Full Newborn Studio Sessions are usually scheduled around 10:30am and last until 1:30pm. Why are Newborn Studio Sessions 2-3 hours long? It takes time and patience to pose babies safely and comfortably. Newborns eat frequently, so you can expect to have at least 1 full feeding during a session. If your baby is cluster feeding, then perhaps more. If you are breastfeeding, sometimes a full feeding can take up to 40 minutes, whereas bottle feeding takes less time. Then there is burping and soothing and then back to posing.
When a baby is fully wrapped, they are warm and cozy and usually fall asleep. However, I have had some super cute newborns who stay awake when wrapped too, but usually they are content. When the baby is wrapped, the transition between posing set-ups is quicker.
When the baby is not fully wrapped and the arms and legs are exposed, they tend to wake up, startle, stretch, and move around. As you can imagine, this makes posing on the beanbag posing stand take quite a bit more time. We transition baby from back, to side, to belly (not necessarily in that order) and must do so in a way that baby stays asleep, or at least calm. So while the photo session can take 3 hours, it accounts for all of the feeding, soothing, and transitioning between poses and photos. We also use space heaters to keep babies warm when they aren’t wrapped.
When you book a newborn session, I will send you a questionnaire to find out what colors you want used during the session. Before you arrive at the studio, I will have several curated set-ups ready to go, but we may not use all of them. How much we accomplish during the session depends on your baby’s needs. Here is a helpful list of some of the types of set-ups and poses we may use during your session. And feel free to let me know your priority poses, because I want to work on those first, baby willing.
When should we take newborn studio photos?
There is no guarantee that a baby under 2 weeks will sleep the entire session, or at all. Sometimes babies over 2 weeks are more content than younger babies. So don’t worry if you happen to schedule after your baby is born and your session is around 3-4 weeks. We can still make it work! Newborn sessions can be done up to 6 weeks for posed photos, but I generally find around the 1-3 weeks timeframe works best. For more on this topic, read a previous post HERE.
What types of poses are done during a full newborn studio session?
The Full Newborn Studio Session includes the newborn, siblings, and parents. (2-3 hour session). It is recommended for newborns 1-2 weeks old for sleepy poses, but older newborns are welcome.
Set-ups include any combination of the following, as time (and baby) permits:
Posing on posing stand (tushy up, side lying, back lying nest pose)
Prop poses such as bowl, basket, bucket, and/or tiny bed
Tucked-in pose, wrapped pose on flokati or fabric
Macro shots of close-up details such as hands, toes, and facial features included
If desired, sibling poses, family poses, and individual parent with baby poses included or you can opt for just newborn only photos.
All props, wraps, clothing, and headbands provided for you.
Small Client closet available for moms (sizes: small-XL) and children.
Online proofing gallery of 30+ images for your selection.
Sessions take place on weekday mornings.
Would you like to schedule your session?
Please contact Rebecca Leigh Photography
Here are some images from a recent full newborn studio session
Emilia was a dream baby!
