PSA: Calling All Summer Preggo Mamas!
Fall is a busy time for newborn baby photography at Lemons and Ants Studios. Here in Toronto, Canada, the greatest average number of births per day occur in July, August, and September. There’s a reason for this: it’s called birth seasonality, seasonal
reproduction, or “human mating season,” if you will.
Research spanning almost two centuries has documented many factors that contribute to this phenomenon, including day length, temperature, biology, and culture. Call it what you want, or “recall” a good ol’ holiday time (*wink wink*) — we agree with some researchers that epic December parties resulting in Christmas season conceptions might account for the spike in September births — but there’s a whole host of you out there
who are in the thick of third trimester, bun in the oven, and those nine months are almost up!
Getting ready to welcome your tiny human into the world is an exciting time and planning your newborn photo session is the perfect distraction from end-of-pregnancy discomforts and to help pass the time with purpose as you await your new addition!
Here are Lemons and Ants’ top pieces of advice to consider when planning a newborn photo session.
PLAN AHEAD
Trust us, you do not want to be thinking about a newborn photo session when your tiny baby is newly in arms. The planning: what should we wear? What does the shoot entail?
What if my baby doesn’t stop crying? What if I’m not up for an outing to a studio session that we already put a deposit on…? Ask those questions; find answers right now, while you’re feeling those kicks on the inside rather than navigating life with a new babe on the outside. We crafted the following information just for you so that you can avoid scrambling last minute and can confidently ease into a newborn photo session and end up with stunning results!
COLOURS
Think about the colors you’d like to incorporate in your baby’s photoshoot. Maybe you have a special blanket or outfit in mind that will centre the color palette for the shoot.
Or perhaps you envision an enlarged photo on your wall or in baby’s room, which means you’ll need to consider how the photograph will blend or contrast strategically with the wall color and other elements in the room. We specialize in creating and printing heirloom art pieces for your family and we would love to help you bring the design you’ve been dreaming of come to life. Click here (https://www.lemonsandants.com/project/print-products/) and here (https://www.lemonsandants.com/top-5-reasons-to-print-your-digital-files/) to see a few stunning examples of wall art.
If you’ve already got your favourite art displayed or are renting with limited options for wall fixtures, our albums will be a perfect choice for a printed memory of newborn family photos that you can flip through time and time again, and that your child can delight in year after year.
PROPS
Sometimes you see the cutest baby pictures and it’s really the bow, the outfit, or the settings and other props that catch your eye. Take some time to browse newborn baby pics on Pinterest or wherever is your go-to (our gallery is here https://www.lemonsandants.com/newborns/) and take note of the things you adore. A few common items would be: headgear, booties, blankets, “outfits,” cribs
Note: Anthony hand-crafts all cribs used for Lemons & Ants studios newborn photoshoots. If you’d like to commission a particular style, please get in touch here: Take a look at the cribs here.
STYLE
As you’re researching those newborn baby pics, looking for prop & baby gear inspiration, take note of the photographers that fit your personal style and your home style and decor, if you plan to enlarge and print. You’ll be looking for your photos to emulate something in particular. You’ll know when you see it.
As you browse through our portfolio/collection/portraits here, you’ll notice our style is light, natural, and airy.
BUDGET
It’s always a good idea to have a budget in mind. But don’t book solely on budget. If you find a photographer that you LOVE, it’s always worth getting in touch to see if they offer a payment plan. If you plan to invest in a photo session, you’ll want to love them
enough to display them and show them off. If that means plumping the budget a tad, it’ll be worth it in the end. We had a client who booked 2, yes TWO, professional photo sessions, and she didn’t show a single photograph from either session to anyone. They were *that* disappointing. You get what you pay for. (And yes, this fam was ever-so-grateful that we offer payment plans). See the review below:
LOOK AHEAD
We recommend getting in touch 1-2 months ahead of time to book the session. This gives time to think through what shots you’d like us to aim for, how you want them to look (colours, props), and where you’d like to display them or send them. Once baby arrives, nailing down a date for the photoshoot within 15 days of giving birth is ideal.
This guarantees your newborn babe will be in the *perfect* phase for those angelic newborn photo poses, where they’re still super sleepy and malleable. The older they get, the tricker it becomes to shape perfectly crossed limbs and bundle them up in baskets while they snooze. We are absolutely confident in our ability to capture priceless memories of your babe up to 1-2 months old, so please don’t give up on a newborn shoot because you feel like you might’ve missed the “window.” Let’s chat if you’ve got any questions! Book a discovery call here, anytime.
STUDIO LOCATION (or photographer willing to travel)
We always recommend finding a studio that’s relatively close to your home, because you can’t ever predict what condition you’ll be in post birth and you don’t want to have an ugly commute or travel time in case you’re less physically mobile than you imagined.
That said, it’s totally worth reaching out to ask whether your ideal photographer is willing to travel. If need be, they might be able to come to you — and that is peace of mind at its finest!
Book a discovery call here to chat about our options for newborn lifestyle photography sessions and newborn portraits.
