You are booked - Now what?
Before we go there, I just want to thank you for choosing me to document your story. Honestly, It means the world to me that you trust me with your memories.
My hope for your session is that I am able to capture what it felt like to be there. I want you to be able to look back at your photos and remember that quintessential baby smell, the fuzz on your baby’s shoulder, the softness of the blanket your grandma made for your newborn. I also want images your children will look back and see the love in your eyes as you look at them.
This guide serves as your reference for all things Kathy Spanski Photography. You can refer back to it for what to expect before, during and after your session. Of course, I am here for you if you have any questions anywhere along the way. kathy@kathyspanskiphotography.com 303.709.6580. I’m always up for a chat!
Wow, that is nice. So how do I get ready for the session?
Choosing a location -
We are telling your family’s story and our goal is to capture genuine moments and make art showing your family being uniquely you.
Typically newborn sessions are done in the home. It is a time of settling in and learning your new rhythm as a family. The last thing you need is added stress to an already stressful, yet exciting, time.
If you have another idea of something you’d like to do though, I’m completely open to your ideas. This is your family and your session. Maybe this is your 5th baby and reality for you looks like running other kids around to activities and baby is just along for the ride. We can capture that too!
No matter the location, the key is that it is something you do often and can be 100% yourself doing.
Sounds fun! What can we expect at the session?
My philosophy is to let the littles set the pace for the session and this is MOST true with newborns. We want the little ones to be comfortable - fed when they need to be fed, sleep when they need to sleep. We pause when needed and just take our time. Sometimes babies can get overly stimulated so we just need to step away. I’ll find a quiet corner to hide out while you get baby settled and when we feel ready, we’ll pick it back up again.
I use very little direction in my shoots. When I first arrive I will have you show me around your home so I can get a feeling for the space and light. Depending on where the baby is in their daily schedule, I may start off with some more lightly posed shots like the whole family on your bed or on the couch, and then let the activity unfold from there.
In the case of siblings, I usually focus on them first and give them a chance to warm up to me. A lot of times I will have them show me their space, favorite toys, etc. Obviously, they are more aware of the activity and it is a time of BIG transition for you all, so I try to emphasize how special and important they are in the process.
I still have some questions…
Here are some commonly asked questions.
Q: My session is my home. Do I need to have a designer come over beforehand?
A: NO! Again, this session is about YOUR family. I usually recommend that you clean up or declutter the same amount you would if you had friends coming over. Not your in-laws or boss, your friends. You JUST had a baby, so if you have bottles and diapers everywhere, just leave it. We can always move stuff around in the moment if needed.
Q: Should we buy matching white shirts and jeans to wear?
A: NO! I repeat - unless your family usually wears white shirts and jeans or matching outfits, don’t do it. It is important everyone is comfortable and looks like themselves. If you have older children, this is a great opportunity to get them involved. Big brother can help pick out baby clothes or special blankets you want to incorporate.
Q: What about my first baby, Spot?
A: I love animals. I mean I REALLY love animals. They are part of the family and are with us way too short of a time. We need to document them as part of your family. I will do everything in my power to get good shots of them with the family. I have two very unruly Golden Retrievers myself. I have some tricks for getting good photos, but all animals are different and I can’t guarantee that ‘money shot’ but I will do everything in my power to feature them in the session.
Q: What about grandparents?
A: I love including grandparents as well. If it is common for your parents to spend the day with you, by all means, include them.
Anything else I should know?
H-ANGER: Hanger is a thing and one of the easiest things to control. Anytime someone needs to pause to eat, just speak up.
Comfort: If your kiddo has a special lovey or blanket he loves to have, I LOVE LOVE LOVE incorporating personal items. I get to photograph a meaningful connection and the kiddo gets to hang on to their lovey (or plastic dino in some cases) for security.
Any hangups: Don’t force your child to do something that may make them uncomfortable. I have no expectations for certain behaviors. If your child is shy, it is completely within reason for them to stick by your side. Usually, I can get kids to warm up to me, but sometimes they just want their parents. It is ok. We will take our time and roll with the punches.
If your child has particular things they really don’t like, please let me know. If they don’t want to be touched, hates having their hair tousled, doesn’t like eye contact, or is just going through a nose-picking stage that you are trying not to acknowledge and you don’t want me to laugh, just tell me.
Meaningful Behaviors: If there are certain gestures, relationships, or moments you would like to have documented, please let me know. Maybe it is the special friendship between siblings, the way your preschooler sucks on his fingers, or a naptime routine. I will do my best to include those moments.
If you have any questions or concerns, PLEASE do not hesitate to contact me. I’m here to help you make the most of your session.
So what happens after the session?
More fun! After your session, I will get to work culling your images down to the very best of the best (typically between 50-60 images/session) and hand edit each image for a cohesive gallery. Once they are ready, I’ll be in touch to schedule your BIG REVEAL - the 24-hour slideshow window.
When you get the slideshow link, I encourage you to make an event of it! Queue it up on your tv or large computer screen and gather the whole family to watch. The first time you see your photos is always the best. Once you’ve selected and paid for your collection, your gallery will open for thirty days, preloaded with your print credit, and set for you to download the number of files included in your collection.
Downloading your files:
Once you’ve decided which images you’d like to use for your download (for Collections A & B), I’d like to encourage you to do that immediately. The process is super simple: select the images and use the down arrow in the upper right corner of the gallery. Click the arrow and the system will walk you through the download process. The images will download as a zip file, which you can double-click to expand.I suggest you make a second copy of the files and save in a different location. The first copy should be easily accessible (like your computer drive) and the second copy in the cloud (Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon Photos, etc).
Copyrights (and wrongs):
Once you’ve got your digital files in hand, you are free to print them when, where, and as often as you wish! You can use them to make holiday cards, share on social media or on your personal blog. The only things you can’t do are related to the resale of your photos or use for commercial/business purposes. For instance, if you authored a book, you’d need additional permission to use one of the photos on the dust jacket. Or, you won’t be able to enter one of the photos into a contest and win prize money for it. Otherwise, you’ve got free reign! If you ever have a question, just let me know.
Printing your images:
While everything that I offer in my store is printed in professional labs using archival inks and papers and guaranteed to be beautiful, I also recognize that you may want to print your images yourself, and thanks to those digital files, you absolutely can! I recommend mpix.com for online prints. Be sure to de-select any color correction options, and be sure to upload the original files you downloaded, not copies. The files you receive from me should allow you to print up to at least 20”x30”.