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A Guide and Top Tips to your Newborn Photoshoot
Hi! I’m Danielle! I’m a full time Professional Portrait Photographer (and mum) with a specialty in Newborn photoshoots, photographing from maternity through to adulthood. I have spent the last 12 years photographing, studying, and educating myself in photography. I pride myself in being highly experienced in handling and soothing newborns. I truly love babies and, of course, my wonderful job of recording them.
My approach and style to photography is pure, natural, simple and fresh. I am your storyteller. I’m here to capture the story of your newborn baby and portray that through my vision. The first few days when he is sleepy and curling up as if still in the womb. The first smile, the flaky skin, and the swish of curl upon her head. These are your memories that have only just begun.
Your child is the most priceless and selfless gift.
Capturing the first few days of your baby's life with a photographer you connect with is as special as your wedding day. The love you have for your child is the celebration of love between two people. Those moments captured as photographs will be your memories forever….family heirlooms you will share with your child and their children for many years to come.
Don't let these moments pass you by . . .
The Natural Experience
My goal as your baby Photographer, is not only to pose the baby into the curly, squishy poses everyone loves, but to also capture natural portraits of your newborn. This is a time to reflect on the true, untouched, unposed expression of the baby as themselves. Little things that help shape and mold them in to whom they will become as a person are special and unique to each baby.
It’s not about the picture you take . . .
it’s about the story you tell.
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MATERNITY PHOTOSHOOTS
Those fond memories of motherhood begin before the birth while you’re still feeling refreshed, beautiful and excited about the joy of your new arrival! This is the beginning of the new life growing inside you; your body as one with your unborn child. An experience we are blessed with for a very short time in our lives.
Sometimes we may think we don’t want to capture this time. For whatever reasons we may have, this is a moment in your life you will treasure forever. You’ll always remember hearing your baby’s first heartbeat, the first kick, or the tiny little hiccups. But will you remember the beautiful baby bump or how gorgeous you looked? Maternity photographs are personal and a change in our body we should capture. Please take a look at the maternity page to find out more about shoots and bump to baby packages.
THE NEWBORN STUDIO
I love to use soft colors of white, creams and grays. On occasion I will add in small pops of colour, but I don’t like anything to distract from the baby, so I try to keep things simple and pure.
Your newborn session will be a special milestone in your baby’s life. I want to help you tell the story of your new baby. I like to create a calm and peaceful environment during our time together. It’s important to let me know if we will be photographing older siblings, as well as mummy and daddy shots. Sibling shots will take place at the beginning of the session so that we may have the remaining time focusing on the baby alone. Parent shots (if no siblings are present) will take place at the end of the sesssion.
All sessions begin between 9.30 and 12.30*, I always start in the morning as, just like us, babies get tired as the day goes on, the later in the day it gets the more they have been handled which can mean they are over stimulated before they even arrive, we start calm and fresh for the very best results.
(*subject to availability)
Based in West Molesey the Bright Apple Photography Studio is bright, homely and most importantly designed to help get the best possible photos from your session.
Features include:
• Private parking spots
• Changing station equiped with wipes, nappies & other essentials
• Comfy sofa
• Feeding cushion
• Loads of props, blankets and backdrops for you to choose from
• Unlimited tea, coffee, water and yummy biscuits
• Microwave and kettle for sterlising bottles etc
• 5 min walk to playgrounds
• 5 min drive to softplay
• Heated to the perfect temperature for your newborn shoot
What to Expect on the Day of your Photoshooot and how best to Prepare?
Its not easy getting out the house with a new baby, I've been there, I remember! I always recommend packing your bags the night before so you don't have to think about everything that morning. Plan on giving baby a really big feed just before your leave - allow at least an hour for feeding and changing before you need to leave the house. Check in with google maps - traffic can be unpreditable and its a great way of keeping up to date with whats going on out there and when best to leave.
When you arrive at the studio you have an allocated parking spot right outside the building (number 2) there is no need for a pushchair, the easiest thing to do is bring baby up to the studio safe and cosy in their carseat.
Once in the studio, take a seat on the sofa, put your feet up and relax, your only job for the next couple of hours will be to feed your baby when needed and enjoy the shoot. I have tea, coffee and biscuits but feel free to bring your own food and snacks too if you want, whatever makes you feel comfy. The studio is very warm for baby's comfort so I suggest your dress in layers so don't get too hot.
I always start the photoshoot with a very basic pose so I get to know your baby, how they like to be moved and handled and this is where I get all those lovely close ups and tiny details like their little toes! We then have a little chat about your style, whether you like props or a more natural feel, what colours you like etc so the shoot is tailored to your taste.
Dont forget payment is due on your shoot date, so you can bring cash or make a transfer.
WHAT TO BRING
DUMMY - The “soothie” dummies are highly recommended for your newborn baby. These have been found to be the most effective in soothing and helping newborns to latch on easily. Even if you aren’t thinking you will want to use a dummy, I encourage you to have one hand for your session. If you do not have one, ready sterilised ones will be provided at the studio for you. The short amount of time we will be using one should not affect any habit-forming behaviors for your baby. My goal is to help keep the baby happy and calm during our session.
EXTRA BOTTLES - Whether you are nursing or bottle feeding, having extra bottles and/or milk is suggested. Some babies tend to eat more than usual during their photo sessions. It’s best to be prepared!
NURSERY ITEMS - Hand knitted hats, blankets, a special toy, rattle.... these are all things that help create the story of your baby’s first few days of life. I love photographing separate items to be used in their newborn albums!
