newborn Session FAQs

Do I need to have outfits for my newborn?

  • I love including meaningful items in your newborn’s session. But I also have a huge collection of headbands, tiebacks, bonnets, hats, wraps, and outfits made specifically for newborn photography.

  • Don’t worry about having an outfit for your baby, even newborn-sized clothes tend to swallow up a newborn. I bring a lot of swaddles that make baby nice and comfy for family pictures.

  • What’s the advantage of an in-home newborn session?

    • Comfortable, stress-free and easy.

    • In my experience, the weeks following baby’s birth will be such a blur. Things like leaving the house to go to the grocery store can seem pretty big and overwhelming. I want to minimize stress for you. You’ve got enough going on.

    • Say that you end up having a c-section, most doctors will advise that you not drive for the first few weeks. That makes things a little hard if I was asking you to drive to me, then have your husband take your older kids away after their portion is done, leaving you stuck in my studio. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

    • Let me address a potential concern - Your house does not need to be clean. I don’t have a newborn, and my house isn’t exactly in a visitor-ready state. All I need is an area to set up the posed newborn shots (about 6 ft x 6ft), and a neutral/blank wall (also about 6 ft) for family shots. If you want some lifestyle images, I can work with just about anything.

  • What can I do to make sure that my newborn session goes well?

    • Upon signing your contract and paying 50% of the session cost, I will send you my newborn prep guide. This guide goes into detail about how to prepare your home, what to wear, and what to expect from your session.

  • Can parents/grandparents/siblings/fur siblings be included in the session?

    • Absolutely, these are some of my favorite shots! This applies to the Heirloom and Storytelling packages.

  • Editing, what do you remove?

    • On newborns, only temporary things like baby acne, blotchiness and scratches. I don’t remove hemangiomas (my son had one!), stork bites, angel kisses, or other marks.

    • On everyone else, once again I will remove temporary things like pimples, scratches, bug bites, etc.

  • How far in advance should I book my session?

    • My schedule fills up quickly, I advise to book a newborn session as soon as you know that you want one! Every so often my schedule aligns where I can take on a last minute newborn session, but it’s not the norm.

  • How do we schedule a newborn session given that we don’t know exactly when my baby will arrive?

    • For every session, I save your due date on my calendar, along with a date about 1-1.5 weeks after for your session. I am very protective of my calendar and those who have already booked a session to ensure that I am able to fit all clients in.

  • My baby is past the 5-14 day age range, is it too late to book a session?

    • Not at all! There are so many options!

      1. In home lifestyle (storytelling) session - these can be literally ANY time!

      2. Baby portrait session - These are so fun because your little one will start smiling around 5 weeks. I can still use a number of newborn-y type things, but will definitely need to modify as an older baby just isn’t down with being posed and sleeping throughout a session. Inquire for pricing.

      3. Family session

Newborn Safety FAQs

What happens if you (the photographer) gets sick?

  • I do not mess around with illness and newborns. If I am sick or anyone in my household is sick, I will notify you prior to the session to reschedule. If I am not able to get you on my schedule within a week or two, I will a) refund your payment completely and b) refer you to another kickass newborn photographer.

  • Are you vaccinated?

    • I receive my flu shot every year

    • I receive my COVID booster every year

    • I had my TDAP/Whooping Cough vaccine in 2022, which is good for 10 years

  • Explain your thoughts on posing/handling of my newborn?

    • I wash my hands thoroughly before and throughout your session, and I also bring instant hand sanitizer, which I will use a lot.

    • There are a number of newborn poses out there on pinterest that I will not do, as they put the baby at risk such as placing baby in a breakable object, or suspending baby.

    • Pets - I reaaaaaally like including pets in pictures if I can do so safely. If your pup is feeling a little too crazy, I have a few photoshop tricks up my sleeve that we can use.

  • Certifications?

    • I am certified in newborn safety by the Accredited Professional Newborn Photographers International (APNPI)

  • Sanitation

    • I thoroughly clean and sanitize everything used in a newborn session immediately following.