Scheduling Questions

Once you’ve submitted your newborn booking proposal, I’ll pencil you into my schedule for a week after your due date, and we’ll pick the actual date of your session after your baby arrives to ensure the session takes place within the first two weeks, when your baby will still be very sleepy. Newborn sessions are done on weekday mornings unless a weekend is specifically requested and available when booking your session.

MY BABY IS 4/5/6 WEEKS OLD, BUT I WANT TO DO A NEWBORN SESSION.  IS IT TOO LATE? 

No way! Your baby is still as cute as ever, and will probably start smiling any second now, which is a great milestone to capture.  We can still use newborn props and hats for older babies, and I modify the poses to keep your baby comfortable. Your baby will likely be awake for some/half/most of the session, so I prepare for that as well and consider it a bonus if your baby falls asleep.  Check the investment for Newborn Sessions to read about the session details. 

DO YOU OFFER IN-HOME NEWBORN SESSIONS?

No, I found I had much better results in my studio with complete room temperature and lighting control and want to give each of my clients the highest-quality photos possible.  

Advantages of a studio session over a home session are:

• You don’t have to clean your house for me or move all of your furniture around to create a studio. 
• You don’t have to wait around while I set up and pack up from a home session.
• You don’t need to heat up your home more than you normally would.  
• We’ll have my hundreds of props at our fingertips, including extra fabrics in case things get soiled. No worries that I left something behind or bring the wrong things.
• You get to just sit and relax instead of worrying about doing the laundry or dishes.
• The lighting will be perfect.  My studio light is an amazing 5′ wide and too large to pack up and bring along with me.  Large lights = gorgeous light.  Natural light only works well when you have a sunny day, the light enters your home from the correct side of your house, and you have large windows and room for a “studio” by those windows, which are too many variables to ensure good photos. In the studio, I can play ‘god’ with the light – no worries there.
• Our studio has multiple seating areas and a play area for older siblings to be occupied during a session.  It’s quiet and cozy… and I have snacks.  🙂

WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?

I’m located at City Center in Newport News, Virginia. I am less than 2 minutes off I-64 right off the J. Clyde Morris Blvd exit.

DO YOU OFFER A DISCOUNT FOR SCHEDULING BOTH MATERNITY AND NEWBORN PHOTO SESSIONS?

I offer a Session Bundle for Baby’s First Year “Grow With Me” for $850 (valued at $1150) — includes a Newborn Session, Six (6) Month “Sitter”, Cake Smash Session, and your choice of a Maternity Session or Family Session. Mention this bundle when contacting me so I can send you a custom proposal for this amazing opportunity.

IS THERE AN EXTRA CHARGE FOR ADDING MORE PEOPLE INTO THE PHOTOS? 

With the exception of the Cake Smash and Milestone sessions, there is no limit to the number of immediate family members (parents/sibling(s)/grandparents), you are paying for my time at the session and editing your photos.

DO YOU EVER OFFER MINI-SESSIONS?

I do not offer mini-sessions. I enjoy and value getting to know your family one-on-one with a tailored experience that is not rushed, without having people lined up waiting for your session to end so they can start theirs. No more worries that your baby will cry the entire time or that your toddler will have a temper tantrum. Say “no” to stress!  🙂

DO YOU PHOTOGRAPH ANY EVENTS, LIKE BIRTHDAY PARTIES, REUNIONS OR BABY SHOWERS?

I don’t photograph any events, but I do love to attend them!!  🙂

DO YOU DO ONE-YEAR-OLD PORTRAITS WITH CAKE SMASH SESSIONS?

Yes! The cake smash includes both portraits of your baby pre-smash, as well as a splash after the smash. Read more about the Cake Smash Session here.  

Preparing for Your Session

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR TO MY PHOTO SESSION?

• Wear clothes you love and that match each person’s style and personality. Do not dress everyone alike.
• Dress as formally or casually as you’d like. I’ll modify the style/feel of the session based on your apparel.
• Wear clothes that don’t wrinkle easily, and iron your clothes. I charge extra for wrinkle removing during retouching.
• Black is the most flattering color if you’re concerned about your weight.  It hides a lot! 
• Match your eye color. You’d be surprised how much this can do for your eyes!
• Look around your house at where you would like to hang the photos, like your living room, and match the colors of your outfits to your decorations so that your photos will coordinate with your house.  
• When in doubt, neutral colors and earth tones always photograph well.  
• Pick a few colors and mix them up so that you all coordinate without looking the same.
• Don’t forget to plan the shoes, too!
• Still want help? I have a exclusive prep guide for each session.  
• Finally, you’re remember never fully dressed without a smile. Brush and floss those pearly whites before your session.

WHAT CAN I DO TO ENSURE MY MILESTONE/CAKE SMASH SESSION GOES WELL?

• The most important thing you can do is relax.  Children will be stressed if you are stressed (even newborns can sense stress).  We will have plenty of time to get great photos.  Think of this as a special time that you get to spend having some fun.
• Be prepared to be a goober.  I love it when parents bring out their inner silly to help their children smile and laugh. Don’t be surprised to find that I am a total goober, too.   
• Avoid the “cheese” word.  Saying “cheese” makes an unnatural smile. I want to capture smiles that come from their core and radiate into their eyes.  We will get them.  
• Let me know what your children’s favorite things are – toys, characters, hobbies, etc. I love to talk about these things with them during the session.
• Please alert me to any physical disabilities or behavioral characteristics that I should be aware of when working with your family.  
• Remember that our goal is not to capture perfection, but instead, a perfect representation of who your children are at this point in time. I want your photos to help you tell a story to your children years from now. 
• Most of all, the session doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be them.

