Newborn Photography Safety Tips – Ottawa Photographer. When it comes to photographing newborns, there are some basic safety tips that should be used in every newborn photo shoot. Photographing newborns has become such a popular thing but it’s super important to hire someone who is trained in these safety techniques and has experience in the field. Here are some basic tips when photographing newborn babies:
1 – Back to the basics: wash your hands! For me, not only do I wash my hands but I usually also use clean gloves when handling baby. Having a hand sanitizer close by is also a great idea.
2 – Wash any blankets/wraps that have been used and clean any props. Every baby that comes in for a session should be using clean, sanitized props/fabrics. No germs allowed! 😉
3 – Having a set of extra hands: there are certain poses such as the froggy pose and the potato sack pose where it is always best and necessary to have an extra set of hands to help you with baby. Most of these poses are usually composites that are finalized in Photoshop. Baby’s safety should always come first and Photographers should never jeopardize safety for a specific pose.
4 – Posing: not every pose will work for every newborn baby. Don’t force baby into a pose he/she is not liking and move on to something that works best for him/her. Not only will it make baby happier, but it will also make it for a more natural photo.
5 – Siblings: personally, in my Ottawa studio, I usually do photos of siblings laying down with baby. This tends to be the safest, especially when siblings are still toddlers. Older kids can usually hold baby but you should once again have mom/dad close by to the child to ensure everyone’s safety.
6 – Illness: If anyone in your family or their family is sick, it might be a good idea to re-schedule that newborn photo session! Newborns are still so fragile that extra care should always be taken.
7 – Camera Strap: Always have your camera strap on and wear it around your neck when taking photos from above. That is a must for me!
While newborn photos are beautiful to capture and it’s something you can treasure forever, it’s important to take all the precautions to have a smooth, safe session. Newborns are tiny and fragile and their well-being should be the most important thing in every photo shoot.
I hope these help and thank you for stopping by! Please feel free to take a peek at some of my work here.
Photographing twins is a lot of fun but it can also be quite challenging. Here are some tips to make the process of photographing two babies a bit easier.
1 – Since most twin babies are born before 40 weeks, you will most likely photograph newborn twins when they are past 14 days. That is totally ok! Since they were born earlier, I personally prefer giving them that extra time to develop and fill out a bit more. Rest assured that they will still be nice and sleepy for their newborn session. At the end of the day, you want to make sure that they are out of the hospital and that mom is also feeling her best.
2 – Set up your session per usual (warm the studio, use white noise, etc) and send your information package to parents prior to the photo session so that they know how to prepare as well as what to bring for their newborn session. This will help their twin newborn photo session go as smoothly as possible. If both twin newborn babies are asleep when they arrive at the studio, start by posing both babies together.
3 – There are many ways you can pose twin siblings together. There are harder, more intricate poses (which takes quite a bit of practice and patience to achieve) and there are simpler, more natural poses. Personally, I like the simpler and natural poses when photographing twins. Using a basket to lay them both in, swaddling them or even using parents as “props” is a great way to achieve those cute poses.
4 – Make sure to take photos of each twin on their own! Although these babies are twins, they are each their own little person and it’s important to capture their individuality. Don’t forget to photograph babies from different angles and to include those little details such as hands, feet, and close up of their little faces.
5 – Having mom/dad or a helper close by can be quite helpful when photographing twin babies. Especially if you are planning to do the more intricate poses. Never put a newborn in any danger to achieve a pose.
6- Keep in mind that newborn twins can be a little more sensitive to touch if they were poked and moved around quite a bit while at the hospital. Take your time and make sure you make them feel comfortable and safe.
7 – Have fun! Photographing twin newborns is not that common so enjoy the moment and have a blast!
How to get real baby smiles during a baby photography session in Ottawa
Playing peekaboo behind the camera is one of the easiest ways to get baby to smile back at you. Most babies love a little peekaboo game and will go along with that for quite a few takes! Another way to get baby’s attention and get them to smile is by making funny sounds! Animal sounds also work wonderfully. Baby tickles! Babies love little tickles on their bodies and this works pretty much every time! Get mom and dad to help make baby smile too! Parents know just what makes them giggle. Here’s another example where mom and dad where helping baby smile. 🙂 Play with baby! I love including mom and dad in the photos and getting some real, organic smiles as they interact. 🙂
Newborn Photography – Ottawa’s best newborn photographer shares tips on how to sooth a baby
Many parents ask me how I am able to get their baby back to sleep so quickly during a newborn photography session. To be honest with you, I wish I had known half of what I know now back when I had my babies (who are 9 and 11 years-old now!). The truth is, it takes time and practice to get the swing of things. Just like it took me time to learn how to pose newborn babies for photos, it also takes time to adjust and get to know what works and what doesn’t for your little one. For first time parents, everything is so new and overwhelming to them. At times, it may seem that you just don’t know what you’re doing. I know that was certainly the case for me and my husband back when we had our first son. But the truth is that everything is new for baby too! They have just spent the last 9 months enjoying the warmth and cuddle of being all snuggled up in mommy’s belly and suddenly everything changed for them. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to make this transition for both of you a little easier. Here are a few tips and tricks that I have learned over the years while photographing little ones:
1) The first thing I recommend is to make sure baby is clean (diaper change), fed and comfortable. Sometimes all baby needs is to be fed or to have a clean diaper! Babies usually start turning their heads, opening their mouths and putting their hands in their mouth when they start getting hungry. Although we’re told babies usually feed about every 3 hours, every baby is different and watching for these signs will help you keep baby happy and content.
