Once we get past the preliminary "how much?" stage, the next thing I usually tell my clients is that their newborn session is going to be about 4 hours long.
.......Really?
The thought of a 4 hour session when you're that fresh into having your whole world turned upside-down is baffling at best. You've just given birth & you're still coming off the adrenaline, having barely slept a wink in days...maybe even a week & I'm asking you to pose and look all well rested and perky for 4 hours?
....not exactly.
You see, newborn babies don't really have this abstract concept of time that we have. They'll be sure to remind you of that at 1am, 3am & 5am for months...possibly years.
They need to eat often. And sometimes filling that teeny tiny little stomach can take upwards of 30 minutes, even an hour. So a large part of that 4 hour session then becomes this....
And eventually we get this.
You see, when I decided a few years ago that I wanted to specalize in newborns I had no idea how much work that was going to take. Had I known I may have been scared off of it.
.........but had I known how much I would truly love it I may have started sooner.
I've become fascinated by newborns. So fresh, a blank slate...they know nothing of time or schedules. What they do know is energy & they are extremely sensitive to the 'vibe' of the room. Newborn sessions for me have become in essence a sort of exercise in conscious meditation. The only way to achieve these photos like this (for me at least) is to be astutely aware of the energy I'm giving off, as well as try to keep mom & dad happy and relaxed for the entire session. All 4 hours of it.
At the end of our 4 hours together....of me hanging out in their kitchen, on the living room floor, on the stairs.... mom remarks, "That was nice. Just hanging out with her, feeling her skin.....I should do that more often." And I know that it was SO worth it.
Cheryl Voigt is Grinning Weasel Photography. Specializing in newborns, maternity & family sessions. Based in Squamish, BC and serving the entire Sea to Sky corridor. #lifestylephotography
