Newborn Sessions

The birth of a child marks a defining moment in your life. From this day forward, everything changes.
You have a new reason for living. You have a new reason to love.
And just weeks from now, your little one will no longer fit so tiny in your arms. They are only this little for just a moment in time.
These are your moments……. with a newborn portrait session, you can hold on to forever.

Newborns are truly Melissa’s favourite subjects to photograph! With 11 years of experience photographing newborns, her passion for capturing the newness of life shows in the way that she comforts, soothes, and carefully poses them for the images she creates through her lens. After their sessions, many of her clients leave her studio convinced that she is “a baby whisperer”.

Newborns stay new for such a short time, Melissa loves to capture all of the special details of your fresh little one before they begin to change. As Orange’s premier newborn photographer, she is highly sought after for her unique perspective and uncanny ability to capture the beauty of newborn babies.

Newborn sessions are photographed in our beautiful studio which is specifically designed for newborns and their families’ comfort. Studio lighting, controlled temperature and access to our wide variety of props and accessories ensures perfect newborn images every session.

WHEN SHOULD I CALL TO SCHEDULE MY NEWBORN SESSION?

Before your baby is born! It is so important to plan ahead. Capturing your newborn within the first two weeks of life, while they are still sleepy and curled up, can make all the difference in your newborn portraits. Melissa’s schedule fills up about four weeks in advance so please call to schedule your newborn appointment before your baby is born. Since we never really know when your little one will arrive, we will pencil you in on our calendar to hold a spot for you. When your baby is born we will move your appointment accordingly.

If your baby came early or if your baby is already born, don’t panic! We always do our best to squeeze newborns into our schedule and older babies take beautiful portraits too.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH MY NEWBORN?

Newborns are best photographed within the first 2 weeks (ideally 5-10 days) of life, when they are still sleepy and can be curled up into the beautiful poses we are so well known for. However, beautiful images can be achieved with babies who are slightly older, so not to worry! We take up to two hours for a newborn session and leave plenty of time for feedings, nappy changes and breaks for mum and baby. Come as soon as you are ready, we can’t wait to meet your new little one.

WHAT SHOULD BABY WEAR?

Newborns photograph best without any clothes at all or just a simple wrap. Melissa loves to photograph newborns swaddled in blankets with lots of texture and snuggled up tight in buckets and baskets, so if you have a special blanket or two bring them. We have an extensive collection of newborn hats, wraps, bows and headbands that coordinate beautifully with our blankets and props that Melissa will use to stylize your images.

HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR MY NEWBORN SESSION?

We recommend that you bring baby to the session well rested and plan to feed baby as soon as you arrive. Sleepy babies photograph perfectly, so Melissa will ask you to undress and swaddle baby before the feeding so as to not disturb them by undressing them after the feeding. We take several breaks for feeding baby during the session to ensure that baby is happy and has a full tummy. We ask that you not be too concerned with scheduled feedings during the session and that you feed baby on demand or when they get a bit fussy to ensure their comfort and a smooth session.

CAN I BE PHOTOGRAPHED WITH MY BABY?

Most certainly! We wouldn’t have it any other way. Melissa loves to capture the emotion of those special first days with your new little one and believes that there is no greater image than a new mum or dad cuddling with and admiring their newborn child. Skin on skin images are a unique way to capture the purity of these relationships, but we also ask parents to bring a neutral coloured shirt so that they may serve as a backdrop for baby for some of the images.

CAN SIBLINGS BE PHOTOGRAPHED WITH MY BABY?

Yes siblings are encouraged to be photographed with the baby! We usually do the sibling images first, and then ask that you bring a grandparent or babysitter along to take them home once their portion of the session is completed. It’s a lot to expect toddlers and older siblings to play quietly for the remainder of the session.

MUCH DOES A NEWBORN SESSION COST?

The Newborn Session Fee is $150 which includes a pre-session consultation, the newborn session, post processing and editing of your images, and a portrait preview appointment. Prints, products and digital images are purchased separately. Most of our clients invest between $800-$2500 on their portraits which includes digital images, an album and/or wall art. You can choose from the a la carte price list or one of the collections below.