Everything you Need to Know About the Newborn Portrait Process
What to Expect When Booking Professional Newborn Portraits, Preparing for the Day of the Session, and Beyond.
The newborn phase slips away so quickly. Your baby changes and grows by leaps and bounds during the early days. Before you know it, that amazing newborn smell is gone, along with the adorable peach fuzz skin and sweet little rolls and wrinkles. There is no better way to document those details than with beautiful newborn portraits.
If you are thinking about having professional photos taken of your new baby, you likely have a lot of questions about what to do and what to expect. I prepared this post to explain the entire newborn portrait process at my studio. From what happens after you submit an inquiry, to finally seeing the images and receiving your beautifully finished artwork at the end. Not to mention all of the planning and work that goes on in-between! Don’t worry, I will walk you through step by step so you don’t have to feel confused or overwhelmed.
My Entire Newborn Portrait Process Explained
Inquiry and Booking
The first step is to fill out the inquiry form on my newborn photography page. Be sure to let me know your due date and any other information you’d like to share with me about your family and your upcoming new baby. You will receive my automated email with some initial information to get you started, and then I will follow back up very shortly. During this time, I can answer your questions via email, or if you prefer, we can set up an opportunity to discuss further on the phone. A phone consultation is a wonderful opportunity for us to get to know each other a little better and discuss your goals for the session.
Once you have decided that I am the perfect fit for your family, we can formally reserve your session. When booking newborns, I use your due date as a placeholder in my calendar to secure your session. I take a limited number of due dates per month in order to guarantee availability, so be sure to inquire early! I will send you an online agreement to read and digitally sign, along with an invoice for the deposit. We will determine the actual date for your portrait session shortly after baby has arrived. The ideal timeframe to come in for your newborn’s portrait session will be within two weeks of birth. I will stay in touch with you as your due date gets closer to help welcome your bundle of joy and make sure that we don’t miss a beat!
Design Consultation and Planning
The next part of our journey together will be a design consultation so that I can get to know your styling preferences and set us up for a fun and successful experience together. This can take place before baby arrives so that we have plenty of time to plan, but this can also be done after your baby is here, or even the day-of the session if we don’t have a lot of time beforehand. Don’t worry, there is no wrong way to do this. During the design consult, we can begin planning out the details for your newborn session and discuss options for props, colors and poses. My approach to newborn photography tends toward simple, clean, and natural images, where your baby is the main focus. I love complement the setups with soft and organic materials and minimal props in colors that don’t overwhelm. It’s ok if you aren’t sure on all of this just yet, or if you are waiting until the birth to learn the gender of your baby. We can start with neutrals for now, and I can provide with you some more ideas as we get further along in the process.
The Portrait Session
Your photo session will take place at my comfortable home studio in Randolph, NJ. I will have everything setup and ready before you arrive so that we can get the most out of our time together. You are welcome to calmly take some time to get settled in before we begin. This is a good time for a diaper change or a feeding for baby. If you are choosing colors and props the day of your session, we can take a few minutes to do that as well. Newborn sessions usually last between 2-3 hours – definitely closer to the 3-hour mark or even a little over if we are including family portraits – so its important to make sure baby is comfortable and has a full belly before we begin. This should help them to sleep uninterrupted for the duration of our session once I get started. Although we will always stop for a topping-off at any point if baby needs it!
During your newborn’s portrait session, I’ll take special care to pose your baby safely and gently, creating a variety of beautiful setups using soft wraps, cozy textures, and a curated selection of props based on what we discussed during our design consultation. I guide your baby through several poses and colors, capturing a range of looks to give you a full and diverse gallery of sweet images. I work in my dedicated studio room while you relax in the comfortable lounge area just steps away—complete with refreshments and cozy seating. There is also a restroom and a changing table stocked with newborn diapers and wipes available for your convenience. I provide everything for families to feel welcome and comfortable at my studio.
If we’re including family and sibling poses in your newborn session, those will typically take place toward the end. This allows parents to relax while I focus on capturing all the solo newborn images first. I’ll give you a heads-up when we’re almost ready for family photos, so you’ll have time to freshen up or change outfits if needed. During the family portion, I’ll guide you through natural, connected poses and capture a variety of images, including baby with each parent, the whole family together, and any sibling shots. If you prefer sibling photos to be done at the beginning—especially helpful for younger children with shorter attention spans—please let me know in advance so we can plan accordingly.
Image and Artwork Selection
After your newborn portrait session, you’ll receive an online proofing gallery filled with all the best images from our time together. These images will be unedited and meant for review only, allowing you to leisurely browse through them. From your gallery, you’ll select your favorite images for your selected package, with the option to purchase additional images and other upgrades. This flexible process ensures you only choose the images you truly love.
In addition to digital files, I also offer a beautiful selection of printed artwork to bring your portraits to life. You’ll have the option to order loose prints, custom albums, wall art, and my popular “gallery boxes,” which contain matted portraits ready for framing or displaying as a curated collection in your home. When you visit the studio for your session, you’ll have the opportunity to view all the sample products in person, making it easy to envision how your images can become part of your home’s story. Artwork orders can be placed either at your session or afterwards when you’ve had time to decide what suits your family best.
After you make your final selections, I will send off your images to get expertly retouched. They will be ready within two weeks, at which time you will receive your digital files in a new online gallery, ready to download and share with friends and family. In the meantime, your artwork order will go into production, and your products will be ready for delivery a few weeks later. Delivering your finished artwork is always my favorite part of the entire process! I love seeing my clients’ reactions to their beautiful products.
Photographing your Baby and Family Beyond the Newborn Days
Our experience together does not need to end after your newborn session! Many families return for one or two baby milestone sessions during baby’s first year. I usually recommend a “sitter session,” which is for babies who can sit up unassisted, usually between 6-9 months. And of course, a first birthday or “cake smash” session. I just love watching my little clients grow and how much they change from one session to the next! We can bundle all of these sessions together to create a “Baby’s First Year” album. It is the ultimate keepsake of your baby’s first year, and you will love looking through it as the years go by and reliving all of the beautiful images we captured along the way. Beyond the first birthday, many of my clients return for an annual family photography session to document their children as they grow and evolve over the years. It is always a wonderful time!
