Oh, baby! I look forward to newborn sessions so much! The sweetness of a precious babe -- and all the love that fills up a room when they're present -- is so contagious that I can't help but leave a newborn session positively delirious!

I recommend scheduling newborn sessions within the first few weeks of your child's birth. We can work together to play things by ear. Because newborns lose that "newborn look" so quickly, the sooner we get the pictures taken, the better.

I take a very natural approach to all my newborn photos. I tend to work with a minimal amount of props love to incorporate both mom and dad into some of the pictures, as well. If you have other children who are game for pictures, we'll certainly include them in this newborn picture party, too.

In addition to straight forward newborn sessions, I also provide milestone pictures, which include a newborn, 3-month, 6-month, 9-month and 1-year session. These are booked and paid for as one collection. We can schedule each of the five sessions in advance, or we can pencil them in as it's convenient to your schedule.

One of the most common questions I get asked as a newborn photographer is how I make all the images look so perfect. These are squirmy, fussy (absolutely adorable) infants we’re photographing, after all, and the goal is to create a serene, sometimes almost other-worldly, scene.

The truth is that we work a lot of magic during and after the shoot, primarily with a little trick referred to as composite imagery. In short, we combine multiple photos into one—in post processing—in order to create the finished result. Sometimes it’s a matter of capturing a better expression in one image and then combining it with another photo where the positioning is better. In other cases, we’re combining a backdrop scene with the image of your baby. This is done both for aesthetic effect, and also to ensure your child’s safety. For example, sometimes it looks like a newborn is hanging out on a motorcycle or nestled in a swing. These would be dangerous poses to actually attempt, so we rely on composite.

Speaking of newborn safety, it’s our absolute number one priority in any newborn photo session and we won’t do anything the parent isn’t comfortable with.

On that note, when hiring a newborn photographer, it’s imperative that your preferred photographer is trained not just in how to wield a camera, but in how to ensure baby is kept happy, comfortable, and safe throughout the session. The means relying on natural light or soft flashes when photographing a baby, posing babies in a way that’s safe and comfortable while also beautiful, and utilizing post-processing techniques—such as composite imagery, eliminating jaundice, and even smoothing out things like scratches and blotchy skin that are very common with newborns. The bottom line is that there are things that a seasoned newborn photographer will know how to do well that novice shooters simply don’t know about. You’ll often find that newborn images are more expensive than other types, but that cost is a reflection of this key knowledge and attention to detail. If you ask us, it’s worth hiring a seasoned pro for newborn photography 100% of the time.

Your newborn session is right around the corner! Are you ready? We’ve prepared a checklist of things for you to remember in order to make sure you are prepared for their big day!

Don’t forget to feed your newborn before the session. Also, pack extra bottles just in case hunger strikes again while we’re shooting.

Bring more than one outfit. Make sure you always have backup clothes just in case. And we suggest that you don’t change your newborn into their session clothing until after you have fed them.

Two days prior to the session, pack a bag of everything you will need on picture day – pacifiers, diapers, etc. and put it somewhere you can grab it and go. Be sure to include extra wipes in case things get messy, and other “emergency” items, such as baby lotion and baby nail clippers.