Our Newborn Photo Session with Deanna Spivey Photography, Metro Detroit Photographer

I often like to stand on my soapbox and tell moms-to-be a few things they should consider getting with a new baby. Skip the $500 strollers and the heaps of things you may never use — get a great camera, a great rocking chair, and a photo package for the baby’s first year of life, or at the very least — professional newborn photos.

Why? A baby changes before your eyes during the first year of their life…and there is nothing quite so heartwarming than looking back at your nugget when they are just days fresh. {Their skin, hair, eyes and more change just a couple of weeks after birth, so it’s really neat to look back and see the changes.}

I was beyond ecstatic to work with Deanna Spivey Photography again, this time for Miles’ newborn shots.

I can take decent photos, and for that, I feel lucky. But I can in no way manipulate a baby quite like a professional can {nor do I have the energy in those first postpartum days}, and watching Deanna work was like watching a sculptor with clay. It was nothing short of amazing!

I mean…LOOK. Babies in baskets for the win!

 A few tips for a newborn session:

• Get ready for it to take a LONG time. I’m pretty sure I fed Miles about 5 times throughout the session so he was nice and full and would sleep soundly while Deanna worked her magic. {Hence the higher pricing for newborn shots, too. Great photographers will be patient and not on a timeline. This works in your favor because newborns are unpredictable!}
• Plan outfits in advance — preferably before baby arrives. I realized I had NO outfits that looked decent over my postpartum belly and engorged tatas, so I ended up going shopping the day before. Not a big deal since I felt great, but I would have been smarter to shop in advance. Loose fitting clothes are perfect for us mamas!
• Crank the heat. Most newborn shots are in the nude, so having the heat turned up in your home, or a space heater, is crucial for the baby and his/her comfort level.

• Gather any special props — a special blanket grandma made, a teddy bear or a family heirloom. Look for great spots in your home with natural light with the idea of setting up shop there. For us, our bedroom worked best.
• Choose a photographer that can come to YOU. Packing up with a newborn is a daunting task. Having it in your home means you are close to everything you may need to aid in your recovery {peri bottle, anyone?}, not to mention close to diapers and everything else you may need for baby. Additionally, if you have siblings you’d like to be in some shots, it’s nice they can come around for some photos and then go back to doing their thing.

Are newborn photos a big investment? Yes. But to our family, it’s one worth making. We have them for all of our kids now and I can’t wait to add these shots of Miles to our gallery wall in our bedroom. We all love to look at them and the girls love seeing themselves as new babies!

From Deanna:
Adding a new member to your family is such a life changing event, and your newborn will never be as new or as tiny as when you bring them home. Babies grow and change so rapidly, it is essential to capture them in the first ten days of life. This time can be exhausting to new parents and difficult for moms who have had a cesarean, and I am proud to offer my newborn sessions in the comfort of your home.

It means the world to me that Deanna was able to capture these first days of us as a family of five. I can’t wait to continue to photograph Miles and my girls as they continue to grow! To see more of Deanna’s beautiful newborn photos, make sure to visit her website and check her out on Facebook.

DISCOUNT: If you mention my name or blog, you can get $50 off your first session! Woot. 

Deanna Spivey Photography is based out of Livingston County, but she will travel across metro Detroit for your photography needs. Contact her at spivey.deanna{at}gmail.com or via phone at (248) 343-2919.

Check out my maternity photo shoot with Deanna Spivey Photography here.

Did you get newborn shots of your children? Why or why not?