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LITTLE SMILER SESSION GUIDE

Little Smiler | Baby Photo Shoots | Leeds | Bradford | Skipton | Keighley | Ilkley

HOW TO PREPARE AND WHAT TO EXPECT

So your session can run as smoothly as possible, I have compiled a prep guide to help us get the most out of your session!

Booking your session

The age of your baby will determine the props and poses used, as well as the overall length of your session.

These sessions are suitable for babies aged 2 to 6 months of age and usually last around 2 hours, depending on how well baby settles. The main differences between baby’s at 2 months old, compared with older babies is that your baby may be more likely to sleep for at least some of their session (I swaddle babies of this age to encourage sleep) and there is more chance of achieving some images which look newborn-ish, as well as awake images.

You should be aware though that it is not usually possible to pose babies over 4-6 weeks of age in those classic newborn curled up positions, due to them being more alert and less flexible at this age. However, it really depends on each baby as to what can be achieved. For babies over 12 weeks, the images will mostly likely be of them awake and will be posed in a more natural way. Babies nearing 6 months of age may be able to sit up for short periods, although if you’re after mostly sitting photos I suggest booking in for a Little Sitter Session.

How long does a My Baby photography session last?

Little Smiler Sessions usually last around 2 hours, although on occasion, if baby is unsettled or particularly hungry, your session may last a little longer.

What should I bring to the session?

Please bring plenty of nappies, wipes, muslin cloths and a change of clothes for baby. There’s no need to bring lots of changes of clothes as I provide outfits, wraps, headbands etc.  If your baby has a dummy, please bring at least two sterilised dummies with you as these will help settle baby for their photographs.

Please bring extra milk for your baby (if formula/express fed).

Wear thin layers yourself as the studio will be warm!

Individual bottles of water and packets of biscuits will also be available in our studio.

Please feed baby just before you set off from home.

This is really important and helps the session to run as smoothly as possible! A full tummy will help your baby to be settled, so we have the best chance of capturing a beautiful set of images. Upon arrival I may ask you to top up baby’s feed, depending on when they last fed and how much milk they took at their last feed.

If your baby is in an established feeding routine that you would rather not change, it may mean that if baby get’s hungry they may not settle as well. Whilst this is of course your choice, I can only capture what I can when baby is settled. If baby is formula/express fed, please bring extra feeds in case they are particularly hungry (babies go through lots of growth spurts!).

Should I keep my baby awake before the session?

Please continue with your usual nap times before your session. If baby is falling asleep just before their session, please let them sleep and continue to feed them as usual, as a tired, hungry baby is often far more difficult to settle!

What should I dress my baby in to arrive at the studio?

Please dress your baby in a front-fastening baby gro/sleep suit, with no vest underneath (unless it’s particularly cold!). I’ll most likely ask you to remove this (keeping nappy on) at the start of your session.

Can I have photos taken of my baby with their siblings/with us?

Yes! If you would like your baby to be photographed with their sibling/s or with you all as a family, please let me know before your session. I take sibling and family photographs at the end of the session and ask that wherever possible you arrange for your partner, a family member or friend to drop sibling/s off for the last portion of the session. This is to allow me to focus on capturing the best photographs of your baby during the first part of your session. Baby sessions can be pretty boring for small children and siblings can distract little one’s fro having their photos taken, so I recommend you follow this advice if at all possible.

How should I prepare older kids?

Please ensure that younger children arrive to the session fresh from a nap (if applicable) and that all children are well fed. This is really important to help the session run as smoothly as possible. Children should arrive in clean clothes (or with a change of clean clothes if you intend to change them on arrival). Please ensure that any chipped nail varnish and/or temporary tattoos have been removed prior to the session (including adults!).

My advice would be to say very little to your children about your planned session! By all means, mention you are going for a photo shoot and that it’s going to be fun, but please don’t worry about telling kids that they must listen and smile, as it’s often counter-productive. The best possible thing you can do is to ensure that young children have had a good nap before their session and that all kids have something to eat beforehand.

What should we wear?

If you plan on being in some of the photos with baby, I suggest wearing plain, well fitting clothing that you are comfortable in.  Please avoid patterns, logos and prints and instead opt for two or three colour tones that compliment each other and please avoid wearing black wherever possible. Although you might not generally like dressing ‘matchy-matchy’ as a family, for photo shoots, this actually looks great! I always ask that shoes & socks are removed, as honestly, they never look good, so pleased be preparaed to pop these off!

Below, I’ve put together a PDF to download, for some colour ideas and options for you to consider. These are only guidelines, but from experience I would suggest for family portraits you choose from the cool, neutral tones palette or the warm, earthy tones palette. 

Download the PDF colour guide here; Studio Sessions What To Wear.

