Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Sabastian & Penelope

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Clay

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Jacob

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Nikhil

I first worked with Monica and Ravi when they were expecting their daughter for their maternity session at the park location and for Olivia’s newborn session after she arrived. You can view their maternity session by clicking here, and their first child’s newborn session by clicking here.

WHEN TO SCHEDULE YOUR MATERNITY AND/OR NEWBORN SESSION

As tends to be the case with second babies, Monica kept putting off contacting us to let us know she was pregnant and to book another maternity and newborn session. By the time she contacted us, we only had room to schedule her for a newborn session - and she was past the point where she wanted to a maternity session anyway, so it all worked out. Case in point: don’t put off scheduling! Many of our clients contact us early in their second trimester to make sure they have a spot on our calendar, and some even let us know in their first trimester if they’re comfortable doing so. We only take a limited number of newborns due per month in order to maintain our level of service to each one. Once we reach our predetermined session cap, we are full for that month. That being said, babies often arrive earlier or later than their due dates, so there are some months that we have the ability to take on a last minute newborn session. Contact us today if that’s you, and we may be able to schedule you in!

NEWBORN SESSIONS WITH A TODDLER SIBLING INVOLVED

When older siblings are involved in newborn sessions, we always ask what their schedule is. Our newborn sessions start in the morning between 9 and 10 AM, and it’s important to know if there’s a nap schedule that we need to work around. The first 90 minutes of session time is devoted to photographing your baby alone. This is the perfect time for mama to take advantage of our add on hair and makeup services since she’ll be sitting on the couch doing nothing anyway during this time! Older siblings and dads generally arrive 90 minutes afterwards, and we wrap up with the sibling and entire family images. Once your toddler is finished with their portion, they are free to go! I end all of my sessions that involve toddlers with dad and baby images, and then both parent and baby images - dad and toddler leave - and I finish up with mom and baby images. Reversing or changing the session flow (ie: starting with family images) does not work very well in my experience. What tends to happen is that your newborn becomes overstimulated and fussy, and never quite settles as well as they would have had we started with just their solo images in a quiet studio. We’ll discuss your toddler’s nap schedule and best time of day when planning for exactly when your session will start!

Monica and Nikhil arrived, and I took him out of his carseat and got started right away while Monica took the opportunity to get some rest with a short nap on the couch after choosing dresses from the wardrobe for herself and Olivia to wear during their session. Nikhil was a tiny little thing, just like his sister as a newborn, and quite easy to work with. He stayed sound asleep for the entire portion of his solo portraits, and was a curly little guy. We actually finished up in just over an hour, but it ended up being perfect since Monica changed his diaper and fed him in the time between Olivia, Ravi, and grandma arriving. Timing doesn’t always work out that perfectly, but I’ll take the wins where they come! :)

NEWBORN SESSION FLOW WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY

Nikhil was awake at this point, which I love for family images because it really highlights how babies are aware of their family members and showcases the interaction on a different level than if they were sleeping.

I always start with the sibling photos FIRST because these are often the most important to mamas. 9 times out of 10 your toddler will be the most cooperative as soon as the arrive - not 30 minutes later. So it’s priority to get those sibling images done first, followed by each parent with their children, and the whole family together. I have a pretty natural flow for this that keeps mama as comfortable as possible without having to move all over the place.

When we started with the sibling photos, Olivia wasn’t so sure about it. She was fine with me, but was a little bit wiggly and all over the place. Baby safety is my first priority, so my goal was to get her to be calm and still. What you can’t see in the photographs is that her father was inches away from her ready to pounce and intervene if needed.

She wasn’t the most cooperative subject when we first started, but once gummy bunnies were introduced, she had NO problem following direction. She was absolutely hilarious - after I would take the shot, her little voice piped up … “More.” I never offer snacks to toddlers - parents are directed to our studio snack basket and they take care of handing them over as they see fit. Many parents will bring their own snack “bribe” from home as well! I just ask that it not be crumbly or something that can stain as that won’t work well for in between photos!

Once we had the sibling shots, we moved on to Monica with both of the children, then to Ravi with both of the children and the entire family together. Olivia skipped off to play with Grandma while I photographed Monica and Ravi with their son, but kept coming back for appearances. I always tell my clients not to worry about it if their toddler comes running back. The images that are created from these moments are often gallery favorites because they are purely genuine and authentic interactions. Another thing to keep in mind is that most toddlers are pretty short, and I don’t shoot lots of vertical images - I photograph parents with toddlers standing next to them ALL the time here in the studio and you never even know.

