Let me take you today behind the scenes of a newborn photo shoot, a twin one to be precise, which I did in January. I will explain step by step how a newborn photo shoot looks like, right from the initial Client contact, up until the product delivery.
In January I had the honour to photograph two stunning little girls. Before I got to meet them, I had mainly had boys for my family and newborn sessions, so I was super excited to finally cuddle some little girls. My studio shelves are full of beautiful handbands, blankets and all sorts of 'girly’ accessories and props, hence I couldn’t wait to use at least some of them. I started planning and preparing for it as soon as I got the initial enquiry from mum. That’s where it all started:
- INITIAL CONTACT / ENQUIRY:
Little girls’ mum contacted me via my Facebook page to check if I was available and to enquire about the prices. Once we exchanged the essential pieces of information, mum was ready to proceed with the booking.
- BOOKING:
For newborn photo shoots I usually book a slot a week after the due date. This allows me to monitor the number of booking per week that I can accept. Then once the baby is born, mums let me know and then we work out a date that is convenient for both parties. I am a full time photographer hence I can be flexible around my clients. I always endavour to book a session within the first 14 days of baby’s life as this usually tends to be the best time for sleepy curly poses that we all love so much.
- CONSULATION:
Once we have a date pencilled in the diary and a booking fee has been paid, I then start my preparations. It is my ambition to make sure my Clients get a 'one off’, personalised experience and my set up is fully compatible with their taste and meets their expectations. For that reason I ask the parents to fill out a short questionnaire. They can then tell me a bit more about themselves so that I can tailor their session set up. For instance, twins’ mum is a teacher, hence I prepared a 'library’ set up with books. It was a nice referrence to mum’s academic background and career choice. In my consultation I also give my clients the opportunity to tell me what set ups appeal to them the most, again so that I can make their final product completely personalised to their needs. I am particularly keen to hear about parent’s hobbies, interests and careers so that I can make personalised references in the photo shoot set up. All information shared with me is completely confidential. You can trust me that the sex and name of the baby will not be revealed until you decide to do so.
- THE PHOTO SHOOT
When I tell my clients that a newborn session lasts at least 3 hours they often gasp. „What?? SO long? Can we have a mini newborn session instead?” Well, I personally don’t believe in newborn 'mini sessions’. I can’t imagine rushing a newborn to sleep, eat or become settled so that we can finish within an unreasonable time scale. Yes, sometimes babies do nothing but snooze so I can finish the whole session in under 2 hours. This is extremely rare though. Usually, they need a lot of time to get used to me, my voice, touch, to the new surroundings. They also have a very 'scetchy’ eating patterns which means that they are fed not by the schedule but simply when they demand food. And that is hardly ever a matter of regularity 🙂 Then comes the change of nappy, props, outfits, set up and eveything else. So when you are planning a newborn photo shoot and you want a 'relaxed’ one, block out at least a couple of hours in your diary.
For a twins newborn photo shoot I asked my fellow newborn photographer friend to help me out. In this way mummy and dady were free to relax when both of us were taking care of the babies and preparing them for their photos.
- AFTER THE PHOTO SHOOT
In my contract I pledge to deliver fully edited images for selection within 15 working days. Depending on my workload I may be able to do it quicker though. Clients then receive a link to an online gallery with at least 20 imags from the session. They are beautifully retouched, in low resolution and watermarked. Clients are not able to download the images before they make their choices. The selection process is super simple and I get notified of client choices instantly. I can then start ordering their selected products, such as prints or canvases. There is no need to decide which package you want to purchase when you book. You can choose at this stage.
- PRODUCTS
I hate the thought of these beautiful newborn photos getting dumped at the bottom of someone’s drawer on a USB. Therefore, all my clients, no matter which package they opt for, will receive complimentary professional prints from me. In is way they can feel, touch, show off and instantly display the images of their most precious babies. The deliveries from my lab make me feel really excited. So, I can only imagine how emotional and exciting it must be for the parents. I know that most grandparents have smart phones or computers these days. You can always let them watch the images on their tablet or phone. Nevertheless, nothing beats the actual physical 'photograph’, in its most traditional meaning. I bet nans and granddas will sched many happy tears holding their grandchildren’s images in their hands. I regularly print and send my own children’s photos to their grandmothers abroad and I know how treasured they are.
My little twins’ parents opted for the top package (Watermelon) as it gives you the best value for money. In this package you get prints of ALL images from the session, all digitals and amazing 18″ x 24″ canvas to display instantly. The canvas comes from a professional top quality vendor. I guarantee that no other commercial photo printing service will beat my canvas quality. They say you get what you pay for. I couldn’t agree more! Top quality is always more expensive. BUT! The great impression with the quality will last MUCH much longer, than your satisfaction with lower price elsewhere. I swear by my products and am proud to give my name to them.
If there is anthing else that you would like to know about my newborn sessions, please comment below or send me a message and I will be more than happy to answer.
Aga x
