What Happens During a Newborn Photography Session?

If you've never had newborn photographs taken before, I think it's completely normal to wonder what you're actually walking into.

Maybe you're picturing a very quiet photography studio where you're afraid to touch anything. Maybe you're wondering what happens if your baby cries, your toddler loses their mind, you arrive late, somebody needs to eat, or you realize halfway there that the shirt you planned to wear suddenly looks terrible.

Let me make this considerably less mysterious.

A newborn session at Tiny Details is a few hours where I would really love for you to stop being responsible for everything. Bring me the baby. Bring the family. You really don't need much else.

I'll take it from there.

Your session actually starts before you get here.

Before you arrive, I'm already downstairs preparing for you. I'm cleaning the studio, making sure the bathroom is ready, setting everything out, rehearsing poses and checking the setups I've planned for your baby. I want the studio to feel clean, calm and ready before you ever walk through the door.

I'll turn on some quiet music for myself, hang the Tiny Details sign and make sure everything feels the way I want it to feel when you arrive.

Then I'll usually send you a text:

No reason to hurry on my account. I'll see you when you get here.

Newborns do not care about appointment times. Neither do diaper blowouts, last-minute feedings or the general unpredictability of trying to get out of the house with a brand-new baby.

A couple of minutes late? Perfect.

Honestly, I'd much rather you be a few minutes late than twenty minutes early. I'm probably still fluffing something.

When you arrive, I'll meet you at the door.

Park right in my driveway. If your hands are full, I'll help you carry things inside, but honestly, you really don't need to bring much.

I have the wraps, blankets, outfits, props and all of the little things we'll use for your baby's photographs here in the studio. If there's something personal or sentimental you want included, absolutely bring it. Otherwise, bring your baby, whatever you normally need to feed and care for them, and yourselves.

That's pretty much it.

Then we head downstairs.

This is one of my favorite moments because I get to watch someone see the studio for the first time. The stairs light up as you walk down, there's a red carpet beneath your feet, and at the bottom you'll find a little reminder:

Welcome in. You're the star today.

I hear a lot of oohs and ahhs on those stairs. I've had parents and grandparents tell me they feel more creative just standing in the space, which might be one of my favorite compliments because that's exactly what this studio has become for me.

There are tiny props everywhere. Outfits. Bears. Handmade pieces. Photographs. Albums. Frames. All the little things I've collected and created over the years to make this space work specifically for newborn photography.

Come in. Put your stuff wherever you want.

We're not starting yet.

Seriously, what do I need to bring?

Not much.

I built and stocked this studio so you wouldn't have to pack for your newborn photography session. You do not need to bring blankets, baskets, wraps, headbands, bonnets, outfits or props unless there's something personally meaningful that you'd really like photographed.

Bring whatever your baby normally needs for feeding, a pacifier if they use one, diapers and the normal things you'd take with you when leaving the house with your baby. I also recommend an extra shirt for the adults because babies have impeccable timing when it comes to spitting up on the one thing you planned to photograph in.

If you forget something? Don't panic. Ask me. There's a pretty good chance I have it.

Baby. Family. Feeding necessities. That's really it.

First, everybody gets to settle in.

I'll usually have you put the baby's car seat somewhere I can see them, and then we talk for a while. How are you feeling? How did everything go? How's the baby doing? How has life been since we last talked?

We've probably already had a consultation and exchanged messages, but this is the first time you're standing in my studio with your baby. It's the first time you're seeing me around this tiny person you've been protecting for months.

I don't take that lightly.

We'll also walk around the studio and look at some of the finished artwork on display. Photographs look completely different when they're printed professionally, framed and physically in your hands, so I love letting families actually touch the products and see the quality before they're eventually choosing their own.

Then I'll head upstairs and wash my hands, which gives you another minute to settle in before we really begin.

When I come back down, we pick your music.

Yes, I want to listen to your music.

I have my own calm background music playing while I'm getting ready, but once you're here, I want yours.

Whatever your family listens to at home, let's put that on. I love learning what people listen to, and there's something about having familiar music playing that makes the studio feel a little more like your space instead of mine.

I also like thinking that this baby has probably heard some of those songs before. They've been hanging out with you for nine months, after all.

We'll handle any last-minute concerns too. This is usually when somebody starts worrying about what they're wearing, and we'll figure that out together. I have wardrobe options in the studio, and I can help make adjustments before we photograph anything.

