GETTING BABY READY FOR THE SESSION

It's best to have baby sleepy during the sessions to ensure we can get the poses that we are hoping for, now even though this is not in our control, there are some things we can do to help increase our chances.

• Please ​give the baby a bath ​in the morning before coming in for the session. This will stimulate the baby and help the baby tire out.
• Lotioning your baby after the bath will also help with pressure points and relaxation. Allowing your baby to kick and be free for around 10-15 minutes will also help tire them out.
• Dress baby in a zip-up sleeper, or a button-up. NO undershirt, to make it easier for me to undress him without waking him up ( if I will be the one providing the outfit )
• 30 to 40 min before our session time, Please FEED the baby a good full feed until he is totally full. This will allow the baby to digest and then fall into a deep sleep.

Things to keep handy

1. Snacks and water for you
2. Formula milk or breast milk, or you!
3. Pacifier

it's very important to ensure a smooth flow for the session to have a pacifier with you.

We will only use the pacifier if a baby is having trouble transitioning into different poses. Sometimes a baby just needs to suck for a few seconds to relax.

Rest assured, using a pacifier for just those few minutes will not have any long-term negative effects on the baby.

 Siblings

Bribery is an excellent idea for younger siblings, you can promise them a movie night or candy if they cooperate during the shoot. Anything they really love! Try to talk to them before the session, and make sure they are ready to follow a few instructions here during the shoot.

WHAT TO WEAR

Coordinating VS matching

There is an old-fashioned idea floating around that everyone in the picture needs to have on matching clothing. This is not true! Coordinating is far better than matching.

Choose colors that look nice together, but don't fall into the trap that you all need to be wearing the exact same blue shirt. Your photos will be far more interesting with some variation!

Soft neutral colors look best, white, beige or pastel pinks will always give more visual interest to an image without too much distraction.

Flowy dresses will always look best on girls and mum alike, so don't be afraid to get fancy.

you’re having a hard time deciding on a color palette, let the colors of your home inspire you! Since your home is where your images will be displayed.

Best choices:

• Neutral tones — cream, white, tan, soft grey, blush, dusty blue, sage
• Simple textures like linen, knit, or cotton
• Loose, comfortable layers you'd actually lounge at home in
• For mom: a flowy robe or wrap dress
• For dad: a plain tee or casual button-down with neutral pants

Things to Avoid

A few tones that are less flattering for photos, that I usually recommend my clients avoid, neon and extremely bright colors, they can cast a color on your skin tone, and distract you from the actual beautiful faces in the pictures.

It's also a good idea to avoid strong bold and big patterns, stick to more simple small patterns, and no more than two in the same family!

Avoid wearing different colors that don't go well together at all, and avoid adding more than 3 different tones.

Uncoordinated colors that don't match well, on each family member can distract the eye and affect the final quality of your images.

Avoid wearing clothes with logos and strong patterns.

GET YOUR HOME READY

Natural light and windows

For your session I depend on using natural light from the windows. A few days before your session, If you haven't already, please send me some images of your Master Bedroom, Living room and the nursery at the brightest time. These are the main areas that we will be using for your lifestyle portion. Let me know if any of the rooms gets direct sunlight and what time of the day.

Plain walls that are neutral in color are also great for taking photos, as long as there is a big window near by for natural light.

Declutter and organize

Clean out and organize any clutter in your home, clutter can really affect the quality of the final pictures, think of the best places to take your photos, that can be a nursery, mum’s room, living room and make sure these places and clean and organized. Remove anything that can distract the photos and only leave things that you want to have in the final photos.

Toys, books, bags, keys or any other clutter should be stowed away before I arrive to your home to ensure a smooth session.

You don't need a perfectly decorated home, you need your home feeling calm and cozy.

Before I arrive:

• Do a light tidy of the main spaces we'll use (bedroom, living room, nursery)
• Clear countertops and floors of clutter in those rooms
• Have your baby's bassinet, crib, or bed freshly made with simple, neutral linens if possible
• Put away anything you wouldn't want in the background of photos (laundry piles, pet beds, etc.)

Flow and time

Every newborn session is different. However if this prep guide has been followed, baby should be sleeping and ready for my arrival. If baby wakes up, not to worry! We will go with the flow!

Regular unposed newborn sessions will take 1-2 hours

Note: I love to create behind the scene reels on Instagram of me taking photos and posing your baby, but I am usually too busy during the session to focus on that, I would love if you have a minute and a phone and you take a few behind the scene videos of me and send them to me after our session, and if you can't don't stress.