Newborn Welcome Guide

Newborn sessions are designed for babies 14 days and younger. The best day to photograph your little one is from day five to day ten. During this time newborns tend to be sleepier and retain that fresh newborn curl. After 14 days, newborns tend to develop things like colic and baby acne, they also tend to be more alert and stay awake longer. I will set your newborn session on a temporary date (usually your due date). Once you have given birth, simply give me a call, we will select and solidify a date for your newborn session within the first 5–10 days.

When we schedule your session, we will have a conversation about what you are looking for. Do you want only pictures of the baby? Are you more interested in your infant being photographed with family than in some of my props? Are there specific poses you are look­ing for? For example, one of you is a soldier, do you want your infant to be photographed with props that you will bring from home like a flag or helmet? Are you bringing siblings? Will Dad be there? Do you want some skin on skin shots? All of these questions will help me to build a session that is a perfect fit for you.

Try to feed your baby 60–90 minutes before you arrive. I will give you space and time to feed the baby and sooth your newborn to sleep once you arrive. The reason this works best is that if you feed your baby before you come they will start their sleep cycle a little too early. tvly studio is kept at 80 degrees to ensure that your newborn is warm and comfortable.

For babies who are breastfed, the mothers diet is the baby’s diet. Starting 48 hours prior to the session it is important to follow the breastfeeding guide, where mom eliminates foods and drinks that are likely to cause upset tummies for babies. Not only does this help prevent unnecessary spitting up, but it also reduces gas, diarrhea, and stomach discomfort, which can cause an unhappy baby. Caffeine can cause babies to be more alert and jumpy than babies who have not been exposed to it in breast milk, please avoid.

Spare shirts for both of you as babies do pee/poop and accidents happen. Please bring a pacifier as they help to get babies to sleep and soothe them. If you have one ( even if your child won’t really take it) please bring it to the session as it may help. I strongly encourage you to bring any special hats, hair-bands, bracelets etc. You may not like what I have and I may fall in love with what you bring. So not only will your additions give us more to choose from they are also extra special since they belong to your little one.

I have a nice collection of bowls, baskets, blankets, knit hats and headbands that I will have available at your session. You are also, of course, welcome to use any of your own props. Looks for items with texture and color to help make your images unique. If you have any family heirlooms, toys, hats, props, etc. that you would like me to use in your session, please gather them before your arrival. We may not get the chance to use ALL of the items, but we’ll look through them with you to determine what will work best. We also strongly recommend that you discuss any ideas, props or poses you have in mind at least a week prior to your session.

I know! You just had a baby and aren’t feeling your best. But I think this is the perfect time to pamper yourself! Go have your hair + makeup done, schedule a massage or have your nails done. Looking super relaxed and at your best will make you feel more comfortable during the session. This is an exciting time in your life and I want to capture all of that … so take care of yourself first! As far as clothing? Keep it simple. Throw in a little color if you’d like, but skip the busy patterns. (And please don’t feel the need to match everyone in white shirts and jeans — there’s simple … and then there’s boring!) l’m also big fans of skin-on-skin portraits with you holding your baby against you. They’re so simple + timeless! So if you want some portraits like this with your newborn, consider a strapless top or tank as an alternative.

Your hands, and possibly even your feet, will play a major role in this session, so it’s important that you tend to them too! Trim and tidy your nails and apply lotion to any dry skin. Long or short sleeved knits are best. Make sure there isn’t too much bagginess in the sleeve. Undershirts also work well. Make sure your +-shirts are free of logos or too much writing. Wrinkles do show up in photos, so please make sure all clothing is ironed or steamed.

The studio will be kept warm since many of the photographs will be taken with your baby completely undressed. This means that the studio may be too warm for comfort for you. Please dress appropriately for the session, keeping in mind, that you will be in the studio for up to four hours.

The lighting used is soft diffused light that mimics natual lighting, which allows for better quality images.

In order to more closely replicate the environment your baby enjoyed while in your belly, the studio will have background noise playing at all times. Calming hushing noise will be playing in order to keep your baby calm and relaxed. Please do whatever you can to keep the noise level to a minimum during our session. If you have other children that might create noise, try to find a sitter or family member to take them away from the studio for a few hours. If you have children and would like them to be included in some photos, I recommend bringing them in at the end of a session. Only those being photographed should be present to help maintain a calm environment.

Newborn sessions can last anywhere from 2–4 hours. It all depends on baby’s mood and willingness to sleep. Unfortunately, this isn’t something we can predict! I ask that everyone remain calm, should he/she not want to sleep, since your baby will pick up on any frustration in the room. And if sleep doesn’t happen, that’s okay! Wide-eyed newborn photos are beautiful too.

It is important for you to know that there is the utmost importance placed on the safety of your baby. Poses will never be forced nor will any unsafe poses be used in any manner during your session.

Your baby is going to be in the buff for the majority of this shoot. Please don’t panic if your baby decides to use my blankets (or yours) as his/her own personal potty. This is natural and I expect it! Please don’t feel embarrassed or worry when this happens. I wash all of my baby props and blankets between each session. If you would like shots in a diaper, it’s a good idea to have a cloth diaper, diaper cover in a solid color, bloomers, or something to put over the diaper. Diapers on their own tend to look a little messy and distracting in photos, but throwing a cover over it cleans things up.

Again dont worry and just relax, I’m very comfortable holding and posing newborns. Your baby is in safe hands! So yes! Feel free to rest and leave the room for a bit if you’d like. Moms tend to stress out because this is a new experience … and they aren’t used to the waiting game that is newborn photography. They see their baby being fussy or having a difficult time getting settled and panic. ‘This is a disaster! They aren’t going to get ANY good photos!” It isn’t, and I will! I take the baby’s lead; getting them to sleep before posing takes time and they may need to be fed or cuddled a few times first.

In fact, I’d say that a good 50% of your session will involve feeding, diaper changes, and cuddling to get baby comfortable. If that doesn’t work, we’ll take a break or we’ll work with what baby is giving us. Sometimes that best photos happen when baby isn’t doesn’t what we want. Just remember: Babies can sense stress and anxiety ( especially from their mommy’s!) It’s super important that EVERYONE remain calm and relaxed during this session. Keeping the environment as mellow as possible is pretty much the only way we’ re going to get the shots we’ re looking for.

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