If clothes are already stressing you out, I have an entire guide for that:

What to Wear for Newborn Family Photos https://www.tinydetailsphoto.com/post/what-to-wear-newborn-family-photos

We usually start with family photographs.

There's a little method behind this.

I love creating two very different, timeless looks for families—usually one lighter and one darker. Starting with family photographs also gives us the opportunity to photograph the baby unwrapped while they're still awake and content. Tiny hands, tiny feet, baby in your arms. Then later in the session, after baby has been wrapped and hopefully had a wonderful little nap, we can create a completely different family look.

It gives your finished gallery variety without relying on trends.

But there's another reason I start with the parents.

Sibling jealousy is surprisingly useful.

If I immediately start making everything about the big brother or sister, sometimes they're finished with me before I need them. Instead, they come downstairs, meet me, and then watch Mom and Dad get in front of the camera with this new baby who has recently taken over their entire household.

Suddenly I become interesting.

Wait. What are THEY doing? I want to do that.

Come on in, kiddo.

Siblings usually do much better than their parents expect.

Parents worry about siblings all the time. I hear some version of, “I have no idea how they're going to do today.”

And then, constantly, I hear:

“I had no idea my kid was going to be this good.”

My studio has a little kitchen they can play with, and I have a camera they can use to “help” me photograph their new brother or sister. There are tiny things everywhere because, frankly, what's more interesting to a kid than a hundred little bears and a teeny maraca?

My own kids play in my studio. It's designed with children in mind.

So if your child reaches for something, you don't need to spend the entire session saying, Don't touch that! Don't touch that! Don't touch that!

There are obviously things I'll redirect them from when necessary, but for the most part, I would much rather have a curious kid happily exploring my studio than a stressed-out kid who has spent two hours being told not to move.

If something inexpensive gets broken while your child is having a wonderful morning?

We'll survive.

Then I get the baby. You get the couch.

Once we move into the baby-only portion, this is where I would love for you to do whatever you want.

Sit together and scroll on your phones. Talk. Work if you really need to. Bring a board game—I had parents do that once and absolutely loved it. Watch me photograph your baby if you're fascinated by the process. Talk to me the entire time if you're awake and feeling social.

Or please, please sleep.

Sleeping parents might actually be my favorite parents.

There is something I love about taking this tiny baby you've been caring for around the clock and watching you realize that, for a little while, someone else has them.

There's a daybed-style couch right there.

Close your eyes.

I've got the baby.

What happens if the baby needs to eat?

Then the baby eats.

That's why we allow plenty of time for newborn sessions. We're not racing a clock.

I'm paying attention to your baby's cues throughout the session, and I'll usually ask when they last ate so we can work together. Over the years, I've gotten pretty familiar with the difference between a baby who's fussing because I'm changing something and a baby who's telling us they're hungry.

A lot of babies fall naturally into a rhythm for me. They're awake toward the beginning, then I wrap them, they fall asleep, and by the time I'm waking them toward the end of the session, they're getting ready to eat again.

Sometimes they have other plans.

That's fine too.

If we need to stop for a feeding, we stop. That's often when Mom and I end up talking about how things are really going anyway—how you're feeling, how feeding is going, how everyone is adjusting and what life looks like right now.

There is no lost time there.

That's part of the session too.

What if my baby won't sleep?

I need you to know something.

Awake newborn photographs are some of my absolute favorites.

Sleeping babies are beautiful. I love all those smooshy, curled-up newborn poses as much as anyone. But give me one photograph where a brand-new baby looks directly toward the camera with those huge open eyes—or, if we hit absolute gold, gives me one of those fleeting newborn smiles—and I will lose my mind over it.

Awake photographs are harder because newborns can't really focus their eyes yet. That makes getting one of those perfect little expressions even more special.

I've never personally gone through an entire newborn session without a baby eventually falling asleep, but if yours decided to be the first, we'd photograph the baby we have.

A baby's a baby.

They're going to be cute either way.

What happens if my baby pees or poops on everything?

First of all, I'm a newborn photographer.

I knew what I signed up for.

I actually keep babies diapered for much of the session, and when it's time for an undiapered photograph, I have little tricks to protect my setups—including strategically placed breast pads that have saved more blankets than I could possibly count.

For those little bare-bum photographs, I can also add some extra warmth near the baby if needed. My whole house doesn't become a sauna for your session. Babies are wrapped or covered for much of our time together, so I simply adjust the warmth around them when a setup calls for it.

