I Love Your “Beary” Much | Teddy Bear Bonnet is Most Requested Prop

Sweet, vintage, and adorable teddy bear hats make for a precious newborn session! 

Hi, friends! When designing custom newborn sessions for the cutest babies in Houston, I send a curated styling questionnaire to all of my Moms and Dads who are going to be visiting! There are a set of questions that ensure we have a fantastic session together; on one portion, nevertheless, there's a spot in which you may request a prop you've seen in my portfolio.

Newborn Baby Hats | The Must Have

Oh, my goodness! The bear hats, by far, are the most requested prop by parents! I have several adorable colors: grey, beige, blue, purple, and white. I also have a pink one but I have not yet photographed it, ha! This is the cutest prop because what is more precious than a baby animal?! Every newborn photographer needs to have these hats on hands. Not only do they have a classic, timeless, and vintage feel to them, but they perfectly frame your baby's face and showcase all of their darling features such as a button nose, full lips, perfectly plump cheeks, lashes for days, soft tufts of hair, oh my gosh! Too adorable for words! 

Beige | For the love of neutrals

This beige bear hat bonnet is absolutely adorable on Colt William! His parents requested earth tones and neutrals; for instance, beige and tan look wonderful with khaki, grey, white, light brown, ecru, etc. If you're a fan of all  things natural and muted, this bear bonnet would be the perfect addition for your new arrival. In this particlar set up, I paired a precious vintage bed, hand made by my favorite prop vendor, with organic textiles and the rustic wood floors. All of these textures work together to create the best Houston newborn photography.

Light Blue | Little Gentlemen's Cap

Dylan Jacob visited my Houston Newborn Portrait Studio at just 15 days old for a wrapped newborn mini session. This is an affordable newborn package featuring stunning macro images, three rustic and vintage-inspired floor props such as buckets, crates, bowls, etc., as well as three cozy styles of newborn wrapping that will forever preserve trhis incredibly special time in your life. This package is perfect because full styling is provided, such as this adorable set up seen below, in which Dylan's sweet parents requested blue hues, such as periwnkle for their little gentlemen. This bear bonnet is stunning against his skin!

White | Gender Neutral for either little ladies and handsome fellas!

Of all the newborn color schemes, white may be the easiest to add to a girl or a boy newborn session simply because it pairs well with any color, light or dark, vibrant or muted, girl or boy. In this case, beautiful Isabella is rocking a white teddy bear hat during her full newborn session at 7 days fresh and new. She is wrapped in the darling potato sack pose, in which baby is perfectly round and oh so adorable! 

Purple | Lovely for Little Girls

Ella is showcasing all things all things purple such as orchid, mulberry, mauve, and plum. Purple is a great color to consider for your newborn session because it's different than pink. While pink is totally classic and darling, purple is a little more vibrant and may I say unique. Purple looks much better against newborn skin, too, and creates dewy skin tones whereas pink often washes out a newborn girl, since babies are typically very rosy. This purple bear hat is adorable with all things in the purple family and any hue from lilac to violet. 

As always, friends, thanks for visting to see a fun topic such as what props are most requested by parents! If you are expecintg your own little bundle of joy, please contact me so we may discuss what type of props you'd like to have in your session!

warmly,

Sarah

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.

Editing a Posed Newborn Session in Adobe Lightroom |Before & After

How to Edit A Newborn Photo in Lightroom | Effective and Easy Tips

Tutorial by Sarah Borchgrevink | Professional Editing Software

Howdy, friends! Today's blog post shares some effective tips and tricks for editing a newborn session in Adobe Lightroom. First and foremost: please allow me to introduce myself! I'm Sarah! I'm a professional newborn photographer in Houston TX; I specialized in posed baby sessions within a studio environment. Because my sessions are affordable and have completely transparent pricing, I am often booked well in advance. I have around 20 new arrivals in my studio monthly, which means I've learned how to edit my sessions very quickly! The best way I have learned is through Lightroom. Let's get started!

The sample photo I'm using today is of a sweet little girl named Layla. She visited my Houston Newborn Portrait Studio at 7 days old and her parents booked my 'petite' package, which includes those oh-so-adorable naked poses. This means all of her skin is exposed, so she's a great example for how to quickly streamline your editing when you have a ton of work on your desk!

Before & After | How to Achieve This Look

White Balance Adjustment

To foundation to an amazing newborn portrait is always having the perfect white balance. In my studio, I use professional lighting, and specifically use constant lights. You may be interested in this post sharing how I create a natural light look through studio lighting. I tend to prefer warmer white balances, such as 5300 degrees, or so. Whether you prefer warm or cool temperatures, make sure it is very consistent throughout the entire session. Don't jump around - it'll make the gallery lack cohesiveness. Here you will also look at the magenta and adjust as needed. I tend to prefer rosy images so I was a 50 on the magneta slider.

Creamy Skin Development | Reduce Red, Yellow, and Orange Skin Tones

To create those gorgeous creamy skin tones, I use my sliders in Lightroom. This is my next step after adjusting white balance. I will always start by removing the colors that are too strong in the images; for instance, newborn babies typically have a yellow, red, or orange undertone to their skin. The best place to begin would be by increasing luminescence, which gives baby that beautiful glow, reducing saturation, and adjusting hue. I placed a screenshot above. Of course, you are going to have different settings for different babies, but the sliders in Lightroom will give you full control of the babies skin as far as color.

Fun tip: you can create skin presets on your own without even having to pay for them.

