Newborn FAQ

We photograph newborn babies regularly and we often get asked many many questions. At Barefoot Dubai, you are in safe hands, from premature babies as well as twins, we have photographed in the largest Palaces and tiniest apartments, but there are some bits of advice that remain constant though. Read on to know more…

Please read on to get some great hints and tips to help you prepare for your Newborn shoot, firstly though, have a look at our new ‘behind the scenes’ video, we made at Andy and Lucy’s home.

The Experience

Being a parent myself, I know how little, fragile and also beautiful newborns are. But I also know it can be quite a daunting project, planning and arranging a Newborn shoot and letting your little prescious new miracle be in the hands of a stranger, this can be even more so if there have been complications during the pregnancy or even if your little one came early as ours did – Aya, one month early.

Planning and preparing for a newborn photo session – you probably have a million questions about how a newborn session works.

To help you, and us, using our experience of many shoots and the frequent questions we are asked, we have compiled a few tips to help us both get the best from your upcoming newborn session!

Scheduling

We recommend that parents schedule their newborn sessions before the baby arrives to make sure they have a spot on our calendar, but more importantly, it is one more item crossed off your list of things to do. Contact us during your first or second trimester and we can agree a suitable date. It is best to shoot between 5 to 9 days after your due date. We know that sometimes babies do not arrive on that date, but it gives us an idea of when the session will actually happen.

Arrival Day!

Newborn sessions MUST be scheduled within the first 14 days of life. Though, the best time is between 5-9 days after their arrival into the world. This is because in the early few days of their life they are quite sleepy and easier to work with on shoot day. The more they sleep the easier it is for us to move them around into the sweet sleepy newborn poses. Keep in mind that colic and baby acne starts to appear around 14 days.

Location

From experience Barefoot Dubai have realised that the best newborn sessions take place in your home. Don’t be worried if your house is a mess; we understand that you JUST had a baby! You probably have dishes in the sink, baby items all over the living room and dirty clothes piled up. We will work around everything. We just need a small space to set up a small shoot area with good window light.

Props

Please let us know if there are specific colors you would like to use in the images. We have a collection of blankets, wraps, baskets, knit hats and headbands available for us to use. Parents often have some of their own props too. Items with color and texture help make unique images. If you have toys, hats, props or family heirlooms you would like to use in the session, please let us know so we can advise on what will work best.

Parents and grandparents

One of the most frequent questions we are asked – “can we have / will there be time for 1 or 2 photos with mom and dad?” Well, whilst we are aware that many photographers do not allow this, we disagree with this view. In Dubai, often grandparents come to visit or help at this time and parents too – we feel it is essential to involve you in the shoot for 1 or 2 images at the end of the shoot. Clothing advice – we suggest short or long sleeves to flatter. Light colored, solid tops. Long dress with a light pattern for whimsy and softness. The significant other can wear a solid shirt complimentary to mom’s color. A subtle pattern on the shirt can add interest, like a striped button down. Siblings should be in solid, neutral colors (cream, white, grey) to keep focus on the baby. Baby will be naked for some of the images. This is the one time in their life it is ok to be photographed nude. Wraps, blankets and diaper covers can be used on the baby. Keeping everyone else in neutral colors will keep the focus on baby when they are swaddled in a colorful wrap. We do not recommend using newborn outfits because they tend to be too big and cover their face when parents hold them. However, if grandma made a special outfit, let’s take a few shots!

Before we arrive

We Love Light!

One of the first things you may see us doing, when we are invited into your home, will be looking for the best place to shoot – it is usually a place in the lounge, close to a window with great light. Natural light is the most flattering. Before we arrive, please have all your curtains and blinds open. Once we arrive we will do a quick walk through of your home looking for the best natural light for us to set up our mini studio.

Temperature

Newborns are used to being in 98.6 degree temp of your womb. We want them to be comfortable and sleeping when we get those cute naked baby shots. Heat also helps them sleep better. We will be a little warm, but the baby will love it! Don’t have the AC on, ensure the room is very warm.

Prepping Baby

About 30 minutes before the session, please loosen up your baby’s diaper. This allows the little imprint marks time to disappear. Your baby will be naked in some of the shots, so we want the red marks to go away.

Because we want the baby sleepy for the session. We recommend that you try to keep your baby awake for a while before the session. This will help the shoot to go smoother.

We love ‘milk drunk’ babies! Please feed and burp the baby right before the session to ensure baby is happy and sleepy. There may be a few times during the shoot where you will nurse (or feed) the baby if they start to get cranky.

Which reminds me – we are aware that some photographers insist on the parents not being around for the shoot. We are of the opposite view. It is ESSENTIAL that you are around, newborns need to smell and snuggle with mom or dad regularly and this applies to the shoot time also, we will stop during the shoot regulalry to allow for this.

During the shoot

During the shoot we need to have the apartment / villa quiet to keep the baby asleep (we will be bringing some white noise also). If you have other children that might create noise, try to find a sitter that can take them from home for a few hours. If you have a pet, you may want to do the same. If you plan to have children a part of the session, we recommend bringing them in at the end of the session and then have someone take them. I know it may be hard, but do try to relax! We are comfortable working with newborns. The baby may get fussy, but we will get great shots; sometimes it just takes time to calm down the little bundle of joy. We let the baby take the lead.

Sometimes the baby will need to eat, get a new diaper and just need to cuddle with mama. Babies know when the parents are stressed, so keeping the environment mellow and calm helps to keep the baby calm.

There will be poop or pee, we are used to this. We clean up and move on. There is no need to feel embarrassed. Please have ready for us – 1. A plastic bag (for used tissues, diapers etc) 2. Wet wipes 3. Tissues 4. Soft warm blankets.

Your baby is in safe hands. If there is ever a point during the session where you become uncomfortable, please let us know. We will not put the baby in unsafe positions. If you want the baby squishing into a plant pot or anything like that, we are not the photographer for you, there are plenty around, but we do not do that. Have a look at our portfolio here.

To summarise, here is a short check list: