"Clare took the most beautiful photographs of our newborns and captured the most precious moments in our babies lives. Her care, passion and talent shines through in her photographs and we trust her implicitly. It is why we ask Clare year after year to capture the most precious moments in our family's life.."
Thank you for choosing Clare Long Photography to capture this huge moment for your family! I am so happy you're here and I hope to photograph your family's journey for years to come.
You may be wondering how to prepare for your baby's newborn session and what to expect. I hope this guide gets you excited about the shoot and gives you a glimpse into my baby filled world!
Your baby is here! That's not a small feat! Every day brings a new milestone that we notice through our sleep- deprived eyes.
This is why I created this guide, so that all the prep information is in one place, together with some tips and tricks for a great, stress-free and joyful photoshoot!
I hope this makes it easier for you and ensures you have a relaxing session!
Your baby's first photoshoot is a big deal! I want you to walk away having the absolute best experience, so we plan as much as we can together.
Through the consultation phonecall, I get to know you and your family a bit more, find out what your goal is for the session, what styling you would like, what colours dominate in your home.
I want to know as much about you as I can: what makes you smile, how would you like for them to be photographed, where you are planning on displaying your images.
There is a lot of planning that goes into your newborn session, but I can assure you, it will all be worthwhile, because the images we create together will not only document this moment in time. They will make you smile for years to come.
A newborn photoshoot is an important milestone in your baby's biography, and you are a huge part of it! As part of the session I will capture a few family images for you and your family.
I want you to walk away having the absolute best experience, so we plan as much as we can together.
Clothes are an extension of our personality and our views on the world in some cases, so I will never be one to tell you to wear something that doesn't represent you.
If, however, you feel absolutely stuck and would like your images to stay timeless for years to come, follow my tips on what to wear to your baby's photoshoot!
In terms of outfits, I believe that beige, tan, grey, blush and even blacks work best for family portraits.
Please avoid vivid colours, logos and patterns to make sure your images stand the test of time.
I usually recommend layers for the session too, as the studio is kept nice and toasty for your baby’s comfort.
I will provide all the outfits for your baby at the studio From rompers, babygrows, wraps, bows to headbands and hats, it will all be taken care of.
You don't need to bring anything for your baby to wear, unless there is anything unique and meaningful you would like your little one to have on for some of the photos. If that's the case, please let me know what colours and style you would like to incorporate with the outfit, or send me a photo of what you are bringing and I will make sure to plan the set around it.
On the day of the session, please dress your baby in loose clothing and fabrics that are simple to take off Please avoid tight
We mentioned earlier that Clare Long Photography provides all outfits, wraps and hair bands for our newborns. To give you an idea about the styles we have available, have a glimpse at some examples on the next couple of pages.
Not all newborn sessions are born equal, so if you always wanted something more meaningful and unique, please don't be shy and let us know. We can't promise to be able to fulfil all the requests, but we will certainly consider all of them. We may even have some of the props already!
We grow a variety of flowers and foliage for sessions and have good connections to source things that aren’t so easy for our allotment to accommodate.
Our studio is heated to 26-28 degrees during a newborn session, to make sure the dinkiest amongst us are as comfortable and warm as possible.
With that in mind, please avoid warm clothing or bring a t-shirt to change into, unless you enjoy tropical temperatures, which we can guarantee at our studio all year around
Whether they are hungry or thirsty, remember that your baby's only option is milk, hence why it feels as though they are always hungry!
Due to the high temperature at the studio, your little one may feel as though they want to eat even more than they would at home. This is absolutely normal.
If you are bottle feeding, please bring plenty of extra bottles for the session. You may be surprised at how much a little human can go through within just an hour or so in a warm studio.
Speaking of bottles, if your baby is happy with their formula, avoid changing in the last two days prior to the session, to make sure their new milk doesn't upset their tiny tummy, as this can make them a bit grumpy and uncomfortable on the day.
