Congratulations on your new little baby!! Newborn shoots are unpredictable, and that is FINE WITH ME, but there are a few things we can do to make things a bit easier.

Most importantly, baby needs to be WARM. When I used to shoot in my studio, I’d set the heater to 82 degrees… I know this sounds crazy. But at least consider turning off the A/C and having a space heater handy to warm up the space we’ll be using for the baby photos. In a pinch, a hair dryer can work (they like the sound too).

Try to keep baby awake for at least an hour before the shoot, so we can put them to sleep at the beginning of the shoot. Breastfeeding moms, be careful about spicy foods or stimulants for the 24 hours preceding the shoot. If possible, time a feeding for when I arrive (while I get set up). If you are formula feeding at all, I suggest that for this feeding, if you think your baby will sleep harder than with breastmilk.

If baby is having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, it might help for mom and dad to stay across the room. I typically prefer to handle the baby myself for the duration of the session. It might be helpful to have a bouncer handy for me to put the baby in if I need to, so I don’t have to hand them off to you which will make them hungry and cause delays! I have handled hundreds of babies and I’m pretty darn good at putting them to sleep. If I need your help you can trust me to ask for it!

Let me know before the session if you are interested in a more posed shoot or a more photojournalistic shoot. (This majorly affects how much stuff I have to bring, and I am lazy.)