5 Tips for Including Older Siblings in a Newborn Session

Congrats!! Your little family has added another member, and it’s so important to capture this moment in your lives! One of the best things about newborn photos is it’s a great way to get new photos of the whole family, including any older siblings. But it can sometimes be a challenge for parents to encourage toddlers to cooperate with the photo session. That’s why I put together these five tips for including older siblings in your newborn shoot.

Give them time in the spotlight.

An older sibling of a newborn has often just become an older sibling, which means they’re still getting used to having a baby in the house. They may feel that their parents don’t pay as much attention to them with all the needs of their new sibling. Take time to make sure your older kids feel involved in the photo session, both in photos with your new baby and photos of the whole family together. Your newborn session is a great way to let older siblings know that it’s not just about your new addition, but about your growth as a family.

Encourage them to snuggle up.

Your older child may feel unsure or uncomfortable around the new baby, and a photo session can be a great way to help them loosen up and get to know their new sibling. Some of my favorite photos are images of the older sibling holding, kissing, or snuggling the new baby. Encourage them to gently touch the newborn and to get close, which can lead to a lot of giggles and smiles and some great photos.

Let them do their own thing.

One of the most important things is not to force your older child to participate in the session. The last thing you want is a tantrum or a grumpy face in your photos! Instead, encourage them to participate without forcing them. You may be surprised how much they enjoy being involved on their own, and giving your older child space to explore and relax can result in more natural, genuine images of your family.

Make time for breaks.

Your newborn won’t be the only one who needs breaks. Have some snacks handy for older siblings, and give them a chance to step away from the camera and just play for a little while. Sometimes it’s best to do photos with the older sibling first, so they don’t get bored and agitated as the session goes on. Regardless of how your photographer organizes the session, be sure to include regular breaks throughout.

Talk to them beforehand.

It’s so important to let your older children know what to expect from a photo session. Whether they love to be in front of the camera or are a little bit shy, talking to them in the days before your shoot about how things will go can really ease their minds and make them more comfortable with the photographer. Be sure to sit down with your older child throughout the week before your session and talk to them about how you’re going to have photos taken and the importance of listening to both you and the photographer. With a little preparation, you may find that they’re excited to participate, which makes for wonderful photos!

7 Things Your Newborn Photographer Wants You to Know

Congrats!! You’ve chosen a newborn photographer and can’t wait to get photos of the precious new addition to your family! But if you’ve never had a newborn session before, you may not be sure what to expect from the experience. That’s why I want to let you know a few things that newborn photographers wish all their clients knew.

Every newborn is unique.

Just as every family is different, no two babies are exactly alike. One newborn might be perfectly comfortable posed laying on her belly, while another might absolutely hate it. Your photographer will work with you and your newborn to find the positions they’re most comfortable in and will definitely not force your baby into any poses they aren’t willing to do.

We’ve seen it all. TRUST ME.

If your baby pees on the photographer’s set, throws a fit, or just wants to nurse the whole session, don’t be embarrassed. Chances are your photographer has experienced everything from poop all over their props to being peed on. As a newborn photographer, this is their everyday life, and they’re totally understanding. After all, your baby’s needs come before your photos. So, don’t feel like you have to apologize for every little thing that goes wrong. Your photographer is there to support you and work with you.

We have a lot of tricks up our sleeves.

It can be tempting to swoop in and pick up your newborn as soon as they start crying, but most photographers know a variety of ways to sooth little ones. It’s important for parents to use their newborn session as a time to relax and to trust the photographer. If your baby is truly upset and can’t be calmed down, we’ll be sure to pass them on to you for feeding, diapering, or comfort.

 You should feel free to take a break.

As the parent of a newborn, you probably haven’t had a moment to yourself in a while. Well, your photo session is the perfect chance to just sit back and relax. Most of the images will be of your baby, so you get to sit on the sidelines, have a cup of coffee, and maybe finally check your email or return some phone calls. And no judgment if you doze off during the session! I’ll wake you when I need you.

We want you to share our photos.

Photographers take images for you to cherish and enjoy, and we want you to share them! Post those photos of your newborn all over social media and send to family and friends. We want our images to be seen! Just be sure to credit your photographer when you share their images on Facebook or Instagram and feel free to recommend them to other expecting parents!

Our work doesn’t end with your session.

Since everyone has a camera on their phone these days, photographers hear a lot about how anyone can take a photo. But a professional does so much more than simply click a button. We set up backdrops and lighting, and we know all the tricks of the trade to make your photos turn out amazing. And once the session is over, we spend hours editing your photos to make them the absolute best they can be, providing you with images you’ll cherish for a lifetime.

Coordinating Family Outfits: Dos and Don'ts

Yay! You’ve booked a session with me! Thank you!

But now comes the hard part: picking out an outfit! I know a lot of clients may feel completely overwhelmed when it comes to choosing what to wear, so I came up with a quick list of Do’s and Don’ts to make picking outfits less stressful for you guys!

Don’t: ALL white

White always seems like the go-to easy option. Not only do we want to show off your family’s personality through clothes, but all white may sometimes clash, or cause odd lighting.

Do: Mixed Neutrals

White is not a no-no. Adding white in with some OTHER neutral colors (browns, grays, navy, etc) work really beautifully together! Having mom, for example, wear a white dress with everyone else wearing a variation of other neutrals evens it out and looks great!

Don’t: Busy patterns/Logos

Patterns are great, but can be extremely distracting and overwhelming. They tend to take away from the emotion of the images as people’s eyes will focus on the outfits, and not your smiles! This goes for too many words as well. Simple is always better!

