I first worked with Monica and Ravi when they were expecting their daughter for their maternity session at the park location and for Olivia’s newborn session after she arrived. You can view their maternity session by clicking here, and their first child’s newborn session by clicking here.
WHEN TO SCHEDULE YOUR MATERNITY AND/OR NEWBORN SESSION
As tends to be the case with second babies, Monica kept putting off contacting us to let us know she was pregnant and to book another maternity and newborn session. By the time she contacted us, we only had room to schedule her for a newborn session - and she was past the point where she wanted to a maternity session anyway, so it all worked out. Case in point: don’t put off scheduling! Many of our clients contact us early in their second trimester to make sure they have a spot on our calendar, and some even let us know in their first trimester if they’re comfortable doing so. We only take a limited number of newborns due per month in order to maintain our level of service to each one. Once we reach our predetermined session cap, we are full for that month. That being said, babies often arrive earlier or later than their due dates, so there are some months that we have the ability to take on a last minute newborn session. Contact us today if that’s you, and we may be able to schedule you in!
NEWBORN SESSIONS WITH A TODDLER SIBLING INVOLVED
When older siblings are involved in newborn sessions, we always ask what their schedule is. Our newborn sessions start in the morning between 9 and 10 AM, and it’s important to know if there’s a nap schedule that we need to work around. The first 90 minutes of session time is devoted to photographing your baby alone. This is the perfect time for mama to take advantage of our add on hair and makeup services since she’ll be sitting on the couch doing nothing anyway during this time! Older siblings and dads generally arrive 90 minutes afterwards, and we wrap up with the sibling and entire family images. Once your toddler is finished with their portion, they are free to go! I end all of my sessions that involve toddlers with dad and baby images, and then both parent and baby images - dad and toddler leave - and I finish up with mom and baby images. Reversing or changing the session flow (ie: starting with family images) does not work very well in my experience. What tends to happen is that your newborn becomes overstimulated and fussy, and never quite settles as well as they would have had we started with just their solo images in a quiet studio. We’ll discuss your toddler’s nap schedule and best time of day when planning for exactly when your session will start!
Monica and Nikhil arrived, and I took him out of his carseat and got started right away while Monica took the opportunity to get some rest with a short nap on the couch after choosing dresses from the wardrobe for herself and Olivia to wear during their session. Nikhil was a tiny little thing, just like his sister as a newborn, and quite easy to work with. He stayed sound asleep for the entire portion of his solo portraits, and was a curly little guy. We actually finished up in just over an hour, but it ended up being perfect since Monica changed his diaper and fed him in the time between Olivia, Ravi, and grandma arriving. Timing doesn’t always work out that perfectly, but I’ll take the wins where they come! :)
NEWBORN SESSION FLOW WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY
Nikhil was awake at this point, which I love for family images because it really highlights how babies are aware of their family members and showcases the interaction on a different level than if they were sleeping.
I always start with the sibling photos FIRST because these are often the most important to mamas. 9 times out of 10 your toddler will be the most cooperative as soon as the arrive - not 30 minutes later. So it’s priority to get those sibling images done first, followed by each parent with their children, and the whole family together. I have a pretty natural flow for this that keeps mama as comfortable as possible without having to move all over the place.
When we started with the sibling photos, Olivia wasn’t so sure about it. She was fine with me, but was a little bit wiggly and all over the place. Baby safety is my first priority, so my goal was to get her to be calm and still. What you can’t see in the photographs is that her father was inches away from her ready to pounce and intervene if needed.
She wasn’t the most cooperative subject when we first started, but once gummy bunnies were introduced, she had NO problem following direction. She was absolutely hilarious - after I would take the shot, her little voice piped up … “More.” I never offer snacks to toddlers - parents are directed to our studio snack basket and they take care of handing them over as they see fit. Many parents will bring their own snack “bribe” from home as well! I just ask that it not be crumbly or something that can stain as that won’t work well for in between photos!
Once we had the sibling shots, we moved on to Monica with both of the children, then to Ravi with both of the children and the entire family together. Olivia skipped off to play with Grandma while I photographed Monica and Ravi with their son, but kept coming back for appearances. I always tell my clients not to worry about it if their toddler comes running back. The images that are created from these moments are often gallery favorites because they are purely genuine and authentic interactions. Another thing to keep in mind is that most toddlers are pretty short, and I don’t shoot lots of vertical images - I photograph parents with toddlers standing next to them ALL the time here in the studio and you never even know.
Monica asked that her mom be included in some of the images, and I was absolutely thrilled! I love when families choose to include grandparents in their newborn sessions. If your baby’s grandparents will be participating, I ask that they arrive towards the end of the session when it will be time for them to be in the photographed with their grandchild! We have a lobby downstairs in the studio building, as well as plenty of breakfast and coffee places nearby to kill time if they’re from out of town and don’t want to venture far.
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR NEWBORN SESSION
We make it super simple for our clients! About a week after their session, Monica viewed her proof gallery and chose her collection. When her final images were ready to go, she chose which ones she wanted for artwork. The digital files of the chosen collection images are also included as well. After the printed artwork is ordered, it takes about 1-2 weeks (longer for heirloom albums due to their handcrafted construction) for everything to be ready to go at the studio.
THE PROCESS FOR FRAMED ARTWORK
Our framed artwork is ready within 2 weeks max (peak holiday season excepted) because we do our entire framing in house! That’s right, no frame shops are involved - we handle the entire production process from print to frame. When our client chooses the image they want as framed artwork, we discuss the best size for where they plan to display it within their home.
When the size is settled on, the print is ordered, and we then “dress” the print together. This consists of choosing the best frame from our line for that particular image and the client’s home decor and personal style tastes. We’ll also confirm the mat width - I’m a fan of 3-5” inch mats depending on the size of the print. The larger the print, the larger the mat width to really balance it out. Then the frame, mat, and GORGEOUS museum glass are ordered. I am obsessed with museum glass! You can hardly tell that there is glass in the frame because of how clear it is, and I love the superior protection that it affords the printed artwork over regular conservation class. If you don’t know what it looks like, you will - all of our studio framed prints are with museum glass for you to see for yourself!
When the frame, mat, and museum glass arrive at my studio (within just a few days of ordering!), I mat the print, and put together the entire piece, finishing the back of the frame with paper. The last touch is to complete the frame with hanging hardware (we use wire hanging), so ALL my client has to do is hang it up on their wall and then enjoy looking at it for decades. You will find yourself standing in front of these photos thinking back to those days, and your children will love looking at them also. Our framed artwork pieces are truly museum grade with the level of their archival quality, so you can proudly pass these down to your children and grandchildren.
For clients who order framed artwork from us, we deliver their finished artwork right to their front doorstep within a 20 mile radius of the studio. For clients who don’t order framed artwork as part of their newborn collection, they come to the studio and pick up their order when it’s in. Every week we send out an email to clients who have orders ready to be picked up. The email outlines the designated pickup days and time windows throughout the week. Clients (or their designated errand runner!) reserve their pickup time in advance, and the entire process is super easy and convienent!
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
Are you expecting and interested in working with us for your baby's newborn session? We would LOVE to chat with you about what we offer and how we can best serve you. Contact us today to set up a time to speak on the phone and discuss! We look forward to hearing from 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.
