Welcome to my website. I am so glad that you found me. If you’re searching for a newborn photographer to create images that are timeless, candid, and filled with love, you’re in the right place!
Each newborn photographer has his or her own way of working, including the logistical planning and photography approach during the actual session.
I would love to share with you a little bit about the experience of working with me. And that might help you with ideas on what to search when hiring a newborn photographer.
I’d love to invite you to either:
- Visit my website and see more of my work here
- Keep on reading this blog post to learn more details
The best time to have your newborn photoshoot
While most newborn photographers will give you a definite period, I prefer to encourage you to choose the best timing based on the type of images you want for your newborn photos.
There is no one-size-fits-all sort of approach.
Option 1: Sleepy baby
Is your vision for your newborn photos mostly about portraits showcasing moments of that sweet, sleepy baby alone or being held?
Then the go-to advice is to have your family newborn photo session in the first two weeks of your baby’s arrival. Ideally between days 7-10, but anything between days 5-14 typically work well.
Because during the early days your newborn baby will be sleeping very deeply and easily during most of the day. And that will allow us to get a good variety of portrait images in different positions without disturbing your little one.
For this option, we would schedule a tentative date based on your due date. Then, we adjust the date if needed once your baby is born.
However, scheduling the session this early is not always possible depending on how your labor goes. And that’s totally OK!
For instance, when I had my eldest son, I ended up in an emergency C-section. With my second, I had a successful VBAC, but I ended up with an anemia immediately after birth. So in both cases, I had to stay in the hospital for nearly one week. And therefore I wasn’t unable to have my newborn session within the “ideal” timeframe (days 7-10).
In this case, what I recommend is to have your session as soon as you can within the first two weeks. Or, be flexible with your vision and embrace a more documentary option in your home (below).
Option 2: Personality and everyday moments
Is your vision for your newborn photos to have images of those everyday moments with your newborn baby, like a diaper change, feeding, “playing”, wearing your baby in the sling, hanging out as a family on the bed, couch or nursery, having breakfast, etc.? Then I typically recommend having the session when your baby is about 1 or 2 months.
That way you’d get enough moments of awake and sleep time. And that’s also when your baby’s personality starts showing off more and more.
However, during this stage of your baby’s life, it might not be possible to get those sleeping newborn portraits of your baby alone. For instance, both of my children, when they were one month old, they were already in that stage of wanting to sleep only while being held. If I tried to place them on the bed, they would immediately wake up.
So, if you opt for a later newborn photoshoot, it might be that your image gallery will consist of mostly, if not all, images of everyday moments and portraits of connection, like mom or dad holding the baby. Or, images of your baby alone laying awake.
But this also means that you will have a lot of personalities and real-life moments shining through the images.
Location: My signature option
An in-home newborn photoshoot is my signature offer, especially when I’m photographing in other countries, like England, US and Switzerland. If you’re based in any location other than Toulouse, please send me a message here so I can let you know my travel dates.
The reason why I prefer in-home newborn sessions (vs. a studio session) is because being in your home will give you a mix of lovely portraits combined with documentary images of your everyday life. And if you love that clean, minimalist studio look (like I do!), I can bring a lovely backdrop and create a few studio-looking portraits in addition to those candid, lifestyle images.
Advantages of an in-home newborn session
No need to commute anywhere
In-home newborn photoshoots have the advantage of you not having to commute anywhere. During the first few weeks of your baby’s arrival, especially after coming home from the hospital, all you might want is to stay in the comfort of your home.
Relaxing
Another advantage is the time pressure is off. I only do one in-home newborn photoshoot on a given day. So we can adjust the session duration to fit your and your baby’s needs. If your baby needs additional time to settle, and feed or you need time for a snack or to “reset”, we can take a break from your session.
A sense of place
Finally, unlike studio sessions, photographing at your home gives a sense of place to your images that help you transport to that moment in time when you first brought your baby home. Because the images will be filled with real memories attached to them.
I wrote a full blog post about the advantages of an in-home newborn session.
Common concern about in-home newborn session
The one common concern of having an in-home session is to feel uneasy with the prospect of tidying up your home right after giving birth. But please rest assured that you don’t need to worry. I always expect a level of chaos during in-home sessions. I know from my personal experience that when you have young children or a newborn baby, there will be mess!
I’ll guide you through what you need to do to ensure your home is ready for the session during the planning phase. I will recommend very small adjustments.
The alternative: A studio newborn photoshoot
If you’re based in Toulouse, I also offer a limited number of studio newborn sessions.
