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Newborn Photography
Newborn babies are so tiny for what seem like minutes and
believe people when they say that they change so fast. That is
why, as a newborn specialist, I try to capture your precious
little bundle within the first 3 weeks of them being born
(ideally 5-14 days).
I am not a mum myself, but I
absolutely adore capturing those tiny newborn features and
confident in doing so. I am fully trained as well as being a
member of the British association of newborn photographers.
Please Continue to read on to learn more about newborn
sessions with me.
Information
I would be lying if I said that newborn
shoots arent hard work - but they are totally worth it!
Posing your little one takes time and patience, and teaming that
with safety and the demands of baby means it is not unusual for
newborn sessions to last between 2-4 hours. We usually start the
session in the morning between 10-10:30am. In my experience I
find newborns sleep better in the morning but not too early that
you have to be up at the crack of dawn if you have had a bad
night.
I work in a relaxed and informal setting, there is
tea, coffee and biscuits on offer, as well as free wifi (just
ask!) the studio will be very warm, as most of the photographs
are taken whilst baby is unclothed so it is best to dress in
layers or something light so you don’t overheat. From when you
arrive, I will undress, soothe and position baby, enabling you
to relax, have a hot drink and put your feet up. Feel free to
bring a book or magazine too!
As baby is unclothed for
the images it is best to dress baby in loose fitting clothes
that can be easily removed so there will be no red marks on the
skin. I find a baby grow, with no vest underneath works well and
then wrapped in a blanket too for the car journey. don’t worry
if baby needs a feed just before you set off, or just as you get
here, as a warm baby with a full tummy is the best kind of baby
for the session!
And yes, if baby is nappy-less we do
have accidents. It is not uncommon for the blankets and props to
be wee’d or poo’d on - even myself! Don’t feel the need to
apologise or be embarrassed - it comes with the job!
Older brothers and sisters are more than welcome to come along
to the session and I will try and capture some lovely shots of
them. Depending on the age of the child (under 3) they tend to
get bored easily, so if possible have someone on hand who can
come and collect them, or take them out of the room. Shots
including yourselves as parents, and either baby, or other
siblings can be taken too - please let me know upon arranging
your session date that this is something that you would like to
include.
Items to bring to your session
Plenty of Nappies : As I work at baby pace,
we may need to stop for feeding and cuddles. Nappies back on at
this point are always advisable.
Plenty of Milk :
If baby is bottle fed please bring more milk than would normally
be required for the amount of time you will be at the studio.
Babies can feed more if they are being posed and moved and due
to the temperature of the room. If you are breastfeeding please
remember to keep yourself hydrated, if you require privacy for
feeding then please ask.
Dummy : If your
little one settles with a dummy then please bring it along with
you to your session. Alternatively if you do not have one but
wish to try one as a last resort to see if baby settles at the
studio, we do have new pre-packaged ones available.
Lunch : You are more than welcome to bring a
pack lunch or some nibbles as sometimes sessions run over
lunchtime. There is also a corner shop and butchers located
nearby along with Morrisons supermarket.
Entertainment : Feel free to bring phones, books,
magazines etc to entertain you during the session - this is your
time to relax!
Pricing
Your newborn session is
£75 and
includes a complimentary 9x6 print.
It also includes time
spent preparing for your session, editing and cleaning up after
the session, including washing after some of those little
accidents which may happen. Furthermore it also includes your
viewing and ordering session and then a private online gallery
for any family or friends to order from if they so wish.
Newborn Collections
Our Newborn Collections have been put together to enable you to showcase your images beautifully. Featuring our most popular products. These prices do not include the session fee and are discounted from the product price list.
Beautiful
20 x 20
Framed Montage with up to 15 images
12 x 12 Keepsake Book
USB of all Digital Files in Personalised Presentation Case
£525
Lovable
20 x 20
Framed Montage with up to 15 images
10 Digital Files on USB
with Print Licence
£315
Adorable
16 x 12 Canvas
5 Digital
Files on USB with Print Licence
£230
FAQ
Why do I have to book my session
before baby is born?
With limited spaces within my
diary per month, if you wish to capture the memories of newborn
photographs then booking in before your baby is born is the best
way to guarantee a newborn session with myself.
What do I do once my baby arrives?
Babies are
unpredictable. Your due date is booked into my diary, but this
is only a guideline. I ask for yourself, or someone else to
contact me after the birth so that we can get your session date
firmed up regardless if baby is early, or late we will shuffle
the diary where needed.
