Newborn Prep Guide

Hello Friend.

Hello! I am Lindsay, I’m a lifestyle and newborn photographer currently based in Ottawa, Illinois.

I’m passionate about what I do and love creating and capturing genuine, candid moments. I’m there to capture the joy, laughter, emotion, and beauty of your family.

I love to make my clients feel the magic in the perfectly

imperfect moments that happen everyday.

What to expect

Thank you for choosing me to capture your family's precious moments! To help you prepare for your upcoming photoshoot, I've put together this prep/style guide. I have a lot of fun getting to know my clients story and photographing this time in their lives.

My main goal is to transfer that attitude to my client - so you and if you have kids, your kids walk away loving your experience. This style guide helps alleviate the stress of what to wear with color palletes and even places to shop.

This is going to be way easier and fun than you probably expect. I start by getting to know your family before we even start photos. I sent a questionaire so I can learn your family’s story and get an idea of what vibe you are looking for. When it comes to session day, I start with hanging out and chatting with any kiddos so they get more comfortable with me and their surroundings. Once we’re ready to take photos, I follow cues on how everyone is feeling and try to make it fun! Having real life moments in front of the camera really helps keep everyone happy. Snuggling, playing and dancing can put a genuine smile on everyones face and keep things super natural to help capture the connection between one another.

Any additional information added on the questionaire notes can help me prepare to give an amazing photoshoot. If a kiddo (or husband) takes a while to warm up, I will plan time for that!

Newborn Session Information

Enjoy the Moment!

First and foremost, getting your photos should be an enjoyable experience. I know it can be stressful to figure out what to wear and plan all the things, but hopefully I can take the stress out of that for you and share ideas for What to Wear, give you session information, and help start your list of things to bring! Although styling and prep greatly enhances the photos, what matters is that your family enjoys this precious moment.

Lifestyle sessions take much of the pressure off getting photos done because they aim to capture true life moments. The look of awe in your face as you look down at your little bundle of love, the tiny fingers and toes snuggled up so close, siblings giving kissies. I tend to start with lifestyle images to get everyone comfortable and get those gorgeous natural looking images.

When Do Sessions Take Place?

Sessions take place between 4 and 20 days old. The sooner you let me know that baby has arrived, the sooner we can make sure there are date options for you within this range. I do also offer Fresh 48 sessions as well, these will not be full newborn sessions but just short in home sessions to capture baby when they are brand new. Please reach out if this is something you are interested in. Sessions are held mostly on weekend days in the early afternoon. Newborns are the most sleepy and content earlier in the day. We will find a time that fits well for everyone but the average time is 11 am so everyone can get lunch in before their session begins. I do provide snacks and water as sessions can take up to 3 hours, please plan accordingly.

On the Day of the Session:

  • Stimulate & keep baby awake for an hour or so leading up to the session.

    Keeping baby awake helps make baby extra sleepy for when the session begins. We want a nice deep sleep so posing and changing sets is a smooth process. A warm bath, talking to baby while keeping them in just their diaper can help keep them awake. If you have a long car ride, try to interact with baby as long as possible to try to keep them awake.

  • Feed baby right before the session.

    A full tummy makes a happy, sleepy baby. Feel free to feed baby on location before we begin, especially if you have a longer drive. Making sure baby is nice and full the 12 hours leading up to the session will help keep baby happy and asleep as well.

  • Dress baby in a loose outfit

    Please arrive in a loose outfit that is easy to remove. The loose fit will help keep them calm when I change them and keep any press marks off their delicate skin.

  • I recommend being able to have your older children leave once their photos are finished.

    I do family & siblings first. Sessions with siblings can be anywhere from 1.5-3 hours. This would be a long time for kids to sit still and be quiet, any bit of noise can stir baby. Have dad drive separate or have a friend or relative meet at my home studio to take siblings. Think of this as your relaxation time, I have had parents nap during sessions and I do not mind one bit.

  • Please bring a pacifier, even if baby doesn’t seem to take it

    Sucking is a soothing mechanism and can really help with settling baby when I am posing them. I totally understand if you don’t typically use pacifiers, I was never a paci person, but I did get one just for my newborn sessions!

  • The studio will be warm

    Baby’s like a warm environment, no matter the time of year. I will have the heat on to keep baby soothed and sleepy. If you run hot, please bring a back up change of clothes to stay cool.

  • There is no need to bring anything for baby to wear

    I am stocked with all the things I need to create a beautiful newborn shoot with specialty newborn props to ensure a high end look. If you have something specific you would like to include, please tell me ahead of time so I can work a set around it.

  • When baby needs a break, we will take a break.

    There’s no need to worry if baby is fussy, we will stop for feeding breaks and diaper changes. Most babies need at least one feeding during sessions. It’s hard work looking so cute! If baby is realllyyy fussy we may end up rescheduling the session. We want a relaxed baby and experience, baby could be cluster feeding or having tummy issues that just needs time to pass.

