Family Photos Are Always Included In Your Newborn Session!
One of the most commonly asked questions I get is, "will we be able to get some family shots at our child's newborn session?". My response is...ABSOLUTELY. I encourage family/parent/ sibliing shots. If you are new to my blog, or just found me... here's some information about my newborn sessions...
One of the most rewarding parts of my job as a photographer is to see, and to document the love and connections between the family members at all of my sessions. Newborn shoots are a wonderful opportunity for parents to snuggle, kiss, and love on their new little one, and to have those images forever. It's also a great opportunity to get some fun sibling shots. Sibling shots can often be tricky, if the older child is a young toddler. My photography philosophy is for my sessions to be baby/child led. I do not force poses. I try to catch the real, raw emotions. If your older child wants nothing to do with his/her new sibliing, we try to find a fun way to get a few shots with them included, but we do not force them to hold, kiss or interact with the baby. It's important that they feel special, and that their feelings be acknowledged, and most importantly, that your photos represent your real life situation.
All of my sessions start with family photos. We do group shots, mom and baby, dad and baby and siblings. After that, the rest of the session is all baby. My newborn sessions are a mix of lifestyle photography, and portrait photography. The family part of the shoot takes place in my lifestyle setup, with a boho/ natural bedroom. I do a few posed family and parent photos with a neutral colored backdrop for your traditional "portraits", and then the baby will be photographed using my props, and wraps. I incorporate a few basic beanbag photos, but my style is mainly more of a "rustic", style with simple wraps, bonnets, headbands, sleepy hats, and some basic newborn outfits I provide for baby to wear. Parents do not need to bring a thing to their newborn session. I provide everything. It's really important, when considering your photographer, to look at their work, and see if their style matches your vision. My style is more comfortable, and natural. For example: suits and ties, formal dresses, elaborate baby outfits, etc are very nice for some shoots, but they do not really fit with my style, and will leave the client feeling that they don't have a connected/cohesive look in their photos. I would be happy to recommend some photographers who specialize in a more formal type of shoot, if that's what you're looking for.
Upon booking, families will receive a newborn session guide, which includes all of this information and more. It's helpful for parents to read this, as it answers a lot of the most commonly asked questions, and provides some tips for preparing for the session. Once a client books with me, I am available to answer questions at any point. Here are a few examples of some family shots at some of my recent newborn sessions:
