I first worked with Kyra and her family when they were expecting their second daughter for their maternity session at the park location. I love working with clients for both their maternity AND newborn sessions, because by the time their newborn arrives, we’ve gotten to know each other and established a relationship. This means my clients are super comfortable in front of the camera from the moment they arrive in the studio.
WHEN TO SCHEDULE YOUR MATERNITY AND/OR NEWBORN SESSION
It is NEVER too early to book! I know most expectant mamas are busy with all the baby preparations, but don’t put off scheduling your session! Most of our clients contact us early in their second trimester to guarantee that they have a spot on our calendar, and some even let us know in their first trimester if they’re comfortable doing so. We take a limited number of newborns due each month. This ensures that we are able deliver our unparalleled level of service to each our clients. Once we reach our monthly newborn cap, we are full for that month and maintain a wait list. All is NOT necessarily lost if you’re reading this and baby is already here. Our reserved newborns often arrive earlier or later than their estimated due dates, so there are some months that we DO have the ability to take on a last minute newborn session. Contact us right away, and we just might be able to schedule you!
NEWBORN SESSIONS WITH A SIBLING INVOLVED
When older siblings are involved in newborn sessions, we always ask what their schedule is because it’s important! We want them to be well rested and happy. Newborn sessions in the studio start in the morning between 9 and 10 AM, and it’s important to know if there’s a nap schedule to take into consideration. The first 90 minutes of session time is 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! Adding on services does NOT lengthen your session time as I’m actively photographing baby only regardless.
Big kids and dads generally plan to arrive about 90 minutes after I’ve gotten started with baby only. I am typically finished with baby when mama is done in hair and makeup, and we head right into the sibling and entire family portion. Once your toddler is finished with the photographs they’re in, they are free to play until we’re finished with dad/baby and baby/parent images. At this point, dad and big kid(s) usually depart the studio and I finish up with mama/baby and any remaining baby images needed.
Reversing or changing my typical session flow of starting with newborn solo 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 before their sibling’s arrival. When planning your session start time, we’ll discuss your toddler’s nap schedule and their best time of day.
Kyra and Piper arrived, and I took Piper out of her carseat and got started right away while Kyra got settled into the hair and makeup chair. She had already decided on her dress for her newborn session when she had gone through options during her maternity fitting, so it was all ready to go!
Piper was the cutest little thing, with an amazing head of hair. Kyra let me know she did want me to use our studio tiebacks and headbands for the images. I always ask moms what their preferences regarding that are. The most important thing to know is that I do NOT do headbands the size of Texas and choose headbands from our collection that are proportionate with your baby’s head size. Piper was such a great sleeper, and even opened up her eyes for me a few times. As I was finishing up with Piper’s solo images, dad and big sister Juniper arrived. Juniper really liked the dress from the studio wardrobe that had been picked out by Kyra, and was comfortable with me already since she remembered me from their maternity session. After everyone was dressed, we transitioned right into the images that included Juniper.
NEWBORN SESSION FLOW WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY
Piper was awake at this point, which I love for family images because it really showcases how babies are aware of their family members and highlights the interaction between them.
If we are able, I start with the sibling photos FIRST because these are often the most important ones to mamas. 9 times out of 10 your toddler will be the most cooperative as soon as they arrive - not 30 minutes later. So, it’s my goal to photograph those sibling images done first, followed by each parent with their children, and followed by the whole family together.
Baby safety is my TOP priority, so I won’t place babies near older siblings if they are not calm and still. Every kid is different, and I’ll assess how they’re doing when deciding which images we’ll do. Since Juniper was listening and willing to be still next to her baby sister, we were easily able to safely accomplish a few different images. What you can’t see in the photographs is that her parents were inches away from them ready to intervene if needed.
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR NEWBORN SESSION
We make it super simple for our clients! About a week after their session, Kyra viewed the proof gallery and chose her collection. When her final images were completed, she chose which ones she wanted for artwork. The digital files of chosen collection images are also included as well. After 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. Mats and frames can be added to prints as well and are a client favorite!
OUR PROCESS FOR FRAMED ARTWORK
Our framed artwork is ready within 2 weeks as long as there are no supply issues due to the pandemic. Sometimes a particular moulding will be on backorder, but you’ll be informed of that before the order is placed! That’s right, no frame shops are involved - I handle the entire production process from print to frame. When a client chooses the image they want framed, we’ll discuss the best size for where they plan to hang it in their home.
Once the the size is chosen, the print is ordered! After it comes in, we then “dress” the print together with the best moulding (frame). We’ll choose the best frame from our line for your image and home decor/personal style preferences. We’ll also decide on 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 should be to balance it out. Then the frame, mat, and GORGEOUS museum glass are ordered. I am obsessed with museum glass! It seems strange to describe glass as being beautiful, but it really is. You can hardly see the glass in the frame looking at it because of how crystal clear it is, and I love the UV protection that it affords the printed artwork. If you don’t know what museum glass looks like, you will when you’re at the studio, because most of our framed prints hanging on the walls have it.
When the frame, mat, and museum glass arrive at my studio (typically within a week ordering!), I mat the print, and assemble the entire piece. The last step is to finish the back of the frame with paper and hanging hardware. ALL you have to do is hang it up on your wall and then enjoy looking at it for decades. I promise you will find yourself standing in front of these photos and be instantly transported back to the time they were taken. Your children will love looking at them also. How do I know this? From personal experience: I have a beautiful gallery wall in my own home, and I catch myself standing there looking and marveling at how quickly they have grown even though it feels like it was just YESTERDAY that the photos were taken. I catch my husband there too, usually at night when he’s setting the house alarm. Sometimes I’ll come up next to him and put my arm around him, and we’ll look at them together quietly with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for our children and our family. My children really love looking at them too. They have commented that it makes them feel loved when they look at the portraits of us all together.
For clients who order framed artwork from us that contains a 16x20 or larger print, we deliver their finished artwork right to their front doorstep within a 20 mile radius of the studio. If you don’t have large framed artwork as part of your order, you’ll come to the studio and pick up your order when it’s ready. 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 and pickup is safe and contactless. Clients (or their designated errand runner!) reserve their pickup time in advance, and the process is super easy and convienent!
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
Are you expecting and interested in reserving a session with us for your baby's newborn session? 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 speak on the phone. 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.
