They say, “babies don’t keep!” which is why I take the privilege of capturing all those tiny details so seriously. Seriously! The way he squishes into a ball and dreams smiles when he’s falling asleep. The paper thin fingernails. How she fits into that space on your shoulder like it was made just for her. The downy, fluffy hair. OH MY the hair. I want to artistically document it all so you can revisit those early days again and again, and OH you will. And you will cry. And you will be so incredibly grateful that you took the time, money and effort into getting these photos done.. When she starts sleeping through the night, when he waves from the school bus for his first day of school, when she graduates from college, when he brings you in to meet his own little baby.. These photos will be your priceless, luxury ticket to the past.

Specialty Photography. Newborn photography is a specialty area for a reason. Newborns run the show. The whole session runs on baby time, and we all know baby time is kind of a disastrous mess. For someone so new, they really shouldn’t be given the keys to controlling so much, and yet, everything gets run by these tiny specimens, and they have zero issue throwing our ideas and plans in the “not today” pile. Because these sessions are run by the baby, patience and understanding are crucial for a newborn photographer to possess in heaps.

After all, we ask a lot of these little people for these session and it’s only fair they should push back a little. We bring them to a new place that smells and sounds different, give them to a person they’ve never met to squish them and wrap them into a bunch of poses they thought they would never be in again after exiting the womb, there’s a giant flashing light every time they fall asleep and they kind of just want to have a good poop and be in your arms all day long instead of being photographed by a stranger. Note to baby: I really do commiserate, tiny baby. This sounds like a lot. And yet, a great deal of effort went into you becoming a whole person that got to join the family, so the least we can do is document how tiny, sweet and squashy you are before you grow way to fast into a big kid. Let us have this, please. We are old and deserve your tiny baby mercy and understanding.

Time + Effort. In studio newborn sessions can take anywhere from 3-5 hours depending on how sleepy your baby is and how many other family members are involved. I ask clients to allot 5 hours for the session so we don’t have to rush in the event that things run long. The majority of those hours in studio are spent feeding, cuddling and shooshing baby into a content, sleepy state. The posing portion is delicate and has to be done with care for babies safety and technical skill, all while maintaining the baby’s dreamy sleep. The sound machines, lighting and warm temperature all help maintain optimal sleepiness. The studio is kept at a rather warm temperature to keep the boss, your naked baby, comfortable and yes, sleepy. This means the grown ups will likely be too warm and uncomfortable, so I recommend parents dress in layers so they can strip down to shorts and tank tops if necessary to maintain a comfortable temperature themselves. The good news is, I have a big comfy leather couch along with snacks and drinks for parents to chill out on while I work. Many parents take turns drifting off for a quick nap while I work, and I love that for you. I fell asleep on the sofa at my own newborns photography session 8 years ago and it was a much needed nap while the amazing photographer captured our little stinky. I want you to feel relaxed and enjoy the whole process, even if that means you need to take a nap along with your baby in my studio.

Poop happens. A lot. Don’t be embarrassed or feel bad when your baby pees and poops on my props, backdrops or directly on my lap. Naked + Newborn = Mess. It’s okay, really! I went into newborn photography knowing full well that crap happens.

Design + Props. I have a studio full of specialty props specifically made and chosen for newborn photography. The newborn hats and clothing you get at the store are made to fit a variety of newborn body sizes and grow with your baby. A newborn baby isn’t going to be comfortable at home, sleeping in a pajama set that’s so tight you can see their rolls, but for a newborn session, that’s exactly what we want. Your baby shouldn’t be swallowed up or overshadowed by giant clothing, hats that are bigger than your baby’s head or floral headbands that could practically block the sun. For day to day wear, these are scrumptious and precious and I love an enormous bow on a baby. But for newborn sessions, we want every prop and accessory to enhance the beauty of your sweet little baby, not distract from it. I have everything for the session, you just have to bring your baby! I do encourage parents to bring props that are special to them. Just because I have everything we need, doesn’t mean you can’t bring something special like your bridal headband/veil, a picture of your beloved, late Grandpa or

Custom Sessions. Each newborn session is tailored to what you like. While I have my favorite poses, props and set-ups, I work for you and this is your baby, so you should love everything about your final gallery. When you arrive at the studio, I’ll ask you what you like. Which props stand out to you? Which colors do you like, or which will go best with your home decor when you print your images? Do you like hats? Do you like headbands? What do you think about this pose, that set up, this style of wrap? Don’t be shy to tell me that you hate it, because it’s not personal for me, but it is personal for you and your family! I want to cater to your taste from the very beginning and I find most clients enjoy having a hand in designing their newborn session! Now if you’re an indecisive person or you like everything, don’t sweat it. I have plenty of clients who roll in with baby and drop a, “I trust your professional judgement, do whatever you want!” and I am always down design a session for you!

The Flow. I try to do a little bit of everything you see in my newborn portfolio for each client, permitting the client enjoys each type of styling I do.