About newborn session

Hello and congratulations!

Are you the parent who is expecting a baby and thinking about newborn sessions?

If so, you are in the right place!

Would you like to see some baby portraits which I'm creating?

This is a link for my website, so feel free to click! https://www.ewarapciakphotography.com

There is some information below about the session and booking process.

Hope this will be very helpful for future parents. 

About my style:

I believe in simple and classic portraiture of your beautiful baby. I do have simple props available at the home studio, hats and headbands, lots of textures and wraps. Our session will be relaxed and is entirely baby-led in order to capture every detail and allow for baby feeding, fussing and sleepy times. To provide my clients with the highest quality, I am only taking a limited number of sessions per month. It is important to schedule your session while you are still pregnant to avoid disappointment. After you have your baby, we will pick the best time that falls within the first 14 days. 

I invite you to get a look with my portfolio - I hope that the photos will encourage you to capture these special moments in your family life. 

1. Ideal Age For A Newborn Session;

For studio photography the ideal age is between 5-14 days, when babies are that tiny, they spend a lot of time sleeping and still curl up into very sweet poses - similar to the positions they were in womb. After those days babies go through a growth and will start stretching their arms and legs and will not be able to curl up or sleep as soundly which is needed for some of the poses and photographs in props like the buckets, bowls etc.

2. How far in advance should you book your newborn session?

You should book your session as far out as possible, as early as the second trimester. I usually book sessions 3-4 months in advance and for busy photography seasons. It's quite often when I've received calls from parents who just gave birth, who want to book a session and I have no availability left. Then they get very sad because it's such a short window of time to take those special portraits and they miss it.

3. What if babies don't arrive on their due dates? I hold time before and after the parents are guaranteed a space, no matter when their baby arrives.

4. How long does a session take? Studio sessions typically last 2-4 hours which includes portraits of the baby on his or her own and then with each parent and then the whole family together. That may seem like a long time, but usually about half of that time is spent feeding and comforting the baby to get him or her as sleepy and happy as possible.

5. What Should your baby wear to a newborn session?

Ideally a plain white baby sleep suit in first size.

Newborn photography is done naked and in a special outfit to capture the tiny body of a newborn baby,  so something that is easy to take on and off. Baby dressed in a zippered/ buttoned sleeper it's much easier to take off, so the baby will stay calm during changing clothes for special outfits.

6. What else should you bring? Extra diapers and wipes, extra formula or bottles if you are not breastfeeding, and  blankets. 

7. What do you do to make sure the baby is comfortable? One of the most important things is to make sure the room is very warm. I keep the heat turned way up and have a space heater next to the baby. I also will play white sound or soft music depending on what the baby responds to better. This keeps babies calm and asleep (sometimes parents too— I have had many fathers fall asleep on my couch). I also never force a baby into a pose he or she is uncomfortable in and let the baby indicate to me which poses he or she is most happy curled up in.

8. How should you choose a photographer? There are a lot of photographers out there with different levels of experience and different styles so first I would see if you like the photographer's style- their props, poses, lighting, positions, etc.

9. What are the safety precautions used during a session? I use a very large beanbag that was designed specifically for newborn photography so if the baby does tip to one side they are very protected and are on a soft surface. Also, everything used from the blankets to the hair bows are all washed between every session to keep everything very clean and germ free.

10. What a parent can do during a session? The worst thing a parent can do is be nervous. If your baby is crying, you have to trust the photographer to be able to comfort her. Continuously swooping in and handing the baby back and forth can make an infant even more distressed. My advice is to take a deep breath and relax. I know it's easy to be nervous, especially when it’s your first, but the best thing a parent can do is sit back and take a couple hours to check their email, listen to music or just enjoy watching their newborn in all these adorable poses.

With love,

Ewa