CLOTHING - Please don't worry about clothes for baby, generally I will be photographing your baby unclothed, clothes can be distracting and constantly changing them can make baby over stimulated and grumpy, as above just little accessories to personalise your shoot work beautifully. Part of the experience in capturing a newborn is seeing their squishy little toes, baby rolls and soft skin. For parent and sibling shoots, please avoid dark or loud colours and patterns, soft and subtle are are key, if in doubt a white shirt or vest are simple and classic and work perfectly.
The best age to photograph newborns is when they are between 5-25 days new. During this time newborns are still very sleepy and curly. They don’t mind you moving them around from pose to pose
while they rest in dreamland! Once they have a full belly and are kept warm, they will generally sleep the entire session!
This is not to say we can’t photograph your newborn at any other age. Beautiful images can be captured at any stage. However, you should know that once beyond this “new” stage, we may not be able to get the curly poses. If you are sure you want specific poses, please ask about those during your pre-consultation.
LITTLE BOYS
If you are considering having your baby boy circumcised, we will need to make
sure we allow him at least 5 days of healing time before his session. It’s always best to schedule the procedure after the photo session if at all possible.
NURSING Nutrition Guide - foods to avoid while nursing
To help keep your baby happy and gas free in preparation for their newborn session, I’ve compiled some listed foods I recommend you try to avoid beginning two days prior to your session if you are nursing.
This guide is a suggestion only, and as always, please consult your pediatrician.
| Foods to Avoid | Good Food |
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Spicy Foods Citrus Fruits Mercury-containing fish Other foods & chemicals |
whole grains brown rice salmon avacadoes eggs lean meats squash apples berries milk, cheese, yogurt melons plenty of water |
Babies experiencing gas or tummy discomfort may feel uncomfortable during their photo session. It’s important we work together to keep the baby soothed and calm as possible.
DIGITAL BACKDROPS
Newborn Safety is VERY important to me, as such some of my images use digital backdrops (where the backdrop is photographed seperate from the baby and they are put together in post production) to ensure baby is safe and secure at all times.
Digital backdrops are included in a number of my sessions, please see the pricelist for more info.
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AFTER THE SESSION
Within 2 days from your session, a “sneak peek” of one or two photos from your session will be posted on my facebook page if you request it. This is a great time to forward this on to family & friends & show off your beautiful new family!
As a creative artist, I will select the images to be fully edited by hand for your gallery.
Within 3 weeks of your shoot a link to a private, password protected, online gallery will be emailed to you for you to view and order your images from. It will be active for 2 weeks to place your order after which there will be a £15 admin fee charged for galleries to be reactivated.
Orders can take anywhere from 1-3 weeks, depending on the type of product(s) you order. If you need your order by a certain date, please make sure to let me know when ordering.
Babies at 6-7 months of age are full of smiles, tongues and chewing! This is the best time to capture the next milestone when they are sitting on their own and fully engaged in everything you are doing! If your baby is not yet sitting on their own by this age, it’s best to wait another month or two until they are ready.
We want to make sure we capture this next milestone.
Want it all? Our baby's first year package includes 4 photoshoots, a beautiful album and much more, do take a look at the page to find out more!
Where has the last year gone??
Time to celebrate your baby’s very first birthday. Why not book in for a cake smash and let this chaotic but really fun shoot mark the occassion?
COPYRIGHT
Danielle Dunbar is an Award Winning photographer and member of the Guild of Photographers and fully insured. These organisations can help protect photographers against copyright infringementand can assist with legal action if required.
All images captured through my studio or on location are copyrighted by photographer Danielle Dunbar. It is illegal to scan, copy or reproduce in any way or any manner of all images, unless you have received written permission from Danielle Dunbar. This includes copying from the blog, Facebook, or any other form. Fines start at £150,000.00 as part of the copyright law.
I will be happy to provide you with a free facebook image for you to use on your page, but please do not copy them from my page or website. Images that I give to you are not to be altered in any way, shape, or form. There are strict restrictions that apply. Please inquire if in doubt.
I thank you for respecting my work. As an artist, I would like to have complete control over the final output of my images to ensure proper quality control. When images are scanned and poorly represented, it not only affects my reputation, but does not ensure that the image is represented in the way it was intended.
If purchasing images on disk, a full print release will be given, as well as suggested labs to have your portraits printed. My guarantee and/or warranty does not cover any images printed at any lab, including suggested labs. Guarantee is only given if prints are purchased through the studio.
Thank you for your respect and honesty.
POLICIES
While I understand life can throw us curves sometimes, I like to keep some policies in order.
1. The session fee is due in advance to hold your booking and is NON-REFUNDABLE.
2. Orders take 2-3 weeks to be edited. Thank you for your patience.
3. Please handle your prints with care. Any damage to a print that has left the studio, is the responsibility of the client and there will be a fee to replace it.
4. I guarantee my work against fading or discoloration. If this occurs, I will gladly replace the work at no cost to you.
5. Cameras, and camcorders are not permitted during any session, in studio or on location.
6. Please DO NOT COPY or save photos from my Facebook page, website, or any other form of advertisement. You will receive a free a facebook ‘sneak peek’ if requested which you may tag or share on your personal pages only. Please keep the logo intact & remember, no alteration of photos is allowed.
7. Bright Apple Photography reserves the right to use images for display, publication or other purposes unless requested in writing not do so.
8. For all orders, payment is due in full at time of order, order choices must be given at this time too.
9. All portraits, books, albums, frames, etc. are non refundable. Orders can not be cancelled due to the custom nature of the products.
10. If you or your children are sick, please give me 24 hours notice. I know that emergencies occur. However, if there is no phone call or you are a no show, there will be a £95 fee charged.
11. All portrait orders are final and can not be changed or refunded for any reason.
12. By placing an order with Bright Apple Photography, you agree to the above.
2020 New Studio Rules
