So you’ve booked your newborn session with me (or you’re interested in booking) and you’re wondering…” How do I prepare?”
As one of Charleston’s only in-home studio-style newborn photographers, I make sure that you really don’t have to do much. A major component of the luxury experience I provide is allowing you the opportunity to sit back and RELAX while I work with your sweet baby. Just like adults, each newborn is different. They have their own personalities, likes and dislikes, and personal preferences. One babe may love being swaddled and another may absolutely hate it! One may not even notice that they’re constantly being touched and moved and another may despise being touched. That being said, each session differs from newborn to newborn but each session is approached with what I like to call “The 4 C’s.”
Clear the area
When preparing for an in-home newborn session, one of the first steps is choosing a designated space to hold your session. This could be your living room, a spare bedroom, baby’s nursery, or any space that can be freed up for us to work with baby. Moving around furniture before the session is very common with my clients and is often EXTREMELY helpful. As a studio-style newborn photographer, I bring along a full setup. This includes lighting equipment, prop setups, accessories, and more so the more space we have to work with, the better!
Comfy for baby
Newborns are, well…NEW! They have just left the only home they’ve known for nine months and entered into a world that is so big and so different! Imagine how uncomfortable this new setting maybe! During your sweet babe’s session, I like to ensure that baby is as comfortable as possible at all times. Ensuring their comfort starts with the temperature of the space. Because their little immune systems still need time to develop, newborns’ bodies have a harder time regulating their own body temperature. Warming up the area we will be working in will help your little one stay comfortable. Bumping up your thermastate prior to the session is recommended (73-80 degrees). Another element of keeping your baby comfortable is soothing them when needed. Let’s be real… I’m interrupting their sleepy time! Haha! If baby starts to get a little fussy or unhappy during the session. I will take the time to soothe and calm them down in order to proceed. This could take a few seconds or minutes. Whether baby has to be rocked, pat on their back gently, or walked around the room, I will take the time to soothe baby before we continue on. The session really is all about what baby is comfortable with and will allow. Having a pacifier near by is always a helpful tool! White noise that mimics sounds of the womb or comforting sounds can be another newborn soothing staple during the session.
Clean for baby
When working with babies, there’s always a possibility that things may get a little messy. Keeping this in mind, I encourage parents to have wipes and extra diapers on standby just in case baby has to handle their business. Giving baby a baby or wet cloth wipe down before the session will have them squeaky clean (and tire them out after a little awake time too! Haha!) Having a hairbrush or comb nearby during the session to tame those baby fly-aways is always a great tool to make sure they are photo-ready!
Catered To
Whether your little one is bottle-fed or breastfed, a FULL baby is a happy baby! Newborns eat so so much! Their little tummies go from the size of a marble to the size of a large egg all in one month’s time! With all their growing and changing, their bodies are always looking for that fuel and nutrition to keep them going! Baby will be fed at the start of the session and we will get started. If and when baby starts to give those hungry cues, we will pause and give them a bottle or hand them off to mama to nurse. Once they are “milk-drunk” and happy, we will continue to capture your family’s memories!
As you can see, there are quite a few things to be mindful of and on the lookout for in order to have a successful session. All of these things are taken into account prior to your session and I will work diligently to execute a stress-free session where you can sit back and relax in your own space as your sweet baby has their shining moment!
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