Hi there! Thank you for choosing me to document your baby’s first photos. As a professional photographer, I document newborns full time and have been doing so since 2013. Your baby is in great hands! Not only do I have 4 young kiddos myself, I have mentored under some amazing newborn artists, taken many newborn workshops, and have tons of experience in newborn safety, handling, posing, etc. I also use top of the line gear when it comes to my lenses, camera body, and custom built PC and the type of lighting I utilize.

The quality of your images is very important to me! This prep guide is helpful because posing a baby for two hours is much different than putting baby down for a nap at home. We must keep them slumbering through several set ups! I cannot thank you enough for entrusting me to document this time for you. I promise to handle your baby with love, care, and respect.

Designing Your Session: What You Can Expect

I provide everything needed for your posed newborn session. Your session will be 2 hours long. The styling questionnaire ensures all your color preferences and favorite props are displayed.
If there is a personal item you'd like included in your session, let me know in advance and it’ll be worked into your session. Check out this blog post on how I incorporate props from home into your session.

WHAT TO WEAR

Children looks nice in dark jeans or khaki pants with a white t-shirt or neutral colored top. Dad looks nice in a light grey/white V-neck and jeans; Mom looks lovely in a maxi dress or a light colored tank top. Colors that photograph well are grey, white, cream, black, tan, lighter colors, etc. I use the wood wall in my studio for the family images and will also utilize the backlit white sheer curtains. I will wrap baby for the family portion so we may go straight into the session. Please avoid anything with a pattern. All photos are hip up to showcase baby. Nothing is full body. Mom – feel free to wear a pair of yoga pants if you like so you can be comfy

Studio policy on session start times and tardiness:

Your newborn session begins at the time you have been given. Clients who are late by 30 minutes or more will automatically be rescheduled to the next available date and a new non-refundable retainer will be due to secure your appointment on the calendar. I highly recommend you check travel times a few days before your session so there are no surprises on the day of. The studio is located near Barker Cypress/290 so keep this in mind when traveling from other parts of Houston.

Sibling Studio Policy:

It is studio policy that siblings aged 2 or under are asked to leave with Dad after the family portion. There is a park and many fast food options with an indoor playground around the corner, which is about ½ mile away. Your session will be anywhere from 1-2 hours long and while young toddlers add much joy and spirit to life, we need the studio to be calm.

BEFORE YOU ARRIVE:

From experience, babies that have been asleep prior to arrival are very difficult to pose. If baby has been sleeping, they often will not cooperate. To encourage this I highly recommend stimulating the baby at least two hours before your scheduled arrival. A warm bath always does the trick. The bath also makes sure their hair is clean and fluffy for the session. Clean hair photographs beautifully!
This also means keeping them awake during the car ride here and refrain from feeding 2 hours before arrival as well {if possible}. Play with their feet, tickle their toes, talk to them - I promise it is well worth it!
Please dress baby in loose fitting clothes to avoid lines on their skin. A sleeper outfit is best. We want to avoid anything that must be pulled over baby’s head. I also request a pacifier for baby. I understand not every mama uses a pacifier so I respect your parenting wishes. A pacifier, however, helps soothe baby for the prop shots.
Please bring additional diapers for baby and formula if you're bottle feeding. It's always best to be over-prepared than be in the middle of a session and have nothing to feed baby. Baby is happy with a full tummy!

Keeping in mind these instructions will most certainly give you a well- prepped baby. In return we’ll be able to maximize the time you have in the studio with plenty photos so for that reason please do not underestimate and risk how well your baby sleeps after a feeding. We need your bundle of joy to be tired and a bit hungry. I know it will be hard, atop of your own sleep deprivation but I promise you, it will be well worth the effort. Your gallery will be amazing. I promise!

Once You Arrive at the studio:

Once you arrive you will feed your baby right away, once burped, we will then start preparing him/her for their session, meaning any and all clothing must be taken off, except for the diaper.
I'll have the temperature set to 77 degrees, white noise on, and I'll have everything set up & ready to go for our time together.
Family, parent and sibling photos take first followed by Baby as the star.

