Welcome! I am a maternity and newborn photographer based in Salem, OR. I offer custom maternity sessions both in studio and on location. Newborn sessions are done in my Salem studio or in the comfort of your home. I am happy to travel up to 60 miles which includes the greater Portland area (Wilsonville, Lake Oswego, Newberg, McMinnville, Sherwood, Tigard, etc).
Newborns are best photographed within the first two weeks of life. I highly recommend that you contact me and book your session while you are still pregnant. Maternity sessions are best done when you are between 32-36 weeks along. Of course these are only guidelines and not set in stone.
I absolutely love photographing newborns! From experience I know that they grow so quickly and within a blink of an eye those precious newborn days are over. Safety is very important when it comes to handling newborns. You can rest assured that I will not pose your baby in a way that is unsafe or uncomfortable. Newborns are used to being curled up and most will happily curl into any number of positions. I make no guarantees on any certain pose because not all poses work with all babies. Your baby’s safety and comfort are more important than a photo.
Newborn sessions are very different from other portrait sessions and there is no right or wrong way for your baby (or you!) to act. I will give you lots of helpful tips to help ensure that your baby will be sleepy during our time together. Newborn sessions are not rushed so plan on your session lasting 2-3 hours. If you choose to have me travel to you for your newborn session I will bring everything I need to your home. This includes blankets and gender appropriate props for you to choose from. Newborn sessions done in my studio have access to my entire prop collection. If you have a special item you want to include let me know beforehand so I can plan how to incorporate it into your session. Babies are best photographed in the nude so save the adorable outfits for later.
I utilize both natural and studio lighting and will determine what will work best at the time of your session. Most sessions done in client’s homes are set up in the living room. I do encourage immediate family members to join in with the new baby for some first family portraits. I know it can feel like the last thing you want to do so soon after giving birth but I promise you will look back at these special photos and be glad you did.
