Atlanta Family Photographer | Keyianna, Randy & Ethan

Keyianna contacted the studio to book a session for her son’s third birthday. She returns every year for a family portrait session, and I love catching up with them and seeing how much Ethan has grown since the last time I saw them! Ethan is hilarious and quite the busy bee. Keyianna is always a little nervous that he won’t cooperate before our sessions, and I think that’s a pretty normal concern. I always remind her that the more the chaotic a session feels while she’s in it, the better the images usually are. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s 100% true! I only need 1/1000th of a second to create a beautiful image. You do NOT need to stand still like a statue for this to happen. She and Randy are wonderful about following my direction and guidance, and all of our sessions together have resulted in gorgeous images of their family.

I will go into greater detail later in this blog post about what you can do to help set your family up for a fun session with me too!

WHEN SHOULD I BOOK MY FAMILY SESSION WITH YOU?

I have a lot of clients who book their family portrait sessions to take place around their child’s birthday so it doubles as a yearly birthday milestone with some updated family photos! Other families book an annual fall or spring session, and some do bi-annual photos. It really comes down to what your personal preference is and what your goal is for the session. If you know you want to book and you have a specific time of year you have your heart set on…. I recommend reaching out right now to get on the calendar. One of my recurring yearly clients books her session an entire year in advance. She literally pulls out her phone as we are ending her fall family session and gets on the calendar for the following fall. Crazy? Not at all. Booking in advance ensures that you’re on the calendar before we book up. To give you some background, in 2020 we were 100% booked for our outdoor weekend dates by the end of July. In 2021, as of the publication of this post (end of May) we only have three weekend dates left for September-November. We do still have a handful of weekNIGHTS available for outdoor sessions though, so if you’re able to be flexible and don’t require a weekend, you have a great shot at being able to schedule. The big bonus to scheduling on a weekNIGHT as opposed to a weekend is that it will be FAR less crowded especially during the fall!

THE BOOKING PROCESS

I want to make readers aware of two great resources available to them right here on this website. Firstly, our Experience Page, which walks you through exactly what to expect from first contact through post-session. Secondly, our FAQ page, which has so many of our most commonly asked questions and answers! I’ll summarize our process in a nutshell version though below!

1. Contact the studio for short phone chat and to receive all the information and dates available!

2. Choose your date, remit your session paperwork online through out secure and streamlined process! We’ll send you pertinent information regarding your session, what to wear, etc.

3. Show up for your session! Have a great time

4. Choose what you love from your proof gallery that best fits your needs, remit your invoice, wait for images to be finished in post-production.

5. Pick up your order with our contactless pick up process at our studio!

WHAT TO WEAR GUIDANCE AND STYLING ASSISTANCE

The biggest stressor for most clients is figuring out what to wear. We want you to be comfortable and look like yourselves, and we KNOW how hard it can be to pull a look together. The good news for you is that we’ve created a short and sweet (and EASY!) style guide for you to follow! I am here to help you as much as you would like. Some of my clients will text over photos of what they’re thinking about wearing, or they’ll make an appointment to come to the studio with bags stuffed full of options, and I’ll help them pull it all together perfectly. We also have an extensive studio wardrobe available to mamas if they want to borrow from it and it can also serve as great inspiration as well even if you end up not borrowing from it. I have a treasure trove of resources and can point you in the right direction if you’re using your session as an excuse to buy some new clothes. ;) No matter which direction you choose to go here, I’m your biggest cheerleader and will help make sure you feel and look fabulous at your session!

FAMILY SESSION FLOW WITH YOUNG TODDLERS

If you have young children, you already know firsthand that it’s can be stressful when you’re having your photos taken. You’re worried they won’t be in a good mood, that they won’t nap well the day of, or that they’ll randomly get sick the morning of your session. First of all: please know that if someone gets sick the day of your session, all you need to do is call the studio and let us know. We will take care of you. So scratch that off the list of things to worry about.

Here’s the MOST important thing you need to know for a successful session.

• Be on time. I always start my sessions a little earlier than we actually need to, because I want to allow for some warm-up time if your child needs it. There are times that a child really just needs to get to know me a little bit before I pull out my camera to feel comfortable. If you are late, this cuts into our time together and doesn’t leave me a buffer to be able to work with your little one(s) to get them comfortable with me.

• Don’t threaten your child in attempt to get them to cooperate. I’m not referring to your parenting and discipline if your child is being disrespectful to you. You do what you need to do as their parent during our session! However, telling your child beforehand that there will be negative repercussions if they don’t behave and do what I say starts off our time together in a not so great way. It puts a lot of pressure on young children before they even meet me. I have three of my own children and am constantly working with children of all ages from all sorts of backgrounds with unique personalities. Instead, tell your child that you’re going to go play with Lauren and have some fun and that she’s going to have a camera and take photos.

• Show up ready to PLAY and have fun. Your children look to you for the example of how to feel about whatever you’re collectively experience. If you are happy and positive and playful, that is how they will feel. If you’re stressed out and snapping at each other, and tense… well, you get the point. We are going to have FUN. We are going to play. We’re doing to dance, we’re going to snuggle, we’re going to have tickle fights. We’re going to check out that cool tree over there. We’re going to hunt for four leaf clovers. My approach is about capturing your family dynamic. I want to capture you as you really are. I want to create images that are full of authentic JOY. I want you to smile whenever you look at them and remember how much fun you had together as a family that day.

When you show up to your session, I’ll lead the way and give you prompts for what to do. I’ll make sure you’re not giving yourself a self-inflicted triple chin or making awkward faces. We’re going to have a great time!

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR SESSION

The session is over, now what?! You can expect your proof gallery in 7-10 business days after your session, and you’ll look through it and decide what best fits your needs. You’ll choose your images and send them back to me. 7-10 days after your invoice remittance, you’ll get your images back in a final gallery. Every image chosen will be given to you in both color and black and white versions. If you are ordering any prints or products, you’ll do so from the final gallery and then come to the studio to pick them up along with your USB containing your digital files from the studio.

I send out a weekly email with pickup dates and times, and it’s completely contactless. Super convenient and easy! If you’re ordering one of our gorgeous framed prints for your home, I’ll deliver it directly to your doorstep if you live within 20 minutes of the studio.

Enjoy some of my favorites from this sweet family’s session! I can’t wait to see them in October for their next family portrait 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 Brooks

I first worked with Matt & Lindsay when they were expecting their first baby for their maternity session, and have worked with them SO many times since then for milestone and family portraits. I was so excited to hear from them again requesting to book a maternity session at the field as well as a newborn session for their second baby. Lindsay let me know that she wanted to add on hair and makeup services as well since she had loved the experience so much with her maternity session. Fun fact: it took me until her pregnancy with Brooks to convince Lindsay to work with one of our artists! She had previously gone to a local salon before her sessions, but then decided to give my HMUA a try for her maternity session. Well…she has now converted and will always use our team for her sessions. I know it can be hard to entrust someone you don’t know with your hair and makeup, but you can be confident that our HMUA is absolutely stellar and their work is impeccable.

I adore working with clients for both maternity and newborn photos and for the long term! The maternity session serves as a great get to know you warmup, and by the time your newborn arrives, we know each other, and you’re very comfortable being with me and in front of my camera.

WHEN SHOULD I SCHEDULE MY BABY’S NEWBORN SESSION?

Answer: It is NEVER too early to book and it is optimal to reserve before they’re born.

I can only accept a limited number of newborns due each month. Limiting the number of newborn clients I take ensures I am able serve each of my clients equally at the level you deserve.

Reserving your newborn session means you are guaranteeing a spot on my calendar, not booking a specific date. We don’t schedule your specific session date when you book a newborn session since we can’t accurately predict your baby’s birth date. When your baby actually arrives, we’ll go from there with exact scheduling! There are many factors that go into when we schedule your session. Paternity leave, any complications, how you’re feeling, how much baby weighed at birth, etc, etc.

All is not necessarily lost if you’re reading this and baby is already here! Sometimes reserved newborns arrive earlier or later than their estimated due dates, opening up my ability to take on a last minute newborn session. Contact us right away to see if I can squeeze you in!

NEWBORN SESSIONS WITH AN OLDER SIBLING INVOLVED

When older siblings are part of a newborn session, we always ask what their nap schedule (if they take one) is! We want them to be well rested and happy. In this case, big brother was 4 and past needing naps, so it wasn’t something we had to take into consideration.

I begin newborn sessions here in the studio in the morning between 9 and 10 AM, with the first 90 minutes of session time devoted to photographing your baby alone. This is the perfect time for you to take advantage of our add on hair and makeup services since you’ll be sitting on the couch doing nothing anyway while I photograph your baby.

Older siblings and partners arrive about 90 minutes after I’ve gotten started with baby only. In this case, because both mamas were receiving HMUA services and they didn’t have any help in town, the whole family came along with quiet entertainment planned for big bro.

When Lindsay and Brooks arrived at the studio, I took him out of his carseat and got started right away. Lindsay got settled into the hair and makeup chair for her beauty services. She already knew which dress she wanted to wear (she loved it when she tried it on during her maternity fitting) for her newborn session, so it was all ready to go!

Brooks was the sweetest little guy, and such a great sleeper! He looked SO much like his dad, and didn't look that much like big brother did as a newborn. That has DRASTICALLY changed as Brooks has grown up though…. the brothers could be twins - that’s how much alike they look now! I have a hard time sometimes telling baby photos of them apart when Lindsay texts them over to me. Matt and Peyton arrived at the studio as our HMUA was finishing up with Lindsay’s hair and makeup services. It was perfect timing since I had just wrapped up Peyton’s solo portraits!

After everyone was dressed, we transitioned right into the family and parent images that included big brother Peyton.

MY NEWBORN SESSION FLOW WITH YOUR FAMILY

Brooks was in and out of sleep at this point in the session. If you are in the studio for a newborn session, please don’t stress if your baby is wide awake! They do NOT need to sleep for the entire time. I love alert babies for some solo eye contact images and sometimes we get lucky enough to capture a family photo of everyone looking towards the camera. As long as your baby is calm and content, it is no problem at all. If your baby is awake and NOT calm, don’t worry. We’ll figure out how to get them to their happy place again! Sometimes they need another feed, a diaper change, or some extra snuggles from you.

Baby safety is the FIRST priority during sessions. I will not place a baby near their older siblings if they are not calm and still. Every child is different, and therefore every session will look different. I’ll assess how your older child is doing when deciding which types of photos are safe to do. Since Peyton was 4 at the time of the session, he was much more mature than a young toddler sibling would have been,

Because big brother Peyton was listening, compliant, and able to be still while next to his baby brother, I was able to safely photograph a few different setups and he did such a fantastic job! Even though Peyton was a total dream to work with, I still didn’t take any chances. What you cannot see in the photographs is that their parents were mere inches away from them ready to swoop in and take over if needed.

We wrapped the session up with whole family images, Brooks with each of his parents, and Brooks with both of his parents. When you have your first baby, there is no “competition” for your attention. The second, third, fourth, baby gets more experienced parents who know what they’re doing, but they have to share your attention with their big siblings. I firmly believe that your subsequent children deserve their own images with just their parents like your first baby had, and make sure to make it happen!

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR NEWBORN SESSION

I keep it the post session process super simple for my clients! You have enough to think about in the newborn days. About a week after their session, Matt & Lindsay viewed their proof gallery and chose the collection that best fit their needs.

When their final images were completed, they chose which one they wanted for their artwork, and it was ordered. When everything was ready, I sent Lindsay an email with a link to schedule her contactless pickup on our studio calendar. Yep, it really is that easy!

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Are you expecting a little one and interested in working with us for your baby's newborn session? CONGRATULATIONS!!! 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 chat on the phone. We can’t wait to chat with 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 Silas

I first worked with Angela & Sven when they welcomed their first baby for his newborn session at our old studio location, and was thrilled to hear from them again requesting to book another newborn session for their second baby boy! Angela had added on hair and makeup services for her first newborn session with us and let us know she wanted to add that on again for this one as well!

WHEN SHOULD I RESERVE OUR NEWBORN SESSION?

Simply put: It is NEVER too early to book!

I know when you’re pregnant, you’re so busy with reading the books, registering, and other prep tasks, but it’s REALLY important to not put off reserving your newborn session!

IMPORTANT: Reserving your session is NOT scheduling your actual session date, since it’s not possible to accurately predict your baby’s actual birth date in advance. When you reserve your newborn session, you are guaranteeing a spot on my calendar! So do NOT wait until your baby is born to reach out if you know you want to work with me. Get it checked off your list!

I am only able to accept a limited number of newborns due in each month. This limited number is so that I am able deliver my unparalleled level of service to each one of my clients. Airlines may overbook, but I do not. Once I reach my newborn cap, it’s possible that there will not be a last minute opening, so don’t bank on that being a surety.

