As a first-time mom, I know how overwhelming the idea of taking your brand new baby to a studio for a newborn portrait session can be. You just had a baby, you’re still recovering and you probably still feel a little sore and puffy, and you haven’t slept in what feels like months. The only place you’ve ventured out has been the pediatrician’s office, and even that felt like the big adventure for the day. And now you’re getting ready to go to the photography studio for your newborn session, and you’re not quite sure what to expect.

That’s where I can help make that all a little easier for you, mama.

I’ve been in your shoes as a brand-new mom, and I know exactly what you’re going through. Here on the blog I’m sharing a peek into what your newborn session will look like so that you can feel prepared and a little more confident as you head in there because you’ll now know what to expect. Here we go!

What to expect during your newborn session with Saratoga Springs NY newborn photographer Nicole Starr Photography

Choose a photographer that has plenty of experience posing newborns.

Let’s start with the very first & most important thing. If you haven’t chosen a photographer yet, be sure to keep this in mind because all I want is for your little one to be comfortable and safe during their session, and for you to feel at ease the entire time.

While you may have loved your wedding photographer, if they are not specially trained in the art of newborn photography then they may not be the best fit when it comes time to handle your tiny and fragile 6 to 8 pound baby. The same thing goes for your neighbor who just bought a fancy camera and who offered to try it out on your baby.

A photographer who has been trained in newborn posing knows how to keep the baby comfortable, how to ensure that their airways are never obstructed, and how to ensure that blood is still circulating to all of their limbs even when they are wrapped up in a swaddle. They are careful not to overextend their wrists and ankles when posing them, and they know just the right spots on their skull that they can touch to help reposition their head. They know how to get your baby to sleep and how to calm them when they are fussy. They understand how to read a baby’s cues when they are uncomfortable, gassy, or hungry, and they know how to react to every possible scenario. All of that is before they even pick up their camera.

If you choose a photographer who specializes in newborn photography and posing, then you will be able to sit back and relax during your little one’s session as the photographer takes gentle care of your little one while capturing their portraits.

When you arrive at the studio…

When families come to my studio I have them take their shoes off at the door to keep the floors clean for the babies & toddlers that we have in our space. I let parents settle in on the studio sofa and I show them where the snacks and drinks are, and if big brother or sister is there we spend a little time in the toy corner to help them get acclimated to the new space.

Parents can change into their outfits for their portraits while I swaddle the baby. Sometimes baby will need a little more milk to be topped off before the session begins, and that’s okay! We have plenty of time and we are never in any rush when it comes to your newborn baby’s portraits.

I invite parents to choose a few swaddles, headbands, hats, and layers for their baby’s portraits. It helps to see all of the colors lined up for you to choose your favorites. Then I make a pile of those and I work my way through them when we are doing your baby’s individual portraits later on in the session.

The heater is on in the studio year-round to keep it nice and toasty for your little one, so be prepared to be a little warm while you’re here. After we finish your family portraits you can get changed back into your comfy clothes, so dress in light layers and you’ll be all set!

First up come family portraits!

We start with mom first, and I pose baby in her hands. Then we add in her partner and then big brother/sister join, too. I try to move the baby as little as possible between groupings, so we’ll do a variety of portraits with mom holding the baby, add in dad and siblings, then switch to dad holding the baby and we’ll add in mom and siblings again.

Because of the transitions and moving from one pair of hands to another, the baby is swaddled for the family portraits to help him or her stay calm and sleepy. A sleepy baby is easy to pose, and that way we can pay more attention to things like getting big brother to look at the camera or kiss his new sister, moving mom’s hair out of her eyes, or fixing dad’s cuff on his shirt so that it falls just right in the portraits.

Then it’s baby’s turn!

After the family portraits you can sit back, relax on the couch, and help yourself to a snack. Your baby will still be swaddled and I will start with a few classic portraits of baby in a classic neutral white/cream setup before moving on to the layers and swaddles that you selected at the beginning of the session.

Sleepy babies are easier to pose. However, I love it when babies are awake and we can capture some wide-eyed shots of them, but they usually wind up falling asleep with the combination of white noise, heat, and the swaddle. We work with what we’ve got to keep baby comfortable and happy through out the session, so whether baby is awake or asleep, we will still capture beautiful portraits of them!

As the baby settles into a deeper sleep I begin re-wrapping them, gently pulling their little arms and legs out to pose them just so, moving them onto their tummy for the head-on-hands pose, and wrapping them in the womb pose where their legs are tucked up against their belly and we can see their legs, arms, and belly all curled up and cozy.

If baby wakes up we read their cues to see if they are hungry or if they need a new diaper. We usually need to take a break to feed baby during the session, and you can be ready to nurse or give a bottle during the session.

Let’s talk about the messy stuff. Pee & poop & spit up — it happens! Everything in the studio is washable (including the couch!) and everything gets cleaned after every session anyways, so don’t worry too much about it. I’m a mom and I’ve seen it all! Plus, if you’re a first time parent I can usually give you some tips to make all of that messy stuff a little easier for you guys at home, too!

After we have captured a variety of portraits of your little one, we are all done! You have time to change & dress your baby, and if you need to feed them again before getting in the car you can absolutely do that, too.

After the session

If you’re comfortable with a sneak peek on social media, I usually share that 3-4 days after your session. Then we will get together about 2 weeks later for your ordering appointment!

We’ll design your birth announcements, choose your favorite family and baby portraits to hang on your walls, and select your favorite images for an album or a collection box. This is always my favorite part when families fall in love with the images we created of their new baby!

Once I send everything to print you’ll get it back between 2-6 weeks — certain products take closer to the 4-6 week mark, but prints, albums, and cards are always ready much, much sooner. When everything is ready I will either come drop it off or put it in the mail to you, and you’ll start enjoying your images right away at home!