Preparing For Your Newborn Session | In-Home Lifestyle Newborn Photographer

You’re expecting (congrats!!!) and looking to book a newborn session (or maybe you have recently booked one). This is one of the most exciting things to ever happen and I am so honored to help families document this special time. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible from start to finish so that the process and experience is seamless and relaxed. Your focus is on your happy, healthy baby, and I’ll make sure we capture the moments that you’ll cherish forever. Here are some planning/preparation tips for your newborn portrait session:

When should I book my session?

It is best to book your newborn session as soon as possible, at least 2-3 months prior to baby’s arrival to ensure I can fit you into my schedule. When we book you, we pick a date that is 10-14 days after your due date and then, once baby arrives, we work together to adjust the date if necessary.

Where will my newborn session take place?

Most newborn sessions take place in the comfort of your own home. We will want to ensure the nursery, master bedroom, living room and any other space you’d like to use for your photos has enough natural light. I will ask you to monitor the natural light in those spaces throughout the day in advance of your session so that we can determine the best session time with optimal natural light. Just prior to your session, you will want to open any shutters/blinds and turn off any overhead lights. You will want to make sure the room is warm so that baby gets comfy and sleepy.

What should I wear for my newborn session?

You are welcome to use Studio Wardrobe for your session (I currently offer a selection of women’s dresses as well as some toddler girl dresses if you have another little one), and if you choose that option we will schedule a consultation prior the session to pick the outfits for your family. If you choose to dress yourself, I suggest coordinating vs. matching. Your clothing should reflect your family style! Also make sure you have all clothing picked and all ready the day before

When you are picking a color scheme please bear in mind that these colors will be the colors displaying on your wall so you would like your images match with the interior of your house.

I recommend that you start by selecting a base of 2-3 colors and carry those through the outfits so that everything “goes” together but doesn’t match. Keep in mind that the colors you choose for each family member do not have to match, but they should look nice together. Mix neutrals with some accent colors . Neutral and earthy colors create a soft and elegant style, and will give your images a timeless feel. These are by far my favorite tones to photograph, not to mention they are so versatile and will look beautifully displayed in any home decor. 

For baby, I recommend keeping it simple. A white t-shirt onesie is great as well as neutral colored wraps and swaddles (which I bring a selection of). If there is a special outfit you’d like to dress baby in for your photos, that is perfectly fine and you may change baby as often as needed.

For mom, I recommend a neutral colored flowy dress. Something that you feel great in and will want to see photos of yourself in for years to come. As mentioned above, I offer a client wardrobe full of beautiful, flattering dresses. This is included in your session and you are welcome to come try on any of my dresses prior to your session.

Always keep your session location in mind when choosing your outfit. You don’t want to blend with your background. If you want natural looking, relaxed images, dress in a way that’s appropriate for your home or location. For more tips, check out my blog post on what to wear to your session, including images of all of the dresses in my studio wardrobe!

How should I prepare my baby for the session, day of?

Here are my top baby tips for the day of your newborn session:

1. Ensure it isn’t too cold inside. Babies are typically sleepier when its warmer, so we’ll want to make sure baby is comfy warm so he gets a little sleepy.

2. Keep baby awake for about an hour before our session.

3. Feed and change baby right before session time.

4. Have a white noise machine handy in case we want to use to help keep baby sleepy.

What happens during the session?

Newborn sessions are baby-led, meaning we let baby dictate how the session goes depending on he/she is feeling. I will help guide you through any poses, but much of the time I will be capturing the between poses, the candid moments. I will also capture individual baby photos. Newborn sessions typically last around an hour and a half, however long it takes for us to capture the moments we want!

What happens after my session?

Sit back, relax and enjoy the baby snuggles! A few days after your session I provide a “sneak peek” via social media. The entire editing process will take about 2 weeks. I will give time and attention to each image to make it perfect for you. Once you receive your password protected digital gallery for viewing, you will select a package and we will pick out which images you would like to use for artwork/albums. You’ll also get a pin to download any digital images.

I hope that was helpful! Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and count down the days until your baby’s arrival. If you have any additional questions, please drop me a line, and if you are expecting and thinking about booking a newborn session, contact me about scheduling your session!

 

©Katherine Jianas Photography

Katherine Jianas is a Kansas City newborn, family, motherhood, child, and personal branding photographer specializing in timeless, natural light photography. KC areas served include: Prairie Village, Mission Hills, Fairway, Overland Park, Leawood, Roeland Park, Westwood, Sunset Hills, Mission, Brookside, Waldo, Country Club Plaza, Westport & more. To check out recent work, please visit my family, newborn and children photo galleries. If you are interested in a custom portrait session with Katherine Jianas Photography and would like more information, please click here to contact me or email me directly at Katherine.Jianas@gmail.com.