Marc & Scott have been our clients since the birth of their fraternal twins last year! ! Documenting milestones is very important to these dads, so they were sure to book, newborn, six months, and one year sessions for their babies. We LOVE our “frequent flyers” and we have a First Year Collection with lots of perks available to those interested in making sure their baby’s first year is photographed. You can get in touch with the studio to learn more about the sessions we offer!
We have lots of experience working with twins, and we include the entire family in the session too. Our milestone sessions are NOT limited to just your little one(s), and we welcome and encourage parents and older siblings to participate too!
THE BOOKING PROCESS
When the twins were about four months old, their dads got in touch to ask about our COVID precautions and if we were still seeing clients. After we let them know all the protocols that our studio takes and that yes, we were still accepting clients, they were ready to book a date! We sent over some date options and once they had decided on one, we sent over everything they needed to secure their session. Everything is handled online and is a simple and streamlined process.
Once they remitted the electronic paperwork for the twins’ milestone session, we sent over our styling guide and resources for them to review. Even though they had already worked with us for their newborn session, we still send it over again to make sure they have it. Our style guide is a short and sweet e-mail that outlines the best practices for wardrobe selection, and helps our clients easily dress the whole family for their session in a cohesive way.
For clients who would like additional assistance with wardrobe selection, we’re available to help! Once you have booked your session, you can schedule a complimentary appointment at the studio and bring along your options, and I’ll assist you in putting it all together. We do this with your clothing and sometimes a mix of your clothing and studio clothing. For clients who cannot make an in person consult work for their schedule or would prefer virtual, they simply send over photos of what they’re considering via email and I respond with feedback and relevant suggestions.
Wardrobe assistance is just part of the comprehensive service experience that we offer to those who have chosen to work with us. We want your session experience to be as stress free and as easy as possible, because your portrait process should be enjoyable AND actually fun!
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SIX MONTH MILESTONE SESSIONS
Our sessions with any baby are photographed very efficiently, and some clients are surprised by how quickly I am able to shoot. There’s a really good reason why: and that is that most babies don’t give us much time! This is an added challenge with twins, since I need to photography both babies before they tire out.
Most babies under the age of one get tired out quickly from being overstimulated with all the action happening during their session. This means efficiency with my flow is essential in order to make the most of our time together. I block off an hour for non-newborn portrait sessions, but that’s just to ensure we have enough time if baby needs a diaper change or a feeding break. I work hard to get everything I need in the first 20-30 minutes of a session and then play the rest by ear depending on how your baby is doing. With twins, parents are a huge part of the team. We’ll switch out babies depending on how they’re each doing. One may need a break, and the other may be happy - only to switch places two minutes later! This is why I start with full family images first when we need BOTH to be happy at the same time.
Some babies will happily handle 45 minutes of total shooting time, but this is not the norm. Going for that long is often because of an intermission snack break after the initial 20-30 minutes of a session that gives them that last burst of energy! ;)
If they’re happy and doing well, we keep going. If they are OVER.IT. then we stop as long as I feel we have what we need. Don’t worry though - if your baby melts down at 15 minutes into the session and I don’t feel like I have enough for a great gallery, we’ll take some time to see if we can soothe them back to happiness again. Sometimes that means I put down my camera and play peek a boo, or they take a nursing/snuggle break, or we look out the window or in the mirror. The most important thing you can do to help is to remain calm (tone of voice, relaxed body, slow movement) no matter what. Doing this will help your baby feel safe and secure even when they’re unsettled or unsure.
HOW IT WENT
When the family arrived at the studio, everyone got dressed after I looked through the options they had brought with them. Even if you already know what you’re wearing, it’s best to change on arrival. Doing so eliminates the possibility of an outfit being unusable if a mishap with food/drink or spit up happens on the way to the studio. It also negates the risk of terribly wrinkled clothing from seatbelt straps for both kids AND parents!
I started with photographing just the twins together and separately, which was super quick since each dad handled a twin and then switched off as directed. Because we had already worked together for their newborn session, we were able to dive right into it since once you’ve worked with me for any type of session, you pretty much know the deal for all future ones in terms of how I work!
After finishing up with the twins on the bed, I moved right into entire family shots on the bed, moved the bed out of the way, and continued with standing and the floor for a variety - and the family pet even joined in for a few as well! :) Neither twin was shy, and they were happy and smiley.
Six month old babies are so much fun to photograph because their personalities are blossoming and they have the best expressions. Sabastian & Penelope gave me lots of grins and were generally very happy and interactive. Every baby is different when it comes to how much they smile during portrait sessions, as some little ones are naturally more reserved. Know that no matter what, I will be photographing your baby (or babies!) as they are right NOW at this moment in time.
the big question: SHOULD WE PLAN for ONE OUTFIT OR TWO?
For twin sessions, I recommend just one outfit for the entire session because of the fact that we are pulling double duty. Marc & Scott really wanted to try for two, so we started with the most important outfits first. I always discuss with parents what their desired “must have” images are in order of priority and go from there. For Marc & Scott, they definitely wanted family images in the more muted and casual outfit, so that’s what we started in. Starting with the most important outfits is an insurance policy just in case your babies won’t tolerate being changed into a second outfit and are done being photographed before you get a chance to change.
Fact: babies are unpredictable. Their moods can change like the wind. We just don’t know how long they’re going to give us going in or if they will tolerate being changed again well. You know your baby best, so you can be the judge of whether trying for a second outfit is a good idea, or if you’d rather play it safe with one outfit! :)
Once we had the twins changed, they didn’t last long! They took turns fussing, so I just photographed the non fussing one and then switched as needed. We wrapped up the session with a few of Marc & Scott’s first baby. ;)
Enjoy some of my favorite images from Sabastian & Penelope’s six month milestone session!
Remember that it is NEVER too early to get on the calendar for milestone sessions especially if you want a weekend date since those fill months in advance. If your baby is a newborn right now and you’re thinking about their First Birthday session, nope - you’re not crazy to contact us and get on the calendar almost a year in advance. Our First Year Collection members have scheduling priority and we take care of reaching out to schedule when it’s time to - one less thing to worry about in the whirlwind of your baby’s First Year.
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.
