Thank you for choosing a studio session with Lynn Leitch Photography. This page is set up to give you an idea of what to expect during your session and hopefully answer any specific questions you might have. However, I am always available by email {lynn@lynnleitchphotography} if you have any other questions!
My in-home studio is at 6218 Baumeister Drive, Hilliard, OH 43026
session set up
Please feed baby right before leaving for your session. This will give baby a chance to fall into a nice sleep in the car. I keep my studio at 75* – 80* for newborn sessions, so it is WARM. Newborns are most relaxed and calm when they are warm and comfortable. Because of this, I am dressed for a warm few hours and suggest you do too! Layers and tank tops are wonderful! One more random important note, if you are a nursing Mom, and you can, please don’t drink coffee the morning of your session. Feel free to bring coffee with you and enjoy your coffee during our session 🙂
I start my session with images of your baby dressed in what they arrived in. I find that as a mother, these are the images that I really thought of when thinking back to that time period. I recommend a sleeper with a white onesie underneath so that I can do two different “natural posed” options before getting them naked.
session preparation
For a posed session, plan to spend approximately 2 hours. It all depends on if baby is a light sleeper, has tummy troubles, or is hungry! The easiest way to ensure a sleepy baby is do everything you can to keep them awake for about an hour before you leave for your session. We don’t want your baby to be overtired, but we do want them ready to sleep! If you can, bring the soothie pacifier the hospital sent you home with. It’s the bendable, green/blue/orangish/pink one, and won’t leave marks. Even if you haven’t used one, just for the few hours that I’m posing him/her really helps. If they take another paci, please bring that too! I recommend a warm bath the morning of our session to help soothe your baby and applying moisturizer or oil after their bath will help reduce peeling skin. Although I am able to photoshop out some some skin blemishes/peeling skin, it really takes away from the texture and realness of your babies skin to do too much editing. Getting right in camera is always best 🙂
I allow the sessions to be baby led, but I do have a session limit. Having everyone ready and being on-time to your session is the easiest way to ensure we can start and finish on time 🙂 I don’t want you to feel stressed, but please know if you do arrive late I still have to end at the same time. I will do my best, in the most relaxed way, to still get through a full session. Following the prep guide as best as you can will ensure your little one is nice and sleepy for our session. Also, DON’T STRESS AT ALL before your session! I photograph newborns every week and have plenty of patience and experience helping newborns stay asleep throughout our session. Babies are unable to focus at this age, so the best photos of newborns are taken while they are peacefully sleeping!
Mom, Dad and siblings are a big part of the show too. Photographing the connection between parents/baby and sibling/baby is one of my all-time favorite things. I recommend all family members wear neutral colors. I recommend simple, fitted tops and bottoms – tank tops for mom and v-neck t-shirts for dad are my personal favorites. Finding something simple with some texture will photography beautifully. However, please dress in what makes you feel the most comfortable! Remember that hands are usually in many newborn family photos, so bare nails or light nail polish is recommended. I aim to photograph using flattering angles and light to bring out the natural beauty in your family.
during your session
I have my workflow set up to deliver a variety of photos and plan out my sessions ahead of time. I don’t do every single pose on my website/Facebook page at each session, so if you have any specific photo requests, please let me know in your questionnaire so I can plan accordingly.
My studio is relatively small and I aim to keep a quiet soothing environment for your baby, so if you have an older sibling that needs to run around, I ask that a parent or grandparent take them outside so we can finish the session. I also have a television with Netflix if they would like to watch a show. If this isn’t possible I can provide a few toys for your child to play with as long as they stay within the studio area.
All babies are different. I have never had a baby in my studio that didn’t love to be swaddled, but I have had a few babies that didn’t love being unswaddled. Although I would love to duplicate all your requested poses, I don’t/can’t guarantee any specific poses. If you follow the prep guide, we usually sail through the session.
I like to be particular with the details (fingers flat, head positioned into the light correctly), so each pose can take up to 20 minutes to get set up. A bit of fussing is normal during transitions, but I don’t force your baby into any position they don’t fall into naturally. For posed sessions, beanbag photos are done without a diaper on. If you prefer the diaper to be left on during our session, please let me know ahead of time so I can have additional wraps ready. I typically spend about 15-20 minutes on each pose and if baby isn’t comfortable, I will move on to something else.
Please know that as a Mom of 2, newborn safety is my top priority. If anyone in your family is sick, we will need to reschedule the session. I have anywhere from 3-5 newborns in my studio each week, so I can’t risk passing anything on to another newborn or getting sick myself.
I also want to point out that photos that look like your baby is sitting on a shelf or holding their own head up are always done without putting your baby at any risk. The photos are done in photoshop as a composite using two or more photos. My hands never leave your baby.
after your session
After we finish your session, I will get you some time to dress baby and feed if needed. At this point we can discuss package options. If you have discussed ahead of time what you think you might like to purchase, we can take care of that right then. If you are not quite sure, we will have a reveal session approximately 2 weeks later back at the studio to view and finalize purchasing.
As far as editing goes, I don’t change/alter any physical features that won’t change within 2 weeks. I will edit out cuts, scraps, zits, etc. I aim to minimize peeling skin and can reduce redness/baby acne as much as possible but I won’t do it to the extent that it takes away the natural features of your baby or makes your baby look “plastic”. If you notice a lot of baby acne before our session, cutting out dairy (if you are breastfeeding) usually helps within a day or two. As mentioned above, a bath followed with some moisturizer helps peeling skin. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please email me before your session.
Thank you so much for you business and I look forward to helping you document this special time in your life!