It’s quite common to feel overwhelmed about booking a maternity and newborn session. As  a mother myself I know there is so much to think of and sometimes although we want the photos to look back on as our family grows, sometimes the thought and what if’s can be so overwhelming we just don’t do it. This post I hope to put your minds at ease. I will explain the process of both my maternity and newborn sessions and how you can make it an enjoyable, even relaxing, fun experience. Of course everything is a guideline and what I have found works after years of experience but obviously we cater to the individual circumstances.

Maternity sessions are done generally between 33-36 weeks. This is usually a good time of the pregnancy before Mum starts to feel really uncomfortable but has a beautiful bump to show off. Twins of course we generally shoot earlier but each Mum is a little different so we work with her and how she is feeling. You have the option of either studio or outdoor locations and this is all up to the individual and what you are wanting from your session. Each has a very different look, and also some Mum’s aren’t comfortable with the idea outdoors so this is another deciding factor which I can guide you with.

The session usually includes Mum (of course), her partner and any other children and generally takes between 40-60 minutes. I guide Mum on how to pose to get the flattering angles that really enhance the bump. I also love natural interaction shots so I always encourage that throughout the session because I feel these are those special moments that we will always want to remember. Some Mum’s have a good idea and like to give me ideas on what they would really like and others like more guidance from me and I love it either way.

Newborn sessions are done within the first 2 weeks of birth so obviously the more organised with this you are the better BUT in saying that, being organised only means being booked in and sending me a text when bub arrives. That’s it. I reply with the next dates I have available for newborns and we book a day in. You will receive a little information pack to look over which covers everything from what to wear to ideas on a routine for the morning of the shoot to hopefully make your day smooth.

The day of your session. Literally you turn up at your session time, sit back and relax!

Some parents may worry about having a stranger handle their baby which of course is completely understandable. But as a Mum of 4 myself, I have had a lot of experience both as a Mother and as a newborn photographer so always know that your babies safety is always my number one priority so it never takes long for parents to relax. If this is an issue for you I am also available for meet and greets before your session to put your mind at ease.

I have a television with Netflix if needed, tea and coffee making facilities at hand and most importantly a comfy lounge for parents to sit back and relax on. I’m unable to tell you the amount of parents I have had fall asleep at a session which I encourage! Knowing what it’s like to have a newborn and sleepless nights and want to see you relaxed because your baby picks up on your energy. Happy relaxed parents generally means happy relaxed bub so the more relaxed you are the better.

If you are thinking of booking a newborn session I recommend you read my previous post on preparing for your newborn session. It covers some more things to think about when you are booking your photographer. https://kristyleephotography.com.au/recent-posts/planning-your-newborn-session/

For the rest of this month (Feb 2018) I am offering free maternity sittings with newborn bookings made but it is filling up fast with limited spaces left. But if you are thinking about having a maternity and newborn session then this is the perfect time to go ahead and book in.

Kristy xx

Planning your newborn session. A common thing I am asked about often and that is newborn sessions and in particular planning your newborn session. I have been photographing newborns for coming up 6 years now and have learnt a LOT along the way. So I thought a short blog post to give a few tips on what to keep in mind when choosing your newborn photographer and planning your newborn session. Whether you are local to me or live on the other side of the world, I can guarantee these simple things are a great guideline to go by.

So let’s get started –

STYLE –

1. Photography is an art meaning that every photographer will have their own style. Yes you will find some similar styles out there but as a whole each photographer will have their own unique, individual style. You should check out their website, see their portfolio, and social media to make sure that you are in love their images and can see those hanging on YOUR wall. My style. Personally with my newborns, I like to combine both lifestyle type shots and posed, curled squishy baby shots so my sessions can be catered toward one over the other or most of my sessions have a combination of each. I love natural organic tones but also love to play with splashes of usually pastel colours that you will see in some of my images.

   

   

   

   
   
   
   

   SAFETY –

2. The safety of a newborn should be paramount to any parent and photographer. In fact I could easily do a full blog post on this alone. As a parent myself I know I wanted to be 100% comfortable with the person handling my brand new bundle at such a young age (remembering newborns are usually photographed within the first 14 days of life). Knowing that they have done some training and continue to practise newborn safety would be of great importance to me as a Mother/Parent. This is not only handling your baby but also making sure your photographer is fully immunised against things such a whooping cough which can be deadly to a newborn. I recommend checking recommendations and reviews to see what others are saying about how the photographer handled their baby, did they feel at ease? And Images like below take a lot of skill, both posing and editing and practise and are called composite images. This is when two images are taken and then combined during post production to create the final product and they shouldn’t be attempted by anyone without proper training and education. I do take requests for these poses however I will never promise anything to parents because each baby is so different and sometimes some babies just will not be cooperative enough to do them and safety will always come first.

   

   Straight of the camera

   

   The final Product

   

   The final product of a potato sack pose another composite image

   
   

   BOOK EARLY –

3. When planning your newborn session remember you are purchasing something you will treasure forever, a keepsake to be passed on through generations. Coming from a Mum of 4 who doesn’t have these images with her own children, let me say this – You will never get this time back, they grow up way too fast and soon those times when they were BRAND new, when their hands were all wrinkly and hair whispery will just become a faded memory. I would do anything to go back in time to get these images of my own babies and through multiple conversations over the years I am not the only one. So please try to be organised and book in whilst you are still pregnant because most newborn photographers will limit their bookings each month and once your baby is here the time will fly and the last thing on your mind will be trying to find a photographer.

PRICING –

4.      When planning your newborn session, be sure to ask to see the full pricing guide. You want to have a good idea on how much you are looking at to get your prints and or digitals along with the session fee. Try to appreciate the amount of work, the training not to mention the other parts of running a business that you don’t see, all of those things that go into creating these images for you, art that you to keep forever. Things like insurances, marketing costs, editing time, the things you don’t see to make a business run smoothly and legally. If a business is really cheap maybe it’s just the quality difference or maybe some of the important things above aren’t being covered. Some businesses like myself will have a few different payment options and offer interest free payment plans too so be sure to ask about those.

Thank you for reading my first new blog post! I hope I have given you a few ideas on things to think about when you are planning your newborn session.

I appreciate any feedback you have and I look forward to seeing you and or your baby in front of my camera soon!

Kristy xx