Preparing for your session with Blue Bean Photography
Often l am asked how my newborn and baby sessions work, so I have answered some of the most common questions here. If you have any other queries, feel free to get in touch and I'd be happy to answer them.
Why do I have to book before my baby is born?
With limited sessions available per month, my diary often gets booked up months in advance, so I urge my clients to book just after their 12 week ultrasound scan. There is a limit to the number of newborn sessions I can undertake per month.
Where will my newborn photo session take place?
A seemingly simple question, but I still get asked this regularly as clients often ring me for an address just as they are about to set off and inputting the postcode into the Sat Nav. My cabin studio is based in the beautiful village of Blackfordby, Leicestershire (Parish of Ashby de la Zouch), literally on the crossroads of the '5 Counties' South Derbyshire, North Warwickshire, Birmingham, Leicestershire and Staffordshire borders.
Each photo session takes place on a weekday between 9.30-3pm in my newborn photography studio just 35 minutes in any direction from Derby, Birmingham, Leicester, and Coventry by car. The studio is fully equipped with an array of props, backdrops and accessories. I want every newborn session to go as smoothly as it possibly can. In the past I found that when I travel to clients homes I am often constrained by the size of their room, the lighting situation may not be controlled easily plus I have a limit to what props and blankets I can bring with me, that's the beauty of coming to me, it's all here at arms length.
What do I do once my baby arrives?
Babies being as unpredictable as they are, you can never guarantee when they will actually arrive so your due date will be entered into my diary as a guideline upon booking; it is then your responsibility (or someone close to you as I am sure you will be up to your eyes in nappies and milk) to contact me to firm up your session date, usually within the first few days of birth.
Once your initial booking is in the diary, if your baby decides it just can’t wait to meet you and is welcomed into the world earlier than expected, then please contact me and I will do anything I can to accommodate your new arrival.
When is the best time to photograph my newborn?
Younger newborns tend to go into certain curly poses much easier than older babies and don’t mind much about having their clothes off if they are kept warm. Typically, I schedule all newborn sessions between 5-21 days after birth. Although I will book in newborns at any age, I strongly encourage parents to schedule sessions when babies are under 3 weeks old. At this age, they are more likely to curl up in “womb-like” poses, stay asleep longer, don’t mind being unclothed, and usually have their feeding schedules set to at least every two hours.
Why is the photo-shoot scheduled for the morning?
Your baby must be sleepy to pose, so if you bring them in the afternoon when they have been sleeping for hours, this is more difficult. Your baby is likely to have had you up half the night, and I have found they usually sleep deeper in the mornings. If possible it is best to try and keep baby awake for 1-2 hours prior to the session, stimulating baby with a bath or by doing ‘naked time’ prior to the session are some tricks that you can use. Feeding baby just before you leave your home, then when you arrive I will give you some time to top up and settle your baby before we begin; this will hopefully help them into a deeper sleep, making them easier to move around without waking. The most important thing to know is that if booking a Classic or Premier newborn session, it can take roughly 3 hours, sometimes more if baby is unsettled. I want to ensure your little one is happy throughout the shoot, which can often include stopping for extra feeds and lots of cuddles.
If your baby has slept solidly for 3 hours prior to your session, we may spend a long time trying to get your baby to sleep and not get many posed shots or be able to use the props you've requested. Obviously, this may all go out of the window, as these things are always easier said than done! But this little bit of prep really can make a difference to your session, especially if the baby arrives nice and sleepy.
What if we arrive early or late to my session?
Sometimes sessions or gallery viewings in the studio are scheduled back to back and I have to setup and warm the space prior to your arrival so please arrive on time and not too much before. Equally if you are late to your session, it will eat into your session time. Please be prompt, if you feel you may need extra time, please notify me when scheduling your sitting so we can make the appropriate arrangements.
Do I need to bring anything with me?
Yes, snacks and drinks for yourself as my sessions can be long thirsty work, I will be busy with your little one, but feel free to ask me for hot water, sterilised dummies or bowls if you need them. If you have children bring with them a magazine or a tablet for them to occupy themselves although we do have a TV in the studio they may get bored after a short while. Bring enough milk for extra feeds if you bottle feed, and your usual wipes and nappy supply for when you go out for a few hours. If you could bring a blanket that you do not mind being soiled that would be great for the baby to have a familiar smell while I settle them into position. Other than that l have everything l need, a studio full of props hats and headbands so don't feel as though you need to purchase anything prior to your session.
Do I need to feed my baby before I leave home?
