, please don’t stress if your baby is wide awake! They do NOT need to sleep for the entire time. I love alert babies for some solo eye contact images and sometimes we get lucky enough to capture a family photo of everyone looking towards the camera. As long as your baby is calm and content, it is no problem at all. If your baby is awake and NOT calm, don’t worry. We’ll figure out how to get them to their happy place again! Sometimes they need another feed, a diaper change, or some extra snuggles from you.
Baby safety is the FIRST priority during sessions. I will not place a baby near their older siblings if they are not calm and still. Every child is different, and therefore every session will look different. I’ll assess how your older child is doing when deciding which types of photos are safe to do. Since Peyton was 4 at the time of the session, he was much more mature than a young toddler sibling would have been,
Because big brother Peyton was listening, compliant, and able to be still while next to his baby brother, I was able to safely photograph a few different setups and he did such a fantastic job! Even though Peyton was a total dream to work with, I still didn’t take any chances. What you cannot see in the photographs is that their parents were mere inches away from them ready to swoop in and take over if needed.
We wrapped the session up with whole family images, Brooks with each of his parents, and Brooks with both of his parents. When you have your first baby, there is no “competition” for your attention. The second, third, fourth, baby gets more experienced parents who know what they’re doing, but they have to share your attention with their big siblings. I firmly believe that your subsequent children deserve their own images with just their parents like your first baby had, and make sure to make it happen!
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR NEWBORN SESSION
I keep it the post session process super simple for my clients! You have enough to think about in the newborn days. About a week after their session, Matt & Lindsay viewed their proof gallery and chose the collection that best fit their needs.
When their final images were completed, they chose which one they wanted for their artwork, and it was ordered. When everything was ready, I sent Lindsay an email with a link to schedule her contactless pickup on our studio calendar. Yep, it really is that easy!
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
Are you expecting a little one and interested in working with us for your baby's newborn session? CONGRATULATIONS!!! We would absolutely LOVE to chat with you about your family, what we offer, and how we can best serve you. Contact us today to set up a time to chat on the phone. We can’t wait to chat with 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.
