My last newborn session of the year was for the Cook Family in the West Ashley area of Charleston. Lucky for me they actually only live about 10 minutes from me, but I was so excited to see their home and nursery based on the information and snapshots I saw in their newborn questionnaire. Kelsey certainly has an eye for design, I love the light an neutral tones flowing throughout their home. That definitely makes my job easier as it bounces light perfectly from room to room. 

If you're wondering what to expect for your newborn session,

Just know that I've got you covered from start to finish. A few weeks prior to your due date you'll receive a questionnaire in your email to gather everything I need to know about your preferences and any updates on your progress. From what you're having, if you've yet chosen a name, to color schemes for the nursery and colors you prefer for accessories and swaddles. In there is also a place for you to put some quick snapshots of the rooms you'd like to use for your session. Typically I find most people like the master bedroom and the nursery, but everyone has nooks within their homes that they love! For me, these pictures are important because they are capturing the lighting at certain times of the day (10-11ish am, and 2-4pm). Before we even schedule your session this is important for me to see because it tells me what direction your windows are facing and what time frame we ideally need to aim for to capture the best natural light. Now that's not to say that it's not possible any other time of day, it just helps me get my thinking cap on about where we'll be telling your story. Once I have the questionnaire, we all play the waiting game!

Another thing I discovered both in the questionnaire and while walking around the Cook's home is that they love classic black and white prints, and print their images in general! Cue my heart throb. As an artist and someone who was trained in photography by printing my own images in the dark rooms, this is super important to me. I love when clients celebrate their sessions by putting them up, all over the house. I took a mental note that I would definitely need to do some black and white versions of their best images so that they had this same opportunity with these images. 

As you can see, when focusing on the master bedroom I try to do a few different poses. Some are limited for c-section moms because we want to keep you safe, but all in all we try a variety of looks to really tell the story of the whole room. 

Planning your outfits for your session

Is an important part of the process. We want to make sure we're not taking away from the baby, which is why I usually recommend pretty neutral clothing, nothing too bright or saturated. Any bold colors such as reds, greens, blues, yellows will bounce and reflect onto the baby's skin when shooting in natural light. I also don't recommend black, I know, that's probably what most moms feel like wearing because it's comforting but it doesn't photograph as well in this scenario. My Client Closet Wardrobe has some great selections for postpartum moms, so when you are worried about finding something classic and easy to fit, I've got you covered there too. For baby, a regular white or solid color onesie is perfect. Especially one that shows hands and feet since for the posed portion I typically swaddle. I also have some full henley style onesies in a variety of colors I'm happy to have you use for the session if you're stumped.

Once you have your baby

I'll ask that you check in, in whatever communication method is easiest for you. Give me any updates on the baby and how he/she is doing, and let me know if they had given you a potential discharge date. This will typically help me plan my own schedule knowing that in most circumstances we like to aim for the first 14 days, but if there are some health concerns and you need to stay, or if he/she came weeks early, I can adjust my schedule to move you a little later in the month. I limit my newborn bookings month to month because I know that babies are so unpredictable and basically rule your world. You will have check ups, specialists, follow ups for yourself, etc in the coming weeks so the more time I can be available to my clients, the better. Once we have you officially on the schedule, you'll receive a "Preparing For Your Newborn Session" guide that I email over. This will have the things you need to do, and the things you DON'T need to do before my arrival. I'll give you some insight- you do NOT need to go clean your entire house after you bring home a newborn! There are only very specific things that need to be cleaned off, like nightstands and some floor space. That's it! My goal is to make this as easy as possible for you both as you're adjusting to a new human ruling your world. 

Lifestyle in-home sessions, with a posed newborn twist.

I can say that I am one of few photographers in the Charleston area who specializes in both the in-home Lifestyle Newborn Session and Posed Newborns. I am professionally trained in newborn safety, CPR certified and I feel I should also mention that even still, as of December 2021 I am STILL wearing an N95 for all newborn sessions. The method to what I do is very specific. I don't bring in lighting, posing bags or tables, I don't even bring in backdrops! My posed newborn sessions utilize a very small portion of your floor by a window or door that has soft, even lighting. And from there, I create some great magic! All the props you see are things I have available for clients. I select everything based on your color preferences and themes, and capture a series of baby led and swaddled baby images. I bring along everything from the custom newborn size swaddles, headbands, bonnets and sleepy hats, bowls, crates, textures and more. You don't have to provide a thing, although sometimes I do ask parents for headbands, hats, baby blankets, or other small items that may have some sentimental value to add to the session. This is where you get to sit back and relax, and watch the magic show! 

I of course have swaddles in the prettiest pinks and pastels, and the deepest blues and greens, but I find lots of parents lately are loving the neutral and earthy tones for both boys and girls, which I am also well prepared for! At the end of each year I refresh my newborn prop and accessories closet with new items and I can't wait to show them off. 2021 was a fantastic year for babies, I alone took 34, and already can't wait to meet the newest 2022 babies on their way!

There you have it, from start to finish, The Cook Family's newborn session. From start to finish this session was 75 minutes from set up to me walking out the door! Again, my goal is to be in and out and make your life as easy as possible. So if you're looking for that charm of a posed newborn session but don't think you want to leave the house- I'm your girl.