How long should I book the session and how many pictures will I get?

First thing first. It is about quality, not quantity. I cannot promise you that you will get X numbers of pictures after the session but I can promise you that you will get some nice pictures that you want to hang on your wall.

As for the duration of a session. I think 1 hour session maybe too short. In all my shoots, 100% of the time the baby made a fussy during the session. Then the parents would rush to the next outfit change, instead of spending some quiet time to calm the baby. That made the baby even more fussy. It is a downward spiral.

On the other hand, I think 3 hours is too long. Unless you have a large family and a long shoot list, you don't really need 3 hours. Everyone will be bored and tired after a couple hours of shooting.

Therefore, I think the optimal length for a session is 2 hours. It gives enough for a few outfit changes. Some quiet time to calm the baby when we need it. Time to feed the baby when he/shes gets fussy. For  calm babies, I should be able to cover everything the parents want in 1.5 hours. For others, a 2-hour session give enough buffer and no one needs to rush. And of course, I will stay as long as I can to get the good pictures for you.

 

Pictures with the siblings

If you have more than one kid, you probably want to have some pictures of the baby with the brother(s)/sister(s). 

The older the siblings, the easier to get them to cooperate. However, in a typical family, the siblings most likely are just 1 to 3 years older. 1 to 3 year-old kids are the most difficult subject to photograph. They are mobile. They are full of energy. And they don't listen to instruction. They want to do whatever they want, whenever they want. 

Girls are a little easier than boys. You can dress them up and they will sit still for a few minutes.

But it still depends on their personality. As a parent, you should know them better than I do but I don't recommend the parents to force the kids to do what they don't want to do. No one will be happy afterward. If they don't want to do it, just move on. We wasted so much time trying to get this brother to pose with the baby. Unless you really want their picture together. Maybe it is better off to use the time for something else.

 

Not only being uncooperative, something they can be disruptive. 

We ended up having dad to take the brother out for a car ride while I was doing the photo shoot with mom and baby. With a stroke of luck, they Facetime us to see if we were done and I got this cute family picture for them.

All the cute sibling pictures you see online, they just got lucky. My advice is: set your expectation properly. Expect the un-expected. Don't fixate on a particular pose or setup and just go with the flow. Trust me and I will help you create some beautiful images of your growing family.

How to enjoy your photos

 

After your photo session, I usually will deliver your images within a week. You will get a link to a password-protected gallery, which you can easily share with your friends and family.

You can then download the images on your computer and/or phone. You can use them as your background. However, I think the best way to enjoy the pictures everyday is to print them, frame them, and hang them on a wall. You can print the images on your own printers or at any lab but you can also order prints directly from the gallery. Just click "Buy Photo" at the lower right hang corner of the picture.

Next you will get this side bar:

You can order different types of prints. Browse around and see what you like. When you click "Paper Prints," you can order different sizes of the print.

My customers often ask me what size of print they should order. Here are the steps I take:

1. Decide which wall I want to hang the picture.
2. Look for a frame that may look good with the picture. I usually get my frames from IKEA. Their price is low and their frames look pretty good. You can also find some nice frame from Target. I usually buy frames locally because I can return them easily if they don't look good on my wall.
   
3. I get the frame and try it on the wall and see if the size of the frame looks good on that wall.
4. Then I order the size of the print that fit that frame.
5. Put the print on the frame, hang the frame, and enjoy.

Here is the choices of frames at IKEA.

 

For images that I love, I use custom framing. This can cost hundreds of dollars. However, I can have custom size and material. If you are going to hang the picture on a prime location, you may want to use a really nice frame but you can still use the above steps to figure out the size.

Another advantage with custom frame is you can use UV-protected glass. This is important if you are going to hang the picture on a wall that gets a lot of sun light.

Another nice option is to do a canvas print. Search around and you may find some discount, so you can try it out without spending a lot of money. I have gotten this print free from Canvas People. 

Metal print is also a nice way to show off the picture and you can order from my site.

 

I have also gotten one before. It looks really nice but it can be very expensive.

There are so many options to display your pictures. Experience them and see what you like. If you want to order print from your gallery and if you don't see the "Buy Photos," just let me know.

