The newborn phase slips away so quickly. Your baby changes and grows by leaps and bounds during the early days. Before you know it, that amazing newborn smell is gone, along with the adorable peach fuzz skin and sweet little rolls and wrinkles. There is no better way to document those details than with beautiful newborn images.
If you are thinking about having professional photos taken of your new baby, you likely have a lot of questions about what to expect. I prepared this post to explain the entire newborn portrait process at my studio. From what happens after you submit an inquiry, to finally seeing the images and receiving your beautifully finished artwork at the end. Not to mention all of the planning and work that goes on in-between! Don’t worry, I will explain everything you need to know.
Pre-Session Consultation and Planning
Our journey together begins with a pre-session consultation after your initial inquiry. This will be a phone call where we can get to know each other. We will discuss your family and your goals for your portrait session.
This consultation helps set us up for a fun and successful experience together. During this time, we can also begin planning out the details for your newborn session. We can discuss styling options for props, colors and poses. Don’t worry if you aren’t sure on all of this just yet. I can provide with you some ideas, and this can also evolve as we get further along in the process.
Once you have decided that I am the perfect fit for your family, we can formally book your session to hold your due date in my calendar. This guarantees my availability for your baby. We will determine the actual date for your portrait session shortly after baby has arrived. The ideal timeframe to come in for your newborn’s portrait session will be within two weeks of birth. Don’t worry, I will stay in touch with you as your due date gets closer to help welcome your bundle of joy and make sure that we don’t miss a beat!
The Portrait Session
Your session will take place at my comfortable home studio in Walnut Creek. I will have everything setup and ready before you arrive so that we can get the most out of our time together. This will include backdrops, wraps and any props we may have discussed during our pre-session consultation.
Once you arrive, we will take some time to get settled in before starting. This is a good time for a diaper change or a feeding for baby. Newborn sessions usually last between 2-3 hours, so its important to make sure baby is comfortable and has a full belly before we begin. This should allow them to sleep uninterrupted for the duration of our session once I get started.
There is a restroom and a diaper changing station stocked with newborn diapers and wipes available for your convenience.
Image Reveal and Product Delivery
The next step in our newborn portrait process is the most exciting – getting to view and choose your images! Shortly after your portrait session I will email you link with 50-60 images taken during session. This is when you will get to see the unedited images from your session. You will get to choose the ones you love best and create your list of favorites.
Retouched images will be ready within two weeks, at which time you will receive your digital files in an online gallery. In the meantime, your artwork order (if chosen) will go into production, and your products will be ready for delivery a few weeks later. Delivering your finished artwork is always my favorite part! I just love seeing my clients’ reactions to their beautiful products.