Please don’t stress if you’re reading this and baby is already here! Our reserved newborns often arrive earlier or later than their estimated due dates, so there are some months I have the ability to take on a last minute newborn session although this is not always the case. . Contact us right away to see if we can squeeze you in!

NEWBORN SESSIONS WITH AN OLDER SIBLING

When big sibs are participating in your baby’s newborn session, we ask what their nap schedule is so we can plan accordingly! We want them to be well rested and happy.

I start newborn sessions in the morning between 9 and 10ish AM, with the first 90 minutes of session time devoted to photographing your baby alone. This is the perfect time for you to take advantage of our add on hair and makeup services since you’ll be sitting on the couch doing nothing anyway while I photograph your baby. So, you might as well treat yourself to some pampering like Angela did!

Older siblings and partners arrive about 90ish minutes after I’ve gotten started with baby only, which allows your partner and older child(rent) to relax at home before heading over. You’ll get 90 minutes of peace and quiet with nobody asking you for anything! ;)

When mom and baby arrived, I took Silas out of his carseat and got started with him right away while Angela got settled into the hair and makeup chair for her beauty services. I had a few dresses for her to look through that I had pulled from the wardrobe prior to her arrival because I have worked with her a couple of times and knew her general size, style preferences, and the colors that would look best with her skin tone.

Silas was the most handsome little guy, and such a great sleeper! He looked similar to his big brother as a newborn, but not as chunky! Want to see for yourself and compare? Click here to head over to Sven’s newborn session.

NEWBORN SESSION FLOW WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY

When I was finished photographing Silas, the rest of the family arrived. Angela was finished being prepped, and had looked through the dress options and chosen her favorite. After everyone was dressed, we moved into sibling and family images.

Your newborn’s safety is the TOP priority during sessions. I will not place your baby near their older sibling if I don’t think it’s safe to. Every big sib is different when it comes to how well they listen, how calm they are, and how they are feeling about the addition of the new baby to their family. Therefore every session will look different. I’ll assess how your older child is doing with your newborn when making decisions on which types of pictures are safe to do. Sven was ok with being near his baby brother, so we were able to photograph the two boys together. What you can’t see in the photographs is that their parents were mere inches from them ready to swoop in if needed. From there, we moved to family images, which Sven was more than happy to participate in. I like to make my sessions fun for my little participants, so you can expect to play games with your child at my direction so that we can capture natural interaction between the whole family. Once we had finished with all the images including Sven, his parents gave him an activity to do to keep him busy. I wrapped the session up with individual parent images and both mom and dad with Silas. Your first baby has images with just you two, and your subsequent babies deserve to have some of those too!

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTERWARDS

Our clients find our process super simple, which they love! About a week after their session, Angela & Sven viewed their proof gallery and chose the collection that best fit their needs.

When their final images were completed, they chose which ones they wanted for their printed artwork, and once it was completed, they came and picked it up!

THE FRAMED ARTWORK PROCESS

Many of our families love the framed artwork that we offer. Framed artwork is typically ready within 4 weeks as long as there aren’t any shipping delays due to the pandemic. Sometimes a particular moulding will be on backorder, but you’ll be informed of that before the order is placed! After you choose your favorite image(s) to be framed, we’ll discuss the best size(s) for where you plan to hang in your home.

Once you finalize your image size(s), the print(s) is ordered! After the order arrives at the studio, you’ll them choose your moulding (frame). I will offer suggestions and input on the best frame options for your image and home decor/ style preferences. You’ll also decide on the mat width - I’m a fan of 3-5” inch mats depending on the size of the print and the moulding width.

The larger the print size is, the larger the mat should be so it’s balanced aesthetically - you can also choose a very thick frame and go a bit smaller on the mat size. Once the mat and frame decisions are made, I then order the moulding, mat, and GORGEOUS museum glass. Museum glass is absolutely stunning and will make your framed artwork that much more beautiful. You can barely see the glass in the frame when looking at it because of how crystal clear it is, and I love the 99% UV protection it gives the printed artwork. If you’ve never seen museum glass, no worries - our framed prints here at the studio all have it for you to see for yourself when you’re here! PS: I love it so much that I replaced at the glass in my framed artwork hanging in my home with it.

When everything arrives at my studio (typically within 4 weeks of ordering!), I mat the print, and assemble the entire piece. The last step is to finish the back of the frame with paper and hanging hardware. Then, all you have to do is hang it up on your wall and then enjoy it!

If you order framed art from us that contains a 16x20 or larger print size, we deliver your finished artwork right to their front doorstep within a 20 mile radius of the studio. If you don’t have large framed artwork as part of your order, you’ll come to the studio and pick up your order when it’s ready. Every week I send an email to clients who have orders ready for pickup. This email includes a scheduling link that lists the designated pickup days for the week ahead (I only send pickup availability out one week at a time) and time windows throughout the week and pickup is safe and contactless.

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Are you expecting and interested in reserving a session with us for your baby's newborn session? 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 chat on the phone. We can’t wait to hear 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 Family Photographer | Madeleine, Parker & Carlisle

Madeleine is one of my frequent flyer clients, and I love seeing her a few times per year for updated family and child portraits. She is the most fun mother, and her children are absolutely darling. I’ve loved watching her become a mother and welcome each of her babies! She’s a wife, mom, 100% a powerhouse, actively fights for social justice both personally and professionally with her law firm, and serves as a city council member on top of that! I don’t know how she so effortlessly does it all, but she does it with a smile and is so much fun to be around.

This particular session was for mommy and me portraits, which give daddies a break from being in photos. I’ve found that most of my clients have fifty billion images on their phones of their children with daddy but are sorely lacking in photos with mom. And the ones you do have… are not exactly (a) in focus or (b) your best angle. If that’s you, let’s fix that!

Madeleine has worked with me SO many times that she no longer needs guidance on what to wear, and she knocks it out of the park every time. She’s a big fan of white jeans, and loves the neutral aesthetic, so she coordinated Parker & Carlisle with pinks and whites.

When the whole family arrived at the studio (daddy came along to lend a hand if needed), we got started right away! My goal is for mamas to walk away with images of them with all of their children and individual ones as well. I work around your little one(s) and how they’re feeling in the moment, and direct you along the way for natural interaction. Many of the prompts that I give you are things that you do on your own all the time! You’re often just not relaxed enough to think to do these things while in front of a camera - and that’s where I come in.

My only rules for you when you’re with me are to relax, be wiling to have fun and play with your child(ren), and throw worrying out the window. Trust me and be confident that I will create beautiful images of you with your babies that your mama heart so desperately wants.

Enjoy a few of my favorites from my time with this crew!

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 Bea

I first worked with Adam & Melanie when they were expecting their first baby boy. They chose to enroll in our First Year Collection membership and we photographed his newborn, 4 month, 8 month, and First Birthday sessions at our old studio location. I was so excited to hear from them again requesting to book another First Year Collection for their second baby… and this time it was a girl!!!

WHEN SHOULD I RESERVE OUR SESSION?

In a nutshell: It is NEVER too early to book!

Most expectant mamas are busy with all things baby prep, but it’s so important to make it a priority to book your session! Clients typically reach out to us early in the second trimester to make sure that they have a spot on our calendar, and a lot of our clients inform us in their first trimester if they’re comfortable doing so.

IMPORTANT: Reserving your session is NOT scheduling your exact session date!

It is impossible to predict the day your baby will be born or how your labor & delivery experience will go. When you reserve your session, you are guaranteeing that we will have room for you - and we will schedule your exact session date when you let us know that baby has arrived!

I only have the capacity to accept a limited number of newborns due in each month. Doing this ensures that I am able deliver my unparalleled level of service to each of my clients. Once I reach the monthly newborn cap, I sometimes maintain a wait list.

Please don’t panic if you’re reading this and baby is already here! Because our reserved newborns often arrive earlier or later than their estimated due dates, so there are some months I have the ability to take on a last minute newborn session. Contact us right away to see if we can squeeze you in!

NEWBORN SESSIONS WITH AN OLDER SIBLING INVOLVED

When older siblings are participating in a newborn session, we always check on what their nap schedule (if they take one) is! We want them to be well rested and as happy as possible!

I start newborn sessions in the morning between 9:00 and 10 AM, with the first 90 minutes of session time devoted to photographing your baby alone. This is the perfect time for you to take advantage of our add on hair and makeup services since you’ll be sitting on the couch doing nothing anyway while I photograph your baby. So, you might as well treat yourself to some pampering. ;) Melanie has worked with one of our HMUA’s for ALL of her sessions, so this was a no brainer for her. PS: our First Year Collection members enjoy quite a few perks - so be sure to ask about those!

Older siblings and partners arrive about 90 minutes after I’ve gotten started with baby only. This keeps your toddler happy at home, and chaos at a minimum. ;)

When the family arrived, I took Bea out of her carseat and got started right away while Melanie got settled into the hair and makeup chair for her services. I already had a selection of dresses that I had pulled out for her waiting for her review. Once I’ve worked with clients a couple of times I have a very good sense of their style and know what will work well for them skin tone and fit wise! I’ve even been shopping for studio dresses and thought of very specific clients when purchasing it for the client wardrobe. 9 times of out 10 at their next session I pull it out and the client LOVES it and choose to wear it. I was pretty confident she would LOVE and choose the gorgeous lace off the shoulder dress option, and I was right!

Bea was the most beautiful little girl with a FULL head of hair, and such a great sleeper! She looked nothing like her brother did as a newborn. The genetic lottery always fascinates me and I love seeing if siblings share any features or just look like totally different little people. I have three children of my own, and they all share the exact same eye color and a very similar eye shape that people comment on all the time. They get their eye color from their dad!

NEWBORN SESSION FLOW WITH YOUR FAMILY

Bea was awake when Adam and Hank arrived, which was totally fine. There is no need to worry if your baby is awake! I actually love alert babies for family images and sometimes we get lucky with a family photo of everyone actually looking at the camera. Awake babies are not a problem at all to photograph as long as they’re also calm. If your baby is awake and NOT calm, don’t stress. We’ll figure out how to get them there. Sometimes they just need another feed, a diaper change, or some extra snuggles.

Baby safety is my FIRST priority during sessions. I won’t place a newborn near their toddler sibling if they are not able to be calm and still and follow direction Every toddler is different, and therefore every session will look different. I’ll assess how your older child is doing when deciding which types of photos can be accomplished safely.

Since Hank was not yet 2, and quite the wiggle worm, I quickly assessed that we would not be able to have them close to each other. I was able to safely photograph a few different setups regardless though!. What you can’t see in the photographs with just Hank & Bea is that their parents were inches away from them ready to swoop in and intervene if the need arose. Taking risks with your baby’s safety is not something I do. From there, we moved into family images with Melanie and Adam holding Bea and inviting Hank to interact with her, and ended with individual parent images as well as some of just Bea with her parents. Your first baby has photos with just the two of you, so your second baby deserves some of those too!

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR NEWBORN SESSION

We keep it easy for our clients! About a week after their session, Hank & Melanie viewed their proof gallery and chose their images. Because they are members of our First Year Plan, they’ll be designing an album with some framed artwork at the end of Bea’s first year so the only decisions they make right now for each session is which images to keep!

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you are expecting a new baby and are interested in reserving a session with us, 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 chat on the phone. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Enjoy some of my favorites from Bea’s 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 Fine Art & Editorial Maternity Photography | Emily

Modern Maternity sessions (as shown in this blog post) are offered through Illume Maternity! Please visit www.illumematernity.com if you are interested in exploring this type of session for your maternity portraits.

Emily came in to the studio for a Modern Maternity session at the beginning of her third trimester. She added on hair and makeup services, which we highly recommend for the ultimate luxury experience AND for the best photos!

Makeup for this type of session is best applied by a skilled professional who has professional experience and comprehensive understanding of studio light and editorial work. PLEASE don’t trust your makeup look to a retail counter makeup employee or ask a friend who is “pretty good” to do it, or worse, try to recreate a look on a YouTube tutorial.

If there was ever a time to have your hair and/or makeup done (next to your wedding!), this is most definitely it. Our HMUA team is absolutely incredible, talented, personable… and made up of amazing women with LOTS of experience working on production/commercial sets. You should know that they are skilled with all skin tones - including women of color.

ATLANTA FINE ART MODERN MATERNITY PHOTOS | the booking process

Our fine art modern maternity sessions are photographed in my intown Atlanta studio with studio lighting located right by Ponce City Market. I do not use natural light for this type of session, and I block off 2 hours for your session. In contrast, my natural light (non newborn) portrait sessions are scheduled for a one hour block and no studio lighting is used.

