Whether you’re still thinking about a newborn session and want to know what they are all about or you’ve already booked and now you’re trying to make sure you’re prepared, this series is for you!  

What to expect on the day of your session!

If you are still wondering about how to book, where to book or when to book check out part 1 of this series here.

During a newborn session the goal is to actually make sure that your baby is asleep for the majority of the session.  Although most photographers will get a few wakeful images, and if baby is awake for large parts of the session we can still photograph them. We do, however, find that a session is most successful when baby sleeps through the majority of the session.

There are several things that you as parents can do to prepare for your session to ensure a successful sleepy session.  

The number one tip I have is all about scheduling!!  As I mentioned in part one of this series; newborn sessions are most succesful when they happen in the first 7-12 days after baby is born.  This is a time when baby is still very sleepy and stays asleep even when they are moved or touched.  As they get older, even just 3 weeks old, their tolerance for being touched when sleeping starts going down dramatically! 

Some tips for when you arrive to your session: 

The best situation is to have your baby well fed and sleepy when you arrive to your session.  

Sometimes it makes most sense to feed baby at home before you to come to the studio. However, if you are driving some distance there is a comfortable spot in our studio to feed baby when you arrive.  

It’s also best to have baby in a simple sleeper (preferably with a zipper)  The less we can disrupt baby while getting them ready the better! 

When you arrive at the studio it will be nice and toasty!  I keep my studio quite warm to keep baby content and sleepy when we remove their clothing.  I recommend you dress in layers as it can get quite warm for you and your partner!  

If this is not your first child and you are bringing your other children- please don’t stress at all!  I have 3 young kids myself and I know that keeping toddlers entertained is a difficult job! Feel free to bring toys, a tablet, snacks water etc!  Your partner is welcome to take your children outside or let them watch on your phone!  If you have several young children we can rearrange the flow to make sure sibling poses are done near the beginning of the session when they are still fresh and happy! 

How the session flows: 

Although each photographer has their own tricks and flow for their sessions; this is my flow!  I like to start with baby wrapped in several different layers and I get 3-5 different prop poses done with different layers of wraps.  After I am done with each layer I will remove it and do the next pose or prop in the next layer.  Being all wrapped up and swaddled like this helps baby get into a nice deep sleep.  

Once we have finished the prop poses we will do the family and parent poses. These are most often done when baby is wrapped because baby is much easier to hold this way!  That being said, parent and family poses can also be done while baby is nude or in a romper if you so choose.   

The next step is what I call a table posing flow.  These are images where baby is minimally wrapped or naked on a table with lots of cushion and simple coloured backdrop. These poses are where baby truly is the star of the show.  Next, I like to put baby into some sort of outfit or romper.  I usually switch the colour of backdrop and do another set table poses followed by additional prop poses in the romper.  And this usually concludes our session.  

Every session includes poses of baby alone as well as poses with just mom, just dad, just siblings and the entire family!  

When you read all of that it is suddenly much easier to how a session can quickly last 2-3 hours!   The length of the session depends greatly on baby. My primary goal is always to keep baby comfortable, sleepy and cozy.  This may mean that baby needs an extra feed or a snuggle in the middle of the session. We never force baby through a pose or a flow and if we need several breaks then we take them!  Just like most of their infancy- baby runs the show during their session! 

After your session

No body wants to wait too long to see the beautiful images if their new little one! So your full online gallery will be available within 2 weeks of your session. You will receive an email with a link to your gallery where you will be able to choose your favourite images from your session. The number of images included is determined by the package that you choose. Prints, albums and wall art are all available to purchase through your gallery and will be mailed directly to you. You can also purchase additional digital image files if you fall in love with too many images!