Dear Parents to Be,
Pregnancy and birth are near and dear to my heart and documenting this precious and fleeting time for growing families makes my heart sing. You have a lot to plan for and think about in the months leading up to and immediately after birth. Documenting this time should not add more nerves and stress to this sacred time. I try my hardest to take the guesswork out, to be a resource for my expecting parents, and to be a calming and joyful presence for the families I work with. Thank you for entrusting me with such an important life milestone.
— Mikayla
What You Get
-
Maternity photos can be set indoor, outdoor, or in a studio. Your Choice! There is a studio fee.
Newborn photos are best at home where you and your baby feel secure and comfortable. I will come to you where you are.
-
You get high resolution images and web size images delivered in an easy to navigate gallery.
What’s the difference you ask? High resolution images are really big and they are perfect for printing your images nice and big or in albums. Web size images are just that, smaller files sized just right for sharing on social media.
-
A WHOLE BUNCH!
I don’t put a time cap on our sessions together. Every family is different. Some littles have energy for days and others lose patience in an hour or less. If your family is down to hang, I will shoot until we lose the light or patience runs thin, whichever comes first. That means lots of moments to deliver when gallery day comes.
Bonus, if you book maternity and newborn, you get a whole bunch of images times two!
-
In recognition that every family has different needs and intentions, your maternity and newborn options are customizable. Book maternity alone, newborn alone, or book both and save some dough.
Pricing
Maternity Session: $400
Covers 60+ minutes of shooting plus a whole bunch of images delivered in an online gallery.
A $200 retainer is due at the time of booking to hold your date. The balance is due 48 hours before your session.
Newborn Session: $600
Covers a session that lasts as long as it takes. Babies are all different and in the newborn days, they can be unpredictable. We plan ahead to try to make sure they are sleepy and easy for the session but no amount of planning can make a newborn baby do totally as we expect. I take my time with newborn sessions to give plenty of space for feeding and diaper changes and calming snuggles. You end up with a whole bunch of images delivered in an online gallery.
A $200 retainer is due at the time of booking to hold your date. The balance is due 48 hours before your session.
Bump and Baby Package: $800
Covers two sessions. One prenatal and one postpartum. You get everything listed above plus the comfort that comes with being familiar with your newborn photographer. 2 galleries with a whole bunch of images each doubles the joy.
A $200 retainer is due at the time of booking your package. $400 is due 48 hours before your maternity session. The balance is due 48 hours before your newborn session.
Add Ons
Video: Would a 3-5 minute heirloom memory video to remember the sweet moments from your session suit your fancy? I've got you. Add a video to your session for $200.
Print products and albums: I’ve partnered with some rad professional print companies to provide you with art-quality prints and albums straight from your gallery.
Birth Photography: Is having your birth photographed part of your dream? Let’s talk! book your birth photos with me and get your maternity photos for free. I open 1-2 births per year.
FAQs
WHAT SHOULD MY FAMILY EXPECT FROM YOU DURING OUR SESSION?
I like to approach my sessions like they are a movie and I am saving all of my favorite scenes. I want to capture you as you truly are, quirks and all. So don’t expect me to perfectly pose you for each shot and make sure every single loose thread is accounted for. Real life isn’t perfect and posing is awkward. I like to let moments unfold as they would in real life but don’t worry, I won’t leave you standing around with your mouth agape wondering what to do. I use gentle direction to position you where the light is dreamiest and I’ll engage with you to prompt you into moments that are totally picture worthy.
Maternity and newborn sessions are a little different than my typical sessions. I am a little more hands on with maternity sessions and will even act out poses for you to make sure we get variety, emotion, and flattering images. Newborn sessions sometimes require me to help soothe baby, gently wrap baby in ways that photography well and make baby feel nice and secure and they generally take longer. I like to get a variety of images, some of baby alone and some of your family loving on and interacting with baby as you normally would.
I am quiet and reserved but that doesn’t stop me from joking around with you and playing silly games with your kiddos. I do whatever I can to add joy and playfulness to your sessions. Its not uncommon for me to do some walking and talking with my families or to hang out and take it slow for your newborn session. How awkward would it be if I didn’t connect with you on a real level and just had a camera in your face for the entire session!?
Sometimes I will get real quiet and silence can be awkward because we have this nagging voice telling us we should fill it. Don't! If I am quiet it just means I am loving what is unfolding in front of me and I don’t want to interject and ruin the authenticity.
HOW DO YOU HELP US PREPARE FOR OUR SESSION?
video call or in person meeting: this is a big investment for you. I recognize that and I want to make sure I am fully equipped to make it worthwhile. To make sure I deliver you the best service possible, its really important that we chat before your session. This gives me the opportunity to break the ice and get rid of the “new person nerves” we probably both have. It also allows us to collaborate on the vision for your session to make it special and unique to you. If needed, we will have follow up phone calls to touch base as we plan for your session.
questionnaire and vision board: each of my families gets a questionnaire to fill out to provide me with a glimpse into who you all are and what you all like. Using your answers, I create a vision board with some vibes that I think suit you. Looking over the vision board ahead of time gives us some creative inspiration and some excitement about the session and all of the possibilities.
styling advice: see the next FAQ but in a nutshell, I don’t leave you high and dry, wondering what the heck to wear.
Tips and tricks for newborns: I send you a list of tips and tricks regarding feeding and napping baby the day or two leading up to your newborn session. These tips help give us the best shot of having a happy sleepy baby during your newborn session.
HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT TO WEAR!? WILL YOU HELP?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you! I’ve spent years studying art theory and color theory and have learned what colors and materials photograph well and fit with my editing style. And, I am eager to share that expertise with you so you are confident your photos will be cohesive and what you are wearing will enhance and not distract from the moments. Please please please lean on me hard as you choose your outfits. Send me pictures, ask me questions, heck, I’ll even search the web and send you links to pieces that fit your vision. I have found that the more my clients trust me and follow my styling advice, the better the images turn out.
That being said, these images are for you and we have some stylish families around here. If you are set on wardrobe already, let me know. I am here to capture you authentically and that includes making sure you are comfortable in what you are wearing during your session.
SHOULD I BRING PROPS?
A chair in the middle of the field? A chalkboard sign with a trendy saying? Shirts with cheesy matching sayings? PLEASE NO!!! Props are better left in the studio. I find that they take away from the authenticity and timeless character embedded in my images.
However, I LOVE incorporating special traditions into our session together. Do you have a favorite blanket or toy from your childhood that you plan to pass down to baby and you would like to have be a part of your shoot(s)? Do you love fresh florals or other symbolic things that would make your maternity images special? Lets definitely talk about how we can incorporate those things into your session in a fun and special way.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY A WHOLE BUNCH OF IMAGES?
I can’t give an exact number of images because every session is different and even giving a range feels wrong. I can say though that I know that my favorite images and your favorite images might be different. We all have different tastes and different perspectives. So, I err on the side of giving more to make sure your favorites make the cut. My sessions don’t have a time cap and I want to deliver something from each of the memorable moments we experience at your session. So, I deliver a lot of images, more than enough to fill an album. I can also say that it is always more than 50.
How does the combo package work
The bump to baby package allows you to book your maternity and newborn photos with me at the same time and save some cash. The way it works is that you let me know you would like the package at the time of booking and your package payments are broken up into three installments. You pay an initial retainer to hold your maternity session date. Just before your maternity session, you pay a second stipend covering the maternity session balance and a retainer for your newborn session. The final stipend is due just before your newborn session.
