Creating Meaningful Pregnancy Portraits | Houston Maternity Photographer

Serving the Houston area, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a maternity photographer offering connected, meaningful and romantic pregnancy portraits for expecting couples and mothers to be.

Preserving your pregnancy with authentic and meaningful maternity portraiture

Greetings, friends! Howdy to you! Today's blog post talks about how to create meaningful maternity portraits for your expecting clients. If this is your first time visiting my blog, welcome! Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sarah Borchgrevink and I'm a Houston Photographer offering gorgeous, dynamic and lovely natural light pregnancy portraits. I adore working with couples, especially first time parents, because as a mother, I know how special this time is in your life. You're preparing to meet the greatest love: the unconditional bond you have with your child. From the moment you hear their heartbeat, or even see the positive pregnancy test, you're in love and cannot wait to meet baby! You envision their face, imagine who they'll look like, and cannot wait to hold them in your arms!

Before we begin, you may be interested in reading about the newborn collections I offer, too! These are a wonderful option once baby is here and most of my maternity clients choose to move forward with one of these collections. 

Sarah offers the following newborn collections consisting of high resolution, retouched digital files + a print release. These take place in the first 14 days of life. Click each link to see a sample gallery + more information on the newborn collection. The flat rate listed pays for time, talent, and your  high resolution digital gallery + released printing rights you may treasure forever.

• Full Newborn Collection | $850
• Petite Newborn Collection | $650
• Wrapped Mini Newborn Collection | $450

This couple, for instance, ended up choosing the "petite" package, so you'll be seeing their baby boy on the blog in just a few short weeks. :-) 

The Importance of Pregnancy Portraits

Pregnancy portraits are a lovely option for new parents because this time is sacred! An outdoor and natural light maternity session is a beautiful way to honor and preserve your pregnancy while also celebrating your gorgeous baby bump! Through the use of radiant, natural light and breathtaking locations, I create dynamic yet meaningful photographs you're sure to treasure forever. You will never regret commissioning your portrait artist for these images. You'll fondly look back at the time in which you're expecting and remember feeling baby kicking and looking down at your belly, knowing you're carrying precious life. 

How to create meaningful portraits

In order to create meaningful pregnancy portraits, it's important for the photos to be timeless, classic and natural. These create a sense of validity, purpose, and significance. It's a time to connect with your spouse or partner and shows the love, commitment and bond you share. My favorite way to create dynamic images is to use an amazing location! When booking a maternity session, I have several options you may select from, all of which are located in the Greater Houston Area. They typically feature naturalistic elements, as this lends a softness to your images, but there are more urban options if you prefer the skyline or perhaps a trendy and hip location such as brick walls, busy streets, ect. 

Naturally Pose & Encourage Connections

Taking beautiful maternity images has much more to do with how you interact with your clients than simply pushing a button on your camera. Part of connecting with your clients is creating stunning portraiture and I do this by naturally posing the parents to be and encouraging them to interact together. Sometimes they're a little unsure of the camera and that's okay! It's my job, as a Houston Maternity Photographer, to ensure they feel at ease. I do this by complimenting the client, showing them specifically what to do, and speaking to them throughout the entire session. I will reference exactly what I'd like them to do, but I will also take a step back and tell them to maybe think of their wedding day or how it will feel to meet baby for the first time. By being patient, you will create lovely images through authentic connections and natural poses in which no one looks stilted or awkward. 

Let there be light

Lighting is another important aspect when creating dynamic or meaningful maternity images because this sets the tone. All of my sessions exclusively take place at either sunrise or sunset, in a natural light setting, to ensure the photos are softly lit and exude a sense of warmth and peace. During the session, I place you where the light is typically lighting your from behind, or back-lit, and this makes sure your eyes are open. I don't like couples facing the sun because it's harsh and not very flattering. After all, these photos will be an important reminder of your motherhood journey so you should feel beautiful when you look back on them. :-) 

Here are some of my favorite images from the rest of my time with this sweet couple! I hope you enjoy viewing more of their session. If you perhaps are expecting your own baby, I am currently booking for 2018 and onward; most maternity sessions take place when you are around 30-35 weeks along. This is when you have a cute baby bump, but are also comfortable enough to still walk and be posed. As a Houston mama, I can tell you I completely understand that pregnancy can seem daunting, but these photos will beautifully preserve this time for you. I have my own pregnancy portraits scheduled for just a few weeks from today so I am also looking forward to sharing these on my blog. :-) 

If you'd like to connect and schedule your own maternity session, feel free to get in touch. I'd love to work with you and chat about the maternity collection I offer, with digital files beginning at $550 + tax.

