I first worked with Emily and George when I photographed their first child’s newborn session. You can see Madeleine’s newborn photos by clicking here. One thing to note is that Madeleine’s session took place at our original (and much smaller) studio location over at Grant Park before we moved over to our studio right on the Beltline in Poncey-Highlands. We’re right next door to two.urban.licks over by Ponce City Market here in Atlanta!
When Emily emailed me to let me know that she was expecting baby #2 in December, I was so excited for them! As a mom of three, I think each addition to the family is so special and love watching my client families grow over the years. Emily was SUPER excited to see the new studio, and booked her session so she’d be on the calendar. She had been worried that we wouldn’t be taking December newborns due to the holidays, but I reassured her she didn’t need to be concerned. While I don’t work on Christmas Day or any other major holiday, I don’t take off several weeks during the holiday season where I’m unavailable for newborn clients.
Frequently asked question: when should we book our newborn session?
Glad you asked! We are asked this all the time because people are confused about how it’s possible to book a session when they don’t know exactly when their baby will arrive. I’ll make this short and sweet: you should book as soon as you can. Most of our clients book while they’re at the end of their first trimester/beginning of their second trimester. We take a limited number of newborns due in each month. Once that number is reached, we close our books to additional clients. Newborns will pick their own birthday for the most part, and once they arrive, you simply let us know. We’ll schedule your actual session date at that point. Because you’re booked already, you’re guaranteed a spot on our calendar. If you’re reading this now while snuggling your baby already because you waited until the last minute or didn’t realize you would want newborn photos, all is not lost. Because babies arrive when they want to, we sometimes have availability for last minute clients depending on how many newborns we already have scheduled. Just contact us today to see if we can fit you in!
Hair and makeup add on services
Emily had chosen to work with our hair and makeup team for her first newborn session with us and knew without a doubt that she wanted to work with them again. These services are super easy to add on, and you don’t even have to decide until your baby is here. When you email us to let us know your baby has arrived, that’s when you let us know that you want to add on hair and makeup, and we’ll do the coordination for you. No back and forth between multiple people to see who is available for you - we’ll take care of it all. One last thing: adding on hair and makeup does NOT add on to the length of your session. You’ll be sitting on the couch while I photograph solo portraits of your newborn, so you may as well sit in the hair and makeup chair and get pampered instead. ;)
Session Flow
On the morning of the session, Emily arrived with baby Jacob. Emily and I looked through the options available in the wardrobe for herself and for Madeleine, and then she got settled into the hair and makeup chair with Margaret. I took Jacob over to our newborn shooting area and got started with his solo portraits. All of our newborn sessions at the studio start out this way, and when older siblings are involved they don’t arrive until later with dad, or a grandparent. Toddlers (and dads!) are much happier hanging out at home until it’s time for them to participate.
When I started with Jacob, he was awake but sleepy. We hung out for a little while until he conked out, and then his solo portion went very quickly. We were actually finished before George & Madeleine arrived, so Emily took the opportunity to change and nurse him beforehand. As she was finishing up, daddy and big sister walked in.
newborn safety with toddler siblings
Every new mama of two (or three) hopes for that sibling shot, but I’m going to be 100% honest: it doesn’t always happen, because it’s not always safe. Some toddler siblings are just too wiggly to safely lay down next to their new baby brother or sister. Others don’t want anything to do with being that close to their new baby sibling and will start to flail and kick. My first priority is safety, so if there is any question of whether your toddler can handle a sibling only setup, I will err on the side of caution. With Madeleine, she loved Jacob and was excited to be a big sister, but just wasn’t still enough for it to be safe having them next to each other. When this happens, I default to sibling images that involve a parent safely holding the newborn. There is still plenty of beautiful natural interaction that happens this way, and it keeps your newborn safe and protected from any accidents. Every toddler that walks into my studio is different, and there is just no way to predict how they’ll be beforehand. I’ll assess once they’re in the studio, discuss with you, and then we’ll move forward.
family flow
Once I finish up with sibling images, we move into family images. The family portion of sessions is really fun and designed to be low pressure, I’ll be giving you prompts the entire time of fun things to do for your toddler. Toddlers LOVE being “in charge” and being able to show off what they know. Asking them, “Where’s baby’s nose?” is such a great way to prompt interaction and get those beautiful images of the whole family admiring the newest addition. We’ll also try for a great “everyone looking at the camera” photo as well, but I’ve found over and over again that the majority of my clients prefer the images with genuine interaction over the “perfect” family portrait. After Emily viewed their proofs, she later emailed me this:
We absolutely LOVE the photos!! Thank you so much for capturing our family so well - including Madeleine which isn’t always easy! :)
Mission accomplished! My ultimate goal for every client is to capture their baby and family just as they are, and showcase their dynamic and love for each other. I’d love to do this for your family too, so if you’re interested in learning more, please contact us to chat.
Enjoy a few of my favorite’s from Jacob’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.
