Newborn Sessions

I really love being a newborn photographer!  I’ve photographed over 200 newborns and I love seeing how unique each one is.  I’ve learned so much just from interacting with babies, but I’ve also taken classes to learn how to pose and soothe newborns and how to keep them safe during their session.  I’m passionate about capturing their little features in a way that is simple and timeless, and capturing the love that their parents have for them!

Here are a few answers to questions you might have about newborn sessions-

What style of newborn photography do you do?

Let me run you through a quick primer on newborn styles, then explain what I do.  All newborn photography falls on a spectrum from posed with props to lifestyle.  You can find photographers in Fort Collins who specialize in either end of this spectrum, and part of your journey in choosing the right photographer for you is going to be deciding which style you like best.

The “posed with props” style is often done in studio and might include babies in baskets or crates, babies propping their heads up on their hands, themed set ups with elaborate backdrops.

“Lifestyle” photos are done in the clients’ home with the natural home environment as the backdrop.  True lifestyle photographers don’t usually pose babies or dress them up in special outfits, they just document things as they are.  Lifestyle sessions might include baby in their crib wearing a favorite onesie, mom and dad on the couch with baby, siblings helping give baby a bottle, etc.

In the years that I’ve been doing newborn photography, I’ve experimented with styles on both ends of the spectrum.  I’ve found that what I really love, though, falls somewhere in the middle.  When I was getting ready to take pictures of my own baby a while ago, I realized that I didn’t want photos with the elaborate backdrops and fancy props- I just wanted photos of him!  The newborn phase goes by so fast and I wanted to document all of his tiny details just the way they were in that moment.  It was this realization that led me to pursue a much more simple style of newborn photography than what I had been doing in the past.  I like to pose babies on a simple white or cream backdrop in a way that highlights all of their perfect little features and leaves the baby as the focus of the image.  I absolutely love the timeless, simple nature of these shots and the way they highlight your perfect, new little one.  I have a large collection of hats, headbands, wraps, and simple outfits that I use for these shots to add some variety.  I also love to get some shots of baby with parents and siblings.  Some of these photos can be more posed and some can be more lifestyle.

When should I schedule my newborn session?

Typically, I’ve always recommended doing newborn photos within the first three weeks of life, ideally when your baby is 7-15 days old. This time frame is best if you want sleepy, posed photos of your baby because it gets harder to pose them and keep them happy and asleep the older they get.  

However, in the past few years, I’ve had more families opting to wait to do “newborn” photos until their baby is older, maybe between 1-3 months old.  At this age, it’s less likely that you’ll get the sleepy photos, and they don’t curl up into the typical newborn poses as well, but you are a lot more likely to get more eye contact and personality in the photos. It also gives moms a little more time to recover from labor and delivery before the photo shoot.  

So it really depends on what you want! If you want sleepy, curled up photos of your baby while they’re still tiny, then try to schedule within the first 3 weeks. But if you want to see a little more of their personality and more interaction with family, you could schedule anytime between about 3 weeks to 3 months.  Of course, every baby is different, and these are just averages.  I’ve had very alert 6 day old babies and very sleepy 2 month old babies!

 Why do you like to do sessions in the baby’s home?

Part of the reason is that I don’t have a studio, but I’ve also found that it is a lot easier on you and your baby if I come to you. I love using natural light, but I’ll also bring a studio light with me to help make sure we have perfect lighting in any room. Doing the session in your home also gives us a chance to take pictures in the special places where you spend your time as a family. My favorite space to use is a room with big windows and a big bed (often the master bedroom), but we can also do photos in the baby’s nursery, the family room, or wherever you would like.  Don’t worry if your house is messy!  We had a really hard time during the newborn phase with our first baby and I will be impressed if you’ve managed to get dressed and eat more than a piece of bread all day! 🙂  

How should I prepare for the session?

Ideally, your baby should have a full tummy and have been kept awake for a while before our session.  This will give us the best chance of having a content and sleepy baby.  Make that your goal, but don’t stress out if it doesn’t work out that way.  There’s a decent chance that your baby will need to eat or have a blow out or cry for a while during our session, and that’s okay!

Another thing that is super helpful for a smooth newborn session is to have your house, or at least the room we’ll be working in, set to be warmer than usual before I arrive (about 74-75 degrees).  A chilly baby won’t sleep well and it often makes all the difference to keep them toasty.  My rule of thumb is if I’m not uncomfortably warm, then the baby is probably going to be cold when we undress them.  I always bring a space heater with me to help with this too.

If you have older children, it may be a good idea for them to be in a different room while I’m taking photos of just the baby, depending on their age and how good they are at being still and quiet.  I absolutely love including them in some photos (the sibling shots are often my favorite) but it can be difficult to have them around when I’m trying to pose the baby and keep them sleepy if they’re being noisy and startling the baby. 

What should we wear?

I do the majority of my newborn sessions with the baby wearing only a diaper or nothing at all, so have your baby dressed in something that can be removed easily and won’t leave marks on their skin.  The rest of the family should wear neutral colors without any loud patterns so that your outfits don’t take away from the baby.  Bright colored shirts aren’t great because some of that color will reflect onto the baby’s face when you hold them for photos.  Make sure that you don’t have any big necklaces or zippers that might scratch the baby’s face when you hold them close.

Where do the props come from?

I have blankets, wraps, hats, headbands, and some simple outfits that I’ll bring along for your session.  If you’ve seen a prop in any of my other newborn photos that you especially like, let me know and I’ll make sure to bring it!  I also really love the challenge of incorporating unique props that are special to your family. 

What if we have to reschedule?

If you need to reschedule due to illness or unforeseen circumstances, I completely understand.  Please try to let me know as soon as possible and we will work together to reschedule your session when your family is healthy again.  I will also be as careful as I can be to make sure that I’m not exposing your brand new baby to any illness.  If I or any of my family members are sick and might still be contagious, I’ll let you know and see if you’d rather reschedule.

How/when do I make my payment?

A $50 retainer fee is due at the time of booking to hold your spot.  This $50 payment is nonrefundable, but can be applied to another date within a year of the original date should you need to reschedule.  The remainder of your payment is due in full when we meet for your session, and you can pay by cash, check, venmo, or paypal. If you forget to bring it, of course I’ll still take your pictures, but I will need you to send payment before you’ll receive your photos.  Click here for newborn session pricing.

What can I expect after the session?

If you are comfortable with your photos being on social media, I will post a few preview photos for you on Facebook or instagram for you within a week of your session.  You can find me on facebook here. The rest of the photos will be finished up within three weeks, and I’ll send you a link to download them from your private gallery. You’ll be able to print the photos wherever and however you choose.  If you are really hoping to have a particular picture ready sooner than 3 weeks after your session (for example, if you need a shot of the whole family for Christmas cards) let me know and I’ll try to include some of those shots in your preview. I do recommend printing at mpix.com.  I’ve sent my photos to several different printing labs and found that mpix most closely matches what I see on my screen when I’m carefully obsessing over  getting just the right colors and contrast in the editing process.