Ultimate Newborn photo session prep guide for parents; Tips and How to prepare for a newborn photoshoot
Table Of Contents
- Schedule your session ahead of time
- Location
- Time Frame
- Keep Your Baby Awake Before The Session
- Feed Your Baby Before The Drive
- Feed and Burp Baby During the Shoot
- Clothing
- What to Wear
- Poop
- Regulate the Temp!.
- Checklist for Parents
- SIT BACK AND WATCH
- Schedule your session ahead of time
Brisbane newborn photographer
It is important that you schedule your photography session ahead of time. Most Professional Newborn photographers in Brisbane will ideally agree to book a newborn photo-shoot when infants are between 5 to 14 days old (within the first two weeks after birth). At this intervals, they are still sleepy and curly which makes it easier to pose them in different ways and take a lot of stunning shots. That’s a small time frame, so you need to be thinking ahead. So, to ensure that your photo session goes effortlessly and to reduce stress, it is best to book ahead of time and beforehand.
It is important to understand that during your baby’s first two weeks they will be more likely to sleep through the photo session. This will allow your photographer to capture all of those gorgeous sleepy newborn photos you desire.
By planning on time, you and your photographer will be ready and prepared before the birth of your baby. It also will be less likely that your photographer will be fully booked. If you delay until after your baby is born there are chances your photographer may be all booked up within those first two weeks and you may not get your preferred photographer or your preferred time. Therefore, leaving you with options of shopping based on availability instead of finding what fits your preferred style and taste.
The ideal time to start the booking process is around your second trimester as early as three months prior to your approximate due date.
Reach out to the photographer and tell them your due date. If anything else is needed such as a coordinating headband or matching outfit or props, your photographer will have enough time to research and purchase any additional items needed for the photo-shoot. Book your spot and wait for baby’s arrival.
- Location
Newborn photography can either be in studio or in your home. Generally there are two styles of newborn photography. Lifestyle and posed. In Lifestyle photos, babies are not posed, they are placed on the bed in a natural sleeping posture while been photographed. However posed portraits are when baby is posed and the look super cute and adorable. this is usually what parents look for.
However most times, posed photography is done in the studio while lifestyle can be done at your home.
It is important to check with your photographer for their style of photography and the location where the photo shoot will take place. This is to ensure you are not taken unaware.
- Time Frame
Chances are your photo session (especially posed styles) will last for close to 4 hours so I greatly recommend eating a good robust breakfast before leaving your home. I know this can be a very exciting and demanding time for you, particularly when adding sleep deprivation in the mix! As much as the goal is for your baby to be relaxed and happy, Mum should also be comfortable and strong! Having a photographer shoot this precious moments for you, means a lot!
Parents can keep themselves busy on the phone or entertainment if provided. Usually some photographers request parents’ assistance in spotting. By parent lending their helping hands during the photo-shoot, they may not feel time pass.
- Keep Your Baby Awake Before The Session
It’s a known fact that babies sleep a lot. But sometimes, their sleep patterns don’t cooperate with plans for the photoshoot. If you want your little one dozing off during the photo session, so you can receive those adorable sleepy newborn poses, keep them up for a while before your photographer arrives.
Although this is not an easy task, parents are advised to only try their best and not stress out. The truth is that bub will eventually sleep but it may take a longer time for that to happen. A nicely fed baby and burp is likely to sleep off faster. This helps prevent hiccups and gas trapped in the tummy.
Keeping your baby awake preceding to a photo session is a great way to ensure they will sleep through most of the time. That will lead to peaceful and relaxed photo session, instead of ones where they look infuriated or red-faced from crying.
- Feed Your Baby Before The Drive
Infants of most animal species are the hungriest beings on this Earth. You don’t want their photo shoot interrupted by their desperate cries for milk. It is a good idea to feed and burp your newborn right before your photo session begins so as baby is nice and sleepy this could mean; a smooth newborn photo session, less crying, more photos, cute poses, better sleep, relaxed parents and happy photographer. If you are lucky, baby might even drift off into a deep nice sleep.
Try your best to keep them happy and awake during the drive. It is normal that babies sleep once the car is on the move. Even adults love to sleep during a travel. Most professional baby photographers will slowly undress bub if she/he comes into the studio asleep.
Most photo sessions last around 2 to 4 hours, which leaves sufficiently of time for top ups if your child wakes up wanting a drink. Just make sure to have an extra bottle on hand if you use formula. At times like this, dummy/pacifier comes in handy to keep baby distracted while posing and curling those little bodies.
However, they are likely to wake up at interval for top-ups due to frequent stimulation while trying to pose them.
- Feed and Burp Baby During the Shoot
If your infant has a packed tummy, they will probably be more cooperative during the entire photo shoot. This is because they are more likely to fall into a nice deep sleep on a full belly. ”A milk drunk and burped baby is a sleepy baby”.
