When you book a newborn session, it is completely normal to feel a little unsure about what to expect. Will your baby cooperate? What if they cry the whole time? What do you even wear? These are questions I hear from almost every family, and I want to walk you through exactly what a session at Emberwood looks like from start to finish, so you can arrive feeling calm, prepared, and excited rather than anxious.
Because here is the truth: most of the magic happens when you stop worrying and just let the morning unfold.
Before You Even Arrive
Once your session is booked, you will hear from me well before your baby arrives. I like to connect during your pregnancy so we can talk through what you are envisioning, answer any questions you have, and make sure everything is organised ahead of time. You should not be scrambling to figure things out in those first foggy newborn days.
On the Day: What to Expect When You Walk Through the Door
My studio is at our home in Oran Park, which means the moment you arrive, it already feels like a home rather than a commercial space. There is no reception desk, no waiting room, no fluorescent lighting. It is warm, calm, and private.
We get started pretty quickly after you arrive. The first thing we focus on is getting bub changed and settled, and then we dive straight into capturing the sibling and family moments while the big kids are still fresh and cooperative. Anyone who has a toddler knows that window does not last long, so we make the most of it early.
Once those moments are captured, I often suggest that dad takes the older children out for a bit. It is not about excluding anyone, it is about creating the right environment for the next part of the session. With just mum and baby remaining, the studio becomes quiet and calm, and that is when we get the most peaceful and beautiful images of the two of them together, and of baby on their own. There is something really special about that stillness.
How the Session Actually Flows
Once we have those sibling and family moments locked in, the session shifts into a gentler pace. A newborn session with me typically runs between two and four hours, and that time is completely flexible. We follow your baby, not a clock.
We work through a combination of wrapped poses, parent poses, and those quiet solo images of your baby that you will treasure forever. And if bub needs a feed or needs time to settle, we stop. Simple as that. I pause the session for as long as it takes, whether that is five minutes or thirty. There is no rushing through a checklist and no pressure to keep moving. Some of the most beautiful moments actually happen in those pauses, when a baby is drowsy and full and completely at peace.
I work quietly and slowly with your baby. I have spent a long time learning how to handle newborns safely and gently, and I never push past what feels comfortable. If something is not working, we simply move on to something else.
What About Crying, Feeding, and General Newborn Chaos?
All of it is welcome. Crying is completely normal and not a problem. A crying baby often settles beautifully once they are wrapped or held, and sometimes we get the most stunning images right in those in-between moments when they are on the edge of sleep.
Feeding during the session is not just allowed, it is encouraged. A full baby is usually a sleepy baby, and a sleepy baby makes for the most peaceful images. Please do not time feeds around the session. Feed on demand, exactly as you normally would, and we will work around it.
I also have everything on hand to help soothe your baby. White noise, warm hands, gentle motion. You do not need to bring anything special.
You Are Part of This Too
I want to gently say this, because I know a lot of parents come to a newborn session focused entirely on the baby: you matter in these images too.
The way you hold your baby. The way you look at them. Your hands, your face, the exhausted and overwhelming love of those early days. That is something worth capturing. I will always invite you into the frame, and I will guide you naturally so it never feels awkward or posed.
A lot of parents tell me afterwards that they are so glad they are in the images. Please do not hide from the camera.
After the Session
Once we wrap up, I get to work on your images. Within two weeks of your session you will receive a soft edited selection gallery to browse through and choose your favourites from. Once you have made your selections, your fully edited images are delivered within two weeks after that, through a beautiful online gallery you can access from anywhere. From there you can download your images and select any prints or products you would like to add.
I am also here after delivery if you have any questions about ordering, printing, or anything else. The relationship does not end when the session does.
A Few Things Families Always Tell Me After
Almost every family says the same things once their session is done.
That it was so much more relaxed than they expected. That they did not realise how much they would love being in the images themselves. That the time went so fast. That they are so glad they did it.
And the families who chose not to book a newborn session? The ones I hear from when their baby is six months old, wishing they had captured those early days? That is the reason I do this work. Because those first weeks are gone before you know it, and photographs are the only way to hold onto them.
Ready to Chat?
If you are expecting and would like to know more about booking a newborn session in Camden, Macarthur, or the surrounding areas, I would love to hear from you. Sessions fill up quickly, especially around the busy months, and I recommend reaching out during your second trimester so we can secure your spot before your baby arrives.
You can get in touch through the contact page or send me a message directly. I cannot wait to meet your little one.
Emberwood Photography is a boutique newborn and family photography studio based in Oran Park, NSW, serving Camden, Macarthur, and Wollondilly.
