Emily contacted the studio after her daughter was born to inquire about a newborn session and see if we had any last minute availability. Fortunately, we had one day available that week! After speaking with Caroline, our studio manager, and reviewing the information sent over with her husband she snapped up the spot. We scheduled the date, and sent over our short and sweet newborn prep packet for them to review. It covers the basics of how to prepare for your session, what to bring, and what to wear if you’ve opted to wear your own clothing from home. The studio wardrobe is available to our mamas, but it’s totally a matter of your personal preference whether you want to borrow from it or wear your own. Emily also asked to add on hair services with our HMUA team, so we coordinated that for her as well. You have enough going on at home with a brand new baby, so we make it super easy for you to add on hair and/or makeup services to your session. We will take care of matching you with a member of our team and connecting you with them so you don’t have to worry about any of that.
Let’s talk about when to book your session with us real quick since this is a topic we cover a ton. Most of our clients reserve their newborn sessions while they’re still pregnant to ensure that they have a spot on our calendar. It’s never too early to book with us and sometimes we are the first to know about a pregnancy before the clients’ extended family. But don’t worry, keeping secrets is one of our specialties. ;)
One of the most popular questions that our clients is: “How do we book our newborn session date in advance when we don’t know the exact date our baby will arrive?” Answer: We don’t schedule the exact date when you book before your baby is here! Booking a newborn session with us before birth simply means that you’re securing your guaranteed spot on our calendar. We take a limited number of newborns due in each month so we can ensure that all of our clients have the best experience from start to finish. Newborn sessions take more time than regular portrait sessions, and take far more time to edit due to the complex skin work that newborns need. (ie: skin flakes, jaundice, baby acne, purple feet - just to name a few) Once you’re on the studio calendar, you’ll let us know when your baby has arrived! We’ll ask you a few questions about your baby and your recovery and schedule your session based on the answers to those questions. In general, we photography newborns in between 8-21 days of life and usually schedule for 8-12 days when possible and factors make sense for that. We’ve photographed up to 6 weeks, but it’s not ideal for true newborn photos unless your baby was born prematurely. So if you’re reading this now while holding your three week old and kicking yourself for not scheduling a newborn session, just contact us to see if we have room to fit you in! You will not be the first last minute client, and you definitely won’t be the last. The number of last minute newborn sessions from moms who initially thought they didn’t want one and then changed their minds is much higher than you’d think! Every one of those moms has expressed how happy they were that they decided to contact us and come in!
When Emily and Kevin arrived at the studio with Darcy, I couldn’t get over her full head of hair! She was SO adorable, and slept throughout her solo portraits! Emily hopped up in the hair and makeup chair with Brielle for her hair services, and Kevin took some time to relax while I photographed Darcy. After Emily’s hair was finished, she looked through the studio wardrobe and found a pale pink dress that she loved.
When I finished photographing Darcy, she was in need of a diaper change and was hungry. Her parents took care of her, and we spent some time chatting about what would happen next while she was being fed.
My clients are never left hanging during sessions with me. I will guide you through the entire experience with clear and easy to follow prompts. Much of what you will be doing is completely natural interaction, but I’ll be adjusting things a bit for the best photographs. I’m always fixing hair, turning dad a half an inch (yes, that half an inch adjustment really matters!), and rearranging baby’s wrap, etc. All of those little details are important, and I’m constantly looking for them. Clients don’t need to be worrying about all of that - so I ask them to leave it to me and just enjoy their session!
After Darcy had finished eating, we continued on with the family portion. Darcy was one of my newborns that I’ve had in that never opened her eyes the entire time she was here. Some babies are sleepier than others! :)
Parent and family images are usually the easiest part of newborn sessions. Every once in a while I’ll have a baby that decides they’re going to be fussy after their solo portraits. If this happens, no need to stress. I have a bag of tricks up my sleeve of things to calm them, and they’ll be in your arms the whole time. It’s far easier to calm and work with a baby during the family portion than it is for their solo portraits!
Because Darcy was so sleepy, the family portion didn’t take long at all. I work in a very efficient flow and have dad step in and out of the photos, mom eventually hands baby to dad, and then she steps in and out of the photos. Sessions here are relaxed with a laid back vibe because there’s no room for stress! :)
Enjoy some of my favorite photos of this beautiful baby girl and her loving parents!
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.