If you are breast feeding, we want you to feel as comfortable as possible. Clare is a qualified breastfeeding peer supporter, and so has truly seen it all!
No matter how you are feeding your baby, we want you to be as stress free as possible during your session, so please do not hesitate to ask for water or anything you might need
We have everything needed for the shoot - all the props and rompers, hairbands and accessories.
Please bring plenty of nappies and wipes with you, and milk if bottle feeding.
Our aim is to let you relax in the studio whilst Clare photographs your beautiful baby, so you can sit back and relax, there are bottles of water and snacks available for youduring the session.
A newborn session is one of the most special sessions we offer, but there are a few factors that contribute to it all going smoothly:
1) Sleep. During your session a comfortable, sleepy baby is ideal, if you can try to keep your little one awake for your journey over to the studio, that would be ideal, we can then give your baby once you arrive and they can drift off into a lovely sleep for their session
2) Poop. If there is one thing I can tell you about babies pooping during their newborn session is this: expect it.
It may happen when you are feeding them. It may happen whilst they are naked on a piece of snow-white cashmere backdrop. It may happen whilst they are wearing a tiny, handmade outfit or when you are holding them during your family photos, straight into your hands.
The chances of it happening are higher than of you getting out of the session intact.
For this very reason, I recommend bringing a set of clothes for you and them to change into, just in case we have a poopsplosion.
Please don't feel bad or embarrassed when this happens. It's normal and my props get cleaned, washed and sanitised after each session, awaiting the next poopologist visit.
3) An awake baby. Some babies do not sleep the entire sessionthis is totally normal! There is a new person, a new place, and some babies are just super interested in what is going on. This is not only fine (we have blocked out plenty of time to accommodate this!) but it’s also a great opportunity for us to capture those beautiful eyes!
A newborn session is a family affair! It may feel like a lot to include older siblings in your newborn session, but you will never regret it.
We want to meet all of your children! Whether our model has siblings that are 3, 5 or even teenagers, everyone is welcome to join us!
I will do my best to provide you with some stunning images of all children together and a family photo of everyone as well.
Once the family and sibling images are finished, they would be free to leave.
We usually suggest that older children go off for a bit after their images, as they can become restless, overwhelmed or simply bored (remember, we could be looking at between 3-4 hours), Dad or any member of your family can bring them just for the first 30 minutes - 1 hour.
Are there any items close to your heart that you would like to bring to the session? Teddy bears you store safely, which belonged to your parents, maybe even grandparents?
A scarf that symbolises someone in the family, a wedding dress or a veil that reminds you of the happiest day of your life?
Maybe you have a passion or a hobby that means a lot to you and you would like to include even one or two images depicting this in some way?
Whether it's something big, or really small, if it's important to you, it's important to me as it's all a part of your family's story that we want to capture on the day.
Our babies will forever be the most important humans in our lives, but if you have a furry friend or two, they are always welcome at our studio.
We can have water bowls, snacks and copious amounts of love for the woofiest amongst us, and we will do our utmost to capture some gorgeous images of your hairy and not-so-hairy babies together. Maybe even a family portrait of you all!
Prepare your outfits the day before 1.
We don't want you to rush on the day, so anything that could potentially cause you any stress needs to be dealt with beforehand. Make sure your outfits are ready and ironed the night before.
If you are worried about getting anything creased in transit, or children spilling juice all over their new shirt, bring those with you separately. You can always get changed at the studio. We will have plenty of time.
On the day of the session, you may wake up a bit more anxious than usual, because you want everything to go smoothly. In the chaos of the day, you may not have the time for a sit-down meal prior to leaving the house with not just your baby but also the older siblings.
If they are anything like me, hungry almost always means angry, and we most definitely do not want to have them angry on the day, if as little as a sandwich would have solved that. If you are strapped for time, bring some snacks with you.
We also don't want them falling asleep in our arms, so please try and have an early night prior to the session day, to make sure everyone is at their top form.
