I know you probably have some questions. If you’re first time parents, or if you’ve just never had a newborn photoshoot before, it can seem a little daunting and confusing. Hopefully this section will help to address some of those questions you may have, but if theres something I haven’t covered then please feel free to contact me.
When should I book?
Ideally you need to book your shoot once you reach your 3rd trimester. I know babies rarely arrive on their due date, so I will provisionally book a few dates based on baby arriving a few weeks early, around EDD, and a few weeks late. Once baby arrives you can let me know and we can firm up which date to go for.
When is payment due?
I require a non-refundable booking fee to confirm your booking. This is £75, inline with my session fee. If you are booking a package then full payment is then required on the day of your session. If booking session only, payment for any products you choose will be payable at the time of order, before I place your print order with my printing lab.
How old should my baby be for the best shoot?
Ideally I like to shoot when a baby is between 5 and 14 days old. This gives you a few days to settle into having your new addition, and for a feeding pattern to start to be established. But it also generally means that baby will still be sleepy and curled up, which is great for prop shots! Of course I am happy to accommodate you outside of this “optimum” period too, so if you’re just not ready or I can’t fit you in until later I can still capture some great shots for you.
What should baby wear?
Nothing! I find that the best shots are captured when baby is undressed, either with or without a nappy (some poses work best with the nappy off). Because of this I recommend that you keep the room I’ll be shooting in nice and warm. It needs to be warm enough for you to be feeling warm even in a t-shirt! I do have a portable heater that I will bring with me to the session, incase baby shows signs of being cold. If you could undress baby down to their nappy and wrap them in a blanket an hour or so before I’m due to arrive that would be great! This helps to reduce marks from the clothing on baby and makes for a nicer look in the photos.
How should I prepare for the session?
Please make sure there is a space cleared in the room you would like me to use, and that I have access to a plug socket for my extension reel (I bring this with me for my lights and heater). As mentioned above, please strip baby down to their nappy and wrap them in a blanket an hour or so before my arrival. Please try to keep baby awake before my arrival, and try to time a feed for my arrival. This way you can feed whilst i set up, and hopefully baby will be nice and sleepy once I’m ready to start. If baby will accept a dummy, please have one sterilised an ready to go, as this can be a great help in trying to settle baby between shots. If you haven’t introduced a dummy, please consider using one just for the session. Be prepared for your baby to want feeding more than usual. Whether breast or bottle fed, babies tend to get extra hungry during a session and often need a top up before they would usually feed.
Will my baby be safe?
Yes, of course! Safety is my first concern. I will never attempt a pose that I deem to be unsafe. If baby seems uncomfortable with a pose I will stop and try something different. Your baby is the most important thing. I will always have someone nearby to “spot” for me, whether it is my assistant or a parent. This just means that I will have someone nearby who is watching the baby at all times in order to keep them safe. Some poses can only be achieved by putting two photos together and creating a composite image, so they look like baby has been holding a pose on their own when in reality they are being supported by a parent or assistant.
How long will the session last?
This is entirely dependent on your baby on the day. Usually the shoot takes around 2.5-3 hours. But if baby is unsettled and needs frequent feeds or breaks then it can take longer. Sometimes it can be less, if baby is very sleepy and we are able to move the session along without too many pauses. But I never book more than one session in a day, so I have plenty of time to dedicate to getting a good variety of shots for you.
Can I invite Grandparents/Aunts/Uncles/Other family members to watch?
Obviously it is your house, so you can invite whoever you wish! But please be aware that the more people present, the harder it can be to settle baby. Sessions tend to run smoother when there are fewer background distractions. So I prefer to keep it to just parents for the duration of the session. For this reason I also prefer that older children are kept out of the room I am shooting in, although I am fully aware that this is not always possible.
What happens after the session?
After the session I will pack up my equipment and leave your house as I found it. Once I get home i will download the photos I have taken to my computer, and also to a back up drive. I will then look through the photos and choose the best ones to edit. Any that don’t make the cut will be deleted. I will then edit the chosen photos to a high quality finish, and upload them to a private online gallery for you to view. This process takes around three weeks, if I have a backlog and it is likely to take longer than this I will inform you at your session. If requested I can post a sneak peek image to my Facebook page after a few days, which will be a watermarked image for you get a feel of the finished product.
Once you have chosen your images I will place an order with my professional printing lab and your order should be with you within two weeks. During busy periods such as the run up to Christmas etc it can take a little longer, but I will inform you of this at your session.
Little Pandas Photography - Newborn and baby photography in Hythe Kent 