Before your session
If you are expecting, congratulations! It’s never to early to contact me to schedule a newborn session. Scheduling your session at least a couple of months before your baby is born allows us to reserve a tentative session appointment for approximately 7 days after your expected due date. I also keep some additional dates open in the week before and after. Since we really do want to have the actual session as close to the 5-10 day range as possible (and definitely by 2 weeks of age), please keep me informed if your due date changes or if your baby arrives sooner than expected, so we can reserve a new time slot for your baby.
For child and family sessions, once we have decided on a date for the session, we will work together to decide on the best location. This might be a park, your home, or another location depending on your child’s age and your preference. I am always happy to make suggestions about locations and consult about clothing selection.
Carefully planning your session is very important to me, so we can get images that you will love, and because it’s fun to get to know you during the process! We will do a lot of sharing of ideas at your pre-session consultation, and I invite you to communicate any requests that you have before the session so we can try to make it happen.
The session
Newborn sessions usually last approximately three hours and are photographed in the comfort of your own home. I will bring my portable studio and an assortment of newborn goodies including hats, baskets, and headbands for girls. You do not need to provide anything but your (hopefully) sleepy baby and a nice warm house. I will send you detailed information about simple things that you can do before the session to make the session flow as smoothly as possible.
Child and family sessions typically last about one to two hours. I will guide your child and family through the whole process and always aim to keep the session light-hearted and fun. It may take a little while for your child to warm up to the idea of being photographed. Don’t worry–a little patience and a spirit of fun is usually all that’s needed. Once the session starts moving along, I encourage parents to be relaxed and enjoy the flow of their kids’ natural playfulness. In fact, there are not many things that kids love more than their parents cuddling and playing along with them–and this makes for great photos! You are welcome to bring any special items that are meaningful to your child (e.g., comforting stuffed animal) and non-messy snacks/treats to keep him/her content.
After your session
Approximately ten to fourteen days after your session, your images will be ready to view. We will schedule a viewing appointment so you can see your images for the first time. This appointment gives you the opportunity to see and feel samples of the items you are considering, ask any questions, and confidently select the pieces that you will love. Based on your input, I am also happy to design custom portrait items such as wall displays and albums with your favorite images.
