The newborn stage is so fleeting – before you know it your tiny baby will be talking, walking, running! Let us capture this special time with beautiful images of your new little one! We love photographing newborns – their delicate features and peaceful expressions. We suggest booking your newborn session before the baby arrives so that we can schedule them in within the first 5-14 days after birth. Please read our FAQ below for more details and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or to book a session. Congratulations and welcome to the amazing journey that is parenthood!
During a newborn session we do everything we can to make sure the parents and new baby are relaxed and comfortable! I know what it’s like to be a new mom and want to make sure your session is a wonderful experience. I have a comfy chair and nursing pillows for feeding and would be happy to make you a cup of tea (I keep a great breastfeeding tea on hand!). There’s even a bed in my studio that tired dads have been known to grab a quick nap on! You are welcome and encouraged to participate in the session as much as you want – ‘mother knows best’ so staying close by to soothe your little one if they get fussy is always encouraged. Your baby’s safety and comfort is our top concern so we take every precaution necessary to make sure baby is safe and comfortable at all times. We also sanitize props and blankets in between shoots in the interest of your baby’s health.
When should I book my session?
Newborn session should take place within the first 5-14 days after the baby is born. We usually book 3-4 months ahead of time, and suggest that to avoid disappointment you book your session before the baby arrives (we may still be able to accommodate you if you call after they are born depending on our workload) We pencil you in for your due date and keep a few dates available the weeks surrounding your due date. Please add us to your birth announcement list and we’ll contact you asap with a few dates & times. As we photograph newborns with natural light, appointments must take place during the day (9:30am & 1pm are our usual time slots). Newborn sessions are available Monday – Friday.
Why should newborn sessions take place during the first 5-14 days?
After about 10 days, newborns start to become more awake, stretch out of their curly womb like poses, are more prone to baby acne and much harder to pose in peaceful sleepy shots.
How much does the session cost? Do you have packages?
A newborn session costs $495 + taxes and includes the session (up to 3 hours of shooting time), a private online gallery to view and order your images and retouched high resolution/ready to print files on dvd (approximately 30-50 images).
Our most popular package is the “baby’s first year” package which includes 4 sessions (maternity/newborn/6 months/1 year OR newborn/4 months/8months/1year) for $1895 + taxes. This package includes a stunning 10×10 custom coffee table book with 20 pages (a $450 value).
We also have a newborn/maternity or newborn/6month package which is $750 + taxes. This includes 2 sessions, online gallery and high res files.
We have a variety of products available: canvas prints, birth announcements, custom albums, etc.
Where will our session take place?
We prefer to photograph newborns in our beautiful natural light studio – we’ve set it up to be the perfect environment for London Ontario Newborn Photography: lots of props (hats, antique boxes, beautiful backdrops), a comfy nursing chair (and pillow) for the new mom, it’s cozy & warm and you’ll love the images we’re able to make here! If you are looking for those sleepy, curly photos this is the spot for you!
If you would prefer that we come to you, we approach the session as more of a lifestyle shoot: cuddly shots with mom & dad, bath time, baby in their nursery. This is a good option for older (3+ weeks) babies.
Weather permitting, we are also happy to do newborn sessions outside (or add a second location to your studio session). Imagine your sleeping baby in a basket surrounding by a field of blossoms – stunning!
How long does a newborn session last?
It’s so hard to predict how long a newborn session might last, so we suggest that on the day of your session you have no other appointments. We allocate up to 3 hours to allow plenty of time for feeding, calming, changing, etc. We want to make sure you get the best images possible so don’t rush the session!
Can we bring our other children with us?
As a newborn session can be quite lengthy, we kindly request that you plan to have your other children at the session for the first 20 minutes of the session and then arrange for a family member or sitter to pick them up. As our office manager is always busy working in the office, we kindly ask that siblings are taken elsewhere for the remainder of the newborn session. There are parks and an Ontario Early Years Center close by. Both parents, the new baby and the photographer can feel stressed / distracted with an older sibling running around so we kindly ask that you respect these requests so that we can capture your newborn safely and to the best of our abilities.
Do we have to be in the images?
Even if you aren’t feeling ready for your close up, you can act as a “backdrop” for the baby (a plain black shirt works great for this). You might feel like you look exhausted right now but trust me, your baby will change so quickly that even in a few weeks you’ll absolutely cherish these images and will be happy that they were captured! If you would like to be in the images we ask that the parents bring plain black and/or white shirts.
When will our image be ready?
You can expect your online gallery to be posted 2-3 weeks after your session and you DVD will be ready at this time as well. If you require an image for a birth announcement please let us know as we can often rush one image for this!
I have a specific post I’d like you to do, is this possible?
Every baby is different – depending on your baby’s temperament, some poses may not be possible. Safety is always our UTMOST concern during newborn sessions – we will never attempt a pose / prop that we feel is not 110% safe for your baby. If you have specific poses / props you are interested in, please let us know ahead of time so we can prepare.
What sort of props/accessories do you have?
I am admittedly a bit of a prop addict! I have loads of cute hats (for boys and girls), head bands, blankets, backdrops (antique tin, damask wallpaper, barn board, exposed brick, etc.) and props such as baskets, vintage scales, crates, chairs, trunks, etc. You are welcome to use any of our props for you session and we also encourage you to bring any personal items you’d like included.
*** NOTE TO PARENTS OF BOYS: If you are planning on circumcising your son, we STRONGLY recommend that your photo session takes place BEFORE the circumcision, otherwise we request that the photo session take place at least 3 days after his circumcision to avoid any discomfort to your baby.
by HRM Photography
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