Your Newborn Session Guide
I don’t know about you, but I always feel more relaxed when I know exactly what’s going to happen when I get somewhere, what I need to bring and what I need to do.
And that’s exactly what you can find here.
I’d really encourage you to have a good look through your guide. In it, you will find information about practical aspects such as directions and parking, but also information about what to wear, what to bring and if there’s anything you need to do.
the boring bit…..
Please remember that, unless your baby has already been born, you will be booked in my diary for your due date.
Don’t panic! Once your baby has been born, when you’re settled, just let me know that your baby is here and we will arrange a date and time for your session to take place.
where to come….
Unless we have arranged otherwise (for an in-home session, for example), please come to my home studio for your session. My studio is a separate, designated room just off our entrance hallway.
My home studio is located at:
6 Barrett Lennard Road
Horsford
Norwich
Norfolk NR10 3EQ
Sat Nav directions can take you past my house, so when you turn in to Barrett Lennard Road look for the road facing house immediately on the right-hand side. You are free to park on the grass verge outside near the post box (please be mindful to leave plenty of space for through traffic, including buses).
We are slowly but surely updating our home from a 1960s chalet bungalow into something a little more modern, so please don’t be alarmed to see any evidence of building works. Don’t panic, your session will not be affected in any way.
Little hands touch this floor, so please remove your shoes at the door.
As my studio (including the floor) is white, I do ask that shoes are removed on entry to the studio to ensure that not only does the floor not become marked but also to keep the area clean for the little hands.
the less boring bit…..
Ok, so now the formalities are out of the way, here’s where we go into detail about what to wear, what to bring and all the other bits of information that will help you prepare for your session.
feeding….
You may have seen before that some photographers ask you to arrive with your baby hungry. For photographers who rely on babies being in a very deep sleep for a more ‘posed’ newborn session, this can be helpful BUT, for a session with me, please don’t keep your baby hungry. Please feed them on demand, it will help keep them relaxed and it won’t affect our session.
I remember the early days of parenting and feeding out and about was always one thing I used to feel quite nervous about.
I am a breastfeeding mum. I get it. The first weeks of learning this incredible new skill and it can feel like a huge amount of pressure to do that outside of the comfort of your own home. I want you and your baby to feel totally relaxed, so please feed during your session as you would at home. Bring a boppy, a cushion, your pump…lay on the floor if that’s how you feed! Your baby will thank you for continuing to feed as they would at home without suddenly needing to work out how to use a bottle. You don’t need to feel self-conscious or worry about covering up (in fact some of the most beautiful photos are captured when baby is feeding!), but if you chose to do so then, of course, that’s absolutely fine. Just be sure to bring a muslin or two and extra breast pads if you use them.
The same is said for bottle-feeding parents. I want you to feel completely relaxed here, that’s kind of a big deal for me. Please bring with you enough milk that you would expect your baby to need plus then a couple of feeds more…(you just never know if we are going to hit a growth spurt day and they are suddenly going to become ravenous!). If you need hot water you are welcome to bring it with you, or, of course, I am happy to boil a kettle for you. If you feed formula my advice here would be (where possible) to avoid switching brands within a week of your session. Just very occasionally it can make your baby’s tummy a little sore which might make them a bit more unsettled for their session.
And, of course, if you combi feed just do whichever type of feed you’d normally do, what you feel most comfortable with and which your baby will be most comforted by.
what to bring…..
If your baby uses a dummy, please bring it with you. You may wish to bring a pack of sterilising wipes incase it gets dropped on the floor.
Please bring with you a couple of plain white vests for your baby, either short sleeve or long sleeve work well. Please avoid, if you can, vests that have patterns, logos and the sleevless vests.
I photograph babies either in their plain white vest, naked or wrapped loosley in a super soft white knit blanket. You don’t need to think about packing clothes for them to wear in their photos.
For your journey, please dress baby loosely; little tricks like turning the tops of socks over so they dont imprit the skin are things to think about. A simple pop up onsie (with a white vest underneath so we are ready to go) is best….don’t forget a spare though incase of a car poonami!
You’ll also need to bring plenty of spare nappies & wipes with you, just incase.
If you have an older sibling with you, I’d suggest bringing a small toy for them to play with if they get bored, as well as a drink and a snack (for you and them!).
what to wear….
So you’ve got the baby sorted (white vest!), but what about parents and any siblings? Well, you might be unsurprised to know that I’ll be suggesting white, again. White t-shirt, white dress, white shirts, white vest top…..you get it. Teamed with demin jeans or chinos, white gives a beautifully relaxed, crisp finish and allows your baby to steal the show in their photos.
From a creative perspective, anything with bright (or block) colour, large logos or bold patterns means that your finished images won’t look the same as those you’ve seen on my website or social media channels. The eye will be drawn away from the light and airy feel of the white (which is what keeps our focus on your baby) and will turn to the colour/pattern in the image. Colour and patterns take away the beautiful simplicity from the images.
The studio will be warm to ensure your baby doesn’t get cold. Please wear light layers to ensure you don’t get too hot.
during the session….
This is the simple bit!
I will gently guide you in to what I like to call ‘unposed’ poses. Natural, beautiful, connected ways of standing, sitting and interacting with your baby to create my signature relaxed, but oh so beautiful, style.
We will work with your baby – if they need a feed, no problem. If they just need to be held, that’s fine. My whole approach to photographing your family is to capture you instinctively loving your baby, and each other. It is a completely unpressured environment….no one needs unnecessary pressure in their life, especially brand new parents!
I won’t ask you to look at the camera very much at all, its just not my style, but when I do it will either be to capture what I like to call the ‘Grandparent Shot’ (a single, slightly more traditional photo) or because in that moment I feel it would make an amzaing memory for you!
after your session…..
So, we’ve finished. I’ve got a camera full of beautiful photos and you’ve probably got a heart full to bursting from seeing your baby curled up so sweetly.
Usually, unless you’ve requested otherwise, I will post a preview image from your session to my social media channels within 48 hours. This is a lovely way for you to share your excitement (or even birth announcement as some clients have done!) but it’s also a really great way for me to share what I do. I’m always so grateful for those families who allow me to share an image from their session.
I’ll start the editing process as soon as possible after your session. I say please allow up to 3 weeks for your online image gallery to be sent to you, but I aim for a 1-2 week turnaround.
Once I’ve edited your images, you will recieve a link to a private online gallery where you can view and download your images directly to your own storage. You will be required to settle the outstanding balance of your session before you can download your images.
So there you have it, that’s it! Everything you need to know before your session. Of ocurse if you do have any questions please do just let me know.