2) Swaddle. For my kids, I was convinced that they did not like being swaddled. They would cry and get their arms out and I was certain they did not want to have their arms in. But the truth is that most babies looove being swaddled. If you think about it, they had just spent the last 9 months not really being able to move in mom’s belly; at least for the last couple of months before they came out. Being swaddled gives them a sense of security and comfort. At my Ottawa studio I swaddle them quite tightly for newborn photos but I always tell parents that’s not how you want to swaddle them at home. Click here to find some instructions on how to swaddle a baby at home.
3) Make sure baby is not cold. The truth is nobody likes being cold… at the studio I keep the temperature nice and toasty since the newborn baby will be naked while I photograph him/her throughout the newborn session. For my kids, before I changed them, I would always run the wipe or cloth under hot water so that I wouldn’t startle them with a cold cloth on their warm skin. Making sure baby is not cold at my sessions always helps them sleep and be comfortable.
4) White noise. Here is a link for the white noise I use throughout my newborn photography sessions. Back when I had my boys, which really wasn’t that long ago, there was no YouTube or apps that we could use. So we resorted to the vacuum cleaner, the hair dryer and things of that nature. Nowadays there are so many ways get these white noises and they really help! These sounds help mimic the sounds that babies heard while in momma’s belly and it’s yet another technique to help sooth your baby. 🙂
5) Rocking the baby. I always tell my clients that if their baby is moving, I’m moving with them! Sometimes when they’re laying on the beanbag while I do their newborn photos, they will start moving a bit and wanting to wake up. If I just put my hand lightly on them and start moving it slightly from side to side, they usually go right back to sleep. At home, you can rock your baby, put them in a swing and even go for a car drive. Moving and rocking them lightly is a great way to put them back to sleep.
6) Giving them a soother. I know, I know… we are told not to give them soothers. And I totally agree that if your baby doesn’t need one, then you shouldn’t give it to them. However, there are some babies that really have that need to soothe by suckling. It’s their instinct. And in that case, I recommend a soother. During my newborn photo sessions, I always tell parents to bring a soother along. In case baby starts waking up while I transition them in between poses, I put the soother in their mouth and they usually go right back to sleep.
I hope the tips above can help you a bit! Please note that these are just my opinion and you should always talk to an expert in case your baby is still having a hard time settling after you try all of the tips above. I know it can be tough in the beginning to find out what works for your little one and what doesn’t but this time truly flies by and soon they will be giggling and playing with you! Enjoy this time with them and make sure you get to rest as well. Thanks for stopping by! 😀
Newborn Photography – serving Ottawa and surrounding areas
It’s been so nice taking some time to enjoy this beautiful Summer weather with my boys! The sun is shining, the heat is real and thank goodness for swimming pools and ice cream. 🙂
I met this family a few years back and it was so nice seeing them again as they welcomed their new baby girl! Their kids were seriously the sweetest and most well behaved kids ever. And this baby girl… I could have kept her all day here with me. 😀
Most newborn sessions last somewhere between 2-3 hours. What you see here are just a few photos to give you a tiny sample of the goodness that we captured. Newborn photography sessions are usually a mix of photos of baby on his/her own (on the beanbag as well as props such as baskets), family photos, photos of each parent with baby as well as sibling photos. We take time to feed and sooth baby whenever needed. Sessions are never rushed, so you can be assured that you will leave with some beautiful memories that will last you a lifetime (because all of our packages include high resolution digital photos!).
There are lots of tips on how to prepare for a newborn photo session beforehand. I always send clients some guidelines prior to their baby session with suggestions on how to prepare, what to bring, when to feed their newborn baby, what to avoid, etc. That way we can work towards having the newborn photo session go as smooth as possible.
Please feel free to browse through our galleries and take a peek at the different packages that we offer. Thanks for stopping by!
