My aim with every Teeny Weeny Perfect Newborn experience, is to make sure every wonderful family who visits the studio has a fantastic experience. It is their chance to sit back and relax while we capture their most precious memories. To achieve this, there is lots that goes on behind the scenes and I thought I would give you a bit of an insight!

Session planning

Once baby has arrived, I always schedule a consultation Zoom call a few days before your session.

Before baby arrives, I send e-mails to mums and dads general e-mails with hints and tips in the run up to their new arrival, as well as information about their newborn experience and what to expect. The e-mails include information about colour schemes for their session, which we can then chat through it at the Zoom call.

My newborn portraits are styled to be timeless. Families will be proudly displaying them on their walls for may years to come and so they are designed to stand the test of time. That doesn’t mean that they can’t include colour and I will always make sure that mum and dad can choose their favourite from a sample colour palette. I’m always adding to it as well so the colour palette is by no means exhaustive and there are lots of other choices too!

I will be looking at colour palettes in more detail in another blog so look out for that soon!

Setting up the studio

I always make sure the studio is set up the day before each session. Following the Zoom call with mums and dads, I will get everything ready according to their choices and set up the props in advance of the day. It means that during the session everything is ready to go and can just be adjusted when posing baby.

There are also lots of little things that are ready to make sure baby is as comfortable as possible. These include placing hot water bottles in the props so that when I am ready to use the prop, I can remove the hot water bottle and the prop is lovely and warm. Any wraps and blankets are also placed on a hot water bottle so they are lovely and cosy for baby. I also have white noise in the background that mimicks womb noises. There is relaxing chill music for mum and dad too!

Always safety first

As anyone who has been to the studio will know, baby’s comfort and safety is ALWAYS my priority. It is something I am hugely passionate about. Newborn photography is not policed in any way and so it means that anyone can start up as a newborn photographer. However, newborn photography takes a number of years to train for and perfect. Not only for capturing the portraits themselves but more importantly for keeping baby safe.

Having three boys myself, as soon as I decided to change career path I was adamant I was going to get all the training I could. Every baby who enters the studio is treated like my own and therefore I will only handle and pose babies the way I would have wanted mine to be handled and posed when they were newborn.

Achieving my Newborn Certification with distinction

As part of my ongoing training, I worked towards my Newborn Certification with the Master Photographers. This looks at every aspect of newborn photography, from what training you have undertaken, to your knowledge of posing safety, to understanding baby cues. It is a rigorous test but one that I feel is a necessity for any newborn photographer.

After the session

Even before the pandemic, the studio was always rigorously cleaned after each session and that has continued to be the case during the pandemic and even as we start to move out of it. Everything used that can be washed is put in the washing machine and all props and non-washable items are wiped clean with anti-bacterial/anti-viral solution. Any outfits used are gently handwashed too. The studio is also steam-cleaned after each session and then it’s all ready to welcome the next family.

Your gallery presentation

As well as what goes on behind the scenes in the studio, there is also the behind the scenes for your gallery presentation. Your portraits are selected, lovingly edited and prepared into a beautiful slideshow presentation. I still get so excited when I’m putting together the slideshow and previewing it before mums and dads see it. It is one of the most exciting things for me. The viewing room is then set up ready for you to enjoy your portraits. Since the pandemic, I do also hold viewings by Zoom if that is easier, but I still prefer a viewing in person if possible.

So there it is!

I hope you’ve enjoyed a brief insight into some of what happens behind the scenes of a newborn experience. I get so excited about every single session and I want it to be the most magical and special experience for every family. Hopefully this small peek into some of what goes into each session will show that!