Few moments in your life are as impactful as bringing your new little one home for the first time. You want to record every moment of your newborn baby’s life to cherish forever and show off to friends and family. A newborn photo session with a professional photographer will capture these memories in beautiful style. In order to make the most of your newborn photography session, we’ve put together some tips to prepare for your babe’s very first picture day!
Schedule the Photo Shoot in Advance
While it is usually impossible to know exactly when your bundle of joy will arrive into the world, scheduling a photography session 5 to 10 days after the due date is usually safe. When you speak with your photographer, ask if the schedule is flexible if things change down the road. When you have a specific time and date for photos, you know you will not miss those precious earliest days.
Choose Two or More Outfits and Accessories
Trust me, I am all for Chanel babies. Put them in the boujee fashion vibes! While picking out the perfect outfit is a joy, do not set your heart on one specifically just in case the unexpected projectile vomit or a blowout diaper occurs. Bring your newborn to the photo shoot in basic clothing and change them right before picture time. Always have a backup outfit, blanket, and accessories just in case. Many newborn shoots do not include more than a diaper anyway.
Make Sure Baby is Fed, Clean, and Comfy
Nothing ruins a photo session more quickly than a crying baby. Even if you get your little one to calm down before the photographer picks up their camera, a sad expression and a red face will not make for the best memories. As a new parent, you get to experience the screaming every day. Feed your baby about half an hour before picture time so they are full but have already worked out any bubbles that could cause spit-ups. For maximum comfort, make sure the temperature is warm enough for your unswaddled infant.
Plan Ahead to Keep your Newborn Awake
Adorable shots of your newborn baby cuddled up and snoozing will be worth an ooh and an ahh from everyone who sees them. However, you should also plan ahead to have some awake and more lively photos taken, too. Newborn infants sleep a lot, and it can be very difficult to get them on some kind of schedule. Spend the day prior to the session encouraging relaxation and sleep so they will not be overtired when you arrive. If you do want snoozing pictures, carve out a long and a photo session that the earlier activity will tire them out for later photos.
Along with all the things you can do and bring to make the day as positive as possible for your newborn baby, it is equally important to prepare yourself for the process. Always choose highly qualified and respected photographer you can trust and feel comfortable with. Then, sit back, relax, and enjoy the experience. You do not want your attention and nerves to affect your baby’s mood.
All of those things said, be ready to roll with the punches! Newborns are nothing if not unpredictable. My goal as the photographer is to capture your baby (or babies) in all of their authentic cuteness exactly where they are. We can plan, but the key to a successful session is to come in relaxed.