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Tips for a Successful Newborn Session

2/25/2016

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Let's pencil you in!
Contact your photographer (that's me!) prior to your due date, preferably during your second trimester, so that I can ensure I've saved some time for you in my calendar. Once your precious little bundle of joy has joined the world outside your womb, contact me again and we will book you in for a specific date and time.

When is a newborn not a newborn?
These sessions are only considered to be "newborn" sessions when done during the first 14 days of your child's life. The most optimal time to do it is between days 3 and 7 when your child sleeps nearly all day long, but you've had some time to recover and adjust after delivery. Ultimately, however, the day we schedule your session will be up to you; just understand, however, that the longer we wait, the more difficult it will be to achieve those iconic "newborn" poses.

Party of five?
Consider who you would like to be in the photos. Will it just be your new baby, or will the parents and/or siblings be joining in? Knowing who is going to be involved and roughly how old they are is important so that I can more efficiently plan a workflow of how we're going to progress through the session.

No "pillow scars," please!
You know how, when your face lands on a discarded sweater after you pass out on the couch in a pregnancy-induced coma, you sometimes end up with weird creases across your face? I call these "pillow scars." But of course you can get them from contact with just about anything! Even your baby will have these temporary indents in their skin from wearing tight little diapers and newborn outfits. But we don't want those lines showing up in your photos, so it's best to please loosen your baby's clothing and diaper at least 30 minutes in advance of the session.
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Zzzzzzzzzz...
We'd like for most of your images to be shot while your baby is in a deep, relaxed sleep. For this reason, it's a good idea if you do what you can to ensure your baby is fairly exhausted leading up to the session. Be careful not to deprive them of too much sleep, however, as sleep is super important to your baby's development.

Milk Coma
Babies sleep better with a full tummy, so please try to schedule a feed as close to the beginning of your session as possible. 

Keep it down!
If you're bringing family members, especially other children, along to your newborn session, please ensure they are able to remain fairly quiet for the duration of the session. Not only will sudden, loud noises wake your sleeping baby, but they could very well startle your baby into a fit of tearful wailing. White noise, however, can be extremely helpful as it reminds your baby of what the world sounded like from within your womb. I will be playing white noise softly for the duration of your newborn session to help keep your baby nice and calm.
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Crank up that heat!
Newborn babies like to be warm. Really warm. So for this reason I will have the heat cranked up! Please be sure that you and anyone else you bring along is dressed appropriately so that you're not feeling uncomfortably hot.

Patience, young Padawan
Above all else, patience is key. Newborn photo sessions can take anywhere from two to four hours, depending on how well your baby sleeps and poses. It's important that you not schedule anything important directly after your session so that you feel as little stress to finish as possible. You'll be able to make yourself at home, indulge in some coffee or tea, and just enjoy watching your new little bundle of joy. Don't worry if your baby completely refuses to sleep; wide-eyed babies full of wonder at this new world around them are simply gorgeous and can make for breathtaking photos.
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In safe hands
Your baby's safety is always our NUMBER ONE priority. I will never put your child in danger. There are definitely a lot of poses and props out there that look like a child could be in danger, and many amateur photographers will attempt to replicate these photos in a dangerous manner. Fortunately, I am adept at what's called "compositing" images: digitally combining two or more images to make a single picture. It's in this way the professionals are able to get that iconic "froggy" pose, or make it look as though a baby is hanging in a blanket suspended from a delicate tree branch. If at any point you ever feel uncomfortable with something I'm doing, please speak up!

Poop happens!
With your consent, some photos will be taken while your child is not wearing a diaper. Don't worry; your baby's privates will not be visible in any photos. Sometimes during this part of the session your baby will
poop and/or pee. Please don't worry or feel embarrassed about that; everything your baby comes into contact with is something I am 100% comfortable cleaning the poop and pee off of. In fact, everything is cleaned prior to and directly after each newborn session, regardless of whether your child decides to paint it yellow. 

