FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why is it best to photograph newborns under 2 weeks old?
It is ideal to photograph your baby within their first 2 weeks to give me the best opportunity to capture a great
variety of deep sleeping portraits plus those gorgeous curly, womb-like poses. At around 3 weeks old, babies go through a growth spurt and become a lot more aware of their surroundings. This is also when they can start suffering from colic (wind & reflux), which makes it harder to settle them into a deep sleep. Baby acne also starts appearing around 3 weeks old and will last for about 2 weeks.
In saying this, I quite often have parents contact me once bub is born because it's only then that they realise the importance of preserving this precious time! It is also common for parents to feel quite overwhelmed in those first couple of weeks, so they don't even look into booking a photographer until bub is a few weeks old. If this is you - don't stress! Every baby is different, and I believe that the perfect time to photograph your baby is when YOU are ready. Depending on how settled your baby is will depend on what poses are achievable, but in any case I can still capture beautiful photographs of your little one! For babies who have been born premature, it is likely they will stay settled for longer than 2 weeks old.
Please feel free to contact me to have a chat about your baby and I can advise you of what type of photos I can achieve for you. If you simply want to capture them while they are as small as possible, book in as soon as you can!
What if my baby or child doesn't behave on the day?
This is probably the thing parents worry the most about! I have many processes in place to guarantee the best results possible. Firstly, with newborns and babies, I book a morning session as they tend to be most settled then. When booking your session time, I always stress with parents that I am flexible and if bub has had a bad night and therefore sleeps in a little longer, they can just let me know and they can arrive a little later. I allow for this but find it's rare that parents arrive more than half an hour later.
Newborn sessions are planned so bub arrives with a full belly. These sessions are very much about me working with your baby and responding to what they are showing me, as reality is that it's common to have an unsettled baby! Please don't feel anxious if this is the case ~ to me this is normal and my experience in photographing hundreds of babies means I have many tricks up my sleeve to still achieve gorgeous portraits! I have had sessions where the baby has been unsettled most of the time but upon showing the parents their photographs they can't believe how peaceful their baby looks!
Toddlers and young children are definitely the biggest challenge! I find the key to photographing them is making them feel comfortable within the studio. I choose to use continuous lights rather than flash and I don't ever rush the session. When they feel comfortable and are having fun, it definitely produces the most natural smiles! Parents who have also talked to their child before the day and offered a reward for behaving well, I find this works a treat!
Do you include props and outfits?
The props and outfits you see used in my newborn gallery are provided by me. This includes baskets, blankets, wraps, knitted pants and bonnets, plus the delicate headbands on girls. You are however more than welcome to bring along any items you would like involved in the photo shoot. I also provide outfits for babies up to 12 months old, but do suggest to also bring your baby's own clothing as this will make your photographs more sentimental to you.
How much does it cost to have portraits taken by you?
I only ask for a reservation fee of $150-$250, depending on your session type. I believe that clients can only decide on what purchases they would like to make upon seeing their photographs, so this is decided during your Ordering Session approximately 1-2 weeks after your photo shoot. I find that most families invest between $1250-2500 which gives you 10-30 of your favourite photographs fully edited and in a combination of Wall Decor, Professional Prints or Digital Files. Payment Plans are also available.
I'm worried I will love too many photos, what if I can't afford them all?
I try my best to make the Ordering Session an easy and enjoyable process. After the photo session, I go through your photographs and carefully select 20-50 of the best. I present these to you in your Ordering Session where you decide what purchases you would like to make. Most families decide to choose 10-20 of their favourites, and I'm there to help you with this process and work out what is the best option for you that also fits within your budget. If we come to a decision that is slightly above your budget, I am happy to offer a payment plan to help you.
How do I secure a booking with you?
Contact me to book in a session, or you can also book online. Depending on the type of photography session you are after, you can simply pay the session fee to secure your appointment date and time. I can take Visa or MasterCard over the phone or send you Bank Transfer details. For newborn sessions, a date is confirmed after your baby is born but receiving the session fee means I will keep time aside for you dependant on your due date.
What if I have complications during birth or need to re-schedule my appointment?
I understand that the birth of your baby doesn't always go to plan. In this case, I just ask that you keep me informed. Together we can work out an appropriate date. If there are more serious complications you can always instead transfer the session fee to a photo shoot for when your baby is older.
For all photo sessions, you can re-schedule within 2 business days of your appointment without losing the session fee. If anyone involved in the photo shoot becomes sick, I ask for you to please notify me 24 hours before your appointment time, if possible, so we can re-schedule.
Sunset sessions are weather-dependant and you will not lose your session fee if we need to re-schedule due to bad weather.