T H E A B C ' S O F N E W B O R N P H O T O G R A P H Y
C R E D I T F O R T H I S A W E S O M E G U I D E G O E S T O A M B E R W I T H T W O C O L O R P H O T O G R A P H Y
A
Please contact me at the beginning of your second trimester or as soon as possible! I very rarely have last minute session slots open and hate to tell new mama's that I can't fit them in. When you book we simply put your estimated due date on the schedule and once baby is born, we will book your appointment. I know it's so hard to remember things those first few days, but it really is vital that I know just as soon as baby is here. Every moment matters with the littles!
is for "Appointment"
B
is for "Binky"
Babies need to suck to soothe. Sometimes the difference between nailing the pose and missing it is as simple as that binky. Please consider bringing a binky to the session. I recommend Soothies brand pacifiers as they won't leave marks on baby's face.
C
is for "Calm"
Babies are very in tune to their surroundings and can sense when anyone is nervous. Remaining calm leading up to and at your session is vital to successfully getting those sweet, sleepy shots. Part of the reason that I travel for newborns is so that Mom and anyone else involved in the session does not have to rush out the door and stress themselves out.
Please, don't worry about your home being spotless. I am a mother of two amazing (ly sometimes difficult) girls, both under three years old. My house is almost *never* up to Martha Stewart standards, and I don't care if your house looks like it just came out of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine or not. Sink full of dishes? Cool. 10 unfolded loads of laundry sitting on the couch? Also cool. Just give me space for my beanbag and we'll be just fine! I can even move things out of the way with my foot if need be, no big.
D
is for "Diaper"
Please loosen up baby's diaper tabs about 30 minutes prior to my arrival. This helps to ensure any marks from the elastic are non-existent once we do those cute naked poses.
E
is for "Eating"
You can diet AFTER the newborn session! It is imperative that you eat enough calories to help establish your milk if you’re nursing. Lots of milk = full tummy = happy, sleepy baby.
F
is for "Feeding"
Before I arrive for our appointment, feed your baby a full feeding plus some! The term often used is milk drunk! We’ll take as many pit stops during the session as needed to fill baby back up if they’re running on low. I am a breastfeeding mama myself so if you are nursing, please don't be shy!
is for "Gassy"
G
Make sure and burp your baby after her very full feeding. A gassy tummy often makes for a baby that we can't settle easily. If baby absolutely won't burp, I usually start off with belly poses to help work the bubbles out. If you are nursing, try avoiding caffeine (I know, I know, I'm sorry!) for 24 hours prior to your newborn session. This is a common irritant for little bellies.
H
is for "Heat"
Please bump up the heat in your home (or at least the area we will be shooting in) to 84 degrees an hour before the session. No, I don't just like seeing my clients sweat. Baby has spent the last 9 months in a toasty 98.6 degree environment and unless they are comfortable (meaning we will be uncomfortable) the ability to get sleepy poses will be near impossible.
I will arrive 20 minutes prior to your session to ensure the shooting space is toasty enough and heat up a few degrees extra if need be with my space heater.
I do parent and sibling poses first so if Dad and big brother want to escape to another room (or go somewhere) after we get those shots out of the way, they totally can!
I
is for "Instagram"
I love behind the scenes shots! Just please let me know when you are going to take a photo so I know when not to be in some awkward position, haha. You can earn a $50 session credit when you #sweetlilyphotography in your Instagram post and share on Facebook.
​
J
is for "Joy"
This truly is my passion. I feel so blessed to be able to call this "work", because it certainly doesn't feel like it! Thank you for making this dream a reality!
I absolutely love doing sibling shots! Please let me know ahead of time if you would like to incorporate other children into your newborn session. I recommend having someone else home so that once we are done with family shots in the beginning, siblings can go elsewhere. Having them around for the rest of the session is not only boring and uncomfortably warm for them, but it can also disrupt how well baby calms down for us. Less people=less stress for baby.