    What to Bring

  • Feeding supplies for 3+ feedings

    Sessions can be anywhere from 1 to 3 hours depending on your selected collection. Since I am moving baby around a lot there is a high possibility that they will be more hungry than usual or need more comfort feedings. Bring more than you would expect, if you are nursing you may be good to go but if you need to supplement, please plan for that. You think you are all good then bam, cluster feeding. We don’t want any hungry babies or stressed mamas on photo day!

  • Burp cloths

  • Pacifier

  • Diapers, wipes and more diapers and wipes.

  • Spare outfit for after

  • Snacks/drinks

    I do provide snacks and bottled spring water but if you have special dietary needs please bring what you need,

  • Change of clothes

    Your photo wear may not be the most comfortable, plus there is every possibility that baby will poop, pee or spit up on you. Since you will be sitting at the studio for hours, you may want a back up outfit!

  • Entertainment

    Charge your phone, bring a book, bring a blanket for a nap, whatever you want.

    What to Wear

One of the most common questions I get asked during the planning stages with my clients is "What should we wear?" Neutral earth tones work best with my editing style. They give a natural, creamy & dreamy look to the photos. If everyone wore some form of cream, black or white with pops of color, I’d be a happy camper. I am more than happy to discuss your clothing choices, help you narrow down your decision or give you a direction to focus on as well as make sure that your clothing coordinates well with the locations chosen for your photo shoot! I much prefer to see outfit selections prior to the session so I know what I’m working with.

Choose Your Pallet First

Pick a palette of 3-4 colors. Let this be your starting place. Think in terms of tones: sage tones, earth tones, neutrals, pastels, etc. Everyone in the family can express their own sense of style within the chosen color palette, and the whole group will coordinate beautifully.

Don’t Match. Coordinate.

Now this doesn’t mean everyone has to 100% match with khaki pants or jeans and a white shirt! You want to complement each other’s outfits by choosing colors that work well together. I find that if everyone is wearing the same clothing, people will all tend to blend in together and there won’t be too much pop and life to the images.

Muted tones look beautiful together in a family picture. When picking patterns, choose smaller ones that won’t pull attention away from the main subjects, and only put one person in a pattern. When thinking about texture, choose different ones that will give photos some interest such as lace, corduroy, denim, and knits.

Color Matching Ideas

Layering

One of my favorite “tips” for clothing choices! In the Summer months, this may be more difficult to pull off but during all of the other seasons, definitely layer your outfits. Not only will it provide more visual interest in each photo but it will also allow a lot more variety in your shots and can add some flowyness to draw the eye. Have a ton of images of yourself in just your dress or cute top and jeans? Throw on a little sweater or jacket and a hat and you have entirely different look.

Keep Makeup Natural

You will want to avoid using very heavy makeup, but a bit of color on your lips, eyes, and cheeks will help bring you to life in photos. Be sure to bring some lip gloss with you as well for touch ups as there may be lots of smooches in story from your partner and little ones! Bringing a comb or brush can be helpful too.

Be Timeless

For some fashionista’s, this may be a difficult concept, however you are going to want these images to stand the test of time. Pick outfits that aren’t considered too trendy, but will be able to be enjoyed and displayed for many years to come.

Plan Ahead

Make sure you have given yourself enough time to think about all of the details of your session. Plan ahead so that #1 you can truly think about your photos and everything you want out of the session, #2 you aren’t rushing and stressing out right before your session, and #3 if you have decided to go for a new look for your session or someone gets a bad haircut, you still have time to fix things if you need to.

If time allows it, more layers to add on or take off. Again, you will get a lot more variety in your shots so why not capitalize on the opportunity and get the most bang for your buck!

Shop All At The Same Store

Make coordinating family photo outfits easy by shopping at the same store or brand. It’s especially helpful when there are multiple children to dress. Just this spring, I found a dress for myself and then immediately went shopping at Just Kidding Around store in Morris. In ten minutes, I found outfits for all three of my kids! The colors not only coordinated with my dress but coordinated with each other as well.

Amazon, Target, Joyfolie, Shein, Baltic Born, H&M, Zara, Etsy, The Simple Folk, TJ Maxx Marshalls, are all good options for finding great photo outfits.

Accessorize

Accessories give your photographs that needed punch! They lend pops of color, personality, and interest. Everybody wears them well and they work for all ages.

Session Checklist

  • Set session date, time & location

  • Review guide for style tips

  • Select outfits

  • Pack a bag with extras

Your future memories are the most important thing to me, and I want your session

to be a time for you to just be yourselves and enjoy it.

Have fun together. Laugh a lot. And I’ll take care of the rest!

Special Offer

G e t d i s c o u n t s o f f p a c k a g e s w h e n y o u b o o k m u l t p l e s e s s i o n s . R e s r i c t i o n s a p p l y . P l e a s e c o n t a c t f o r d e t a i l s .

AND HOW TO WEAR THEM