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Session prep
Boudoir Sessions
- Buying a new outfit? Shop ahead!
- Try on what you plan to wear beforehand.
- Can never go wrong with BLACK!
- If you have something you're self conscious about, let me know. It's normal, and we can work around it! Give yourself grace.
- Stay HYDRATED!
- Avoid foods the day before your shoot that make you feel bloated.
- Moisturize. moisturize! Your face and your body!
- If you've got inspiration pics or a playlist of songs you want to listen to during your session, send them my way!
- Take an "everything shower". Shave, exfoliate, moisturize. Do whatever it is that makes you feel your freshest.
- Gather up everything you want to bring: outfits, props, touchup makeup, etc. It's better to bring too much than not enough!
- Got a hair tie that lives on your wrist? Remember to take it off.
- Try to make sure your nails are kept! It's minor but makes a difference. Toes too!
- Rehearse in front of a mirror beforehand. It might sound silly, but it really helps to give you an idea of what looks good on you. It helps with confidence, posture, and just overall well-being before getting in front of that camera.
- Have FUN! I try to help you feel as relaxed as possible. Have an open mind and try not to stress.
portraits
- Choose clothes that flatter and fit your body type.
- Bring different looks!
- Shop ahead!
- If you have something you're self conscious about, let me know. It's normal, and we can work around it! Give yourself grace.
- Stay hydrated!
- Clean makeup and prepped hair.
- Don't forget about those nails!
- Gather up everything you want to bring: outfits, props, touchup makeup, etc. It's better to bring too much than not enough!
- Got a hair tie that lives on your wrist? Remember to take it off.
- Moisturize, moisturize! Your face and your body!
- Avoid foods the day before your shoot that make you feel bloated.
- It is incredibly important to communicate clearly with me. Just make sure to talk about your expectations for the session!
- Rehearse in front of a mirror beforehand. It might sound silly, but it really helps to give you an idea of what looks good on you. It helps with confidence, posture, and just overall well-being before getting in front of that camera.
- Have FUN! I try to help you feel as relaxed as possible. Have an open mind and try not to stress.
maternity sessions
- Plan to book for your third trimester
- Talk to me! Let me know what images are important to you and whether you’re interested in doing partial or implied nudes. It’s important to let me know what you’re comfortable with beforehand.
- If you have something you're self conscious about, let me know. It's normal, and we can work around it! Give yourself grace.
- Choose your location! Whether it's beach, woods, studio, downtown, water, airbnb, in-home, etc!
- Once you know location, it can help with your decision on what to wear. Feel free to message me any time for ideas, advice, etc!
- Prop ideas: sonogram images, baby shoes/clothes, letter board, balloons, nursery decor.
- If you plan to do beach or anything water related, don't forget a towel and more importantly, a change of clothes!
- Don't forget about those nails! Now is the best time to pamper yourself!
- Stay hydrated! Get plenty of rest before your session.
- Stick with neutral colors and jewel tones that will look great with any background and any skin tone.
couple sessions
- Pick a location honest to you.
- Choose outfits that you'd actually wear. Look good, feel good!
- Communication! Open up to both me and your partner about things you may feel insecure about, open up about what you and your partner love to do.
- Avoid wearing the same outfit. Instead, try to coordinate. Mix and match the base neutrals that you picked out. You should also both look like you’re going to the same place.
- Avoid tight fitting clothes that might highlight areas that you’d rather not have highlighted.
- Never. Stop. Moving. the more movement you give me, the more pictures you are going to get! You'll get so much more variety, and your pictures won't look posed.
- Always be moving your hands all over each other or even playing with each other’s hair. Kissing is always encouraged, feel free to take any liberties with any direction that I give you when it comes to embracing, kissing, laughing, joking, and being silly. And flirty.
- Be sappy, romantic, goofy. It may feel awkward, but it photographs so well!
- If you are uncomfortable in any of the poses, stop and adjust.
- Remember little things like nails (this goes for your partner's, too!).
fresh 48
- The best time are during daylight hours, usually in the morning (starting your session between 9am - 3pm (time of the year dependent) usually gives the best light.
- Open up those blinds! Hospital lights = awful. I like to turn off those overhead hospital lights and taking advantage of the natural brightness as much as possible.
- Try and feed baby shortly before our time. If you would like any feeding/nursing pictures, we absolutely can do this at the beginning of the session!
- Unsure what to wear? Message me! Most moms either wear their hospital gown, or bring their own robe/outfit.
- Bring swaddles, hats, headbands, outfits, etc.
- I do encourage moms to wear something comfortable and flowy so as not constricting on their fresh postpartum body.
- Embrace the hospital looks! It's okay if you don't have outfits planned. I like to get photos of baby in just a diaper too, to get all the little details.
If baby is NICU, we can do one of two things: we can do a NICU Fresh 48 if hospital visitor policies allow, or we can switch to an in-home newborn session. NICU Fresh 48s are absolutely an option, as long as your hospital’s NICU allows for a visitor (other than mom/dad) and a photographer!
Newborn Sessions
- Schedule ahead of time! A good time to start the booking process is around your second trimester.
- Keep baby awake before our session! Making sure you keep baby awake prior to a session is a great way to guarantee they will sleep through most of it.
- Feed baby 20-30 minutes before the session!
- Avoid giving them a full meal in the one to two hours before your session. If they seem hungry, try to give them a small snack to get them through. Then, slightly before your session, you can feed them a full meal and expect a happy, tired baby in return.
- Try not to stress if your tot is being fussy. Babies can feel their mama’s stress or tension, so if you’re calm, your infant may relax too.
- Things to have on standby: a pacifier, a bottle of formula/breastmilk, a swaddling blanket, and a few clean diapers.
- Make sure you come prepared to be in a few of the photos. You may not be feeling like a supermodel quite yet, but getting in the photos with your infant will create some lasting memories you’ll both treasure. (and if you absolutely don't want to, that's okay!)
- Wear neutral colors like creams, mild tones, and soft hues for intimate portraits.
Family sessions
- Hype them up! Try to get your family (mainly kids) excited for the shoot! Bribe if you must!
- Don't focus on poses. I go for am un-posed, candid approach.
- Help me create more candid shots by interacting playfully with your children!
- Stand close together!
- Make sure everyone is well-rested (and well-fed!)
- Plan your outfits ahead of time.
- Try to avoid matching clothes - wear colors in a complimentary color palette, such as earth tones and neutrals.
- Some families know they want a very specific type of photograph taken. If you have these preferences, be sure to brainstorm them in advance and let me know as well!
- Don't forget to bring touch-up items (makeup, hair brush, etc.)
- Snacks!!! Non-messy snacks!
- Don't forget a change of clothes (more-so for kids) - especially if we're doing a beach session.
- Not everyone has to be looking at the camera. I usually encourage dads/partners to NOT look at the camera. (they seem to prefer that, as well!) I like to especially encourage them to focus on their partners and their kids.
- When in doubt, just smile and look at your family lovingly.
ready to create?