Session prep guide
Tips & Suggestions for your session.
Sydney’s best flat-rate newborn, baby, maternity and family photographers. Images presented in high resolution, print-ready and professionally edited. Below is everything we’ve learned over fifteen years of sessions — bookmark it for the week before you visit.
For Newborn & Baby sessions
Tiny humans, gentle prep.
- 01
Ensure your baby is well fed and slept prior to the session. There will be some time for a top-up feed if necessary.
- 02
Use mittens in the days leading up to the shoot to avoid little scratches on the face.
- 03
Well-fitted clothes are best — oversized outfits make your baby look lost in the frame.
- 04
If your baby is likely to be asleep on arrival, choose easy-to-change clothing — we love starting with some sleepy shots before interrupting them.
- 05
Dress baby in minimal, loose-fitting clothing so it’s easy to change between sets.
- 06
Keep the nappy loose to prevent nappy lines on your baby’s skin.
- 07
Bring a dummy, extra food, and anything sentimental you’d like in a shot.
- 08
Wash faces and trim nails. Moisturise dry skin with sorbolene rather than oil so there’s no shine on the skin — especially around the eyes.
- 09
Keep a face washer on hand for baby dribble.
- 10
Pack a couple of clothes changes and/or nappy/nudie shots.
- 11
Light pastel colours create a soft, gallery feel for newborn images.
- 12
Bring sentimental items — hospital wristbands, beanie or bonnet, favourite blanket, christening necklace, stuffed animal, or first pair of shoes — if you’d like them photographed.
For Toddlers & Children
Keep it bright, keep it playful.
- 01
Wash and clean eyes, faces and hands before the session.
- 02
Clean and trim fingernails — close-up hand shots are a Faithful classic.
- 03
Dry skin cleaned, especially around the eyes.
- 04
Keep a face washer on hand for sticky fingers or dribble.
- 05
Wear bright, colourful clothing. Have a plain top for the family shot. Avoid logos, busy pictures, or loud patterns. Bring fun extras: sunnies, first shoes, favourite toy, funky boots, gumboots, kid’s umbrellas, jackets, braces, ties, jewellery, hats. Layered outfits look fabulous.
- 06
Most of the session, you and your child will be photographed in bare feet.
- 07
A lolly treat at the end works wonders — the giant coloured lollipops earn the biggest smiles. Bring anything that makes your child smile.
For Adults & Families
Comfortable, classic, considered.
- 01
If we’re doing your hair and makeup, please wash your hair beforehand and come without any makeup on. Otherwise, do your hair and makeup as if you were heading out for a meal.
- 02
Make sure clothing is freshly washed, ironed, and free of pet hair. Avoid pilled tops.
- 03
In studio, most of the shoot will be in bare feet.
- 04
For family sessions, bring a change of clothing if you like — plus a few hats, scarves and jackets for variety.
- 05
Keep choices similar in style, colour and tone (e.g. light blue top on the adult and a blue top on the child). Above all, wear what you feel comfortable in.
- 06
Wear classic accessories — classic earrings rather than coloured plastic fashion earrings, which can date a photograph. Clean fingernails, polish in natural shades.
- 07
Black OR white tops work best for adults so the focus stays on faces and expressions. Both adults look best in the same colour, rather than one in white and the other in black. Neutral / beige themes also look beautiful — feel free to wear different shades.
- 08
Avoid bold patterns or multi-coloured outfits.
Other things you should know
How a Faithful session actually feels.
A session with Faithful is relaxed, casual and fun. The pace is dictated by the child — there is time for breaks, snacks or clothing changes. We aren’t looking to create the traditional perfect portrait. Life is hardly perfect, and we intend to capture your life.
The studio and equipment are set up in advance for your particular session style.
Children have short concentration spans, so we use many ideas and techniques to keep things interesting — mock tea parties, kids’ tool sets, helium balloons (please bring some if you’d like them in shots). Props are used to find the angles we want while keeping a happy, engaged child.
For newborn sessions, we work with how baby is on the day. We never force poses, so please come with flexible expectations. Babies will be babies — we aim to bring out the best of them at that moment.
Expect to top up baby with extra milk. We often hear “they’re not due for a feed” — but posing and moving them is unfamiliar, and they seek comfort. To them, comfort is milk (or a dummy), so have these ready.
Get ready to love your baby even more. The most beautiful photos are the ones where parents show love and affection to their newborn and to one another. Don’t be afraid to get close — we usually ask you to cuddle baby up close to your face to create an intimate feel.
For your child’s safety, please keep an eye on your children while in the studio.
Hair & Makeup Services
Camera-ready, looked-after.
Our professional makeup and hair artists will make the ladies in your life look their best for the shoot. All services are held within our studio for your convenience.
Provided by www.makeupbydalia.com.au.
Book a session
After the photo shoot
What happens next.
- 01
Viewing day
We organise a time for you to come in and view the photos in-studio.
- 02
The edit
Many hours are spent perfecting your selected shots — colour, tone, retouching, the lot.
- 03
Order day
We meet again so you can choose prints, albums or wall art.
- 04
Delivery
Approximately four weeks from order day, your finished pieces arrive.
From the journal