5 Ways to Prep for Your Newborn Session | Newborn

As a mama, you can do all the things to prep for your newborn session, and still be thrown a curve ball. We recently had our newborn pictures taken for Baby Boy #3, and even I had a few bumps in the road. I even wore baby boy while I did my hair and makeup so I could be ready beforehand. Yes, you read that right! My favorite wrap saved the day! I thought I had a plan for swapping out our bedding, but nope it didn’t go as I had hoped.

But guess what it’s okay! I tried to stay calm and not stress about it. I knew it wasn’t something I could change, so I made do. I changed my vision, and it all worked out!

Mama, the more you stress, the more stressed your baby and family are too!

Here are 5 tips to prep for your newborn session:

1. PICK YOUR OUTFITS OUT BEFOREHAND

Plan ahead. Go shopping and pick out your outfits beforehand. Make sure you try them on and lay them out to see how it all looks together. YOU are the most important one that day. Make sure you feel comfortable in whatever you choose to wear!

2. ASK FOR HELP

It is okay to ask for help. Have a friend or family member come over to hold your new little one or help with the big kids so you have time to get ready without feeling rushed. Take some pressure off yourself.

3. MAKE SURE YOU PULL OUT THE IRON FOR BEDDING AND OUTFITS

Iron all the things. Does your bedding need to have a wrinkle or two ironed out? This is really if you decide to put something new on. You see I was going to put a new duvet cover on and opened it up the day of. It had an orange string through the trim, and I realized if I was going to use it, it would need to be ironed. All that to say, you do NOT need to purchase new bedding for your newborn session we will be using it in our bedroom once I get a new one.

4. FEED YOUR BABY 30 MINUTES BEFORE

Make sure your baby is well fed. It is a good idea to feed your little one about 30 minutes before your session then allow mama to put her clothes on and finish any last minute touch ups.

5. TAKE A DEEP BREATH, AND RELAX

Lastly, take a deep breath and relax. Yes, easier said than done. Your energy feeds to your baby and family. If you are relaxed, everyone else will be too.

I also shared 3 must haves for your newborn session. If you missed it, you can find the blog here.

If are interested in booking a newborn session, I am currently booking through early Fall, and I would love to chat with you! You can reach out to me here for booking information.

Business Mentoring | Education

Education is such an important part of continued learning, growth and community. I have learned and mentored with some wonderful photographers over the years who have helped me on business aspects; as well as, photography techniques, workflows and editing. It has been a dream for me to give back to other entrepreneurs and photographers who are looking to take their business to the next level.

As you may or may not know, I worked in commercial real estate for 13 years while doing photography on the side for the last 7 of those 13 years. I grew my business slow and steady. I always knew I wanted to be a full time photographer while having the flexibility to be home with our children.

In November 2020, I stepped away from my corporate role and begin my full time photography business.

Was it scary? Yes. Did I work hard to make sure I felt like I was set up for success? Yes.

I took time to make sure I had all my business systems in place, and felt confident in taking the next steps to go full time with photography. As I begin to offer Business Mentoring to photographers, my hope is to work with other professionals who are looking to make the switch from a corporate or other full-time 9-5 career to a growing photography business.

I want to help YOU feel confident in your transition. Know you have yourself set up for success. Be a mentor and cheerleader while you say YES to big goals and dreams! I am excited to offer a limited number of mentor sessions each year!

If you or someone you know would benefit from a Business Mentor you can read about my new offering here.

Motherhood. The Why behind my business | Personal

I took a big leap in November of 2020, to go full time with photography and take a step away from the corporate world. One of my goals when doing this was to have more time to be mama to our two boys. Though launching a full time photography business is a big task in and of itself, I took 2021 to settle in as a full time photographer. I launched my Heirloom Portraits and worked to adjust my weekly and monthly schedule to see what worked best for our family.

As I began dreaming of 2022 and what aspects of my business worked in 2021, one of my biggest goals was to take more time for our family and be intentional with our boys during the week. As we enter April, my hope is to focus on our boys on Monday and Friday when they are home, and spend Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on business specific tasks.

Our oldest begins Kindergarten in the Fall (cue all the mama tears) and I want to be present, make memories and be the mama I need to be. I mean I dreamed of the days I could do photography full time and be at home to chase these two little guys. Now is the time for me to cherish these days at home crazy as they can be, they don’t last long.

I may be slower to respond, but my hope is to focus on my clients and my business on the days the boys are in Mother’s Day Out. Scheduling will be a little more limited, and I will only be shooting one (maybe two) weekends a month. I will be scheduling sessions two days during the week, and have set business hours for emails, editing and all the behind the scenes things. Much of this is already in place, so you may not see much change from the outside.

If you are interested in booking a session, please reach out to me early to make sure your date is available, especially if you are hoping for a weekend option! You can contact me here for booking information.

Thank you for your patience as I work to balance this business and being mama!