La Bella Sole Staff

Newborn Boot Camp with La Bella Sole Photography

Remember all of these are suggestions and are never required!

OUR STUDIO IS LOCATED IN NORTH OGDEN UTAH

WHEN TO PHOTOGRAPH:

5-15 Days Old

(Don't worry if baby spent time in the NICU, we can still get great shots of your little one!)

Newborns are best photographed within the first two weeks of life. The best age for a successful newborn session is 5-15 days old, as they are still sleepy and flexible! They are not super alert, and do not mind going into those poses we all love. If you are wanting a newborn session and your little one is outside of this window, we can still get great images, it just might be a little more time consuming. But please remember, we will NEVER force baby to do anything that he or she doesn't want to do, or can't do.

THINGS TO DO:

Be Prepared for your newborn photoshoot

Breastfed Babies: If nursing, try to avoid eating anything spicy or anything that will cause gas and might upset baby’s tummy for 24 hours preceding your scheduled session. A gassy baby will not pose well during the session due to their little tummy being upset. Try drinking a smoothie 1-2 hours before your session. This is a trick I did with my little ones to help them sleep though the night. The smoothy will change the consistency of your milk, and make it a little thicker. So they stay fuller, longer! (you’re welcome! )

Keep Them Awake: Interact with and keep baby awake for 1-2 hours before your session to ensure he/she is good and sleepy for the session. This is very important. Without this, we spend too much time getting them to sleep and not as much time photographing them. Stimulating baby with a warm bath before the session usually does the trick! - But remember, our job is to get your baby nice and sleepy for their session.

Dress Easy: Dress baby in loose fitting clothes to avoid any lines on baby’s skin and to also avoid disturbing baby when getting undressed. A simple sleeper is best. Please avoid onesies or anything that has to be pulled off over baby’s head. Loosen diaper tabs prior to the session can also be helpful. Or you can even put them in the car seat naked (with a diaper on of course. LOL, that could get messy quick without one.) with blankets tucked around them for warmth and comfort. This is of course not a requirement.

Pacifiers: Bring a pacifier if possible – they can be very helpful during the session! The few hours that we will be with your babies will not cause any type of confusion for your newborn. Babies find sucking soothing, and this will help us get the images you are wanting.

Turn Up The Heat: Our studio will be around 85 degrees for your newborn photo session. (sorry Mom and Dad.) We know that this sounds nuts, but trust me, these littles like it warm. This is why we do parent shots and sibling shots 1st. Then you can take off those uncomfortable layers so that you are not so hot during the rest of the session.

Accessorize: Grab any special blankets, mementos, toys, stuffed animals, hats, etc that you think you might want to include in the session. There is no guarantee that we can use all that is there, but it is good to have out just in case! If there is nothing that you are wanting to bring, that is ok. We have a fully stocked studio for your newborns. (during your design session you will pick items and colors for us to use)

THINGS TO KNOW:

Be Informed

Nakie Baby: Your newborn will be photographed in his/her birthday suit for the majority of the session. (This is not always the case for location sessions.) Please know that we pay careful attention to ensure private parts are not exposed in any photos. Clothes tend to be bulky and awkward. If you would prefer clothed images, we have a many options for you as well.

Safety is Key: We will NEVER put your sweet baby’s safety at risk. Any and all poses attempted are well practiced and baby’s well being is kept at first priority at all times. All of our newborn photographers and assistants have had extensive newborn posing and safety training. Your babies safety is ALWAYS our number one concern.

Keeping it Clean: After every session we sanitize props and wash all clothing, wraps, bonnets etc. that were used during the session or use UV lights to sanitize those items that can not be washed. We also sanitize our entire studio before and after each session. So if you come in and it smells clean, this is why, we just cleaned up. All of our cleaners and detergents are baby safe, and sent and allergy free. We also will clean the air and diffuse soothing organic "sniff goods" into the air to help with the calming of your newborn baby.

Don’t Fret: Baby’s cry, poop, pee, and spit up! We are used to it! We know specific techniques to soothe babies when crying. Trust that we will hand baby over if they are truly upset, and know that we will trust your parental instincts too! Do not worry about out blankets, backdrops or props involved in messy accidents. This is normal, and we don’t think we can tell you how many times we’ve been pooped on! (honestly, let them get it out and they sleep much so much better!) We always joke that we need a sign that says "Poo Happens Here".

Slow & Steady: We spend a lot of time getting every little finger and toe positioned perfectly when photographing your little bundle. First and foremost, it is important to us for your baby look (and are) comfortable and peaceful in the photographs and for each image to be a piece of art. Our motto is quality over quantity when dealing with newborns. It may seem like we are moving at a snails pace, and you may be afraid we won’t get in enough poses, but baby's work better when there is little stress or movement and they can relax. Our workflow is designed to help move baby as little as possible to help them stay nice and cozy.

Time: The session will be anywhere from 2- 4 hours depending on how cooperative baby is. This leaves room for changing, feeding, and soothing breaks! We work on your little ones time schedule, not ours. They will let us know if it is time for a break. - And we listen to them. But don't worry, you will be cozy on the couch watching Amazon Prime.

Poses: Please keep in mind that not all babies will cooperate or do all the requested different poses. We will always attempt to get the poses that you would like. However, if we attempt and the baby just will not do that pose. We will move on. (We usually will attempt each pose 3 times before moving on, unless we can tell baby just really isn't happy about that pose.)

Different types of images: With our sessions we offer a few types of "sets". Bean bag poses- where we pose baby on a blanket that lays over our newborn stand. Prop poses - Where we put baby inside or on top of a prop such as a bucket or bowl etc. Parent or sibling shots - these are usually done at the beginning of session and baby most of the time is wrapped for these images. Helping to avoid accidents on your clothes Mom and Dad. :)

Would you LOVE more info on our newborn sessions? We would love to bring your in for a Newborn Photo Session Consultation. Of course there is no cost to you for this meeting, and you will be sent home with lots of other tips and ticks to ensure a successful newborn photo shoot. -We can't wait to meet you!