Once you find the look you prefer in your own studio, developing presets will not only make your editing lightening fast, but will give you a very consistent look. Each gallery you send to parents should be very similar to the galleries earlier that week. This is part of your brand and being one of the Best Photographers in your area! 

 

Smooth Skin

I do not do any skin smoothing in Photoshop for any of my newborn sessions. With the exception of the froggy pose, (check out a free step by step tutorial on how to safely pose a baby) all of my editing is done in Lightroom. After fixing white balance, adjusting baby's skin tone, and cropping my images, I will then skin smooth the baby. Babies can handle a reduction in clarity; I also will reduce the contrast a little bit, such as by -8, and will increase my highlights by +3, so baby still has beautiful contours and shadows to their face without the light look flat.

I will use the brush for this portion or (k) on a PC. Generally, the density is about 50-55, and I'll smooth different parts of the baby more than others. Their face, for example, always gets around 3 sets of brush strokes. Make sure you "erase" the brush on their lips, nose, and hands, however, so you do not lose detail.

Sharpen

After this, I sharpen the image last because I want to make sure it's not too sharp, but may also need more sharpening after the skin smoothing. This entire process takes me about 2 minutes/image, which means I can fully edit a newborn gallery in less than an hour. For sharpening, I prefer it to be around 70, with noise reduction at 12-15, depending on my ISO. Of course, these items will depend on what your own camera settings are. In my studio, my camera settings, according to my lights and how I like the images to look, are usually 1/160, f/2.2, and then ISO 320. I use a Sigma ART 35 mm f/1.4 and a Sigma ART 50 mm f/1.4. You'll also find a gorgeous 100 mm f/2.8L macro lens, which creates those super dreamy macro images, so sharpening of photos will always depend on your camera settings.

Thanks for stopping by my blog to read tips on how to edit newborn sessions in Lightroom!

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.

FAQ From Clients: What to Wear to Baby's Newborn Photo Session

In Studio Family Photos during Newborn Session: What Should Parents or Siblings Wear?

Booking your baby's first professional portraits is truly exciting! You've waited months to meet the baby and have dreamed of holding them in your arms! Now that you've selected your photographer and are gearing up for a great session, you may be a little unsure what to wear to your newborn session. Have no fear! As a professional newborn photographer plus mom (I mean, I DO have four kiddos!) I know how important these images are to you. You'll treasure them forever. You would like to look and feel your best. I'm here to guide you and provide an amazing, laid back experience for you new parents.

Creams, Beige, and White | Top Colors that Photograph Best

When your baby arrives, you'll receive a newborn prep guide from me. This is a detailed guide that tells you everything to expect, such as how to prepare your new arrival for the spotlight, but also covers when your family images will take place and how to dress for those. In my studio, I use a large wood wall for the photos. Because it's rustic, I prefer neutrals and lighter tones against the dark wood. My least favorite options are black and prints; my favorite is always beige, cream, taupe, ecru, white, etc. These tones are natural, classic, and will not detract for your little one during the session.

The V-Neck for Dad | Classic, Clean,Timeless

One of my favorite poses of Dad and Newborn Baby is when Dad is holding the baby against his chest; I love how Dad is the protector here. Baby is so small and new they literally fit in the palm of Dad's hand. During this portion, a v-neck that's fitted is a great outfit choice because it will forever be classic. There are no distracting prints or colors; Dad's arms are also showcased in comparison to the tiny newborn so it makes for a beautiful image! Any brand of these v-neck t-shirts is totally fine. Some parents buy them at Target or you can also find them at stores such as JCrew. Most men already have these in their closet, so it's one less thing to worry about on the morning of baby's photography session. For all of my family and parent posing, the baby is wrapped in a simple style so they're the perfect little bundle of joy you can hold. I always pull a wrap that looks nice against the cream or lighter tones I prefer you wear.

Simple Top or Maxi Dress for Mom

Moms are usually most nervous about the family photos because they worry about how they'll look. All photos, however, at my studio are hip up so baby is the star. I pose baby so you they act as a prop. I typically don't do a lot of images in which Mom is staring into the camera and smiling; it's more about connecting with your baby. A great idea for Mom to wear is a maxi dress or even the maternity gown from the baby shower, or, if you had pregnancy portraits with me, you probably purchased a dress for those images. You can definitely wear the same dress again. Not only will this makes thing easier for you, the dresses are usually jersey knit, which is a breathable textile. It's stretchy, soft, and you'll be able to move easily.

Sibling: Jean or khakis +A Light Cotton Top

The sibling portion always makes mom's heart soar! This is a very popular request for sessions and we set aside an additional 30 minutes for these setups. I like to pose the older sibling on their back while the eldest child holds the new baby. This is a safe way for them to interact without worrying if the baby will be dropped. A neutral colored flokati, such as cream or white, is a really pretty option here. Little ones look super precious in classic, natural attire such as dark wash blue jeans, perhaps even khaki pants, and then a simple top in a lighter color, such as beige, cream, white, or tan. 

Thanks for stopping by to see my favorite colors in the studio, plus some tips on what to wear for our time together in the studio! 

Let's recap this post:

• Avoid bright colors, such as neon or even dark tones, such as black

• Maxi dresses or light, airy tops are great for Mom

• V-neck t-shirts are fabulous for Dad

• Sibling looks adorable in simple top and dark wash jeans

• Target, Kohls, J-Crew, or even Amazon are great resources for shopping. Your own closet is full of inspiration I bet, too!

If you are pregnant and are thinking about booking a professional newborn portrait artist in the Houston area, I would love to be considered for your photo needs! Let's chat! I look forward to hearing more about your family.