When Tara and Doug saw their baby boy for the first time, all they could think about was how amazing he was and how lucky they were that he had finally arrived. Connor Christopher was born the morning of May 4^th and was met by two adoring parents and later on by both sets of loving grandparents.

Tara and Doug made the decision to have their new bundle of joy photographed during the first few precious days of his life. Connor was only 6 days old when I met him for our session in my studio. The proud parents prepared for their session by carefully reading (more than once) the tips I provided to them as well as browsing through Pinterest for particular shot ideas that they wanted to capture.

Tara admitted that she was quite nervous and worried that little Connor would not cooperate during the session or that they wouldn’t get the shots they hoped for. She was concerned that Connor would not fall asleep for the photos or if he did he may wake up – would he stay calm? Would he scream and cry? Would he go back to sleep?

These are concerns I hear most from parents having newborn photographs taken but, as with all my clients, the session was fantastic – if ever there is not enough time to get the desired shots, I assure the parents that they can come back at another date if the session does not work out due to the baby’s temperament. In the case of Tara and Doug, we successfully completed Connor’s shots in two sessions.

Tara and Doug brought several excellent sentimental items to the photo shoot! Doug is a huge fan of the baseball, so they used a Doug’s baseball jersey, baseball glove, ball and bat. Tara attended the University of Florida, so Connor, of course, donned a Florida Gators jersey. Lastly, Tara chose to bring her collection of Harry Potter books to represent her love of the series and reading in general.

When preparing for and booking a newborn photography session, it is always best to be prepared – decide what sentimental objects you would like to include and bring some ideas for desired poses and shots. Your little one may not cooperate in the way you hope but with some time and patience you will not be disappointed with the beautiful results.

As a photographer who specializes in newborn photography, I have many more pieces of advice to give parents-to-be who are considering booking a session – but I asked Tara to share her thoughts for anyone getting newborn photographs taken:

“I would advise someone to go in with a flexible and calm mind. Your baby will dictate the shoot and having too much in mind may lead to disappointment and unnecessary stress. Trust Kim and the process and it will all work out!”