10 Week Old Miso Wins the Award for Best Hair | Baby of the Month

See highlight's from Miso's in studio, posed "newborn" session and her rocking the best hairstyle! Featured portraits of the month at Sarah Borchgrevink Photography.

Lovely Locks Galore | Houston Baby Photography

Happy Tuesday, friends and welcome! Today's blog post showcases my favorite newborn session from this past month. While I adore each and every cherub who visits my Houston Newborn Baby Studio, there are sometimes sessions that have a particularly unique aspect to them. For example, I'm a professional baby portrait artist meaning I specialize in the custom art of posed newborn photography. I typically schedule my most petite & precious clients when they're around 6-9 days old. This is where I've seen the best results. 

However: rules can sometimes be broken. Babies can pleasantly surprise you!

To elaborate further, for instance, as of 2018, I am now offering appointments to babies outside of the traditional 14-day timeframe you'll typically see. I believe parents deserve to have amazing images of their darling bundles of joy. While earlier is best, there are many options for babies who miss the 14-day timeline and I joyfully invite you to consider a session with me!

Sometimes parents don't know how early they have to book to be on the calendar in advance. This is a great way to still fit in the last minute booking. Miso's parents, for instance, called me when baby girl was 10 weeks old and full term. However, no fear! Mom and I chatted for about an hour on the phone and talked about what she would like to see in their session since Miso is so much further along in development than a newborn. Mom requested macro images of baby plus parent posing. They also signed up for a baby plan membership with me, so I'll be seeing Miso for her first year of life. I'm thrilled to have them as membership clients and am blessed to meet such amazing, kind-hearted parents in Houston.

Anyway, since Miso was 10 weeks old and at the time of her session, she was sporting some amazing hair! Oh, my goodness - from the moment I started wrapping her, I could not believe how much hair she has! Mom joked they call her "Einstein," due to how her hair sticks up in the back, ha! 

Allow me to introduce Miso

Miso is a beautiful baby girl girl who weighed 6 pounds at birth. She was born on her due date in March 2018, specifically on the 3rd. When she visited my studio, she weighed a little over 9 pounds and had the creamiest, fair skin - so pretty! Mom requested all things girly for her session such as a muted pink to showcase the feminine aspects of a brand new girl. She was very alert for part of her session, giving me incredible eye contract! Her almond shaped eyes are full of wonder and truly soulful.

Here are just a few of my favorite images! Her parents received 57 gorgeous, perfected full resolution digital files in their gallery as well as the matching print. :-)

See the whole session below, including parent posing

Are you interested in scheduling your own portraits? Let's chat!

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.

 

Vintage Meets Classic for Timeless Results | Newborn Studio Props

Full Time Newborn Portrait Artist, Sarah Borchgrevink, shares her favorite studio props that are vintage, classic and timeless. Check out the list for parents to view for session styling!

The Cutest Baby Props for Houston Newborn Portraits

Good morning, gang, and welcome to my blog! This post is a preview of my studio space so potential clients may see the sort of props I have on hand. If this is your first time here, welcome! As a professional photographer, I exclusively photograph precious newborn babies in the first 14 days of life. I take 15-18 due dates per month with most of my clients booking in the second trimester. My preference to have you in studio is between 5-8 days, however, for the most squishy, darling posing. The earlier the better! This is when baby is most curly and still flexible enough to move  through many poses.

Let's get started, shall we?

My studio serves the Greater Houston Area and is located in Northwest Harris County. Many parents travel to me from locations such as The Woodlands, Galveston, Sugar Land, College Station and Brenham, as well as West University or Montrose.

In my experience, clients select me based on the type of newborn photography work I offer and the unique style I provide. I am fully vaccinated and insured while running a completely legal and tax paying business. Unfortunately, there are many "photographers" who are not running legal businesses, so this is why you see the rates you see on my pricing guide. My newborn profession is how I feed my little ones and take care of my family. 

I'm often asked if I offer in home newborn sessions. Many parents do not understand that I would have to close my studio for the day and would be unable to take any other sessions, ordering appointments or consultations. I do not offer in home photography sessions, however, because as you can see in the photos below, the type of equipment I use is huge. My lights, for example, are 86" and I have three of them. My wood wall is 8'x10' - it is not able to travel as it is mounted into the studs on my studio wall for baby safety. Moreover, I do not like natural light or use any natural light in my baby portraiture, so this is why they all take place in studio.

My studio is extremely cozy and is around 400 square feet. I've done by best to utilize the small space. I've even watched episodes of "Tiny House" for ideas and inspiration on how to use my square footage and make the most of what I have. Inside my space, you'll find everything you need for the best Houston newborn photography. I have every color of wrap, backdrop, numerous antique floor props, a custom wood wall, classic white bed, and lovely light just for you. :-) I also have a huge array of hand made headbands and newborn baby accessories likes caps, bonnets, hats, tiebacks and the most dainty little items to adorn your precious baby! 

I provide everything for your session. I request parents do not bring props, however, I will add 1 personal item into your session if you wish. :-) 

Organic Wraps | Inspired by Texture and Color

Wrapping newborn babies is a huge cornerstone to the type of work I do with my most petite and precious little clients. I pull inspiration from an array of color and hues as well as textures. I like to use organic and wispy items for a soft, feminine look but also chunky knits for a more robust session tone. Babies loved to be wrapped - it's cozy and sweet. The wrapping keeps little one content and allows us to come up with a variety of gorgeous newborn images in a short time. My typical session lasts around 1-2 hours, very rarely do I go to three hours.

I also use the wraps for lovely layering pieces during naked bean bag posing, too. 

Antique Floor Props for a Classic and Timeless Baby Session| Inspired by a love for all things vintage

All of my floor props are hand picked and selected so they're classic, timeless and inspired by my love of vintage newborn photos. I have everything you could possibly need for our floor prop session from buckets, pails, baskets, crates, boxes, etc. If there is a certain prop you love, be sure to let me know so I may pull the item for you. :-) 

Precious Classic Knit Bonnets for Your Cherub plus dainty, feminine and girly newborn girl accessories such as headbands and tieback pieces 

Below is just a small sample of the type of newborn hats, bonnets, caps and other accessories I have on hand for your little one. I also have a huge stash of newborn girl tiebacks and headbands to adorn your sweet little girl! I have nearly 100 bonnets and close to 200 headbands so I assure you there is something for every taste and preference. Whether you like muted pastels, vibrant jewel tones, or laid back neutrals there is the perfect piece to style your baby's first professional portraiture session with Sarah Borchgrevink Photography.

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.

 

Gorgeous Posed Newborn Styling through Vintage Inspired Floor Props

Vintage Meets Classic for Timeless Newborn Portraiture | Gorgeous Posed Sessions through buckets, bowls, baskets and other floor props.

Floor Prop Styling during a studio newborn session with Sarah Borchgrevink

Friends, hi! I'm excited you're visiting today! This blog post is a great overview on floor props, how to style them, and from which I pull inspiration. Many parents ask, "What's a floor prop?" If you're curious about this, I've got all the information you need! 

If you've visited before, you probably know my name is Sarah and I adore all things newborn portraiture. I spend my days in studio wrapping precious babies, snuggling them, getting to know their parents, and truly delighting in capturing the custom art of posed baby photography. I'm located in Houston and it's my favorite place to be! 

All of my newborn collections include at least three floor props during our time together. Sessions are around 2 hours long so we have plenty of time to feed baby, do lots of cozy, unique wrapping, implement naked bean bag posing, and ensure we utilize many classic floor props, which will be previewed below.

Before we get started, floor props are literally what they sound like: props that are placed on the floor, ha! Examples include:

• Buckets
• Pails
• Bowls
• Baskets
• Trenches
• Many more! Anything is possible in the world of baby photos, ha! 

Floor props are also a wonderful way to add variety to your session because baby may be wrapped or added into many different types of props so that your session is full of stunning images! We want each image to stand alone and be gorgeous. 