A satisfied and comfortable baby will make it easier for your photographer to capture quite a number of cute sleepy poses. In addition, when your baby is fast asleep positioning them in all those gorgeous poses that you want will be much easier and quicker.
A full stomach will also help to keep your baby settled throughout the photo shoot. Posed Newborn photography sessions may take up to 3 hours, so this is very essential to have a calm baby. Lucky for everyone it may take less than 2 hours for some babies who just love their sleep.
Don’t forget to come along with baby’s formula and expressed milk. Infants will need feeding breaks during the course of the newborn photography session, especially if they are a little fussy and unhappy. A quick meal paired with some cuddling and your little bubba will be good for the spotlight once more! Hungry babies wake up often in the middle of the session crying and desperately seeking for food.
- Clothing
If you are having a photo-shoot in your studio, most newborn photographers will recommend dressing your baby in a loose pair of pyjamas or wonder suit. It is best if these clothing items zip or button all the way down, as this will make it easier to undress them slowly without waking them and gradually placing them on the posing bed.
A loose diaper is best because it will avoid creating diaper marks around their waist. This will give any little red marks that resemble clothing seams time to disappear before photo time although these marks can be taken of at post production. So, it’s nothing big to worry yourself about.
It is also important to loosen up your baby’s clothing and diapers before the photo shoot. This will give any little red marks that resemble clothing seams time to disappear before picture time.
If you are holding the photo shoot in your house then, undress baby and swaddle him or use a blanket to keep your baby warm before the photo shoot. As most baby photographers love to pose babies naked or they come with their own outfits and wraps. A loose blanket around them or a nice swaddle is less likely to leave red marks and leaves baby already undressed for the photo session.
- What to Wear
For family portrait package, Most Newborn Photographers shoot family photos using either a grey, white, cream, black or a mocha/light brown. This backdrop works best with neutrals and pastels. Also for mum please pack a strapless nude bra and undies please as I may change your outfit to one provided by the studio. Professional newborn- Family photographers do like to have the option of using a BLACK backdrop. If you have it, please bring black clothing. Dad in a black t-shirt or polo shirt with not large logos or patterns on it. Mum preferably in a tight fitting singlet top (not maternity with the little clips showing).
For the SIBLING PHOTOS the children can wear whatever pretty outfit you have handy and I’ll match the baby’s wrap to suit the colour of the outfit. Please steer clear of outfits with stripes or with collars for the boys as they ride up (particularly if the siblings are young) Pastels always work really well.
- Poop!!!
Mate, listen up! Poop happens, especially when you have an undiapered fully fed newborn. Within minutes of undressing babies, they would spay the poop of love on the blanket. Now listen! It is important that you do not worry or feel sorry for your photographer. Pooping is a good sign, it shows that baby is relaxed and well. Afterall, your photographer will still wash and sterilize after each newborn photography session.
If they poop which is likely they will. Your photographer will do a little gentle enough wipe as not to wake or stimulate your baby. Then, the prop and blanket would be changed while the photo session continues smoothly
- Regulate the Temp!
However, babies are typically photographed naked, it is very important to keep them warm and nice. The studio will be set at around temperature of 26’C to ensure baby is warm and comfy. If we’re not sweating, it’s probably not warm enough for baby! Parents please make sure to wear relaxed loose outfits.
It is very important to keep infants warm as they have a difficult time regulating their own body temperature.
- Checklist for Parents
- Snack and water for yourself
- Entertainment for siblings.
- Bring everything for changing and feeding the baby, including any special creams and products you use.
- Bring any toys or props you would like to add into the photos.
- Pacifier
- Wipes
- Diapers
- Extra change clothes
- Up to 3 spare baby blankets
- Baby formulas an bottle
- Books to keep yourself occupied
SIT BACK AND WATCH
Your photographer understands their job and knows what they’re doing. Build trust and let them run the photo session. As a mother, you may have that innate urge to hold and curdle your child at the slightest sound they make, and it can be hard to see someone else handling them when you know that the need you. This is why it’s important to find a professional newborn baby photographer with experience and positive reviews. Find a photographer who will also give you tips on How to prepare for newborn a photo shoot.
Photographers know how much your newborn means to you, and they are treated as such. They understand your journey and experience as most of them are mums themselves. Your photographer understands that your baby is the most special thing to you. Waiting for 9 solid months to finally have to hold them in your hands.
Every experienced newborn photographer will know exactly what positions will be comfortable for your child and how to carefully and comfortably curl and move them so they won’t wake up.
Meanwhile, your photographer should be used to working with worried parents and will know how to put you at ease. However, if at any point during the session you start to feel uncomfortable, make sure to let your photographer know. It’s just as important for you to feel comfortable as it is for your little baby. They photographer can always switch to s different pose or prop to get you fell relaxed
Equally, try not to stress if your newborn is being fussy. Babies can feel their mama’s emotion, so if you’re relaxed, your infant may relax also.
