Q: When is the right time to book a maternity, newborn, or fresh 48 session?
A: Well, the short answer is whenever it’s the best time for YOUR family. That said in general, I tend to be fully booked about 3 months in advance. I swear babies come in waves and some months are just more popular than others :) However, since we never know when babies will actually arrive, I always recommend checking for last minute openings! Often times multiple newborns will arrive early (or late) which means I can accommodate an extra session on short notice.
Q: Can I book online?
A: I do not have an option for online booking. Why? Well, because I think it’s important that we have a chance to chat first to make sure we are a good fit. No offense, but going to a strangers house is kind of a scary thought…and hopefully you feel the same way about inviting a stranger to your house to hold and be in charge of the most precious thing in your life! It’s a big deal, and I’d be wary of anyone that didn’t think creating initial trust is important. Also, it gives us the perfect chance to get on the same page about vision, timing, session flow, session details, and offered products in a fraction of the time it would take in back-and-forth emails! I know time your time is precious too!
Q: What are you doing in terms of covid precautions?
A: All of my newborn sessions take place from the comfort and safety of your own home, so one less worry about being in a “public” space. Many covid precautions have been a standard part of my business for the past 5 years. Such as frequent hand washing/sanitizing, thorough cleaning of everything I bring into your home (usually for newborn sessions) and rescheduling for any sign of illness. I am vaccinated and wear a KN95 mask based on current guidelines. If masks aren’t required at the time of your session, and you would prefer I wear a mask, just let me know!
A: I follow CDC and OSHA guidelines for outdoor sessions. If you prefer I wear a mask during our outdoor session as well, I’m happy to accommodate.
Q: Do you offer digital images?
A: This might sound weird, but digital images are like a security blanket to me! Having them makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing that I have properly backed up those priceless memories for my family. Because they are important to me, I believe they are important to my clients as well. All purchased products (heirloom albums, storybox, wall art, etc.) include the digital negatives of the corresponding images.
Q: What if I only want digital images?
A: What I’ve found over the years is that every family likes to enjoy their memories in their own special way. My family, for example, loves cuddling up on the couch and flipping through albums together. My kids’ faces absolutely light up reliving all our special moments. But albums aren’t for everyone, and that’s okay. My purpose is to capture these fleeting and priceless moments for families, and if digital is your thing (or you like to DIY products), I offer digital only collections as well.
Q: Do you charge extra to include more people?
A: For a typical family session or newborn session, no. I have a large family myself, and I get really annoyed when I see up-charges for more than 5 people. However, the session fee for an extended family session (with multiple families) is different.
Q: Speaking of family members, we’ve had our dog for years, and he/she is an important part of our family. Do you include pets?
A: Do I ever! I love working with animals and family is family!
Q: How much should I expect to spend on my session?
A: This is a hard question to answer until I know more about your family and how you plan to enjoy your images. I do my best to offer options to fit most families needs and wants! Typically families spend between $1500 and $5000.
Q: What exactly is a fresh 48?
A: A fresh 48 session is a newborn session that generally takes place within 48 hours after baby(ies) arrive. This could be in a hospital, birth center, or even in your own home. These sessions tend to be more lifestyle (moments as they happen) in nature, with gentle guiding to ensure everyone looks their best. We can also incorporate personal items in these sessions, but due to the nature of the environment and time since birth, these sessions are very different than a typical in home newborn session (which is why many families choose to book both session types).
Q: Where are your newborn sessions?
A: While many photographers offer either studio sessions or in home lifestyle sessions, I believe it’s a huge benefit to my clients to offer both from the convenience of your home! That’s right, no packing up all the baby stuff, wrangling toddlers (or husbands,lol) to spend the day in a hot studio…did I mention right after you had a baby??!?! Since we are essentially doing 2 sessions (posed studio and lifestyle), I always plan on around 4 hours for an in home newborn session. I wrote a blog post a while ago on why I love offering in home newborn sessions, which you can find here The Benefits of an In-home Newborn Session
Q: How old should baby(ies) be for their newborn session?
A: Traditionally, newborn sessions take place between 7-14 days after baby arrives. This is when they are still very sleepy and love being curled up into womb like poses <3 Which is why reserving your session before birth is recommended. For babies that spend time in the NICU, we’d plan the session for after baby arrives home and use adjusted age. Of course, not every family takes the same journey to bringing home baby, and there are lots of reasons why this may not be the best fit for your family. I am happy to provide newborn sessions to babies of any age and we would plan the session to meet your vision with realistic expectations discussed during our design consultation. Age is only one piece of the posing puzzle and every baby is unique, so no matter the age I always follow baby’s lead.
Q: Can I incorporate personal items during my session?
A: Of course! I really enjoy creating images with a personal significance to families. Some families have special quilts, outfits, heirloom jewelry, sports memorabilia, etc, and it’s my pleasure to incorporate these in the most beautiful way possible! I find it’s best to have 1 or 2 items at most, to ensure we can also capture images similar to what you see on my website and what initially drew you to my services. If you only want images with personal items, that’s always an option as well, all of this will be reviewed during our pre-session design consultation so we make sure your session is completely tailored to your vision!
Q: Do you have a list of other perinatal providers that you recommend?
A: Yes, I’ve had the pleasure of working with many providers in all sorts of industries (think Midwives, Doulas, Lactation Consultants, Sleep Consultants, Nutritionists, Pre/Post Baby Fitness Trainers, etc.). Check out my provider spotlight for more details here (coming soon)