A studio session has the advantage of you letting up to someone else (=me!) take care of everything for you. It is also a great option if you love a clean, neutral aesthetic to your images but you live in a home that has colored walls and decor, where the results would not be the same. The simple backdrop and elements I use during the studio session allow the focus on each image to be entirely on your baby and your family’s connection.
A studio session is ideal for sessions done within the first two weeks of your baby’s arrival, preferably between days 5-14.
When to book your newborn photoshoot
It is best to inquire in the second or beginning of the last trimester.
I typically open my booking calendar once per season (every 3 months). And I offer booking priority to past clients and those on the waitlist. I have limited availability and I serve a relatively small number of clients because I like to ensure the best possible client experience. If you’re searching for a newborn photographer, you can contact me here.
While I do occasionally take a last-minute newborn photoshoot when I have an opening in my schedule, I prefer to plan the session with you ahead of time. Like this, we can go over all the details during the planning phase and have the logistics figured out, like location and outfits, prior to the arrival of your baby.
So, when your baby finally arrives, all you need to do is to enjoy being with your little one! All the rest will be taken care of.
To reserve your date, we would typically book it for 1 week after your due date just to ensure that it is saved on my calendar. Then, we would be in touch and adjust it as needed based on how labor goes and how you feel.
Photographing with older siblings
As a newborn photographer and a mom, I know very well that the adjustment period for older siblings varies greatly. Some siblings embrace the new addition promptly showing all the love with tons of cuddles. While others feel and show uneasiness right from the start, taking weeks or months to warm up to the new baby.
Either way, we will work around your child’s needs while being ultra sensitive that this is a big transition to them. Instead of working off from a shot list, I’ll let your child’s behaviors and feelings be my guide when it comes to including him or her in the portraits.
As with any of my sessions, I take a child-led approach to posing and the session overall. Regardless of how your oldest child feels about the baby, young children typically don’t like having their photos taken through an experience when they are being told what to do the entire time.
For this reason, I have developed a series of great techniques to get children and parents to have fun, connect and show me their true personality and family love.
If you’d like some practical tips on how to prepare your child or children for a newborn photoshoot, here is a blog post for you.
What to wear
For both my work as a family and newborn photographer, I strongly believe that the outfit choice makes a big impact on the aesthetics of your images. The outfit choice doesn’t matter much if your main desire is to have images that are all about moments and emotions.
BUT, for families (especially moms) who also care about how the images look, then what you wear can make a big difference.
For example, did you know that clothing can alter skin tones? If your older daughter wears a bright pink dress, there will be a pink color cast on her skin and those near her.
To ensure the process of choosing outfits is fun rather than stressful, you will have exclusive access to a detailed styling guide with all the information you need to choose the right outfit. The guide also includes a curated list of my favorite clothing brands. Plus, moms have the option of borrowing a dress from my studio wardrobe. Lastly, your session fee includes a video consultation to help you coordinate outfits for your family through an easy process.
If you’d like ideas on what to wear for mom, you can read my top tips with links to gorgeous dresses in this blog post.
Pricing information
To reserve your session, you will be asked to pay a non-refundable fee of 175 euros. Once you see your final images, you will choose your favorite images. You only buy what you truly love. All collections include stunning print products with amazing quality and matching digital images. So you can enjoy your images around your home and digitally.
For detailed pricing information, please send me a message here.
A little bit about your newborn photographer
I’m Mariana, a destination family and newborn photographer in France. I love to travel! As such, I serve many cities, including but not limited to Paris, Toulouse, Marseille, Sarlat (Dordogne), Basel, Zurich, and London.
I believe that family is everything and that babies and children are perfect just the way they are. And there is absolutely no need for unnatural posing or props. I also believe that family photos should be meaningful, with real memories attached to them.
As a fine art maternity, baby, and family photographer, I specialize in working with families with babies and young children. My main goal is to create a collection of love-filled and timeless images through a very relaxing experience.
But I will be honest – my newborn photoshoots are not for everyone.
My work as a newborn photographer might not be a good fit if: you want all images to be traditional, posed everyone-smiling-looking-into-the-camera type of photos. My sessions are up close and personal. They are ideal for families who value connection over perfection. And want to document the current stage of their family life in a way that feels genuine and natural.
What to do next
If you feel ready to hire me as your newborn photographer, or would like to meet me to discuss your vision, please visit the contact page to learn the different ways to reach out.
If you’d like to see more of my work, I invite you to browse around my website to learn more about my style and get the feel of my images.