being prepared

are you ready?

Your Newborn photoshoot is coming up and we want to make sure that you have this information.

From experience, we found that the following items are important to bring with you to the session:

Food for baby
Pacifier
Gas relief remedy ("Mylicon" or similar) if baby is experiencing gastrointestinal discomfort
Plenty of Diapers (You will be here anywhere from 2-4 hours, so plan accordingly)
Wipes
Change of clothes
A small blanket that baby is using / likes
Patience

Although newborn sessions are for baby only, you may elect to be included in the photoshoot. For instance, mom and dad photos with baby are included in our Newborn Classic package however siblings can be added at an additional cost.

You may arrive with your outfit already on or have it in a bag to put on later. You will be able to change in private and get ready if you need to. Plan on wearing layers. We keep the temperature consistently warm in the studio, which helps baby feel more comfortable, so dress accordingly.

day of the shoot

Our accommodating and well equiped residential studio is located at the beautiful Fernandina Beach area at the following address: 85316 Fallen Leaf Drive, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

Please map it and know how long it will take you to get here, so you can do the following on the day of the shoot.

Avoid applying any lotion or oils to baby's skin or hair on the day of the session!!

Avoid dressing baby in tight clothes and keep the diaper a little looser for a couple of hours prior to the shoot, to prevent marks from appearing on baby’s skin. dressing baby in a "sleeper" or a onesie that has a zipper closure is ideal and will make changing baby out of it easier and stress free. While here, baby is going to spend most of the time in a diaper bundled up in a soft blanket.

feeding

If your travel to the studio is short (under 30 minutes), feeding may take place before you head over, however if you travel longer than 30 minutes, plan on feeding baby here at the studio. Once baby is fed and sleepy, we can jump right into shooting.

Keeping that in mind, your photo session may be a bit longer than we plan, as we truly work around baby's needs and comfort.

Most importantly!! Baby may need to be fed more frequently during the session, often referred to as "cluster feeding", which does start around this age. Being in a warm room, wrapped and handled more frequently does increase baby's appetite, so please plan accordingly, and be prepared for any of the following from baby during their time in the studio: increase alertness, increased appetite, takes longer to settle down etc.

need to know

While here, I will do most of the baby's handling, dressing, posing etc.

Our workflow will very much depend on baby's contentment; however, our plan is to take some family pictures (as applicable) as soon as you arrive. Expect to be posed in the following combination in no particular order: the whole family, Mom/Baby, Dad/Baby, Sibling/baby (if applicable).

After that, dad and sibling/s need to take off or take a ride to the nearest playground, or any other kid friendly location. This will allow us to devote the remaining time to taking pictures of baby!

We ask that only those who are part of the session arrive at the studio. This is important as it will help staying focused and accomplish our session goals.

The use of your personal cell pone to take pictures or videos while in the studio is prohibited.

LET'S TALK COLORS

Many parents prefer to wear a Black or White shirt (or dress) and jeans or Black pants (or skirt). If possible, make sure that your plain top has no prints or pockets, so it does not distract from baby and the overall simplicity of the image. Attending siblings should have coordinated outfits as well.

Coordinating colors and outfits is an important part of the photoshoot therefor we must know ahead of time what mom, dad and siblings are going to be wearing. A simple email with your outfit ideas would go a long way. Please make sure to communicate that with me ahead of time. Refer to the "to do list" at the bottom of this document.

We have many props in the studio to make sure that baby's colors are coordinated, so you do not need to bring any outfits for baby. If you have a special item that you would like to include, for instance a heirloom or a symbolic item of great meaning to you (hopefully you had listed those in your pre-session questionnaire), please let e know ahead of time so that I can plan accordingly. Our session time is limited and our priority is to work on getting you as many beautiful images as possible. Items such as knit outfits ordered online (typically themed characters) will not be used during the session.

To show you an example of coordinated looks, refer to the following images and note the colors and how they work together to create a pleasant image: