How To Prepare for your Newborn Session: Featuring The Quigley Family

Purple Theme Newborn Set

Your baby is here, and you're getting ready for the newborn session! Congratulations! This session captures your baby's small features and celebrates their arrival in your family. Here are some tips to make your newborn session go smoothly:

1. Make sure the baby is warm and fed.

Feed your baby just before the photographer arrives/you arrive to studio so they are happy and sleepy during the session. Also, make sure your home (If we are at your home) is warm. We may need to undress your baby, and they could get cold in just a diaper.

2. Prep your home if we are doing in-home session.

When I visit your home for the session, we will likely use various rooms. It’s helpful to tidy up those areas to reduce mess and clutter in the background. Your home doesn't have to be completely spotless; a tidy space will create a cleaner look in photos

3. Prep the family.

Inform everyone about the photoshoot, especially dads! Let Dad know we need his help during the session, even if he will only be on camera for about 30 minutes. If you have other kids, he can help keep them entertained and tidy while it's not their turn.

4. Wardrobe!

For moms, I suggest wearing white or neutral colors to avoid casting color on the baby's face in photos. Please avoid prints. For dads and other children, choose neutrals that match mom's outfit. Babies can wear anything such as onesies, diaper covers, or swaddles, but I have all we need to style baby. I have outfits, wraps, and props to pick from.

The Theme Is Important!

Winnie the Pooh Theme

Choose a theme for your cake smash session based on your baby's likes, your tastes, and the look you want. A classic color scheme or a theme from a favorite book or movie can be a good choice. Make sure the theme fits well with the background and decorations, and decide if you want it to be for a specific gender or neutral. Here's a more detailed breakdown of how to choose a theme:

Think about what your baby likes: If they have a favorite book, movie, or character, use that as a theme. Consider their favorite toys, colors, or animals to include in the theme.

Consider your likes: What colors or styles do you prefer? A basic color scheme or classic theme can give a stunning, timeless appearance. Do you have a favorite movie, book, or hobby? You can include those aspects in the theme for a personal touch. 

Consider the overall look: Think about the background, decorations, and props. Make sure they match your theme. Decide if you want a simple or elaborate style. Also, consider how the theme will go with your home decor and where you'll show the photos.

Be creative with your theme. Use books, movies, TV shows, favorite foods, or something cute. Choose a gender-neutral theme or one specific to your baby’s gender. Think of wordplay or a unique idea to make your cake smash session unforgettable.

Find ideas for cake smash themes online. Pinterest and other sites offer many examples to help you discover what you like.

Communicate with your photographer: They can give ideas and help you develop a theme that suits your baby and style. They can also assist with props, decorations, and other details.

By following these tips, you can choose a cake smash theme that is both fun and meaningful for your baby's first birthday. 

After you pick a specific theme for your session, I will send you a variety of options and creative ideas to help you choose the backdrop that would best fit your vision. Additionally, we take the time to discuss the cake as well as the outfits that would complement the theme you decide on. Not only do you have the important task of deciding on the child’s outfit, but I also always include family photos in my sessions to capture those cherished moments together.

Bee Cake Smash

A cake smash session is a photoshoot for a baby's first birthday, where they interact with a cake in a messy and joyful way. It documents this important milestone and captures their personality at this age. Here’s why parents choose cake smash sessions:

1. Celebrating a Milestone: It's a fun way to mark a baby's first birthday and create lasting memories of their first year.

2. Capturing Personality: Parents can see their baby's unique reactions to the cake, capturing candid, heartwarming moments of joy and curiosity.

3. Fun and Messy Play: Cake smash sessions introduce babies to messy play, allowing them to explore textures and tastes while making it a fun experience for everyone.

4. Family Photos: It includes family portraits, documenting the family’s first year together and including siblings for added joy.

5. Unique Keepsake: The photos can be turned into lovely keepsakes like prints or albums and shared with friends and family, preserving this special milestone.

Easter 2023: Let’s Paint Eggs!

Easter Sessions Now Available!

I have 1 backdrop/set this year for easter! It is big enough to add parents in for some shots too!

The set is Easter egg painting theme, so i will allow some creativity for the littles. I will supply some paint and you are welcome to bring some too. You also dont have to use paint at all. There will be 20 min gaps between sessions to allow clean up time. Bring two outfits, one that is for good, and one that can get messy. LETS HAVE FUN!

There is one set price of $180, deposit to book is $50. There is an option to make payments so booking in advance may help some. There are also some add on options so be sure to check those out!

The Cake Smash

Cake smash sessions are a milestone in your child’s life. It’s a fun way to celebrate and document them turning the big ONE! It’s not only fun for the children, but the parents have fun too. I can not tell you how many parents watch in AWE while their little one is smashing into a cake and having s good ol time. The photos are amazing, but the experience as a whole is like nothing else.

FAQ: Smash Sessions

Can we pick the theme? Yes, You can pick the theme and we will produce the set!

Theme: The possibilities are endless. Are you a sports family? Do they have a favorite movie or show?

Do we bring the cake? No, I will supply the cake.

My kid has allergies, Can you accomodate that? Yes, Of course!

Can we get family photos too? Yes, we will do that first!

Can siblings help or be in some of the cake smash photos? Of Course!

What’s Included/What’s the Process?

The session is 1.5 hours long. We will start by photographing the family. Then I will do images of the one year old before bringing out the cake. Once the cake comes out, we will no longer be able to take any extra family/sibling shots. Once the cake session is done, I will set up a tub for a splash session. This is the quickest part because the water cools off fast and we don’t want ALL the water to end up on the floor.

The package comes with 20 digital images. After your session, I will send you a link to an online gallery where you will pick out your images. You can select extra images fro $7/each. Once you select the images I will do final editing/touch ups to the images. You will be able to download them once I am done.