Information and recommendations for your Newborn Photo Shoot

The Morning of the photo shoot

Please try as much as possible to keep your baby awake, try a bath and a massage, tickling toes and try not to give your baby a dummy for the few hours beforehand (if you use one).  This will ensure those squishy, sleepy pictures we all love!

This is perhaps the most important part of preparing your baby for an easy session but of course if your baby is very tired and needs to sleep or feed, please let them.  Your baby will normally fall asleep in the car on the way to see me, but will usually wake up when undressed once you have arrived.  We then feed your baby and usually do not have to wait long after that for them to fall into a deep sleep.  That is when we get those beautiful, dreamy newborn poses.

It would be advisable to bring plenty of snacks for you all to keep you going during the session. Hot drinks and water will be provided but if you would rather bring your own drinks then please feel free to do so. Please also be aware that babies tend to drink more milk during newborn sessions so if you are bottle feeding please be sure to bring plenty with you.  I have a Tommee Tippee perfect prep machine ready to use at the studio for your convenience. 

During the photo shoot

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 I can predict! If he/she does not want to sleep, since your baby will pick up on any frustration in the room please don't worry about it. And if sleep doesn’t happen at all during the session, that’s okay! Wide-eyed newborn photos are beautiful too.

Mums 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! She isn'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, nappy 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 the best photos happen when baby isn’t doing what we want. Just remember: Babies can sense stress and anxiety (especially from their mummy’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.

Please don’t panic if your baby decides to use my blankets (or me!) as his/her own personal potty. This is natural and I expect it! Please don’t feel embarrassed or worry when this happens, because they all do it. I haven't done a newborn session yet where this hasn't happened! I wash all of my baby props and blankets between each session anyway.

If you have other children that you would like photographed with your Newborn then this is absolutely fine but I recommend that you arrange for someone to collect them once we have finished their photographs. This is because as newborn sessions typically last 3-4 hours children tend to get very bored and we would need noise levels kept to a minimum in order to get the best from the session. Please let me know in advance if you require sibling shots.

I recommend bookmarking this page so that you are able to come back and read it ideally the day before your session.

Lastly, I would like to thank you for choosing Angel Eyes Photography, I'm looking forward to our session.