Do: Subtle Patterns and solids

Instead of having everyone in the family wear a pattern, try having one person wear something with a pattern and the rest wear solids! Subtle, simple patterns will not overdo it and usually match with solid colors better. You can still match color schemes this way!

Don’t: Neon Colors

By wearing neon colors, it can cast some odd colors/shadows on faces. I LOVE color, but try and stay away from anything too bright

Do: Soft Colors/ Jewel Tones (ruby, sapphire, emeral, etc.)

These colors look great on EVERYONE. Jewel tones are vibrant, but not neon bright. You could also go with a pastel color pallet depending on the look/season you are going for!

Don’t: Matching

Getting the ENTIRE family to wear matching outfits is challenging, unless you are going for a specific look (Mommy and me, etc). If you would'n’t normally go out dressed like that, there’s no need to dress like that now. We want to celebrate you as a family and a part of that is showing each individual member’s personality through outfits!

Do: Coordinating colors

Coordinating colors and completely matching get mixed up a lot. With coordinating colors, its easy to bring out your personalities without compromising your own personal style. I will attach some common color schemes below to help find some variation while planning your outfits! Any of these color schemes can be used with neutrals as well to make it less overwhelming!

COVID 19 | Studio Session Update

Hello Everyone!

Due to recent events, Saykiss Photography is preparing for the potential impact on the studio/future sessions.

Nothing is more important to me than you and your little one’s safety! I take every precaution needed to maintain a sterile, healthy environment so that my clients and their families are protected-which I should mention I do long before this virus was a concern. I am fortunate in the fact that for all of my newborn sessions, I get to come to you. You do not need to fear a public environment, and have the peace of mind of being in your own home. Listed below are some precautions that are already set in place

• Handwashing is done before and after every session and hand sanitizer is used frequently throughout our session

• Props are cleaned and sanitized after each session. Every prop or wrap that your baby touched is washed.

• Illness of any kind is prohibited. If a session needs to be rescheduled due to illness, I will never charge a cancellation fee.

Additionally, I want to make a note that I will never schedule if I am even slightly under the weather. I take your baby’s health, and yours, very seriously and would never knowingly put anyone at risk.

Moving forwards, if you are still feel uncomfortable with scheduling a session, here are some ways you can still help support me and my business without leaving your home

• Purchase a gift certificate that can be used at a later date {when all of this is cleared up}. The certificate will be able to used at any date in the coming year, but helps me immensely for the time being

• Order prints/additional images from a previous session you have had. If you had a session with me in the past and never got around to purchasing prints, now is the time!

• Spread the word! Share my page with other who may possibly be interested in booking a session!

Thank you all so much for understanding and working with me in this trying time. We all need to stick together and keep our loved ones healthy!

Newborn Session Guide

Congrats!

Whether you are a first time parent, or expecting your 5th bundle of joy, a LOT of parents have questions on what to expect during their newborn session!

If you’ve never booked a session with me, you may be wondering “what now?” As your photographer, you have trusted me to handle and photograph your baby, and the last thing I want is for you to stress or worry. I want each session to run smoothly, and stress free (for both mama AND baby).

Below are some frequently asked questions to help ensure you are completely prepared for your session!

When Should I Book My Session?

Newborn sessions are BEST shot between 6-14 days of life. This is when your baby will be at his/her sleepiest and calmest. It is best to book your session before your third trimester so that we have time to adjust your date as needed!

There are cases where I have shot an “older baby” with no issues, it is just important to understand that you may not get all the shots you are hoping for.

How Long Will My Session Last?

Newborn sessions TYPICALLY run around 3 hours long. If your baby is sleepy and content the whole time, we may finish earlier.

It is VERY important to have a happy baby during these sessions, so I always make sure to take the extra time and patience if needed to calm your baby down and make sure that they as content as can be. In these cases, sessions may run longer, in order to ensure a happy, sleepy baby. I know it can be discouraging to see your baby wide awake or fussing, but it is super important to stay calm and patient as babies can sense your stress. I make sure that I am very patient with your baby, and do not rush through my sessions.

How Should I Prepare?

There are a few things that you can do to before you arrive, to ensure a successful session.

• Feed your baby: As our main goal is to keep a happy, sleepy, baby, it is very important to make sure your baby is fed before your session. A smooth workflow is important to your session and we want to take as little breaks as possible throughout. There will be times where we need to pause, feed, and burp, but making sure your little one has a full belly going into the session will make everything run more smoothly

• Binky on Hand: The last thing I ask that you keep a pacifier close by. Even if you are not sure if they will take it or not, most babies will take one during their session to help them feel soothed. It is also easier to pose them while they are being soothed, and we are able to remove the pacifier before taking the shot

Do I Need to Bring Anything?

I provide you with all the wraps, props, and accessories needed to give your baby with a beautiful session. I am ALWAYS open to using parent props, and incorporating personal items into your session, however, nothing is NEEDED.

 Can We Include Family Photos?

YES! Your newborn package includes sibling and family shots! I, personally, like to take these first, to help transition into a smooth session. Starting with the baby wrapped will help ensure that they are extra sleepy before we begin. I also like to get the family part of the session out of the way in the beginning so that you, your husband, and older child can then change, relax, and enjoy the rest of the session without worrying about anything. I encourage simple, neutral colors for these photos.

Thank you for helping me help you to ensure a happy, successful session! For any other questions, please feel free to reach out, or ask during our intro call! I hope to see you soon!