Monica asked that her mom be included in some of the images, and I was absolutely thrilled! I love when families choose to include grandparents in their newborn sessions. If your baby’s grandparents will be participating, I ask that they arrive towards the end of the session when it will be time for them to be in the photographed with their grandchild! We have a lobby downstairs in the studio building, as well as plenty of breakfast and coffee places nearby to kill time if they’re from out of town and don’t want to venture far.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR NEWBORN SESSION

We make it super simple for our clients! About a week after their session, Monica viewed her proof gallery and chose her collection. When her final images were ready to go, she chose which ones she wanted for artwork. The digital files of the chosen collection images are also included as well. After the printed artwork is ordered, it takes about 1-2 weeks (longer for heirloom albums due to their handcrafted construction) for everything to be ready to go at the studio.

THE PROCESS FOR FRAMED ARTWORK

Our framed artwork is ready within 2 weeks max (peak holiday season excepted) because we do our entire framing in house! That’s right, no frame shops are involved - we handle the entire production process from print to frame. When our client chooses the image they want as framed artwork, we discuss the best size for where they plan to display it within their home.

When the size is settled on, the print is ordered, and we then “dress” the print together. This consists of choosing the best frame from our line for that particular image and the client’s home decor and personal style tastes. We’ll also confirm the mat width - I’m a fan of 3-5” inch mats depending on the size of the print. The larger the print, the larger the mat width to really balance it out. Then the frame, mat, and GORGEOUS museum glass are ordered. I am obsessed with museum glass! You can hardly tell that there is glass in the frame because of how clear it is, and I love the superior protection that it affords the printed artwork over regular conservation class. If you don’t know what it looks like, you will - all of our studio framed prints are with museum glass for you to see for yourself!

When the frame, mat, and museum glass arrive at my studio (within just a few days of ordering!), I mat the print, and put together the entire piece, finishing the back of the frame with paper. The last touch is to complete the frame with hanging hardware (we use wire hanging), so ALL my client has to do is hang it up on their wall and then enjoy looking at it for decades. You will find yourself standing in front of these photos thinking back to those days, and your children will love looking at them also. Our framed artwork pieces are truly museum grade with the level of their archival quality, so you can proudly pass these down to your children and grandchildren.

For clients who order framed artwork from us, we deliver their finished artwork right to their front doorstep within a 20 mile radius of the studio. For clients who don’t order framed artwork as part of their newborn collection, they come to the studio and pick up their order when it’s in. Every week we send out an email to clients who have orders ready to be picked up. The email outlines the designated pickup days and time windows throughout the week. Clients (or their designated errand runner!) reserve their pickup time in advance, and the entire process is super easy and convienent!

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Are you expecting and interested in working with us for your baby's newborn session? We would LOVE to chat with you about what we offer and how we can best serve you. Contact us today to set up a time to speak on the phone and discuss! We look forward to hearing from you.

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Benjamin

Erin contacted the studio to learn more about booking a newborn session. She initially thought that an in-home session was what she wanted before she called us, but after hearing about the differences between in-home and studio, she realized that a studio session would be the better fit. She had been nervous (like every mom!) that leaving the house with a newborn would feel too daunting, and thought that staying home would be easier… until she learned all the things that are involved in helping ensure a successful newborn session. A few of these things: controlling the temperature of their home to be super warm for baby’s comfort, cleaning all clutter from the background of their home (who has the TIME?!), and attempting to get herself ready before I arrived. With studio sessions: the only thing you need to worry about is just getting here. Once you’re here, you’re golden - you can kick back and relax!

After speaking with Caroline, Erin was excited to hear that we had a studio wardrobe available as well as add on hair and makeup services! When you’ve just given birth, sometimes the non-maternity clothes we have in our closets don’t fit, we’re sick of the maternity clothing we have that still fits…. and who has the time OR energy to go shopping after just having had a baby?! Our clients love not having to panic shop to find something for their session.

