Tips to Help Your Newborn Session Go Smoothly

Preparing for your newborn session can seem daunting – but it shouldn’t! We know how to handle newborns safely, and we bring just about everything that might be needed for the session to go smoothly. But there are some things you can do to get ready for your session. Here are some tips from a Dallas area newborn photographer to make your session a success.

Client Questionnaire

As my client, you will receive a questionnaire after you book with me, which is the first step in planning for your session. I suggest taking a few days to think about the questions and discuss them before filling it out. I ask about color schemes – you should think about what colors you love, but also what colors would go well in your home. Are you wanting to hang portraits in the nursery, or in the living room? What colors would work best in there?

I also ask if there are any special themes or ideas that you would like to capture in this session. For example, if both parents are avid readers, you might like to include favorite books. Another big question is whether my clients have any props or special items they would like to include. Sometimes, you will have a special quilt, bear, or other object that would be very special captured in a picture.

What To Wear

A typical newborn session will include your baby, the parents, and any siblings. I provide wraps and outfits, but parents and siblings typically wear their own clothes. Again, you want to think about where these portraits will go. If they’re going on your walls, you want to be sure the colors you wear will also work well with the rest of your decor. If your end goal is a beautiful album without much wall art, you can be much more flexible with your clothing.

For newborn sessions, I recommend solid colors or clothing with discreet patterns. I would stay away from graphic tees, unless there is one that really is meaningful to you. Start with the person who is the most difficult to dress, and then you can built the collection around that person’s clothing. For mom, I love looking at Pink Blush Maternity. The variety of clothing they have is excellent, and most of them photograph beautifully. Dad is usually pretty simple – jeans or pants, and a solid colored shirt – t-shirt, polo, or button down.

For kids, it really depends on what age they are, and what your style is. I love some of the clothing from Target – they have some great basics, and you can really easily shop online and pickup from your car. Other places I love for kids are Kohls, Joyfolie(for girls), H&M.

What Else Should I Know?

There are a few little odds and ends that can help your session be even more successful.

• Make sure everyone’s nails are trimmed, and if you have polish on, make sure it’s not chipped. No polish is much better than chipped polish.
• If you’d like pictures in a specific room, make sure things are picked up and put away. Go ahead and stuff them in the closet, that’s totally fine!
• Newborns can be finicky eaters. You can try to feed them before the session (I ask my parents to feed baby about 15 minutes before I arrive), but they might not feel like eating right then. Or they might be hitting a growth spurt and need to eat again before the session is over. No worries, we expect this. If baby is hungry, we will stop and you can nurse, or one of us can give them a bottle.
• For newborn boys, let your photographer know if he is still healing from a circumcision. If it’s too soon, that might really limit the poses that he can comfortably stay in.
• Other medical stuff – sometimes newborns need to wear casts, braces, or ear molds for a while after birth. We can work around these, and sometimes you might not even know they were there. If you’d prefer to wait for your session, we can also push it back. As babies get older, they are less flexible, so we might not be able to guarantee certain poses. I personally love including the items with their session because we are documenting this exact moment in their life.

Newborns | Milestones | Maternity

Melinda Wilkinson Photography is a Dallas, Tx photographer specializing in newborn and maternity portraits. We provide services to the areas surrounding Dallas and Denton counties, as well as some Tarrant county locations.  Our clients receive beautiful heirloom albums, wall art, and other products.

If you would like to book your session, please contact me for more details!