So why 2 hours vs. 1? The larger time block for modern maternity is to allow plenty of time for adjusting the lighting set up and for our mamas to change between looks. I don’t want you to feel rushed!

For those of you who want to know what time of day we schedule these sessions because you’re not sure you can get a day off of work - I’ve got great news for you! Because we are not relying on natural light, our modern maternity session start time is way more flexible than our natural light studio sessions. We can schedule for the evening hours after you’re off of work if that works better for your schedule. My only caution is to make sure that you will not be tired and potentially swollen at the end of your day.

At this current time due to the ongoing pandemic, we only shoot ONE studio session per day. This is to allow for our COVID sanitation protocols. So, please don’t delay scheduling your session until the last minute because we may not have availability for you. We book very quickly and well in advance - I currently already have milestone portrait sessions scheduled on my calendar for February and March of 2022 to give you an idea!

Most of our clients reach out to us when they’re right at the end of their first trimester/beginning of their second trimester to schedule their session. We will schedule your session to take place between 26-32 weeks of pregnancy. This will vary depending on if you’re carrying one baby or twins, your height, etc. We want you to have a round belly but still be able to move well before you become physically limited by it - especially because you’ll be moving a LOT during our time together.

Once you have chosen a session date from our available dates, everything else is handled online in a secure and streamlined process. We’ll send you a list of what you should bring along with you to your session (you will likely have most, if not all of it already!) and directions to our studio location. We’re located right on the Beltline next to two.urban.licks, and our studio is SUPER easy to get to! There is a free lot parking available as well as street parking if the lot is full.

THE PRE-SESSION CONSULTATION

So, why do I schedule a pre-session meeting with you? Over the past 8 years I have found that clients who have spent some time with me (face to face or virtually!) before stepping in front of my camera are much more relaxed right out of the gate on their session day. This is because I’m not a total stranger they’ve just met for the first time!  Depending on your vision for your images, you may be wearing next to nothing for part or most of it, so it’s imperative that you feel comfortable.

We will schedule a time to meet in advance of your session. This meeting will either be in person here at the studio OR virtually via Zoom or FaceTime. When making your decision, you should know that I am fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, and I wear an N95 mask during all client appointments and sessions regardless of whether my clients are also vaccinated.

We have a ton of clients that drive to us from quite the distance (90+ minutes) from the neighboring states of Florida, the Carolinas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, so I realize that an in person meeting isn’t always possible, and that’s totally ok.

If we are doing an in-person meeting, clients bring along a bag full of their own things to wear, and our studio has a limited wardrobe of bodycon dresses and crop tops, bodysuits that can accommodate a pregnant belly, bandeau bras, and tulle gowns. We also have beautiful Italian silk fabrics for draping and tossing in mostly neutral colors should you choose to incorporate that, as well as some stunning blush pink feather angel wings. Usage of the studio wardrobe is totally complimentary to you! If you choose to schedule an in person meeting with me, you’ll be able to see and try on our pieces. You’ll bring along clothing of your own as well, and we’ll design your session flow together based on the chosen looks we put together.

During our pre-session consult, we will discuss your vision for your maternity session at length. My clients vary with their preferences and desires when it comes to the images they want to create. Some clients love fine art nudes/implied nudes mixed in with strategic hand placement covering the breasts, and others prefer to be clothed the entire time with just the belly showing. Other clients really love the look of fabric draping and want to incorporate a few of those, and others don’t. The choice is yours!

CAN MY PARTNER/CHILDREN PARTICIPATE?

Your partner is more than welcome! Children can be included in a couple of images but should only be present in the studio for the time they are in photos. The focus of these sessions are primarily on mom, so we will have them arrive towards the end of the session in the last 30 minutes. Because of all the specialized and extremely heavy equipment that is set up and the length of the session, it’s not possible (or safe) for them to be here in the studio for the entire session. Most families who want a family focused maternity session find our natural light sessions to be a better fit.

YOUR FINE ART MATERNITY SESSION: WHAT TO EXPECT

I’ve been photographing pregnant women for over 8 years now and I truly LOVE my job. When you arrive to the studio for your maternity session, you’ll change into a robe that you’ve brought with you and you’ll be prepped by one of our amazing HMUA’s if you’ve chosen to add on services like Emily did. Everything in the studio will already be set up and ready to go, so we’ll get started as soon as you’re finished by getting changed into your first outfit. All your outfits will be lined up and ready to go with the roadmap that we created during your pre session consult so there’s no wondering what to put on or wasted time.

If you’re feeling a bit nervous, please don’t stress! I will walk you through everything during your session - from how and where to stand, to how much to tilt your head, and I’ll coach you on your facial expressions if needed. Our modern maternity/fine art sessions lean towards what I like to call “power” posing. You will look confident, strong, graceful, and beautiful. Mothers are a force to be reckoned with, and these images are going to combine that strength with the beauty and femininity of your pregnancy. If you’re having difficulty being verbally coached with facial expressions, I’ll whip out one of my clear masks so you can see my entire face for demonstration purposes! I promise that you will never be left to awkwardly figure out what to do next.

You should know that if you’ve never had a session with studio lighting, it will most likely feel intimidating at first and that it’s normal to feel nervous! My lighting is on wheeled stands with large modifiers on boom arms. Once you’ve gotten used to it, you’ll start having fun and feeling like a model!

We will take breaks throughout for you to hydrate, eat a snack, take bathroom break, or sit down for a minute. If you need anything at all, all you have to do is let me know. We’ll pick right back up whenever you’re ready to resume! Your comfort is of ut

Emily looked absolutely STUNNING with her hair and makeup, and was so excited to get started. We created some absolutely gorgeous images with a mix of her pieces and studio wardrobe pieces. She brought her own non-maternity jeans and white tank top, and the rest came from our studio wardrobe!

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR SESSION

Once your proof gallery is ready, we’ll review the images and you’ll make decisions! One of the images will be fully edited for you as a sample so you can know what to expect. We’ll discuss your specific retouching requests (our most common requests are for stretch mark removal and for very slight body slimming in certain areas).

It is my opinion that modern maternity / fine art editorial photography images mostly look best in black and white. However, you get the best of both worlds because your selected final images will come in both color and black and white versions for you!

Most of our clients end up ordering their favorite image for a piece of wall art (metal and acrylic prints are a favorite for this type of image) or put them all into a stunning heirloom album.

If you’re considering a maternity session for yourself, YAY! Firstly, a GIANT congratulations to you!!! This is such a wonderful and incredibly special time in your life. It is such an honor to photograph pregnant mamas expecting their first, second, third, or seventh child and create beautiful images to cherish for a lifetime and pass down through generations.

I would absolutely love for you to contact us to chat about your vision and the services we offer! We can chat about whether a fine art modern maternity session with studio lighting is the right fit for you vs. our natural light sessions, and answer any questions you have!

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Emily’s modern maternity session below! Isn’t she absolutely gorgeous?!

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 First Birthday Photographer | Charity is ONE!

LaTonya contacted the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for her daughter, Charity with the whole family included. We sent LaTonya our style guide, Pinterest board, and our cake tips sheet to review as well! The style guide is a quick read and very easy to implement! The guide is relevant to any type of session you schedule with us. If you want more hands-on assistance from me in your styling, I’m here to support you! We can schedule a visit in the studio to go over your wardrobe options(whether you are borrowing from the studio wardrobe or wearing your own) or do it virtual with a few exchanged emails in advance of your session.

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T DRESS YOUR BABY UNTIL YOU ARRIVE AT THE STUDIO

If there’s one thing that’s true in life, it’s that things rarely go exactly the way we plan. Here’s a short list of things that can happen on the way to your session: random carsickness, a REALLY big sneeze, a bottle spill, your baby manages to find a chocolate m&m buried in their car seat….. You may scoff at this and think there’s no way…but these scenarios have actually happened to my clients. Fortunately, they had NOT yet dressed their child, so after a quick cleanup in the studio they were all ready to go!

WHERE TO GET YOUR SMASH CAKE

LaTonya brought along a pink and white smash cake with buttercream icing from a local bakery. Unfortunately, the bakery had put WAY too much icing on the cake, and it was sliding off the sides. After the initial shock of seeing the cake and wondering what she could do, I reassured LaTony that it would be ok! I handed her a butter knife that I keep in the studio, and we performed some smash cake icing surgery. This is not the first time that this has happened with a client bringing in a cake from a bakery, so that’s why I keep repair tools on hand. Most busy bakeries are not in the business of designing cakes for the specific purpose of photos, and often completely overdo it with too much icing or icing that is too heavy.

Publix, Kroger, and Whole Foods are all great commercial options to pick up a simple smash cake or cupcake and will not overdecorate your cake with their standard icing.

If you’re looking for a more custom and personalized experience with your baby’s smash cake, or if your baby has egg allergies/ needs a vegan option, we have the perfect solution! We highly recommend Christina with She Takes the Cake. Christina is our preferred and our ONLY recommend baker here in Atlanta. We are happy to connect you with her! She offers a delivery service where she’ll drop your cake off at the studio in advance of your session so it’s one less thing you need to worry about the day of, and her cakes are GORGEOUS.

Over the past four years, I have worked closely with Christina to develop the perfect buttercream consistency: soft enough to interact with and smash, but not so sticky that it turns cleanup into a nightmare for all involved. If you want to ensure that you don’t have a cake disaster with icing falling off the cake or dropping it on your way up to the studio, Christina is 100% the way to go!

TOP TIPS FOR YOUR BABY’S SMASH CAKE

• Keep it simple! The focus should be on your baby, not their cake. Don’t choose fondant or add tons of objects to the cake for decor.

• 6 inch diameter size or less and no more than two layers maximum. If you have a really tall cake, it limits angles for photography since their face will be partially hidden behind it.

• Real flowers are gorgeous on cakes. If you want to have some flowers, plan to remove them after the first few initial photographs - because they will most likely end up right in your baby’s mouth. This applies to anything on your cake that is not icing- candles, decor, etc. It ends up being a distraction from the task at hand and can also obscure adorable facial expressions during their session.

  Neutral icing color (off white, cream, or pastels) is best - steer clear of neons or super bright colors that may permanently stain clothing and cause color casts in your photos

• Do NOT decorate your cake with shaved coconut. Yes, the texture aesthetic is beautiful, but babies don’t like it, and it usually ends exploration of the cake as soon as they feel it in their mouth.

• Buttercream icing only. DO NOT USE whipped icing, swiss buttercream, or fondant. Whipped icing (and swiss buttercream) is a slippery greasy horrific MESS. It is resistant to being wiped off skin and will result in wrestling your screaming baby while you struggle for control and mutter under your breath, “For the love of all that is holy, why won’t this stuff WIPE OFF?!?!?!.” Fondant is very thick, and difficult for babies to get through to the actual cake with their fingers and eat.

• Skip writing a message on top of the cake (save it for the party cake instead) - it doesn’t photograph well.

  How do I know the aforementioned tips? Years and years of experience and more cake smash sessions than I can count!

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION FLOW

First Birthday sessions are what I lovingly refer to as my 3-in-1 session. You’ll have solo portraits of your little one, family portraits, and cake smash photos all in one session. I started the session photographing Charity alone since she was a friendly and happy baby. If your baby is on the shy side, I’ll start with them in your arms for family and parent images so they feel safe and secure.

A NOTE ABOUT FIRST BIRTHDAY ONESIES

I love personalized onesies and think they are a great option for babies. There is something you need to know about onesies though, before you go order one from Etsy.

You cannot see the onesie when baby has the cake in front of them. Sometimes babies aren’t cooperative enough to allow an image with the onesie in full view before we get started. I always try to get at least one image where you CAN see it before we start with the cake. At this point a lot of babies are over being photographed and really need the distraction of a cake being put in front of them to continue on. After Charity’s solo images, we seamlessly transitioned to parent and family, and then LaTonya changed Charity into her outfit for the cake smashing fun!

THE CAKE SMASH

I took a few quick solo photos of Charity in our Eames chair to show off her long sleeved “One” onesie and pink tutu and she flashed the sweetest grins! After I finished up, I pulled out one of our antique high chairs (we have 3) and got her all settled.

I demonstrate exactly how you should present the cake to your baby before you actually do it(sounds silly, but it does matter!) I will physically show you what I need you to do throughout during my sessions, so you will never be left wondering about what you should be doing.

