Newborn Session Prep

Preparing for your newborn session

     The best time to begin planning your newborn session is while you’re still pregnant. Look at portfolios, and pricing and decide who fits your personal style and budget. Find a photographer you connect with personally and will enjoy working with. 
(I highly recommend myself!!!!)

     Ideally, I like to schedule them between 4 and 7 days old. They grow so quickly at this age, and we want to make sure we capture those first few days. Some say 12 days— In my humble opinion and experience it’s definitely 7. Can we do them older? Of course!! Any age is perfect to have their photos taken! (ok, except maybe not the cranky teenager… or maybe that’s just my girl)! If your vision is soft gentle curled up newborns however, 4 to 7 days. 

     While you’re still pregnant is the perfect time to have an in-person consult with your favorite photographer to discuss your vision for your session. If you have any personal items you’d like to include in the session as memorable items please mention. Many photographers (such as myself) have many prop options as well depending on what you have envisioned and your photographers style. 

      If you’d like older siblings in the session I think that is a great idea! In my studio I have a very large waiting room with a full toy box to keep busy while the new baby is being photographed, but it is also a good idea for another parent to attend so they’re able to play with them or take them home after their part with baby so they don’t have to wait. Because sometimes being three years old and waiting is super hard work. 

      Let’s talk about feeding that newborn squish! Have no fear, we have time to wait while you’re feeding your little one between shots because we understand the value of feeding on demand. Pumping isn’t for everyone and isn’t ideal for the first 3-6 weeks unless you’re exclusively pumping. Covered or uncovered, I want you to be comfortable while you’re enjoying your new littles session. Please do not feel like you must do anything special, we work on the babies time to make them as happy and comfortable as we can! Formula babies, same rules apply. They’ll eat when they’re hungry and we’re in the business to care for their needs. 

     I don’t like to set time limits on sessions, but the typical time is 2-3 hours. We want to make sure we get the shots you want, and if that takes three hours than that's how long it takes. 

     In my studio once your images are complete you come in to view them on my television from a (very comfy) couch and carefully choose which ones you want to bring home! Every photographer has a different style and methods for sessions, it is important to find the one who is right for your family. 

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About me.

I've gone back and forth about adding an "about me" section to my website. I suppose it is important to learn a little more about the person who will be spending time with you making your family happy for important life milestones.

So, This is me.

Thank you friend! AdemontPhotography.com for the awesome headshot! You're my favorite photog. (Other than me! duh!) 

My name is Candice! I love roses (more than Sour Patch Kids) and I have stunning (and clearly fake) red hair. I grew up in Florida and LOVE (in an almost obsession way) Florida Gator Football and the smell of the ocean. I highly dislike walking on the beach, it makes my feet hurt. I am an only children raised by my father and I don’t think we have a single “family photo,” and that makes me kind of sad. I have five children. Five. Biological all took up residency in my stomach for 10 months— children. I am very good at getting stubborn littles to smile. If you met my #3 you would understand!!

#3. Seriosuly, smile beautiful! (I took this one!!)

Growing up, my dad loved the TV show, Walker Texas Ranger— and I still know the entire theme song (if you ask I will sing it for you, but know I can’t carry a tune) “In the eyes of ranger, the unsuspecting stranger…” When I was in middle school I was convinced I was going to go to Norte Dame. Unforeseeable circumstances landed me at the local college, and, in hindsight, Northern winters aren’t for me!! My life goal was a career in photojournalism for a prominent New York newspaper – but, seriously Northern winters! Then, I met my husband and Jacksonville, North Carolina called our names…(or maybe it was the Marine Corps

I don’t cook and I am grateful to my husband who can, but I can bake bread from scratch. My children all attend the local Catholic school – Remember Norte Dame dreams? I have since passed that dream to them. On Sunday mornings, you can find me “soaking up the grace” in the cry room, because I can’t hear Mass over my loud and fiercely independent toddler. One day… I will miss the cry room, just not today.

Now, I take portraits of families and weddings and I love every second of it. Okay… Maybe not ALL of it… I could do without the taxes portion. My goal is to make families happy. I am talkative and loving, and occasionally hyper —I make a huge mess in my studio because my brain works faster than my arms and legs but I WILL get the shot I want! I love to meet everyone I can, and can’t wait to see how 2016 goes!!

Seriously Autumn, you have a way of making me look fabulous. 

What re-branding means to me.

I changed my logo. Again. This is the 4th time since I began Flash Photo Studios. I understood "branding," but I suppose not in the same way I do now.

I wanted something to feel warm, because I like to think I am. I wanted it to express who I am.

I have loved roses since I was a little girl. Not the beautiful bouquets in flower shops-- the kind still attached to the bush and growing wildly full of thorns and the amazing smell that try as people might, can't be reproduced. I prefer red to all things, but the color didn't fit with the green I had planned (Stems and leafs) So I went with different shades of pink. I love pink. I wrote my business name out on paper and began to doodle what I think I wanted it to look like.

 I thought I needed something that was VERY ME. I absolutely love my business name. It seems silly, but I love it and took so much time choosing I am quite attached to it. 

Flash. The first word is important not because the camera “flashes” when you take a photo, but because the moment and how it flashes by so quickly. For me raising children the days pass slow but the weeks fly by. I thought the first year of my oldest daughters life would take forever. She’s twelve. It happened so fast I swear I was present, but it just happened so fast! 

Photo. …because they’re photos. Seriously, that simple. 

Studios. I knew when I started this company I wanted a physical space. I love having a physical studio I can drive to every day and work with lighting and posing when the sun is to low, to high, hiding behind clouds or pouring down rain. I love having a place with all of the images that make me happy all around. One day, I hope there is more than one. 

Let’s get to the logo change. I started with a “frame” I wanted bright and fun colors so I chose blue and green. This made me happy for a few years, but I felt like I needed something more ME. 

My first thought was using the “O” is photo and making it a camera flash. That didn’t work out. It just didn’t look right. I wanted the font to be something I could relate to as well. Can you relate to a font? Well, I wanted too. I started doodling with letters, and photos. I LOVE roses. (We’ll get to that in a later post) 

I chose the flower bloomed and beautiful full of life and bright colors. I chose a font that looked as close to my handwriting as possible. I felt that was the closest way to get personal with something so simple. I hope you all like it!