That sweet baby you’ve been dying to meet is almost here! As you research different Exeter newborn photographers, you might be wondering if a studio session is right for you. While I do offer both at-home and in-studio newborn portraits, there is something so magical about a studio portrait session. When clients will come to me asking for a simple, timeless professional portrait of their newborn, I highly recommend a studio session. Here are some reasons why you might choose a studio newborn photography session, some perks, and a bit more about my studio space.
Why Choose Classic Studio Newborn Photography
Your newborn is absolutely perfect just the way they are. No props or fancy setups needed. A classic, simple newborn portrait is one that you will cherish forever with your newborn as the star of the show. These portraits will always look beautiful on the walls of your home. Mama, I encourage you to be in the images as well. Those first official portraits of you and your newborn will always hold a special place in your heart.
Perks of a Newborn Studio Session
While it might seem easier just to have your newborn photographer come to your home, there are so many perks of a newborn studio session! Here are a few reasons why you might choose a studio newborn portrait session.
1. Let Me Do the Prep – You don’t have to clean, organize, or panic about where to take these portraits in your home. The studio will be clean and waiting for you with all my wraps and setups handy.
2. Less Time – Since I’ll have everything ready for you, we can start the session a little quicker and spend less time staging before taking portraits. Newborn portrait sessions tend to take 2 hours (with breaks), but at home, they can take longer. NO big deal; it’s just something to consider!
3. Classic, Clean Look – You might change your home’s style, switch up décor, or even move! But your studio newborn portraits will always have that classic, clean look that will look amazing with anything.
4. Full-Service Newborn Photography – The first few weeks with your newborn is a whirlwind. You’re learning how to take care of a newborn and heal from birth. I’d love to take care of your newborn session for you so that all you have to do is show up to the studio and let me handle everything from there. I’ll have your wardrobe, hair and makeup, any newborn wraps, setups, etc. ALL ready and waiting for you. You can literally show up in yoga pants and a ponytail. Once you step into the studio, you’re in good hands! Please send me a message with any questions or to schedule your consultation!
Exeter, NH Newborn Photography Studio
The White Wave Photography studio is conveniently located in the heart of Exeter, NH! I absolutely LOVE welcoming babies and their families to the studio. As a full-service newborn photographer, I handle all of the details for my clients to create a memorable, stress-free experience that results in heirloom portrait artwork. Many newborn session clients choose to create a custom album with their images.
White Wave Photography First Year Collective
Book once, and you’re all set! Capture each of your baby’s major milestones throughout the first year of their life with The First Year Collective. This photography package includes 3-4 portrait sessions over the first 18 months of your baby’s life to ensure you can document every important moment with professional images and portrait artwork to always remember them.
Your sweet, snuggly newborn won’t stay little forever. Professional newborn portraits will create a time capsule for you to return to as the years go by. You’ll always have your newborn photos to remember your tiny baby and let you hold onto that precious moment. After your newborn session, you’ll want to display these treasured portraits on the walls where you can enjoy them every day. Many of my clients want to create a gallery wall with their newborn family photos.
Here are seven steps you can take to create your dream gallery wall!
7 Steps to Create Your Newborn Family Photo Gallery
1.) Envisioning Your Gallery Wall – I know this might sound strange, but allow yourself to take a moment to envision your newborn family photo gallery wall. What does it look like? What story does it tell? How do you feel looking at it? Think about your answers as you move through the next steps.
2.) Finding the Perfect Spot – Where would you like this gallery wall to be in your home? There’s no right or wrong answer! Some clients want their gallery wall over the couch in their living room, some in the dining room, and some love to see their beautiful portraits in the entryway. Look around your home and decide where you want these portraits to live.
3.) Your Home’s Style – What is your home’s style? Again, no right or wrong answer here! Having a style in mind will help us plan your session. If you’re unsure, try looking around your home to see what colors and decor you already have. I’m happy to help my clients think about their ideal style.
4.) Newborn Session – Now that we have the above steps planned out, we can head into the session with confidence that we’ll create your dream images. My signature newborn session style is laid back and baby-led. I have more information about working with a trained newborn photographer here.
