Joanie and David contacted the studio when their son was already 2 weeks old to see if they could book a newborn session for him! They were in the process of selling a house and looking for a new one, and had simply gotten so busy with all of that they’d forgotten to schedule one.
Joanie asked if the session could include family images also, and we assured her that they always do. Having a newborn session is an event that will be so special for your entire family. The big siblings are important members of your family, and they should feel included in this process too! My newborn galleries are a combination of solo newborn portraits mixed with family/parent images, as well as sibling/baby images where applicable and when safe.
WHEN SHOULD I REACH OUT TO BOOK A NEWBORN SESSION?
If you know you want to work with me, reach out right away. It’s never too early to reserve your session! Here’s why: Reserving your newborn session does NOT mean you are booking an exact date for your session. This is impossible since birth dates are unpredictable! When you reserve, you are guaranteed a session for your baby! When your baby arrives, you’ll notify us, and we will then schedule the exact date for your session.
I provide excellent service for each and every client, so I limit the number of newborn sessions that are available in a month. This way I can be certain that you will have the level of service you deserve from start to finish! When clients reserve with us, they secure themselves a guaranteed spot.
Are you holding your newborn while reading things and thinking you might have missed the boat? Maybe not! Our booked newborns often arrive earlier or later than the estimated due date. As such, there are some months that I can take a last minute newborn client. Get in touch with us right away to see if we can accommodate you!
TODDLER SIBLINGS AND NEWBORN SESSIONS
Joanie let me know that her two year old daughter would also be participating in the session! I welcome older siblings, and love when they participate. We will ask you what your child’s nap schedule is because we want to ensure they’re well rested and adjust timing to reflect that if needed. Dads always relax at home and bring any older siblings the session later after the newborn solo images have been completed. This gives mama a break with some peace and quiet, and dads and toddlers are happiest at home until they’re needed!
Newborn sessions are scheduled for morning hours and start time between 9 and 10 AM depending on the time of year. The 90 minutes of our time together is devoted to photographing your baby alone, which makes it the perfect time for you to take advantage of our add on hair and makeup services! Adding on beauty services does NOT lengthen your session. I’m actively photographing baby only while you’re being prepped. Go ahead and treat yourself, since you’ll just be sitting on the couch anyway! ;) Added bonus: our HMUA team is pure magic at making our sleep deprived mothers look rested. Undereye circles, be gone! Joanie was thrilled that we offered this service and jumped at the opportunity to pamper herself.
When Joanie and Connor arrived at the studio the morning of his session, I took him out of his carseat and got started photographing his solo images right away while Joanie settled into the HMUA chair.
Connor was WIDE awake as he was an older newborn (3.5 weeks) due to being a last minute one. Despite being wide awake, he was very calm. I never stress if I have an awake baby, because I love the images that I can create with direct eye contact. He did eventually fall fast asleep, so his solo portraits were a great mix of awake and asleep. As I was finishing up with his solo portraits, dad and big sister Hanna arrived. Everyone got themselves dressed and ready. We started the session with Connor wrapped in a blanket, and Joanie asked to dress Conoor in an outfit she had bought specifically for some family images. If you want your baby to wear a special outfit, please be sure that it fits snugly. If the outfit is too large and swallows them up, you will be struggling throughout the session trying to make sure their face is visible and not obscured by the material.
NEWBORN SESSION FLOW WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY
As I mentioned before, if your newborn is awake during your session, it’s not a problem at all as long as they are calm. If they're awake and fussy, no need to stress either. We’ll work together to figure out how to soothe your baby into a calm state for photos.
I started out the session photographing Hanna and Connor together for sibling images. I start with the sibling photos because these are usually the highest priority for clients. Most of the time, your toddler will be the most cooperative upon arrival to the studio. I work quickly and efficiently to photograph siblings, each parent with their children, and whole family before your toddler’s patience runs out! How I photograph your children together entirely depends on your older child. In Hanna’s case, she was full of energy and preferred to run around, so having them next to each other was not possible for safety reasons. You’ll see how we ended up doing their images when you scroll down!
The TOP priority in my studio is safety for all involved. I will not place your newborn near their older sibling(s) if they are not calm or are not capable of following my direction. Every toddler is different, so I’ll assess your child and go from there. Parents are always right outside the camera frame just inches away and ready to intervene!
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR NEWBORN SESSION
About a week after their session, Joanie and David viewed Connor’s proof gallery and chose her collection. They chose a collection which included an album and all of the digital files, because they loved their gallery so much that they didn’t want to narrow it down! When I was finished with the final editing of her session, they chose which ones they wanted within their album and their favorite for the framed wall art.
Most clients look through the different album options that we have available as samples in the studio and snap photos of the cover options with their phone before leaving. Album design and proofing is handled virtually, and it’s a simple process for my clients. Most clients approve their proof immediately with no revisions, and once it’s approved to print, I send it off!
After your album is ordered, it takes about 4-6 weeks (due to their handcrafted construction) for it arrive and be ready for pickup. If you’re interested in having your favorite image on the wall to enjoy instead of or in addition to an heirloom album, I have an absolutely beautiful line of frame moulding for you to look at here at the studio as well. Ask about our design mockup service when choosing to purchase frames from - I am here to make your decision making a snap! We make it easy for our clients! We’ve been there, and we know the last thing you need is to deal with something super complicated when you’re in the throes of the newborn stage.
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
As your baby grows, so do the memories. That's why you need to secure your newborn session sooner rather than later - and I can't wait until we get started! 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!
Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Connor’s newborn session!
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.