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Houston. 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 North Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, Jersey Village, The Woodlands, Magnolia, Conroe, Willis, Montgomery, Humble, Kingwood, Porter, New Caney, Waller, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Fulshear, Sugar Land, Pearland, Hempstead, Richmond, West University, Rice Village and Porter TX. Connect to chat with Sarah today! Please consider booking your session at your earliest convenience in order to secure your appointments on the calendar.

Here's Where Sarah's Studio Is Located

 

Outdoor Family Sessions with Teenagers | Houston Family Photographer

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography offers stylish and timeless family outdoor photography in the Houston area.

Gorgeous Natural Light Family Session Featuring Older Kids 

Hi, friends! Welcome to my blog! I'm excited you're here to read about one of the latest natural light, outdoor family photography sessions I've had in beautiful Houston Texas! If this is your first time here, welcome! While I do specialize in posed newborn photography, I take a handful of family or maternity portraiture sessions per month and delight in working outside within nature. It's fun to get out of my studio once in awhile, ha!

However, most of my family clients have young children since many of the clients did maternity and newborn photos with me. This means that their kiddos are probably 5 years old or under, since this is how long I've been in business. Family photography is a lot of fun, nonetheless, it does not mean all sessions have the same dynamic. For example, the way you pose a family with teenagers is much different than the way you pose a family with toddlers. This session was really fun for me because it's something outside of the box, as far as my own portraiture work, and made me really think about connections and posing. 

To further elaborate, when working with younger children, the session is often all about parents holding their little ones, kissing them, tossing them up into the air, and really embracing the spirit of the child. These are my "go to" poses, lots of playing and snuggling, because when the children are toddlers, this is what you want to remember: their innocence, laughter, how their face fills with absolute joy when Dad holds them on their shoulders, things like that. As a mama to three little girls, I cannot tell you how much I treasure the images of my children being young and carefree. There will be a time when they're more aware of the camera and become older; I will miss this! Working with teenagers can be a challenge because sometimes they may feel awkward in front of the camera. 

These kiddos, though, were fantastic! I really enjoyed having them in front of my camera. They were super laid back, respectful, and just overall a complete joy. :-) 

When commissioning your family photographer, it's important to select someone who's work reflects the type of images you're looking for. Because of this, I do like to show full galleries and enjoy blogging my sessions because it's enjoyable to share what I've been photographing.

Let's get started! 

This beautiful family contacted me about 10 weeks in advance to secure their appointment on my calendar. When their contract came through, I saw the ages of their children and thought, "Okay, this will be new for me!" We had a great time, though, and I'm really pleased with the final gallery. We used a lovely location in Northwest Houston that features stunning fir trees and an open field. This is a great choice for sunset photography since the sun sets in the west. That way, your background has the sun filtering through the trees, truly adding a gorgeous element to your images. 

Plus, their outfits look great! If you are currently unsure of how to style your own family, take this family as inspiration. They did an excellent job coordinating without looking too similar. Plus, the photos can be hung year around without looking like they were taken during the holiday months. After all, the goal of your images is for them to be hung on the wall and act as lovely time capsule in your home. I do sell digital files in all of my collections, but we ultimately want you to print and frame them. :-) 

Here are some of my favorite images from my time with this beautiful family! I hope you enjoy viewing and seeing highlights. If you're currently looking for a family photographer in the Houston area, I do take a handful of sessions per month and am currently booking for February - April 2018 now. My 2017 is fully booked to captacity, but I would love to see you in the Spring or Winter! :-)  

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Houston. 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 North Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, Jersey Village, The Woodlands, Magnolia, Conroe, Willis, Montgomery, Humble, Kingwood, Porter, New Caney, Waller, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Fulshear, Sugar Land, Pearland, Hempstead, Richmond, West University, Rice Village and Porter TX. Connect to chat with Sarah today! Please consider booking your session at your earliest convenience in order to secure your appointments on the calendar.

Houston Newborn Photographer | Preparing for Baby’s Posed Studio Session

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.

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