South Hill, Spokane Newborn Photoshoot
We’re officially in “baby-season”. There are more babies born in the fall in Spokane than any other season of the year. So in celebration of all the new life in our city, I’m sharing a small sample of a newborn session picture gallery that I recently photographed in the Manito neighborhood in Spokane.
The Manito neighborhood is known for its charming bungalows full of character. If you are fortunate enough to live in this neighborhood, an in-home newborn session may be just right for you. My in-home newborn sessions are lifestyle photography, meaning the poses are very natural and only natural light is used. The photos are somewhat documentary and make a wonderful keepsake of how the time at home with your new baby really felt.
My newborn photo shoots are all-inclusive. This mean that you will know upfront what your photos are going to cost and you’ll never be left to choose between for your favorite pictures when they are delivered. Downloads of the entire gallery are complimentary for my clients.
The beauty of in-home sessions is that your are freezing the moment in time. Your photographer comes to you and there’s no stress of leaving the house with your whole nursery to care for your new baby in the early days. All the memories are preserved without the stress. These sessions are baby-led, so no unsafe handling of your baby and being in your home empowers you to care for your baby as you see fit through the entire session. No over-heating or over-feeding for these sessions, your baby stays in their safe home environment.
The best time to book your newborn session is anytime after your third trimester of pregnancy. You’ll want to schedule your photo session within the first two weeks of your baby’s life to capture all the sweet early details.
Ready to book your session? I’d love to chat with you. Book your spokane newborn session here.
Non-traditional baby shower gift suggestions from a crunchy mom
It’s no secret that I’m a crunchy mama, I try to align what I do as a parent and photographer with a natural or primitive mindset. I like to let natural biology lead the way. While this isn’t the mainstream way to parent or run photography business, it is on the rise in our world and I love to support other moms in their journey to crunchiness. So maybe you’re here for non-traditional ideas for gifts for another mom in your life or ideas on what to ask for at your own baby shower, either way I’m here to help. There is a quite large crunchy (formerly known as “granola”) community in Spokane, Wa and I love to connect anyone who asks with the crunchy pros in our area. So here are my top picks for non-traditional baby shower gifts, because let’s be honest, who needs another pair of baby socks?
Funds for midwifery/doula care
Many don’t know this, but most midwives do not accept insurance and are cash pay only. Some look at this as a downside, BUT privately hired midwives and their services are significantly cheaper than OB’s and hospital births and usually offer financing options, because they care deeply about the mothers they serve. So funds for a midwife are invaluable. Doulas typically don’t accept insurance either, and they can be great for the moms in your life that are planning a hospital birth, for whatever the reason may be, doulas can be critical in the advocating process for the mother and her family while in the hospital.
Postpartum doula package
Postpartum doula services are a little different than birth doulas in that they are support for the mother and baby AFTER birth. A postpartum doula can step in and help for mothers that may not have family near by or whose husbands must return to work quickly. Postpartum doulas can help with housework, baby care, cooking, supporting a nervous first time mom, all sorts of things, which makes funds for one a fantastic gift to a new mom.
Funds for lactation consultant visit or potential revision cost
Most moms go into birth with the plan to breastfeed. While breastfeeding is natural, it doesn’t always come naturally with your first baby or even your third, every baby is different and so is every breastfeeding experience. Failed breastfeeding attempts can be traumatic for a mother, so funds for a lactation consultant can be highly beneficial to a mother and baby. A private lactation consultant is better than a hospital provided consultant, because they have much more time to work with and support the new mom and baby within their home and are not as quick to push formula. Some babies need tongue-tie revisions to be able to nurse properly, so funds to help with that can also be a great gift.
Postpartum body work-
Postpartum body work can be chiropractic, massage, pelvic floor therapy and many others. Pregnancy and birth are hard on the body and many moms find that their bodies need more support in the months following birth. These are a great way to care for the new mom.
House work, meal trains, grocery gift cards
In the first month postpartum, mom should be horizontal in bed nursing and cuddling her new baby. So a great way to support mom and baby is by providing housework or a house cleaning service, delivered meals without extra visitors, premade freezer meals that can be thrown in a crockpot, or grocery gift cards for delivery or curbside pick up.
Newborn photography
This is often overlooked a gift option. Having a photographer come to the home of the family with the new baby is a total gift. Moms want quality pictures of their new baby to last a lifetime, but often don’t pay to have it done because of all of the other expenses that come with being a new mom. Cell phone pictures are great, but mom may not be as flattered in them and the photos may not ever be printed and when they are- the quality will not be good. So definitely consider buying the new mom in your life an in-home newborn photoshoot.
Funds for counseling
Sometimes birth, breastfeeding, or early parenthood do not go as planned and it can leave mom in a tough place emotionally. So consider providing funds for counseling to the new mom as another gift option. She may not need it right away, but at some point it could be very valuable to her and her family.
Hopefully this list is helpful to you in your quest to pick the best non-traditional baby gift. This list of items is not spoken of often, but most moms will tell you that any one of these would be more valuable than any crib mattress or set of bottles on a registry.
If you’d like information on postpartum pros in the Spokane, area, I’d love to suggest a few so feel free to reach out!
If you’d like to purchase an in-home newborn session for a mom in your life, reach out to me below!
Spokane Lifestyle Photographer: What to do if dad is grumpy about photo shoot?
Spokane Dad caresses his wife’s pregnant belly at maternity photo shoot.
Thankfully, I don’t encounter grumpy dads too often at my photoshoots. I believe this is because I work hard to attract clients with very strong family bonds. My families are usually lovey, cuddly and affectionate. I do on occasion get asked how I would handle dads who are not so thrilled to have their photos taken, and this is how I handle it.
