I'm looking forward to hosting you in my studio and I want to make it a comfortable and painless process. Please use these tips and information to prep for the session to ensure it goes as smooth as possible:
*Try to keep baby awake for a couple hours before you leave for the session. Give baby a bath to keep him/her awake, interact with him/her, tickle feet. I know - so counter-intuitive to what you want to do, but again, we want baby nice and sleepy (: Maybe even ride next to baby in the car on the way over to keep him/her entertained.
* The goal is to have baby nice and full for the session, so I HIGHLY recommend feeding baby when you arrive. This makes a HUGE difference and will help ensure a smooth session. I have a boppy you can use. (I will remind you when you arrive but strip baby down to his/her diaper for this feeding and please take a wet cloth during this time and wipe down baby's face/body to eliminate skin flakes and "eye boogers." If baby is super flaky you may consider using a baby-safe lotion (nothing greasy!))
*Please bring an extra bottle of breastmilk or formula. It’s easier to feed baby quickly in the studio if he/she becomes unsettled.
* If baby takes a pacifier, please bring it with. And even if baby does not take a pacifier, bring one and if you are comfortable, we may use it if baby appears that they just want to suck. I have some new ones in the studio as well. Newborns are so fresh they haven’t developed real patterns of liking/not-liking pacifiers. I know new parents are often reluctant and again I would never force a baby to use a paci if parents don’t approve, but as a mom of three, pacifiers were often a helpful tool.
*If you use cloth diapers please plan on bringing disposable ones for the session or I have some in the studio. The diaper stays on for the majority of the session and cloth diapers are too bulky.
*MOMS: This one’s for you! Take care of yourself! Don’t forget to eat and bring water (or I have water here). I know you usually carry the heavy load getting everyone ready for photos but don’t forget about your own self-care.
* My studio will be quite warm to help keep baby asleep and comfortable - so plan for that.
* I have plenty of hats, wraps, blankets, etc so you don't have to worry about providing anything. My mini studio sessions are completely planned out based on the colors and info you provided in the questionnaire. My workflow revolves around the props, wraps and accessories I will be using and I work in a manner that pretty much guarantees that baby will stay asleep the entire session, after he/she initially falls asleep. I typically do not allow special outfits for mini sessions. If you want more flexibility with such things, consider a full session as it provides more time and flexibility to get more special requests in. Note: hats and headbands are easy to slip on and off so those are no big deal to add as long as they match the wraps I'm using.
* As for what to wear for mom, dad, and siblings (if applicable) - I suggest something simple. Solid colors are good - patterns or wording take focus from the baby.
* Session flow: I will wrap baby first, layering a few different wraps so I can interchange wraps when needed without fully unwrapping baby. One set up will be a fully wrapped babe, next will be a sibling set up (if applicable), then parent/family shots. We’ll end with a set up with my first layer that will showcase more of baby (typically revealing baby’s legs).
*The questionnaire you fill out prior to the session is the time to let me know if you have any specific poses you want. Remember - this is a wrapped session so do not plan on any naked shots. If you want naked shots, then lets talk about upgrading to a full session because those take longer both posing baby and during post processing. Also PLEASE do not arrive and show me a bunch of Pinterest ideas on your phone. I already will have a detailed workflow planned out and I don't like to be mean and say "no." (: It’s better to send me photos from my portfolio that you like before the session.
