So you’re having a baby. Congratulations! Possibly you’ve already decided to choose me to capture those early moments with your precious little bundle. Perhaps you’re still looking and weighing up your options. Maybe having a little more information could help you decide if I’m the right photographer for you.
So here is a little run down of what to expect when you book a bespoke home photography session with Little Pandas Photography, and how you can prepare for the session to give us the best chance to capture those beautiful memories for you.
So, you book with me, fill out your booking form and pay your booking fee. What happens next?
Well firstly, it depends when you have booked your session:
If you’re still pregnant we’ll book in a few provisional dates around your due date, to try and cover early/late arrivals in the ideal timeframe (between 5-14 days usually gives the best chance of a sleepy baby and curly poses).
If baby has already arrived we’ll book the next available date, to ensure we get those sleepy shots. If baby is already over the “ideal” age, don’t worry. We can still capture beautiful images! They just may be a little more awake and may not want to go into the womb-like poses a smaller newborn does.
The day of your session has arrived! How exciting!
I ideally need a space at least 6ft x 6ft to set up in, the bigger the better. But don’t worry, I can work in most spaces.
I also need a plug socket free to plug in my extension lead.
If you need to move furniture to make space then not to worry, my assistant and I can help, and we’ll make sure the room is back as we found it before we leave.
For the best results it helps to strip baby off to just a nappy, and wrap them in a blanket before I arrive. Clothes and socks can leave little red marks on baby’s sensitive skin, so this gives them chance to fade. Also, if baby is asleep then suddenly stripping them off can wake and upset them. And we want them sleepy 🙂
Making sure baby has a feed when I arrive is also a great idea. If they are stripped down and feeding whilst we set up, then hopefully they will be nice and full and sleepy when we’re ready to start.
Typically, a newborn session will last around 3 hours. But it can be a little more or a little less, depending on baby. For this reason I recommend that you not schedule visits or appointments for that time. I try to do my sessions in the morning, starting at around 10am, as babies tend to be sleepier around that time.
Be prepared for a lot of feeding, and lots of waiting for baby to settle. Even formula fed babies tend to need a bit of a top up, being beautiful is thirsty work! If baby takes a dummy, please have one to hand. It can really help to settle baby into poses.
The likelihood is that the session will involve some kind of bodily fluids too! I always say that if I don’t leave having been covered in pee, poo or vomit then it hasn’t been a proper session 😉
The room is likely to be hot, so wearing light clothing is recommended. I bring my own portable heater to use if I need it. Babies settle better when they are warm and as they will be spending most of the session with just the nappy or a wrap on we need to make sure they are comfortable. But if you’d rather not get dressed and want to just stay in your pjs then thats fine too! I’m a Mum, I remember how hard those early days can be!
My assistant is with me to keep your baby safe at all times. She is my hands and eyes when I have mine occupied with the camera. Occasionally I may ask for an extra hand or two, but usually you get to just sit back and relax.
Once the session is over we will pack everything away and put your house back as we found it. You will probably find that your baby will sleep well for the rest of the day!
After your session I will go home and transfer all your images to y computer (I also back them up onto a portable hard drive, to ensure they are safe). If Facebook/online sharing has been agreed I will choose one image to edit and post to my Facebook page as a “sneak peek”. This is usually done the same day, or the next day. Editing your images usually takes 2-3 weeks, and then they are uploaded to a secure, password protected online gallery for you to view. The gallery is live for a short time for you to select the images you’d like to purchase (or those included in your chosen package).
Once you have chosen your images and placed your order, it can take up to 4 weeks for me to process, order and deliver your chosen products. Prints only don’t tend to take quite so long, but other products such as canvases, acrylics or wooden blocks can take longer due to the custom nature of the products.
Once your prints and/or products arrive with me I will quality check them, and then package them up ready for you. I will either post them to you using a signed for delivery service, or deliver them to you by hand. This is all included in the price.
I take great pride in what I do, and treat every single baby like the precious little individual that they are. Some babies sleep their whole session, some cry and feed through most of it and I have to take my opportunities where I can. But I love each and every one. No two sessions are alike, because no two babies are alike. So I try to just go with the flow and adapt.
I hope this has been helpful to you, whether you are trying for a baby, already pregnant or just curious as to how these things work. Please do feel free to leave me a comment, fill in the contact form or head over to my Facebook page to drop me a message if you have any questions
My newborn pricelist can be found here, along with more examples of my work.
Kelly.x