Thank you so much for booking me to photograph your beautiful, newborn baby! For newborn photographers, one of the biggest parts of the job is to get babies to sleep. There are several steps the parents can take in the 24 hours leading up to the session that can be really important in getting the baby to sleep. Here are some guidelines to help ensure a sleepy baby! As well as some general tips for your session. Please read the entire guide prior to your session and let me know if you have any questions.
How can I make sure baby is at his/her best for the photoshoot?
- For nursing Moms, be careful with what you eat for about a day leading up to the session. Spicy, citrus, or gas- producing foods can make the baby uncomfortable or upset their tummy. And an upset tummy will always mean lots of tears and little sleep! Also, please be prepared to nurse or feed the baby several times during your session. You will have complete privacy during this, so no worries if it takes quite a while or mom and baby are still learning how to nurse effectively! Feel assured that you have all the time and privacy that you will need.
- Try to keep your baby awake in the couple hours leading up to the session. If the baby has slept all morning and then arrives to my house, they just might be ready for a long awake period, which makes the job of getting them sleepy all that much harder. Try to play with baby, talk with baby, and maybe even give the baby a bath before the session – whatever it takes to keep them alert for an hour or two. Then, when they arrive, they’ll be ready for a long nap!
- Make sure the baby has a nice, full tummy before you leave the house to come to your session. This way, assuming your drive isn’t too long, the baby will still be full and has probably fallen asleep in the car. I can immediately get started on the session and hopefully get an hour or two of photos done before baby needs a feeding break. In fact, feed baby as often as you can for about 10-12 hours before the session to ensure that baby is really full and will be more likely to have a long, sleepy stretch.
- Please bring a pacifier!! Even if baby doesn’t take one (yet) or you would rather them not have one in general, please bring one just for the session.
- Bring the baby in a button-up or zip-up sleeper, preferably a loose fitting one, with only a diaper underneath (no onesie or anything that has to be taken off over the head).
- My studio will be HOT (80 degrees) to aide in baby’s sleep, so it’s really important to dress lightly (or in layers) and bring cold water to drink.
- Newborn sessions can be long (3-4 hours), and I may need to work on one pose for quite a while. Make sure you bring a laptop, a book to read, or whatever you need to keep busy while I shoot. If one parent would like to run out to do errands or grab a bite to eat or get a coffee, you are more than welcome to do so. I have wifi access, if needed, and want you to just relax and have some “me” time while I work with baby!
- Rub Aquaphor (or similar petroleum based cream) on baby’s dry spots the night before the session and the morning of the session. Don’t worry about baby acne – I will edit that out, and there isn’t anything topical that can help it.
How do I make a request for certain photos?
If there is anything you really want to be done (poses, colors, items included, etc) please let me know asap. This is where you should answer the most common questions prospective customers might have. It’s a good idea to cover things like your return policy, product warranty info, shipping and returns, etc. Check out the examples below.
What do I wear to my BNLOVe photoshoot?
http://bnlovestudios.com/what-to-wear-for-bnlove/
Do you have customer service?
Of course! Our friendly and knowledgeable customer services reps are available to answer your questions 24/7/365.