Baby Keen Newborn Session

Introduction

Hi, my name is Ashley Doyle with Ashley Doyle Photography. This is my first ever blog post so bear with me as this may not be the most coherent thing you've ever read (apologizing in advance). I started really working on my photography about a year ago and since then I have studied hard and I believe every session I've improved and even surprised myself at the results. The session I'm going to tell you about today was definitely my most nerve-wracking but can't believe I did that kinda session. So here it goes.

Session for My Dear Friend

Now I'm gonna say this, at this point before taking on this session, I haven't done very many but I especially haven't done a newborn baby session but one other time and well... I was disappointed about the results from that first one. However, I told my friend very early in her pregnancy that I wanted to take her maternity and newborn photos for practice. (Her first baby so clearly I wanted a lot of pressure to do them justice - haha!) When we had taken her maternity photos, my friend couldn't stop raving about them so now the pressure was even more, right? I made sure to tell her many times not to get her hopes up, only for her to say "Oh! It's fine, I trust you!" As much as you might think that made me feel better....NOPE! So here I went, off to do my research!

Picking a Theme

My friend told me she really liked the Woodland theme and asked if I could try to focus on greens and browns for her newborn session! She sent me a few Pinterest ideas and I realized that would be a really easy theme to recreate, thank goodness! Whew! At least she didn't ask for like a spa day with her baby sipping a "margarita" or have her baby look like she was flying in a balloon-carried basket like we're in the movie, UP. (It's out there - TRUST ME! haha) So I went to Amazon and searched some newborn photography prop sites to see what I could find!

The Props

The first main item I knew I needed was a wooden bucket to prop the baby in! I found this one on newbornstudioprops.com and it was the perfect rustic bucket! Very sturdy and affordable, considering how much most newborn photography props cost! Next, I needed some wraps, a headband, some filler and an accent piece! On Amazon, I found a pack of swaddle wraps (neutral colors so I can reuse them again), a dark green cheese cloth wrap with frayed edges to go with our natural, woodland theme, and a pack of 4 dainty, neutral headbands that we could choose from. Lastly, I found a eucalyptus garland for accent at Michael's and I was all set!

Getting Set Up

I decided to do the session in my home on my living room tiles which resemble wooden planks and to make use of all the natural light that pours through my windows in the afternoons. To make everything run smoothly, I set up my daughter's sound machine, turned the heat up to keep it warm and grabbed my gear! When my friend arrived with her baby, I actually chose to use all three wraps that I got in the set to make sure the baby's arms and legs stayed in and would help make the final wrap look smoother! Added bonus - the 3 wraps also helped keep the baby warm and cozy! Once we were wrapped, set up and chose our headband, I was able to prop the baby easily in the bucket and it was PERFECTION! The first few images were just the bucket and the wraps!

Next, we added the garland and WOW! I wasn't sure at first if this would look too cheap in the image but it really gave it some more texture and character!

Then, Magic Really Happened

I wanted to change things up to give her at least one more setup, something different to choose from but I was losing daylight and was terrified of waking the baby and losing the chance to try a pose I'd been dying to! But I thought, why not? We got some great images, if it works? awesome, if not? oh well we still had a successful session. So I decided to unwrap the baby and see if I could pose her with her head resting on her arms! I had seen so many photographers get this pose and I thought "How hard can this be?"

Thankfully, we had the most perfect, sleepy baby to try this and just like that.....

We did it!

I managed to get a couple images like this and I have stared at them so many times wondering how it was ME who was the photographer behind this image! This is why I love photography so much! I get to challenge and surprise myself with new things all the time! Do I think newborn photography is going to become my niche? I'm not sure yet. Am I still amazed how newborn photographers pose babies 100 different ways in 3 or less hours while keeping them asleep? ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!! I'm thankful for great friends who trust me but I also would work this hard for you too!

Each session I go into with hours of research and dedication to give my clients my best! I love pouring my heart and soul into these sessions so that there is a quality product that I'm proud of! If you want a photographer who is easy-going, fun, kind and caring, please consider booking a session with me! I can't wait to meet and get to know you!