Then we keep going.

Pee happens. Poop happens.

Nobody's getting kicked out.

Do I have to sit silently while you work?

Absolutely not.

I tend to take my cue from you. It's a little like getting a massage. Some people want to close their eyes and disappear for an hour, while some people want to talk the entire time.

If you want to sit quietly together, I'll get into my zone and work. If you want to watch everything I'm doing, come watch. If you want to talk, I can photograph your baby and talk to you at the same time.

I love the photography part of this, obviously, but I also genuinely love getting to know the people whose babies I'm photographing. We're becoming friends down here, and I can do both.

Things you never need to apologize for in my studio

Your kids.

That's the big one.

Don't apologize because your newborn is crying. Don't apologize because feeding is complicated. Don't apologize because your toddler is touching things, has a lot of energy or has decided today is the day to test every boundary you've ever established.

They're kids.

I know.

And please don't apologize because you don't feel “photo ready” either. This one matters to me because parents—especially brand-new moms—are so quick to decide they shouldn't be in the photographs.

I understand why.

But this is one of the rare places where I may push you a little.

These photographs cannot be recreated later. Your baby will never be this exact size again, and even if you don't feel completely like yourself yet, you were here too.

So let's take the photograph.

If you hate it, it never has to see the light of day. But if we don't take it, you can never decide ten years from now that you're incredibly grateful to have it.

And if all you're comfortable including today is your hands wrapped around your baby?

Those hands matter too.

Eventually, I have to give the baby back.

Toward the end, we'll create our final family photographs, I'll get baby dressed again, and either put them safely back into their car seat or hand them to you.

You'll start getting baby settled while we keep talking and slowly make our way toward the end of the session. Sometimes I'll even show you a photograph or two because I'm terrible at containing my excitement.

And we'll talk about your gallery reveal.

I'll remind you what happens next, when you'll see your photographs and what you can expect from me after the session. The reveal and ordering process deserves its own explanation, so we'll save that for another guide rather than turning this one into a novel.

Then I'll walk you back upstairs.

You leave with your baby.

And I go downstairs absolutely dying to look at what we just made.

Jennifer's Two Cents

There are a lot of things I want to create during a newborn session. I want beautiful photographs. I want variety. I want tiny details and meaningful pieces and the family images that are going to matter more and more as the years pass.

But there's something else I want you to leave with.

I want you to remember that for a few hours, you didn't have to be in charge of everything.

You walked into my studio carrying your newborn and all the invisible things new parents carry around with them. Then, for a little while, you handed one of those responsibilities to me.

Maybe you watched every second. Maybe we talked the entire time. Maybe you cuddled with your partner and played on your phone. Maybe you slept.

Any of those is a successful newborn session to me.

You don't need to perform here. Your baby doesn't either.

Bring me your family exactly as they are that day.

I'll photograph them from there.

Key Takeaways

• Don't rush to get here. Newborn life happens, and a few minutes late isn't going to ruin your session.

• You don't need to bring much. I have the wraps, outfits, props and photography supplies here. Bring your baby, your family and the normal necessities for feeding and caring for your baby.

• We'll settle in before we start. There's no handing over the baby at the door and immediately beginning.

• Family photographs usually come first and return again later. This gives us more variety and works beautifully with the baby's natural flow.

• Siblings are allowed to be kids. There are things for them to do, explore and even ways for them to help me.

• Once I have the baby, you can relax. Watch, talk, work, play on your phone or sleep.

• Feeding and diaper breaks are part of the session. We're not racing them.

• Awake babies are welcome. Some of my favorite newborn photographs happen when those little eyes are wide open.

• Accidents don't bother me. I photograph newborns for a living. We're prepared.

• Please get in the photograph. We never have to show an image you don't love, but we can't create this exact moment later.

• Never apologize for your children in my studio. They're allowed to be children here.

Continue Reading

I Booked My Newborn Photographer. What Happens Next?https://www.tinydetailsphoto.com/post/what-happens-after-booking-newborn-photographer

What to Wear for Newborn Family Photoshttps://www.tinydetailsphoto.com/post/what-to-wear-newborn-family-photos

Why I Ask So Many Questions Before Your Newborn Photography Sessionhttps://www.tinydetailsphoto.com/post/why-i-ask-so-many-questions-before-your-newborn-photography-session