When Chairty saw her cake, she grabbed it and went to town and decimated it down to the base! If your baby isn’t super interested in their cake, parents getting into the photographs can help a lot. A lot of babies love to “feed” their parents. If you model feeding each other cake for your little one, they’ll see it as a fun game to play. Once they become interested and start exploring their cake, parents can slowly back out of the frame and I’ll get those solo images of them covered in cake and icing!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from Charity’s First Birthday 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 Finn

Elizabeth contacted the studio at the end of her first trimester to schedule a newborn session for her second baby. She had worked with us for her first baby’s newborn session and was so excited to work with us again. She loved working with our HMUA team the first go round and let us know she would definitely be adding on services for this baby as well! Have I mentioned that I love advance planners?! Elizabeth knew from experience that things were just going to keep getting busier while juggling working from home and a toddler, so she was proactive in getting us checked off on her list.

WHEN DO I SCHEDULE MY NEWBORN SESSION ANYWAY?

Repeat after me: It is never too early in pregnancy to reserve a newborn session! I know you are busy with life, work, and baby preparations, but seriously, don’t put this off! Put it on your priority list right up there with ordering the crib so that you don’t find yourself scrambling at the last minute trying to find the perfect photographer for you. I say this to EVERY person looking - regardless of whether you choose to work with me or not. There is nothing worse than the stress of trying to find a photographer that you love who is also available after you’ve had a baby and are sleep deprived and don’t know which way is up. Your newborn photos should not be left to chance and definitely should not be booked with “the only person who was available.” Planning ahead ensures you have the experience you deserve.

Reserving your newborn session is NOT scheduling a specific date.

This is impossible. Most babies arrive when they want to and don’t pay attention to their estimated due dates with only 5% of babies arriving on their actual due date. When you reserve your newborn session, you may not be scheduling your session date, but you ARE guaranteeing that you have a spot on our calendar no matter what! I limit the number of reserved newborns accepted as clients each month so I can provide excellent and equal service to each of my clients. Once I reach the newborn limit, our monthly newborn schedule is closed.

If you’re reading this and baby is already here, it might not be too late. Our reserved newborns often arrive early/late, so there are some months I am able to take on a last minute newborn client. Contact the studio right away (giving us a call is best if you’re hoping to squeeze in), and we just might be able to schedule you in our calendar!

NEWBORN SESSIONS WITH A TODDLER SIBLING INVOLVED

Newborn sessions in the studio start in the morning between 9 and 10 AM. The first 90 minutes of session time is devoted to photographing your baby alone. This is the perfect time for you to take advantage of our add on hair and makeup services since you’ll be sitting on the couch doing nothing anyway! Choosing to add on beauty services will NOT lengthen your session time because I will be photographing your baby alone during this time anyway.

Dads and older siblings arrive about 90 minutes after I’ve started photographing your baby’s solo portraits. I am usually finished with these by the time mama is done in hair and makeup, and will transition to the sibling and family portion of the session. My goal is to get all of the photos with your toddler in them done FIRST!

Once your big kid is finished with the photographs they’re in, they are free to play until we’re finished with dad/baby and baby/parent images. Parents bring some quiet entertainment along just for this purpose!

Some families ask if we can start a newborn session with family photos. The answer is no. Reversing my tried and true session flow of starting with newborn solo images does not work very well and tends to backfire. What usually happens is this: your newborn becomes overstimulated from the start, becomes fussy as a result and never quite settles. If you are a mama who won’t be adding on HMUA services and doesn’t care about having a big variety of solo newborn portraits if your baby doesn’t settle, then we can discuss starting that way! Every family and their needs are unique.

THE SESSION DAY

Elizabeth and Finn arrived, and she had brought along a dress of her own that she loved for me to look at. She knew she could borrow from our wardrobe like she had done with her first newborn session so wasn’t too worried if I didn’t think her option would work. I told her it was just perfect for the session, and she got comfy in the hair and makeup chair while I photographed Finn alone.

Finny was a sleepy little guy and looked so different from Fiona as a newborn! Because he was such a deep sleeper, we moved through the solo portraits pretty quickly. Towards the end he opened up his eyes, which allowed me to photograph some awake and alert shots as well. As I was finishing up with the solo portion, big sister Fiona and dad arrived. Once I saw what everyone was wearing, I pulled out a couple of blanket options for Elizabeth to choose from for the family portion.

NEWBORN SESSIONS WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY

If I am able, I start with the sibling photos FIRST because these are often the most important ones to mamas. This is entirely dependent on your toddler, but 9 times out of 10 your toddler will be the most cooperative as soon as they arrive. So, it’s always the goal to photograph sibling images first, followed by each parent with their children, and wrapped up with the whole family together.

Baby safety is the UTMOST priority above all else. I will not place newborn babies near their older siblings if they are not able to listen and be still. Every toddler is different energy and personality wise, so I’ll assess how they’re doing when deciding which images we’ll do. Delaney was a VERY sweet and compliant toddler who was super excited about her baby brother, so I was very easily able to safely photography her with Rhodes. What you can’t see in these images is that her parents were inches away from them ready to swoop in and intervene if the need arose.

Once we had finished the sibling photos, we transitioned to the family and parent portion. I work very quickly and move seamlessly between each image, all while considering your older child’s interest and cooperation level. While I have a pretty predictable flow for newborn sessions involving a toddler, sometimes toddlers need a break or want to do something else. When this happens, I simply adjust as needed. My goal is for everyone in your family to have a good time!

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR NEWBORN SESSION

We make it easy for our clients! After you’ve had a baby (or really, anytime!), the last thing you need is to deal with something super complicated.

About a week after their session, Elizabeth viewed the proof gallery and chose their collection and corresponding final images. When the final images were completed, they chose which ones they wanted for some prints they were ordering as gifts for grandparents! After printed artwork and products are 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.

If you order framed artwork from us that contains a 16x20 or larger print, I’ll deliver your finished artwork right to your front doorstep within 20 minutes of the studio. If you live further away than 20 minutes, you’ll need to make arrangements to pick up your order.

If you don’t have large framed artwork as part of your order, you’ll come to the studio and pick up your order. Our pickup process is easy and contactless! Each week, I send out an email to clients who have orders ready to be picked up. This email has a booking link which lists that the available pickup days and times throughout the week ahead. Clients (or their designated errand person!) reserve their pickup time, and come to the studio on that date and time. See? Easy!

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Are you expecting a new baby and interested in reserving a newborn session with us? We would LOVE to chat with you about your family, the experience and what we offer to our clients, and how we can best serve your growing family. 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 favorites from Finn’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 Baby & Family Photographer | Lucy is six months!

In-home family and milestone sessions here in Atlanta are one of my favorite session types to shoot. Due to the ongoing pandemic they have been suspended until I am able to receive the COVID vaccine at the very earliest. Therefore, I am not going into great detail about what to expect during an in-home session in. Studio session and on location outdoor sessions are available to book, so if you’re interested in one of those please contact us to chat!

*All final session images are delivered in both color and black and white versions to clients. I am sharing the black and white versions of images from this six month milestone/family session. I’ll let the images speak for themselves rather than write a longer post about it today!

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 First Birthday Photographer | Malcolm is ONE!

After working with me for her maternity and newborn portraits, Kayla reached out to schedule her son’s First Birthday portraits in the studio. She let me know that she was opting to skip the cake smash portion because she wanted the session to focus solely on Malcolm. I gave her some suggestions for what he could wear for his session, and she was all set! While most clients do choose to incorporate a smash cake in their First Birthday sessions, it’s totally fine not to! Your session will be tailored to your vision and will capture your one year old just as they are.

Want to see the other sessions? You can view Kayla’s studio maternity session images by clicking here, and Malcom’s newborn session by clicking here. As a fun little note, Kayla’s maternity session was at our old Grant Park studio, and Malcolm was one of the first babies to be photographed in our current location!

THE SESSION PLANNING PROCESS

We discuss your vision for your session at length with you. This looks different for each client! While most ask for their session to be equally focused on whole family and solo baby photos, some request the focus to be entirely on their baby. My session flow is carefully designed with your requested outcome in mind..

I HIGHLY recommend at least one parent be ready to step into the photos, JUST IN CASE. There are times that I will need to start out photographing your child in your arms in order to win them over. If you show up wearing yoga pants and hair stuffed under a ball cap because you weren’t prepared to step into the photos, this won’t be possible. If your baby refuses to be put down, it becomes a problem.

If your baby is shy, I patiently work towards getting them comfortable enough with me that they are willing to be out of your arms for solo portraits. I don’t put any of the images taken during the trust-winning period (unless we have some amazing ones with big smiles or too-good-to-pass-up images ) in your proof gallery. If we can’t accomplish solo portraits because your baby isn’t ok with leaving your arms, then you will have images of them in your arms that will be just as gorgeous as the ones of them alone.

WHAT SHOULD MY BABY WEAR?

When you book a session with me, we’ll send you our studio style guide! It’s an easy read, and goes over best practices. I also have a list of great resources to shop at, and I gave Kayla a few suggestions of where to look! We do hav a limited baby wardrobe that can work in a pinch, but because most of our mamas prefer to dress their little ones on their own, it is not an extensive wardrobe. Our wardrobe for mamas is quite hefty (100+ pieces and counting as of this blog post), and you are more than welcome to borrow for yourself if you’re participating in the session!

SESSION FLOW

Malcolm was NOT a shy baby, so there was no need at all for Kayla to hold him while he got used to me. Kayla had dressed him in the most ADORABLE outfit complete with suspenders. If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ll know how much I love baby boys in suspenders.

He was all about exploring the studio and super interested in what I was doing. We used a few of our studio chairs, and he showed off his super fast crawling skills! I asked Kayla if he was walking yet, and she told me he wasn’t quite there. MOST of our one year olds are NOT walking at the First Birthday session, so don’t feel like your baby is behind if that’s the case! I asked Kayla to step into one photo to assist Malcolm with taking a few steps, and she was happy to do so. It’s such a beautiful memory for mamas to have… you work so hard to take care of your little one and help them reach their milestones, and we have all had those chubby baby fingers earnestly gripping ours as they learn to walk. Your baby will never be this little again, and they will grow up entirely too fast right in front of your eyes. While I can’t freeze time, I can preserve these memories for you and it’s the greatest joy of my job.

Baby safety is the #1 consideration for me during sessions at the studio. I always have a parent to the side of baby acting as a spotter while I’m photographing your baby alone. Malcolm was what I call a “diver” and immediately tried to get down from the chair, but Kayla was right there to catch him! :)

One year olds don’t have a long attention span, and will tire out pretty quickly, so I keep my First Birthday moving efficiently and I change things up constantly to keep your baby engaged.

Enjoy a few of my favorites from Malcolm’s First Birthday portraits! I love his big brown eyes and curly hair, and can’t wait to see 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 treasure for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio. 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 Family Photographer | Irene, Oona & Mina

Irene is a long term client turned into dear friend. She has been coming to see me since she was pregnant with her oldest, and I have loved watching her girls grow up over the years. Irene is one of those genuine people who is just so much fun to be around and I feel so fortunate to have met her.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR FOR A STUDIO SESSION?

When you book a session with us, we send you an easy to follow style guide that sums up everything you need to know! It goes over recommended color palettes and how to best mix and match textures and patterns. If you want more hands on assistance, I offer studio visits for wardrobe consultations, and can conduct these virtually as well with a few back and forth emails. I am here to make your portrait session experience with me FUN!

Irene always has fun with her girls, and has them wear things they’re excited about. She braided their hair and dressed them in adorable purple dresses with sparkly heels. The girls had a blast clacking around all over the studio and showing off their special outfits. Irene opted for a grey dress with a denim jacket layered over it.

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR SESSION

My sessions are FUN and designed to bring out the best of your personalities. I’ll give you natural prompts to play games that involve dancing, snuggling and tickling your little one during our time together. EVERY child’s personality is very different, and Mina & Oona are a perfect example of that. Oona is much more outgoing and smiling, and Mina is not a child who smiles a ton and has a more reserved approach to the world. This is who she is, and her parents are wonderful about respecting and honoring her natural personality. Oona actually used to be the same way when she was younger and is MUCH more outgoing now, so Mina will probably follow suit as she grows!

I go with the flow. I observe your child’s mood, and I meet them where they’re at. If a child is reserved and shy, getting up into their face with a peppy cheerleader voice is NOT going to win them over. I’ve been known to put my camera away, and sit on the floor playing with blocks by myself. Eventually the curiosity and fear of missing out takes over, and they come over to see what’s happening! That allows me to interact with them at THEIR pace and establish a relationship of trust. It’s so important to let things unfold naturally. I don’t have a pre determined playbook during sessions with young children, because it’s impossible to predict how they will be.

Regardless, I have endless patience, I think outside the box for ideas to win them over, and can adapt to any situation presented. When children realize that I respect them and their preferences, I earn trus. This philosophy is truly the “secret sauce” to successful sessions (and to pretty much all relationships in life if you ask me!).

WHAT IF MY CHILD WON’T SIT STILL OR LISTEN?!

