Prepping for your in-home newborn session with Redrock Portrait Design

COVID update: We will be wearing a mask during your entire newborn session (unless you tell us otherwise), and washing our hands before we get started with the photo shoot. Please let us know if you or anyone in your house hold does not feel well, and we will do the same. We will reschedule your session if either house hold has any sick family members. Our goal is to keep everyone safe and healthy! Thank you!

Congratulations on your new baby! We are so honored you chose redrock portrait design to be your newborn photographer! We know you have many choices when it comes to photography, and we couldn't be more excited you chose us. Photographing the connection and love between you and your brand new baby gives us so much joy. We incorporate the perfect mixture of lifestyle and light posing into our sessions. Our use of natural light and an easy approach has established us as a leading Denver in-home newborn photographer. We are committed to growing with our clients, allowing us to create photography to be cherished for a lifetime.

Here are some tips and tricks that will help you have a successful newborn session:

• Just before we arrive to your home, please turn your heat up, or your air conditioning off (depending on the time of year, of course). It is important to have it warm and cozy for a sleeping baby.

• Feed your baby. Baby should finish up feeding approximately 30 minutes prior to our arrival if possible. If baby is not finished feeding, just let them continue. It's better to have a fully fed and happy baby. Then it's time to sleep!

• Make sure you keep baby in a diaper only, (no clothes), so they will be easy to wrap without disturbance once we arrive. You may wrap baby in a blanket or loose swaddle, and let them fall asleep.

• White noise will be a perfect addition to the session! Weather you have a sound machine, or an App (Sleep Baby Sleep is one of our favorites), or some music or the tv on, background noise can be so helpful! When it's too quiet, any little noise or movement could startle your baby easily.

• If your baby is used to a pacifier or bottle, have those on hand. We find the hospital pacifiers (Soothie- the rubber ones that you can stick your finger in) work the best!

• Most importantly, try to keep calm. Babies reflect on our energy so it's important not to stress about this photoshoot, or anything else that may be going wrong or not according to plan. The calmer and more relaxed we are, the more so baby will be :)

• Ultimately this is your baby and you know them best!

Here's what you can expect during your in-home newborn session:

• This session will last approximately 1.5-2 hours, so get cozy! Feel free to relax while we are photographing your baby, or eat lunch if you need to! Please make yourself comfortable!

• We will be bringing things with us to your home, including baskets, furs and blankets, swaddles and headbands. The only thing you need to worry about is supplying the clothes for you, your spouse and any older siblings. We have everything for baby! If you'd like to add anything to the photo's, just let us know!

• We will start with photos of the entire family together, this way if you have older kids, they will be fresh and ready to go when we arrive. Second will be baby and sibling photos, followed by each parent individually with the baby, and finally the baby solo.

• We do our best to use all natural light in our photography sessions which means we use the best lit room in your home. Most of the time the best light will be in the upstairs of your home, but could also be the living room or any other random areas of the home. Please try to have the rooms de-cluttered, but we may do some furniture arranging. We will choose the bedroom with the brightest light and most neutral bedding. If the bedrooms don't have great light, we will opt for the living room or another space in the home next to some windows.

• It is 100% okay if Baby needs to eat mid photo's. This is totally normal so please don't feel bad! We would rather we take some time to stop and feed baby rather than try to force an unhappy baby into cute photo's.

For mom, dad and siblings:

You are a huge part of this photoshoot, so be prepared to be in lots of photo's! Photographing the connection between you and your new baby is one of our very favorites. There is nothing better than seeing the love you all have for this baby, and being able to capture it through our lens. This is a once in a lifetime moment, and we're here to ensure you will be able to look back at these memories for a lifetime.

One of the biggest questions we get asked is, what to wear! We love the look of neutrals, simple patterns, layers, and textures! Best advice- moms choose your outfit first, then coordinate the family around you. If you need help, send us some ideas and options and we're more then happy to help! The most important thing is that you are comfortable in how you look in whatever you choose to wear. Since we will be getting cozy in your photo's, it usually looks best to be barefoot. Your nails and jewelry will show in the photo's, so don't forget your wedding rings, or any other important jewlery. Remember to remove digital watches if you don't want them in the photos.

For siblings- We completely understand that they will probably be shy at first or have a limited amount of time for cooperation. We try to form a connection with them before we jump right into photos. If we can at least talk a little first, usually the better they are for us in front of the camera. We're not opposed to bribing with toys, food or candy, just let us know what we can do to help! Sibling photo's will be quick, We understand their short attention span. Our goal is to get a family photo with everyone first and foremost, the sibling & baby (if they'll let us) a photo with just mom & kids, and a photo with just dad & kids, (again, if that'll let us :))

Don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything or have questions about anything! We're happy to help!

See you at your session :)

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Here's a look at just a few of the wraps and headbands I will bring with me to your session: