SIGNATURE NEWBORN SESSION PREP GUIDE
HOW TO PREPARE AND WHAT TO EXPECT
I am really looking forward to meeting you and creating some beautiful images of your baby!
So that your session can run as smoothly as possible, I have compiled a prep guide to help us get the most out of your session – please read this and feel free to contact me before your session with any questions you may have.
How long does a newborn photography session last?
Newborn sessions usually last around 4 hours, although on occasion, if baby is very unsettled or particularly hungry, your session may last a little longer. Sessions last this long to allow plenty of time for your baby to feed and settle and for me to adapt the session to their needs on the day. We do not rush newborn sessions! So sit back and relax and let me do the baby whispering!
What should I bring to the session?
Please bring to your session;
- Lots of nappies, wipes & muslin cloths
- A change of clothes for baby
- Extra feeds (if formula/express fed)
- Two sterilised dummies (if used)
- Wear thin layers, as the studio will be warm!
- Your/your partners clothing if you would like family images (and children’s clothes for sibling images!)
- Snacks or lunch for yourself/your partner (we have tea/coffee & biscuits in the studio!)
Please be prepared to feed your baby upon arrival – this really helps us get the best start to your session. (occasionally I may suggest feeding your baby prior to setting off from home, but if that’s the case it’ll be included in your preparation email)
There is no need to bring other clothes or accessories for your baby, as I provide all of the outfits, wraps, headbands etc. as well as the props and backdrops.
I do ask that shoes are removed on arrival – it helps keep the space clean and comfortable for babies. You’re very welcome to bring socks or slippers if you’d prefer!
Should I bring extra milk or be prepared to feed my baby more often than usual?
Yes please! The best way to settle your baby for their newborn photographs is to ensure they have had a good feed, so they can happily drift off to sleep. A full tummy will help them to be relaxed and settled, so we have the best chance of capturing a beautiful set of images during your session.
I will ask you to undress and feed your baby once you arrive at the studio, so please be prepared for this. Over the years, I have found that feeding upon arrival works best in terms of giving us a good window of time to then capture your baby’s photos. It’s quite usual for your baby to need a top-up feed mid-way through their session and they can often be quite hungry during their session, so please bring two extra feeds with you (if express/formula fed).
If you have concerns over your baby’s feeding, or if you feel that feeding hasn’t been established by the time of your session, please get in touch. However, I want to reassure you that I always go at baby’s pace and there’s no rush or pressure – I like to keep things calm for all of us! I am used to working with babies who are breastfed, express fed, formula or combination fed and we will ensure there’s time within your session for your little one to feed as they need.
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. If you choose not to follow my advice on feeding, whilst this is of course your choice, I can only capture what I can whilst your baby is settled.
Should I keep my baby awake before the session?
This isn’t necessary, but I would suggest you try to avoid baby having a big solid block of sleep just before their session. Try to interact with your baby before their session to give the best chance of a good settled period during their time with me. However, if baby is falling asleep before their session, please just 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 ask you to remove this (keeping nappy on) and wrap them in a blanket before feeding them at the start of your session.
My baby has dry skin, what should I do?
Many newborn’s will have flaky skin during those first few weeks of life, so please don’t worry. It’s entirely up to you whether you choose to use a lotion on baby’s skin or to give baby a bath before their session, but if you’d prefer to do neither, that’s fine too. If baby develops a particularly angry or red looking skin rash before their session, please let me know so we can decide whether it would be best to reschedule in a few days.
Can I have photos taken of my baby with their siblings/with me/us?
Yes, of course! I usually take family & sibling images at the end of your session and I will discuss this with you on our phone consultation.
If we’re taking your family photos at the end of your session, I recommend arranging for your partner, a relative or friend to arrive with siblings for around the last 45 minutes-1 hour of the session and I will advise further on this during your session, depending on how it is progressing. It’s usually best for siblings to join us for part of your session to allow us to focus on capturing the best photographs of your baby in a quiet and calm environment first, before focussing on your family photographs. Newborn sessions can feel long and boring for small children, so having them join us part-way through means that they will be fresh and ready for their own photos!
If you have school-age children (or older children) we will arrange for your session to start a bit later, so siblings can then join us after school. Please discuss this with me, so I can set the start time of your session to accommodate this.
Please ensure that young siblings arrive to the session fresh from a nap and that all children are fed beforehand, to ensure the best outcome.
What should we wear?
