Tips for timing, what to expect, what to wear, managing siblings and more!
Portrait Session
PLANNING YOUR maternity & newborn
to THE MAIN WEBSITE
We’re so excited to be working with you and we can’t wait for our time together during your session. It’s normal to be a little anxious about your session. You're a busy family with quite a few things on your plate.
That's actually one of the reasons why we put together this guide. It covers things to keep in mind when it comes to what to expect, what to bring and more.
Hopefully it helps you feel fully prepared for our time together, but should you have any other questions or if you need advice, please feel free to reach out!
- jody ann
Sessions are tentatively scheduled around your due date, and once your baby arrives, a quick text, call, or email within 48 hours allows us to finalize the session within 2-3 weeks of birth. My favourite days are between 8 – 14 days old. This is the “Sweet spot” and generally babies will start baby acne, colic, growth
spurts and more alert time after the first 14 days. Since we are booked several months
out, we ask that you contact us as soon as babe arrives and you are settled.
For scheduled inductions or c-sections, we can book your session in advance. For longer hospital stays, we will schedule once your baby has a discharge date.
Sessions are available Monday to Friday at 10:30 am, lasting 3-4 hours. This extended time allows for the baby's lead, ensuring plenty of moments for cuddles, feeding, and soothing. Please note that our studio is closed on weekends.
We provide all props, outfits, and sets, so you only need to bring yourselves and your sweet baby. Our in-home studio in Sundance, SE, is equipped with everything needed for a comfortable and stress-free session.
expect
what to
your newborn session
Before you Arrive
About 45 mins to an hour (no longer) before you leave your house, please try to keep the baby awake and alert as best you can via stimulation & playtime, (baths work great!) You can let baby fall asleep in the car on the way to the studio. Should baby still be awake when you arrive, I will get you to give him/her a “top-up”, should they need it. It is best if baby has a VERY full belly for the session. It is advised to feed baby about 20 - 30 mins before you leave the house.
If breastfeeding, try to avoid eating the following foods 24 hours prior to the session as it may upset baby’s tummy: Spicy or gassy food (such as broccoli, beans etc), heavy dairy, caffeine & chocolate. If your baby has a tendency to be gassy then please bring gripe water or oval drops with you.
**Please avoid drinking coffee the morning of your session if you are breastfeeding.**
Dress baby in ONLY a button or zip up sleeper (no onesies underneath please). When you arrive at the studio please leave baby in the car seat. I will take the car seat and start preparing baby right away.
Bring extra bottles of formula and/or pumped breast milk to help fill baby up faster and get them into a sound sleep. (Do not stress over this if BF, we will have plenty of nursing time.)
Ensure you have extra diapers, receiving blankets, oval drops (if gassy) and a soother. Even if your baby hasn't taken a soother, we still request you bring one as this could make or break your session. Our goal is to help keep baby happy and calm during your session and the soother will only be used if assistance is needed to capture certain poses and won't create any habit forming behaviours.
If you would like family photos, please wear a neutral or soft coloured blouse, dress, tank or t-shirt. I don't recommend sweaters because of how hot it is in the studio area and when you are holding the baby , they are little ovens in your arms! Have nails clean and trimmed - your hands will be in photos!
Siblings should also wear a simple top or dress with no logos/motifs. We also have dresses and t-shirts in many sizes for kiddos. Just let us know sizing in advance.
bring
what to
One thing we’ve learned over the years is that our experience of our children is different from what others experience. For example, if you’re at the grocery store with your three year old son and he starts yelling, you probably think he’s irritating other customers more than he is. Most likely, those other customers just see a cute (slightly loud,) three year old.
The same holds true for photo sessions. Your child is in a new element and a stranger is holding a big camera in front of their face. They’re likely not going to entirely be themselves. They may show off more than usual or your extrovert may suddenly become shy.
Rest assured, it’s all okay.
Managing
little ones
The best thing you can do for your kids is to go with the flow and stay positive. The more you relax and have fun with things, the more likely your little one (or big one,) is to get on board.
It can also be helpful to pack a few treats and bribes for younger children. Favorite toys, special snacks and the promise of ice cream afterwards work wonders.
We’re incredibly patient with kids and that we have a few tricks up our sleeve to help get even the smallest ones to cooperate.
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There is a workflow of poses that we go through during the session. We will try our very best to get every pose and prop possible with your baby. However, some babies don’t like to be touched or moved around too much. Should your newborn become unsettled, we will move on to simpler
posing/props.
There is no limit on the amount of poses and setups for your baby, I will always overplan and go through as many as baby allows.
