Something that has been brought up often lately is the subject of newborns and when the best time to have their first session done.
My own personal preference is to have baby's first session done before they are three weeks old. Most preferably in the first two weeks. I have a few reasons for this.
First, in their first week or two babies are in a stage that lasts for a tiny amount of time. Once it is gone, you can never get it back. This stage is where they stay curled up into a little ball. They are relaxed and sleep for most of the time. They are unaware of their surroundings and care very little if they have been put down, or are not being snuggled by Mom.
They still have their peach fuzz. They rarely have developed baby eczema by this time, I see it more frequently in the older babies. They also have not started shedding their hair developing bald patches, yet. They are still wrinkly and haven't filled out with baby fat yet.
I understand the desire to have images of baby wide awake and smiling at the camera, and you will have lots of time for that as they get older. I recommend having another session when they reach six months old and we can get them smiling and giggling. Waiting until they are a few weeks old, and trying to schedule during their alert time of day means waiting until they are fully aware of you, and if you are holding them or not. They worry when you put them down in unfamiliar settings, i.e. my studio, and often spend that time crying and begging to be held again.
I encourage new parents to treasure and capture the tiny newness that newborns have, because it does just last only a few short days, and then fades forever.
Tips From My Newborn Session Handout
In Home Sessions, What You Should Know.
© 2009 Jennifer Klingensmith
Here are a few important tips I'd like to pass along to you.
1. It is best to schedule this session when your baby is under two weeks. They tend to cry less, are more unaware of what is going on and therefore fuss less when placed down. Sleeping shots are most natural for them at this stage, so don't worry about trying to schedule your baby's session at their alert time. If they peek at us I will be sure to try to grab a few shots of that as well. They also don't tend to develop baby acne until they are a bit older, so it's good to get images when their skin is still soft and wrinkly.
2. Warm up your home before the session. For much of the session your baby will be unclothed. Babies are happiest when warm and snuggly. 72-76 degrees is ideal.
3. Choose a room with large windows. I am mainly a natural light photographer, so I try to use the sunlight as much as I can. Also choose a room that does not have colorful walls, if I have to use a flash, colored walls can add undesirable color casts to your images.
4. For up close images of your baby I will not need very much room at all, any average sized room will do, however if you want pictures of yourself with your baby using my backdrops I will need adequate space to set up a background stand that is 6 feet wide. You may want to consider using my home studio for sessions including other siblings.
5. Feel free to add anything to your session that you think might make it more personal or interesting for you, such as baskets, blankets, furniture, stuffed animals or anything else that you'd like.
6. Along with capturing the necessary newborn shots, such as fingers and toes and everything in-between I also come with ideas I'd love to try. They don't always seem like a great idea at first, but most of the time once the image is processed, they turn out really neat! So if I suggest something that you are not too sure about, give it a try! I won't force you to purchase the print, but this is probably why you hired me in the first place, to shoot the unordinary and make it extraordinary.
