Preparing for your Newborn Photoshoot
1. Preparing for the session
1. Your baby will be sleepy in the early weeks and will sleep for a few hours at a time and have half hour wakeful periods in between. To prep for your session, it is very helpful to try and keep your baby as awake as possible 2/3 hours before your session so that we can start with a sleepy baby. Giving baby a bath, playing and dressing can all help to keep baby awake. This is obviously easier said than done, and if you have other children, it may not be possible, but it will all help the session to run smoothly. Feeding prior to the journey, or whilst in my studio also means that we can start with a fully tummy, and achieve those dreamy posed images.
2. A loose romper is the best outfit to bring baby along in, as if baby is soundly sleeping, we can just remove it without disturbing them in arrival.
3. If you are planning or considering using a dummy, bring it along with you as it can help to settle baby during the session. Baby is hard wired to be close to mum and even the sound if your voice and your smell can trigger a response to feed, so a dummy can help to settle baby and help with comfort feeds. Just a few seconds of dummy sucking can help to lull baby off into sleep.
2. Feeding
A full tummy makes for a sleepy baby! If you could (if its convenient) please try and feed baby right before or on arrival in the studio so we can start off with a happy full baby.
3. What to wear
The studio will be much warmer than usual, as naked babies feel the cold much more than we do. I suggest to parents to wear layers so that you can remove them if you need to cool down. If you are having family images, feel free to bring a change of clothes with you to change into. I always recommend neutral colours such as white/cream/tan/grey/browns. I try to avoid any black clothing during a session as it can distract the eye from the subject.
4. Soothing and taking a break
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Your babies wellbeing is the most important priority during your session. If we need to break off to feed and soothe, there will be no time limit on your session. It is a baby led session and we take the cues from baby as we work through it. Baby may feed more than usual and you will not be expected to rush this during your time in the studio.
5. Nappies
When posing baby, especially without a nappy, it is totally normal for them to cover me or my backdrops in wee and poo. Honestly don’t worry about it, I’m so used to it, and after the session, everything is washed whether it is covered or not, just so that it is fresh for my next session. I have both wipes and nappies for use in my studio if they are needed.
6. Siblings
Sessions can take up to 3 hours depending on how baby settles during that time and so it is a longer session for older siblings. With that in mind, if you are wanting to bring along a sibling for photos, I will endeavour to do these images first so that your older child doesn’t get bored and distracted. It is helpful then for your partner to take the older sibling off for a few hours so that they don’t become upset during the session. It is quite boring for older children to sit for so long! If that’s not an option, I always say to bring some snacks and toys to keep them occupied.
At newborn sessions, I do limit members of the family attending. I know that grandma may be keen to come along, but it’s quite an intimate session and my studio space is limited and the less distraction the better for getting baby to settle into the session. If you were planning a cake smash, that’s the session to bring family along to as its much more upbeat and fun for them to be involved in.
CHECKLIST
Nappies and wipes
Milk – lots of it!
Outfit changes for both parents and siblings
Dummy (optional but very helpful)
A baby blanket / muslin
Thank you again for choosing Louise Pollitt Photography to capture this amazing time in your lives! I am truly honoured to make these memories for you.