Amanda reached out in her second trimester to book a newborn session for when their baby girl arrived. She was thrilled to hear that we had a full studio wardrobe available to her and even more excited about our add on hair and makeup services. When you’ve just had a baby, the last thing you want to do is worry about what fits or sacrifice precious sleep to do your hair and makeup before coming to the studio. Fortunately, with us, you don’t have to!
Amanda works in the hospitality industry, so to hear her say, “You’ve thought of everything!” come from her was quite the compliment! We really do strive to think of everything - because we believe your portrait experience should be easy and stress free. So even if you forgot to pack extra diapers or your nursing pads on the way out the door to us, there's no need to stress. We’ll take excellent care of you!
HOW TO “SCHEDULE” YOUR NEWBORN SESSION
Don’t put off reserving your newborn session! The majority of our newborn clients contact us early in the second trimester to reserve their session on our calendar, with some reserving in their first trimester. We have been the first to know about a new pregnancy more than a few times! Are you confused about how you can schedule your newborn session months in advance? Don’t worry, you’re not the first one - we get this question a lot, and we’ll clarify further for you.
Reserving your newborn session is NOT scheduling your exact date in advance.
As you know, it is impossible to know EXACTLY when your baby will be born months beforehand. Even if you have a scheduled c-section or induction, there’s always a chance baby could arrive sooner or the date could be rescheduled. There are several factors that are considered when determining when to have you come in after your baby is born. We’ll ask when your baby arrived in relation to their due date, how much they weighed at birth, if you had a c-section or tough delivery, how you’re both doing, etc. When you reserve a newborn session at our studio, you don’t have to worry about whether or not we have room for you - because you’re guaranteed a session date.
We book a limited number of newborns due per month. Once we reach the cap, we are FULL for that month.
Why would we turn interested clients away?
The answer is simple. We have very high standards for the personalized experience we offer to our clients. We want to make 200% sure each and every one of our clients receives the same level of unparalleled service that we are known for, and proud of! If we overbook (ever been on an overbooked flight?), the client experience would take a hit, and we refuse to allow that to happen.
If your newborn is here already, you should know that our reserved newborns can arrive earlier/ later than their estimated due date, so we might still have the ability to take on a last minute newborn session as long as timelines allow and we can serve you and our other clients to our standards. Call us now if that’s you, and we might be able to fit you in on our schedule.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR NEWBORN SESSION
For a first baby with no big siblings involved, newborn sessions are pretty straightforward because there are no other schedules to take into consideration! If you have bigger kids, things run a bit differently (but not much!)
Your newborn session will start in the morning generally between 9:30 and 10ish AM depending on where in the Atlanta metro area you’re coming from.
The first 90 minutes of your session is spent photographing your baby’s solo photos.
The beginning of your newborn session is the perfect opportunity for you to treat yourself to our add on hair and makeup services like Amanda chose to, since you’re going be sitting on the couch doing nothing anyway during this time! Why not treat yourself to a relaxing experience which will likely be the first time you've felt truly pampered since giving birth? As an added bonus, our HMUA’s are really, really, really good at working their magic so you don’t look as sleep deprived as you might feel!
PAYTON’S NEWBORN SESSION DAY
When Amanda and Ryan arrived with Payton, Amanda settled into the hair and makeup chair. She had a pretty good idea of what she wanted to wear from our studio wardrobe since she had looked through everything at her maternity fitting. I pulled a couple of her favorites out for her to make her final decision from, and then took Payton out of her carseat to get started!
Payton was the most exquisite baby girl with the daintiest features. She was awake at the beginning of her session, but soon conked out after I got her all wrapped up and snuggly. She then stayed sound asleep for the rest of her solo photos, and was very relaxed and content. She even flashed a few smiles throughout!
If you have a baby girl, we will discuss your preferences are regarding the use of headbands and tiebacks on your daughter’s head during her newborn photos. Amanda loves them, and asked for them to be used in all of the setups throughout the session. I can do a mix with them on, all, or none at all - it’s your choice!
I don’t work with giant oversized flowers or bows. I have a darling collection of the daintiest options for your little girl that will serve to enhance the image - not distract from your baby!
Payton was still sleeping soundly after I wrapped up her solo portraits. Amanda had just finished up with hair and makeup, so I handed Payton to her daddy and pulled a few options for Amanda to choose from the studio wardrobe. Once I have seen a client in person, it doesn’t take me long to select a few options that I know will work with their skin tone and body shape/size! Amanda fell in love with a cream textured lace dress, and we got started with the family portion!
Most first time parents are still a little bit nervous about handling their baby and moving them around. This is 100% normal, and it’s because you aren’t used to standing up while holding your little one! The hospital forbids you to do it, and when you get home you’re on the couch or in bed The only time you’re standing up is when you’re carrying your baby from room to room or to the changing table.
I will walk you through EVERYTHING during our time together and show you exactly how to hold your baby safely for photographs. If you’re ever uncertain or something just doesn’t feel secure, we’ll adapt it until you feel good about it! Comfort and safety are my top priority - for both baby and new parents.
I walked Ryan and Amanda through everything and we had such a good time chatting and getting to know each other throughout. When they left, they thanked me for making the experience such a fun and easy one.
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR SESSION
We keep it simple for you! About a week after their session, Amanda & Ryan viewed Payton’s proof images and chose their favorites. After submitting their favorites, the images were put into my production queue, and the final gallery of their selected images was completed in both color & black and white versions.
Once your collection and any products are completed and ready for pickup at the studio, you’ll receive an email with a calendar scheduling link! The link will take you to our available contactless pickup dates and times for the week ahead, and you reserve what works best for you.
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
Are you expecting and interested in learning about working with our studio for your newborn session? We’d LOVE to chat with you about what we offer and how we can serve your growing family. Reach out today to set up a time to speak on the phone and chat!
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.
