REBECCA BOND PHOTOGRAPHY

LIFESTYLE NEWBORN SESSION PREP GUIDE

So you booked a lifestyle newborn session, now what?!

I adore the natural setting of having a newborn session in the comfort of their family's home. It's the best way to document those first few days of "real life" with your new bundle of joy. I will come to your home for the newborn session and stay for the length of an hour (give or take depending on the baby's comfort and cooperation). This allows plenty of time for feeding, changing and snuggling.

Ideally, it is best to book your newborn session while still pregnant. While we don't lock in a date and time for the unpredictable, I take note of your due date and make sure to keep a few open dates around that time frame. Newborn sessions are best photographed within the first 10 days of baby's life. To officially book your newborn lifestyle session, you will need to view and sign a contract along with the $150 non refundable retainer to be considered on the calendar and booked.

Most of the photographs I will be capturing will be candids with a bit of direction on my end. We'll capture you enjoying your new bundle with hugs, kisses, and snuggles, with family and even fur babies. We can also include props that you might have on hand. Whatever you might want to photograph, make sure they are out and ready to use. This could be a special hat, blanket, jewelry, handkerchief, etc. And if you don't have anything that you specifically want photographed, that's okay too.

Clothing: I prefer to photograph baby in a long sleeve white onesie or wrap. I love the simple, neutral look. Most newborn's clothes tend to not fit properly, so keep that in mind when choosing his/her outfit. Make sure baby is already in their outfit when I arrive, we don't want to start off upsetting them by pulling on arms and legs trying to get them undressed! Please make sure that your clothing is neutral colors as well; no bright colors or loud patterns. When picking out your own clothing, please dress comfortably. No need for dresses or fancy clothing. This is a natural session. T-shirts, polos, sweaters or tank tops are always okay. Just remember to keep your colors neutral and avoid bright colors and bold patterns.

So, I do ask that the main areas of the home that we will be photographing in be at least semi clean. The living or family room, the master bedroom and the nursery (if you have one) will be the areas we will be in. Try to declutter those areas as much as possible. Throw the dirty laundry in the closet or another room (I will not judge you), clear the coffee table and any other flat surfaces that will hold clutter.

Please try to keep baby awake as much as possible the morning I am coming. A sleeping baby is much more cooperative than an awake baby. This may mean walking around the house and not snuggling up for a nap time. Dad, you take over for awhile so Mom can get ready. Try to time it out so that baby has finished feeding when I arrive, not before. This will also work beautifully if baby is kept awake all morning. Plus, I want to capture a few shots while you're soothing them to sleep. Simple, yet beautiful.

DURING YOUR SESSION:

After baby has a full tummy, I will come and photograph you while you're holding a now sleeping baby. Then I will take them to do not so posed portraits of them in their crib, on a fluffy rug or even your bed. While I typically only do a few of these, it can take some time. This is where I will get full body shots and focus on those adorable tiny newborn details.

After doing a few poses, we will begin the lifestyle part of the session. These are typically photos of everyone. Mom, Dad, baby, siblings and even your furry babies. Try to remember to relax and be as natural as possible. Lots of kisses, snuggling and admiring. This newborn stage goes by so incredibly fast, you're going to want to remember forever.

If at any moment throughout the session your baby wants to stop and eat, that is 100% okay. This entire session revolves around the happiness of your brand new baby (and you, of course!).

AFTER YOUR SESSION:

Thank you for allowing me to snuggle with your sweet newborn baby and capture beautiful images that I will now begin to edit. You will receive a sneak peek within 48 hours (unless noted otherwise) from your session and after about 2-3 weeks, I will share your proofing gallery with you. Your images will be uploaded to a password protected online gallery where you will choose the quantity of images included in your package (or more if you choose to purchase additional). Once that's complete, you will receive a new link to your new gallery where you will be able to instantly download.