How to go go with the flow and not stress if the baby isn’t cooperating.

I’ve all seen those adorable photos of new little babies looking so peaceful and relaxed and, not a care in the world. And as new parents, we want similar photos of our children to send out to grandparents, make into screensavers, and blast out to our social media pages to show off our amazing baby. But then session day comes around and BAM! – your baby does not want anything to do with it.

You’re thinking, “Why won’t you stop crying? I’ve literally done everything I can think of, but you’re still not happy. Don’t you know I’m paying good money for this session? Steffani’s baby cooperated in her session, why can’t you just go to sleep and let us get some nice photos?!” and all the other emotions that are running through your head. If this is happening during your session, I want you to stop, and breathe and remember one thing: all newborns cry. This is a natural, real emotion that all newborns have for most of their first few months of life. It’s not abnormal. There is nothing wrong with your child for doing it. It is nothing to be ashamed of. They aren’t doing it to embarrass you. And when you stress out about the fact that they your baby is crying, that then makes things even worse because they he or she knows you’re upset.

Don’t let the crying upset you. Embrace this moment in time. It won’t be long before you forget how their her little forehead wrinkled up whenever they were screaming, or how their toes would get all stretched out and tense when they were upset. Let us capture these little details. These crying photos can evoke real emotion and demonstrate we show the love you have for your child as you try to soothe him or her. Your child can look back at these photos once they’re all grown and remember the solace that they found in your arms. These tender moments are just as important, if not more so, than the sleeping, posed photos.

The point of booking a lifestyle newborn session is to help you preserve the first memories of your child’s life. While posed photos are cute, you’re not going to look back and think, “Remember how cute she was whenever she would lounge around the house in frog-form?” because that didn’t happen. You’ll look back at these photos and remember all the nights you walked your baby around the house or rocked them in a chair and hummed lullabies to try to calm him them down. Those times are very stressful, but they also help you form a bond and that’s what makes these photos treasured.

All that being said, if you have your heart set on those peaceful, posed photos, we can always take a break and try again and, if all else fails, reschedule.

When it comes to booking your session, there are a lot of questions about how this the process works. Since your new little peanut isn’t here yet, it’s hard to figure out a schedule. Here is what I suggest:

Contact me during the beginning of your third trimester to set a date for the session. I require a deposit of 50% of the session fee to hold the date for you. I only accept newborn sessions during the first 14 days after birth. This means that we will schedule the session for sometime within 2 two weeks of your due date.

I will also hold a spot for two backup dates – one a week after the original session date, and one a week prior to your due date. This is to ensures that if your little nugget doesn’t come according to schedule that you’ll still be covered.

Keep in contact with me as your pregnancy comes to a close, so we can be prepared. After the baby is born, shoot me a message so we can make sure that one of the dates I have set will work out or if we need to move some things around.

 

Also, now through the end of September, 2018 you will receive a free simple maternity session with purchase of a newborn lifestyle session! 

Welcome back to the blog, dear readers! Today I’m sharing a preview of the newborn lifestyle session I recently had with Teagyn, who was welcomed into this big world on 8/4/18 to Steffani and Anthony. As you can imagine, Mom and Dad are equal parts exhausted and delirious with their sweet baby girl.

When mom seen Teagyn for the first time she remembered thinking that she was so excited to finally have her precious little girl in her arms and that she couldn’t wait for their other kids to meet her. Their favorite part of having Teagyn home has been feeling like their family is finally complete. Mom said, “Teagyn is such an easy baby and so loveable. She loves to be snuggled and rocked.” How could they not totally be in love?

When I asked mom and dad how their other kiddos reacted to baby Teagan this is what they said,  “Teagyn is number 4 in our family. We have Madysen, who is 5, Bryli is 19 months, and Xavier is 11 months. Mady and Bryli have both become little mommies, always wanting to hold Teagyn and help me out with getting her diapers, wipes, blankets, etc. I was nervous to see how Bryli would respond to a baby, but she couldn’t be more in love. She loves to rock her in her swing, cover her with a blanket and hold her hand while she’s eating. Xavier hasn’t really discovered that Teagyn is here yet. He doesn’t ever go near her or acknowledge that she’s around, but as he grows, I know they’re going to be super close. I can’t wait to see how all their relationships start to form.”

Their family has expanded faster than most in the last 3 years, mom and dad have gone through foster care, an adoption, 2 pregnancies and are continuing their foster journey. It has really kept their hands busy and their hearts full. There’s never a dull moment in their house, but they wouldn’t have it any other way and I feel so lucky to have been given the chance to be a (small!) part of their parenthood journey.

Congrats on your growing family, Steffani and Anthony!

 

 

 

 

“I don’t want my photos to look posed”, is a phrase we hear all the time.
A lifestyle photography session documents real life milestones, moments and events and gives you images that are anything but posed. Lifestyle photography photos tell your story just as it is at that precise moment and are perfect for any genre of photography. Action driven details bring your images to life over and over again.
So what are some of the situations where lifestyle photography can be used?

Family Photography
There is nothing quite like having the family together. The laughing, games, meals and memories are truly something to treasure. A lifestyle photography session is the perfect excuse to get your family together and capture different generations spending quality time with each other. Why not shoot a family lunch or time spent playing outside in the garden? Capturing moments between siblings or grandparents and grandchildren are photos you can treasure for years to come.

Kids Photography
Lifestyle photography is the ideal way to capture the beauty and authenticity of childhood. Make sure your children are well rested and that they’re comfortable in both their clothing and their surroundings. Patience is key during this type of session but this is when the magic happens. Bringing along a favorite snack, toy or book won’t hurt either.
Believe it or not, the most successful photos often happen when we let the kids lead the session. It’s all about making it a magical and spirited time where there is lots to take in. Sitting back and capturing those honest moments will ensure beautiful images that you’ll love for decades.

Newborn Photography
Lifestyle photography naturally lends itself to newborn photo sessions. True to life, crib and bassinet shots taken through the slats make for stunning photos. Then there are of course the shots with mom, dad, brothers, sisters and even the family pet. Moments that may seem mundane now such as bathing, feeding or even changing a diaper, from a distance of course, make for creative shots that you’ll love for years to come. Playing with and rocking your baby are also moments that you definitely won’t regret taking the time to capture as it gives you fond memories to look back on in the months to come as your baby grows and their routine changes.

I get really excited about going into new parents homes and photographing the candid moments of babies first days. Today’s blog post features Melanie, Ken, and their newborn baby, Addisen, in those kinds of lifestyle, real-world images.

The session took place at their lovely home located in Litchfield Park, Arizona and the day was truly memorable. Don’t you just love the nursery? And you know there was so much love there based off the pictures alone! You can practically feel it through the screen! Congrats on your growing family, Mel and Ken!

Hey you!

I am so excited you came to check out my new website and blog. I have worked hard on getting my website where it is today so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Please know that I did have to start a new blog, unfortunately, but I will be adding posts often so make sure to come back and check out the latest tips & tricks for your session as well as styled mini sessions and discounts! I hope you have a great day and thank you for stoping by!

If  you have any issues that you come across or questions please feel free to contact me at info@ashleyflugphotography.com.