Before you get to the studio - I like to set the mood with a little music. I find it relaxing, inviting, and it helps get my creative juices flowing. I pick up some yummy treats - usually from Mariposa Market or Starbucks… the apple fritters from Mariposa are heavenly. There’s a coffee station with a mini fridge stocked with cream and water, a cute little washroom (my fave part of the studio) and a nice comfy couch to relax on while I work with baby.
I keep the temperature quite warm for baby ‘cause we need all the sleepy vibes we can get (so parents - dress in layers please). My studio is heated by a gas fireplace so it gets nice and toasty. I have a Baby Shusher for white noise, it works wonders and most parents leave the studio wanting one for home. You can purchase one on Amazon by the way.
You’ll find everything for your session set up and ready to go when you get there, strategically planned for smooth transitions between poses. I usually start with table poses (the naked baby ones), then move to wrapped poses in props, and finish with family. I used to start with family but I’ve experimented a bit with table first and babies seem to settle into the poses easier at the beginning of the session. However, with that said, baby is the BOSS and if they aren’t setting into table poses I will just move on to props and come back to it later. Being a newborn photographer has taught me to be flexible and utilize my time wisely with baby... making every minute count.
Also, I feel I should add that the safety and comfort of your baby comes first above any pose that we may want to achieve. If your baby is not loving a certain pose, they will let me know and we’ll simply move on. I am a trained professional so you can rest assured that your baby is in good hands.
Now it’s time for props, I gently wrap baby into a little round potato (most people are amazed by my ninja wrapping skills) using two base layers and then a pretty layer on top that gets swapped out for each setup. Baby stays asleep and I usually cruise through a bunch of set ups in no time. Wrap, pose, click… and repeat.
We take feeding and snuggle breaks whenever baby needs. If parents bring a bottle I usually offer to feed baby. I change diapers too - I am not kidding when I say I’m full service, LOL!
I like to get to know my clients a little better and love asking about their experience with pregnancy and birth… and share mine as well. Each birth story is unique and I find it fascinating. I love connecting with clients and have become good friends with quite a few of my mamas.
I take some behind the scenes video of baby so I can share later in my stories. Moms always love this.
Lastly, we do the sibling and parent portraits. I start with siblings laying on a flokati rug (I like to keep it simple for safety reasons as toddlers can be unpredictable), then I pull my backdrop down and start with mom and baby, then add dad, and then siblings, and then just dad and baby. I’ve got a system down so it’s usually pretty quick and painless (‘cause we all know how much Dads love having their picture taken, am I right?! LOL).
Before you go, I’ll show you some of the beautiful product samples so you can start thinking of how you’d like to display your images before you come back for your ordering appointment. I offer a selection of hand-crafted heirloom prints included wall art (metal, wood, canvas), albums, matted prints, keepsake boxes and more. These products are printed professionally and are not available to the general public.
I want this to be an amazing and stress-free experience for my clients so I take care of everything from start to finish. Full service, baby! I love what I do!
xo
Mel
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