Why is the session
scheduled for the morning?
In my experience I find
that babies tend to fall into a deeper sleep in a morning
session rather than in afternoon sessions, and to get all those
cute squishy shots – we need baby as sleepy as we can get them!.
It is likely that your little one has had you up and down during
the night – so this is their time to ‘catch-up’. I do advise to
try and keep your baby awake for around 1-2 hours prior to your
session, and then this teamed with a feed and a settle it should
make for a happy sleepy baby.
What if my baby
doesn’t co-operate?
If your baby is unsettled for
any reason during the session I may just need an extra little
bit of time, this is why i schedule around 4 hours for the
session to take place. However, if baby is very unsettled i will
suggest re-arraging for another day but this doesn’t happen very
often.
Can you get rid of spots, scars, baby rash
etc?
yes i can, however if this is not requested
originally i will leave them in and show a couple of images
fully re-touched – this will mean that you will get to be able
to see which images you prefer. Birthmarks and moles are not
removed as these are a permanent feature of your little one.
What if i am early, or late to my session?
I only shoot one newborn a day, and i do allow 30 minutes grace
as leaving the house with a new little bundle can take some
getting used to. This is why I suggest a start time between
10-10:30am. If you are running later than this then i do ask if
you could please let me know an eta so we can prepare if baby is
unsettled.
I am in the studio earlier
than your session but this is to set up and warm the space – so
if you are running early please do not try and be too early or
we may not be ready to start.
Will you need help
in handling my baby?
From you walking through the
door of the studio, I will take baby and let you relax. I will
cuddle and undress baby and pose them for most of the session to
get baby used to me, however sometimes baby just needs
reassurance that mummy is there and may need to pass back for a
cuddle, or a feed. Some of the set ups will need your help – but
we will talk about this in depth before i do any of these
setups, and you are always there for the safety of baby.
Can i ask you for a certain pose or set up?
You can ask to use any prop that you see in my gallery, on the
wall or on the website – and everything is available to hand.
However each newborn session is unique to the family, and
dependant upon baby. I will not do anything that baby isn’t
comfortable doing.
What happens if baby soils on
your props?
Part of being a newborn photographer is
that i know that wee and poo are a high risk on props and
blankets – and even ourselves! Don’t apologise, or feel
embarrassed, its expected.
What does my baby wear
to the newborn session?
Nothing! If you look through
my photographs you will see that the babies are not clothed, but
I have little props, or wraps that i can use. Most of the poses
that i do cannot be achieved with clothed babies. If you are
wanting to keep your baby clothed then i would advise to wait
until your baby is older.
Do I pay for my package
on the day of the session?
Not quite. You pay our
£30 booking fee, with the remainder of the session fee (£45) due
on the day of your session. Then package or singular items need
paying for when ordered at your viewing and ordering session.
How long will it be before i see the photos from our
session?
We will book your viewing and ordering
session at your newborn session to take place within
approximately 10 working days after your newborn session. If
requested i aim to have a sneak peek on facebook for you within
24 hours.
Where will my session take place?
Your session will take place at the Blue Lights Photography
studio. We can advise on a range of transport options for
getting to the studio once you book your session.
View and order
I know that after your shoot you will be
excited to see your images. Within 4 days we will post a sneak
peek on our blog and Facebook pages. Two weeks after your
session we will hold your in-studio view and order session.
After your order has been placed a password protected gallery
will go online for family and friends to view and purchase and
will be live for 2 weeks.
Orders take between 2-4 Weeks
and payment is due on order. Payment available by cash, cheque
and debit and credit cards. Payments made by cheque will not be
ordered until cheque payment has cleared.
Booking
The best time to book a newborn
photography session is whilst you are still pregnant - however
if your baby has arrived please contact me to see if I have
availability. Most people book just after their 20 week scan -
however, you can pencil in a booking after your 12 week scan,
with confirmation at 20 weeks.
By booking when you are
still pregnant, this means that i can make sure you are
guaranteed a slot as we have your due date in our diary. Babies
have a habit of arriving early, or late, so I just ask that as
soon as you are able to after having your baby you contact me,
and then we can get a date for your newborn session confirmed in
the diary.
I only book a few newborn photography sessions
a week and only one per day, so please book early to avoid
disappointment.