Newborn sessions are very exciting for new parents, but they can also be a little scary too. You’re hand over you most treasured possession to someone you’ve never met before. This can be a daunting experience, so I’ve put together 7 helpful tips to so you know what to expect from your session & how to prepare.
1) Feeding your baby
It doesn’t really matter if you breast or bottle feed, its what ever is right for you and you baby. I advise all my clients to aim to feed just before or when they arrive for their session. Breast fed babies tend to wake up more for feeds during the session but this is perfectly normal, we just keep giving them top ups to help them stay satisfied. It really is hungry work being a model.
Bottle fed babies are a little more content but they can still wake and want more so always bring a few bottle with you just incase.
2) Sleeping
Lets face it, as all you new parents will have found out, babies sleep whenever they want and not necessarily when you want them to (i.e. 2am when you want to go back to sleep).
I ask parents to try and keep baby awake for at least an hour prior to the session (ha, as above, baby will usually do what they want) so they will be nice and sleepy when they arrive. Don’t panic if you arrive and for the first hour baby is wide awake. Some babies will come in fast a sleep and we can work with them straight away. These then usually wake for a feed half way through and take an hour to get back off to sleep. Where as babies that are awake at the start, may sleep for the entire session.
I have lots of tips and tricks to help get your baby to sleep, these will be shared with you on the day so you can continue to use them at home.
3) Soothing and posing
This is where I get the nickname “baby whisperer” from my clients. I have a chat with parents when they arrive about what I will be doing and how baby may react. This is to put new parents at ease. It’s not easy watching a complete stranger soothing your crying baby, you just want to snatch them back and cuddle them. However, it really is best that I sooth baby to sleep. If you are breast feeding, baby will be able to smell milk and this will leave them unsettled (thats why, at home, dad is usually better at getting baby to sleep, its not because they hate you, they can just smell food). Also, I know all the ticks to help them settle.
Again with the posing, leave this to me. I will explain that baby may cry a little when being posed. This is not because I’m hurting them, its simply their way of telling me off. Just imagine, you’re in a lovely cosy position and someone comes and moves you, you’re not going to be impressed. So please don’t panic. Im fully trained in the art of safely posing Newborns and am a BANPAS Ambassador, who promote safety in the newborn Photography industry (you can read my blog on safety here).
4) Toilet time
This is the one that I find most parent worry about, their newborn pooping or peeing on the blankets. This happens at almost every newborn session and everything, including myself is washable. If I happen to capture the moment on camera, you get that free. You can then use it to embarrass them when they are older.
If it dose happen, we just clean up and carry one.
5) Relax & Enjoy
Now you have a new baby, you won’t get much time to just sit and relax, so make the most of it while you can. The experience of watching your newborn being posed and photographed is as much a part of making memories and the finished photos themselves.
6) Parent photos
Not everyone wants to be in the photos but my advice is to have them done anyway. Your baby is never going to be this little again so this is your only chance to get them done when they are this new. You can then view them and if you don’t like them, you don’t have to have them. If you don’t get them done, you won’t have that chance to view them. You never know, you might love them.
7) Siblings
Awww I love sibling photos, but I’m going to let you in on a secret. If your child may not want to have photos done with their baby brother/sister. They may cry, scream, throw a major tantrum and refuse point blank to go anywhere near the baby. THIS IS NORMAL, don’t panic and let me take control. It can be very daunting for them so if they are unwilling there are several things we can do.
I have very often photographed the sibling and baby separately and merge the photos together in photoshop. I may even have to just play & chat to the sibling for awhile to gain their trust before they will even walk onto my backdrop.
The finished photos will look amazing and you would never know they were anything other that a perfect angle. If fact, the photo above, she didn’t want any photos at first, she cried and cried and after an hour of chatting and playing we got a lovely set of sibling images. Just look at that smile, you would never know.
I try and make your Newborn Photography experience as relaxed and happy as I can, if you have any questions please comment on this blog, I endeavour to answer them all.
Here are 2 recent video reviews from happy clients:
If you would like to enquire or book a newborn session you can email me on Lyn@wingsphotography.co.uk or call 07783 155100
