Hi Everyone! I haven’t blogged in a while and thought it might be helpful to make a post about what types of shots we typically get at a newborn session. Every baby and session is different, and I try to tailor each session based on parents preferences as well as how sleepy and flexible the baby is. So let’s go through Malone’s session and see what we were able to capture for her sweet family!
First up, the photos in the header photo above are what we call “baby mugshots,” and they are one of my favorite parts of every session. Usually, these are actually the last photos we take, after we’ve gotten lots of nice sleepy photos and are ready for them to wake up. Sometimes babies are less than excited about this prospect, but it’s so worth it! Capturing all of their adorable facial expressions in black and white is such a special way to preserve those first days and all of their funny faces.
We often start our sessions with wrapped photos. Getting baby swaddled up nice and snug usually puts them right to sleep-which is helpful for the rest of the session! Before each session, I send parents a style questionnaire so I know which colors and props to use as well as any other special requests they might have. Malone’s parents chose blush and mint for the main colors of her session, and said they preferred to do more simple posing and fine art black and white images instead of using props, so I got everything all set up before they came over and we were ready to go as soon as they arrived.
I also like to include family photos as a part of every session. They are such a great way to commemorate the growth of a family, and also do a great job of showing how tiny babies are! They really will only fit in your arms like this for such a short period of time, so documenting that is really important to me. We can do family photos with baby either wrapped, naked or in an outfit. I suggest parents wear simple, soft, neutral colored clothing so everyone looks cozy and the attention is on your connection with baby and not what you’re wearing.
Fine art black and white shots are another amazing way to capture all the little details and a different type of parent portrait. I don’t shoot these at every session, so make sure you ask for them in your questionnaire if you love them!
And them we get to the most challenging but also I think most rewarding part of the session for me-the cute curled up poses that made me fall in love with Newborn Photography in the first place. I just love how sweet and peaceful they look once I get them into the perfect position, and of course I love accessorizing! My bonnet and headband collection is really quite impressive if I do say so myself, and adding a flowy fabric wrap to the mix adds a little drama and texture to the mix.
I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favorite images from Malone’s session and hearing about the various ways we capture the beauty of those first few weeks of life. As always, feel free to contact me if you’d like to book a session of your own or if you have any questions!