5.) Choosing Images – After the session, you’ll need to choose your favorite images and decide which ones will be framed and on the walls. The number of images will depend on the wall size and if you plan on growing the gallery wall over time.
6.) Designing the Frames and Look – What style and color of frames would you like for your gallery wall? Consider the style of your home. Do you want something trendy or more classic that will stand the test of time?
7.) Installation – This is the MOST important part of the process, and I’m NOT kidding! Don’t let these beautiful portraits sit around. Put them up within three days of their arrival.
Full-Service Exeter, NH Newborn Photographer
As a full-service newborn photographer, I take care of ALL of this for you. We’ll collaborate to dream up and create your gallery wall, and I’ll take care of all the moving steps to ensure this project is done. You deserve your dream gallery wall without any of the added stress.
If you’re an expecting mama, you’re probably in the midst of planning all the things for your new baby! From researching baby monitors to decorating the nursery and choosing a name, there’s a LOT that needs to get done to welcome such a tiny person into your family.
One of the things you’re probably thinking about is when to have your maternity and newborn photos taken? I’m here to answer those questions and provide you with insight into why.
When Should You Schedule Maternity Photo Shoot
So, when is the best time to schedule your maternity photoshoot? I recommend having your photos taken between 31-35 weeks of pregnancy. This way, your bump is perfect for photographing, but you aren’t quite at the over-it stage of pregnancy! Of course, please let me know if you have a special circumstance such as multiples or any other situation. I totally understand and am happy to work with you! Your photos will still be gorgeous.
The answer to when to actually contact a photographer and schedule your maternity photo shoot is as soon as possible! This way, you can be on my calendar well before you reach 35 weeks, and we don’t have to worry about fitting you in! For tips on how to have your best maternity session, look here.
My best piece of advice is not to wait until your baby is born. To be able to provide a full-service newborn session experience for clients and ensure my availability around their due date, I can only take on a certain number of newborn sessions. If you contact me after your baby is born, I might not have availability.
I highly recommend scheduling your newborn session as soon as you can, and, preferably, you can schedule your maternity and newborn sessions at the same time. This way, you’re all ready to go and don’t have to worry about finding a photographer while you’re navigating life with a newborn.
Special Circumstances in Newborn Photography
Just like with maternity photos, there are special circumstances that I want to address. If you need more time to recover from birth or your baby had to spend time in the NICU, it’s okay to take newborn photos later. Please reach out and let me know how I can help you.
Your Hampton Falls, NH Newborn Photographer
I don’t think it’s a secret that I love babies! I cherish that I get to meet and photograph your beautiful newborn baby. You can read my other blog post if you want to learn more about why you should trust a trained professional newborn photographer here. As a Certified Professional Photographer, you can rest easy knowing that I’m highly trained and constantly learning new techniques. If you’re interested in scheduling a time to chat, I would love to meet you! Send me a message here.
Let me start by saying I love a good DIY. There is a time and place for that; however, your newborn portraits are not that time! Your sweet newborn is only this small for such a short period of time. It’s a short window to capture these precious moments before they’re gone.
If you DIY or hire someone “with a camera” you will not end up with the images that you want. There’s so much more to taking a photo than the camera. It’s about the experience, style, technique, and passion that the photographer brings to her work.
I also believe every photographer needs her start, however, this isn’t the session to trust a newbie. Newborn photography is a specialization in the industry. Newborn photographers undergo special training so that they can safely capture your newborn portraits. Please allow me to share more about why you should work with a trained and experienced newborn photographer.
Newborn Photography Training
Newborn photography training is not one-and-done. There are new techniques being introduced all the time. Techniques that result in better, safer portraits that your family will be able to cherish forever. When hiring a newborn photographer you can ask about any specialized training to know that they are committed to newborn photography. Over the years, I have studied under some world-renowned newborn and birth photographers such as Kelly Brown, Monet Nicole, and most recently Danielle Hobbs. Danielle’s Simple & Pure Workshop in Florida this past fall was a game changer for me and I am excited to offer more baby-led posed sessions in my studio.
Why Trust a Newborn Photographer
There are three main reasons why you should trust a newborn photographer to capture your child’s first official portraits.