Info on newborn photo session

  

Here is a list of blog posts that give you more info on my newborn photo session and my approach to it:

• So you want to have a newborn photo shoot
• My setup for on location newborn session
  
• Newborn baby poses and props
• How long should I book the session and how many pictures will I get
  
• Magic Moment
• Pictures with the siblings
  
• How to enjoy your photos
  

 We can discuss what you expect after you get some ideas. Just contact me.

Magic moment

 

This picture is by Lola Melani. I have multiple clients wanted the same pose. However, I told my clients that I can put them in that pose but we may not be able to get the same "feel." The picture captured the "moment" between those two couple and we may not be able to capture the same. We can try but we need to go with the "flow."

So I would start my clients with the similar pose and then I let the magic happen. Here is an example on how I like to let it "flow" and let the pose "evolve."

So my advice is: don't fixate on a particular pose. Just let it evolve and watch for the magic moment(s). Keep moving and shifting. We may not be able to have picture with that exact pose but we will have good pictures of that magic moment.

Newborn baby poses and props

Congratulations on your new baby. Now you want have some pictures taken to capture this bundle of joy

"What props do you have?" This is the question 99% of my clients asked. My answer is always the same: "I have a basket and a fur but I prefer my clients to use their own props, especially during the pandemic." Here is a picture of my prop:

These days you can get pretty much anything from Amazon and get it shipped in less than a week. Here is an example.

And here are some props that my clients used during the shoot.

You can do it even with just a simple hat. The point of photo shoot is to capture the precious moment of this new life. So don't worry too much about what prop(s) to use, just enjoy the moment.

So you want to have a newborn photo shoot

First, you need to decide when you want the pictures to be taken? Do you want to have the pictures taken when the baby is just a few days old? Do you want to have the pictures taken to capture the baby's milestone (1 month old, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year old)?

If you want to have the pictures taken when the baby is a few days old. You need to start planning before the baby is born. You need to research and book the photographer at least 2 weeks to a months ahead. There are so many Covid babies now and the photographer you want may not be available and you don't want to lose that "newborn look" window. I recommend to take the pictures when the baby is between 7 to 10 days old. The baby still has the "newborn look" but the immune system is a little stronger. Also, after a week, you should know your baby's schedule and we can shoot around that. Although babies at this age just eat, poop and sleep, they can still be fussy when there is a stranger in the house. So for a 2-hour session, you should expect to have just about 30 minutes of good shooting time. Plan your session ahead, so we can make sure we capture what you want during the limited time.

Whether the session is for a newborn or a 6-month old, I encourage my clients to start a mood board on Pinterest.  They can share the pictures they like with me and I can plan on how to capture them for their baby. You can get some ideas from the one I have here.

Once you have an idea on what you want, you can start gathering props and clothes for the shoot. You can get pretty much everything you want from Amazon. You can also try your local Target and Walmart or any baby clothing stores. I have a post that talks about what I have, you can check it out here.

The next step to prepare for the session is to create a shot list. Since the time is limited in a session, we want to make sure we don't miss anything during the shoot. You can create a list of shots that you want with the combinations of these items:

• list of clothes
• list of props
  
• list of people
• list of locations

You are now ready, so sit back and enjoy. 

By the way, the mood board, the shot list, etc, are just a guideline. How well the shoot goes depends 100% on the baby and 90% chance the baby will not cooperate. We will use Plan B, C, D or whatever it takes to capture some good pictures of your baby.

My setup for on location newborn session

"What kind of props do you have?" 

"Can you bring some costumes for the shoot?"

"Do you have any backdrop?"

I get asked these questions at least once a day. My answer is always: I have a basket and a fur but I prefer my client to use their own props/costumes, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Even during the normal time, using your own props/costumes is good way to protect the health of your newborn baby.

Here is the basket and the fur that is available for the shoot if you want:

 

 

For the background, I have a white blanket (as seen above) that I normally use. As long as you have enough space, I can set up the shoot and make it look good. Here are some of my setups:

 

Photo taken using the above setup

Even just with 2 chairs and a blanket (all provided by the client)

 

Photo taken using the above setup

You can find a lot of interesting stuff from Amazon. Just do a "baby props" search. Here are the search results. One of my clients got everything she wanted for this photo there.

You can also get a lot of interesting clothes or costumes from Target or Walmart or any of your local baby stores. You just need to prepare, plan ahead and knowing what you want. Here is an example of what my client planned:

I will provide more tips in future posts. Follow my blog and check back later.