One question I get asked a lot is,
When should I book my newborn session?
The short answer is: Every family has different preferences. I like to do newborn sessions within the first 4-6 weeks, but ultimately ALWAYS prioritize mama + baby’s well-being first.
I know, it’s basically part of every mama’s nesting phase- we’re all anxious to get our ducks in a row and have everything in place before the baby comes. In an ideal world, we’d get everything done in advance, and then kick our feet up on the couch and have someone hand us our new baby once he/she is done baking. Ha, wouldn’t that be nice!
The reality is that there are a lot of variables that are just beyond our control. Your labor and delivery could be par for the course and mostly uneventful, or you might have an epic story to share with a prescription for extra physical therapy for ‘down there’. I’ve heard mamas share experiences from various levels of difficulty- and in the end, it just makes me appreciate the details, the moments, and the overall parenthood journey. I’ve learned perspective is everything. I try not sweat the small stuff- and as a result, I’m far more flexible. I only ask that families who book their newborn sessions in advance to be flexible too.
So with that said, I like to tell my expecting mamas that we’re merely PENCILING in our tentative newborn session date on the calendar. My priority is that both YOU and your BABY are transitioning well at home. The beauty of lifestyle newborn photography is that there is no pressured set ‘day old’ preference to when we do our session. Sure, there’s a lot of things that can be doctored up in Photoshop. But what can’t be forged is a genuinely pleasant experience- it doesn’t matter how fancy your camera is. A stressed mama often leads to sour moods and expressions for your entire crew (baby included) and let me tell ya, that’s beyond my level of Photoshop expertise. If mama ain’t happy, nobody’s gonna be happy!
My priority is always focused on mommy and her new baby.
Let’s chat a little more about the term ‘lifestyle’.
So what exactly does ‘lifestyle photography’ mean?
For me, it means that our photography sessions are more relaxed, flexible, and a smidge spontaneous. For example, whenever I give a prompt during a shoot, I have a general idea and expectation of what will happen next. The exact response that unfolds in front of my camera is impossible to predict and usually SOO WORTH IT.
A lifestyle portrait in your natural habitat is worth a thousand words.
I’m a wee bit obsessed with this little moment right here for a lot of reasons: Check out this sweet room- the fun girly mermaid sheet bedding is something I’d love to remember for YEARS down the road. And do you see sweet big sister Reese is having a pouty moment because SHE didn’t get to hold her new little sister? Because big brother Campbell here is hugging her? You’re able to get a sense of their youthful age (and their age-appropriate reactions) from having to share the attention. And best of all, you can just see how much they both love their new baby sister!
P.S. I just gotta put this out there…
Every once in a while, I’ll get a request derived from a photo pinned from Pinterest, but I like to remind everyone it’s just that- Inspiration. The last thing I want you to do is to compare yourself. Ever hear of the saying ‘Comparison is the thief of joy’? It’s so true. You shouldn’t hire a professional artist to copy and replicate- you’re commissioning a one-of-a-kind experience celebrating your greatest family moments. No two lifestyle photography sessions are ever the same. We’re all uniquely special, and that’s exactly what your future needs to see.
You may also like…
Featured
Read More →