For new parents, those first few days and weeks when you bring your baby home often go by in an exhausted blur. Your entire life centers around keeping this new little being fed and comforted, with very little time to savor the sweet moments. That’s one reason I really love being a newborn photographer here in Elkin, North Carolina. The pictures that come from these session serve as a living memory for the parents. Months later, when your baby has grown and is toddling around the house, you can look back at these images and remember just how small they were and how precious that time was.

I also love capturing newborns just because they are so beautiful. The small little bodies are still crinkly and new, most of the time not having gained that weight that we often associate with babies. Just like a newborn cry is unique, the way they curl up and the texture of their skin is also special, and photographs capture a fleeting time of life that is so important.

The newborn weeks are fleeting, and portraits can help make the most of that time. Here are a few tips to help make sure you also make the most of your photography session:

• Schedule the session while the baby is 5-7 days old. Babies at that age are more sleepy and easy to pose. Also, once you get to one and a half to two weeks old you start seeing baby acne or colic flare up.
• Prepare by keeping your baby awake an hour or two before the session, and then feed your baby right before you come. This helps ensure the baby is both happy and sleepy.
• Bring your baby dressed in something easy to take off, as the best pictures are ones with bare skin! Make sure you don’t have socks or textured blankets up against your baby’s skin, these can leave indentions in their delicate skin.
• For mom or dad, if you are planning a photo with baby in your hands, wear a black shirt to blend in with the black backdrop. If you just want a picture of you with the baby, stick to black or white.
• Even if your baby isn’t using a pacifier yet, bring one with you. It will help soothe the baby in between poses if necessary.
• At Jennifer K. Photography, newborn sessions usually last two to three hours. This is a fun time, but it’s also important to be prepared. Feel free to bring drinks and a snack to help keep you going. You might also want to bring a change of clothes. Newborns tend to poop and pee a lot, and sometimes in these bare-naked sessions that means we all get a little messy!

I love being able to share these special times with so many beautiful babies and their parents. Make sure to take time and capture these newborn moments.  It is one of the best investments that you will ever make as our new little one's are truly priceless!