On the morning of their session, Erin and her husband arrived at the studio with Benjamin. Erin had brought a dress for me to look at that she loved from her closet - she had tried it on that morning and it fit well enough to wear! I loved it also, and told her it was perfect, so she opted to go with that. She also brought a special finishing touch for her dress… gorgeous blue Jimmy Choo stilettos that she had worn on their wedding day. I LOVED that she brought them to incorporate and made sure to take a few images where you could see them.

Erin settled into the hair and makeup chair while I took baby Benjamin to the newborn shooting area for his solo portraits. His dad watched and we chatted a bit while I photographed his son. He commented that he had no idea what went into photographing newborns and was amazed by my patience and attention to detail. As I was finishing Benjamin’s portraits, he started showing signs of hunger, and opened his eyes. He was still calm while awake, so I took advantage of that time to photograph some open eye images, and then when I finished with those, I took him to Erin for a nursing break.

After Benjamin was finished nursing, we began the family and parent portion of the session. I so love watching new parents with their new baby! For some of my parents, their baby is the first baby they have ever held. So it can sometimes feel a little foreign holding a newborn when you’re a first time parent, and most of my clients are a little bit nervous because they still aren’t used to handling their baby while standing up and moving around. Think about it: when you’re at home, most of the care you are giving your baby is while seated!

However, even if you’re a first time parent without much hands on baby experience, there is no need to be nervous in my studio - my TOP priority is your baby’s safety and the comfort of everyone. We will adapt as needed. There’s more than one way to hold a baby - so if you don’t feel secure or confident holding your baby a certain, way, we’ll change it up to a way that you are! I gently guide you through the entire session. I’ll make sure to tuck stray hairs or adjust clothing as needed so your focus can be holding and admiring your new baby. The family portion is typically the “easiest” part of our time together - because you’re pretty much just looking at this amazing little human that you’ve welcomed into your family. Bonus of hiring a profesional: I’ll make sure you don’t give yourself a self inflicted double chin while looking at your baby. ;)

Enjoy some of my favorite images from this guy’s newborn session! When Erin came to pick up her order she brought Benjamin with her! I happened to be taking a break from working at my computer and we were able to visit and chat for a bit. I get so excited when my clients come in and bring their baby so I get to see how much they’ve changed since I photographed them.

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!

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | All is not lost if coronavirus wrecked your newborn session plans

I feel you, mama

Chances are, if you had a baby anytime in March or April, you’ve had a tough postpartum experience. It’s definitely not what you expected. Your birth experience was not what you expected. You didn’t get to have the labor support that you’d planned on. You didn’t get to have excited grandparents and other close friends and family come visit you in the hospital to celebrate with you. Maybe your grandma still hasn’t met her great grandchild yet (only through a glass window) because they can’t risk exposure from anyone. And now you’re sad because you weren’t able to book a newborn session due to the shelter in place order. Photographs and FaceTime are pretty much the only way to really be able to share your baby with your family and friends while we’re socially distancing.

These are unusual times (is anyone else sick of the word “unprecendented”?), but I want to reassure you that all is not lost. Our studio is scheduling older newborns to come in once the state shelter in place is lifted, and we have strict protocols in place for the protection of everyone. We’ll discuss those protocols with you on the phone when you contact us, so that you’re aware of all the measures being taken and what will be expected of you.

But my baby isn’t two weeks old anymore, so it’s too late for newborn photos

FALSE. We love and welcome older newborns up to 7 weeks of age here in the studio, especially when circumstances didn’t allow for you to be here sooner. Before the age of coronavirus, we had babies come in later for a whole host of reasons. Postpartum complications for mama and/or baby, a deployed spouse overseas that wasn’t able to return until later, a bad initial newborn session experience with a different photographer that resulted in horrible photos, or regret of not booking a newborn session and deciding to go for it.

The Proof is In the Pudding

Below, you’ll see a few of our older newborns who were 12+ pounds and between 6-7 weeks of age. Yes, your session may take on the longer end of the time allocated, and will require patience and skill (both of which are in abundant supply at the studio), but we can still make it happen for you and create beautiful images of your newborn to have and cherish for a lifetime. Don’t buy into the widely purported misbelief that your baby has to be 8 days or less for a newborn session to work out. If I’m honest, when I first started photographing newborns 7 years ago I believed that lie. I’d heard it from other photographers and just thought that it had to be true.