Please make sure your little one has a full belly for the session. It is suggested that you feed baby just before you leave for the studio. You can always give them a top up upon arrival. Also, baby should be fed as much as possible in the 12 hours that precede the session, this will allow for baby to sleep as deeply and as long as possible. A full baby equals a settled baby and less stressed parents too, we need a very sleepy and calm baby in order to achieve the sweet, curly poses you see in the images here on the website. The only way we will achieve calm, flexible poses is if baby is fully satisfied and sleeping soundly.
I am breastfeeding, is there anything I need to prepare for before the session?
If you are breastfeeding you may want to avoid foods 48 hours before the session that may cause baby to be gassy. Acidic, spicy or gassy foods such as oranges, berries, peanuts, pizza, spaghetti, fizzy pop, broccoli and asparagus are good to avoid. If baby happens to be gassy the day of your session, gripe water can be used to help ease baby’s discomfort.
Will you need help in handling my baby?
l will be cuddling, soothing and posing your little one for most of the session, handing them back to you if l feel they need you. The posing l will be doing involves me moving your baby in a very special way, rest assured they will be safe at all times. Your child's comfort and safety are my top priority, and at any point during the session you feel that baby needs a cuddle just ask me to hand them back to you.
Are you trained and insured to handle my baby?
The simple answer is yes, I am fully insured and top up my training throughout the year in my newborn specialism. Your baby's safety is my number one priority and I will never put them at risk to get 'the' shot. The images you have seen on my website where baby is in a on a swing or with their head in their hands are all carried out using my editing skills to avoid putting your baby in harms way. Some set ups and poses will involve one of the parents giving me a helping hand to ensure baby is safe. I will also add that I have an enhanced DBS certificate covering me for 2024/25, as I also carry out private work as a Level 3 Special Educational Needs educator.
Can I ask you for a certain pose or setup?
You can ask to use any prop you see in my gallery or on my website, that's what's great about having everything to hand in the studio. If you could email me prior to your session with your requests that would help me set everything up prior to your arrival otherwise I will setup in advance using my own creative vision.
I try to achieve up to 5/6 different setups during a full 3 hour session changing each setup slightly by alternating babies position, shooting front different angles adding different hats, headbands and wraps to each scene, in addition to sibling/parent images we can achieve a fabulously full gallery. I ask clients not to send me 10 completely different ideas as we will not get through them in the time we have. When it comes to certain poses it is not quite as simple as it seems, not all babies are suitable for these setups. l will know if your baby would be happy to try these positions on the day, but their happiness and safety comes first, so I may have to try a different pose. A mini session means that baby will remain complately wrapped throughout the 90 minute shoot for both prop shots and parent poses.
Manage your own expectations. Each newborn session is unique so have an idea of what you would like to capture, but understand that depending on the mood of your baby at that given moment, the time restraints within package you have chosen you may or may not be able to capture those specific dream images you had envisioned. Just stay positive and try to go with the flow, although we may not get baby into the bucket you originally had in mind, I will get something beautiful!
Will I need to bring a dummy?
Yes please if you can. Even if you don't plan on using one at home or in the future, for the purpose of keeping baby settled l find that pacifying really does help in most of my sessions. Some unsettled babes benefit from a little extra soothing using a dummy. In fact a pacifier has on many occasions been a lifesaver in calming a baby into a deep sleep so that they can be posed comfortably and calmly without distress. Please be assured that babies do not get attached to them after our session nor do they cause nipple confusion, however if you really are uncomfortable with using one, of course that is no problem just be aware that we may struggle to get some of the shots you may want to get from your newborn session.
Why do some of the photo sessions take up to 3 hrs?
The session needs to be very calm and cannot make a baby do what they do not want to do. So each session involves a lot of gentle soothing and a quiet environment to get the best and most relaxed looking poses. The photo-session cannot be rushed and I will work as long as it takes within the time booked, however if you have made plans for later in the day I would suggest rescheduling so that our session is not rushed and stress free. If booking one of our long sessions why not make a day of it and enjoy a well deserved lunch after your photo shoot at many of our local pubs or restaurants.
If you have booked our Mini Collection, please note that while we strive to achieve asleep posed shots there may be a chance that we encounter an awake or fussy baby. If this situation arises we will take awake and swaddled shots because of the time restraint. With our shorter mini collections, these packages do not incorporate trying to get baby to sleep due to the time constraint. If baby is asleep, then we can easily work with your sleepy newborn.
What happens if my baby will not settle or sleep?
This is completely normal for at least some of the morning. It is often the case that I will have only take a few sleepy shots in the first hour. I start each session the same way, by allowing the baby to settle once you arrive whether this take 5 or 30 minutes then so be it. If baby needs to feed again then I can use this time to setup the next shot or get you some refreshments.
I have other children, can I bring them to the session?
