Congratulations!  You are expecting a new baby, or maybe your recently added a baby to your family!  Preparing for your newborn photos typically starts before your baby arrives. As a mother of four, I understand that a little preparation can go a long way.  Taking a few small steps now will help you prepare for some cute cuddly pictures that you will love to share with your friends and family!  If you're ready to prepare for the session itself, check out our article "How to Prepare for your Newborn Photo Session".  

1.  Choose a style

What is the style you are looking for?  Are you looking for a lifestyle session where you are holding your new baby cuddling on the bed?  Or are you looking for a studio session filled with cute baskets, blankets and wraps, or perhaps something more traditional?  Most studios that photograph newborns will have a variety of newborn blankets, clothing, wraps, etc.  But, if you have something specific that you have seen or want to bring along, make sure you prepare for that ahead of time.  You can find all kinds of ideas on social media, or order some unique props for just you and your baby online.  Make sure you talk through these ideas with the photographer you choose!  

2. Choose a photographer

This might sound silly, but it is actually a pretty big step.  You will want to do this early on in the planning stage.  You will not only want to choose a photographer that has a style you like, but also one that has experience and safe practices in handling newborns.  You want your photographer to feel comfortable in handling your baby, as well as make sure everything is always clean and sanitized.  Make sure you photographer is up to date on their immunization shots. You don’t want him/her to pass on any disease that your newborn can’t fight against yet.  Also, make sure your photographer is a certified professional photographer from the Professional photographers of America.  These photographers have to pass written and practical tests to show they can effectively produce great results for their clients.  Also, make sure you check out testimonials from your photographer.  This is such a precious time in your life that you won’t want to trust it to just anyone.  You can see some of our testimonials here.

3. Decide who will be included in the pictures

Will the parents or siblings be included in the session?  Or perhaps a generation portrait with grand parents or great grand parents?  Make sure you discuss this ahead of time with your photographer.  One thing to think about this is the amount if time you would like to spend on the extras.  Are you wanting a lot of family pictures or sibling pictures?  If so, you might want to schedule two separate sessions.  It can be a long and tiring time if you are trying to do too much all at once.  Sometimes it takes a couple hours just for the newborn alone.  If you have other siblings that won’t be patient for hours, it is best to have separate times for that.  You will need to think about the appropriate clothing for the family pictures.  Getting clothing ready before the baby comes, or a few days before the session will alleviate stress as the session gets closer.  You don’t want to be ironing your shirt an hour before your session, or stopping at the store on the way there because you don’t have a certain piece of clothing.

4. How old should the newborn be?

We love newborn sessions when the baby is less than 10 days old.  This is the optimal time of when babies curl up in those cute little sleepy poses that we all love so much.  When they are older, they are more alert and can take longer to settle into position.  After 2 weeks, some babies start to experience baby acne, which can sometimes be hard to effectively edit.  But, if there is a medical reason not to come early, or you are late in planning, don’t worry.  You still need these newborn photos! We have photographed newborns up to 8 weeks old and have still made beautiful lasting portraits.  Find out how your photographer wants to handle the booking if your baby has not arrived yet.  Some photographers might want to get a tentative date on the calendar ahead of time.  Others might say to wait until the baby is born to contact them.  We like to know your due date so we can keep it on our radar, but then call us immediately after the baby is born.  Ok, you can call your family first, then call us second.  

5. What time of day is best for the session?

Mornings or early afternoons are typically best.  Try to arrange the session time so that it overlaps with nap time.  Our studio uses natural light for the majority of newborn photos, so an evening session is not ideal.  Typically babies are more content in the mornings and early afternoons.  This might mean several things in advance to your scheduling. The members in your family might need to make arrangements to be there that time of day.  Your spouse might have to take a morning off work if they are not on leave.  Your kids might have to get out of school early, etc.  

6. Have a pacifier handy

The first time I heard that they weren’t giving pacifiers to new babies at our local hospital I was surprised.  I don’t mean this to be an argument for or against pacifiers… but hear me out.  The session will go so much smoother if we have a pacifier to sooth the baby with.  Your baby will settle into those sleepy curled up newborn poses that you love so much easier if we have a pacifier.  You don’t have to use the pacifier any other time at home if you don’t want to… but trust me, you will be glad you have one at the time of the session.  

7.  Think about the products you want from the session.  

It is easier to think about this ahead of time instead of waiting until it is time to order.  What are you wanting out of the session?  If possible, meet ahead of time with your photographer to look at samples and go over ideas.  Do you want a beautiful keepsake album that you can pass down to your baby?  Would you like a stunning canvas or framed print to display in the nursery?  Will you need gifts for grandparents?  Would you like custom birth announcements to send out to your family and friends?  Having a plan will help you in the future!