Up next in the newborn blog series is what to expect during your newborn session! If you haven’t already, I recommend going back and reading the first two in the series: When To Schedule Your Newborn Session For Perfect Results & Complete Guide To Preparing For Your Newborn Photography Session.
The Flow of Your Session Experience
There is a general flow I like to follow when photographing newborns. But here is the real deal: the name of the game for a smooth and pleasant session experience is flexibility. That said, this is the reason we schedule out 2 hours for a newborn session. The actual amount of time that we are photographing is not 2 hours, but this gives us wiggle room for feeds, soothing, diaper changes, and some water/snack breaks for the family.
What you can expect during the session
As you read in my previous two blogs about preparing for your newborn session, ideally, your babe is changed and fed just prior to the session start time. The goal is to start our time with a fully belly and sleepiness post-milk. The newborn will be the star of the show to kick off the session. We will focus on a series of swaddled poses and detail shots for your baby. After this series, I typically welcome the sibling(s) if any to join their baby for a few photographs, as they are fresh and eager to participate. Once we wrap up sibling images, I bring along dad to get his solo photographs with the baby. This is where mom joins for some mom, dad, and babe images. I will then bring the siblings back in to get the full family. After the full family, mom will get her solos with the baby. We will then end on another round of solo photographs of baby in different swaddling techniques. I like to finish the session by capturing the nursery details (sometimes I will do this at the beginning if the family is still finishing last minute getting-ready details). This flow is outlined in pencil, as I like to remain flexible for the baby’s needs and/or even the siblings needs.
Posing and safety protocols
When it comes to posing your baby, there are a variety of posing pillows used to ensure your babe is secured and safe during the photos. Breaks are expected and built into our scheduled time so that baby is given ample time to nurse, have a diaper change, or take breaks as necessary.
Working with Your Baby’s Natural Rhythms
With baby being in that golden age range of 6-14 days old, we are able to rely on baby’s natural ability to fall back asleep after nursing or soothing. This is why we schedule newborn sessions for 2 hours; so that we are not rushing but rather following baby’s natural rhythms. This produces a calm and peaceful environment for everyone and ultimately: better imagery!
Capturing Authentic Family Connections
I often remind my clients that newborns sessions are truly the easiest in front of the camera for parents because most often your job is to snuggle your new baby – there is no better prop or pose than that!
Parent and sibling involvement
As I shared in the previous sections, both parents and siblings play a role in newborn photoshoots. I offer newborn sessions that focus on the “lifestyle” element of families with a newborn, which provides a gallery that is full of connection, details, and sweet moments between the new addition and her family. If I were to break it down, about 60% of the session is focused solely on baby where 40% involves the rest of the family.
Behind the Scenes: Professional Techniques
There are a variety of techniques that come into play during a newborn session like utilizing the best natural light, certain wrap techniques with swaddling, and poses that will highlight connection and elegance on-camera.
The Elevated Portrait Experience Difference
As the client, it is not your responsibility to know or be prepared for the flow of the session. We will certainly be discussing these details in the Planning Appointment prior to our time together, however, I do not expect anything of you on session day except to sit back, relax, and enjoy! Try to slow down and take it all in. It is my job (and my honor) to lead you and your family through a smooth, peaceful session experience.
