Your newborn portraits will be taken at my studio located about 15 minutes from Downtown Carmel.

I recommend you reserve a spot for your baby at least 4 months in advance of your due date to ensure I have openings available.  We will put a tentative date on the schedule that will be based on your due date. However, if your baby has already arrived, please call me at the studio and I’ll see if I can work him in.

I find that the best newborn photographs are taken within the first three weeks of birth.  However, I can take beautiful pictures of your new baby regardless of her age, so if you’ve missed the first-three-week window, don’t panic!

Session length varies based on the type of session you have scheduled (mini vs full) and the cooperation of your sweet baby.  The typical full newborn session can last up to three hours but typically takes about 90 minutes provided baby is well-prepared prior to session and cooperative.

Immediate family members can be included in the full session at no additional cost.  Our mini newborn session is wrapped baby only and does not include parents or siblings.

A sleepy newborn with a full belly is the most cooperative for photographs.  Please keep your baby awake for at least an hour before his or her portrait session.  A bath is a great way to keep them awake and wear them out.  Then right before you leave to come to the studio, feed your baby.    Dress your baby in a zip-up sleeper with no onesie beneath it.  

Mom and dad should wear similar colors.  Stay away from very dark or very light colored clothing.  No white or black.  But grays, light blues, and earth tones photograph nicely.  Please wear solid-colored clothing.  Avoid stripes, patterns, clothing with large logos or text.  We want the focus to be on the people, not the clothes, so the simpler the better.  For siblings please choose simple clothing.  Something that looks nice when they’re sitting on the floor criss-cross-applesauce.  Again, try to stick with simple, solid colors.  Avoid patterns, stripes, and words on clothing for this session.

No worries!  Awake babies can be photographed too.  As long as your baby is not crying, I will photograph him.  Awake babies are more difficult to pose so if your baby isn’t soundly asleep, there may be some poses that we cannot get.  My style is baby-lead, which means I won’t try to force your baby into a pose that he or she is clearly not comfortable doing.  However, a sleepy baby is very poseable, so make sure you do everything you can to ensure your baby is sleepy and full when you get to the studio. 

Maybe.  Maybe not.  You should definitely be prepared to feed the baby during the session, but in most cases, if parents have kept the baby awake for at least an hour before the session and fed him right before leaving home, there should be no need to do this at the studio.  However, please come prepared with bottle or if you’re breastfeeding, I will step out of the room if your baby needs to eat.

You will get an online proof gallery within two weeks of your portrait session.

Final photo galleries are delivered online within three weeks after you notify me that you are done selecting your favorite portraits.

Yes.  Standard newborn portrait editing includes adjusting color, brightness, and contrast, removing acne, scratches, and flakes from face.  The typical newborn baby peeling skin on the rest of the body is not edited out of images.  For mom and dad, editing includes softening of wrinkles, removal of undereye bags (hey, I know you’re tired, your pictures certainly don’t need to reflect it), whitening of teeth, etc.

Prepare siblings for the portrait session by letting them hold the baby, with assistance. Make holding the baby a big deal. Get excited about it! Tell her “you get to hold the baby now” and make it a fun experience. Make it seem like a special treat. That way she’ll want to do it when you get to the studio. Maybe.  If the siblings are too young to hold the baby, I’ll pose the baby in a basket and have the siblings sit next to the basket.  

Either way, make sure you talk to them about how much fun we are going to have.  And please please please don’t tell them to smile or talk about their smile ahead of time.  I will be super goofy and try to work real, natural smiles out of your children, but if you coach them ahead, or stand over my shoulder and command that they “smile” it will make it much harder to get good pictures of your kids.  

Also, do not threaten your children about their behavior at the session.  This makes it scary.  No “if you don’t smile pretty I will…” or “if you don’t behave you’re getting a timeout.”  This sets the whole thing up in a negative tone which is exactly what we don’t want.

Please be aware that some siblings do not find it a treat and are a bit out of sorts about this “new baby thing.” I will do everything I can to get a portrait of the siblings together, but please understand that it is not always possible to do so when you have a younger child who just isn’t cooperative.

If we are doing family and sibling shots, we will do these portraits first. After we are done with the siblings, please have someone available who can take the siblings home or somewhere to play for several hours. During the newborn session, it’s important that we have a quiet, stress-free zone of peace for the baby to totally relax.

Extended family can be added for an additional fee.  Please contact the studio to inquire.

I have room in my studio for two adults to sit comfortably during the newborn session.  If both parents are not planning to participate, you may certainly bring another adult, like a sister or a grandparent, to the newborn portrait session.  However, my studio doesn’t have room to accommodate more than that.

Please bring a bottle and formula if baby is not breastfed.  If your baby takes one, please bring a pacifier.  Also bring diapers, wipes, and a burp cloth.

Sorry, but no.  The only one allowed to take pictures in my studio is me.  

A deposit will be collected when you schedule your portrait session.  The balance will be due on the day of your session. 

I accept all major credit cards, personal checks, and cash.  However, I cannot make change.  Please keep in mind that I do charge 7% sales tax so if you are bringing cash, be sure to factor that into your balance.

Ready to schedule your newborn portrait session?  Or have more questions about the process?  I’m happy to chat.  Please call me at the studio, 317-867-3723 and we will begin planning the perfect session for your new baby.