It’s not. While it CAN be easier to photograph an 8 day old (they tend to be more bendy and sleepy when they’re young), that’s just not always the case. Some of my older newborns have been deeper sleepers than my 10 day old newborns. Every baby is different and unique, and I’ve learned a lot about how to work with older babies along the way.

Want to book a newborn session? Bring your baby to me, and lets collaborate together to create images that will take your breath away and instantly transport you back to when your baby was tiny when you look at them twenty years from now.

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Hauwa

I first worked with Safeeya and her family for their family maternity session at the gardens location, (view those images by clicking here) and was so excited to photograph them again for their new daughter’s newborn session! Safeeya had let me know that they would be wearing traditional dress for their session and I absolutely love when my clients honor their heritage in that way.

When Safeeya arrived at the studio with baby Hauwa, I got started with photographing just the baby. Safeeya took the opportunity to rest for a bit. Hauwa wasn’t really sure if she wanted to sleep or not, but she eventually did after being snuggled and rocked for a bit. I have all the patience in the world, so if your baby doesn’t want to go to sleep right away during your session, please don’t stress or think your baby is being “uncooperative”. They are being a baby and they have their own sleep cycle. They will eventually go to sleep, and it’s my job to get them there. When babies are awake, I always photograph them for those open eye images as long as they’re calm. If they are awake and angry, my focus is on settling them and getting them what they need. I would say maybe under half the newborns who come into the studio ever open their eyes and of those half - about half are calm when awake. So, while I definitely take advantage of the opportunity for that open eye direct camera engagement image - it doesn’t always happen. It just depends on your baby!

Once I was finished with Hauwa’s solo images, big sister and daddy had arrived. Everyone got dressed and Safeeya dressed Hauwa in a beautiful lace dress to match big sister. If you choose to bring clothing for your newborn to wear during the family portion, you’ll need to make sure that it fits snugly. Otherwise your baby will be swimming in their outfit, and it will not look cute. We have a full collection in the studio of blankets and some sleepers and onesies that photograph well, but some of our clients like to bring a sleeper or blanket from home. I’ll advise on whether it’s going to work well for your session since sometimes the items brought have a strange color cast or just won’t work well with what the family is wearing.

I started off with sibling images of the two girls together. Hauwa was awake and calm, but then decided she wanted to eat and wanted to eat NOW. After she was fed, she was happy and content and we resumed the session. Since Hauwa was totally asleep, we finished this portion up very quickly as it was just a matter of passing Hauwa back and forth between her parents with different groupings. I work very efficiently when I have baby’s cooperations since we never know how long we’ll have it!

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Hauwa’s newborn session. I can’t wait to see this family again in the future and see how much the girls have grown.

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Clara

Karen contacted the studio to book a newborn session when she was at the end of her second trimester with her daughter. The best time to book your newborn session is definitely when you’re in the second trimester to guarantee a spot on our calendar! While we don’t pencil in an exact date for your session until your baby has been born - you are secured into our books and guaranteed a spot no matter what.

Because of the amount of time we dedicate to each newborn client for shooting and editing, we book a limited number per month so that we can provide the best possible service to each client. Once those spots are gone, we accept last minute newborns on a case by case basis. If you contact us when your baby is two weeks old and it happens to be a week where we don’t have any scheduled newborns, we can sometimes fit in last minute clients. Babies arrive on their own timetable! Sometimes we’ll have availability open up if some of our newborns arrive earlier or later than expected. Plenty of of our newborn clients don’t actually arrive in their due date month! So if this is you - don’t assume that you’re out of luck. Give us a call or send us an email to see if we can fit you in.

When Karen let us know that Clara had arrived, she asked to add on hair and makeup services. We’ll take out the legwork for you so you don’t have to call around to see who is available! You’ll simply let us know you want to add it on, and we’ll take care of making sure someone is available for you on your newborn session date. You’ll be connected via email, and your artist will take it from there with what they need from you. All you’ll have to do is show up on the morning of your session and you artist will be waiting for you to step in the chair!