So many props, so little time...
We have a selection of cheesecloth wraps, hats, headbands, buckets, baskets, blankets, crowns, etc. for you to choose from. I strongly believe that, for these photos, less is more. The more stuff you add to the setup of a photo, the more that stuff detracts from the main subject: your adorable little baby. That said, these are YOUR photos, and I am here to give you what YOU want! I begin preparing my work flow of your session weeks in advance, so if you want to add in props of your own or have any specific ideas you'd like me to capture, please discuss them with me well in advance.

M.O.M.: Milk-O-Matic
Sometimes when your baby is fussing, it's because they can smell Mom's milk, and they WANT THAT. Moms, I may ask you to step out of the room (don't worry, it's open concept) to give your baby time to calm down and fall asleep. ​​​
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What to Wear

2/25/2016

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Planning what to wear is one of the most difficult parts of planning your photo session, whether it's for a group or just for yourself. The following tips are sure to get you on track for a relaxed, relatively stress-free session.

1. Plan ahead: Don't leave planning until the last minute. It can be super stressful to realize you just don't have coordinating outfits for all the members of your photo session, and that you've got all of thirty minutes to shop!
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2. Choose the outfit for the most difficult-to-dress group member first: If there's someone in your group session who is particularly difficult to find clothes for, you may find it easier to choose their outfit before choosing the others. This could be a pregnant woman, a very tall individual who has difficulty finding long enough pants, the sister with hair coloured so boldly you can see it for miles, or the stubborn teenager who refuses to wear anything but moody band t-shirts. Once you've got that person's outfit figured out, the rest should be relatively easy to decide on.
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3. Wear what you love: You know what styles, cuts and colours you look best in. Are you a guy who loves to wear purple? I want you to rock it during your session! When you feel confident in how you're dressed, it really shows.
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4. Time and location: If you're doing an outdoor session, consider the location you're in, as well as the time of year. Is it a grey, urban setting? Green and natural? If you're doing an indoor studio session, what kind of backdrop are you using? Abstract, modern, traditional? If you're headed outdoors, what is the weather typically like at that time of year? If it's late autumn you may want to avoid the sleeveless dress in favour of a cool jean jacket. When you're uncomfortable, it shows. These factors may affect your decision regarding what colours, textures and styles of clothes to wear.
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5. Matchy-matchy is out, coordinating is in: It's very common to see everyone in a family session dressed in blue jeans and black t-shirts, black slacks and white button-up shirts, etc. But something strange happens when you dress this way. Everyone starts to sort of blend together into one familial blob. At Studio Andronico, I want to make every individual's personality pop. It's one of my all time favourite things about being a photographer, after all! Find coordinating colours (you'll find some tips below). If you do want everyone to wear the same colours, try using different textures and patterns to make individuals stand out. This adds great depth to your photographs and makes them more personal and unique.

6. Coordinating colours: Most artists are fairly familiar with the colour wheel and how to choose coordinating colours from it to suit their needs. But not everyone is an artist, and that's where these details come in handy!
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Complementary Colours: Complementary colours are directly opposite each other on the colour wheel. This creates great contrast and really makes the chosen colours pop.
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Split Complementary Colours: Remember those complimentary colours we just talked about? Split complementary colours are similar in that they're on opposite sides of the colour wheel and have great contrast; only this time, instead of two colours directly opposite, you choose one colour, and then the two colours on either side of that colour's complementary colour. The result is a contrast that's a little more easy on the eyes.
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Triadic Colours: As the name suggests, you choose three colours that form a triangle on the colour wheel. This is still quite contrasty, like the complimentary and split complementary colours, but more toned down and even easier on the eyes.
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Tetradic Colours: This is great if you want to be bold. You're choosing two sets of complementary colours, forming a perfect square on the colour wheel.
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Analogous Colours: Three side-by-side colours on the colour wheel. This is much more natural-feeling than the contrast you'd get with the above colour schemes, since you will often find these colours together in nature, whether in flowers, forests, deserts, oceans, etc.
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Monochromatic Colours: This is varying shades of the same colour. Pretty simple and classic.

If you still need help coming up with ideas, feel free to ask me or check out this super handy website, Design Seeds, for inspiration!
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    Julie Andronico

    Mom, wife, artist, entrepreneur.

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