Can you believe it’s November already? This year has been flying by for me, and in just a few short weeks it will be 2024. And yes—I’m already booking into the new year! Which is why I thought I’d drop a line on the blog with a few general tips about how to prepare for a photoshoot with Jennifer Parrello Photography, so you can start planning for your session now!

Prepping for Your Photo Session: General Tips

Plan ahead. My schedule usually fills up several months in advance—and for newborns and cake smashes in particular, I like to get you on the calendar nice and early!

Choose your outfits. You can read my recommendations on what to wear for your session right here, but the big takeaways are: 1. Wear something that will stand out against your chosen backdrop. (Blacks and neutrals are great for the studio, and you can totally go bright and bold for an outdoor session). And 2. Choose outfits that makes you feel like a million bucks!

Do your hair and nails. Little details like these can make a big difference, especially with newborn or maternity photos where you might want closeups of your hands. I know some great salons if you need recommendations!

Send me inspiration photos! I love when clients spend some time thinking about their vision for their session. Feel free to explore my Instagram to get a feel for my style, and then send me any favorites for poses, colors, vibe, etc. I love to customize each and every session. The more detail I get from you, the better I can make your vision a reality.

Last but not least, come in relaxed and ready to have fun! I treat my clients like family and do everything I can to ensure that our time together is a blast!

If you have any questions or if you already know that you want to do a session and are itching to get on the schedule, get in touch now. I am so hoping I’ll be seeing you in my New Jersey studio next year!

If you’re getting ready for baby pictures you’re probably super excited! And you may have a few questions too. Fortunately, I’ve been a New Jersey newborn photographer for long enough that I have the session flow down pat and there’s really not a lot you need to do.

After you book your session I’ll send you my newborn photo session prep guide. This will go over all the little details of what’s helpful to bring and what you can do on the day of your session to ensure that you and your little one have the best possible experience. In the meantime, this blog post should give you a peek into what to expect and how to prep for a newborn photo session.

What to Bring to Your Newborn Session

If you’re a new parent, you’ll learn quickly that a few items are essential to bring anytime you’re going out with baby. Items that are helpful for a newborn photo session are really just some of the basics you’ll probably already have in your well-stocked diaper bag. They include:

· Extra diapers and wipes

· An extra couple of receiving blankets

· Bottles of pumped breast milk or formula

· A pacifier

How to Keep Baby Happy for Their Newborn Pictures

The other important thing is making sure baby is ready for camera time! Sleepy babies are the easiest to photograph, so that’s the goal. A good way to achieve this is to keep baby awake for about 45 minutes to an hour before their session. Playtime usually works great, but you can also do a bath if playtime just isn’t cutting it.

I also recommend feeding your little one shortly before the session so that we can get started right away when you arrive. A full belly will help them feel drowsy and they should hopefully fall asleep on the way to the studio.

Ready for Your Session?

And that’s pretty much it! Once you arrive at my New Jersey photography studio, I’ll take it from there. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and maybe snuggle with your little one if we’re doing family photos as part of your session.

If you have any other questions about how to prep for your newborn session, please be in touch! (And if you’re expecting, don’t wait to book! My schedule fills up fast and I recommend snagging a spot on the calendar at least 3-4 months before your due date.) Can’t wait to hear from you!