Classic Wooden Bowl & Trench

My favorite floor props to use are typically of the wooden variety since they're both rustic and organic. After all, why be trendy when you can be timeless? As women, we all have that special little black dress in our closets. My floor prop stash is like that black dress: dependable, classic, timeless, classy, totally gorgeous no matter the occasion, ha! For instance, the baby girl featured above is named Sophia. She visited my studio space when she was 7 days fresh and new. Her mama relayed she liked girly set ups, so I pulled an antique quilt I picked up at a local shop an paired it with an organic wrap, that's soft and peach. This exudes all things girly and precious! After all, little girls are angels and should look feminine and dainty during the session. This type of wooden bowl is also versatile because you put baby on their belly, side, back, and shoot from many different angles. 

However, wooden bowls and trenches can also be styled to look more masculine. This bowl, shown above, features Dylan who visited at 11 days new. He is wrapped in a taupe textile and has an adorable bear hat and matching teddy in his hands. The styling is vintage and timeless so that nothing is distracting from his handsome face. Look at his sweet little lips! His precious pout just made me sigh with happiness during our time - capturing details like this makes my day!

Rustic, Organic Wooden Boxes & Crates

Crates and boxes are excellent choices for vintage inspired newborn photography! They can be styled to reflect either gender; they look fantastic with any color option and also can fit pretty much any size baby. 

When parents notify me of their little darling being earth side, I do take their weight and size into consideration. After all, baby should fit into the prop but not be swallowed up so that you cannot focus on them. 

Wooden, classic props are also an excellent opportunity to document baby's macro images, too. Macro images, you see, are those up close, darling details of a new baby. These are the characteristics parents spend hours memorizing; you will not want to forget these! Examples of macro images are lips, toes, nails, eyelashes, etc - everything newborn! Since baby is styled perfectly, you can take your time and capture these detailed images. This adds much soul and breathtaking portraiture to your final baby gallery, too! Parents love these! 

Sloane, for instance, shown above, has the most lovely little lips and hands. She has cheeks for days, so when she is wrapped so snuggly into this box, I made sure to take advantage of her sleeping so soundly. 

As you may have noticed, wooden boxes and crates can be styled in numerous ways. They look amazing with deep, vibrant tones or even soft, muted neutrals and pastels. I like to have fun and be creative here when working with newborn loves; I have many vintage quilts, textured pieces, and adorable knitted hats/bonnets/caps to adorn your sweet baby. 

Wooden Bench

This wooden bench is an absolute dream! It cradles baby perfectly and can be either styled with neutrals or color, though I do prefer muted color schemes with this floor prop. 

Antique Scale

The antique scale is the perfect vintage prop because it fits any baby or gender! This sweet boy, for example, is over 10 pounds but when he visited I was able to add him into this floor prop piece. I don't use the scale often, but when I do I am reminded how cute it is, ha!

Wire Baskets 

Wire baskets are a huge must have for any newborn photographer! Wire baskets are versatile because they come in any shape, size, or color. I happen to have several of these and enjoy using them in my posed newborn portraituer because the styling is always timeless. They make for the perfect bed or snuggly set up. 

This gold one, for example, was purchased from Home Goods and is dainty and fresh. Anytime a mom tells me she likes the color gold I remember this basket and pull it from her. It can be used with peaches, pinks, mauves, white, purple or even cream and ivory.

A circular wire basket is a great vintage prop because it's a nice alternative to a wooden bucket. You can use any color here, too, based on your preferences. 

Furthermore, a square or rectangle wire basket is also a lovely option because it's super versatile. The next image you see, shown below, is all things rustic earth tones and neutral. 

But then of course, a round circular basket is fantastic because it can hold baby perfectly. 

Woven Basket

Finally, a woven basket can be styled for vintage newborn portraiture because it can look lovely with any color, baby, or gender. This little girl, for instance, visited for a full newborn collection at 8 days. Addie is about 7 pounds here, but fits perfectly. I think it's extra sweet when their little fingers hand over the prop, too! 

As always, I graciously thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and read about what inspired me as a newborn portraiture artist. If you liked reading about how to style posed newborn sessions through vintage inspired pieces, such as floor props, you may like reading the following:

• Creating Unique Baby Portraiture through Texture
• Newborn Prop & Accessory ideas for Baby Boys 

Specializing in posed baby portraits, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer serving the surrounding areas including Houston metro area, Cypress, Katy, Spring, The Heights, Sugar Land, West University, Bellaire, and The Woodlands, TX. In addition to breathtaking newborn images, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting couples.