Having a new baby is a big miracle in a tiny package that changes your life forever. Many think marriage is the biggest change of your life. I disagree. I loved my wedding and am so happy to have gotten married to the love of my life – BUT we were still ourselves when we tied the knot. A baby morphs you into parents – which is a whole new ballgame. I think it is the biggest change a couple can go through. It is special, can be stressful, but overall fills you with more love than you ever thought possible. Many parents choose to document this incredible event with a newborn photo shoot.

I’m a huge fan of professional photos as well as random photos/videos using my smartphone 🙂 Life is short and I want to remember every little thing!

If you choose to go the route of a professional photo shoot when your little bundle arrives, you should plan ahead a bit. Some tips for success include:

• Research photographers to find the right one for you.
• Schedule the photo shoot for 7-10 days after your due date.
• Order/purchase props (examples below):
  • Newborn hats
  • Little toys (tiny football, little stuffed bear, etc.)
  • Headbands
  • Crown (blue, pink or neutral)
  • Baby sports gear (we’re SF Giants fans so we went that route)
• Prepare outfits for you and your partner
  • White shirts
  • Black shirts
  • Favorite hobby or sports gear
  • TIP 1: Keep it simple with mostly black and white shirts/outfits so the focal point is the baby.
  • TIP 2: If baby is born close to a holiday – bring holiday outfits to include in the photo shoot. For example, bunny ears for Easter, an elf or Santa hat, etc.
• Gather sample newborn photos to help give your photographer some direction. You know what you like, and doing a google search ahead of time will help you gather ideas/samples, help you to prepare, and it will help your photographer to know what you are looking for.
• Feed your newborn right before your photo shoot to keep them full, happy, and sleepy. Sleepy newborns are the easiest to work with and make for beautiful photos!

Truthfully – the best advice I can give you is to have fun! Take the photo shoot in stride.

As you will learn with newborns (and kids in general) – things may not go as planned. Baby may need to nurse part way through the photo shoot. There will most definitely be some kind of diaper accident – and at least one adult will end up being pooped on! lol! Relax and take it all in. Newborns are so sweet, snuggly, and amazing. They grow way too fast – which is the whole point of the photo shoot. Enjoy the moment! You may even get some silly, sweet and unexpected photos!