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BABY WELCOME GUIDE FOR EXPECTING PARENTS
HERE’S A LITTLE SOMETHING About Heather Michelle Photography First of all, congratulations on the new bundle of joy you are expecting. Becoming a parent is truly the most important and rewarding job you will ever have! Newborn sessions are my joy. Those sweet brand new little angels are my muse.
You will never forget the first moment you laid eyes on your daughter or the first time you heard your son cry. These are truly magical moments. As much as we hope and pray they will stay little forever, they grow up anyway. Those first few weeks seem to fly by and each moment becomes a fleeting memory.
I Love Babies As a newborn photographer, I strive to capture those first few weeks and turn the resulting images into a work of fine art to be treasured forever. Newborn photography requires a large amount of planning and an insane amount of patience, and you’ll be happy to know I am good at both.
Thank You for Investing in a Professional Photographer Custom photography is an investment. A lot of time and effort goes into each and every session to make our time together an experience. I have studied and learned all the techniques to ensure your session goes as smoothly as possible. Newborn safety is my number one priority and I know all those secrets behind the camera that make those images possible.
Custom photography is simply that‌ a custom experience tailored to suit you, your style, your personality and your needs. When I am contacted for a newborn photography session far enough in advance of the actual session date that is scheduled, I have the luxury of ordering props such as hats, blankets, baskets, etc. I am able to customize your session to your hobbies, nursery and well almost anything! With custom photography (and enough time beforehand) that is entirely possible! Custom photographers spend many hours perfecting your images to create a unique gallery that truly makes our clients’ personalities shine through; a gallery that will preserve an incredibly important memory in your lifetime.
About Your Pass Gallery PASS is an online gallery where you can download, share and print your images from your sessions. The link is active for 10 WHOLE YEARS, so no more lost USBs or broken CDs. Once your images are ready, you will receive an email with your link. From there, you will be able to view your images, download them to your computer and share them on social media. Share the link with family members and they can view the images too! The files are high resolution, so you are able to print wherever you choose. However, I have a professional lab connected to your gallery if you prefer.
WHAT TO
EXPECT
Preparing For Your Session Once you decide to schedule a session with me, I will put your due date on my calendar. I understand that babies rarely come when predicted and I will accommodate their personal plans for arrival. But a due date will give us a base line. Once your infant is born, please get in touch with me before you head home and we will schedule our date and time. I know that recovery can be slow and painful, however the first two weeks are the best time to capture your baby’s littleness! I typically schedule sessions on weekday mornings. The day of your session, it helps if you are able to keep the baby awake for an hour or two before you leave. Prepare for a couple of feedings during our session. You may feed right before you leave, but I may have you feed a little bit more when you arrive. BABIES ARE BEST PHOTOGRAPHED IN THE FIRST 14 DAYS OF THEIR NEW LITTLE LIVES
During Your Session Once you arrive at my in home studio, I will let you pick out which props you want to use. I have just about everything I will need for your session. I start out with any poses with Mom, Dad and siblings. After that we will move onto the beanbag. Finally, if you choose to, we finish with any basket or bucket poses you choose.
After Your Session Now you can go home and relax and dream about all the beautiful images that will soon be yours. I go through the images from your session and select the best. Once I have the “final cut� selected I meticulously edit each individual picture to correct any blemishes. I will provide a usage license so that you can print your images at the lab of your choice without any hassle. Your images will be ready for delivery within two weeks. You now have wonderful, precious images to remind you of the innocence of your newborn, and you have documented in a beautiful, meaningful way what those first few days of life were like. BLISS!
Session times can vary from baby to baby. I let them run the show. It can take up to an hour for them to settle into my studio. I do everything I can to make it comfortable for the baby with white noise and heat. Newborn safety is my number one priority, so I always make sure the baby is completely settled before I start shooting and this can take some time.
Newborn Session Checklist I have all the hats, headbands, wraps, blankets and props we will need for our session. However, if there are any special requests or family heirlooms that you would like to use, please let me know beforehand. My studio gets very warm. VERY VERY WARM. Your baby will usually have their clothes off for most of the session so it needs to be extra warm. You should wear lightweight breathable clothing since it will be very warm where we are shooting. If you would like to be in some of the photographs we will shoot those first before you get disheveled or sweaty due to the warmth in the room for your little one. Your hands may be shown in some photos. Please have nails trimmed and clean. Try to have at least one other person there with you during the shoot to help. Sessions can often get long and tiring for all involved. I will be doing most of the work, but I will need a spotter for safety reasons. I like to have my sessions be as relaxing as possible for the Mom, so I will be putting your helper to work! Be prepared for multiple feedings. Feed the baby right before you leave for the session and prepare to feed a little bit more when you arrive. Sessions can last anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. I realize our session may be the first outing for you with a newborn. DO NOT WORRY if you are running a little bit late. Rushing around and being stressed makes the baby stressed. Try to stay calm and relax, I can wait for you!
Products & Pricing Canvases There is no better way to cherish those special moments than with a canvas on your wall. Sizes start as small as 5x7 and go up to 30x40. They can be paired together as a collage or just one main focal piece. Ask me for specific sizes and prices.
$30 - $225
Albums Albums make great gifts for grandparents to show off their new grandchild. The standard size is 8x8 and includes 20 pages. They are completely custom designed and can include a year’s worth of sessions or only one.
$200
Birth Announcements The first month of motherhood can be hectic and society expects an announcement to be sent within a reasonable timeframe! Let me take the stress out of that and design, customize and order your announcements. I have 5x5 and 5x7 designs that I will let you choose from. Sets come in 25 cards and include envelopes.
$75
Raves & Reviews
“Her warm demeanor will put you right at ease. Only a true professional would take the time that Heather did to capture the most beautiful shots of our daughter.�
Colleen Swain
Kristina McGowan “Of course my son didn't make it easy and wasn't your typical sleeping baby! He is nosey, so he was awake just about the whole session and was pretty difficult. Heather had such patience and worked through it. I have no idea how, but she still managed to get the perfect pictures of him. Some even with his eyes closed!”
“My daughter Avery was 8 days old when she posed for her newborn photos. I was amazed at how beautiful her shots turned out! I watched the session and Heather was so gentle and patient as she worked with Avery to get the perfect shot!”
Joanne Boyle
“Not only did Heather capture the most beautiful, unique, breathtaking photos of our newborn, she was professional, hard working, and ever gentle with our little boy. Her tear-provoking pictures still pull at our heartstrings each time we look at them!”
Angeline Venito
t c a t n o C
(609) 932 - 4184 llephotos.com heather@heathermiche tos.com www.heathermichellepho