In Home Newborn Welcome Guide
Congratulations! Whether this baby is your first, third or fifth, this is no doubt an exciting time for you and your family. Truthfully, newborn sessions are my favorite! There is nothing like their sweet scent and flaky, new skin. Newborn photography requires a large amont of planning and an insane amount of patience. You’ll be happy to know I’ve got you covered!
I truly love everything about motherhood and newborns. Rest easy knowing that I’m going to treat your baby like my own. I give my all to these sessions and I cannot thank you enough for trusting your newest family member with me.
See you soon!
Ashleigh
Planning For Your Session
STYLE
I like to keep colors neutral and textures simple. I want to create images you’ll love today, but will also love twenty years from now. Because of that, you’ll see a lot of simple setups. I tend to shy away from crocheted outfits and oversized headbands. Simple and timeless is always my first choice. I have a closet full of wraps, blankets, bonnets and headbands. Before we start your session, we will pick the items you’d like to incorporate.
WHAT PARENTS & SIBLINGS SHOULD WEAR
If we are going to photograph parents and/or siblings, I recommend wearing light colors. Whites, grays and pale colors are my personal favorite. Keep clothes easy - cotton and linens. Siblings look great in jeans or dresses. You are more than welcome to pull out a few options so I can help you decide. You do not need anything for baby to wear (unless you'd like to include some simple white onesie images).
Moms - if you normally wear makeup, I'd recommend applying it a tad thicker than normal. Also, don't forget a light lipstick or chapstick.
Start with one person. Mom, start with you and choose something you are confident in. Once you have one outfit set, start adding in other family members. It makes the process a little less overwhelming.
Coordinate. As you start to think about outfits, think about a color palette. For example: light blue, grey and blush. Each person/outfit will bring together a feeling of coordination. If you want light and airy pictures, stick to whites and pastels. If you are wanting bright and dramatic pictures, choose a vivid color scheme like navy and mustard yellow. Personally, I think you can never go wrong with pastels. Please do not wear extremely saturated colors (like hot pink, red, and orange) as they tend to throw a color cast on your skin.
Head to toe. In your home we can totally go barefoot. However, if you’d prefer shoes on just make sure they are clean and match.
Things I LOVE:
Clothes your are comfortable in.
I love maxi dresses. They provide coverage while also looking beautiful in pictures.
For winter sessions, jeans and a cozy sweater looks great.
Shirts designed to be worn un-tucked. Less to fuss with during the session. I love more relaxed looking clothing.
Preparing your home
Prior to your session, we will talk about which rooms you’d like to use during your session. Personally, I love using the nursery, master bedroom and/or living room. Sunrooms also make wonderful backdrops. You can also start walking around your home at different times of the day to see which rooms get the best light.
Make sure those rooms are picked up prior to your session. Even if that means throwing everything in the closet for now – I won’t share your little secret!
The most important aspect of preparing your home is heat. Babies like it hot. I know it’s a little painful, but crank your heat up to 75-80 degrees about 20 minutes prior to my arrival.
The Day Of The Session
Ideally, your baby is fed, changed and sleepy to start the session. Dress your baby in a zipper sleeper or something that is easy to remove without causing too much fuss. I am a firm believer that sleep promotes sleep. Do not feel the need to keep your baby awake or stimulated before the session. I recommend that you time your feeding where you’ll wrap up as I’m arriving for the session. If you’d like to include some nursing/feeding images in your gallery, wait until I arrive to feed your baby.
I know life with a newborn is hard to plan, but please try to be ready when I arrive. We only have a set amount of time for pictures.
What to expect during your session
Newborns set the pace for the session. Sometimes we spend a majority of the session feeding and soothing while other babies are ready to go. Every baby is different so we will work with their needs. The good thing about in-home sessions is that your baby does not need to be as sleepy as in the studio.
Because we are trying to limit the number of times baby is moved, I will take the lead in soothing your baby.
Your baby might be naked for some of the session. Messes are totally fine and completely normal. Have diapers, wipes and soft tissues handy.
What you can pull out to use
In-home sessions are all about baby in their environment. Pull out a few different swaddles and blankets. I like to keep babies naked or in white or simple onesies.
FAMILY, SIBLINGS, and pets
If we are including other family members, we will start with those images. There is usually more work, bribing and patience that goes into creating these sweet sibling images. Trust me, we will get it!
Because my goal is to keep sessions as calm as possible, dad or grandparents can entertain older siblings in another part of the home while we finish the session.
After your session
POST PROCESSING
In keeping with my natural style, I only make minor changes during post processing. I will clean up blotchy skin and baby acne. I will also clean up distracting flaky skin, but I think that is what makes a newborn a newborn so I do keep most of it on hands/feet. If your child has an angel kiss/stork bite or Mongolian spots, let me know if you’d like me to lighten them during post processing.
YOUR GALLERY
I’ll go through and touch up the best images from your session.
Classic Session: Within two weeks of your session, you’ll receive an online gallery via email to download. A print release is also included in your gallery.
Mini Session: Within two weeks of your session, you’ll receive an online proof gallery to select your images. A print release is also included in your final gallery.
I hope this guide leaves you informed and excited about your newborn session! If you have any questions, feel free to send them my way. I want this to be a relaxing experience for you and your family.
I am so excited to meet your newest family member!
Ashleigh Lauber
