Newborn Session FAQs

This is my most asked question! I am able to work with babies within my session flow to adjust to their needs and comfort. Rest assured, your baby’s safety and comfort are my top priority at all times. Taking more frequent breaks for feeding and soothing occurs in about 50% of my newborn sessions and is completely normal! Rarely, a session might need to be rescheduled if baby just cannot be settled.

Part of my setup process upon arriving to your home is to choose a spot with the right lighting and space to work in. I don’t need as much light as you think! In the event that it’s an exceptionally gloomy day or there isn’t sufficient window light, I do bring studio lighting equipment with me.

Safety is always my number one priority. I have taken multiple newborn posing safety courses and have many years of experience. I always wear my camera strap, will not stand on anything but the floor above your baby and use a small space heater with myself positioned between it and your baby to ensure the warmth is just right. Poses will always be comfortable and simple. Oftentimes, I will use composite images in order to keep constant hands on/near a wiggly baby. All babies have different preferences and I will never insist on a pose that your baby is uncomfortable in. We will take breaks for feeding and soothing as-needed with no rush. Not only do I want your baby to be comfortable the entire time but I want your baby to LOOK comfortable in their images, so there are some poses that I simply do not do. You will not see the “froggy pose” or very many elaborate props on my website.

I have a strict cleaning routine for all of my props and equipment that enter a client’s home. Everything is stored in a dedicated closet in my home and all of my props are stored in containers. Anything that goes into your home has been washed/sanitized and will be again prior to going back into my dedicated closet. More delicate fabrics and accessories are hand washed, while larger fabrics are machine washed with hypoallergenic detergent. Anything that cannot be wiped down or machine washed is also steamed.

While I am in your home I will wash my hands at the beginning of our session and as-needed throughout. I will remove my shoes and/or wear shoe covers. I will wear a mask upon request.

I will ALWAYS err on the side of caution and reschedule a session when I, or anyone around me, has been ill. I request that my clients do the same. For this reason, I only accept a certain number of newborn sessions per month.

The sessions typically begin around 10am and last 2-4 hours, allowing ample time for feeding, soothing, and capturing a variety of newborn fine art portraits, family, and lifestyle portraits. Occasionally, sessions go more quickly or slowly than usual and I leave when we have completed the session and captured the images that we need for your gallery.

No! I have several props and accessories that I will choose from, based on your style and preferences, to bring with me. I encourage you to look through them when I arrive to help me further customize the look and feel of your session. I will gladly incorporate personal or sentimental items of yours as well, but you do not need to provide these for your session if you do not want to. I will bring along everything that you would expect to see in a studio newborn session into the comfort of your own home. Items include lighting (as needed), posing equipment, a small space warmer, sound machine, blankets, bonnets, wraps, props, and more!

Most clients book sometime in the second trimester. I recommend reaching out as soon as possible so that you are ready to book by the second trimester. I do try to fit everyone in, regardless of how far along you are, but I only accept a limited number of newborn sessions per month. Sooner is better! Especially for due dates in June, July, November and December- I book up quickly!

To ensure that I have enough flexibility in my schedule your due date is treated as a tentative session date in my calendar. Once your baby arrives, we will schedule your session. I ask that you reach out to me within 3 days, or as soon as possible, to make sure that we have plenty of time to schedule your session for the following week.

Newborn sessions work best when baby is from 5-21 days old. However, some babies spend time in the NICU, some mothers experience complications, older siblings get sick, etc. and we must book the session outside of the ideal timeframe. This is something that I always prepare for as a possibility.

It typically takes about 2 weeks from the day of your session to get access to your gallery. In busy seasons it might take a little longer but I will always notify you if I anticipate a longer processing time.