Newborn Prep Guide

Congratulations on your new baby! Thank you so much for allowing me to create these beautiful memories for you and your family by photographing your new bundle.

My Studio is located at 27 Carters Rd, Aranui, Christchurch. When arriving please ring the doorbell and I will come out to you.

It will be hot in the studio to keep it nice and comfy for baby as they will have clothes off most of the time, I am dressed for a few warm hours and suggest you do the same. If you would like to be in some of the photos we will shoot those first before you get disheveled or sweaty due to the warmth of room.

Wear neutral earthy tones no busy prints or bright bold colours as this will distract away from our main focus which is your precious bundle, also the colours can reflect on your skin.

Your hands might be showing in some of the photos, please have nails trimmed and clean. No bright nail polish.

I have all the hats, headbands, wraps, blankets and props we will need for the session. However, if there are any special requests or family heirlooms that you would like to use, please let me know beforehand.

I will be doing most of the work, but I will need a spotter for some poses for safety reasons.

Be prepared for multiple feedings. feed baby a little just before leaving, and feed to fill tummy when you arrive.

I realise our session might be the first outing for you with a newborn. DO NOT WORRY if you are running a little late. Rushing around and being stressed makes the baby stressed. Try to stay calm and relax, i can wait for you, just let me know if you will be late.

Bring a dummy, if you don't have one please let me know and i will provide one. even if you don't plan on giving a dummy its very nice to have. The one i use if using one, is brand new and ill sterilise it just before session, and you get to take it with you!

Please dress baby in a button up or zip up sleeper if you have one, makes it easy to get off and not fiddle with so much clothing.

I do provide light refreshments and bottled water for you during the session, but please feel free to bring some snacks.

I have a small studio so can not have to many people in the studio, I will try get Family, Mum/Dad, sibling photos first so Dad can take kids away as its a long session and they will get board or to rowdy for baby. There are 2 parks in our area.

Your baby may cry or need a little extra time to soothe. This is expected and completely normal. I take my time and there’s no pressure when your baby needs to feed and settle again with you.

If your baby happens to arrive earlier or later than expected, this is no problem, I am very flexible. I also understand that some times your wee baby might need extra time in hospital. My son was Premature and know how scary it is. In these cases, we will schedule your newborn session for when baby is home and healthy.

A session normally lasts around 2-4 hours. If your newborn doesn’t want to sleep or is a bit cranky and you need to attend to his/her needs, then that is more than ok. We will have plenty of time to capture him/her in this time frame.

I can almost guarantee that baby will pee, poo, or spit up on the blankets and props. This is OK! It is expected and I never want you to feel bad or stressed about it. I wash all of my items after every session, and it will all come out.

If your baby is having a tongue-tie fixed close to the day of your shoot. Please advise as we can reschedule, as I like to give them a few days to recover before the photoshoot. Same thing if your boy is getting a circumcision.

I never make the babies do anything that they don't like. Some babies like to be on their tummy's, naked, wrapped, while some babies hate it. So it is ok to have a few specific set ups and poses in mind, just let me know before or at start of the session and I will do MY BEST to get them for you. I have babies safety in mind and wont let them do poses that isn't natural to them.

Siblings

If siblings will be joining you for the session, please bring snacks, drinks, and a reward/treat for them in case we need to employ a bribe! If your partner or family member is coming with you, it is usually easier to have them go off with your older child after their photos are done to enjoy a park, cafe, etc. until we are finished in the studio, as sometimes they can get restless and too much noise can disrupt your newborn during posing.

Sisters: I have a few dresses in the studio. If you have something specific in mind for her to wear please bring that. I ask that girls hair be natural and free of bows, headbands, etc. Just as with mom, no nail polish please.
Brothers: A snug pair of jeans and a nice shirt or shirtless are preferred, please take a few moments to chat with your guy about this so he feels prepared for the session (before you arrive) - though if he prefers not, a tight fitting t-shirt is fine.
Here are examples

Parents

Mum & Dad you are a big part of the session! Photographing the connection between you and your baby is one of the things I love to capture.

Dads: I ask that you bring a plain tight fitting t-shirt to wear with a good, snug pair of jeans. No logos or patterns. Or you can be topless. Please also clean and trim your nails before your session, because they will likely find their way into your images.
Mums: You can bring along a singlet/tank top in a neutral colour and simple design, natural coloured pretty shirts are always nice too. Think nice details on the sleeves and trimmings. If you are going to to wear a T-Shirt, make sure it is not tight fitting around the arms. Avoid fake tanning (as it doesn't photograph well). Be sure that you have either just painted your nails or have no nail polish on at all as your hands will make their way into the images. Also, rest assured, I aim to photograph using flattering angles and light to bring out the natural beauty in your family. You are more than welcome to wear one of my dresses (please let me know beforehand)
Here are examples of what to wear

After the session

In roughly 2 weeks you will be sent a link to your gallery to view your images. One image from each set up will be fully edited then the rest will be lightly edited, the ones you choose that are not fully edited will be edited before receiving them. You will have 1 week to decide on images before the gallery closes.

We then discuss what you might like to do with your images. I have a few different options and wall displays at the studio that gives you loads of ideas of whats possible.

If you are investing in products you can either pay in full or we can set up a payment plan. I offer Genoapay for 10 weekly payments.

Once we receive full payment for your order it goes into production. Custom frames and prints can take 3-4 weeks and albums 4-6 weeks.