Tender Blessings
Photography
THE ALBUM SHOP
Your package album has a linen cover and 20 pages
Tender Blessings Photography
Newborns.....
Are a Tender Blessing !
You are probably feeling a million emotions right now....anticipation, excitement, fear, anxiety, exhaustion and complete and utter, unconditional LOVE like no other! As your precious newborn snuggles into your chest with quiet baby squeaks and sign, you finally understand what unconditional love it all about. Your baby will not stay this small for very long. I know all too well how fast they grow...In addition to being a photographer, I am the mother of 5, grandmother of 8 and a maternity nurse, I've got A LOT of experience with newborns!
I could stare at the absolute perfection of a sleeping baby for hours and I adore photographing them! I think that Newborn babies look most beautiful, and are most comfortable, in curled up positions that would be natural in the womb. I shoot and edit in a light and airy style. I try to keep the focus of the session on the perfectness of the baby. and capture all the fine details. Your precious baby's safety is number one with me. I will not do any poses that put unnatural strain on the baby's neck (not even for a second!) It's just not worth the risk.
My Studio
The studio in my Lake Elsinore, California home was made especially for newborn and children's photography. Its small, but mighty! I have created a lot of beautiful images in this small space. We offer a variety of backgrounds, outfits, dresses, rompers, wraps, headbands, bonnets, hats, baskets, bowls, rugs, and other props to choose from.
Scheduling
You should try to schedule your newborn session before you deliver if you know your delivery or due date, or as soon as you possible when your baby is born. The ideal time to photograph your newborn is between 7 and 21 days old or within a week of being discharged from the NICU. This gives baby a little time to adjust to newborn life at home before the session and for you do a little bit of healing, and settle into a feeding schedule. Its not uncommon for baby to be cluster feeding on the day of a session...its normal, so don't worry, we just roll with it!
Sessions & Images
Newborn photo sessions can take up to 3 hours depending on the baby's feeding needs, sleep state and temperament The average time is 2 hours. On rare occasion, it is necessary to reschedule a session if the baby is extremely colicky or overly stimulated. Newborns cluster feed in the first few days and weeks. Often I will swaddle or wrap the the infant and patiently wait for him or her to fall asleep again to get the best images. Theres A LOT of patiently waiting involved in newborn photography.. The number of images in your finished gallery will depend entirely on your baby's cooperation during the shoot. The average is 24-30 images, but I have had sessions with as few as 15.
Keepsake Books
I am super excited to offer 6x6 and 8x8 keepsake books! They are included in two of my session packages and are available for purchase separately through the Gallery Print Store, They are a great way to keep your baby's images in a printed quality album that can be passed on through the generations. They are made by the same professional company, with the same process as my Heirloom Wedding Albums. They are STUNNING! See for yourself!
KEEPSAKE BOOK SAMPLE
Older Newborns
I'm often asked if I can photograph older newborns....Of course I can! I photograph 4-6 week newborns often, especially when they have been in the NICU. But it's important to understand that older newborns may object to being swaddled or posed in certain ways, so I may be limited in the type of images I can get with them. Older newborns also tend to be awake more during photo sessions. Your images will still be absolutely beautiful, but I may not be able to get a curled-up sleepy pose with an older newborn. After 6 weeks, I recommend that you plan a session when the baby is 3-4 months old and able to lift his head for "Tummy Time" photos
Siblings
Siblings are absolutely welcome to attend the session if they are accompanied by a parent/grandparent who can supervise them or entertain them if they get impatient or bored.. Please bring small toys or coloring books along with some snacks and drinks. If your children are not being photographed with the newborn and you can have them stay home this is often best or we can plan the session to do the newborn and sibling photos first and they can come back when the session is over. Young children have a difficult time waiting patiently for 2-3 hours.
Rashes & Jaundice
Don't worry if your baby doesn't look perfect on the day of the session. Babies go through all sorts of skin issues in the first weeks of life. All of the images in your gallery will be fully edited to remove any temporary marks bruises or scratches, flaking, peeling, jaundice and baby acne. I generally leave a small amount of milia (those little white bumps on the nose), pink "stork bites" on the eyes and forehead , moles and natural birthmark and the tiny hair on shoulder backs and forehead. unless you specifically ask me to remove them. These are the things that make a baby look real. A lot of newborn photographers go overboard with the editing by removing all these things. My goal with editing is to make your baby look like a naturally flawless and perfect newborn baby, not a plastic or porcelain doll.
Questions
Check my FAQ page for more commonly asked questions and answers. If you have any questions I didn't answer there, please reach out to me and I'll be happy to answer them or you. Thank you for considering Tender Blessings Photography. I'm looking forward to meeting you and your precious baby.
