I have had a lot of clients wonder what their full gallery of proofs would look like after their newborn session. Well… It is a hard question to ask as all my newborn sessions are totally baby led, so it all depends on the baby really. Some babies sleep very well, some may experience a little bit of tummy issues or be less willing to go in a particular pose (like the froggy pose), I only attempt each pose two times and if the little one is not comfortable after the second time, I move on to t he next one. I would hate to make the baby feel upset or uncomfortable during the day spent at the studio. Following the prep guide that I send to all my clients before the session as well as allowing yourself plenty of time to prepare to leave the house and being relaxed/not too worried about the session, will help baby be calm and comfortable on the morning of the session as they pick up on our mood and anxieties.
I always respect parents choice when it comes to ways of feeding the baby. I would never force anyone to bottle feed during the session. If baby is exclusively breastfed, we just take more stops during the session, it may take longer for the little one to settle settle and be sleepy and relaxed at the beginning of the session and it may also mean stopping to feed between set ups, but it is totally normal. From my experience of photographing newborn for 10 years now, I find that having extra pumped breast milk or a little bit of baby formula can help tremendously during the session. Again, please don’t feel that this is a requirement during my session, it absolutely is not, just an suggestion for those who are willing to do. it or wonder how else to prepare to make sure they are prepared and have everything that may help settle their little one on the day :)
This little guy was so super sleepy, he let me set him in all different set ups, different poses and outfits. He was a dream to work with and I think this full gallery from his session, represents my workflow during newborn sessions really well. I thought it would be a good example to share with everyone and show what you could expect from a successful session where the baby cooperates on the day. You will see some posing and angle varieties to choose from as well as some funny and sweet outtakes from the posing process. I love the cross eye look in the bowl set up where he was fighting sleep, those are so sweet and perfect to keep as we don’t always get a chance to capture those on a regular basis :)
~ Ania
Simply Ania | Okinawa Maternity, Birth and Newborn Photographer