Baby Elsie

Melissa and Nick invited me to photograph their beautiful baby Elsie at 13 weeks (which, if I’m being honest, is a GREAT time to do a “newborn” session- babies are typically way more interactive and into the session) in their BEAUTIFUL Lafayette home that they had been renovating themselves the past 5 years (talk about finding my kind of clients). Elsie, named after a song by one of our shared favorite bluegrass bands, Nickel Creek, has the eyes of a doll and the personality of an Aires (energetic, positive, ready to take charge!). Our session ran flawlessly because I’ve done so many at this point and have my system all worked out. I thought I’d take this opportunity to share how a newborn session works with me from start to finish.

Booking your session…

After we get through the admin aspect of booking your session, we set a TENTATIVE date for your in home shoot. I say tentative because babies show up whenever they feel like it, and so the rest of us just have to go with it! Typically, I schedule about 2-3 weeks post due date, always on a weekday morning (typically Wednesdays) when babies are their happiest and I have childcare on my end. I arrive around 10:30 usually with my camera, gear, and bassinet in hand- I’m happy to wear a mask too!

Once I’m in your home…

I like to take a look around your home when I arrive and typically start turning off overhead lights (they are NOT flattering) and opening up curtains and blinds. I almost always arrive a few minutes late because literally no one is ever ready when I arrive and I hate to rush you. Still, even when I do arrive, Moms are usually 9/10 still not ready, so I like to take this time to photograph the baby’s room (before we mess it up) and any other keepsakes, such as sonogram pics on the fridge, while talking it up with the other parent of the house. I am very committed to making these sessions as low key as possible because I’m a parent and I remember all too well the chaos and fatigue that comes with new parenthood.

Once Mom is ready….

I usually have scouted 3-4 locations for our session by now and we start in whichever one works best. These locations often include baby’s room, the parents’ room, a brightly lit living space, and if we can, a shaded outdoor area. I may or may not move some plants and/or decor around to help frame you in the shots. I encourage you to put on music and drink your coffee. I’ve literally had parents take naps during our session while I photograph bebe in my bassinet and I typically allot 90 mins for our session because there’s always a diaper change/nursing sesh (which I’m happy to photograph for you), and/or outfit change (or 2) in store for us. To answer this question that comes up again and again- yes, the whole immediate family is included, as well as pets, in my shoots! I will definitely steal baby and Mom away for some alone time, but since these are lifestyle sessions, I include as much as your real life in your images as possible, which includes other kids, spouses, pets, and even sometimes a grandparent who’s visiting. We can expect to spend about 10-15 mins in each scenario and by noon, baby and parents are usually ready for naptime and I go on my merry way.

Once I’m in my home…

I immediately download my files onto my computer and back them up on my external hard drive as well as my in home server so there’s no chance of losing these precious images. I take between 2-3 weeks to select the best images, hand edit each one (I would love to shortcut it and have someone else edit my work but I just can’t let go of this important and very personal part of my work). I then upload your images to an online gallery, which may be presented as a slideshow for you, and voila! Your images are ready either for collection selection or downloading! I also offer my help with printing and/or creating products via my gallery site, which is connected to my favorite professional printers (sorry Walgreens but your colors are WHACK and your products could never stand the test of time). My site allows you to create mockups right before your very own eyes, so you can be sure there are little to no surprises.

And that’s how things go! And now, enjoy these images of Elsie and her parents from a super fun and super chill at home newborn session.

Want to go ahead and book your own lifestyle newborn session? Get in touch.