There is a lot of planning that goes into a newborn session and I thought it would be fun to talk about all of the behind the scenes work that goes into creating beautiful images of these new tiny people. As one of the only Paradise Valley newborn photographers in Arizona, I have attended many workshops on newborn safety and always practice safe posing techniques. I am a mother of four children who are my world. I treat every baby that comes into my studio, as if it were my own child. The safety of your precious new baby is always my top priority. My ultimate goal is to create a womb-like atmosphere where your baby can sleep peacefully throughout our session.
This image is a pullback of what a typical beanbag setup looks like in my studio.
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#1 I have 3 layers of blankets at all times on my beanbag. The top layer is the only one that shows in my images. Underneath the 3 layers of blankets, there is a large size beanbag. It’s not your typical beanbag from your childhood days, it is a jumbo sized bigger and better version!
#2 Around the beanbag is my backdrop stand. The blankets are clipped onto the backdrop stand to keep that nice and smooth look.
#3 The bottom blanket layer is an electric blanket to keep your little one toasty warm just like they are used to all snuggled up in the womb.
#4 Right in front of the beanbag is my seat. I need to be at the same height as your baby when I am fine tuning all of the little details. From their tiny little fingers to hair on their head. I want everything to be perfect in every image I create.
#5 To my right is my studio light which I use to create the perfect lighting on your baby.
#6 On the ground to my right is a basket of towels. These are used for various reasons. I sometimes use them to prop up your baby into different positions. I use them to put underneath your baby when they don’t have a diaper on and we are in between shots, just in case there’s an accident. I also use them to clean up oopsies (it happens at least once per session! ) The possibilities are endless with these towels! I love ’em!
#7 To my left is my little electric “fireplace” heater. I tell all of my clients to dress in cool clothing, because it gets very warm in my studio. I keep the heater at 79 degrees. The reason I do this, is to keep the baby’s comfortable and sleeping soundly throughout our session. They spend most of their time in my studio naked, so it must be kept warm.
#8 On top of the heater is my Dohm white noise machine. This drowns out any background noise and creates a peaceful womb-like atmosphere.
#9 Also on my left is some seating for parents. I have a rocking chair in the corner of my studio, where my Mom’s usually like to sit and nurse/feed their babies and a cedar chest for additional seating.
#10 Last but certainly not least…in fact it is the most important seat in the house!! Your baby’s seat! This is where your new little bundle will be during the majority of our session.
As I said before, my studio is small, but as you can see-this type of work requires everything to be within arms reach at all times. Which is why my studio is perfect for me 🙂 Of course this is just one side of the studio, there is the other half that has all of my props, blankets, headbands, hats, etc. But that will have to be for another day and another blog! Until then, I hope you enjoyed a closer look behind the scenes of what goes into a newborn session with your favorite Paradise Valley newborn photographer!
