Milestone sessions are super easy portrait sessions.
Generally these sessions are scheduled at 3 months, 6 months and or 9 months. These ages generally correspond with pushing up (on tummy), sitting, and pulling up, but can vary widely by the child. It really doesn’t make a difference which type of milestone you would like to capture (age vs activity), just be prepared that they might not always sync up together and you’ll have to decide which is more important to you and your memories.
Preparation
Set your expectations based on your little one's abilities. If your child is shy around strangers, be willing to embrace that. Children under one can be very unpredictable, and that’s okay! I will capture beautiful images no matter what your child is doing at the time.
A good nights sleep and a good nap! Planning the day before your session doesn’t involve a late night for your child is essential to be in a good mood on the day of. If your baby still takes a morning nap, make sure to schedule their milestone session right after. Please don’t count on the car ride for nap time, because it often doesn’t happen as expected. If, for any reason, your baby doesn’t take a nap and we have a ticking time-bomb on our hands, let me know when you arrive for the session so I can adjust timing as necessary.
Special accessories (blanket, toy, books, snacks). Milestone sessions focus on a specific time in your baby's life. The best way to enrich this experience is including specific items that are special to your little one. A blanket. favourite book, special lovie / stuffed animal make some of the best accessories for the session. They help keep your baby happy, occupied and really illustrate the special memories of this time in their life. it is important to bring items that are special to your child, not just pretty or attractive for photos.
What to wear
For a classic signature image I have short sleeve solid color onesie's (white, light grey and dark grey) available. Classic signature images are tummy time or laying on back playing with toes, and if able sitting). This also give them a chance to just be themselves and get comfortable with me being in their space with a big ol camera.
There are outfit options in the studio available to you .. if you are interested in what I have, it is important we chat before your session
Other cute outfits you would like to be photographed. If you want, bring along some options and we can go over them at your session along with what I have to select the best ones for the session.
Start Preparing a few days before your session
Iron or steam for a wrinkle free look. Avoid shoving everything into the diaper bag. I recommend ironing or steaming the outfits your are thinking of bringing to the session. use child size hanger to store the clothing and hang them in the car or lay them flat. Once in the studio you can put them up on the hooks I have for safekeeping and selection.
Moisturize skin and lips. Start a few days before the session and apply moisturizing cream to face and body in evenings and mornings. (super important in the dry winter months we have) I recommend a good hydrating cream like baby aveeno - just make sure to test it out first to avoid potential allergic reactions.
Pack the diaper bag the night before. Having the diaper bag ready to go the night before guarantees you can make it out the door without rushing or stressing. It's so easy to forget important items when your trying to pack everything at the last minute.
Remove socks before the session. If you want adorable bare-footed photos, be sure to remove socks at least 30 mins before your session - otherwise they will leave marks on the skin. It's these little details that often make the biggest difference in a photo!
Even with an easy session experience, putting a little bit of time in the preparation goes a long way!
This sounds like a lot of information and things to consider when preparing for your baby's milsestone session. In reality it is actually getting out of the house with a baby! Any outing is going to require some prep work, and I am here every step of the way to make sure our time together goes smoothly.
Most importantly .... Have fun! Stressed parents tend to lead to stressed babies. If your child is fussy or uncooperative it’s okay! I’m a fairly patient person when it comes to little ones and I’m always willing to stop a session for some cuddle time if my camera is overwhelming your baby. I try not to set time limits on milestone sessions for this reason.
I am thrilled that you have chosen me to be your photographer for such a special time in your family’s life.
It is very important to me to have a strong connection with my clients, and I am happy to welcome you into the Watch Me Grow Photography Family! If you have any questions at all as we get closer to your session date, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Credits:
Watch Me Grow Photography