I Booked My Newborn Photographer. What Happens Next?

You booked your newborn photographer. Now what?

Honestly?

Your job is to grow the baby. That's hard enough.

Once you've booked, the photography part shouldn't become another thing you have to manage during your pregnancy. You shouldn't need to remember when you're supposed to email, start a Pinterest board, figure out what props you need, or somehow remember months from now what you're supposed to bring to the studio. I want you informed enough that you always know what's happening, but I don't want you responsible for making it happen.

You don't owe me anything right now. Go live your life, prepare for your baby, and tell me the things you want me to know.

You tell me everything. I've got everything else.

First, you're officially part of the Tiny Details family.

Once your session fee is paid and your due date is reserved, I'll send you access to the Tiny Details Family Welcome. This is basically your home base for everything you might want to know. You'll find what to expect, membership details and perks, frequently asked questions, current pricing, ways to reach me, a peek around the studio, props, outfits and the studio wardrobe.

You'll also get a physical welcome from me in the mail. I love having something you can actually hold onto because pregnancy is long, and if you book me early, we may have months before your baby arrives. I never want you wondering, Wait... what did she say about that? The information is always there when you want it, and I'll remind you of the important things again when you actually need them.

Then we talk.

This is where I get to know you.

We'll have a consultation call that's usually somewhere around 20–30 minutes, although sometimes we get talking and it runs a little longer. This isn't really a checklist of colors and props. I want to know you.

How did you meet? What do you love doing together? What does your family look like? Are there siblings? Grandparents who are especially important? Family traditions? Collections? Hobbies? Flowers that remind you of someone? Something one of you loves that we might be able to quietly work into the session?

Maybe your family's story looks completely different from the one before yours. That's exactly the point. I can't make something feel like your family until I know a little bit about who your family is.

Sometimes the things you tell me are sentimental, sometimes they're funny, and sometimes family life is a little messy. Don't worry, you're in similar company. By the time we hang up, I usually have a pretty clear picture in my head of what I believe will best represent you and your family in your session.

If you're wondering why I ask some surprisingly specific questions during that conversation, I actually wrote an entire blog about why I ask so many questions before a newborn session. That's how important this little part of the process is to me.

Fair warning: if you're early enough, I'm probably going to mention maternity photos.

If you're booking me around your second trimester, there's a very good chance I'm going to try to talk you into maternity pictures.

I didn't do them with either of my pregnancies, and I regret it. I have almost nothing that really shows me during that season, and now I wish I did. Interestingly, I hear the same thing constantly in my studio. I have maternity images hanging on the way down to the studio, and parents stop to look at them all the time and say some version of, "I wish I had done that."

So yes, I'm probably going to at least give you the opportunity.

Maternity pictures also make your newborn session easier. We already know each other. You've heard my ridiculous posing directions before. You know how I work, and I know how you photograph. When you come back carrying a baby instead of a belly, we're not meeting for the first time anymore.

And maternity sessions can be surprisingly fun. You get dressed up, get pampered a little, feel beautiful, and then discover that being a model somehow makes you both tired and hungry. 😂 If you decide it's not for you, that's completely fine too.

Back to growing the baby.

Meanwhile, I've already started your newborn session.

This is the part I don't think most of my families realize.

Sometimes while we're still on the consultation call, I'm already researching color combinations. As soon as we hang up, I'll usually start pulling wraps and props from the studio to see what works together. I'm thinking about your family, what you told me, the photographs I know I want to create, and how I can make the entire gallery feel cohesive without making everything look the same.

Then I start noticing things everywhere.

I can be walking through HomeGoods with my sister and notice a vase that's the perfect combination of shiny and matte. I'll take a picture because suddenly I'm thinking about how I could create that same contrast in your photographs. I might see a color combination somewhere completely unrelated to newborn photography and immediately think of your session.

Once your family is in my brain, you're apparently coming shopping with me too.

The funny thing is... I don't really want you to notice all this work.

I love props. I love themes. I love creating something incredibly personal for a family.

But I never want the prop to become more important than the baby.

My goal is timeless newborn photography. Twenty years from now, I don't want your child looking at these pictures and saying, "Ohhh... that's what you guys did back then?" I want them to say:

"What a beautiful baby."

So even when I'm incorporating something meaningful, I'm constantly pulling myself back to that. Does this add to the photograph without taking over? Will it still feel beautiful years from now? Does it tell a little piece of this family's story while keeping the baby exactly where they belong—at the center of it?

That's the balance I'm always chasing.

And then I usually make something.

This has become one of my favorite parts of preparing a session.

I like every baby to have something that was made specifically with them in mind. Over the years, that has apparently required me to acquire a slightly unreasonable number of hobbies.

I've made a Bulgarian doll, a Fabergé egg, a Volkswagen bus, a sheep and a tiny felt hammer. I've learned knitting, crocheting and felting. And I sew—a lot. Tiny bonnets, headbands, leg warmers, booty covers, dresses and whatever else I've decided this particular session suddenly needs.

One of my favorites was a tiny video game controller. I couldn't get the finish I wanted while also keeping everything soft and baby-friendly, so eventually I cut apart one of my daughter's squishy toys to make it work.

