A Newborn Photography London Ontario session is just as essential as wedding photography. Your baby is only that small for such a short time and it is so important to capture that in a meaningful way.
Typically you would come to our studio which makes it easy as we have access to all of our props and accessories. In some cases where it is hard for you to come to the studio we will come to your home, however this incurs an additional fee. Unlike our usual 1 hour sessions, there are no time restrictions because the best shots are taken when the baby is sleeping or at least very content. That can take some time, however the session usually ends up being around 2 hours long but we just take as long as needed to get the best photographs possible.
In the newborn package you will receive 15 of the edited high resolution images so that you can print them as many times as you like and whenever you would like.
Throughout the session we will capture at least 20 different poses with a variety of shots including you, your partner and of course your other children and pets in the family. This is a chance to really celebrate this special time in your life and have some beautiful photos to remember it by.
Location
As mentioned above, in most cases you would come to our studio which makes it easy as we have access to all of my props and accessories but newborn sessions can be done in your home if it is not possible for you to come to my studio- there is a staircase to get into the studio. If we are doing the session in your home we will need to chat about a couple of props you would like me to bring. In either case (studio or home) I will send you a questionnaire to get all of your preferences including if there is a certain colour scheme you have in mind, for example, what you will be decorating the nursery in or if there is a certain theme (rustic, modern, vintage etc) which will go best with the decor of your home.
Time
The earlier you are able to do the session and the more sleepy or content the baby is, the more poses that can be done and the easier the session will be. The average age of the newborn we photograph is 7 days old but we realize that this is not always possible. We still make the best attempt to do a newborn session for a baby up to 3 weeks old, but generally by this age the baby will not go into the bendy poses or will open their eyes more, which is not a bad thing, we can certainly still capture your newborn while they are awake but it’s the easiest if trying to get those sleepy baby poses. The best time of day for a newborn session is usually in the morning when the baby is most likely to be sleeping, and after a big feed. Keeping the baby awake for an hour before the session can make a big difference. Make sure you have calculated driving time to the studio, so that you can be sure to feed baby fully before departing from your home, but you can certainly top the baby up when you are at the studio.
Clothing
For the newborn we often use our wraps and other newborn outfits. If you would like to do some wearing regular clothing we can, and for the rest of the family keep these tips in mind- Clothing will depend on season but in general if you are doing family photos during the newborn session we recommend not to be too matchy-matchy but certainly colour co-ordinate and be aware of not wearing many or clashing patterns. Strong, rich colours photograph better than pastels. We recommend not to wear any slogan tshirts or any really ‘fad’ fashion as it will age your portraits and most of all wear something that fits well and you are comfortable in. Unless incorporating a shot where you specifically want to see shoes, you will generally not see them on the adults, and shoes/socks/booties tend to be bulky on newborns we don’t usually photograph them wearing them.
Props
Our newborn sessions can be from extremely simple- laying in their birthday suit on a solid colour background to very prop based for example incorporating a nursery theme. Using items that friends and family have given you can make the session more personalized, but we recommend choosing your favourite three outfits. Any more than that leads to too much changing to keep the baby sleepy enough for the best photos. You can add variety without disturbing the baby as much by incorporating different hats, bibs, booties and props. Other items that are fun to include are foods that you craved before the baby was born, things associated with your favourite hobby, sport, or your profession.
What to do with the images
A really nice idea is to have your favourite image enlarged on canvas; there is something about seeing a newborn on canvas 10 times the actual size, which I think looks amazing in a home.
Another idea is to purchase a collage frame for the baby’s room. Insert a picture from the newborn session and then add a new picture from each subsequent photography session as your baby grows. We can also make a professional album which is both a wonderful way to preserve the photos and a great gift idea. Whatever you decide to do, you don’t want these images only looked at digitally.
Other tips-
– Nothing is worse than being sick for your session so if this happens chat to me as soon as there are any signs so that rescheduling the session can be a possibility
– Bring along a soother and anything else that seems to be comforting.
– Get your nails done, it looks a lot better in photos that show your hands and you deserve the pampering!
– Relax! Your baby can sense when you are nervous or frustrated. We find that when parents of newborns that are very anxious about the session and if their newborn will be sleeping etc, the feeling rubs off on baby and causes a bit of restlessness. Our job is to keep baby happy and content, so we encourage you to relax and enjoy our session. Sit back and take a moment to hang out, relax, and let us take over for the next hour or two.
Videography of special moments
Our videographer Lori can capture special moments for you in video such as siblings meeting your little one for the first time. Get in contact with us for a quote.
Birth photography London Ontario
We love birth photography but with that we photograph weddings, we are often not able to capture these amazing moments. If you would like to chat with us about our ‘If available’ birth photography please get in contact.
Check out our recent wedding and engagement blog posts to see more of our work.