When it comes to preparing our main model we want them to be ready for their nap upon arrival, but what's the best way to prepare your older children?
Depending on their age, it may be good to sit down with your children and tell them a bit more about what will happen on the day of their session. If they are around 5-8 years old, they will most likely be really excited for the day ahead
If you can let us know their names, ages and any interests they may have, we can get chatting and engage with them as soon as they arrive. This will give them a confidence boost on the day, especially if they are shy.
If they are teenagers, they may be more excited if you tell them the session won't take long and they are free to go home when their part of the shoot is over (the same sometimes applies to dads).
We want your children to feel relaxed and forget about the camera, and toys are great for that. They also direct focus, so if we need your little one to look directly into the camera, I can always place their favourite teddy bear on top of it!
I know it's easy to say, but this is the time when we will be capturing you and your love as a family. Those will be the memories your children will pull out of the dusty box 20-30 years from now, at a Christmas table. Whatever is on your mind, put it aside for this hour and try as much as you can to enjoy this time.
Maybe your little ones will need more cuddles on the day, maybe they will be super alert. Please don't stress about it. I am here to document it all. This is life happening around us. Those are the memories we want to look back on.
B a s i c
£ 4 9 9
Phone Consultation
up to 4 hour session
25+ high-resolution images
25+ fine art prints
Mobile app of you gallery
£50 off your next session
£ 3 9 9
Phone Consultation
Up to 4-hour session
15 high-resolution images
15 fine art prints
£ 2 9 9
Phone Consultation
Up to 4-hour session
10 high-resolution images
How much time do I need on the day?
Our newborn sessions take between 2 and 4 hours, depending on our model's mood on the day. Twin sessions take around 5 hours.
Can me, my partner and my parents join in?
Absolutely! It's a family affair. Siblings and dads are strongly encouraged to join in. So are the grandparents however, due to the size of the studio they will need to leave after their images.
All orders are finalised after you have seen your gallery. Your products will usually be ready for pick up around 4 weeks after your payment.
Usually, we will have your images ready for around two - three weeks after your session.
We cannot plan for our model's mood on the day. Just like adults, they may have a good or a bad day.
If the session doesn't go according to plan, we reserve the right to postpone it to another day. This is at no extra cost to you.
After your session, we will edit your photos and provide a password protected gallery for you to view the images from your session. You can view these at any time day or night and choose which package you would like to purchase from here.
You may also select which images you would like to be made into wall artexamples of which you can see during your session.
How many members of the family can join in?
Due to the size of the studio, we can comfortably accommodate up to 3 adults for the duration of the shoot. Up to 4 adults can have photographs taken during the session.
What time does the session take place?
Majority of our newborn sessions start at 10am, as that's when babies are usually at their happiest and most settled.
My children are at school, but I still want sibling shots!
Most parents opt to take their older children out of nursery or school for the morning, however, we can split the session, if necessary - taking baby’s images during the week and sibling shots at the weekend.
After your session is over, you will view your images onlinehowever, we can discuss your wall art requirements during the session or after you have seen your images, whichever works best for you.
The majority of our clients choose a wall art collection for their photos, because sometimes it's hard to choose just one favourite image, but we will be here to help you decide which photographs would look great as framed enlargements.
Confirm date, time and check location
Choose your outfits, baby's outfit for the family image, sibling outfits and have them ready
Bring nappies, baby wipes and milk
Bring your baby's dummy
Bring a change of clothing for your baby
Studio address:
17 Larkfield Road
DA14 6RF
07380 190 381
clare@clarelongphotography.com
It may sound cheesy, but those first few months, even years, will go in a flash and the photos you take now will be the best reminder of the days that blend into the nights that made you so very tired, yet you'd still not swap them for anything!
We want our photoshoot to be the most amazing experience for your family, so if there is anything else we can help with, or if you have any last minute ideas, please email us and we will be happy to assist.
