Newborn session Information
Thank you for choosing me to photograph your precious newborn baby.
In this information page, you’ll find some helpful notes and tips for your upcoming newborn photo shoot.
Before your Newborn Shoot
YOUR BOOKING DATE
Newborns are best photographed when they’re around one to two weeks old and your newborn shoot is booked based on your due date.
If your baby arrives a little early or a little late we can simply adjust the booking date accordingly.
The days that I photograph are on Monday’s and Friday’s only. Your photo shoot will be organised on one of those days after your baby has arrived.
Once you’ve had your baby, get in contact as early as you can so we can confirm your booking date. Now that you’re booked in you are guaranteed a spot no matter when your baby arrives.
NEWBORN PROPS
To choose your favourite props and setups, head over to my Instagram page, @lorna_photographs for ideas. All of my most recent photos are posted here so you’ll have a good idea on what’s available for your shoot.
Once you’ve had a browse through my photos, let me know which photos/props/colours/setups are your favourites and I can then prepare for your newborn session. I usually prepare three different prop set ups and one bean bag colour drop.
If you’re not sure what you’d like, let me know and I’d be happy to help you.
If you can, avoid sending me photos of other photographer’s work as I may not be familiar with their poses, or I may not own those types of props or have those specific colours available.
WHAT TO WEAR FOR YOUR PHOTOSHOOT
Your newborn shoot includes family photos and if you’re wondering what to wear, here are my suggestions:
- Keep it simple. Simple clothing won’t date.
- Make sure you both wear the same colour or tone. Doing this will avoid any contrast issues.
- Avoid all clothing that has any writing, heavy patterns or logos.
- I recommend soft, muted tones, whites, creams or light greys. Please see below a colour palette that will go nicely with my backdrop;
You won’t need to worry about clothing for your baby. I’ll have lots of wraps that we can use for the photo shoot.
Finally, make sure you wear clothes that are comfortable and that you feel confident in. Feeling this will shine through in your images.
It also gets really warm during newborn shoots so you can bring a change of clothes that will be cool and comfortable.
day of your Newborn Shoot
THE STUDIO
My home studio is based in Engadine in the Sutherland Shire. I have a separate studio space at the back of my house. My address is:
22 MORRISON AVENUE, ENGADINE
There’s plenty of street parking available or if the driveway is empty you are welcome to park there and I’ll meet you out the front to help carry bags and walk you down to where the studio is located.
WHAT TO BRING
- Your baby bag with spare nappies and wipes
- Some snacks to eat throughout the day
- A change of clothes for your comfort
DAY & TIME
Newborn sessions are only booked on Monday’s and Friday’s. Weekend appointments are not available.
Your photoshoot will start at 10am.
Please arrive at least 15-30 minutes early so your baby can be fed and settled if needed before we begin.
If you’re running late, please let me know.
Afternoon appointments are not available for newborn shoots.
Most newborn shoots usually go for around two/three hours, however some can last up to four hours, depending on how your baby’s feeling on the day.
All newborns are different in their temperament and mood, so there’s no right way that a baby should behave. I have lots of settling techniques that I use to help babies sleep, but if they’re not sleeping right away, I don’t want you to worry - it’s normal.
FAMILY PHOTOS
Family photos are always included in all newborn shoots and I like to do these at the very beginning of your shoot.
Since you would have spent time doing your hair and makeup, I like to get these photos done first, so you can spend the rest of the day enjoying your shoot and relaxing.
SIBLING PHOTOS
If you’ve got older children, I always recommend doing sibling photos first as we never know how long we’ll have their attention.
With older siblings, especially toddlers, they may not be interested in participating in the photo shoot. This is a very common occurrence, but I have a few tricks and setups that help them be involved
Once the sibling/family photos are done, you can arrange to have someone take them home (or dad can take them home), if possible.
When you arrive for your photo shoot, I strongly recommend that all electronic devices are kept away before they’ve had their photos done. If they’re playing games or watching videos, they may not want to stop for photos.
