Hello!
I’m Maria, and I am a children’s portrait specialist. That means I LOVE and specialize in making portraits of children. I have had a camera in my hand since I was 8 years old. You guessed it, I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY too. I’m Irish, and moved to the United States with my husband in 2010, I have a daughter Emily who is 4 and 4 step kids. I balance my life (badly sometimes) between being a full time photographer and a kind of stay at home mom. My life is crazy busy, chaotic sometimes, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I studied Photography at home in Ireland, but found it literally impossible to break into the industry because quite frankly we don’t take as many portraits at home! weird huh??
I specialize in children's photography primarily. Newborn sessions are my joy. Those sweet brand new little angles are my muse. That's what I'm going to focus on today, telling the world about my newborn sessions.
As a newborn photographer, I strive to capture those first few weeks and turn the resulting images into a work of fine art to be treasured forever. Newborn photography requires a large amount of planning and an insane amount of patience, and you’ll be happy to know myself and my wonderful assistant Donna, are good at both :-)
You will never forget the first moment you laid eyes on your daughter or the first time you heard your son cry. These are truly magical moments. As much as we hope and pray they will stay little forever, they grow up anyway. Those first few weeks seem to fly by and each moment becomes a fleeting memory.
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This perfect little newborn was a dream to photograph this week, sleeping through his entire session!
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Every day, I get similar questions about newborn sessions, although I have a magazine I love to send out to folks, I thought I'd cover what happens in a session right here on this blog!! Firstly, my studio is based out of my home, my garage is converted into a studio, it's super awesome, there's lots of room and hundreds of props, not kidding!!!!
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| This is a glimpse of one side of my studio in Vancouver Washington. |
Okay, so let's start with the basics, you're pregnant... when should you schedule your session?
Newborn sessions are designed for babies 14 days and younger. The best day to photograph your little one is from day five to day ten. During this time newborns tend to be sleepier and retain that fresh newborn curl. After 14 days, newborns tend to develop things like colic and baby acne, they also tend to be more alert and stay awake longer. I will set your newborn session on a temporary date (usually your due date). Once you have given birth, simply give me a call, we will select and solidify a date for your newborn session within the first 5-10 days.
Photo ideas to think about
When we schedule your session, we will have a conversation about what you are looking for. Do you want only pictures of the baby? Are you more interested in your infant being photographed with family than in some of my props? Are there specific poses you are looking for? For example, one of you is a soldier, do you want your infant to be photographed with props that you will bring from home like a flag or helmet? Are you bringing siblings? Will Dad be there? Do you want some skin on skin shots? All of these questions will help me to build a session that is a perfect fit for you. One thing to mention, sometimes, after having a baby you might find it difficult to get to us, for one reason or another. In that case, we will have a session in your home.
Feeding the baby
Please do not feed your infant before coming to see me. I will give you space and time to feed the baby and sooth your newborn to sleep once you arrive. The reason this works best is that if you feed your baby before you come they will start their sleep cycle a little too early. Our studio is kept at 80 degrees to ensure that your newborn is warm and comfortable.
What to bring with you
Spare shirts for both of you as babies do pee/poop and accidents happen. Please bring a pacifier as they help to get babies to sleep and soothe them. If you have one (even if your child won’t really take it) please bring it to the session as it may help. I strongly encourage you to bring any special hats, hair-bands, bracelets etc. You may not like what I have and I may fall in love with what you bring. So not only will your additions give us more to choose from they are also extra special since they belong to your little one. I also custom design outfits for every newborn session. Based on your home's color scheme or nursery theme.
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| darling little angel during her newborn photo shoot. |
What To Wear For Parents
I know! You just had a baby and aren’t feeling your best. But we think this is the perfect time to pamper yourself! Go have your hair + makeup done (or better yet, have someone come to you!), schedule a massage or have your nails done. Looking super relaxed and at your best will make you feel more comfortable during the session. This is an exciting time in your life and we want to capture all of that…so take care of yourself first! And feel free to tell your husbands that we’re making you if they need a little convincing! As far as clothing? Keep it simple. Throw in a little color if you’d like, but skip the busy patterns. (And please don’t feel the need to match everyone in white shirts and jeans – there’s simple…and then there’s boring!) For moms, we suggest cotton knit camis and knit tops.
We’re also big fans of skin-on-skin portraits with you holding your baby against you. They’re so simple + timeless! So if you want some portraits like this with your newborn, consider a strapless top or tank as an alternative. Check out our Pinterest page on what to wear to a shoot.
Props Galor
We have a nice collection of bowls, baskets, blankets, knit hats and headbands that we’ll have available at your session. You are also, of course, welcome to use any of your own props. Looks for items with texture and color to help make your images unique. If you have any family heirlooms, toys, hats, props, etc. that you would like me to use in your session, please gather them before we
arrive. We may not get the chance to use ALL of the items, but we’ll look through them with you to determine what will work best. We also strongly recommend that you discuss any ideas, props or poses you have in mind at least a week prior to your session.
Relax, be calm & enjoy the moment
Once you arrive I will give you some time in my studio to feed and sooth your baby. As soon as baby is happy and sleepy we can get started. During your session, I will pose and handle your baby with the utmost care. There is no need to worry if you are not feeling 100% yet. I will soothe, swaddle and ensure baby is kept happy. If the baby is really wide awake and does not want to sleep, I will swaddle the baby to get some photos, and use the parents as a prop, holding the baby over the
shoulder or in your arms. A fussy baby almost always settles down when held by mom or dad. I encourage all of my parents to take part in the session. I love capturing relational type photos with moms, dads and siblings.
Your newborn session will last approximately 3-4 hours long. This ensures we have enough time to pose and take whatever breaks necessary such as feedings. You are more than welcome to bring along a few snacks or entertaining items such as a book or an iPad.
Once your session is done, it takes approximately 1 week for me to edit and beautifully retouch your images. I will then meet you at my studio or in your home to present your baby's portraits to you.
I hope this was helpful and informative and maybe took some of the mystery out of a newborn session! if you'd like this information in a handy dandy magazine, message me right now and I'll send it to your inbox!