K
is for "Kids"
All of my newborn sessions are done in the comfort of your own home! I come to you so there's no need to worry about loading up a brand new baby and making sure your diaper bag is all stashed. Heck, stay in your jammies, I don't mind!
is for "Location"
L
M
is for "Mom"
Alright mama, I have a *very* important job for you. Are you ready? RELAX. Your job during your little one's session is to catch up on social media, read a book, or just kick back and close your eyes (seriously, warm environment and white noise...I've had people fall asleep and it's TOTALLY okay!).
I may ask for your assistance with a pose or two, but after we get the mama and baby shots out of the way at the beginning you're free to just chill. After all, you did JUST have a baby.
N
is for "Naked"
Most of the poses that I do are of baby naked. There is nothing more pure and innocent than a naked baby! Don't worry, I'm well trained in keeping baby modest.
O
is for "Outfits"
If you've seen my work (which, if you're looking at this...you have), you'll notice I don't use a lot of props. I love incorporating sentimental items, but a crochet outfit dressing baby up as a giraffe is just not something that coincides with my style.
I like keeping things natural, with minimal props. I feel like the focus should be on baby, not an outfit.
P
is for "Props"
Continued from the outfits post, I *LOVE* naturally styled babies. That said, I have headbands and wraps galore so please don't feel like you need to go shopping for your session! I actually purchase new items for each session (much to my husband's demise) which is why I ask SO many questions on my new client forms!
Q
is for "Questionaire"
Questionnaire – When you book your newborn session, I will send you a link to my Newborn Pre-Session Questionnaire. This questionnaire helps me mold my session to fit your nursery style and colors. You can fill the questionnaire out online and click submit, no printing it out and trying to remember to mail it off! The sooner you submit the questionnaire the better!
R
is for "Rocking"
You may see me rocking, and rocking, and rocking and rocking your baby. While I rock, I’m watching your baby for the signs that they are entering the deep sleep that I need for a lot of the newborn poses. On average, it takes about 20-30 minutes of swaying and rocking to get baby into a deep, deep sleep.
S
is for "Supplies"
I travel with all necessary supplies for newborns for the first weeks of their life. Pacifiers, wipes, diapers, you just supply the food for baby!
is for "Time"
T
Time – Expect your newborn session to take anywhere between 1 1⁄2 -3 hours. Babies are on their own schedule with eating and sleeping, so it’s my job to just be patient with them and enjoy rocking them to sleep!
U
is for "Unpredictable"
I think we all know that babies are very unpredictable. I’m VERY good with babies. I have two little girls of my own and have worked very hard the past few years to figure out all of the best ways to keep babies safe and get them to sleep.
I’ve learned a lot of little tricks to soothe your newborn. I’m going to very respectfully ask you to sit back and let me do my magic, I’ll let you know when I think baby needs to be fed, otherwise, I’ve got this, I actually enjoy “dancing” your newborn to sleep, and it eliminates the hand-off when mom gets baby to sleep and hands baby to me … and …. baby ends up waking up.
I'm here to capture precious moments of your little one AND to give you a break! Sit back and relax, mama!
​
V
is for "Value"
What do you receive for your investment? Your session comes with a set number of high-resolution digital files on a USB drive with print release. The number of photos you will receive vary based on the package that you selected at booking. I generally have a sneak peek edited within 48 hours, and my turnaround time for the remaining images is 4 weeks.
The one thing I can almost guarantee will happen…. I will be peed on multiple times in a newborn photography session! I am prepared for that. Towels, wipes, rags all within easy reach for a quick clean up!
is for "Wet"
W
X
is for "eXcrement"
Everybody poops! Especially newborns. When I signed up for this "job" I knew that I would be pooped on, a lot. And you know what? It's FINE! I have had so many parents apologize for their little one pooping on either me or my backdrops, but there is no reason to. Poop happens!
Y
is for "Young"
I prefer newborns to be around 10 days old. After that, acne begins to set in, reflux can present itself, and babies become a little bit less flexible to get those perfect curly poses. That's not to say that if your baby is older that we can't get some beautiful memories, it just might be a bit more difficult to get baby to sleep.
Z
is for "Zzzzz"
If we follow the A-Z, hopefully we will have a lot of Zzzzs and an amazing newborn photography session! Z also stands for how many dads fall asleep during their newborn’s session!