Newborn Photographers – Ottawa Little Wagon Photography
It’s been a while since I sat down to do some blogging and some social media posting! With this beautiful weather and the business that comes with Spring photo sessions, it’s been hard to find a time to sit and do “computer” work for a bit. 😉
This adorable family recently came in to capture some photos of their sweet new baby boy. It is so much fun to include older siblings in these newborn photo sessions. Although it is not always easy to capture those newborn and sibling photos (and I always warn parents that they may not happen if older sibling doesn’t want to cooperate), it is so priceless when we get photos like these.
There are three different packages that I offer for newborn sessions. The first one is a mini session and includes photos of baby only. The other two both includes family photos as well as sibling photos. Some parents choose to have the main focus of the session be on newborn photos and just want to capture a few of the family ones. Some parents prefer capturing mostly photos of the family with just a few of the baby on his/her own. However, the far majority of my clients end up with exactly half and half! Even when parents come to the session with the focus being mainly on one or the other, they end up loving them all. And that makes me so happy… 🙂
After just giving birth, there are many moms who don’t feel their best and feel they should skip any photos with them. With a little encouragement I usually get them to take at least a few photos with their babies. They are sooo precious to have and to keep! Knowing how to angle the camera to capture the best look for momma and baby is key. I absolutely love capturing those sweet tender moments between a mom or a dad and their newborn baby. And the three or four of them is even better!
Please feel free to visit my gallery page and contact me with any questions that you may have. I hope you enjoy scrolling through the blog to see more samples of my work!
It seems like the weather is finally deciding to cooperate with us and Spring is in the air!! Spring brings in so many new beginnings, including a lot of newborn babies! And that means we get a lot of newborn photography in our little Ottawa studio (yay!). 🙂
Back when I started doing photography, newborn photography was the trickiest type of photography session of them all! Although I had already had my two babies by then, it is very different posing them and getting those adorable photos that you see in my gallery. It took me many years and a ton of practice to finally get all of those little details in place. And I’m still constantly taking newborn photography classes, watching newborn photographers’ videos, etc. Always trying to improve and grow my newborn photography skills.
When talking about newborn photography, it is important to talk more about how to pose newborns. Although the photos seem so effortless, it can take a bit of time to get newborn babies to pose just the way I want. This is why newborn sessions can take so long. I never rush a newborn into doing anything he/she doesn’t want to. And we always take a break if baby needs to feed or settle before we keep taking those beautiful baby photos. In my Ottawa studio, I only do the poses that feel most comfortable to baby. Not every newborn will want to settle into every single pose. But thankfully most babies settle quite easily into the most popular poses.
There is also another little trick when it comes to newborn photography. Not every photo you see was taken exactly as is! Newborn safety is so important when it comes to newborn photography in my Ottawa studio. One pose in particular (the famous “froggy” pose), is completely Photoshoped. Baby is being held my mom’s or dad’s hands at all times. Isn’t that so interesting!
Now let’s move on to some photos of this sweet baby girl who has such a sweet family and one of the most adorable big brothers ever! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to book a spot. Thank you for visiting my website!
This sweet little man gave me so many smiles during his newborn photography session in our Ottawa studio! Mr. Adorable came in at about 3 weeks of age for his mini photo session. For those clients who are only looking for a few photos of their newborn baby, the newborn mini session is a great option! With the newborn mini session clients get 10 photos of baby alone. I can tell you that these parents absolutely loved all the smiles we got to capture during their baby photo shoot! I also offer other photography packages that include 20 or 30 photos as well as photos of baby with mom, dad, siblings and family photos. I absolutely love those photos that show the connection between baby and mom/dad. It’s really priceless…
I have been photographing newborns for 7 years now and I am so very grateful and beyond amazed that this is my job! It has taken me years to get to where I am. Learning how to pose baby properly and safely, how to use the right lighting, how to photograph baby from different angles and how to get those perfect details right takes time and practice! But every time I am editing photos from my newborn photo sessions in my Ottawa studio, I have a big smile on my face. 🙂
I always recommend that clients book their newborn photography session a couple of months in advance. However, from time to time I will have last minute availability so it’s never too late to check. Please contact me if you have any questions and feel free to take a look at my newborn gallery by clicking here. Thanks for stopping by and I hope to hear from you soon!
This sweet baby girl was such a darling baby to photograph. One of my farourite type of photos to take during a newborn session are the photos with mom & dad. There’s just so much love in that interaction. Makes me feel blessed to have this job every day. 🙂
Please visit our gallery for more photos of little ones and contact us if you have any questions. You can find all of our packages here. Thanks for stopping by!
Ottawa Newborn Photography – Sweet baby Ella & her big brothers
I was so happy to photograph this sweet family and their adorable new addition. She will be well taken care of with her two big brothers to protect her!
Please visit our gallery to see more of our work. You can see the newborn gallery by clicking here. Thanks for stopping by!
