How I Plan A Newborn Session

Once your newborn session is scheduled and on my calendar we start to discuss all of the fun things! I will ask you what your color preferences are and if you have any sort of requests. Some of my clients tell me that I can plan whatever I like and some have very detailed ideas. Both options are fine with me! 

If you have requests for certain props I'll consider what you choose and decide if any changes or swaps should be made. If we are doing family poses along with any siblings then I try to limit it to 2-3 props because I know how long it takes to complete a full newborn session and if we do more than that we won't have time during baby's sleep cycle to get everything accomplished. If you are opting out of any parent/sibling poses then we can add in more props in place of that time. I also need to take into consideration the complexity of the props you choose. Some props require more posing time because they are simply more difficult to pose on or in. If you choose a couple of more complex props I might decide to do one or more of them with the baby wrapped if the prop allows for that. That way you are happy & we get to keep baby happy!

If I am left to make all of the decisions these are the things I look for.....

Family Poses - I always ask you what you plan to wear for your family poses and I plan what to do with your baby from there. Lately, I have found that dressing baby in a simple romper or one of my sleepers is my favorite thing ever! It shows all of the baby's body yet the baby is covered so no one is getting peed on LOL I have many colors to choose from along with a classic white or black option. A quick headband added to your little girls and wah-lah! 

Props - I will choose props that will allow me to pose the baby differently with each one so that your images have variety. Such as the images down below - the baby in the bucket was able to be posed in two different ways in one prop. Then on the second prop with the Greenbay Packers, he was able to be posed in a completely different way on his belly. Choosing props this way offers the most variety!

Table Poses - here is where a lot of your color preferences come into play. I have a large variety of blanket/drop colors along with some that have patterns; florals, stars, stripes, etc.... If you have any color preferences or dislikes here is where I need to know! I pre-plan the table with all of the drops I plan to use before your arrival at your session. I layer them one on top of another and then I just peel them off as I use them. I typically will do two poses per drop/blanket and usually plan for 3-4 different drops. If you have chosen an outfit I will usually use it for one of these poses. You will see these poses down below with the baby on the brown and blue drops. (this was just a sampling of images I saved from this session so not all poses/drops are shown)

The last image down below shows the table I am referencing, with the purple drop on it. I have a low backdrop stand behind it to clip my blankets on so that I do not have to edit the back of all of my images - this gives it a perfect little lift. On top of this table are about 10+ laters of soft, cozy blankets, along with the ones I used for your actual images. Each side of the table, in the front, has a small weighted yoga sandbag to weigh it down. All of my supplies are in the handy little cart on the right and I keep my layers, headbands, and matching accessories I plan to use for those poses in the crate down below. This way I have everything ready to go and super handy! There is also a small space heater nearby that keeps baby warm & toasty.

Flokati - I always end my newborn session with the poses on the fluffy fur, called a flokati. I will have the baby wrapped by now and here is where one of my most favorite poses takes place - the one holding a little lovie! I like to take a few different images on the flokati - no hat, headband for girls, and my favorite thing ever - the sleepy cap! This is an image that never gets left behind when my clients order!

If I had to list what my favorite props are they'd easily be any of the wicker ones (Papasan, baskets & beds), the metal bucket with the magnetic cover options, the swing, the heart bowl, and the little wooden beds. They're so versatile and timeless.