The key to sweet and sleepy newborn photos is, of course, a sleepy baby! Below, you’ll find a few helpful hints, tips and tricks that will make the session flow smoothly . While these tips are often helpful , please know that I will always defer to the needs of the family during our session. I don’t want to upset any budding routines and feeding habits or make life for you harder after I leave!

” But where???” :
The number one question you may have when hiring an in-home newborn photographer is ” Where will you do the photos?” It’s an important one so I’ll answer that right off the bat!  I prefer to work in a quiet area of the home where the hustle and bustle of the house won’t be disturbed. While newborns are used to lots of noise, they aren’t used to be posed while they are sleeping. Working in a quite area of the house ( and with my white noise app) I have found helps babies fall asleep more quickly . It also allows older siblings to carry on life as normal and gives your some extra one on one time with big sisters or brothers while I work with the baby only.

Note: You have added a brand new baby to your family and before that you or your partner were heavily pregnant. Your house should be a mess. Please don’t feel stressed to provide an immaculately clean house! Only feel the need to clean the areas we’ll be using of the things you don’t want in photos. I am a parent and I know how it goes to try and toss in even one load of laundry and actually fold it when your arms are full . No judgement here!

Note: In home photos are NOT for everyone. If you prefer a studio session, I can accommodate those with an added studio fee. Let me know if that’s your preference.

Lighting is secondary to a quiet room. While I will bring my own studio lighting, I love to work in a light airy room with enough space for me to move around relatively freely . My lighting set up includes a 50 inch round soft box . Enough room for that to be opened is helpful! If the room has a window, I’ll start with the curtains and shades open but  may close them depending on how things are looking in camera.  Often times the nursery or the master bedroom is the best place for this! If you doubt, you can send me photos or wait for me to arrive and we can decide together.

Not sure you want to use your home? No problem! Talk to me about booking the studio for an additional fee.

“How can I prepare?”
About one half hour before our session, attempt to feed your little one. If he/she is not hungry, that’s ok! There’s no need to try and force a full baby to eat. If he/she becomes hungry later, we will always allow for a full feeding on demand.  Next, a quick diaper check will go a long way in keeping the baby comfortable during our session. Once you’ve changed the diaper feel free to slather on some lotion to help with dry skin.  After that, feel free to dress your baby in whatever you’d like him/her to wear for family photos. That can be a coordinating outfit, a white onesie or a wrap ( you’re welcome to choose one of mine when I arrive). If your baby takes a pacifier or bottle, having that close by will allow me to soothe the baby while I work.

Room temperature is pretty important during newborn photos. Turning down the AC or turning on the heat during the session time is usually a pretty good idea as newborns are not quite able to regulate their own temperatures yet. Sometimes, even just placing a blanket over the heat vent of the room I’m using is enough to keep baby warm with out making everyone else uncomfortably hot in the summer  .  As newborn photography goes, if I’m not sweating, baby is likely not warm enough!

” We’re  clean, fed and ready to go. Now what? “
Once I arrive, I’ll bring all my gear in. While it will likely take me a trip or two to my car, rest assured that I’m not moving in! Newborn photography does require quite a bit of ” stuff” . While I bring everything I need with me for 2-3 different wrapped set ups, please feel free to add in blankets, small stuffed animals or other small props , too. Please note that my style leans heavily to the clean and simple, naturally posed. I am not well experienced in studio style prop photos like baby posed ski boots, baby laying on books or themed photos. Having said that, I’m always willing to try those photos as long as I feel they can be carried out safely. It’s also important to know that, since I travel with my studio gear, some poses like froggy or potato sack , aren’t possible on travel sized equipment.

I’ll take about 10 minutes to set up in the room you’ve selected. Once that’s done, I’ll wash my hands and be ready to photograph the family in a lifestyle manner. These are more laid back and casual than posed photos and are intended to document life as it is that day. These will be a reminder to you later of these early ( sleep deprived ) days and one day to your children as they grow up and have their own babies! The photos are loosely posed and I look mostly to photograph interactions. During this time, we will take photos of each member of the family with the baby and then a group family photo, too. The family portion of the session is best done in a larger, well lit room like the living room, nursery or master bedroom. If weather permits, outside photos are a nice option, too!

Lastly, it’s baby’s turn! While I generally work quietly with just the baby, you are more than welcome to pop in and out to see how things are going. I encourage you to take time to throw in a load of laundry, spend time with your other children snuggling with a book or even take a nap while I work. You have my word that I will let you know as soon as it’s clear your baby has a need.  If you are uncomfortable with the idea of this, please let me know! I’d never want you to feel worried for your child while they are in my care. You can expect the newborn only portion to take about one hour once the baby is settled .

