5 Most Popular Questions from Mummies-to-be
As a photographer, I am asked lots of questions before, during and after my sessions, and I love it! It means people are genuinely interested in the work I do and are protective about their new baby and who they will be trusting to hold and pose them in their first few days of life – rightly so. Here are the 5 most popular questions that I get asked, and my answers!
Q. How and when should we book a newborn photography session?
A. I always advise booking your session as early as you can. Most of my clients book in with me after they have had their 20 week scan, some even earlier! This means I am usually fully booked 2-3 months in advance because I only take a limited number of baby bookings each month to allow flexibility for early and late arrivals. To book a session with me, you can get in touch via the contact page, or email me and we can discuss which photography experience is the best one for you, and payment of your session fee (£150/£399) will secure a space during the month that your baby is due. I then ask that you get in touch within 48 hours of your baby’s arrival so that we can confirm a time and date for you to visit the studio so we can create your gallery of newborn art.
Q. What if my baby doesn't settle on the day?
A. It’s normal! Everyone says your newborn will sleep for hours and hours and hours….then the day arrives for your photographs to be taken and they will be wide awake – I’ve seen it so many times! I ask that you arrive at the studio with a hungry baby and that you feed upon arrival. This gives us the best chance of having a sleepy baby, because who isn’t sleepy after a nice big feed?! If they are awake for a little while after, that is absolutely fine. It is always lovely to get some awake photographs too, actually. I have several tips and tricks I can use to try and get them off to sleep – it is very rare that a baby doesn’t fall asleep at any point during a 2 hour session. If your baby is suffering from colic/reflux and really isn’t settling at all, then of course we can re-schedule for another date to try again. In my 7 years of photographing newborns, I have only ever had to reschedule a session once; so please really do not worry.
Q. Can I bring my older child(ren) too?
A. Depending on which session you have booked – yes! The Signature Newborn Experience is a bespoke session, so older siblings and parent images can be included at no extra cost. I would suggest that you bring along something to keep them occupied, or maybe ask a parent or grandparents to bring them along for the first or last half an hour of the session as 2 hours is a long time for little ones. The studio is right next to the river, so one parent could always take them round to feed the ducks for a little while too!
If you have booked a Mini Newborn Experience, then this session is just for your newborn.
Q. Is it safe at the moment with Coronavirus?
A. As I am publishing this blog, the studio is currently closed for newborn sessions, which has broken my heart for all of the parents who had babies during the lockdown period and have missed out on their newborn photographs. However I am closely following the Government guidelines and expect to be able to re-open again in early July, following the guidance of hairdressers and salons, who are unable to remain 2m away from their clients.
That said, working with newborns day in, day out, means that hygiene is and always has been paramount in my line of work. I started stockpiling anti-bacterial gel before it came a thing earlier this year! I always ensure I only have a maximum of 2 newborn clients in per day, to allow enough time for deep cleaning of the studio in between sessions. All props are cleaned after use and any outfits and wraps that touch your baby’s skin are taken home and washed after each session. When re-opening after Covid-19, I will be wearing a face covering and apron for further protection for all of my clients.
Q. Can we buy more photographs after the session? What do you offer?
A. I am proud to be able to offer my clients a premium range of products which include digital packages as well as luxury wall art to suit all budgets. I have samples of all of these in the studio for you to browse during your photography session and you will be given a printed product guide to take away and review before coming back to view your gallery. Prices start at £95 for individual products and packages start at £299. On average, most clients spend in the region of £500-600.
Hopefully these have answered some of the questions you may not have asked yet. If you have any more, then please do get in touch, I would love to have a chat and cuppa with you, either on the telephone, a zoom call, or in the studio – once it is open again!