I understand that you have a lot riding on a session. You’ve carefully planned every detail, and you want it all to go smoothly. So when your child isn’t acting like you had envisioned or is having a tough time, you can have that sinking feeling that all your hard work was in vain.

I’m here to tell you that is NOT true.

During sessions with me, there is no need to worry about your child being perfectly still and “cooperating” like a little angel. Little people have big emotions. We’ll take care of those emotions as they surface and use the art of distraction to redirect. I have three kids of my own and have photographed well over 1,000 little ones (I’ve lost count at this point) - so you are in the hands of a very experienced professional. Don’t worry about not knowing what to do during your session either, because I’ll be giving you easy to follow prompts. The truth is, the prompts I give you are things that you do ALL the time with your child so it will flow 100% naturally for you both. There is no prompt in which I direct you to do jumping jacks or stand on your head, I promise. ;) All you need to focus on is being present with your little one(s), and let me handle the photos!

If you're considering a session with me, I would love for you to reach out to discuss your vision and learn about the amazing portrait experience that we offer our clients at our studio!

Enjoy a handful of my favorites from this family session with Irene, Mina, & Oona!

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 Liam

I first worked with Josalin & Robin when they were expecting their first baby for their maternity session at the old studio location, and was thrilled to hear from them again requesting to book another maternity session at the field for their second baby! After their second baby arrived, Robin called the studio to ask if we had any last minute availability. She wanted to surprise her wife with a newborn session, and fortunately, we did!

I adore working with clients for both maternity and newborn photos! The maternity session serves as a great get to know you warmup, and by the time your newborn arrives, we’re friends, and you’re super comfortable with me and with being in front of my camera.

WHEN SHOULD I SCHEDULE OUR SESSION?

Simply put: It is NEVER too early to book!

I know most pregnant mamas are busy with all the baby prep, but it’s important to not put off scheduling your session! The majority of our clients reach out to us early in the second trimester to make sure that they have a spot on our calendar. Some of our clients inform us in their first trimester if they’re comfortable doing so.

I take a limited number of newborns due in each month. Doing this ensures that I am able deliver my unparalleled level of service to each of my clients. Once I reach the monthly newborn cap, I maintain a wait list.

Don’t panic if you’re reading this and baby is already here! Our reserved newborns often arrive earlier or later than their estimated due dates, so there are some months I have the ability to take on a last minute newborn session. Contact us right away to see if we can squeeze you in!

NEWBORN SESSIONS WITH AN OLDER SIBLING INVOLVED

When older siblings are participating in a newborn session, we always check on what their nap schedule (if they take one) is! We want them to be well rested and happy. In this case, big brother was well past napping age, so it wasn’t something we had to plan around.

I start newborn sessions in the morning between 9 and 10 AM, with the first 90 minutes of session time devoted to photographing your baby alone. This is the perfect time for you to take advantage of our add on hair and makeup services since you’ll be sitting on the couch doing nothing anyway while I photograph your baby. So, you might as well treat yourself to some pampering. ;) Robin and Joslin opted to both add on services - makeup only for Josalin and both services for Robin!

Older siblings and partners arrive about 90 minutes after I’ve gotten started with baby only. In this case, because both mamas were receiving HMUA services and they didn’t have any help in town, the whole family came along with quiet entertainment planned for big bro.

When the family arrived, I took Liam out of his carseat and got started right away while Josalin got settled into the hair and makeup chair for her makeup services. She already knew which dress she wanted (she loved it when she tried it on during her maternity fitting) for her newborn session, so it was all ready to go! I had pulled a few options for Robin to have for her to look through as well. Once I’ve worked with clients a couple of times I have a very good sense of their style and know what will work well for them skin tone and fit wise! I’ve even been shopping for studio dresses and thought of very specific clients when purchasing it for the client wardrobe. 9 times of out 10 at their next session I pull it out and the client LOVES it and choose to wear it.

Liam was the most handsome little guy, and such a great sleeper! He looked SO much like his big brother too. About halfway through his solo portraits, Josalin was finished with her makeup and it was Robin’s turn. Robin went through the dresses that I had chosen and jumped into the hair and makeup chair for her turn. After everyone was dressed, we transitioned right into the family and parent images that included big brother Keegan.

NEWBORN SESSION FLOW WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY

Liam was in and out of sleep at this point. Don’t stress if your baby is awake! I love alert babies for family images and sometimes we get luck with a family shot of everyone actually looking at the camera (rare, but it does happen sometimes!). Awake babies are no problem at all to photograph as long as they’re also calm. If your baby is awake and NOT calm, don’t stress. We’ll figure out how to get them there. Sometimes they just need another feed, a diaper change, or some extra snuggles.

Baby safety is the FIRST priority during sessions. I will not place a baby near their older siblings if they are not calm and still. Every child is different, and therefore every session will look different. I’ll assess how your older child is doing when deciding which types of photos are safe to do. Since Keegan was already 4 at the time of the session, and was listening and able to be still while next to his baby brother, I was able to safely photograph a few different setups. What you can’t see in the photographs is that his mothers were inches away from them ready to swoop in and intervene if the need arose. Taking risks is not something I do when it comes to client safety.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR NEWBORN SESSION

We keep it simple! About a week after their session, Robin & Josalin viewed their proof gallery and chose their collection. They knew they wanted to keep every image and have one as a large framed print for their home just like they had chosen for their maternity collection.

When their final images were completed, they chose which one they wanted for the large piece of artwork. The print size ended up being 16x24 surrounded by a 3 inch mat with a substantial moulding as well. Framed artwork is a client favorite around here!

THE PROCESS FOR CHOOSING FRAMED ARTWORK

Framed artwork is USUALLY ready within 2-4 weeks as long as there aren’t any shipping delays due to the pandemic. Sometimes a particular moulding will be on backorder, but you’ll be informed of that before the order is placed! That’s right, no frame shops are involved - I handle the entire production process from print to frame. After you choose your favorite image to be framed, we’ll discuss the best size for where you plan to hang it in their home.

Once you choose your image size, the print is ordered! After it arrives at the studio, you’ll choose your moulding (frame). I will make suggestions on the best frame choices for your image and home decor/personal style preferences. We’ll also decide on the mat width - I’m a fan of 3-5” inch mats depending on the size of the print and the moulding width.

The larger the print is, the larger the mat should be so it’s balanced aesthetically. Once that’s decided, I then order the moulding, mat, and GORGEOUS museum glass. Museum glass is absolutely stunning and will make your framed artwork that much more beautiful. You can hardly see the glass in the frame looking at it because of how crystal clear it is, and I love the UV protection that it affords the printed artwork. Our framed prints here at the studio all have museum glass for you to see for yourself when you’re here!

When everything arrives at my studio (typically within 2 -4 weeks of ordering!), I mat the print, and assemble the entire piece. The last step is to finish the back of the frame with paper and hanging hardware. That means that all you have to do is hang it up on your wall and then enjoy looking in in your home.

For clients who order framed art from us that contains a 16x20 or larger print, we deliver their finished artwork right to their front doorstep within a 20 mile radius of the studio. If you don’t have large framed artwork as part of your order, you’ll come to the studio and pick up your order when it’s ready. Each week I send out an email to my clients who have orders ready for pickup. The email outlines the designated pickup days for the week ahead (I only send pickup availability out one week at a time) and time windows throughout the week and pickup is safe and contactless. Clients simply click to make their reservation!

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Are you expecting and interested in reserving a session with us for your baby's newborn session? 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 chat on the phone. We can’t wait to hear 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 Fine Art & Editorial Maternity Photography | Kimberly

Modern Maternity sessions (as shown in this blog post) are offered through Illume Maternity! Please visit www.illumematernity.com if you are interested in exploring this type of session for your maternity portraits.

Kimberly came in to the studio for a Modern Maternity session at the beginning of her third trimester. She hadn’t done a maternity session with her first baby, and really didn’t want to miss out on the experience with her second. She contacted us as the last minute to see if we had availability the following week that she was off of work, and fortunately, we did!

THE BOOKING PROCESS

Our fine art modern maternity sessions are photographed in our intown Atlanta studio with studio lighting. Natural light is not used, and sessions are scheduled over a 90 minute-2 hour block. In contrast, our natural light (non newborn) portrait sessions are scheduled for a one hour block.

The additional time for modern maternity is to make sure we have plenty of time to adjusting the lighting set up and for you to change between looks. Since we are not reliant on natural light for these, our fine art session start time is more flexible than our natural light studio sessions. We can schedule for evening hours after you’re off of work after 6 PM if that works better for your schedule - but make sure that you won’t be too tired at that time before requesting that.

Currently, we only shoot ONE session daily in the studio to allow for our COVID sanitation protocols. Please don’t put scheduling off until the last minute as we may not have availability for you. Most of our clients reach out to us when they’re right at the end of their first trimester/beginning of their second trimester to schedule their session to take place between 26-32 weeks of pregnancy. We want you to have a round belly but still be able to move easily before you become physically limited by it. You’ll be moving a LOT during this type of session!

Once you have chosen a session date from our availability, everything is handled online in a secure and streamlined process. We’ll send over a short list of what you should bring along with you to your session and directions to our studio location. We’re located right on the Beltline next to two.urban.licks. We’re just down from Ponce City Market, and our studio is SUPER easy to get to! There is a free lot parking available as well as street parking if the lot is full.

WHAT’S NEXT: THE PRE-SESSION CONSULTATION

Why do we schedule a pre-session meeting? Because over the past 8 years we have found that clients who have spent some time with me (face to face or virtually!) before stepping in front of my camera are much more comfortable right out of the gate on their session day because I’m not a total stranger they’ve just met for the first time!  This is definitely the case for fine art maternity where you may be wearing next to nothing for part or most of it.

We will meet in advance of your session - either in person here at the studio or virtually via Zoom or FaceTime. Many of our clients that drive to us from quite the distance (90+ minutes) and sometimes from the neighboring states of Florida, the Carolinas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, so a face to face meeting isn’t always possible! Clients bring along a bag full of their own things to wear, and our studio has a limited wardrobe of fitted bodycon dresses and crop tops, bodysuits that can accommodate a pregnant belly, bandeau bras, and tulle gowns. We also have beautiful Italian silk fabrics for draping and tossing in mostly neutral colors should you choose to incorporate that, as well as some stunning blush pink feather angel wings. Usage of the studio wardrobe is completely complimentary to our booked clients! If you choose to schedule a meeting in the studio with me, you’ll be able to see and try on our pieces. If you’re planning on wearing anything of your own, you’ll bring these with you as well. I will design your session flow based on your chosen looks.

During our time together, we will discuss your vision for your maternity session. My clients have a whole host of preferences and desires when it comes to what types of images they want. I have clients who really want fine art nudes/implied nudes mixed in with strategic hand placement covering the breasts, and others prefer to be clothed the entire time with just the belly showing. Some clients really love the look of fabric draping and want to incorporate a few of those, and others don’t. The choice is yours!

CAN MY HUSBAND/CHILDREN PARTICIPATE?

While the majority of our clients choose to be the only participant for their fine art maternity sessions, your partner is more than welcome. As you can see here, Kimberly included her partner and toddler son. Children can be included in a couple of images but should only be present in the studio for the time they are in photos. Because of all the specialized equipment that is set up and the length of the session, it’s not possible for them to be here in the studio for the entire session. Some families who want a family focused maternity session find our natural light sessions to be a better fit for their vision once they chat with us about the differences between the two types.

YOUR FINE ART MATERNITY SESSION: WHAT TO EXPECT

I’ve been photographing pregnant women for over 8 years now and LOVE my job. When you arrive to the studio for your session, everything in the studio will already be set up and ready to go! All your outfits will be lined up and ready to go with the tailored flow that I created during your pre session consult. There’s no wondering what to put on or wasted time in my studio.

If you’re feeling a bit nervous, please don’t stress! I will walk you through everything during your session - from how and where to stand, to how much to tilt your head, and I’ll also coach you on your facial expressions! Our modern maternity/fine art sessions lean towards what I like to call “power” posing. You will look confident, strong, graceful, and beautiful. Mothers are a force to be reckoned with, and these images are going to combine that strength with the beauty and femininity of your pregnancy. If you’re having difficulty being verbally coached with facial expressions, I’ll whip out one of my clear masks so you can see my entire face for demonstration purposes! I promise that you will never be left to awkwardly figure out what to do next.

If you have never done a session with studio lighting, it will may feel intimidating at first. My lighting is on wheeled stands with large modifiers on boom arms. Once you’ve gotten used to everything, it won’t take you long to start having fun and feeling like a model! After the first lighting set, you’ll find that you get into your groove and you’ll naturally know what to do from my prompts or adjustments.

