Newborn sessions are super special to me! They are always scheduled within 14 days of birth so they are sleepy and sweet and still smell so new! Little Kian was no exception, and I was so excited to meet him because we are going to be good friends. His parents booked a Baby’s 1st Year package with me so I’ll see him every three months for the next year! Plus, I was excited to shoot a newborn boy. For whatever reason I seem to attract the newborn girls, and do a lot of those sessions, so a little boy to change things up with was a great new challenge! I hope you enjoy his very first images, and a few tips for newborn sessions with me as well.
Tip # 1: Your precious newborn will be naked for most of the shoot, and they will get cold! Make sure to crank up the heat in your home (like, we should be sweating) before the shoot, in addition to getting full bellies.
Tip #2: See these big wide eyes? Kian was wide awake for most of it, and his mommy said it was the first day he’d really started crying and staying awake. Want to know why? We shot this on day 15. Seriously. People think I’m joking when I say it must be within two weeks because something happens after day 14 and they suddenly want to notice the world around them. To get those curled up sleeping baby pictures, 14 days or less is a must! In Kian’s defense, we would have scheduled it sooner, but I was on vacation!
Tip #3: Don’t worry if it doesn’t seem to be going well! Squirmy babies are beautiful too, and you’ll be surprised at what little moments I can get in between screaming. All these little details are important too, and I can make those happen at any point in our session.
Tip #4: Those little new bodies are especially soft now, and they will leave marks! Be sure to keep your baby out of clothing with elastics or anything that might leave marks on their bodies! Also, use baby lotion to soften flakes on their skin.
Tip #5: Worried about red faces or baby acne? Don’t be! I shoot in black and white almost exclusively for newborn sessions. It hides imperfections and keeps the focus right where it should be, on that beautiful face! Background noise and bright colors have their place, but for newborn sessions, simpler is better.
I hope this helps! Welcome to the world little Kian. You are so sweet!