Newborn Preparation Guide
We are so happy you are considering Heather Gappi Photography for such an important milestone in your baby's life!
These sessions are designed to capture your baby's first moment's! The most important thing to us is that you receive amazing images that capture such a beautiful stage in life, and that you have a lovely experience in our studio! You are not required to bring anything besides your little bundle of joy! We provide all of the clothing, wraps, props, bonnets, and hair bands.
A little about Editing
Newborn skin is one of the biggest concerns that we hear from new parents. Babies often come into this world with eczema, dry skin, acne, bruises, jaundice, or sometimes all of the above! Aside from the 1- 2 hours of artistically posing and photographing your newborn, I dedicate many hours afterwards in carefully retouching your precious baby’s skin. I try my best for the final result to have a beautiful, glowing, blemish-free newborn!
What to wear?
I'm often asked for clothing ideas, so I thought I'd include a bit of information on the topic. The main guideline that you want to keep in mind as you plan your outfits is this:
COMPLEMENT & COORDINATE BUT DON'T GET TOO MATCHY!
Find a colour palette that you love and choose outfits that compliment each other without looking too matchy-matchy. Everyone will have a unique look without clashing in the photo. You can choose to do neutrals with a few pops of colour or a softer palette that has different ranges in tone of the same shades.
Suggestions:
I always suggest that the woman (especially mom if you’re including family in the session) choose an outfit she feels confident and beautiful in. Then plan the colour palette and everyone else's outfits from there.
If you have a fun patterened outfit you would like to use, limit it to one person. That way they will pop and still coordinate with everyone else. Multiple patterns can look busy, and this way they won't be competing with one another.
Add dimension and interest by mixing up the texture of the clothing material and accents.
Feel free to bring cute little accessories such as scarves, hats, belts and basically anything with a fabulous texture. Accessories can pull together an outfit and make it look complete. Plus by switching up accessories and layers, you can get multiple looks without having to do complete outfit changes.
Keep our backdrop in mind when choosing your clothing. If we are on a beach, aim to dress in clothes that are light and flowing. If we are surrounded by fall leaves, layering in great textures is a great option.
Most importantly, be sure to wear clothes you feel comfortable in. Your confidence will really shine through in your photos!
Try to Avoid:
Large logos
Large text
Neon colours
Be aware of any tan lines and how those will look in your chosen outfit
And if you feel like you are in need of assistance, I am happy to help you! Arrange your outfits on a large bed or on the floor, and then send me photos of your favourite combinations. We can work together to ensure we find the perfect combination!
CANCELATION
Deposits are nonrefundable. If for any reason you need to reschedule your deposit can be transferred towards another session. This session must be booked within six months of the date the deposit was paid.
LATE FEE
If you are late to your session please realize that this is time taken away from your session. If you are more than 25 minutes late we must reschedule, and you will be charged a $100 rescheduling fee. This is for our time lost, in the studio and the talent. We have to make use of all of our time efficiently to make sure we can accommodate all of our clients.
Final Details
To get the baby to sleep during a session takes a few steps… most importantly energy; I love positive and calming energy, and of course feeding, diaper changes, and soothing baby. I speak baby!
It is very important to have a baby fully fed and clean diaper before session. Please feel free to feed the baby at the studio. You're more than welcome to show up 15 minutes prior to appointment to get the baby fed and changed. This will definitely help make things smoother.
To be honest, a session all depends on how the newborn cooperates. Some babies have colic and are very gassy; this can make it much harder getting the baby to sleep. But most babies sleep great!
To all my breast-feeding moms I recommend you avoid eating gassy foods 3 days prior to the session. That way we try our best to avoid gas.
You are more than welcome to breast-feed baby in the studio, we have a private nursery.
The studio is always set at 80°-85° to ensure a warm environment for the baby. When baby is in the womb it is close to 100° and that is when their most comfortable. So make sure to dress light!
I also play white noise in the background to help get baby to sleep.
Thank you for taking the time to read through the details of my Newborn Sessions.
I hope I have answered all your questions, but please if I have missed something feel free to ask away. I am looking forward to working with you in the future and meeting your beautiful family. May you be blessed you now and always!
x Heather Gappi