We will take breaks throughout for you to get some water, a snack, bathroom break, or just to rest for a minute. If you need anything, all you have to do is say the word. We’ll pick right back up where we left off.

Kimberly looked absolutely gorgeous and was excited to get started when we arrived. We created some beautiful gorgeous images with a mix of her pieces and studio wardrobe pieces. She brought her own non-maternity jeans a black turtleneck bodysuit, and used studio pieces for the rest of her looks. We also photographed some beautiful bare belly and topless images with strategic hand placement, but those images have not been included here. I never post nude or implied nude client images without permission!

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR SESSION

Once your proof gallery is ready, you’ll review the images and make decisions! One of the images will be fully edited for you as a sample so you can know what to expect with your final gallery. We’ll discuss your specific retouching requests (our most common requests are for stretch mark removal and for very slight body slimming in certain areas).

It is my personal opinion that the modern maternity / fine art editorial photography style is most powerful in black and white imagery. However, your selected final images will come in both color and black and white versions for you!

Most of our our clients end up ordering their favorite image for a piece of wall art (metal and acrylic prints are a favorite for this type of photography) or put them all into a beautiful heirloom album to treasure.

If you’re considering a maternity session to celebrate your pregnancy, YAY! Firstly, a HUGE congratulations to you!!! This is such an incredibly special and sacred time in your life, and it’s such an honor to photograph mamas expecting their first, second, third, or seventh child. 

I would absolutely love for you to contact us to chat about your vision and what we can offer you. We can chat about whether a fine art modern maternity session with studio lighting is the right fit for you vs. our natural light sessions, and answer any questions you have!

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Kimberly’s modern maternity session below! Isn’t she absolutely gorgeous?!

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 Baby & Family Photographer | Charlie is six months!

I first worked with Laura for her maternity session in the park and then again for her daughter Charlie’s newborn session. You can view the images from their maternity session by clicking here, and the images from Charlie’s newborn session by clicking here.

Laura is one of our First Year Collection members (newborn sitting milestone, and First Birthday are included in this), so we reached out to her to schedule her daughter Charlie’s six month session well in advance (when Charlie was two months!). For babies whose milestone sessions will fall in our most popular months, we’ve been known to go ahead and reserve their milestone session dates in the calendar as soon as they’re born so they’re all set and locked in. First Year Collection members never have to worry about whether they’ll be able to get a preferred weekend date or about remembering to schedule their sessions, because we take care of it all for you! There are lots of other bonus perks for members, so if you want to document your baby’s entire first year, definitely ask about enrolling and if there is still room left! We limit the number of enrollees by birth month to ensure that all members are served well.

THE STYLING ASSISTANCE WE OFFER TO CLIENTS

The biggest stress factor with sessions for most of my clients is what the heck to wear! Laura has never had to worry about this because she utilizes our studio wardrobe for every session she does with us. She has a list of her favorite dresses from each session she’s had with us and already has a pretty good idea of what she’ll wear for her next one.

When it comes to dressing Charlie and her husband, she refers to our style guide and to our recommended stores to shop at for adorable and timeless baby clothing. We do have a limited baby wardrobe for those who want to borrow from that, but we’ve found that our mamas really enjoy shopping for their little ones and dressing them in something that has been purchased just for them. Our style guide concisely goes over the best practices for dressing your entire family and covers recommended color and pattern combos. If you want more hands on assistance with styling your family, you are more than welcome to schedule a complimentary style consult at the studio or to send over quick phone photos of what you’re considering. Once you are booked for your session, I am here to help you in any way I can! I know from personal experience as a mom that the session planning process can feel overwhelming, and I want to take as much of that stress off of you as possible.

SIX MONTH MILESTONE SESSION FLOW

I will discuss your priorities for your baby’s milestone session with you in advance of your session and run you through what to expect. Milestone sessions typically focus on your baby, with family and parent images intermixed throughout. Six month olds do not have a long attention span and ten to tire out quickly with everything going on, so I keep my session flow very baby-led and efficient!

Six month old babies usually need some time to warm up when they’re getting used to being in a new place and to me. This is why I pretty much always begin milestone sessions with parent and family images unless your baby is the life of the party and completely unbothered. Your little one will feel safe and secure in your arms and I’ll be able to start the process of gaining their trust. Once they start willingly interacting with me, that’s when I will start getting closer in proximity to them. Charlie was a cheerful little lady and it didn’t take her long to warm up to me, so I started the session with images of just her on the bed. Once I had gotten those, I quickly moved into the parent and family portraits while Charlie was still grinning and having fun. Fun fact about this session: many of Charlie’s big smiles are the result of yours truly snorting like a pig which she found absolutely hilarious. Please, try snorting like a pig with your mask on and you will be amazed at the effort it takes - but it was all 100% worth it for the smiles!

Important: If you arrive to the studio for your session and your little one is having a hard time adjusting at first, there is no need to stress. I have limitless patience and empathy for your baby and how they are feeling. It’s such an interesting time for babies because due to the ongoingpandemic, they aren’t getting the exposure to the outside world and to strangers that they normally would. So, being in a new place with someone they’ve never met can be a bit of a shock. Sometimes this means that I put my camera down and sit quietly on the floor in their view until your baby settles and decides that everything is okay with this new lady. Regardless of how your baby reacts, I will meet them where they are at. My studio is a zero pressure and calm environment. We will work together as a collaborative team to get them comfortable and having fun! All I ask is that you come in ready to play with your baby and be willing to do some “unorthodox” things to get their giggles going, and it will all work out - I promise!

Your baby’s safety is my ultimate consideration during sessions with me. Charlie was still a bit wobbly when sitting up alone, so her dad was right outside of the frame ready to catch her if needed. If your baby isn’t quite sitting up unassisted at six months of age, that’s not a problem at all! I have SO many other positions for your baby and your gallery will still have lots of variety and tons of cuteness.

SHOULD MY BABY WEAR ONE OR TWO OUTFITS?

Laura had brought two ADORABLE outfits along for Charlie and asked if we could make both of them work. Having two outfits for your little one in a session is welcomed, but know that the second outfit might not happen. This ultimately depends on your baby and how they’re doing!

If you bring two outfits, we will start the session with baby dressed in your favorite one FIRST to ensure you have images of your baby in it! Some little ones simply hate being changed, and others tire out before we have a chance to change. Know that I will do my best to accommodate a second outfit within the session. If needed, we will utilize some of my successful distraction methods to minimize the protesting during changing and can also try a short bottle/nursing break in between for a “reset”.

Laura started Charlie in the most adorable peach colored romper, and changed her into white bloomers with a denim top for the second half of the session. I used a couple of our studio chairs, our chaise lounge, the floor, and her parent’s arms for the rest of her session. We had so much fun during this session, and it was wonderful to see Laura and David so confident in their role as Charlie’s parents. One of my favorite things is watching couples from the maternity session through the First Birthday and how they change as people and as a couple. It’s such a beautiful process to observe, and I’m so honored to be invited to witness it as a photographer!

Enjoy some of my favorite images from Charlie’s six month milestone session. I can’t wait to share images from her First Birthday.

If you’re interested in learning more about scheduling a milestone session for your baby or pregnant and interested in enrolling in our First Year Collection, we would love to talk with you! It is NEVER too early to reserve your session on the calendar - so even if your baby won’t be 6-8 months for a while, NOW is the best time to reach out for more the most date options to choose from. Our weekend dates routinely fill up 3+ months in advance, so go ahead and connect with us to chat!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Maternity Photographer | Rebecca & Bo

Rebecca contacted us at the end of her second trimester to ask about our studio and specific COVID precautions. After speaking with us, knew she wanted to book both a maternity and newborn session, and we sent over the paperwork for her to complete and reserve her sessions! We handle EVERYTHING securely online in a very streamlined process. Our clients find the whole process super simple and love it. After Rebecca sent back her paperwork, she was locked into our calendar. We scheduled her maternity fitting to take place about 2 weeks before her session and also sent over a short list of what to bring along with her to the fitting, and directions to our convienent studio location. We’re located right on the Beltline just down from Ponce City Market right by two.urban.licks. We have a free parking lot available (and street parking if our lot happens to be full).

Have you watched the 90 second video on our website? If you haven’t, you should - click here to see it. Watching it will give you a great overview of what it’s like to work with me and what my philosophy behind photographs is. Almost all of my clients who have watched it have told me that they didn’t feel like I was a stranger when they met me for the first time, and that I’m very “what you see is what you get.” As a note, this was filmed 5 years ago in our old (much smaller) original Grant Park studio, but still all holds 100% true today!

THE BOOKING PROCESS

Rebecca and her husband, Bo had demanding work from home jobs and a weekend was the only time that would work for them for their maternity session. Booking your outdoor session early is key to weekend availability! While weekends are popular and are snapped up super fast (as of this blog post, we are already completely booked for weekend dates in October 2021), we also shoot on weeknights which have plenty of their own perks! Weeknights: lots more flexibility in scheduling, often less traffic, and way less crowded at the locations.

Many of our clients choose to take a half day from work or just leave a couple of hours early to schedule a weekday evening session depending on what time the sun is setting on their session date. ALL of our outdoor sessions take place about one hour before sunset. If you’re not sure of what that time is, you can literally google “sunset time on X date in Atlanta” and you’ll get the sunset time. Subtract an hour, and you’ll have your general session start time! There are also some months that we offer sunrise sessions - typically in September when the sun comes up around 7:30 AM so we aren’t all stumbling around trying to get ready at 5:30 AM. ;)

THE MATERNITY FITTING

Maternity fittings are scheduled 1-2 weeks before scheduled sessions! We want to make sure you have enough time to decide on what to wear from your top favorites and can pull together the other outfits for your partner and/or children. Your baby shouldn’t grow too much in two weeks to not be able to fit in your final choices. If you try on a dress that BARELY fits and want to choose it, we’ll go ahead and have you choose a backup option for it just in case it doesn’t fit you anymore when we get to your session date. It’s always better to be safe than sorry! Our clients can choose up to two looks. As a note, usage of the studio wardrobe is not required but about 95% of our clients do choose to borrow from it! Even if you don’t, it’s great for inspiration and to see what looks great on you! So many of our maternity clients also find what they want to wear for their newborn session when they’re in for their fitting. If able, I strongly encourage clients who are planning to wear their own clothing to come in with that clothing for me to see beforehand and so that we are able to meet each other as well. Clients who have spent some time with me prior to stepping in front of my camera are much more relaxed because I’m not a total stranger they’ve just met for the first time! 

When Rebecca came in for her fitting, she was pleasantly surprised by the number of options available to her in the wardrobe. She had been concerned we wouldn’t have options for her as she’s petite. I have dressed women ranging in heights from 4’10” to 6’3” and size 00-16 - so there is no need to worry because we likely do have something that will fit you! While Rebecca was trying on pieces, Bo and I chatted and got to know each other. He had lots of questions for me about what he should wear, as well as what to expect, and I answered all of them. You do NOT have to bring your partner to your fitting, but I recommend it if you’re able and they’re willing to! It gives me a chance to get to know them and break the ice in advance of your session and often makes guys a lot more comfortable as well. If they’re unable to attend, you’ll snap cell photos of your favorite options to share with them later if you want their input on your final selection!

Don’t worry, you will not have to decide at the maternity fitting what you’ll be wearing. You do need to have your final choices in at least 4 business days before your session date. This allows me to have your options cleaned if needed if another client wears one of your choices before you in the same week. Most of our dresses will fit both pregnant and postpartum moms, so a lot of our clients also find their preferred dress for their newborn session while they’re here too! After looking at all her options and showing her husband, Rebecca decided on a breezy moss off the shoulder gown and what is probably our most popular studio dress paired with a sheer white kimono wrap.

SESSION EFFICIENCY

I always shoot my sessions efficiently, because I don’t believe that an outdoor couples or family maternity session should take 2 hours. In Atlanta summers, this is especially important because it’s hot and humid.

We will not be dragging your session out unnecessarily. Instead, I lead you through the entire experience and will literally tell (and show!) you what to do and when to do it. Don’t worry, I’m not at all bossy - I’m very gentle and direct and clients absolutely love it. So many clients have expressed relief that they wouldn’t be left to figure things out on their own and hope it looked good.

My primary focus is on the emotional connection between my subjects. The interaction you see between couples in my photographs is 100% authentic and real. However, because I believe in transparency, most of my couples can’t quite get there on their own because people tend to freeze up a little bit in the presence of a camera. I do the work of getting couples positioned just where where they need to be, tweak hair and clothing if necessary and THEN give an easy to follow prompt that ignites that natural interaction. THAT is when the magic and beauty unfold.

