SESSION GUIDE

 
 
 
 
 

Thank you so much for choosing me to be your babies photographer! I consider myself truly lucky to be around these little munchkins all the time.

This guide is designed to help you get the most out of your session. Please read this thoroughly, it’s in your best interests, I promise!
Feel free to let me know if something is not clear or you have any questions.


STUDIO ADDRESS:

626 Springs Road, Prebbleton

However, please note that the entrance is on Trents Road. We have a wooden sign on the corner to signal where to turn, plus a wee swing sign on the entrance. When you arrive, you can drive right up onto the property as there is plenty of parking. The entrance to the studio is on the front left-hand side of the building.

We highly recommend coming via Springs Road as Shands Road is partially closed due to roadworks right now.

You can text me on 021 277 1987 if you’re running late, but don’t stress over 5-10 minutes. If you are running more than 30 minutes late we may have to reschedule. If you arrive early, please don’t come in until your session time as we may still be setting up.

 
 
 
 
 
 

WHAT TO EXPECT

  • Your session will run for around 40-60 minutes for baby on their own, or anywhere between 1-2 hours if we are also doing sibling and/or family shots.

  • You will have access to my full selection of little dresses, knitted rompers, headbands and props for baby, along with wardrobe for older siblings. Let me know if you see anything in particular that you’d like.

  • Babies often don’t have a very long attention span, so for this reason I try to shoot as fast as possible and we can usually only allow for a couple of outfit and backdrop changes. Let us know if you’d also like some nudie shots so we can plan for the best time to do this - usually towards the end of the session.

  • My sessions are 'baby led', which basically means that we roll with whatever your baby is comfortable with, and we will often capture of mixture of posed and documentary-style personality shots.

  • If your baby is confident with strangers, I find it is best if mum and dad stand back to start. This way me and my assistant can easily get your babies full attention so that they're looking directly into the camera. But of course we will start switching out faces to keep baby entertained, and also might need more hands wrangling if they’re on the move.

  • A week or two after the session you will be able to view an unedited gallery of the best images from the session. We can either organise a time for you to come back and view them in person (ideal if you think you’ll find it hard and need some help to decide), or we can send them to you in a watermarked online gallery to choose your favourites. From here you will be able to choose your favourite images to be edited.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

HOW TO PREPARE

  • Have a think and let me know roughly how many images you would like, and let me know at the start of the session so I know what I’m aiming for.

  • If there is anything special you would like your baby dressed in simply bring them to the session dressed in that outfit, along any significant items you want to include, such as shawls or special teddies.

  • Bring along some food (bottle, non-messy snacks, water etc.) to keep them going.

  • Bring along any favourite toys that make them smile, and also your own teething toy for them to chew on during breaks.

  • Don’t take them swimming (or any other tiring activity) before their session. Just give them a nice relaxed morning for best results.

  • Ideally get your baby to have a nap before their session so that we can get them in the best possible mood.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

PARENTS

  • Be prepared to get close.
    It may feel a bit strange being so close at first, but it photographs beautifully when you’re all connected. I’ll often simply move your heads and arms to where I want them, so just let me know beforehand if you’re not comfortable with being touched. We will likely shoot these towards the end of the session.

  • Dress in something cohesive.
    While you don’t all have to be perfectly matching, you ideally want to both be wearing shirts of a similar style and tone. Take into consideration which colour backdrop you prefer – as lighter warm tones tend to look better on our signature cream, while blues, greys and cooler tones look better on our stone white, and darker clothes tend to look better on our rich brown. We love texture, so lace and wool tops. Avoid wearing any logos or loud patterns as these will stick out in the photo. You can both bring along a couple options along if you aren’t sure, as there is a bathroom to change in.

  • Clean and trim your nails.
    Please ensure that both of you have clean nails as they will make their way into the photos, and we may also use them for newborn poses on the beanbag. If you paint your nails, apply a solid, fresh coat a day or two before to avoid chips.

  • Avoid fake tanning.
    The undertones of fake tan doesn’t photograph well, especially next to the skin of your baby/children.

 
 
 
 
 
 

SIBLINGS

  • Sibling shots will be the first thing we do.
    This is simply because it’s often the most important photo for you, and we like to take advantage of their shyness (aka stillness) when they first arrive.

  • Make sure they’ve had a good meal before they come
    They need a lot of energy to get through all photos that we do! Also bring along some non-messy snacks to give them halfway if they need it.

  • Older sisters.
    I have a large range of beautiful dresses in the studio for girls up to 9 years old. If she’s older than 10, bring her along dressed in case we can’t fit her. If you have time, putting a curl though your girls hair can look really nice and make her feel a bit special for the day.

  • Older brothers.
    We can dress boys around 1-5 years, but our selection is limited and we don’t have anything matching for two boys, so you may want to bring them along photo-ready. Dress them in a snug pair of brown pants or tan shorts with a nice top.

  • We can also take individual portraits for siblings.
    Let me know if you interested in one or two of these as they only take a few extra minutes to do between the sibling and family shots, and it’s nice for them to have their own photos.

  • Family photos will follow if you are doing a large family session.
    Straight after we have done sibling and individual shots, we will start on the family photos. Keep in mind that it’s completely normal for these to take a while, so be prepared to be patient and understanding with your little ones. If you also want some nice individuals of just you with all your kids (or one-on-one shots with each of them), we can absolutely do these too, as long as the kids are up for it. We can also do generational shots, but please let us know before the session.

  • You may want to have your partner take them away for the rest of the session.
    If your little one has toddler or preschool aged siblings, you may want to have your partner or other family member take them down the park (just two doors down from our studio) for 20 minutes or so while we capture some portraits of baby on their own. This is just as sometimes the older kids can get a bit restless and ready to go after we have done the sibling and/or family shots. So if they are jumping about it best to take them away for that we can focus on baby, and it will help both you and baby to feel more relaxed.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

PRINTS & FRAMES

Our packages include your high resolution digital files. From here you are welcome to print and share as you please. You are more than welcome to print anywhere you like. But If you are wanting something that will last a lifetime and is printed and framed by myself with museum quality materials, check out our online shop.

We have a hand-picked selection of the worlds most beautiful designs, which you can view online here and in the studio during when you come in.