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⦁ Fingernails clean and filed or freshly manicured. Chipped polish doesn’t photograph well.
⦁ Toe nails clean and filed or freshly manicured. Hair styled. ⦁ Make-up applied, neutral colors are best. Avoid blues and super bright colors. Also apply slightly heavier than normal and I recommend blush and contouring. False lashes are also recommended. If you would like information on a professional hair and make-up artist for the session, please let me know. ⦁ Legs shaved (preferably, totally understand if this is not an option in your third trimester!) Under garments. If you are changing gowns/attire during the session, please be sure to remember your bra and panties for each outfit. ⦁ Flip flops/sandals! This will make getting bare feet outdoors quick and easy! ⦁ Lips! Please bring lip gloss or lipstick to reapply throughout the session. ⦁ Accessories! These are optional, but I like to remind ladies because most of the time it is not thought about ⦁ Also, be sure to coordinate your significant other and children’s outfits to what you are wearing. Neon, super bright colors, graphics and character clothing do not photograph well. ⦁ Drinks and snack are always a good idea! Please note that I do have a pop-up changing tent. It gets the job done, but it isn’t luxurious. You are always more than welcome to change in your vehicle. Whatever you are more comfortable with. Also, please note that I do my best to hire an assistant for maternity sessions, however, due to the various days and hours sessions take place, they are not always available. During cold weather I recommend bringing a blanket or robe to warm up with in between shots. Also, it may be muddy so a towel may be handy too. During warm weather, if we are doing water shots, bring a towel. Also ticks and bugs are in mother nature. I recommend repellent. Look forward to working together!!!! |
Please follow these instructions to be on the right track to having a sleepy baby and a successful newborn session. Trust me, it can make a HUGE difference in the outcome of your session! My studio is located in the Colonial Plaza. 543 NE “E” st #104
⦁ For nursing Moms, be careful with what you eat for about a day leading up to the session. Any sort of spicy foods can make the baby uncomfortable or upset their tummy. And an upset tummy will always mean lots of tears and little sleep! So please avoid spicy foods, coffee/caffeine or any foods the baby may have allergies to, at all costs! ⦁ I also recommend that parents try to keep their baby awake in the couple hours leading up to the session. If the baby has slept all morning and then arrives to my studio, they just might be ready for a long awake period, which makes the job of getting them sleepy all that much harder. So, some tips are to play with baby, talk with baby, and maybe even give the baby a bath before the session – whatever it takes to keep them alert for an hour or two. Then, when they arrive in my studio, they’ll be ready for a long nap! While I do photograph awake babies, the baby-led poses we can attempt are often limited due to safety and comfort. ⦁ I always instruct Mommas to make sure their babies have a nice, full tummy before they leave the house to come to their session. This way, assuming their drive isn’t too long; the baby will still be full and has probably fallen asleep in the car. I can immediately get started on the session when they arrive and hopefully get an hour or two of photos done before baby needs a feeding break. In fact, having Mommy feed them as often as they can for about 10-12 hours before their session will ensure that baby is really full and will be more likely to have a long, sleepy stretch. ⦁ Here’s a really important one – DO NOT forget the pacifier!! If the baby takes a pacifier, you can trust me that you’ll want it there during the session! Also, the basics like diaper bag, diapers, wipes, and blanket. ⦁ I always instruct the parents to bring the baby in a button-up or zip-up sleeper. Preferably a loose fitting one. One of the worst things is when baby arrives sleepy in his/her car seat and then you have to remove shoes and socks, pants, and take a shirt off over their heads – which almost always wakes them up. Instead, it’s so, so simple to zip down and slip off pajamas while baby remains asleep. And if the pajamas are loose-fitting, then ideally there won’t be many lines left behind on the baby’s skin. ⦁ My studio is HOT, so it’s really important for to me to warn parents of this before their arrival. I always suggest you dress lightly and bring beverages (and a snack or meal too if you would like). ⦁ Newborn sessions can be sooooo long! Make sure you bring a laptop, tablet, a book to read, or whatever is entertaining while I shoot. Because seriously, two to three hours is a long time to just sit there bored! ⦁ If other children will be getting photographed with the newborn, bring entertainment for them and/or plan on only having them in the studio for a portion of the session. For a successful shoot, it has to be quiet. I usually recommend shooting images with siblings first and then having them leaving with another parent or friend. ⦁ These sessions really are teamwork. Please be patient and do your best to follow some direction to help get the best shots. I cannot guarantee any poses, what we are able to achieve is 100% up to your baby. Typically a successful session is 2 to 4 hours long. ⦁ With newborn sessions I include all props, wraps and items for photos. There is no need for you to bring anything. If you have any items that you would like incorporated, please let me know in advance so that I can accommodate you and I can coordinate a set up. Also, if you have anything in particular in mind (such as colors, poses etc.) please let me know. As well as any colors you do not like. ⦁ If you are planning on photos with your newborn or siblings, please let me know so I can set up in advance. Also, remember that neon colors, shirts with graphics/writing and character clothing do not photograph well. I like to deliver images beautifully simple and timeless for you. I offer dark and sentimental or light and airy as backdrops for family and sibling photos. Dressing in neutral colors helps to keep the focus on baby. They are teeny-tiny, so busy clothing can easily distract! I will photograph your family closer together while snuggling baby. Newborn sessions get pretty warm for baby’s comfort, so plan to dress in layers. Make sure that the clothing chosen for the family has a comfortable fit - not baggy or uncomfortably tight. Try to avoid wrinkled/pre-folded shirts. Mom- Make sure to wear a supportive bra (strapless is a plus!). I love camisole tanks! Nails- check for chipped paint. Makeup- I have a list of make-up artist, let me know if this is something you are interested in. Otherwise, less is more in our warm studio. Please choose a hairstyle that is visible from the front. Dad- Your newborn will be snuggled up in your arms and against your chest- try to avoid any scratchy/rough materials or shirts with buttons that would potentially irritate their sensitive skin. Dads are also welcome to go shirtless for skin to skin with baby. No screen tees or hats, please. Solid colored short sleeved tees are ideal. Siblings- Boys are great just in jeans with solid tees/henleys/button ups and girls are great in simple, classic dresses or tunics with leggings. Light, airy tones are great for the sibling photos. Try to avoid harsh or bold colors and patterns as they compete with the calm, organic setups with baby. ⦁ Baby will be photographed in a timeless, classic style- this typically doesn’t include store-bought outfits as they tend to swallow babies up, so don’t stress in this area. I have plenty of wraps, swaddle fabrics, hats, headbands, and hand-made/size appropriate outfit’s on-hand that reflect an organic styling. I look forward to working together and capturing these special memories for generations to come. Much love, Amanda Fithian |
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