Side note: we are often asked if adding on hair and makeup lengthens your session. The answer is nope! I will be photographing your newborn alone for the first 90 minutes or so, so you’ll be sitting around waiting either way. Some mamas are nervous about having professional makeup done because they’re worried it’s going to be too heavy or make them look unrecognizable. While professional makeup applied for the camera is heavier than every day makeup, you should know that about 30-40% of makeup disappears in post processing. Having your makeup done is a lovely way to pamper yourself and most mamas do have some undereye circles happening from the sleep deprivation that comes along with having a new baby. Our team will work with you to craft a gorgeous look for you that enhances your features. They are experts in creating “barely there” makeup for a natural and classic look, but they can also add a little extra oomph on request if that’s what you want. You won’t just sit in the chair and have makeup applied to you - your input and preferences are important and matter!

While Karen arrived and settled into the chair, I started photographing Clara alone. Karen had brought along a Santa hat (December due date baby born in November!) and requested that I incorporate it into her session. I am always happy to incorporate a special hat or blanket brought along when the session allows for it. They ended up using that image on their Christmas card, which I just think is adorable! It’s usually very easy to add in a hat into my workflow, but there are times that the hat or blanket is too big or won’t photograph well. I'm always honest with my clients about that and it’s ultimately up to them whether they want to proceed with including it.

Her daddy, James, watched the session from the comfort of our studio couch, and even did a little bit of work throughout. While we were chatting, we found out that we live in the same neighborhood and had a mutual friend from my husband’s workplace. Such a small world!

As I was finishing up with Clara (she was getting a bit fussy due to being hungry), Karen was also finishing up with hair and makeup. James tended to Clara for a bit while Karen and I looked through the studio wardrobe. I pulled out a few options, and she loved a simple lace sheath dress that we had on hand and slipped into it. We then moved right into the family/parent portion of the session. I noticed at the end of this that Clara was in super deep sleep, so I ended the session with a few more solo newborn images. When I placed Clara on her belly in the beginning of our session, she did not want to turn her head. I assumed that the direction was uncomfortable for her, and wanted to try placing her on her tummy the other way. My instincts were correct - and after turning our newborn posing surface the other way and placing her down, she had no issues and I was able to photograph her that way for a few images before handing her back to her parents. Photographing newborns requires lots of patience and observation. I don’t force babies into positions they don’t like. If they’re protesting or fighting, I go through the options of why that might be happening. Sometimes it’s nothing - they’ve just decided in that moment they don’t want to do it. Other times there is a reason - such as not wanting to turn their head a certain way due to it being uncomfortable for their neck. I listen to my babies and watch their body language and facial expressions to keep them comfortable throughout.

Enjoy a few of my favorites from Clara’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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby T

I’m always honored to be chosen as a family’s photographer, but there’s something special about being asked to travel out of state for a session! I don’t accept these requests often due to my busy studio schedule, but it’s hard to say no to heading to the Big Apple if my schedule allows! ;) I’ve been up to NYC several times over the past few years to photograph clients for family, maternity, First Birthday, Fresh 48, and newborn session. This particular newborn session took place in New York, and was a mix of lifestyle and posed. When I travel to homes for sessions, I do a very limited number of posed images. These are kept to a white/cream/beige color palette, and we often incorporate a onesie for many images as well.

While I bring studio lighting in case we need to augment the lighting, it wasn’t necessary for this session due to the windows of the house facing north and south. We had plenty of abundant lighting in the two rooms we used. The family did not have a nursery set up just yet, so you won’t see any images of his nursery here!

T was a sweet little boy with big brown eyes and perfect little lips. He looks like such a sleeping angel in these images, but rest assured: he made me WORK for it. Some babies are more sensitive than others to being touched or moved, and I adapt my session flow to accommodate their needs. In T’s case, I had to move him very, very slowly, and we slowly rotated from on the back, to the side, to his tummy before moving on to the lifestyle portion in his parents’ arms. We moved into his parents’ bedroom for this part - and I just love all the gorgeous detailing in their home - from the floors to the crown molding and original doorknobs. They had let me know in advance that they wanted a true lifestyle approach and they were fine if he had a pacifier in his mouth, and also wanted images where they were giving him a bottle.

I have always said that my photography style for newborns is the perfect marriage of lifestyle and posed. My lifestyle images are very much client led - but I am tweaking things along the way. I’ll correct positioning, fix wayward hair, and make sure parents aren’t giving themselves a self inflicted double chin.

