Your Studio Session Guide
For 6 Week Olds – Sitting
Those months between newborn and sitting are full of so much joy and expression. Your baby’s first smiles and coos are absolutely wonderful moments to remember. Photos at this age tend to be more awake than curled up and sleepy, so there will be plenty of beautiful portraits full of your little one’s personality.
BEFORE YOUR SHOOT
What to wear:
For timeless family photographs start with a soft colour pallet. Picking shades and patterns that work together and aren’t too distracting will mean the focus is on you as a family. Think about how the photos will look framed on your walls, what colours will compliment your home? We usually have time for an outfit change so please bring up to two outfit sets for the whole family.
Things to avoid:
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Big logos,
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Clashing colours and patterns,
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Cartoon characters on kids clothing,
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Clothes that you feel uncomfortable in.
Best tips for mom’s clothing:
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You’re likely to be sat in a lot of the photos, so pick fabrics & styles that aren’t too clingy.
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Dresses with floaty sleeves that tie at the waist are very flattering.
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Mid-maxi dresses are the best length.
Here are some examples of how to put together family outfits that will compliment each other. You don’t have to be matchy-matchy, the key is using similar colours across your outfits. As for footwear – you can all go barefoot or wear clean shoes that compliment your outfits.
My go to places for beautiful, affordable kids and adult clothing are H&M, Zara, and TU by Sainsburys. You are also welcome to use anything from my client wardrobe during your shoot
Hair & Make-Up:
If the thought of getting yourself photo-ready with kids in tow gives you palpitations, Sarah Russell is on hand to do your hair and make-up at my studio. It’s just £50 for either hair or make-up or £80 for both. You can sit back and relax whilst Sarah works her magic and I do the kids portraits. Then once you’re ready we can do your family photos. If you’d like to book Sarah just let me know and I can arrange it with her. You are also very welcome to do your own hair and make-up at the studio too.
Time of day:
If your little one is having predictable naps it’s best to schedule the shoot to start as close to when they wake as possible. I tend to do baby photo sessions in the morning starting at 10am, however if you feel there would be a better time of day for your family please let me know. As long as I have enough daylight to work with I’m happy to schedule your shoot for later in the day.
How to Find me:
My studio is located in a garden room at my home. You can park on the drive or in front of my house. To access the studio use the gate on the left hand side of the house and follow the path to the studio at the top of the garden.
25 Hadzor Road, Oldbury, B68 9LA
(We haven’t got round to putting numbers on the door yet, so to help you find us, here’s a photo of the house).
DURING YOUR SHOOT
Health & Safety:
COVID
Whilst we’re still living with Covid, I have a few measures in place to help make my studio a covid-free space. If you or anyone in your household has symptoms, please do not attend your shoot. Contact me via email to rearrange your session. On arrival at the studio I will take your temperature with a contactless thermometer and provide you with hand sanitiser. I will wear a mask throughout our session. You do not need to wear a mask if you are being photographed. My studio is cleaned in between sessions and all props are washed/disinfected between uses.
General Safety
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Parents and guardians are responsible for the safety of their children whilst visiting the studio.
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Please be aware that there is a raised pond in my garden, and that your children should never be left unsupervised whilst in the garden.
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Hot drinks are available in the studio and must be kept in the kitchen area out of the reach of children.
What to Expect:
Depending on how many children you’re bring to your session, you can expect your time at the studio to last between 2-3hrs. Once you’ve arrived at the studio, we’ll start by getting the kids settled, there’s no need to jump straight to photo taking, we have time for drinks and outfit changes first. The studio has a disabled access toilet & shower with baby changing facilities. There’s hot and cold drinks available for free during your time with me, and please feel welcome to bring snacks to keep you all going.
If you’re having hair and make-up done at the studio I’ll start with the children’s photos first. Usually the other parent can help me keep their attention during this time. If you’re arriving with your hair and make-up already done I’ll start with your family photos first. Here’s a quick list of the different photos I’ll do:
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Whole family together
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Baby & Sibling together
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Baby on their own
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Sibling on their own
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Each parent with baby
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Each parent with baby & sibling
Feeding & Settling:
We’ll take the session at your little ones pace, stopping for feeds and snacks. My studio is a safe and welcome space for breastfeeding and bottle feeding. If you’d like photos feeding please do let me know.
There’s hot water and a microwave available for warming milk or food.
If for any reason your little one is just not in the mood on the day of your shoot, (we all know those days happen), it’s no problem. I offer one reschedule session free of charge.
What to bring Checklist:
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Outfits x2
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Milk & Snacks
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Bibs
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Nappy changing bag
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Favourite toys (something to keep older siblings occupied and something to help get baby’s attention).
AFTER YOUR SHOOT
If you fancy doing something immediately after your photo shoot, Warley Woods is right on my doorstep and is a great space for a walk. Toddlers can sometimes need a good run around after all the excitement of the shoot.
PHOTO DELIVERY
I’ll get to work on picking the best photos from your session and editing them. This can take up to 4 weeks so I’ll send you a few sneak peeks within 1 week to keep you going. Your photos will be uploaded to a private online gallery where you can select your favourites for download and print.