Safety
Number one is safety. As a newborn photographer, I never force your baby to pose or put the baby in an unsafe condition. We are very much baby-led during our newborn portrait sessions. We head into the session knowing that we’ll have to adapt to what baby is okay with. Trained newborn photographers know and love this as it results in beautiful portraits. In some cases, if mom has a certain pose in mind (such as older siblings holding your newborn), we can use PhotoShop magic to make it happen.
Experience
Again, every photographer needs her start, but you generally get one shot at newborn portraits, so this is when you need to work with an experienced photographer whose work you love. (Don’t worry about new photographers, they can gain experience as associates.) You want a newborn photographer with a portfolio of newborn images that you love and know you can trust.
Style
What newborn session style are you dreaming of? The two main newborn session styles are posed and lifestyle. You might want your newborn photos taken at home or in the studio. Knowing which one you want is important in finding the right photographer!
Hampton Newborn Photographer
My final piece of advice is to work with a trained newborn photographer that you like and can trust. You should feel comfortable asking any questions about the session and feel supported throughout the process. Being able to work with brand new babies is a gift that I truly treasure and never take for granted. Each newborn photography session is a special experience for me. If you’re interested in learning more or scheduling a session, let’s set up a time to chat here!
Finally, I also invite you to join my online community The Village for Seacoast Moms to get the resources, encouragement, and support that you need.
Lifestyle newborn sessions are so precious and sweet. I can’t get enough of meeting my newest clients and seeing their beautiful little faces. And trust me when I say that I can’t wait to see the proud mamas too! I typically get to photograph both the maternity and newborn portraits, so I’m genuinely excited to see mom again and meet her new baby!
So, you’ve done your research about a studio session vs. a lifestyle session, and you’ve chosen an at-home lifestyle session. Good choice! Now you might be wondering what to expect during a lifestyle session. You might have questions like – Do I just show up a few days after the baby is born? Do you need to do anything special to prepare? What happens if your baby (or other children) aren’t having it?
I’ll answer all those questions and more!
Lifestyle Newborn Session Process
First, I highly recommend booking your newborn photographer as soon as possible. This is important because I only take on a limited number of sessions per week to ensure that I’m available for my families and offer the best experience. I know that babies don’t usually come on their due dates – they come when they’re ready! So, I plan out my newborn sessions accordingly.
As I mentioned before, I often photograph maternity sessions for newborn clients (but not always!). This is wonderful to capture this precious time for mom as well as get to know each other before the newborn session.
Whether or not you had maternity portraits taken, a few months before your due date, we’ll connect to chat about the session. I’ll offer wardrobe guidance, see if you have any special requests, and share an outline of the session.
Truth be told, we can do as much planning as possible, but your baby will run the show! I plan out my sessions to allow lots of time so that we aren’t in a rush or stressed. You can read my entire blog post on how to prepare for your newborn session here. In a nutshell, try to feed baby a half hour before the start of the session so that she is full and sleepy. If we need to pause for a feeding break, that is totally fine!
Of course, we’ll want to include your other children in some of the photos as well as capture a family portrait. You don’t have to worry about this part of the process at all. First of all, I am positive that your older children will be so excited to show off their new sibling that we’ll have so much fun capturing the love they have. I have many tricks up my sleeve to get everyone smiling and looking at the camera, so you can trust me to make it happen!
After the session, we’ll set up a time for you to view your beautiful images and choose which ones you want to print in an album or framed portrait. All you have to do is choose what you want, and I take care of the rest. I even hand-deliver your printed artwork to you and help you hang it up. It’s that important to me that you can display your newborn portraits without lifting a finger.
Portsmouth Newborn Photographer
There is something so special about capturing newborns and their amazing families. Whenever I walk into a client’s home for the newborn session, you can just feel the love and excitement. I hope reading through this post helps you understand the newborn photography process! I don’t ever want a client stressing out over the details. I take care of all that. You made the baby, so let me handle the rest. If you want to set up a time to chat, please click here for my contact form. If you’re an expecting mama, be sure to join my online community The Village for Seacoast Moms to connect with other local moms and resources.