Believe it or not - I photograph the EXACT same way whether I’m in your home or in my studio. There are some big differences between the two though! Once of the differences is is that in my studio I know that I’m getting exactly what I need in terms of light and positioning, and in homes it takes a bit more effort to find the light and best place for shooting. The other MAJOR difference is that in my studio the background is designed to be neutral and free of distractions, and is a very controlled environment in terms of temperature. In your home, you may not have a neutral background, and we will likely spend some time moving things out of the way that would be really distracting in the background. Some great examples of that: the diaper caddy on the changing table with all the tubes of ointments, or an Owlet cam hanging out above the crib - and all the odds and ends you might have laying around that just don’t quite fit into the overall setting. Getting your home to a comfortable temperature for a newborn session might prove difficult (and not comfortable for you!) if you don’t have a way to just heat one room. We can talk about the differences and what type of session is the best fit for your family!

I loved traveling up to NYC for this session, and am so looking forward to photographing this family again as T grows. Enjoy some of my favorite images from their time with me below.

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Aiden

I have so many clients return year after year as their children grow or they add another baby, and this family is no exception. I LOVE getting to see the newest addition to families and seeing if they look like their siblings or not. I first worked with Adrienne and Dave when they were expecting their first child for their studio maternity session, then again for newborn and his First Birthday, then for his second birthday…and then heard from Adrienne that they were expecting baby #2! She scheduled both maternity and newborn for their second baby, opted to add on hair and makeup services with Margaret as she always has for previous sessions.

You can see their studio maternity session when expecting their first by clicking here, the newborn session of their first child by clicking here, fall family photos at the field by clicking here, and their park maternity session with their second child by clicking here. Whew, that’s a lot, right!? I don’t think I ever blogged Logan’s First Birthday session, so I should probably dig that out and post it sometime since it was such a cute one! That list doesn’t even include all the Santa sessions they’ve come to as well. What can I say? We have lots of long term clients and we LOVE it!

On the morning of their session, Adrienne and Dave arrived at the studio with baby Aiden! They had waited until birth again to find out if they were having a boy or girl (just like I did with all three of my own children) and were so excited that Logan was a big brother. As soon as I looked into the car seat carrier I was amazed at how CUTE Aiden was, but also at how different he looked from his brother as a newborn. There were definitely some similarities and time will tell - but I think they’re going to look pretty different from each other!

When I took Aiden out of his carseat, he was sound asleep, so I got to work right way with his solo portraits. Adrienne hopped into the hair and makeup chair, and Dave took the time to relax on the couch. Mamas - adding on hair and makeup doesn’t extend the length of your session time in the least bit. I’m going to be photographing your baby solo for the first 90 minutes or so of your time here, so if you’re worried that it’s going to make your session longer, don’t be!

Aiden slept for most of his time with me, but he did open his eyes to look around once. I always jump at the opportunity to photograph awake newborns as long as they’re calm and content. I love his quizzical expression in the photo I took, and then he drifted back to sleep. As I was finishing up with Aiden, big brother Logan arrived with his grandparents. Aiden woke up, but stayed really quiet and calm, so I kept photographing him while awake! Adrienne nursed him and then we got started with the family portion of the session.

We get a lot of requests for sibling photos. I want to address this because every older sibling is different. My first and foremost priority is the safety of your newborn. If I deem your older child too wiggly or too excited to calmly lie next to their sibling and follow direction, I will not put your newborn at risk by attempting it. We have LOTS of other ways to capture siblings together that involve a parent holding baby to keep them safe. Some older siblings are simply not willing to get that close to their sibling or don’t want to touch them. I always want my clients to have a realistic view on what to expect from their time with me and understand that sometimes the hope of a specific image just isn’t safe to create.

When we started the family portion, Logan was very excited and kept running back and forth between his parents and grandparents. Sometimes it’s totally fine for grandparents to remain in the studio, but in this case it was causing too much distraction. His grandparents were totally fine with stepping out and heading to our building lobby to hang out for a bit to see if that would help. It did - within minutes of their exit, Logan was participating and listening again. Sometimes having too many adults on hand can be overstimulating and distracting, so if I notice that happening, I will ask those not participating in the session to exit the studio for a bit to see if it helps. On the flip side, I’ve had so many kids do better with grandparents in the studio! Every family and kid is different, and we’ll play it by ear and see how it goes.

