Please take a look below to see if we have answered your questions. If not, please don’t hesitate to call us or send us an email with your query and a member of the admin team will be more than happy to help!
Q. When should I book my newborn session?
A. We recommend booking your newborn session after your 20 week scan. This secures your due date in our calendar, so we can guarantee you a session whether baby arrives a little early, or late! A specific date and time for your baby’s newborn photography session will then be set once you have contacted us to let us know your baby has arrived and we have found a suitable session time to get you booked in for.
Q. When will my session take place?
A. Once you have let me know that your little one has arrived, we will look at scheduling your session in. We aim to have the session in the first two weeks of baby’s life, ideally between 6 and 10 days old if possible.
Q. My baby has already been born – can I still book a session?
A. As we take bookings in advance for newborn sessions, it is unlikely that we will have space to get you booked in if you wait until baby is here to book. As we know, babies don’t stick to a schedule, so if one of our pre-booked babies has arrived a little early or is late, we may have some space to squeeze you in, so it’s always worth asking – we will always try our best to fit you in if we can!
Q. Do we need to bring anything with us?
A. I have a vast array of props, blankets, fabrics, wraps and accessories to use during your session, to create those gorgeous newborn portraits for you. If you have any special or sentimental items like teddies or blankets, please bring them along to your session and we will incorporate them where possible, to create some unique images for your family.
Q. Will you use a dummy?
A. It is best to bring a dummy along to the session with you. Even if you haven’t used a dummy with your baby yet, it does often help to settle them when we’re moving them between poses and helps to soothe them a lot quicker. Of course, if you would really rather not use a dummy, that isn’t a problem at all.
Q. How long will the session last?
A. Our newborn sessions are booked in for up to three hours. I get a lot of people that are shocked when I tell them this but it gives us plenty of time for feeding, changing, soothing and capturing those gorgeous images for you. Our sessions are entirely baby led, so whatever your baby needs to be happy and content is what we do! I only book one newborn session a day – this means that you don’t have to worry about being ushered out of the door for another booking and you can relax in the studio.
Q. Can I choose the colour schemes for my photos?
A. Of course! If you’ve booked in advance, I normally ask you to send me some images over of the type of images you like. These can be taken from my social media pages and lots of people will send me Pinterest screen shots over. This helps me to plan the session in advance with some set ups and colour schemes to go through. When you arrive at the studio, we will also spend some time discussing the kinds of colours that you would like including in your session. You will be able to take a look through my vast array of props and accessories and this means if you’ve changed your mind on the colours you would like including, we can look at other options!
Q.What if my baby makes a mess on your things?
A. It really isn’t a problem at all. It is part and parcel of being a newborn photographer that there may be accidents during session! Everything used during the session is washed afterwards anyway, so you have no need to worry or feel like you need to apologise if it happens!
Q. What if my baby doesn’t settle and cries?
A. This is why these sessions are booked in for 3 hours. We take all the time we need to soothe baby and settle them into poses. If baby is really upset and we’ve tried all the tricks in the book, we can just reschedule your session for a couple of days time. In my 8 years of newborn photography, I’ve never had to reschedule a session yet, so don’t worry!
Q. My baby has scratched themselves/ has really bad baby acne/ flaky skin – can they still have their photo taken?
A. Of course. I can edit out any marks, scratches or spots that you would rather not have on your images. Some people can be worried about the idea of ‘photoshopping’ their baby but rest assured that the editing process is delicately done and we will often have a conversation about what you would like leaving in place and what you would like reducing or softening, before the editing is done.
Q. Can I take photos on my phone during the session?
A. You are very welcome to take some behind the scenes photographs of me photographing your baby at your session. If you would like to use them on your social media, tag us in them! We love to share the session experience with your friends and family. The only thing we ask is that you don’t take close ups of just baby in the set ups, as these are the images that you have chosen me to capture for you and a phone photo will not do them justice!
Q. Can my other child(ren) take part in the session?
A. Yes! We actively encourage siblings to come along for the photoshoot fun! We’re more than happy to have siblings present for the whole session, however, it sometimes works better to have a friend or family member on hand to whip them away after they have had their photographs or to bring them towards the end of the session, for their photographs. We have two soft play centres within walking distance of the studio and are also a 5 minute car journey to Warrington town centre with lots of shops and cafes, if you are having someone take care of a sibling and they are looking for something to do.
Q. Do I have to be in any of the photographs?
A. Of course not, if you don’t want to be. I do encourage it, as you will look back on these images and cherish them. If you are really not comfortable being in the photos, I often do black and white shots of baby posed in parents hands. This means that you are still in the photographs and shows how tiny and precious your little baby was.
Q. Do I have to choose what I want to order and pay before the session?
A. Not at all. Your session fee is the only payment that is required in order to book the session. Our products price list is sent over to you so you can see the different things we have on offer for purchase after your session and because we are honest and upfront with our prices before you book. Around a week after your session is when you will come back for your viewing consultation, which is when you can choose what you would like to order and make payment.
Q. How many images are included?
A. One 10×8″ print is included in your session fee payment. Additional prints, products and digital images are then available to purchase separately, with a minimum spend of £195. Galleries will differ depending on how many set ups we used during your session but I always aim to give a minimum of 20 images to choose from at viewing consultations.