Newborn Welcome Guide
Welcome....
Welcoming a new addition to your family is one of the most exciting, meaningful events, filled with beautiful moments that simply can't be replicated. Newborn photography sessions provide a unique opportunity to capture your little one within his/her first days of life, ensuring these enchanting memories are captured forever.
Each session is carefully designed with your little one in mind, from providing comfortable staging elements to soft lighting and swift shooting. With children, the days are long but the years are short - make sure you've captured these beautiful moments before they're gone.
The studio
Maple Street Studio is a cozy 750 sq. ft. space detached from my home and thoughtfully designed just for our sessions. It’s fully stocked with everything we need — wraps, props, headbands, backdrops, and a comfortable lifestyle area — so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Your baby’s comfort and safety are incredibly important to me. The studio is thoroughly sanitized between each session and kept at a warm, cozy temperature to help little ones stay sleepy and relaxed.
There’s also a small sitting area with a TV and toys for older siblings while baby is being photographed. I kindly ask that siblings stay in that area during the session so we can keep everyone safe and protect the props and equipment.
Thank you for helping me create a calm, safe space where we can focus on capturing beautiful memories for your family. 💛
Session length
A newborn session usually lasts about 2-3 hours petite sessions are about an hour) but I ask that you allow extra time just because you never know what will happen. Sometimes baby needs to feed a lot or has a hard time calming down for pictures. We just don't want to rush the experience. While you wait you can take a break. I truly want this to be a stress free experience for everyone.
Preparing baby for your session...
What should baby wear?
I highly suggest bringing baby in a zip up or button up pair of pajamas.That way I don't have to take anything off over their head and disturb them. I have a variety of wraps I can utilize throughout the session. Make sure to keep the diaper a little loose prior to the session to avoid lines or red marks on the skin. Also, avoid socks or bows which can also leave marks.
What do I need to bring?
The only thing that you need to bring is:
*baby
*Extra bottles if not nursing
*a pacifier
*any sentimental items we are including in baby's session.
(please notify me ahead of time of what this item might be)
Parents' Turn
I absolutely love incorporating parent poses into your newborn session. This season is so fleeting, and there’s something incredibly special about documenting the way your tiny baby fits perfectly in your arms. 💛
Parent poses will be done on a clean white backdrop as well as in our cozy lifestyle area for a soft, natural feel.
For wardrobe, I recommend neutral or muted tones and avoiding patterns, logos, or bold stripes. A good rule of thumb? If the color would look beautiful next to a latte, it will photograph beautifully. Think creams, soft browns, light grays, sage, dusty blues, and other earthy tones.
I also suggest going barefoot for photos — shoes tend to draw attention and don’t photograph as softly as bare feet. And dads, let’s skip the hats for these images so we can see your full face and keep everything timeless. 😉
If you’re unsure about an outfit, feel free to send me a screenshot. I’m always happy to give you my honest opinion and help you feel confident walking into your session.
Sibling poses
Sibling pictures can be such a sweet part of your session — and sometimes a little unpredictable depending on ages and how everyone is adjusting to the new baby. That’s completely normal. 💛
I have several go-to sibling setups that I choose based on their ages, your overall style, and how many siblings we’re working with. Every session is a little different, and I adjust as needed to keep things smooth and natural.
Baby’s safety is always my top priority, especially during sibling poses. I’ll guide everything carefully and position everyone in a way that keeps baby secure at all times.
I may use a little gentle motivation — like a sucker or balloon (with your permission, of course!) — and I do ask that a parent stay close by in the studio to help if needed. Teamwork makes the magic happen! ✨
What's your style?
Usually there is one style that you gravitate towards. So when you look at these pictures which one do you immediately love first? Do you like the light and bright style with lots of light and soft colors or do you like the darker, moodier lighting like the blue picture? Please make sure to let me know in your questionnaire. Although your gallery will more than likely have a mixture of both, I would like to spend more time on the style you want to make sure you get the pictures you want.
Posed vs Unposed
Every session includes posed pictures, however some people choose to come to one of my newborn sessions because I offer unposed newborns too. Unposed is when we put them in a white onesie (I have them on hand) and lay them down just to capture their natural expressions and movements. I love these pictures because you can often capture the start of their little personalities. However, just because I love them doesn't mean you have to. Make sure you mark on your questionnaire if you would like unposed images included in your session.