It was touching approximately the tip of the baby's finger.

I still cared.

That's kind of the whole Tiny Details thing.

Then I practice.

I personally practice your session before you arrive..

I'm always photographing, practicing, testing ideas and keeping my hands working because I don't think hands-on experience is something you ever finish collecting. Preparing for your session lets me see how colors actually photograph under my lighting, work through the flow of different setups and catch something that looked wonderful in my head but doesn't work quite as beautifully in real life.

It also means I get to experiment when there isn't a brand-new baby waiting on me.

By the time you walk into my studio, I don't want your session to feel like I'm figuring it out.

I want it to feel easy.

And while I'm doing all of that... you keep living your life.

Have the baby shower. Finish the nursery. Change your mind about the nursery. Buy the tiny clothes. Get uncomfortable. Get excited. Get nervous. Take a million pictures of your belly or take none because you don't feel like it.

You don't need to keep checking in with me.

Although, if you're having a baby shower and feel like telling me about it, I love hearing what you've planned. Sometimes the theme or a meaningful gift even inspires something for the newborn session.

And here's an idea you may not have considered: newborn photographs can make a wonderful baby-shower gift. If family or friends are asking what you want, you can always let them contribute toward the photographs and artwork you've already booked rather than adding another baby gadget to the registry. Reach out and I'll help make that easy.

Then eventually, the baby arrives.

If you're excited and want to send me a picture from the hospital with the baby's name and weight, please do. I LOVE those messages. It makes me feel like I've gotten to be a tiny part of the anticipation with you, and finally getting to see this little person we've been planning for is pretty special.

But please hear me on this:

You absolutely do not need to message your photographer from the hospital.

I cannot imagine anything I want less than a brand-new parent lying in a hospital bed thinking, Oh crap, I need to text Jen.

No.

Enjoy your baby.

The message I actually need is the one that eventually says:

"The baby is here, and we're ready to schedule."

Whenever you're ready to send it.

You don't owe me a session five days later.

I generally love photographing newborns somewhere around 5–21 days old because there are some wonderful things about that stage, but I never want that recommendation to become pressure.

Every baby is a beautiful baby.

The right time is the time that works for your baby and your family. You don't need to recover according to my photography schedule, and your baby certainly didn't read my calendar before deciding when to arrive.

When you're ready, we'll look at the calendar together and choose your session day.

We'll make it work.

When it's actually time, I'll remind you of everything.

Once we've chosen your session date, I'll send you a quick What to Expect guide. You've probably seen most of it already, but maybe you booked me months ago. Maybe you currently don't know what day it is.

I get it.

The day before your session, I'll send another simple reminder and preparation checklist. Bring milk. A pacifier can be helpful. Bring an extra outfit for yourself because newborns have absolutely no respect for the shirt you carefully chose for family pictures.

And please don't turn family outfits into another project either. I keep clothing pretty simple, I have an inspiration list you can use, and there's a studio wardrobe available for the family if you need it. I've also put together a full guide about what to wear for your newborn session if you want more help.

If you don't want more help?

That's okay too.

Again: I've got this.

Jennifer's Two Cents

I think pregnancy already comes with enough homework.

You're researching car seats, pediatricians, bassinets, feeding, sleep, daycare, names, strollers and approximately four thousand things you didn't know existed before you got pregnant. Booking your newborn photographer shouldn't add another research project to the pile.

That's why I want the experience to feel almost backwards.

You tell me everything. Tell me about your family. Tell me what matters. Tell me the weird little story about Grandpa. Tell me the color you've always loved. Tell me about the baby shower. Tell me you're overwhelmed and have absolutely no idea what you want.

Then let me carry the photography part.

Your job is growing the baby. That's hard enough.

Key Takeaways

• Once you reserve your due date, your Tiny Details experience begins. You don't have to wait until baby arrives.

• You'll have your Family Welcome and access to the information you need, and I'll remind you of important things again when they're actually relevant.

• Our consultation is where I get to know your family and begin designing your session.

• If you book during pregnancy, we'll also talk about whether maternity photography is right for you.

• Behind the scenes, I'm planning, creating and practicing before you ever arrive at the studio.

• You do not owe me a birth announcement from the hospital. When your family is ready for photographs, that's when I need to hear from you.

• There is an ideal newborn photography window, but your family's well-being matters more than a number on the calendar.

• As your session approaches, I'll walk you through what to expect, what to wear and what to bring.

Continue Reading

If you want to know more about what happens before your Tiny Details session, these are great next stops:

What Should You Ask a Newborn Photographer Before Booking?

How to Choose the Right Newborn Photographer

What's the Difference Between Professional and DIY Newborn Photos?

And once we confirm the existing URLs for your What to Wear, Why I Ask So Many Questions, and any relevant maternity/preparation blogs, I'd hyperlink those naturally in the sections above rather than guessing at the URLs.

Already Booked?

Then there's nothing you need to do right now.

Your information is there whenever you want it. I'll send reminders when they're useful. If something changes or you have a question, you always know where to find me.

Otherwise?

Go grow that baby.

I've got everything else.