If you are planning on having some family photos taken, I suggest wearing plain, well fitting clothing that you are comfortable in. Please avoid patterns, logos and prints and instead opt for 2 or 3 colour tones that compliment each other, but please avoid wearing black if 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/siblings portraits you choose from the cool, neutral tones palette or the warm, earthy tones palette.
Download the PDF clothing guide here; Newborn Sessions What To Wear.
For a brief visual guide on clothing ideas, check out my Pinterest board here.
How should I prepare older kids (siblings)?
Please ensure that siblings 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!), unless you want these to be in your photographs.
Do tell your children all about your session! It is worth explaining that they will be having their photogrsphs taken in my studio with you/their sibling, so they know what to expect from our time together. However, please don’t worry about telling them that they must smile/listen, as it can be counter-productive!
Having worked with children for many years, I take a few minutes to grasp your children’s personalities and tailor my approach to each child before taking any photographs and whilst some children may be raring to go, others will take their time to get comfortable in these new surroundings – either way, it’s all good.
It’s REALLY important that young children who usually nap during the day, have a good nap on the day of their session. If children are overtired, or hungry, it can be very difficult to gain their co-operation and whilst I try to be a miracle worker, there are some things I can’t be all that magical with!
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 newborn photography session in my studio, unless the participants require support. This is both due to limited space in the studio and it’s just best to avoid unnecessary distractions whilst we focus on capturing your images.
How will you pose my baby?
Once baby has finished feeding and they’re nice and relaxed, the first thing I do is to take baby over to my posing table and start to get them acclimatised to their new surroundings. If your baby is awake after their feed, I usually start by laying baby on my posing table and getting some beautiful wide-awake shots that focus on their eyes and expressions. If baby is asleep at the start then I usually begin by posing them on my posing table.
From this point I follow baby’s lead, so if they don’t seem to want to settle into a particular pose, no stress, I simply move on to another pose.
After my posing table I move onto wrapping baby (in long pieces of material). Baby’s really love to be wrapped up, it helps to soothe and relax them and I often find this is their most settled period during their time with me. I will then photograph your baby in/on the props (basket/bowl/bed etc.) we have selected at the start of your session before finishing with family and/or sibling shots.
If you’d like to read more on what happens during my Newborn Sessions, please check out my blog; Newborn Baby Photography Sessions: A Look Behing the Scenes.
What about the comfort and safety of my baby?
My studio will be warm and cosy, so baby will be comfortable throughout. I have 21 years experience as a full-time professional photographer (14 years of which I was a medical photographer) and 8 years of experience 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 newborn 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. Following this guidance really helps us achieve the best possible outcome from your session, as I can only photograph your baby when they are settled.
Having said that, I only book one Newborn session a day, so don’t worry, we have plenty of time to get baby settled and to achieve a lovely gallery of images. On rare occasions, if baby doesn’t seem to be settling at all after the first hour or two and I’m unable to get many photographs, I may advise that it would be best to reschedule the session to take place on another day instead (within 14 days, subject to availability).
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 your baby’s/children’s mood on the day. 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 may be 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.
Our Sickness Policy
To protect the health of all families – particularly our newborn babies – I kindly ask that you do not attend your session if you or anyone in your household is unwell.
If you (or anyone attending) has been feeling unwell in the days leading up to your appointment, please get in touch as soon as possible and we will rearrange your session.
For any illness that may be contagious – including sickness or diarrhoea – a minimum 48-hour symptom-free period should be observed before attending.
If anyone in your household develops symptoms of a contagious illness in the week leading up to your session, please contact me to reschedule. If you have tested to rule this out and are feeling well, you are very welcome to attend – I simply ask that you keep me informed.
Need to reschedule?
If you need to change your appointment, please let me know as soon as possible.
Your session fee secures your booking in the diary and is non-refundable. I do allow one reschedule within 14 days of your original session date, subject to availability.
If you need to contact me within 48 hours of your appointment, please do so by text message or email.
If you do not attend your session, or arrive more than 30 minutes late, a new session fee will be required to book another appointment.
Please note: Newborn sessions are ideally carried out within the first 3 weeks after birth. After this time, babies are typically more alert and less likely to settle into posed images. However, we will always create a beautiful gallery of images for you.
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 25-30 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 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 6-8 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).
The studio is accessed via stairs, so bringing baby in a car seat or carrier is usually easiest.
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 welcome any questions you may have, so if you don’t find the answer in this guide – just ask!
For full booking, cancellation, and rescheduling terms, please take a moment to read my full Terms & Conditions here: https://www.sarahwaltonphotography.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/