Newborns
Newborn Photography Training, Safety & Experience
Not all newborn photographers are the same — and choosing the right photographer for your baby matters. A lot.
Newborn photography is a highly specialized area of photography that requires extensive safety knowledge, training, and patience. I have completed professional newborn photography training and continuing education through courses and workshops with some of the leading educators in the industry, including Kelly Brown, Jess Guzman, Ana Brandt and the Milky Way Newborn Retreat. Through these courses and mentor programs, I have studied newborn safety, posing techniques, lighting, soothing, and how to safely and gently handle and pose newborns.
In addition to professional training, I am also a mother of three, and my personal experience has greatly shaped the way I work with newborns and their families. My firstborn was born prematurely and spent six weeks in the NICU. During that time, I became very comfortable handling medically fragile babies and learned how to work around feeding tubes, oxygen tubes, monitors, club feet, and other special circumstances with extreme care and gentleness. Because of both my professional education and personal experience, I am comfortable working with babies who may need extra care, accommodations, or patience.
Why Safety Matters in Newborn Photography
First and most important: safety.
Posed newborn photography is not just about taking a cute picture. It’s about understanding how to gently pose a baby without putting them at risk. A trained newborn photographer knows how to read a baby’s cues and understands circulation, breathing, startle reflexes, and comfort. We know what poses are safe, which poses require composite images, and which poses are not suitable for every baby.
I practice baby-led posing, which means your baby is always in charge. If a baby is uncomfortable, unsettled, or simply doesn’t like a pose, we stop and move on to something else. No photo is ever more important than your baby’s comfort and safety.
When you hire a trained newborn photographer, you’re not just paying for photos — you’re investing in experience, safety, and peace of mind.
Questions You Should Ask Any Newborn Photographer Before Booking
Choosing someone to handle and pose your brand new baby is a big decision. Not all photographers are trained in newborn safety and posing, so it’s important to ask a few questions before booking:
- Have you received specific training in newborn photography and safety?
- How do you ensure babies are posed safely?
- Do you use composite images for more advanced poses?
- Are you experienced working with premature babies or babies with special circumstances?
- Do you follow baby-led posing?
- What happens if my baby won’t sleep or doesn’t like certain poses?
- How do you sanitize props, wraps, and fabrics?
- Do you have experience soothing and handling newborns?
These questions are not meant to be uncomfortable — they are meant to protect your baby. A trained newborn photographer will be happy to answer these questions and talk with you about safety and experience.
The best time to photograph newborns is within the first two weeks of life. Newborn sessions should be booked during your pregnancy. If you know that you are interested in a newborn session, please plan ahead and give us a heads up on your due date so that we can pencil you in on our calendar.
Please note that we no longer offer naked/nude newborn sessions. Our sessions all start out as fully wrapped, and can end in a partial wrap or special outfit to capture baby's details, if desired.
You may be wondering what to dress your baby in. We have a variety of wraps and sets (including headbands and hats) for your baby. Simply dress them in a white short-sleeved or tank onesie (if it's cold outside you can put a sleeper over it) and we will wrap them over the top of their clothes when you arrive.
Family Backlit Images
Backlit images look great in both color AND black & white! These are the types of photos you will want to print on a large canvas and hang on your wall. They are timeless, beautiful, and capture the bond between family members and your newborn baby. If you'd like backlit images included in your session, please be sure to let me know in your newborn questionnaire.
Studio Location
My studio is located right in the town of Randolph, Vermont, on a paved road—so mud season usually isn’t an issue when it comes to getting here. We are up on a hill, though, so in the winter it can get a little tricky, but nothing some good snow tires can’t handle!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I gift a newborn session?
Absolutely! This is such a great idea for baby shower gift! I offer paper gift certificates and e-gift cards, which can be found under the "Info" tab on my website.
WHY MUST NEWBORN SESSIONS TAKE PLACE WITHIN FOUR WEEKS OF BIRTH?
Babies change very quickly within the first few weeks of their life. They quickly adapt to the real world outside of the womb and begin to "unsmoosh" within just a couple of days, which means that they are less likely to stay in a deep sleep. It takes a lot longer to get them to fall asleep and are much more difficult to settle. Babies older than four weeks are much more alert and in tune with their surroundings. They also tend to go cross-eyed (which is entirely developmentally appropriate, but can make for some less-than-desired images) if they are not fast asleep. Newborns grow quickly! Not only are they getting bigger, but their muscles are developing a little bit more day by day which means they aren’t as flexible or as easy to wrap. Sometimes by four weeks, they don't even fit in our wraps or props!
TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT NEWBORN SESSION PACKAGES?
All of my studio newborn sessions are considered wrapped newborn sessions. A wrapped newborn session is a style that I gravitated towards in the past few years, and as a photographer have discovered are my personal preference and choice in what I offer for newborn sessions. During a wrapped session, I am able to swaddle your baby so that they remain calm throughout the session. Though they won't always fall asleep, they tend to remain more peaceful and will focus on the camera or family member's faces if they do not fall asleep during the course of the session. Wrapped sessions also make it easier to position your baby because we don't have to worry about their tiny arms and legs flailing around since they feel nice and snug and secure in a wrap. This results in a more gentle session that doesn't stress out the baby, family, or photographer.
If you would like to include your family members in your portraits, please book a Studio Family or Studio Deluxe newborn session. These sessions include siblings and immediate family members who will hold the wrapped baby. I offer a variety of poses designed specifically for each family. Poses may include siblings only, parents and newborn (individually and together), and any other combinations that you might be hoping for. The main differences between the Studio Family and Studio Deluxe packages are the number of images you will receive, the amount of time for the session itself, and with the Deluxe package you'll get more images of the baby alone to choose from (including close-ups of baby's details, if desired).
WHY DON'T YOU OFFER NUDE/SPECIALTY POSES ON A BEANBAG ANYMORE?
After years of trying various styles of newborn photography, I decided that I would no longer be offering the naked newborn beanbag poses anymore for a few reasons. Newborns take a very long time to fall into a deep sleep to allow for posing them without them waking up. An unwrapped newborn session becomes a marathon of several hours and can be exhausting for both the family and the photographer. Over the years, I have found that I prefer the natural wrapped style over naked newborns in poses that often need to be created from a number of images and composited together for safety purposes.
Will you do a lifestyle newborn session in our home?
I do sometimes do newborn sessions in your home, if preferred. It also depends on the time of year and my availability. If you're interested in an in-home session, please reach out early on in your pregnancy to see if I have availability for an in-home session around your due date.
Can I bring a special outfit or props?
Typically I prefer not to include crocheted, knit, or special outfits other than the ones in my client closet for newborn sessions, but if you have something specific in mind, please don't hesitate to ask.
I have many wraps, props and positioners that I will use for your newborn's photos. If you have something specific that is special to you, please let me know ahead of your session! Many families bring a wooden birth announcement sign, special tiny soft stuffed animals or rattles, or a special blanket handmade by a family member. I'm always happy to incorporate these items in the photos, just let me know ahead of time please!
Do you offer themed newborn setups?
Absolutely, as long as it isn't too over the top. I find that with newborn photos less is more. In the past I've done tasteful military, holiday, and seasonal setups for newborns. If you have a specific theme in mind, please let me know early on so that we can plan accordingly!
