Newborns
Babies
Children
Family
Portraits
Posted on April 27, 2010
It’s time for another Tell All Tuesday. This time our question is from Jenny:
“So for a Tell all Tuesday idea, I’d love a list of suggestions for baby sessions…where you’ve bought some of your accessories (diaper cover, blankets) and any tips for someone about to do their first baby session!”
Well, I’m no expert on baby sessions, but I’ve done a lot of them and have a way I like to do them – so take or leave my suggestions! I’m not sure if by “baby” you mean a newborn, or an older baby, but for both I tend to keep my sessions pretty simple. I use simple props and like to focus on the child, especially capturing the details. Here is a list of the things I use the most and where I got them:
- Diaper cover – I use a white knit diaper cover in nearly every baby session. I also have an off-white one. Both were bought on Etsy. I would highly suggest buying from Titchbiz’s store. The cover I use most is from her store. It’s the white Rib Leg diaper cover size S (2-5 months). It fits tiny newborns with some adjusting and also can stretch to fit some 6 month olds. Visit her store HERE. I want just about everything in it.
- Doll bed – I use a basic wooden doll bed I bought from Ikea in the toy section. I painted it white. I use it for babies, and also sometimes use it as a bench for older children.
- Blankets – I want more and better blankets. The best blankets are stretchy and washable. I think knits are beautiful. I wish I were a knitter!
- NEWBORNS – I use a bean bag for my newborn sessions (it was $5 at a yard sale). I put a hot pad where the baby will be laying, and drape my blankets over it, pulling the blanket back tight and clipping it to my backdrop stand. I also use a sound machine with white noise or womb sounds, and also set a small space heater blowing really warm air directly on the baby. When the baby arrives (hopefully with just a diaper on), I put the diaper cover on and usually suggest Mom tops him/her off with milk. Then we may rock baby for a minute and place him/her on the bean bag right in front of the space heater. It doesn’t usually take long before the baby is out. GETTING BABY ASLEEP IS THE KEY. I don’t even bother turning on my camera until the baby is totally asleep. Once the baby is asleep, don’t be afraid to touch/move/shift/bug the baby! He/she will stay asleep, and you want to make sure you can see all the important body parts…hands, fingers, toes – pay attention to where all these are! Most importantly, you must also pay close attention to how the light is falling on the face and make sure the face is being lit well. From my own experience, when the light is coming down from the top of the head across the face of the baby, the resulting shadowing is not flattering. I like to angle the baby around 45 degrees, or sometimes closer to front-lit. Use a small f-stop (a wide open aperture) so that the background blurs into a nice bokeh. During “set changes,” have Mom or another helper hold baby in front of the space heater and make the change, then position the baby. When the baby is asleep, it’s easy to get “the shot” in only a few tries, once everything is set up. It’s allllll about setting it up right.
I hope some of these tips help! Good luck. Babies are hard, but so worth it.
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Posted on April 17, 2010
Mr. Keyan wouldn’t hold still for a second, so imagine my surprise when I got home and saw all the gems we got! His eyes are unreal.
Big brother is such a happy kid (who’s young enough to still think my jokes are funny).
And biggest brother (7) was totally into giving me the perfect closed-lip smiles. I loved what a little model he was.
Thanks again J family – hope you enjoy!
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Posted on April 15, 2010
Love those curls…
And toes…
And fingers…
What a sweetheart.
Good luck with everything guys!
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Posted on April 14, 2010
Prepare yourself for some serious newborn cuteness! Baby Hadley was born early at 32 weeks, but did so well she only stayed in the NICU for three weeks. Now that she’s the ripe old age of six weeks, she’s loaded on the weight and was already around 6 pounds for our session. 
She is, as you will see, beyond gorgeous, and was a dream to photograph. Pardon me for sharing so many.
LOVE the one-eyed bandit look she gave, and then the smile one second later like she knew she was so funny. Joking around at 6 weeks old…that’s my kinda girl.
Oh heaven help me, how sweet is all that baby fuzz?
Love these delicious little details.
Mom brought the tiniest pettiskirt I’ve ever seen! Oh I love these next few.
This is what she really wanted to do…stretch out!
Big sister, Evie, was born at 32 weeks also…and is also one of the most darling little girls ever. She was actually one of the very first babies I ever practiced on (which may or may not be quite embarrassing to remember).
Jess, you’ve got two beautiful girls on your hands!!
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Posted on April 12, 2010
The F family is about to grow by one! Is there any doubt he will be absolutely beautiful (in a handsome way)?! What a fun session this was. It was a pleasure to be able to capture two people so in love and happily anticipating such a precious gift.
Nicole – you are absolutely stunning!
It was so wonderful to meet you both. Good luck with everything coming up!
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Posted on April 9, 2010
Beautiful Rushell wanted some portraits and decided to bring her family along! This was such a fun session. These sisters wore sneakers and brought their smokin’ heels with them! So great to meet your family and I hope you enjoy.
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Posted on April 6, 2010
Here’s a peek at a recent Mini Session. Meet Sahara and her little sister Samantha. Miss Samantha wasn’t really in the mood for a session, so it was fun but quick!
They’re beautiful girls, no? Thanks Evelyn!
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Posted on April 1, 2010
Isn’t baby Elsie just the most darling little thing? She’s 8 1/2 months old and perfect in every way (just ask her mom). I especially love those big baby blues and soft blond hair. Enjoy the peek!
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