AFTER YOUR NEWBORN SHOOT
VIEWING & SELECTING YOUR PHOTOS
During your photo shoot we’ll organise a time together for you to view your photographs; either that same evening, the next day or sometime that same week.
I’ll then come to your home where we can go through your photos together, you can then choose your favourite images and select your package.
Once I’m at your home I'll connect my laptop to your TV. This way you can sit back, relax and enjoy your photos on the big screen.
SELECTING YOUR PRINTS & PRODUCTS
While we’re going through your photographs, I’ll show you all my product samples that you can look through.
If you’ve already chosen what print products you’d like to have or, if you’ve set a budget, I can help you narrow down your photo selection to match your desired purchase. This whole process usually takes about an hour.
CONTRACTS
When your order is being finalised you'll be required to sign my contract of order. If you’d like to know beforehand what’s in the contract, please read my Terms of Trade.
PAYMENTS
Payment must be received on the day. You can either pay in full at the time of ordering or pay half on the day, then the other half when you collect your order. Payment is to be made via direct transfer, EFTPOS facilities are not available at this time.
EDITING AND RETOUCHING
Please note that all the photographs that you see during this process will be unedited. The photos that you choose will later be edited and retouched to the same aesthetic that you’ve seen on my website.
WAITING TIME, ORDERING & COLLECTION
My standard wait time for all orders is 5 - 6 weeks.
If you’ve chosen an album as part of your purchase I’ll send you a copy of the album layout before I send it to print. If you’d like me to make any changes, I can do so accordingly. Please note that any delay in getting back to me will delay your order overall. I will not print your album until I have received your approval.
When everything is ready I’ll reach out to you to organise a time for you to collect your package. Your photographs must be collected from me. Postage/courier is not available.
Any final payments must also be concluded at this time.
Your maternity photo shoot
If you’d like to have a Maternity Session too, I have a special Newborn & Maternity Session Fee that is specially discounted for you. By choosing this option, you’re saving $150 off your Session Fees!
Maternity photo shoots are best done when you’re around 30-35 weeks pregnant.
Early bookings are essential as Maternity shoots are subject to availability and they book out early.
Lots of families also like to use this opportunity to get to know me better and ask me any questions they may have about their upcoming newborn shoot.
LOCATION
All my maternity shoots are done at outdoor locations around the Sutherland Shire area.
MY FAVOURITE LOCATIONS ARE;
- Cape Solander Lookout, Kurnell
- Silver Beach, Kurnell (perfect spot if you would like to include your dog)
TIME, DURATION & WEATHER
Maternity shoots are all done at sunset. I love photographing during this magical Golden Hour. The light is simply beautiful and you’ll always end up with magical images.
The time of the shoot will depend on the time of year it is. In the middle of summer, sunset is at 8.30pm, so starting your shoot at around 7.30pm is ideal. In the middle of winter, sunset is as early as 5pm, so heading out at 4.00pm is a great time to start.
Maternity photo shoots typically go for about an hour. This will give us plenty of time to have a chat and find the best spots to take photos.
In the week leading up to your shoot I’ll keep an eye on the weather and if it looks like it will rain (or even be overcast) we’ll reschedule. I only book one maternity shoot per month, so I’ll have lots of availability to change the date.
VIEWING & SELECTING YOUR PHOTOS
If you plan on purchasing a package with 30 or more photos from both photoshoots, you can combine both sets of images images in the one package. This is the most popular option as there’s so much more value. If you choose this option, we’ll go through all your photos (maternity and newborn) after your newborn shoot has been done.
If you plan on getting less than 30 images in total, then each photo shoot will require a separate print purchase.
thank you
Thank you again for selecting me to photograph your new baby and your family.
I hope you find all the information helpful and informative. If there’s anything that you’re unsure of please let me know, I’m here to help you.
I can’t wait to meet your new baby and to give you the gift of professional photographs that you will love forever.
Thank you
Lorna