So, please don’t worry about not knowing what to do. Don’t think to yourself, “We are never look like those couples because my husband isn’t going to do that.” The truth is: you don’t have to look like anyone else. Your dynamic with your partner is unique to the two of you. It SHOULDN’T look like any one elses’ session. What it WILL look like is the two of you loving each other in your own way, while highlighting the excitement and anticipation for this brand new baby that you’re welcoming into your family. Oh, and you’ll also look absolutely beautiful. ;) 

MATERNITY SESSION FLOW

I already mentioned that sessions aren’t ridiculously long. I allot an hour for outdoor sessions. Remember: some of this time is going to be changing into your outfit, taking a break if needed, and walking to other spots. Once the sun is gone, we’re done. Pro tip: be on time to your session. While I can shoot efficiently and very quickly in a pinch (ie: there was a horrible wreck on the way that made you 20 minutes late), I cannot make the sunset slow down.

When we first get started with your session, you’re likely going to feel a little nervous and a bit awkward. This is 100% normal. I’ve got you. I regularly shoot 20+ maternity sessions per month (studio and outdoor), and I’ve been photographing pregnant moms for 7 years now. You’re in very experienced hands!

Most of my couples start hitting their stride in roughly 10 minutes or less if it’s their first session with me. If it’s not your first session, you already know the drill and we’re already friends, so none of this really applies. ;)

I have pregnant moms move around as little as possible in each spot in the location that we go to - especially during hot summer months! You’re pregnant, you’re probably sweating, your back and feet might be aching… there’s just absolutely no need to drag you all the place and make you feel like you went to an Orange Theory class by the time you’re done. Instead, your partner gets to do all the work. They will be the one jumping in and out of the frame as directed. We’ll also take breaks as needed for you to hydrate or rest, and pick right back up when you’re ready to go again!

SESSION DAY FOR REBECCA & BO

We met at the field location on a very humid and warm Atlanta summer night. It was actually NOT as hot as it could have been (about 15 degrees cooler than the norm for July!), and the sky was overcast, which also cooled it down a bit too. Overcast days are just as beautiful as bright and sunny ones, and actually give us a lot more flexibility in placement since we don’t have to worry about squinty eyes or crazy sun flare.

I spent some time photographing Rebecca solo and pulling Bo in for some images throughout. We had a lot of fun, and they warmed up quickly. The coolest part of the session that night was all of the deer that showed up in the field as dusk approached! Rebecca and Bo had never been that close to deer, and enjoyed seeing them prancing around with their little baby fawns.

At the end of their maternity session, we chatted for a bit about what they could expect next and said our goodbyes. The following week, I sent over their proof gallery. They LOVED their images and chose quite a few of them, expressing their excitement for their upcoming newborn session in a couple of months once their son arrived.

If you’re reading this and considering booking a maternity session, YAY! Firstly, a big congrats to you!!! This is such an incredibly beautiful time in your life. It is such an honor to be trusted to photograph couples expecting their first, second, third, or seventh child.  I would love for you to contact us to chat about your vision and how we can serve you.

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Rebecca & Bo’s field maternity session 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 Rhodes

Brittany contacted the studio at the end of her first trimester to schedule a newborn session for her second baby who was due in 7 months! I love advance planners. She knew things were going to get pretty busy in her life with her older toddler, and wanted to get her newborn session squared away so it was checked off her list. She had found us by searching Google and then saw that a few of her friends had worked with us and knew that we were a perfect fit. We still had availability for her due date month since she had contacted us early on, and sent over all of her paperwork to reserve her session.

WHEN SHOULD I SCHEDULE MY NEWBORN SESSION?

It really is never too early to reserve your session! I know you are likely are busy with other preparations, but don’t put this off!

Reserving your newborn session is NOT scheduling your exact session date.

That would simply be impossible, since babies arrive when they want to and don’t pay attention to their estimated due dates. When you reserve your session, you are guaranteeing that you have a spot on our calendar! We limit the number of reserved newborns due in each month so that we can provide excellent service to each and every one of our clients. Once we reach our monthly newborn limit, our newborn schedule is closed for that month and we maintain a wait list.

If you’re reading this and baby is already here, don’t panic! Our newborns often arrive earlier or later than their estimated due dates, so there are some months that we end up having the ability to take on a last minute newborn client. Contact us right away, and we just might be able to schedule you in our calendar!

NEWBORN SESSIONS WITH A TODDLER SIBLING INVOLVED

When toddler siblings are involved in newborn sessions, we ask what their schedule is because it’s important information for planning a successful session! We want them to be well rested and happy. Newborn sessions in the studio start in the morning between 9 and 10 AM. The first 90 minutes of session time is devoted to photographing your baby alone. This is the perfect time for you to take advantage of our add on hair and makeup services since you’ll be sitting on the couch doing nothing anyway! Choosing to add on beauty services will NOT lengthen your session time because I will be photographing your baby alone during this time anyway.

Toddler siblings and dads arrive about 90 minutes after I’ve started photographing your baby’s solo portraits. I am usually finished with these by the time mama is done in hair and makeup, and will transition to the sibling and family portion of the session. My goal is to get all of the photos with your toddler in them done FIRST so that they don’t have to sit around any longer than necessary! :)

Once your toddler is finished with the photographs they’re in, they are free to play until we’re finished with dad/baby and baby/parent images. Some parents will have Grandma whisk them away to take them back home, but if you don’t have family help, no worries!

Some families ask if we can start with family photos. The answer is generally no. Reversing or changing the session flow of starting with newborn solo images does not work very well in my 8 years of experience and tends to backfire in a major way. What tends to happen is that your newborn becomes overstimulated and fussy from the start, and never quite settles - and then we are not able to get as varied of a gallery in our allotted time. If you are a mama who won’t be adding on HMUA services and doesn’t care about having a big variety of solo newborn portraits if your baby doesn’t settle, then we can discuss starting that way! Every family and their needs are unique.

THE SESSION DAY

Brittany and Rhodes arrived, and we looked through the studio dresses. She loved one of our blush pink options, and got comfy on the studio couch while I photographed Rhodes alone.

Rhodes was a BIG boy, and 28 days old when he came in for his session! He had a full head of dark hair and slept like a rock. He was such a great sleeper, and we moved through the solo portraits pretty quickly. When I finished up, big sister Delaney and dad weren’t there yet so Brittany went ahead and got dressed and chose one of our newborn gowns for Rhodes to wear for the family portion. I have a big assortment of blankets and a few onesies and gowns as well - and it’s totally your preference! I’ll discuss the pros and cons of each, but it will really come down to your style and what you want your images to look like. A blanket is always a classic, but wiggly bigger babies can be hard to keep wrapped well. A gown eliminates that issue entirely, and still looks timeless and super cute.

While we were waiting for the rest of the family to arrive, Brittany changed his diaper, dressed him in the newborn gown she had chosen, and then nursed him so he would be back asleep for that part. The plan worked, and when Delaney and daddy arrived, we moved right into the family portion!

MY NEWBORN SESSION FLOW WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY

If I am able, I start with the sibling photos FIRST because these are often the most important ones to mamas. This is entirely dependent on your toddler, but 9 times out of 10 your toddler will be the most cooperative as soon as they arrive. So, it’s always the goal to photograph sibling images first, followed by each parent with their children, and wrapped up with the whole family together.

Baby safety is the UTMOST priority above all else. I will not place newborn babies near their older siblings if they are not able to listen and be still. Every toddler is different energy and personality wise, so I’ll assess how they’re doing when deciding which images we’ll do. Delaney was a VERY sweet and compliant toddler who was super excited about her baby brother, so I was very easily able to safely photography her with Rhodes. What you can’t see in these images is that her parents were inches away from them ready to swoop in and intervene if the need arose.

Once we had finished all of the photographs with Delaney and Rhodes together, we moved into the family and parent portion. I move very quickly and transition seamlessly between each image, while respecting your child’s interest and cooperation level too. While I do have a pretty typical flow, sometimes toddlers need a break or want to do something else and I’ll adjust as needed. I want everyone in your family to have a good time and to feel a part of the process, and that includes the little ones!

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR NEWBORN SESSION

We make it easy for our clients! After you’ve had a baby (or really, anytime!), the last thing you need is to deal with something super complicated.

About a week after their session, Brittany and Brad viewed the proof gallery and chose their collection. They knew they wanted an album, and they also added on two large 16x20 framed prints for their home and had a pretty good idea of which ones they would choose from their gallery for those. When the final images were completed, they chose which ones they wanted for their album and for the framed prints. After 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.

OUR PROCESS FOR FRAMED ARTWORK

Our framed artwork is typically ready in 2-6 weeks as long as there are no supply issues due to the pandemic and depending on what is ordered. Sometimes a particular moulding will be on backorder, but you’ll be informed of that before the order is placed! When a client chooses the image they want framed, we’ll discuss the best size for where they plan to hang it in their home.

Once the the size is chosen, the print is ordered! After it comes in, we then “dress” the print together with the best moulding (frame). We’ll choose the best frame from our line for your image and home decor/personal style preferences. We’ll also decide on the mat width - I’m a fan of 3-5” inch mats depending on the size of the print. Brittany preferred to schedule a virtual appointment to choose her frames, so that’s what we did. A virtual appointment for choosing frames consists of a text message conversation. I’ll determine which frames are best for your image tone and then send over a bunch of photos to you with the suggested frames next to it. Most families are able to decide pretty quickly what their favorite is!

After you’ve chosen your frame, I’ll determine the best mat size for a balanced aesthetic. The larger the print, the larger the mat width should be to balance it out - but this will also depend on your frame width too! Once that’s nailed down, I then order your frame, mat, and GORGEOUS museum glass. I am absolutely obsessed with museum glass! It might seem strange to describe glass as being stunning, but it really is. You can barely see the glass in the frame when looking at it because of how crystal clear it is with very little glare. I also love the 99% UV protection that it gives to the printed artwork. If you aren’t sure of what museum glass looks like, don’t worry - most of our framed prints hanging on the walls at the studio have it, so you’ll get to see it for yourself!

When the frame, mat, and museum glass arrive at my studio, I mat the print, and assemble the entire piece. The last step of framing is to finish the back of the frame with paper and hanging hardware. This means that all you’ll have to do is hang it up on your wall. Once it’s there, you will find yourself standing in front of it and be transported back to the time it was taken. Your children will love looking at it also. How do I know? From personal experience! I have a gallery wall in my own home with treasured family images. I find myself standing in front of the framed prints marveling at how quickly my children have grown in the years since they were taken even though it feels like it was just YESTERDAY. My kids really love them too. They have commented that it makes them feel loved when they look at the portraits of us all together, and even asked for their favorite images to be framed and hung in their rooms too.

If you order framed artwork from us that contains a 16x20 or larger print, I’ll deliver their finished artwork right to your front doorstep within a 20 mile radius of the studio. If you live further than that, you’ll need to make arrangements to pick up yourself. If you don’t have large framed artwork as part of your order, you’ll come to the studio and pick up your order when it’s ready. I send out an email to clients on a weekly basis who have orders ready to be picked up. The email outlines the designated pickup days and time windows throughout the week and pickup is safe and contactless. Clients (or their designated errand person!) reserve their pickup time in advance, and the process is super simple.

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Are you expecting a new baby and interested in reserving a newborn session with us? We would 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!

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 Family Photographer | Clarissa & Isabella

Clarissa is such a wonderful long term loyal client who has been coming to see me since she was pregnant with her daughter. It has been so much fun to watch Isabella grow each year and to also see how Clarissa grows as a mother - she’s a pretty incredible one!

WHAT TO WEAR FOR A STUDIO SESSION

When clients book their session with us, we send them our easy to follow style guide that has everything you need to know about choosing what to wear. It covers suggested color and how to mix and match textures and patterns. We offer studio visits for wardrobe consultations to our clients, and can conduct these virtually as well! We are here to make the portrait session experience with us EASY and fun.

The majority of our clients choose neutral tones or soft pastels. Neutrals stand the test of time, are the most universally flattering to skin tones, and simplify coordinating multiple family members. Clarissa chose to dress it up for this session with a gorgeous mauve silk halter neck dress and teardrop chandelier earrings. Isabella wore the prettiest tulle creation studded with rhinestones and felt like a princess. This mother-daughter duo also have the prettiest curls!

I want to mention really quickly that Isabella is a professional print and commercial child model, so she takes direction incredibly well and stays very focused longer than the average child her age. I always get a kick out of it when I see her in advertisements and think to myself, “Yep, that’s Isabella!” Even if your child is NOT a professional model, that’s totally ok! I have worked with young children for a very long time and am a mom of three myself, and perfect listening is NOT required or necessary to create gorgeous photos. We will roll with it!

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR SESSION

Mommy and me sessions in the studio are a LOT of fun! Your job is to be their mom. You’ll play games with your child(ren) that involve dancing, snuggling or even tickling your little one during your time with me.

