Newborn Photography Orange County

Newborn photo shoots have been my primary focus for the past 6 years or more. There’s nothing sweeter than being able to photograph a newborn baby and capture the love surrounding them in those first few weeks. I have built up a studio full of newborn accessories and a knowledge of how to properly pose them. I’m excited to share that with you.

Schedule

Newborn baby photo shoots are typically done within the first two weeks of baby’s birth. Yes, so early! We do them around this time because that’s when baby is most sleepy, has adjusted a little bit to a feeding schedule and right before baby acne tends to develop.

 

Some parents may prefer pictures of the baby awake and not so sleepy. I try to include a few awake images towards the end of the shoot. The reason why baby photographers prefer sleepy babies is because when babies are awake, they tend to move erratically. Sometimes we can get great pictures of a calm, awake baby, but, for the most part, sleeping babies are easier to pose.

 

Of course, we can do a baby session at any age, but the 10-14 day age range is my favorite. Your newborn photo shoot would be scheduled according to your due date and you would just need to let me know once the baby is born so that we can put something more concrete on the schedule.

 

If you have a baby boy that has been circumcised, I like to wait at least 3 to 5 days after the procedure to allow time for the area to heal. That will lead to a much more comfortable experience for him.

Location

Baby photo sessions can be done either in the studio or at the client's house. An additional travel fee is applied for an in-home photo session.

 

Studio Newborn Photography in Orange County

 

I have a photography studio in Brea, CA that’s full of all the necessities for an amazing newborn photo session. I’ve put a lot of thought and creativity into creating the perfect environment for a newborn photo session. Some poses require a bare baby so I keep the studio at a high temperature. That way the baby is warm regardless of the poses that I’m putting them in.

 

The studio is stocked full of the softest baby blankets and backdrops . I can easily tailor a session to your preferences and easily make impromptu adjustments if needed. It’s not as easy to do this if I were photographing the baby at your home. I would be limited with what I brought with me to a client home. Aside from the backdrops, I have a large sections of baby accessories like headbands, flowers crowns, baby bonnets, sleepy hats, newsboy hats, baby fedoras, and so much more. I get super excited going through everything and coming up with a plan for the photo shoot.

 

Home Newborn Photography in Orange County

 

Your baby photo shoot can be done in your own home. I would consult with you on the colors that you would like to use and I would pack it all up and bring it to your house. When I photograph the baby in a home, the photo shoot will have a more relaxed look and it won’t include as many posed baby images. I mainly focus on the baby in their environment and your connection as a family. These images tend to look best when they include primarily white and cream backdrops and swaddles.

Session Participants

Of course a newborn photography in Orange County is going to focus on the brand new baby that you get to snuggle, but that doesn’t mean that the whole family can’t join in. I absolutely love when mom, dad, and or big brother or big sister are photographed during the photo shoot. I have 4 kids so I know what sleep deprivation can do to someone and understand that not all parents want to be photographed. But, if you’re even considering it, I highly suggest going for it. Remember, these pictures are family heirlooms that will be passed down for generations. Isn’t that a cool thought? It would mean so much more to see the parents aid family in the same image as that newborn baby.

 

Mom's can treat themselves to hair and makeup for the photo shoot if they don't feel like glamming up themselves. I work with a few amazing makeup artists that I personally use and trust wholeheartedly. You just gave birth to a human being, you deserve a little glam.

 

Another option would be to just do sibling pictures with big brother or sister and the new baby. This can be one of the most challenging parts of a newborn photo shoot because siblings usually have a ton of energy that they like to bring with them haha This is where I break out all my tricks to try and get the sibling to pose for a picture with the new baby. I may have to offer a few candies on exchange for a little cooperation and a smile. If that doesn’t work, there’s always photoshop haha

Photo shoot day

On the day of your baby’s photo shoot, bring your baby into the studio still strapped into their car seat. I’ll show you how to use the television with streaming channels, how to make a coffee in the kitchen and where the restroom is located. Then we’ll head back to the area of the studio where I actually photograph the baby. Remember, I keep it warm and toasty in there for baby, so many parents prefer to hang out on the couch in front of the television. If I’m being honest, the majority of parents take a little nap while I’m photographing the baby.

 

Sleepy Babies

 

If baby is nice and sleepy, I start with posing the baby on my newborn posing table. These are the poses that I do that require a sleepy baby in order for them to work. My posing table has layers of tons of soft baby blankets. I lay a heating pad on it prior to the session so the baby is on a soft, warm, surface while posing. Not all babies will easily fold into every pose so I let baby tell me what they prefer through their body language. I’ll attempt as many poses as possible, but baby is in charge haha.

 

Wide Awake Babies

 

If baby is wide awake, that’s not a problem. I will wrap baby up nice and tight with several different types of swaddle wraps and pose baby in some of my favorite props that I use. I have quite a few baby beds that are used for newborn sessions, as well as tons of baskets. In addition to those, my newborn photography studio is full of all the accessories that I need such as furs, baby blankets, bonnets, hats, headbands and so much more.

After your session

I usually post a sneak peek from the photo shoot onto social media within 24-48 hours after the session. Make sure your following my accounts on Instagram and Facebook. You are welcome to share the images from my account to any of your social media. I would love it if you credit my photography page when sharing the pictures. I get so many of my clients through referrals so when you tag and credit my photography page, it means the world to me.

 

Your final images will be ready within 2-3 weeks. I take each image and edit it to make sure it looks amazing. Some babies and backgrounds may require a little more editing than others. I mainly adjust the coloring, smooth out the backdrops, and touch up the baby’s skin using photoshop. If there are more people in the picture (parents and siblings), it may require some extra editing time.

 

The editing of a photo shoot takes longer than the actual photography. It’s pretty fun to see what a difference an edited image makes. So when people ask me if they can have an unedited image or a RAW file, the answer is always “Sorry, no” because I know they’d much rather see the edited version.

 

You will receive an email with a gallery full of your final, edited images. They can be downloaded, shared, and printed however you would like. I would love to get your feedback on how you like your pictures so be sure to send me an email, text or, even better, leave a review for other people to see.

Baby Milestone Sessions

Once you get back your newborn photo shoot images, we can start thinking about baby milestone photo shoots. Those can be done monthly or at various times through the baby’s first year. I love to do sitter session photo shoots, when the baby is starting to sit up on their own but not yet crawling away. And, of course, I love seeing the babies back for their first birthday photo shoot and cake smash. You can read through the FAQs for more information.

WORK WITH ME

Freebird Studios is an Orange County Maternity, Newborn and Family photography studio located in Brea, CA and serving Fullerton, Anaheim, Yorba Linda, Rowland Heights, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Riverside, Laguna Beach and all of Los Angeles and Orange County.