So you've chosen your newborn photographer and booked them!   Now what?  While your photographer should be in communication with you and offer their version of this advice, I want every parent to have the best newborn session possible no matter who they choose as their photographer. 

These are my top 5 tips for parents to prepare for their in-home newborn session:

1. My first tip is to...relax!  Don't stress about this session.  If you did your research and chose someone with experience and some education on newborn posing, you are in good hands.  You don't really have to do anything.  No bags to pack, diapers to remember, or bottles to prepare for some outing to a studio. Nope! You get to stay home in the comfort of your own home.  THIS IS A LUXURY!  Enjoy it!   Your stress = your baby's stress  It may seem crazy, but baby's really do pick up on your feelings/emotions.

2. Secondly, about an hour or so before the session, TURN THE HEAT UP.  The temperature of the room/s the newborn will be photographed in should be about 78-80 degrees.  If the photographer does not bring in their own little space heater (for posed sessions anyway) then bump that up to 83-85.  It will not be comfortable for us (parents and photographer), but it will keep that baby happy when they are stripped down to their diaper or birth-day suit!

3. Feed your baby, you want to be done feeding about 10-15 minutes before the session so you have time to burp baby and baby has a little time to settle his/her food before we start moving them around into different positions.   Usually, this will help keep baby as happy/sleepy as possible for the session, which will allow your photographer to get as many poses as possible without upsetting baby and in enough time before baby needs to eat again!

4.  Have a pacifier/dummy/etc. ready.  Even if your baby doesn't usually take one they can come in handy when trying to settle your little one throughout posing.

5. Keep pets away from the session area.  I love dogs, I have two myself, but no matter how calm they usually are, you don't want to chance any abrupt movements during these sessions.  With the added excitement of having a stranger in their house, they may act differently than what you normally expect from them.

     I hope this helps you prepare for your baby's first official photo session!  CONGRATS on your newest addition to your family!

      Please feel free to comment or even email me at: Scarlettphotographyllc@gmail.com if you have any questions about newborn photography or even if you would like to book a session in the Chicagoland area!

Tiffany Sistowicz

Scarlett Photography LLC