I'm so excited to be working with you and can’t wait for our time together during your upcoming newborn session! I know you are in baby prep mode and have quite a few things on your plate these days, which is why I put together this guide to answer all of your questions in one place.
Below you will find tips and things to keep in mind when it comes to outfits, prepping the house + baby and more!
Hopefully this will help you feel fully prepared for our time together, but should you have any other questions or if you need advice, please feel free to reach out any time!
- alyson
Newborn sessions are best when they occur 7-15 days after the baby is born. This is when babies are most fresh, flexible, sleepy, and likely without baby acne. Please send me a note via e-mail or text once the baby is born so we can get your session scheduled ASAP!
To allow for the best natural light, and a sleepy baby, I like to schedule your session to start at around 10:00 in the morning. If you know the nursery or other space you'd like to use gets better light in the afternoon please let me know and we can discuss an ideal start time.
Quick Note: Newborn sessions typically take place on weekdays when possible so that I can serve my maternity clients and families on weekends.
Newborn Session Timing
TIME & LIGHT
Newborn
Baby outfits are stinking cute, I GET IT! But to be honest, full-on clothes on little tiny newborns don't tend to photograph well. A lot of times they are still swimming in their garments and we want to be able to appreciate their tiny features in this session.
Knotted gowns or neutral onesies are recommended. I will also bring some neutral swaddles in a stretchy fabric to wrap baby nice and snug.
Quick tip: You’ve likely realized this by now, but babies can be a bit messy. It’s always a good idea for all members of the family to plan an extra outfit just in case!
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I know postpartum can be a very vulnerable time for mama, especially when it comes to what to wear! Please know you are absolutely beautiful and your body just created LIFE-- that is something to be celebrated. You can totally use this as an excuse to treat yourself to something that makes you feel pretty + comfortable. You deserve it! Again, flowy, long dresses are both a flattering + comfortable choice! I recommend wearing light and neutral colors (avoiding black) for these indoor photos.
Dear Mama,
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While your entire house doesn’t need to look like it’s ready for Pinterest, I do recommend tidying up any places you think we might shoot. Look for rooms with big windows and lots of natural light. This might include the nursery, master bedroom, the couch, etc. But truly, that's all you need to prep. I know you're in the throes of newborn life and won't judge the pile of dishes in the sink or baby paraphernalia that has suddenly taken over the house.
Quick tip: If you have colorful or dark bedding in the master bedroom, I suggest replacing it with white or ivory linens for our session. This will help with achieving a timeless light and airy look in your images.
Preparing your home
what to wear for baby
I always allot up to two hours for newborn sessions. We won't necessarily shoot for the entirety but we do want to leave plenty of wiggle room for diaper changes, feedings, and settling the baby throughout.
Please plan to feed and change your little one’s diaper right before I am scheduled to arrive and keep the room a comfortably warm temperature. This will help us have a content and sleepy baby at the start of our session!
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Preparing your Baby
Newborn sessions
all about
on to the next
When picking clothing for your session I recommend keeping in mind the word “complement” rather than “match.” A good rule of thumb is to pick 2 or 3 colors and spread them throughout the family. Don't be afraid to mix in a few subtle patterns or textures. It can also be helpful to choose “color-families,” such as pastels or earthy tones.
Coordinating Outfits
what to wear
For mom: I suggest having mama choose an outfit she feels confident and beautiful in first; then plan the color palette and everyone else's outfits from there.
For dad: Soft, neutral colors are the best choice. We want the mood to be calm and relaxing. A soft t-shirt with jeans or slacks is ideal. Solid shades of light gray, blue, khaki, and white are a strong compliment to most women’s outfits, whereas pinstripes or plaid patterns tend to distract the eye. I also recommend staying away from graphics and logos.
Selecting Outfits
what to wear
on to the next
There will be times during your session when we’re shooting your hands - which means it’s a good idea to clean up your nails before your session (this applies to the guys too!).