There is nothing sweeter than a photograph of your gorgeous new baby with their older siblings and big brothers and sisters are more than welcome at the Blue Bean Photography studio. You might have younger siblings, brother or sisters under the age of 4 are welcome to come to the studio for the duration of the newborn photography session as long as there are two adults attending. So if your partner is unable to come along for the photography session then bring along Auntie, Grandma or a friend to help keep the older ones entertained and to helping with 'spotting' for baby during the session.
There are some toys available at the studio for siblings as up to 3 hours is a long time for little ones and they can get easily bored. You can bring along snacks, lunch and your own toys and electronic entertainment for them too, we have a good 4G signal however no access to wifi so I would suggest downloading some of your little ones favourite shows in advance of your arrival. We also have a large private play park less than 100 yards away which is just as entertaining for the adults as it is the children! When siblings are brought along, we arrange for them to be present just at the beginning of the session, with Dad, grandparent or a friend popping them away, or back to school, after their photographs have been done.
What happens if my baby soils your props?
Don't worry about it at all, it is to be expected I am certainly used to it. All my blankets are washed after use and I always wear black to cover the evidence! These things happen and I am very aware of it so please don’t feel the need to apologise. I do however suggest bringing spare clothes for yourself, just in case!
Is your studio warm enough?
I keep the studio space warm as most shots are taken of baby in their birthday suit and we don’t want them getting chilly; so please be mindful of this and make sure you dress appropriately for the warm conditions.
What do parents wear to the newborn session?
First and foremost we want mum to feel beautiful and flattered... as you did just have a baby. I know as well as anyone how we feel right after we had a newborn. I suggest no sleeves or very long sleeves to flatter, or perhaps a cover up like a cardigan to compliment. Light colours, solid tops are soft and still flattering for mum. I love it when mums opt for a long maxi dress in a solid colour or just with a light detailed pattern. It adds such a softness to your images with baby. Dad can wear a solid top complimentary to mums outfit, again a subtle pattern is also cute and adds interest. As you have no doubt seen in my newborn gallery blacks, browns, creams, beiges and whites work well.
What does my baby wear to your studio?
Dress baby in loose fitting clothes to avoid any lines on baby’s skin and to also avoid disturbing baby when getting undressed. A simple sleeper is best. Please avoid anything that has to be pulled off over baby’s head.
What does my baby wear at the newborn photo shoot?
Newborns in clothing? I am not a big fan and they do not suit this style of photography. knitted outfits, soft stretchy wraps are very cute or anything soft and hand knitted is perfect and I have a studio full of them so don't worry about bringing anything. However 'regular people clothing' even in newborns usually look awkward in photographs, newborns are perfect just as they are, and I choose to highlight their natural perfection in the images I capture. I don’t use a lot of over the top props, as I feel that this distracts from the newness of your little one. The extra material makes posing more difficult and is more time consuming as I would be constantly adjusting so that you can see baby's face and features, I also offer poses that require me to monitor baby's circulation and temperature which is made more difficult with regular clothing. If you are not happy with this, then maybe another photographer would better suit your needs.
My child has scratched their face and has flakey skin, do you edit these out?
I always clean up scratches, baby acne, jaundice and rashes. Birthmarks and angel kisses I tend to ask parents if they want me to leave them in, tone them down, or remove them completely since those are more permanent markings and part of the child. However I do leave in the odd flakes of skin tiny blemishes and lanugo which are perfect reminders of how new your baby once was.
Additional editing post gallery delivery
If you require additional editing outside of my normal gallery style, which includes extra skin smoothing/lightening/darkening, colour changes, body edits, removal of body hair, tidying clothing creases, chipped nail varnish or stray hairs there is an additional cost of £5 per image. (See terms of booking)
Can we bring our family dog?
While we love capturing the bond between your family and your pets, including your family dog can only be included within the Premium Collection as it requires a bit of extra planning. Due to time and space limitations during the session, we can accommodate your furry friend, but this must be prearranged with Victoria at the time of booking. By discussing the details in advance, we can ensure we allocate the appropriate time to create beautiful portraits of your newborn and family, including your dog. When your pup is brought along, we arrange for them to be present just at the beginning of the session with Dad, a grandparent or a friend taking them soon after their photographs have been snapped.
Do I pay for my package on the day of our newborn photo session?
You do indeed, this is to be paid in full on the day of your photo shoot otherwise I cannot proceed with your session. You may pay on the day via my website here prior to you making your way to us, you may make payment just as easily by using our direct Paypal link www.paypal.me/bluebeanphotography. You are also welcome to make a cash or card payment through our card machine upon arrival to the studio. If you wish to pay by BACs then details will be emailed upon request.
How long will it be before I see the photos from our photo session?
Dependant on my schedule, galleries usually take 21 business days to complete.
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