There are few things in life better than a brand new baby! I’ve said it a million times -babies are my absolute favorite subject to photograph and I could take pictures of them all day long!
Today, I am sharing Baby Cade’s newborn portraits, taken in my home studio. He was a dream to work with because he slept so soundly through the whole session with little to no fuss. I love being a Claremore Newborn Photographer!
How to prepare for a successful Newborn Session
You’re in a new and exciting time in your life. You’ve now got this adorable, precious little soul and are ready to document his or her first memories in photographs. I want to make this a joyous experience for you and your family. I know how nerve-racking picture day can be, especially when you’re running on little-to-no sleep. To help you out with this process, I’ve compiled a list of preparation tips to ease some of your stress. If you have any questions at all, feel free to contact me at [email protected] and I can get you the answers you’re looking for.
What to Bring
If we are doing a session in your home, you don’t have to bring anything, however, we suggest that you take a look at this list and have these items readily available in case we need them during your session. If you are doing a studio session, please follow this checklist to avoid under or over packing your diaper bag.
I try to keep my sessions pretty basic and focused on your new little bundle of joy. and therefore suggest taking a minimalist approach to prop usage. If I am traveling to you, I will not bring a lot of props, just lighting equipment and backdrops. If there is something you’d like to include in your photos – a special outfit or blanket, a favorite stuffed animal or toy, heirlooms, etc. –, I am more than happy to incorporate it in your session. The more personal items we use in your session, the more unique these photos will be to your child and your family’s personality.
To ensure that your baby is happy and calm during the session, we suggest
- feeding and burping your baby about 20-30 minutes prior to start time so they’re nice and sleepy
- making sure a pacifier is handy (if you use one)
- fresh bottle or Mommy nearby in case baby needs additional soothing
- burp cloths and clean diapers ready to go
- turning up the heat to around 85 degrees or having a portable heater running in the room we will shoot in
What to Wear
Newborns are not very patient when it comes to outfit changes. We suggest dressing having your child in an outfit you’d like for them to wear for their photos before you get to the session. To keep it clean on the way to the session, cover it with a bib or burp rag in case of little incidents. After we take a few photos in this outfit, we prefer to take the rest of the photos in just the diaper , or completely in the nude. In our opinion, babies photograph best this way and they will also cooperate longer if we are not constantly changing their outfits. If you are not comfortable with this, we can stick with one to two outfits for the session.
If you are going to be in photos with your child, we suggest bringing a backup shirt, just in case. We also suggest that you wear a white or black shirts in case we need to photograph parts of you with your child on the backdrop (for example, just your hands holding the baby) so you don’t stand out. For mommies, we suggest keeping jewelry to a minimum, as babies like to grab hold of these items.
If you have any wardrobe questions, please contact us. We’d be more than happy to help. Thanks for reading! We look forward to your session!
