Allison contacted the studio to reserve a newborn session for her daughter, and at the time she was living overseas due to her husband’s job. I remember thinking that she must be having a really hard time sleeping while pregnant since she was emailing at crazy hours of the night until I learned she was across the world in a different time zone!
When Harper arrived, Allison emailed us to let us know, and we scheduled her session. She asked to add on makeup services as well. Adding on hair and makeup services is super easy. You simply let us know you want it, and we’ll check with our team to see who is available for you and connect the two of you. You don’t need to worry about trying to coordinate different calendars and schedules - you have enough to worry about with a brand new baby! Our artists are all incredible and very experienced. They’ll work with you to create the look you want - most of our newborn moms ask for fresh and clean beauty. Others want a little more drama with the eye. Save a few photos of looks you like on your phone and show them to your artist, and they’ll work with you to create a look that enhances your features and is amazing. Even if you don’t wear makeup (ahem, that would be me), know that they do such a great job of not making you look overdone or not like yourself. I don’t even OWN any makeup (unless you count Chapstick) and I always tap one of my artists when I have my own photos taken. Some clients are worried that adding on hair and makeup will make their session last even longer - but that’s not the case. I’m going to be photographing your baby alone for the first 90 minutes regardless. So… you can sit on the couch or you can sit in the hair and makeup chair and be pampered until it’s time for the parent and family portion!
We also sent over our newborn prep packet for Allison to review. In it you’ll find best practices for the morning of, a short list of what to bring from home, and styling recommendations if you’re dressing anyone from home. Allison opted to bring her own comfortable dress from home, and styled DJ perfectly as well!
When the family of three arrived with Grandma in tow, Allison settled into the chair and I started with Harper’s solo portraits. Harper was a sleepy little thing and just so beautiful with a full head of black hair. Because she was such a good little sleeper, we moved through the solo portraits pretty quickly. When I brought her out, Alison was finishing up and I handed Harper over for a diaper change and a feeding. Once Harper was clean and dry with a full belly, she fell right back to sleep and we moved into the family and parent portion.
I don’t have a set flow for my sessions - they are very baby led. If baby is comfortable in one position, I’ll work with that and we go from there. We’ll segue and transition through different placements of parents, and I’ll guide you both through everything - I will literally tell you exactly where to look. I promise you won’t be left standing there feeling awkward and wondering just what the heck you’re supposed to do next. The emotions during my session are very real: but I do set up my clients where I need them to be, give them direction for what to do next, and then step back and let their interaction unfold naturally. At the end of the day, your job is to admire and love your baby… and by the time you’re at my studio, you’ve usually been doing that 24/7 for at least a week straight. So, you’re already an expert at it!
One last thing about this session that I want to mention… when Allison was holding Harper while sitting on the chair I noticed that she was in a lighter sleep pattern and was responding to high pitched voices. I called in Grandma to see if we could evoke a smile… and Grandma said a lot of things but guess what she said that got the REALLY big smile? “We’re gonna go shopping!!!!!!” Daddy, you might be in trouble.
Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Harper’s newborn session!
If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
