EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT YOUR NEWBORN SHOOT
I N S P I R A T I O N P A C K
CONGRATULATIONS
LET'S GET SOME ADORABLE MEMORIES CAPTURED WITH YOUR NEW FAMILY MEMBER!
INSPIRATION
It's always a good idea to create a vision for your shoot, so when you come to plan your location and outfit, it all has a coherent look. The best way I find to do this, is creating a vision board on Pinterest! Here you can search just about anything to find inspiration. If you need any help with Pinterest - just give me a shout.
This way we can look over any ideas you have just by pulling up the board on your shoot day. Although please be aware that different locations, light conditions and other daily variables can affect the ambience of your photos, so it's not always possible to create the EXACT same image - vision boards are more of a guide than an absolute!
LOCATION
As you're looking through the photos that inspire you, make note of the locations they're taken in. The setting of your shoot can massively determine the ambience of your photos. For instance, the light and bright ambience of the park on a summers evening as the sun is low in the sky will have a very different feel to being at home when the evening light is peeking in through the windows creating pockets of light. Both are beautiful options and which you choose to go with is totally personal preference!
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If you choose to go with a home session, make sure your desired rooms are as tidy and decluttered as possible (a good job for all your baby's visitors!) and there is enough natural light - look for big windows! I try to work with natural light and avoid using flashes where possible as your newborn's eyes are more sensitive to the light. For this reason, a mid-morning or evening session would work best, the exact time will vary across the seasons.​
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Not sure about your location? Send me pictures and videos ahead of time.
DON'T FORGET
LET ME KNOW WHEN YOUR NEW FAMILY MEMBER ARRIVES
We can reschedule the session if needs be so we capture them at the perfect, sleepy, adorable time!
PREPARATION
FOR YOUR LITTLE ONE
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MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
Firstly, don't expect everything to go to plan! When working with newborns, we're bound to need a feeding break and a clean up​ here and there. We will do as much or as little as your baby is comfortable with, and above all else, their safety is my number one priority.
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YOUR SESSION FOCUS
My style is very much documentary, capturing the unique and precious bond you share with your newborn. If you have a specific focus for your session, such as the addition of siblings or outfits, please make me aware ahead of time so I can come prepared and factor this in to timing. This may require some additional time.
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SCHEDULING YOUR SESSION
Your baby will be most sleepy in their first 10 days, this is our best window for getting those adorable newborn images. From here they become more alert and the angelic, sleepy poses will be harder to achieve, in some cases even impossible. With a documentary, lifestyle approach we are more flexible on timing, so week two can still work for us.
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Schedule your session for nap time where possible - the sleepier the baby, the easier it will be to work through poses. Try to keep your baby awake for 1 - 2 hours leading up to your session, and feed them just before we meet so they are ready to nod off. This may mean we have an accident or two throughout the shoot - so have extra wipes, nappies and blankets to the ready!
DRESSING YOUR BABY
Avoid unnecessary dressing and undressing. Start the session with them in an outfit that is easy to get on and off so we are not disturbing them too much before we begin. I like to keep things simple with them in their nappy, covered with a neutral toned wrap or throw, or snuggled up in a blanket. For this, dress them in the smallest size nappy they will comfortably fit in so it is subtle in the photos.
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PREPARING FOR YOUR LOCATION
If we are doing an outdoor session, bring fuzzy blankets, and lots of them!! They will look super cute and give us something to wrap your little one up in.
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If we are doing a home session, 30 minutes before your shoot, raise the temperature of your house to 28°C so your baby does not get cold and restless during the session - they do get cold easily, especially if we are undressing them!
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Bring a dummy - even if your baby doesn't usually use one, I would highly recommend bringing one to pop in between photos and keep your baby comforted so the session runs smoothly. This can be thrown away after your session.
Finally, bring a helper!!! The more hands on deck, the better - this way we can work our way through the different poses and set-ups as efficiently as possible. After all this prep - everything might still go wrong! But don't worry, just have fun with it and we will capture the moments and laughter as they happen - this will be just as precious to look back on in years to come!
My BIGGEST piece of advice when picking your outfit is.. go for something completely timeless! The goal is to be able to look back on your photos in years to come, and LOVE them just as much as the first time you saw them.
I'm here to capture the intimate and precious moments you share with your newest family member, so by keeping to neutral colours and soft fabrics with your outfit choices, and avoiding bright colours and heavy patterns, this means there are no distractions for the eye.
I would highly recommend having a second outfit laid out and ready to change in to, or some layers and accessories that can be swapped throughout your session, in order to capture a variety of photos.
Even if you aren't planning on being in the baby photos, I would encourage you to bring along some suitable clothes just in case. 99% of the people who don't plan on being in them, end up joining in once we get going!
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The look you choose to go for is likely to be influenced by the time of year and location of your shoot. But keep it neutral and classic and you can't go wrong.
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Be vocal about any pain (such as from a C section) - do let me know if you have any discomfort, or any poses are proving uncomfortable for you. I want to make the experience as comfortable and easy for everyone involved.
PREPARATION
FOR YOU
FOR MORE INSPIRATION
EXPECTATIONS
ON THE DAY
On the day of your shoot, I will meet you at your chosen location where we will have a chat about your vision for your shoot. It is helpful if you have some ideas before I arrive, but don't worry, I will be there to guide you along too!
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I look to capture variety in the photos, to leave you with a versatile gallery when it comes to picking your favourites to hang on the wall. However quality over quantity is most important to me - I would rather work with you to capture a small handful of images that really document the charm of your little one than try to cover all angles in a hurried way.
Don't forget to try keeping your baby awake for 1 - 2 hours leading up to your session, and feed them just before we meet so they are ready to nod off.
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To avoid unnecessary dressing and undressing, start the session with them in an outfit that is easy to get on and off. Have an 'accident supply' at the ready with extra wipes, nappies and blankets, so any changing mid-session is easy. Also have your dummy to hand.
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I will pop a white noise app on my phone during the session - this mimics the comforting noises of the womb and will help soothe your baby. Once they are settled, we will begin!
The typical shoot lasts about 2 hours depending on your package. We work to your baby's schedule – I like to keep the photo shoots relaxed and fun, tailoring them to you and what you hope to get out of them.
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Having said that, we often spend the majority of the shoot capturing those precious moments between you and your baby. However if you are wanting your session mostly baby focused - we can do this too!
EXPECTATIONS
AFTER YOUR SHOOT
Your shoot will typically leave me with several hundred images to work through - yikes! I go away and work my magic on your photos, editing and enhancing them till I am happy with the aesthetic.
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You will then receive a link and password for your own private online gallery. I recommend you pop the kettle on, sit down with a nice cuppa, some of your favourite music on, and enjoy your photos!
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Depending on your chosen package, I aim to present you with 50 - 100 photos in your gallery. Your gallery should take about a week to turn around, however may take up to 3 weeks during busy periods (yes, I'm talking about summer!) but I promise it will be worth the wait!
​All of your photos will go through an initial editing process, including cropping and colour enhancing, before they are uploaded into your gallery for viewing.
Some touch ups will then be done on your chosen images before they are delivered to you. If there are any specific alterations you are wanting made to an image, please do let me know when ordering. Some more complex enhancements may incur an additional editing charge, due to the time taken to complete.
