Jennifer contacted the studio to learn more about newborn sessions and thought it was amazing that she didn't have to worry about what to wear and could borrow from the wardrobe. It can be overwhelming when you're pregnant to wonder what you have that will fit after delivery, and even more stressful thinking about going clothes shopping immediately postpartum. The good news is that with us, you don't have to! We have a large selection of beautiful and flattering pieces that will fit sizes 0-12/14. Many of our clients show up in comfy yoga pants and a tank top, and we take care of the rest. If you'd prefer to wear your own clothes, that's no problem at all! We send all of our clients a newborn prep packet that helps them choose the best options from their own closets for the entire family.
When Liam was born, Jennifer contacted us to let us know and requested to add on hair and makeup services. You do not need to decide when you reserve your newborn session if you want to add this on. When you contact us to let us know your baby has been born, you can let us know at that time and we'll give you dates that a HMUA is available. It's such a wonderful way to treat yourself, and our HMUA team works magic on those undereye circles from sleep deprivation!
Margaret and I were waiting in the studio for the new family and welcomed them in when they arrived. Liam's grandma was visiting from Alabama, and she was such a lovely woman. She'd also dressed perfectly with help from our newborn prep packet! A lot of folks ask if grandparents are "allowed" to participate in the session. OF COURSE. I cannot imagine forbidding such important members of your family from participating in this once in a lifetime session. Grandparents are so precious and if you want them to be a part of the session, we welcome and encourage their involvement. Jennifer settled into the hair and makeup chair and I took Liam back to the newborn shooting room. His dad enjoyed watching the solo newborn portraits through our observation window. We keep the newborn shooting room at a toasty 85 degrees to keep our babies comfortable and sleeping. Liam woke up a few times during his session, and was very alert and calm. I love when babies decide to open their eyes since we can often photograph their cute little expressions. Not every baby wakes up during their session, but when they do we definitely take advantage of it!
When I came out with Liam after we finished up his portraits, Margaret was applying the final touches to Jennifer. Jennifer "warned" me that she and her husband weren't that comfortable in front of the camera and often felt awkward, so they'd need a lot of direction. If I had a dollar for every time I heard this from clients.... Here's the good news! You're already an expert at what you need to do for your part in the session. Holding your baby, admiring your baby, loving your baby. You've been doing that since the moment you held them for the first time. Expert level status! I'll take care of the rest when it comes to the most flattering angles, and I walk you through the entire session. After about 5-10 minutes, you'll be comfortable and you'll actually have fun. If your baby needs to take a nursing break, or you need to sit down for a moment or have a snack, that's no problem. We're not in a rush, and stressing out isn't allowed in the studio. We want your experience to be calm, relaxed, and FUN.
I'm happy to say that Jennifer commented as we finished up, "Wow, that was really fun! I wasn't sure what to expect, but we had such a great time today." That's always the goal for our clients.
A few weeks later, I found myself back in the studio going through their newborn session proofs to create their album. They chose a 16x20 wall portrait of their favorite image to display in their home, and also selected some smaller prints to give as gifts to the grandparents. All collections come with a certain number of high resolution digital files with a personal print release too, so they left that day with their USB and proof box.
Enjoy some of my favorites from Liam'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 birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.