How to prepare for a newborn session

It can be daunting thinking about how your newborn session will go. During a lot of my newborn sessions a lot of parents apologies when their baby is feeding for ages or won’t settle, but this is normal during a session, please don’t worry. We just have to go with the flow and allow your baby to have all the cuddles and feeds they need for a successful session. I want you to all feel comfortable during our newborn photography session and not feel rushed. A rushed session will lead to your baby probably being unsettled and you not getting the photos that you want. If you have booked in a newborn session and are thinking about how to prepare for it this blog will be very helpful to you!

Here are 5 tips for preparing for your newborn session

1. Have an idea of the colours, style and photos you would like included in your session.

When you book in your newborn photography with me in your booking form I will ask you to attach some photos that you like from my website. This will give me an idea of the styles you prefer and if you like using props or not as many props. Not every client will want the same style of photos, While I do have my own style and flow that I stick to when photographing throughout the newborn session, I always cater to the parents choice of colours and preferences.

You should also think about if you would like to be in some photos with your newborn. This is something I always include if the parents wish to and even if you are not sure I encourage that you do as these photos will be an important memory for you. If you decide you don’t like the family photos with you in, You don’t have to purchase them within your package!

2. Feeding your newborn baby

I suggest that you try and feed your newborn baby just before you get to the session. If you are driving from a while away you can feed them when you get to my studio. It’s always best to start with a milk drunk baby 🙂 We can stop as many times as needed during the session for extra feeds. Some babies will cluster feed while others will have a long feed then sleep for a longer amount of time.

3. What to bring with you to your newborn session

Bring your newborn baby dressed in a loose baby grow. This will make it easier to take off when starting the session.
Pacifier/dummy if you use one
Spare nappies
Baby blankets
Extra bottles if bottle feeding
Any newborn keepsakes you would like in the photos.

4. Your role during the newborn session

During the newborn session most of the time you will just be able to sit back and relax and watch. I will be wrapping and posing your baby through out the session so you will not need to do this. There may be times When I am photographing your newborn that I may ask if you can help. Your babies safety is always my top priory during newborn sessions and there are a few poses where I would need a parent to just sit next to the baby and spot them to make sure they are secure while I am photographing, you can see some examples below.

5. How long the session will last

My newborn sessions last about 3 hours, they can be anywhere from 2 1/2 to 4 hours. This always varies as every baby is different and has their own little personalities. If your newborn baby is a very sleepy baby and sleeps all the way through the session will be quicker. Also the sessions are usually longer if you want to include parent or sibling photos as well.

I hope this blog helped you with any questions you may of had with how to prepare for a newborn session!

DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU RECEIVE 10% OFF YOUR NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY PACKAGE WHEN YOU HAVE HAD A MATERNITY PHOTOSHOOT WITH ME?

Feel free you give me a call or email if you are looking to capture some newborn family photos. If you would like to pop into my studio before for a chat thats not a problem. Thank you to all my previous and future clients for choosing me as your newborn photographer. It’s such a privilege to create these memories for you!

contact me at jocovephotography@gmail.com if you are looking to book in a newborn baby photoshoot in London

you can read my reviews via netmums, facebook & Google.

You can read more of my newborn blogs below –