An important note about siblings:
Siblings , especially toddlers, often reject the idea of taking photos with their new sibling. When this occurs, I follow the lead of the parents and gently encourage interactions. Incentives are ok and welcome! If a package of fruit snacks or lollipop will encourage a few minutes of photos, I’m ok with that! New brothers or sisters have been through a lot, too, and a little treat, whatever you find to be helpful, can go a long way.  Still,  despite our best efforts,  there is no sure fire way to create loving sibling photos. I’ll count on you to let me know when you feel like you’re ready to stop trying . I take extra care to engage siblings and get them excited for photos. In doing so, I always attempt to get at least one photo of just them so they feel just as special as their new baby brother or sister.  I have learned that older kids will often relax a little bit toward the end of the session when the pressure is off a bit. Because of this, you’ll see me start to put my gear away but keep my camera handy in case a moment happens at that time. We take these interactions as they come and don’t force . Usually, by the 6 mo session (for the Watch me Grow families) , the older kids are more agreeable and the baby can support their heads and bodies a little better.  All of these same tips can be applied to fur siblings, too. I’m happy to give pets their due space in photos as long as that can be done safely!

” How do you feel about Pinterest?”
I love Pintrest because it allows me to see a family’s style . I know immediately if I’m a good fit as a photographer when someone sends inspiration photos and that is very important. If a family sends photos that I know is not a look I can achieve with my equipment and style, I will let you know and we can talk about that!

On the other hand, Pintrest can set us all up for disappointment and stress when our photos don’t match those . It’s important to  keep in mind that every family and every photographer is different and you can’t insert a family in front of a photographer and expect the same results. So much goes into a photo that can’t be manufactured. In fact, some of my own photos I’ve found floating around Pintrest are some I’ve never managed to recreate because they were a once in a lifetime occurrence.What I want for you instead is photos that come naturally because they are created by you . I want to see how your child’s eyes sparkle when you tickle them and I want to showcase the love that is uniquely yours.  Now, that can make anyone feel vulnerable but trust me to see the beauty found right with in your walls and we can create something irreplaceably you.

The take home message here is this: Send all the screen shots! I’d love to see them and we can have a conversation about them.  I love to see your style and hopes for photos, just don’t hold so tightly to those images that you can’t see beauty in what is yours.

“Do you take check?”
Payment is due at the time of the session and can be made via cash, check,invoice or Venmo . I no longer accept Paypal as there are digital payment options that don’t charge fees. If this is an issue, please talk with me. I’m certain we can work something out!  Please note that photos will not be edited until payment is received.

“When will my photos be ready?”
You can expect a turn around time of one week ( unless otherwise specified) Know that I’ll be working steadily on your photos to have them returned to you as soon as I can. Your photos will come to you via link to an online gallery . Inside the gallery, you’ll find all of the photos I’ve culled, edited and uploaded. Those are the photos that I found to be original ( not duplicate to others sent) , printable and that match my stylistic standards. If you do not find a photo you remember we took , it’s likely because it didn’t meet one of those standards. While I do my best to nail every shot, it’s impossible to guarantee every shot will turn out.  I frequently check the display of my camera for quality but often times blur can’t be detected until the photo is pulled up on a computer screen. For this reason, specific shots can’t be guaranteed.

Included in the gallery will be my written permission to print your photos ( you can screen shot this and show it to the printing lab if they ask ) and instructions for how to download your photos. Your gallery will remain active on the site for only 30 days. After that, they’ll automatically be removed and purged to my external hard drive where I will keep them for one year. If you need an extension beyond 30 days, please just let me know!

You can order prints directly from the site if you wish though I understand there are budgets for everyone. That’s why I recommend Mpix.com for a quick, reliable and quality service. They don’t pay me to say that; I just like them that much! On the other hand, I recommend against using Walmart, Walgreens or Shutterfly as I have had multiple families who found their prints to look drastically different than my digital files.

Last but not least, I don’t like to add any pressure for families to buy photo sessions with me. If you decide you’d like to book a 6 month and 12 month session at the Watch me Grow discounted pricing, feel free to send me a message 6 weeks before your baby’s milestone month and I’ll be over the moon happy to schedule your next appointment! You can also let me know at the newborn session if you know you’d like to go that route!

I count myself so lucky to be able to follow families as they grow. Today, you have invited me to take photos of your tiny baby and it’s my hope that one day you’ll also be inviting me to take photos of your senior in high school, too!

With all my sincerity,
Missy