WHAT CAN I DO TO ENSURE MY NEWBORN PHOTO SESSION GOES WELL?

I am writing a whole blog post about this!  Newborn session tips coming soon.

​CAN PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS AND SIBLINGS BE INCLUDED IN NEWBORN PHOTOS?

Yes! In fact, these are my favorite photos, and the ones your baby will cherish the most when he/she gets older.  Think of how much you would love photos of your own parents holding you when you were brand new! These photos only take 15-20 minutes, and we do them at the very beginning of the newborn session so you can relax the rest of the session.

DO YOU HAVE PROPS AND NEWBORN HATS, OR DO I NEED TO BRING THEM?

I have plenty of newborn hats and outfits — and add more to my collection every month! I also have extensive amount of props, blankets, wraps, and hair ties. Before you buy anything for your newborn’s session, please check to make sure I don’t already have something similar.

Newborn and Infant Safety

WHAT PRECAUTIONS ARE TAKEN TO ENSURE MY BABY IS SAFE?

This is a very important topic for me.  I have adopted the following safety precautions:

• Myself and my assistant are both newborn safety certificated.
• I receive the flu shot yearly, along with an up-to-date TDAP booster (measles/pertussis/whooping cough).
• I received the full dosage of COVID-19 Vaccine as specified by the CDC .
• I will thoroughly wash my hands prior to handling your baby and whenever we take a break, during your session I use organic hand sanitizer.
• If I have any cold or flu symptoms, I will notify you prior to your session and we will reschedule to another date.
• I will not pose your infant in any glass or ceramic objects. These objects are subject to shattering and grave injury.
• I will not suspend your baby above the ground, a pillow, or cushion, in a cloth, hammock or any other prop. Though these photos may be done safely with Photoshop, I don’t want to create works where a baby appears to be at risk of injury. These images are safely done as composites only.
• Baskets and other props that may become unstable will be weighted down inside with weights and/or be held steady with my assistants hands, later to be edited out.  
• Any time a baby is posed on a table, stool, prop, or bench, myself or my assistant will be present at all times with your baby, and will later be edited out of the photo.  
• I will not pose your baby on top of or against a pet. Animals are much too unpredictable. We can however, get photos of your baby and pet together in other ways! 
• I thoroughly clean and sanitize all props and soiled linens after each session (all linens that touch a baby’s bum are considered soiled). 
• Because the studio space displays many props and fabrics, I kindly ask that you do not touch them.

After Your Session

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR MY PHOTOS TO BE EDITED? 

Typically my clients have the Reveal of their images for selection within 1 week of their session. Depending on the products and collections ordered, the delivery of items will be specific to each client and all digital files will be held until all items of the order has been delivered.

WHAT RETOUCHING WILL BE DONE TO MY PHOTOS?

General editing: I will always edit away blemishes, bruises and scratches. I may lessen the appearance of pock-marks, shaving scars and mild acne scars. Extreme scarring may be smoothed, but not removed as it would dramatically alter the person’s appearance.  Skin will be smoothed a bit so that it looks naturally soft. I edit away the most-ambitious/distracting stray hairs.  Under-eye circles are removed or lightened on adults per my discretion so that it looks natural. I generally leave laugh lines.   

Additional charges of $100/hr may apply for any requested enhancements (1 hr minimum, charged in hourly increments): Examples: Gray hair removal, frizzy hair cleanup, hair color touchup at roots, body/face shaping, double-chin removal, head swapping, removing wrinkles from clothing, removing bra straps, reshaping teeth, etc.  

Maternity: I may do a little bit of body-shaping to reduce the look of bloating, so that you look like yourself. 

On newborns, I will lessen the appearance of stork bites, clean up goopy eyes, and remove peeling skin on the face. I do not edit away: 

• Umbilical cords or scabs inside the belly button (please let me know before your session if you would like the belly button area hidden/covered), 
• Mongolian spots
• Hemangiomas
• Birth defects (Please discuss with me any concerns before your session).
• Peeling/flaking hands and feet (I may remove some, but not all, per my discretion.  Please massage Aveeno Baby Lotion on your baby prior to your session if this is a concern).

HOW DO I SEE THE PHOTOS AFTER MY SESSION? 

A Reveal and Ordering Appointment is held approximately one week from your session date, where you will view a slideshow of your images set to music and then we can begin the selection process for creating your custom art.

Products and Pricing Questions

HOW MUCH ARE YOUR PHOTO SESSIONS?

Please review the investment page for each session for investment details. The services listed on my site are the ones I offer.   

Please contact me for product pricing (prints, canvases, albums, etc.).

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO RECEIVE MY PRODUCT ORDER?

All images will have to be edited after the reveal which can take up to two weeks before orders can be placed. All products are subject to their own production and delivery timeline, as they are custom-made. You will be able to download digital images from your gallery with in a day or two of the final edits being completed.

WHY ARE YOUR PRICES HIGHER/LOWER THAN OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THE AREA?

We all have different talent levels, equipment and experience and offer varying levels of quality in our work. We also take on different numbers of clients based on our business’ needs and capacities. 

Though this is my full-time career, I work with only a few clients a week in order to give each person the best experience possible. For each session, I devote on average 15-20 hours of planning, preparation, shooting, editing, presentation, and delivery, so I charge around $100/hr (which is still $80 less/hr than my plumber charges).   

In return for your investment, I will give you a fun experience to remember and intricately-crafted pieces of art that will stand the test of time. You will look at your photos for years to come and smile because they so perfectly capture your beautiful self and family. You will use your photos to tell your story to your children and their children.  You will know in your heart that your portraits are absolutely priceless.