For a brief visual guide on clothing ideas, check out my Pinterest board here.

Can I bring my extended family or friends to the session?

Only immediate family (i.e. those participating in the session) should accompany baby to a session in my studio, due to limited space. Having other’s there can be very distracting for little ones!

What about the comfort and safety of my baby?

My studio will be warm and cosy, so baby will be comfortable throughout. I have 19 years experience as a full-time professional photographer (14 years of which I was a medical photographer) and 7 years experience in photographing newborn babies. I am fully aware of cleanliness requirements and hand hygiene protocols when handling newborn babies. I have also undertaken newborn posing, photography and safety training with some of the top baby photographers in the country.

What if my baby doesn’t settle well?

It’s really important that you read this prep guide in full before your session to ensure we get the best outcome possible. It is the parent’s/guardian’s responsibility to ensure that these guidelines are followed (feeding/sleep advice etc.) as I can only capture images of your baby when they are settled.

The main reasons babies of this age might be unsettled is due to tiredness, hunger or teething. Please do your best to ensure baby has a good nap and is well-fed before their session. I will always do my best to capture a lovely range of images for you, but I can only capture what I can depending on babies mood on the day. 

Having said that, I only book one Little Smiler Session a day, so don’t worry, we have plenty of time to get baby settled and a lovely gallery of images. On rare occasions, if baby doesn’t seem to be settling at all after the first hour and I’m unable to get many photographs, I may advise that it would be best to rearrange the session to take place on another day instead. This decision is at my sole discretion and if I feel we have achieved a full gallery of images then I won’t offer a reshoot of your session. Any offers of a reshoot are at the sole discretion of the Photographer, are subject to availability and subject to a charge being made for additional session time.

Please ensure that young children (i.e. siblings) have had a good nap before the session and that all children are well fed. The Photographer cannot be held responsible for the co-operation (or lack thereof) of children and we highly recommmend that our guidelines are followed as closely as possible to ensure the best outcome.

COVID-19

We will continue to maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of our studio and props to a high standard and hand washing facilities/hand sanitiser will be available throughout appointments for the Photographer’s and Client’s use.

Face coverings: We are no longer wearing face masks during appointments, but if you would prefer that we wear them, this is no problem whatsoever. Please mention this either during the booking process or upon arrival at the studio.

Please read the information below regarding our sickness policy and Covid-19.

Our Sickness Policy

If you (or anyone in your party) have been feeling unwell in the days prior to your appointment, please contact me to rescedule your appointment. Where an illness is viral, contagious or involves sickness and/or diarrhoea, please observe the 48 hour free from symptoms rule.

Covid-19; Should you (or anyone in your party) develop Covid-19 symptoms or test positive for Covid-19 in the 7 days prior to your appointment, please contact me to reschedule your appointment (unless you have taken a lateral flow test to confirm a negative result).

Need to reschedule?

If you need to reschedule your session, please let me know as soon as possible. If you need to reschedule within 48 hours of the start of your session, please contact me by calling me or sending me a text or a message to my Facebook page, as I may not always be able to pick up emails at short notice. 

Your session fee is non-refundable, so if you cancel your session you will not receive a refund, but I do allow rescheduling of your session once within 14 days of your original session date if the reason for reshcedule cannot be avoided (for example, due to genuine illness or emergency) – the date of reschedule is subject to availability.

If you do not arrive to your session or are more than 30 minutes late, then you’ll need to pay a new session fee to book a new date. You can contact me on 07956114916.

When will I see my photographs?

At the end of your session we will arrange your viewing & ordering appointment to take place in approximately 2-3 weeks time and this is when you will view your beautifully edited and enhanced gallery of around 25 images, choose your package and wall art and place your order.

Payment for an order is due at your viewing & ordering appointment. I always advise that all decision makers are present at the viewing & ordering appointment, as you may find you need help choosing your portraits! I also recommend that children (with the exception of babies) do not attend viewing appointments, so you can relax and choose your photographs without distractions.

When will I get my order?

Once you have placed your order at your viewing and ordering appointment, you can expect your digital download containing your purchased digital images to be sent to you via a link in an email within 1 week, whilst USB/Print orders will be ready for collection from our studio in approximately 3 weeks time. If you have ordered wall art or an album then these will be ready to collect in around 4-6 weeks time. 

Where is your studio?

You can find me at; First Floor, 29 Station Road, Steeton, West Yorkshire, BD20 6RL (above Imagine Hair & Beauty Salon).

Please enter via the front door on Station Road and head up the stairs, where you will find my studio on your right. There is no on-site parking at the studio, but I will advise you of close-by on-street parking options before your session. Please try to arrive on time, but if you are running late, please message me on; 07956114916.

I’m looking forward to meeting you all and as always, if you have any questions, please just ask!