Workflow
05
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During the session we will care for your baby if they get fussy or start to wake up. We have many safe soothing techniques that will help settle baby down. We try to minimize handling by the parents during the session as it can often stimulate baby, especially if they can smell ‘mommy’. We will hand your baby back to you when they need feeding and a snuggle.
Soothing
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The studio will be VERY warm in order to keep your baby comfortable and sleeping. Please dress in layers to manage your comfort. Bottled water and snacks will be provided but please also feel free to bring a lunch, order delivery or send your companion out during the shoot to get food.
Studio
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If you are bringing an older sibling to the session, we generally do those poses at the beginning so they can go home for nap, etc. or they
can watch a movie or play with out toys until they have warmed up to me. As toddlers are very busy and still adjusting to a new baby in the
home, it is common to not want to pose next to their new sibling for a photo, so please be
prepared for that. We will make every effort to get them together.
We do carry a kids closet of dresses and shirts that can be worn for the session if needed. Please let us know size requests.
Siblings
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A few things to keep in mind during your newborn session:
We know that some family members just happen to be furry. Keep in mind that bringing a pet along often means that we’ll need to adjust timing with your newborn.
We recommend planning for your pet to be at the first part of your session and having a friend take them home.
If you’re going to bring a pet, we recommend exercising your pet before the session and bringing your pets favorite toy or treats! Depending on your pet’s fur type, it might also be a good idea to groom them before the shoot.
Managing
furry ones
Sessions typically run 1.5 to 2 hours, allowing for mama's rest time and outfit and set changes. Scheduled between 28-34 weeks, we are flexible and accommodate based on how you feel, recognizing that every pregnancy is unique.
The studio operates on weekdays during the day beginning at 10:30am, while outdoor sessions are scheduled 1-2 hours before sunset. Please note that the studio is not open on weekends.
Both your significant other and children are included and we'll customize the amount of poses with them based on your goals for the shoot.
Together, we will create a vision of style and vibe and once I have a better idea for your look, I will create a style board of potential looks that we can narrow down. You'll have access to our curated client wardrobe, and in the instance where we don't have what you're looking for, we'll go the extra mile to source and provide it. Feel free to bring your own outfits and accessories to make your session truly reflective of your style.
maternity: what to expect
When it comes to posing for your session, you don’t need to worry about a thing! We’ll guide you through the entire process beginning with “poses” that are super easy and natural. If we tell you to do something that feels a little funny, it’s probably because we know it’s going to make "the shot" - and that’s the photo we know you'll love.
Throughout your session, we’ll keep an eye on your hair, makeup and outfits to make sure things stay in place. We want you to feel as relaxed as possible and enjoy our time together!
"What do I do with
my hands"?
"What do I do
with my hands"?
maternity: POSING
We think it’s so important that you look and feel your best for your photos. Investing in professional hair and makeup can go a long way towards creating photos you love for years.
Professionally done hair & makeup last longer than typical hair & makeup. They also tend to hold up better in humidity and wind. If you’re planning to do any spray tans or waxing, schedule those for a few days before the session to give your skin time to recover.
If you go this route, we can provide hair or makeup with our preferred vendor for $100 for either or $175 together. Message for details.
Hair & Makeup
for the ladies
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a few tips to consider...
You can’t go wrong with crisp button up. A simple henley is always in style and keeps the focus on mama or consider layering a blazer with jeans.
Be careful not to choose a pattern that is too small - it may accidentally make your photo look a little too busy.
Softer, pastel colors tend to photograph better than bright colors - especially since bright colors could reflect on your skin.
Cozy sweaters layered over button ups are a great way to stay warm and stylish during the cooler months for outdoor shoots.
Wardrobe
for the gents
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Wardrobe & Favorite Shops
for the kids
shop my PRIME favorites
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If you plan to include your kids in some of the images, creating a cohesive look that completes your vision is essential. Think simple but also add texture and difference fabrics to add depth to the images. We understand you have alot on the go, so we have privided some of our fave shops but we also carry a client closet for kiddos just for these moments. Send us a note to help style your littles.
We never over-schedule ourselves so that we can give each client the time and attention they deserve, but also, so we can have the freedom to move our sessions around with the kooky Calgary weather that is always so unpredictable! Coordinating schedules can be tough and we’ve found that the best way to make sure our families get the look they have in mind for their photos is to keep our schedule open and keep in touch as we get closer.
We’ll check in the week before your session to confirm the time & location we’re meeting and the weather. We know it takes a lot of time to get ready for session and it’s the worst to get dressed up, do makeup and hair, then drive out to your session only to have it rain. Let us know what works best for your family, but if the weather looks like it won’t be great, we typically try to make the call at least 12 hours in advance.