DURING YOUR SESSION:

If you are comfortable pumping a bottle for baby, I highly recommend doing so. This allows us to begin the session immediately and ensure we hit all the poses, props, and setups within the allotted time coverage. If you do prefer to nurse baby, however, let me know so I can bring you in half an hour early so we begin/end the session on time. In no way do I want to cause you any stress so this is just a tip, nothing more. I understand the breastfeeding experience is very delicate and I respect your wishes.
If you do not pump, you can also formula feed baby just for this session. Breast-milk doesn’t keep our babies fuller longer so choosing to formula feed for the session, will not only be a little easier for you but it will keep them asleep longer during the handling and posing for a scene. Moms, please just be advised, it’s just a recommendation so if you choose to do neither, it’s completely okay. As a newborn photographer, I feel it’s my duty to offer any advice or tips that you as a parent can use to maximize the time we have in the studio and in return you’ll be able to showcase and display more than the average number of baby photos! I have four young children myself so I understand the way you feed baby is very personal and important to your family.
Feel free to sit back and relax. I won’t need any assistance so take advantage of this time to rest. Feel free to bring a tablet or laptop to catch up on work or even take a nap. Also feel free to bring a snack or drink with
Think of me as your baby sitter. I am very comfortable working with newborns and really enjoy my time with them. Don't worry is baby goes potty or spits up on anything; everything is cleaned and sanitized after each session so no worries!
Always feel like you can ask a question. I am an open book and if you're ever curious about a pose or why baby is in a certain position, I am happy to explain. I want you to feel comfortable during our time together. Your comfort is very important to me. :-)
Please do not take DSLR photography during our time together. You will have access to all of the best shots and if a parent is standing behind me with a camera, I cannot work efficiently. I will need all of allotted time for the session.
While I do my best to ensure you receive each set up that comes in your session, sometimes baby dislikes a pose or set up. In this case, I replace the missed pose/set up with something else that baby prefers. If we've spent 10 minutes or more one set up and baby is crying, I will move on because I do not want to sacrifice the whole session for the sake of one pose. It's important to remember babies are little people, too, and have their own autonomy.

AFTER YOUR SESSION:

2 weeks after your session, your final edits are completed. I retouch sessions in the order in which they’re photographed. Kindly note I do not edit or release any sneak previews until your final balance has been paid. The two week timeline does not begin until your final invoice has been fulfilled.
There is a $30/day late fee (per your contract) for invoices that remain unpaid. Your final balance is due the day before the session. Late fees are added to your final invoice daily. If you would prefer to pay by check, let me know in advance.
Please note, per my contract and studio policy, I have final say on which images make the gallery and how they’re edited. You will see the best images from each portion of our session together. If you have an editing request, they are subjected to a custom quote. While I will clean up baby’s skin, I do not remove every single imperfection because then the baby no longer looks like themselves. I leave a few flakes here and there; I also will remove a majority of redness and baby acne but as noted, it is my discretion.

If you have any questions about this prep guide, please notify me immediately. I truly want you to have an amazing portraiture experience! I know this can feel like a lot of information at once and I do not want to overwhelm you, however, I also want you to know that newborn photography is an art and often requires some prepping for the session. :-) I have a lot of experience working with newborns and I am committed to giving you a great session! These photos are once in a lifetime, so this is why you have received such a detailed prep guide so you may have these fantastic portraits to treasure. I cannot tell you how much I adore looking back at my own children's photos and am very happy to have invested in beautiful newborn photography.

All my joy and warmth to you,

Sarah

Sample photos of what you may expect:

Father and Newborn Photography Posing

Mom and Newborn Photography Posing

Parent Posing during Family Portion of Studio Newborn Session

First Floor Prop on Rustic Wood Floors

Cozy, Sweet Wrapping is next

Second Floor Prop

Third Floor Prop

Potato Sack Pose

Tootsie Wrap

Naked Bean Bag Posing (included in petite and full newborn collections)

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.