If it is prior to the session and a wife is concerned that her husband may not be so excited, I recommend having a heart to heart conversation with her husband. Sit down after the kids have gone to bed and look your husband in his eyes, and tell him how important the photos are to you and why. We’re not just out taking cheesy pictures to put on our Christmas cards. We’re documenting a fleeting moment in time where out kids are only this age once. Capturing the family dynamic and making a memory. Talk to him about our why.
Photos are an investment, an expensive one. I know some dads aren’t thrilled about the investment, but quality photos are important. I usually recommend that families save up for their once a year family photo session to get updated photos of everyone in the family and document the season of life. Saving up and ear marking the money for the photos ahead of time, over a period of time makes the expense seem less burdensome. Those dollars have been given a name, and this often makes dads feel better about the investment.
The next step is on me, and that is during the photoshoot. I work hard to make sure every family member feels welcomed. I am intentional about starting a conversation with dad to make him feel more at ease with me. Cameras make people nervous and I think that’s natural. It is very vulnerable allowing another person to take your photo, and I’m sensitive to that. Many men do not like to feel vulnerable in that way. One of the best remedies for that is to have dad play with the kids, this is the beauty of lifestyle photography.
I think another reason dads don’t love having photos done is that they may be self conscious. I’m always careful with my posing to make dad look broad and strong in all the right ways. I keep posing loose so that there is a level of freedom of movement, which usually makes dad less nervous.
A grumpy dad can really mess up a photoshoot, honestly it’s one of the biggest things that can go wrong. I highly recommend having a conversation with dad prior to if he isn’t a fan of photos. I think most dads think of traditional family photography which is stiff and uncomfortable when they are approached about family photos. I keep my photoshoots light and fun to help combat that. My poses look and feel natural, which helps dad to relax. Usually at the end of my sessions dads are commenting on how it wasn’t as bad as they thought and they actually really had fun doing the pictures.
The dad in this photo was not a grumpy dad, he enjoys having photos taken with his family and is a huge part of why this family has successful photoshoots.
I’m always happy to discuss concerns dad may have about photos. Even if it’s something he’s self conscious about. Please just reach out, I want everyone to feel comfortable and welcome, because I believe family photos matter so much. Everyone deserves to have their family documented.
Is my home too dark for an in-home newborn photoshoot?
Spokane has very distinct seasons, some of which can be pretty low in natural sunlight. Some photography clients may worry that their home is too dark for an in-home photoshoot, but I’m here to tell you, it’s very unlikely that any home is too dark.
I’ve done newborn photoshoots in tiny bottom floor apartments, and I can say with certainty, no home is too dark or too small. It’s all about creative use of the light that is available, something I specialize in.
When I arrive for an in-home newborn photoshoot, the first thing that I do is take a quick tour of the home. I look for the room with the best sunlight. Typically these newborn sessions take place in the mid-morning hours when the sun is typically brightest in most homes. This time of the morning also tends to be the time of day that babies are happiest. They’re fresh from night time sleep and have had plenty to eat.
Usually, I prefer to take photos in the master bedroom or the nursery. Sometimes, I’ll utilize the living room if the lighting isn’t quite enough in the bedrooms. Every home is unique, so adaptability is important.
Even if light isn’t optimal overall in the house, I only need one good window to make great newborn photos. I’ll get your family all cozied up next to the window, and create those images that you’ll cherish for a lifetime.
Hopefully, this information puts your mind at ease. Any home can be used to make beautiful newborn photos. If you’re feeling ready to take the leap and book your newborn session, click the link below. I’d love to talk with you about your photoshoot and put your mind at ease about the lighting in your home.
What is all-inclusive photography?
Here’s a question I get asked often! What do you mean when you say you are an all-inclusive photographer?
My definition of All-Inclusive
For me, all-inclusive means that I charge a session fee which covers the one hour photo session with me at a location where we take your photos. I go home from the session and select the best photos to edit and then return them to you fully edited in high-resolution format in an online digital gallery. I typically deliver a robust gallery of at least 75 images. You receive the entire gallery that you are able to download, share and archive.
Why I don’t like upselling
Some photographers show you a gallery of photos and then allow you to select only a few that you are able to keep, they then upsell or make you pay per photo to keep more from your gallery.
I don’t like this model of business, because it feels unfair to my clients. I put the work into taking and editing the photos and I never want to make my clients choose between their favorite photos. Many of my clients are going through big life changes- like a new baby! I like a more hassle free experience for my clients, just keep everything simple and non-exhausting. This is why I deliver the entire digital gallery and it is included in the cost of my session fee.
You may notice, my pricing up front is a little more expensive for this reason, but just know that a “cheaper” photographer may hit you with unexpected upsells on your digital photos, so just read the fine print when choosing a photographer to make sure you are getting great value for your money.
What is not included
What is not included in my pricing is prints of the photos and the reason for this is that everyone has different print needs and different print types have different production costs.
I offer each client the ability to purchase prints through me from a high quality professional print shop that non photographers are not able to have access to. Let me tell you, the quality difference in these prints is amazing and the pricing is reasonable. I’ve tried all the cheaper print shop options that anyone can access and I’m disappointed every time. So if you’re looking to hang these photos on your walls, I highly recommend purchasing through me. I sell paper prints in all kinds of finishes, metal prints and studio canvas wraps.
If you have no desire to print and only want your digital images for social media sharing, that’s great too and is totally covered in my all-inclusive pricing.