Mamas: I recommend having your fingernails, toenails, and cuticles clean and manicured with a pale pink or neutral polish.
Quick Tip: Bare feet look best for at home photo sessions!
One Last Note
don't forget your nails
back to start
-- Browse the wardrobe here --
Mamas, feel free to borrow a dress from my client wardrobe for your newborn session! Take a look, and you can favorite up to 3 dresses you'd like to try. I will bring them along on session day and you can try them on when I arrive!
Don't Stress Over the Dress!
Don't Stress Over the Dress!
the client closet
1. PREPARE THEM AHEAD OF TIME
If your little one is old enough to understand future plans, let them know about photos a few days leading up to your session. Tell them why the photos are important to your family, and explain that we will get to have some fun playing together! Maybe even consider planning something fun afterward as a treat such as ice cream, a trip to the park, etc. It could help give them something to look forward to once we get through the session!
2. LET'S EMBRACE WHAT WE ARE GIVEN
The best thing you can do for your kids is to go with the flow and stay positive. The more you relax and have fun with things, the more likely your little one (or big one,) is to get on board.
While I always try to get a good shot of everyone smiling and looking at the camera, I would describe my style as candid and true to life. I love making sessions all about the realness and emotion of the season you are in! We will embrace your kiddos being little and capture you simply enjoying each other as a family. In my opinion, and as many of my past clients will agree, those real moments make some of the best images!
Tips for
siblings
Some family members just happen to be furry and I love when clients choose to incorporate pets into their session!
It's a good idea to exercise your pet before I arrive if possible and have a favorite toy or treats ready! Depending on your pet’s fur type, it might also be a good idea to groom them before the shoot.
Managing
furry ones
Yes, you are welcome to print the images on your own. If you do this, I recommend making sure that the printer does not color correct the images (many automatically do this.) I also recommend looking for a high quality printer. While 10 cent prints sound great in theory, the cheaper printing quality often won’t do your images justice. Paper quality, color correction and a handful of other factors play a big role in the way your prints turn out. This is one of the reasons why I love offering prints and products to my clients through your gallery store.
A:
Can I print the images on my own?
q:
While I don’t guarantee an exact number of images, I will make sure we capture lots of variety in your session. Most proofing galleries include about 50 edited images for you to choose from.
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How many images will I receive?
q:
Your images will remain in an online gallery for at least 6 months. While your galleries may stay up longer than that, I cannot guarantee it. Once your galleries have been delivered it is highly recommended that you download all high resolution images to several devices / cloud hosts. Consider investing in a portable, waterproof external hard drive.
A:
How long will I have access to the images?
q:
Your images will be ready within two to three weeks of your session. While you're patiently waiting to see your images, keep an eye out on my social media accounts for a sneak peek!
A:
When will I receive my images?
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Frequently
asked
Questions
You are absolutely welcome to share images on social media! To ensure that my work is properly represented, I ask that you refrain from any edits. I also SO appreciate image credits and tags as they help me to continue to grow as a business.
A:
Can I share the images on social media?
q:
By default, the creators of images always own the rights to the images. However you'll receive a release to use, print and share your images. The only thing you won’t be able to do is sell your image as a stock photo. I won’t do this either without your written permission.
A:
Do I own the rights to the images?
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Newborn sessions last somewhere between 1 & 2 hours - it just depends on the baby! We don’t always use the entire scheduled time, but this gives flexibility for milk breaks, diaper changes, etc.
A:
How long should we plan for the session to take?
q:
I do light retouching on all of images. This means that if there are any glaring objects that should be removed (such as a bump from the tumble your toddler took that morning,) I'll remove it. Larger edits (such as removing tan lines,) require more time and would require an additional editing charge per photo.
A:
Will you retouch our images?
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Hopefully this guide covered everything you need to know to prep for your upcoming photo sessions. However if there is something I missed, or you need a recommendation feel free to email me anytime!