Inclement Weather
outdoor maternity
Yes, you are welcome to print the images on your own from ordered digital files. If you do this, we recommend making sure that the printer does not color correct the images (many automatically do this.) We also recommend looking for a high quality printer. While 10 cent prints sound great in theory, the cheaper printing quality often won’t do your images justice. Paper quality, color correction and a handful of other factors play a big role in the way your prints turn out. This is one of the reasons why we LOVE offering prints to our clients.
A:
Can I print the images on my own?
q:
We will make sure we capture your maternity and/or newborn thoroughly. Most families should expect to receive at least 35-50 images following their session for order selection.
A:
How many images will I have to select from?
q:
For order and selection, the gallery is viewed at your order session.
We guarantee that your final images will remain in an online gallery for at least a year. While your galleries may stay up longer than that, we cannot guarantee it. Once your galleries have been delivered, we highly recommend downloading all high resolution images to several devices. Consider investing in a portable, waterproof external hard drive.
A:
How long will I have access to the gallery?
q:
While turnaround times can vary by season, we aim to deliver all images within three weeks of your session.
A:
When will I receive my gallery?
q:
Frequently
asked
Questions
You are absolutely welcome to share images on social media. To ensure that our work is properly represented, we ask that you refrain from sharing enedited previews or adding any edits. We also appreciate image credits and tags as they help us to continue to grow as a business. Please remember that screen shotting images and removing watermarks is a violation of policies and copyright.
A:
Can I share the images on social media?
q:
By default, the creators of images always own the rights to the images. However we’ll give you a release to use, print and share your images. The only thing you won’t be able to do is sell your image as a stock photo. We won’t do this either without your written permission.
A:
Do I own the rights to the images?
q:
We typically plan about 90-120 minutes for maternity sessions and 3-4 hours for newborn to allow for plenty of time for feedings and soothing.
A:
How long should we plan for the session to take?
q:
We edit all ordered images to our standards you see online. We also do light retouching on all of our images. This means that if there are any glaring objects that should be removed (such as a bump from the tumble your toddler took that morning,) we’ll remove it. Larger edits (such as removing tan lines,) require more time and would require us to add additional editing hours to your collection.
A:
Will you retouch our images?
q:
For maternity, we'll go the extra mile to source and provide your perfect wardrobe.
For newborn, we provide and style everything needed for your session.
A:
DO you provide outfits and props?
q:
Studio sessions are scheduled weekdays at 10:30am. We do not shoot studio on the weekend.
We book our outdoor sessions weekday evenings with 1-2 Saturdays available a month on a FCFS basis. Sessions are scheduled up to two hours before sunset.
A:
What do I need to know about booking times and location options?
q:
We kindly ask that you do not bring extra family members/friends with you who are not involved
with the shoot. Our home studio doesn’t have a lot of seating and is kept VERY warm, Newborn
sessions are often lengthy and require a calm, quiet environment.
A:
can we bring other people to the shoot to observe?
q:
We have a variety of props, headbands and hats that fit within our artistic style to use during the
session and have been sanitized, ready for use. If you have an heirloom item you would really like to
incorportate, please reach out to us in advance of your session.
A:
can we bring our own props?
q:
As soon as possible after your session is complete, we’ll back up your images and begin the editing process. Unless we have a holiday closure, you can expect to receive your gallery for order & selection between 1-2 weeks and final edits within another 1-2 weeks after your session. Albums and Wall Art timelines vary.
Your Images
When to Expect
We’re big believers that images aren’t meant to solely exist in a digital space. One day, most likely, Instagram will be gone, your phone will be replaced and images that you can physically hold in your hand will be the best way to remember those precious moments we captured.
Think about this fact: fifteen years ago, if we had delivered you digital images, they would have been on a floppy disk. With the fast updates to technology, you would have no way to access those images today. Even the online galleries we deliver will eventually fade away.
But prints? Those last. I bet your family still has images from your grandparents (maybe even great grandparents.) And that was likely from a time period when cameras were expensive and prints were harder to come by.
Bring Your Images to Life with
prints
Perfect for those who value legacy. These heirloom albums are a great way to house a large number of images in a beautiful way. Leave them on display as coffee table books or protect them with a keepsake box.
Albums
Our framed and matted prints are the perfect way to fill your walls with memories. With a variety of frames to choose from, we’ll help you select the perfect image pairings for your space.
Prints & Wall Art
Details for ordering will be can be viewed in our pricing guide
Easy to hang and easy to change out. Canvases are one of our favorite ways to decorate a space. They also work great on little easels placed around the home.
Canvases
We know that this guide is long and hopefully it covers everything you need to know to prep for your portrait session. You'll also receive a final details email a few days before your session so you are ready to go!
As always if you have questions, and once your baby arrives, please contact us via email or text.
jodyann@jacphotography.ca
403.870.2251