We suggest getting portraits done right away or waiting until 6 weeks old. Photographing a newborn before 2 weeks is ideal because they are sleepier and more limber to pose. There is no going back to those first few days with a brand new, sleeping baby. You have years of ambitious children with eyes open and excitement streaming from head to toe, but the moments to capture the beauty of a newborn are very short-lived and priceless. From 3-5 weeks old, they are more alert and try to resist our poses. They try to lift their heads but most babies are just not strong enough to hold up their heads for a long enough time to capture them. Most babies start cluster feedings, getting acne and dry skin appears (even though we can touch up acne there is still a slight color variation).

Whenever you decide to take your newborn's pictures, we will work as hard as we can to capture their beauty. Please, just be aware of the possible challenges and bring extra bottles, diapers and patience.

Don’t forget to bring special blankets, hats and toys for their portraits.

Coordinate outfits with backgrounds you like. We have a wide selection to choose from. It's important to take your child's complexion, outfit colors & backgrounds into consideration when deciding. If you get stuck, bring in a couple outfits and we will help. We love to give advice.
RULE OF THUMB: If you like your child in a certain color or outfit, you will love the picture.

Bright and busy patterns can detract from the most important parts of the portrait -- your child's face and expression. To ensure your child is more prominent than the clothes, try outfits with solid colors or simple patterns.
 

Taking pictures is a lot of work and sometimes a short break is needed to refresh your little model. We offer sitting times of 30-45 minutes. This allows your child plenty of time to get comfortable.
Not only during the sitting, but afterwards. Kids are in heaven after they work really hard modeling to have a yummy reward waiting for them.
 

As a parent you know when your child is at his or her best. Children's portrait sessions should be scheduled for a time of day when they are well-rested and alert. If the timing doesn't work, don't be afraid to reschedule, we want to capture the best pictures possible and sometimes a reschedule is necessary. As parents, we know that our plan is not really the plan.
 

Plan haircuts one to two weeks prior to your child's portrait session. The day of the session is not the best time to experiment with a new hairstyle or hairstylist.

Stay Calm

Children can tell when adults are anxious and nervous. Make sure to be calm and relaxed about the picture session, the children will feel the same. No expectations usually result in a great experience.

Let us do the work

Our photographers are trained to handle children.
Sit back and enjoy watching your child giggle and smile. And if they don't giggle and smile, enjoy watching your child respond; sometimes the best pictures are the ones that show your child's expressions and personality coming out. These are often the most cherished because they reflect your child.

Plan Out Your Package

After your sitting, kids and parents are worn out. Plan out what size pictures you will need so all you have to decide is which pictures to keep and what images to give people. This will take a lot of the headache out of ordering pictures.

Make a list and save it for future portrait sessions:
Dad & Mom: 11x14 (home), 8x10 (home), 2-5x7 (office) & 2 wallets
Grandma & Grandpa George: (1) 8x10 and 2 wallets
Grandma Lillian: (1) 8x10 and 1 wallets
Uncle & Aunts: (4) 5x7
Friends: 2 sheets of wallets
Photo Album: 4x5 of my favorite pictures or the CD w/ all the images

Have Someone There to Help You or Pick up the Kids

So many times moms or dads tackle picture taking alone and it's a lot of work to focus on what you need to order while managing your worn-out little ones. Have Grandma or Dad take the kids to the toy store or home so you can focus on ordering pictures.
Don't forget, we can always put the pictures online for viewing and have you come back later to order if that would be easier.