These sessions are often very child-led and dictated by how they’re feeling and what they’re interested in doing throughout. I don’t have a “script” or set workflow during sessions with young children, because it’s impossible to predict how it will go in terms of their mood and length of cooperation.

Regardless of how your child is during our time together, know that I have endless patience, adapt as needed, and am super flexible to meet my littlest clients where they’re at. I believe showing children that I respect them and their preferences is what builds their trust, and is truly the “secret” to having a successful session!

You do NOT need to worry about your child standing perfectly still and “cooperating”. Honestly, you will constantly be in motion during your session. I’ll be behind my camera waiting for the perfect moments to freeze forever.

There’s no need to be worried about not knowing what you should do either - I’ll be giving you easy to follow action prompts. The prompts are things that you do ALL the time with your child when you’re not being photographed, they’re just not what you might think to do when in front of a camera! :) All you need to focus on is being present with your little one(s), and let me handle taking the photos!

If you're considering a session for yourself and your children, I would love for you to reach out to discuss your vision and learn about the amazing portrait experience that we offer our clients at our studio!

Enjoy a handful of my favorites from this family session with Clarissa and Isabella!

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 Payton

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.

Atlanta Fine Art & Editorial Maternity Photography | Kali

Modern Maternity sessions (as shown in this blog post) are offered through Illume Maternity! Please visit www.illumematernity.com if you are interested in exploring this type of session for your maternity portraits.

Kali came in to the studio for a Modern Maternity session at the beginning of her third trimester. She added on makeup services, which we strongly encourage for the ultimate luxury experience and for the best photos!

Makeup for this type of session is best applied by a skilled professional who has an understanding of studio light and editorial work. Please don’t go to a retail makeup counter or ask a friend who is “pretty good at make up”, or try to recreate a look with a YouTube video lesson.

If there was ever a time to invest in having your hair and/or makeup done, this is it. Our HMUA team is incredible and made up of amazing women with vast experience working on production/commercial sets, and they are skilled with all skin tones - including women of color.

THE BOOKING PROCESS

Our fine art modern maternity sessions are photographed in our intown Atlanta studio with studio lighting. Natural light is not used, and sessions are scheduled over a 90 minute-2 hour block. In contrast, our natural light (non newborn) portrait sessions are scheduled for a one hour block.

The additional time for modern maternity is to allow ample time for adjusting the lighting set up and for our mamas to change between looks. Since we are not reliant on natural light, our fine art session start time is much more flexible than our natural light studio sessions. We can schedule for evening hours after you’re off of work if that works better for you!

It’s important to only schedule a late session as long as you won’t be tired in the evening from your day!

Currently, we only shoot ONE session per day in the studio to allow for our COVID sanitation protocols. Please don’t put scheduling off until the last minute as we may not have availability for you. The majority of our clients reach out to us when they’re right at the end of their first trimester/abeginning of their second trimester to schedule their session to take place between 26-32 weeks of pregnancy. We want you to have a round belly but still be able to move well before you become physically limited by it - especially because you’ll be moving a LOT during this type of session!

Once you have selected a session date from our availability, everything is handled online in a secure and streamlined process. We’ll send over a short list of what you should bring along with you to your session and directions to our studio location. We’re located right on the Beltline next to two.urban.licks. We’re just down from Ponce City Market, and our studio is SUPER easy to get to! There is a free lot parking available as well as street parking if the lot is full.

WHAT’S NEXT: THE PRE-SESSION CONSULTATION

Why do we schedule a pre-session meeting? Because over the past 8 years we have found that clients who have spent some time with me (face to face or virtually!) before stepping in front of my camera are much more comfortable right out of the gate on their session day because I’m not a total stranger they’ve just met for the first time!  This is definitely the case for fine art maternity where you may be wearing next to nothing for part or most of it.

We will schedule a time to meet in advance of your session - either in person here at the studio or virtually via Zoom or FaceTime. I will be fully protected with the Pfizer vaccine effective April 12th, and I wear an N95 mask for all client appointments and sessions regardless of client vaccination status. (ie: it doesn't matter if a client and I are both fully vaccinated, I am still wearing a mask regardless)

Many of our clients that drive to us from quite the distance (90+ minutes) and sometimes from the neighboring states of Florida, the Carolinas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, so an in person meeting isn’t always possible! Many clients bring along a bag full of their own things to wear, and our studio has a limited wardrobe of bodycon dresses and crop tops, bodysuits that can accommodate a pregnant belly, bandeau bras, and tulle gowns. We also have some beautiful Italian silk chiffon fabrics for draping and tossing (in mostly neutral colors) should you choose to incorporate that, as well as some stunning Victoria’s Secret inspired blush pink feather angel wings.

Usage of the studio wardrobe is complimentary to our booked clients! If you choose to schedule an in person meeting with me, you’ll be able to see and try on our pieces. If you’re planning on wearing anything of your own, you’ll bring that along with you as well, and we’ll design your session flow together based on the chosen looks.

During our meeting, we will discuss your vision for your maternity session. My clients vary in their preferences and desires when it comes to the images they want. I have some that are drawn to fine art nudes/implied nudes mixed in with strategic hand placement covering the breasts, and others want to be clothed the entire time with just their belly showing. Some clients really love the look of fabric draping and want to incorporate a few of those, and others don’t. The choice is ultimately yours!

I’ll also ask your preference for the studio temperature during your session since that also varies between clients as well. My top priority is that you are comfortable and well taken care of in every aspect while you are here!

CAN MY HUSBAND/CHILDREN PARTICIPATE?

While the majority of our clients choose to be the only participant for their fine art maternity sessions, your partner is more than welcome. Children can be included in a couple of images but should only be present in the studio for the time they are in photos. Because of all the specialized equipment that is set up and the length of the session, it’s not possible for them to be here in the studio for the entire session. Most families who want a family focused maternity session find our natural light sessions to be a better fit.

YOUR FINE ART MATERNITY SESSION: WHAT TO EXPECT

I’ve been photographing pregnant women for over 8 years now and truly LOVE it. When you arrive to the studio for your session, you’ll change into a robe that you’ve brought with you and you’ll be prepped by one of our amazing HMUA’s if you’ve chosen to add on services like Kali did. Everything in the studio will already be set up and ready to go, so we’ll get started as soon as you’re finished by getting changed into your first outfit. All your outfits will be lined up and ready to go with the roadmap that we created during your pre session consult so there’s no wondering what to put on or wasted time.

If you’re feeling a bit nervous, please don’t stress! I will walk you through everything during your session - from how and where to stand, to how much to tilt your head, and I’ll also coach you on your facial expressions! Our modern maternity/fine art sessions lean towards what I like to call “power” posing. You will look confident, strong, graceful, and beautiful. Mothers are a force to be reckoned with, and these images are going to combine that strength with the beauty and femininity of your pregnancy. If you’re having difficulty being verbally coached with facial expressions, I’ll whip out one of my clear masks so you can see my entire face for demonstration purposes! I promise that you will never be left to awkwardly figure out what to do next.

In total transparency: if you’ve never had a session with studio lighting, it will most likely feel intimidating at first. My lighting is on wheeled stands with large modifiers on boom arms. Once you’ve gotten used to it all, it won’t take you long to start having fun and you’ll start feeling like a model! After the first lighting set, you’ll find that you’ll get into your groove and you’ll have learned what to do from my prompts or adjustments.

We will take breaks throughout for you to get some water, a snack, bathroom break, or just to rest for a minute. If you need anything, all you have to do is let me know. We’ll pick right back up whenever you’re ready to resume!

Kali looked absolutely STUNNING with her hair and makeup, and was excited to get started. We created some absolutely gorgeous images with a mix of her pieces and studio wardrobe pieces. She brought her own non-maternity jeans and white crop top, along with some non maternity dresses and lingerie sets, and she was ALL about wearing the wings for a few images!

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR SESSION

Once your proof gallery is ready, we’ll review the images and you’ll make decisions! One of the images will be fully edited for you as a sample so you can know what to expect. We’ll discuss your specific retouching requests (our most common requests are for stretch mark removal and for very slight body slimming in certain areas).

It is my personal opinion that the modern maternity / fine art editorial photography style is most powerful in black and white imagery. However, your selected final images will come in both color and black and white versions for you!

The majority of our clients end up ordering their favorite image for a piece of wall art (metal and acrylic prints are a favorite for this type of photography) or put them all into a beautiful heirloom album.

If you’re considering a maternity session for yourself, YAY! Firstly, a HUGE congratulations to you!!! This is such an unbelievably special and sacred time in your life, and it’s such an honor to photograph mamas expecting their first, second, third, or seventh child. 

I would absolutely love for you to contact us to chat about your vision and what we can offer you. We can chat about whether a fine art modern maternity session with studio lighting is the right fit for you vs. our natural light sessions, and answer any questions you have!

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Kali’s modern maternity session below! Isn’t she absolutely gorgeous?!

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 Baby & Family Photographer | Audrey is three months!

Melinda contacted us to book a newborn session when she was in her second trimester and was SO excited for it…. and then the pandemic hit. We had quite a few “newborns” come in for sessions when they were much older due to the mandated shutdown, and their sessions are just as beautiful! 2020 was truly a year that stretched us all, forced me to think outside of the box, and that taught us that sometimes things end up being even better when they don’t happen quite as planned.

While wrapping them up into curly poses is often not possible as they pass the 4-6 week mark, we can still photograph your baby when they’re 2-3 months old! I want you to know that your baby does NOT have to be a newborn to capture this special time in your life as a new family.

If you hesitated to book a newborn session and are now regretting it, please reach out to see if we have availability to photograph your baby so you can always remember every little detail about them just as they are right now. When you call us, we’ll discuss all the professional AND personal COVID-safety precautions we’re taking to keep everyone safe.

SCHEDULING RECOMMENDATIONS

Don’t put off reserving your session once you know you want to book! We routinely fill our calendar several months in advance. Because of this, most of our clients reach out to schedule at least two months in advance of when they’re hoping to schedule their session. Our First Year Collection members have the added benefit of not having to remember to reach out to us because we handle that for them! If you’re pregnant and considering documenting your baby’s first year (newborn, sitting milestone, first birthday milestone), definitely ask us about becoming a First Year Collection member.

For those who are late to the game and reading this with a newborn or milestone already here, please be aware that we might have availability - but you’ll never know unless you ask! Contact us today if that’s you, and we may be able to fit you in on our schedule.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR MILESTONE SESSION

For a three month old milestone, we don’t have a lot of time (30ish minutes) before baby is all tuckered out due to how little they are. If it’s your first and only baby, your session will be focused on baby, baby with each parent, and the whole family together.

For Audrey’s session, it was a bit different! Since the whole family (big brother included!) was participating, I asked Melinda what her top priorities for images were. I wanted to be sure that the top wishes were taken at the beginning of my session flow. She also asked me to photograph Audrey’s little details as much as I could, and made sure that I knew Audrey’s red mark on her nose was a birthmark and not a scratch.

AUDREY’S SESSION DAY

Melinda had asked to add on hair and makeup to her session, so she arrived at the studio in advance of the rest of the family to be prepped. She chose a gorgeous blue dress from the studio wardrobe to wear, and absolutely loved the stress free experience of getting ready for her photos.

When the rest of the family arrived, they were all dressed and ready to go. We started with family and sibling images first, and I also took the opportunity photograph Audrey alone.

Audrey was a bright eyed and curious little girl. She stayed awake for a while and then started melting down, so I suggested that Melinda nurse her for a bit and we would see what happened. I had a pretty strong suspicion that Audrey would fall asleep, and I was praying I would be right.

I WAS RIGHT!

I knew that Melinda was still sad about not having true newborn images, and I REALLY wanted to be able to make some images happen for her that were very newborn like - but having Audrey sound asleep was the only way for that to happen! Audrey falling asleep allowed me the opportunity to photograph her peaceful sleeping countenance and gorgeous long eyelashes, as well as her little toes and her fingers wrapped around her mother’s. We were even able to get Audrey snuggled up on her parent’s shoulders, and capture the closeness and intimacy of their family. I was so happy that I was able to make this session happen for the family, and they LOVED their images. After reviewing her proof gallery, Melinda sent me this:

“The photos are fantastic!! You did a great job of capturing our family dynamics and personalities. You managed to give me some great newborn style photos, which is pretty amazing considering her age. And I love all of the smiling photos we were able to get.”

CONNECT WITH US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Are you expecting and interested in learning about working with our studio for your baby’s newborn or upcoming milestone session? We’d LOVE to speak with you about the client experience we offer and how we can serve your growing family. Contact us today to set up a time to speak on the phone and chat!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from Audrey’s newborn turned milestone 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.