When I have toddlers involved, I get all of the family images and sibling images done first. That way they are free to go and enjoy their day and aren’t running around the studio or making their parents crazy. ;) Logan left with his grandparents to head home, and I ended the session with parent and baby images. Aiden was such a little squishball with the most delicious baby rolls - see for yourself!

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Darcy

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Malcolm

I first worked with Kayla & Johnnie for their studio maternity session, which you can view by clicking here. They were such a fun couple to work with, and I was so excited to meet their son when he was born! I ran into Kayla at our neighborhood Target while shopping less than a couple weeks before she gave birth, and she looked absolutely amazing. She told me how much they loved their maternity photos and how much they were looking forward to the newborn session! I wasn’t surprised when she emailed me less than two weeks later to let me know that their son, Malcolm, had arrived, and we scheduled his newborn session.

As many of you know, we moved from our studio in Grant Park to our new (much larger and amazing) studio here on the Beltline by Ponce City Market at the end of summer 2019. So, their maternity session took place at our old studio, and their newborn session took place at the new one!

When they walked into the new space, they were absolutely amazed by how gorgeous and spacious it was, and any uncertainty they had about being somewhere new for their newborn shoot immediately went away. They immediately plopped down on the couch and helped themselves to the snacks and beverages available for clients. Our goal is for parents to relax during their newborn session when just their baby is being photographed, and we’ve set up our studio to allow for that! If you need to work a little bit (we know some of you just don’t get much paternity leave) we also have Google Fiber for you to use while here.

Our old studio was cozy and lovely, and in a quaint old church building. We were there for five years, and it served us so well in that time. However, the client experience is paramount for us, and we had been looking for a new space for a while. Our studio now is 1,000 square foot with over quadruple the shooting space, and has a giant wall of windows that measure 25 feet by 11 feet. The en suite bathroom (complete with a shower and bathtub!), full kitchen, and elevator access in the building are just the icing on the cake.

I know some of you might be thinking “Why would I need a shower or a bathtub during my session?” Well…. let me share a couple of real life instances where they were used! (a) Dad took a walk with his toddler on the Beltline during the solo portion of the newborn session. Dad exerted much more energy than he thought he would and came back dripping in sweat. I handed him a towel and pointed him to the soap, and he jumped right in. (a) Toddler was in the wrong place at the wrong time during the family portion of his baby sister’s newborn session. Baby sister spit up what seemed like her entire feeding… right on top of big brother’s hair. Bathtime! (c) One year old got REALLY into their birthday cake and baby wipes just couldn’t cut it… into the bathtub they went! The bathtub and shower are sanitized after every use as well just so you know. It’s there for clients, along with towels and basic toiletries if they need it!

Malcom was a BIG boy at almost 9 pounds! Kayla let me know that he had been awake a lot, and she was concerned that he wasn’t going to sleep for his session. I reassured her that she didn’t need to worry about it, and that even if he didn’t sleep I would work with it and we would still get beautiful photos that reflected his personality and alertness! Turns out that Malcolm is a champion sleeper… at least he was for me that day! :) He was sleepy when they arrived, and I just worked with him and snuggled with him, and managed to capture a sweet baby yawn too! He was OUT after that and we flew through the newborn portion. As I was finishing his solo portraits, he started waking up and it was pretty evident that the little guy was hungry! Kayla took care of feeding him, and then we moved on to the family portion of the session. When Kayla had come in for her maternity fitting, she had fallen in love with a dress that she tried on and knew that she wanted to wear it when it came time for the newborn photographs. I had the dress ready to go for her! Many of our clients book both maternity and newborn together and they have a pretty good idea what they’ll be wearing when they come back for their newborn session. The vast majority of our dresses can fit both expectant and postpartum mamas and have a bit of stretch in the bust if more room is needed after delivery.

I so loved watching Kayla & Johnnie together with their son. They were so content and so joyful, and the photographs reflect that so beautifully. When Kayla saw her gallery she told me she didn't know how on earth I’d managed to make them look so well rested! Good lighting and post processing helps a lot with that! ;)

Enjoy a few of my favorites from Malcom’s newborn session! I can’t wait to photograph him again as he grows!

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Nirvaan

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Zipporah

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Zoey

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.

Atlanta Twin Newborn Photographer | Olivia & Natalia

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.

Atlanta In Home Newborn Photographer | Baby Lily

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Nuri

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Lillian

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Dallas

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.