SUNBURY NEWBORN/FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

WELCOME GUIDE

Hello there, friend!

Whether you’re preparing to welcome your first baby, you’ve recently grown your little crew by just one more, or you’re simply looking to have the current chapter of your beautiful ordinary life documented, there’s a story to be told – and I am *so* here for it!

This little welcome note should help to answer some of the bigger questions you may have – things such as how a session will run, what to expect, and what’s best to wear for timeless, artful imagery that will look at home in your albums and your walls for years to come.

I’ll give you a call in the week leading up to our session to check in on how you’re feeling and to answer any questions, but if you’ve any thoughts or questions before then, please don’t hesitate to reach out – I’m here and oh so happy to help!

Danielle x

Let me introduce myself real quick!

i’m danielle –

memory catcher, light seeker, life enthusiast, and devoted admirer of the beautiful ordinary. I’m a photographer, part-time primary school teacher, mother, wife, and friend.

On any given day you might find me at home – most favourite place in the world – shared with my husband, our two children, and two affectionate cats. When I’m not behind the camera, you’ll find me tending to my garden, experimenting in the kitchen, or enjoying a good cup of coffee.
My love for photography began with my travels, where I felt compelled to document the world as I saw it. That passion naturally grew into capturing life’s moments when I had children of my own.

I believe in documenting life just as it is – messy, joyful, tender, and fleeting. It’s my life’s work to create meaningful, artful records of these moments with your little ones, to create images that feel like memories you can hold.

All this to say – you’re in safe hands, my friend.

I can’t wait to catch memories with you.

THE FIRST STEP

So you discovered my work and felt we’d be a great fit; you’d love someone to make an artful, lasting, meaningful record of this time in your young family’s life – a stunning visual legacy that will forever tell the story of love, belonging and connection you share with your little darlings.

If you’re reading this guide it means you’ve already reached out to arrange a story session. Once you transfer your deposit and sign our session agreement contract, your date is secure – there is nothing more for you to do between now and the day I come to visit (other than select outfits – we’ll get to that next!).

Due of the nature of newborns and the unpredictability of their arrival, I can only take a certain number of families a month, so as to allow for the flexibility of reaching you soon after little one’s birth. For this reason, it is important to fully complete the booking process outlined above to ensure you’re in the books.

After that, you can sit back, relax (as much as is possible!), watch that tummy grow, and wait for your pretty baby!

If little one happens to come early and you’d like to chat about me coming before our tentatively scheduled date, don’t hesitate to reach out – we can see about offering you one of my just-in-case windows. I do love a brand new freshie, so if it’s at all possible, I’m always happy to adjust our date.

INVESTMENT

For a complete refresh on pricing, you can go here, but basically..?

You pay your creative fee and that’s all you pay before the session.

After the session I’ll send you a gallery of unedited proofs (the absolutely best frames we made during my visit) and you’ll select which digital collection you’d like to purchase, based on how many of the images you’d love to keep!

You’ll send through payment, and then I prepare those and make them delightful for you.

WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR?

Ah, this is *such* a great question!

When selecting what to wear, it’s a great idea to begin by considering exactly what it is we’re trying to achieve. In our case, we’re looking to make timeless, natural imagery that celebrates your organic connections and relationships, that will forever look at home on your walls, AND that will FEEL LIKE YOU.
We also want to select clothing that will make you feel beautiful and confident , like your best and favourite versions of yourself.

With that in mind, I recommend you gravitate toward neutral, or natural tones – either a nature inspired palette with deep earthy greens, creams, and browns, or else pale pastels and off-whites.

These colours look great in-camera and will translate super well to wall art, creating imagery where the tones are balanced and complimentary, and where the focus can remain on you and your loved ones.

For mums and their girls, long and flowing dresses help to create emotive imagery. Solid colours or a timeless print such as florals, where the detail and pattern is small and delicate instead of large and bold. When you combine a lovely long frock, with little girls having their hair down, you get a sense of movement and interest in your photographs.

For men and your little ones, t-shirts or button ups in a solid neutral colour- beige, olive, creams or blues – and a plain neat short or pants will be perfect.

Varied textures in your choice of clothing are great, too – denim, wool, linen, lace, corduroy, and cotton for example – all in that same tonal range we mentioned above.

Layering these varied textures is a fantastic way to add visual interest. Scarves, beanies, wool cardigans and knitted blankets can bring an element of texture to your imagery that is instantly sentimental and nostalgic.

In terms of what to avoid, I recommend steering clear of blacks, navy blues and dark greys entirely, as it will be too visually dominant in your imagery. This also means no black jeans for the guys, please. Blue denims are a-okay.

For a newborn, keeping it simple and classic is usually best. Make sure you have on hand a plain onesie or singlet, or some sweet and simple bloomers, as well as a one toned or intricate (where detail is small) patterned muslin wrap. Crochet and knitted blankets in neutral tones work beautifully for adding texture and visual interest, too.

As a final suggestion, I would urge you not to match the kids, but rather to have them in complimentary clothing – items that work well together while not being identical. Avoid anything with branding, logos or large graphics, as these will distract from your little ones’ lovely faces, and finally, make sure they’re comfy – comfy kids are happy kids.

On the day of my visit, think of it as a few precious hours you’ve set aside to truly enjoy one another.

Give yourself permission to slow down, to connect.

these are your babies.
this is your family.

You made this.

IT’S THE DAY OF OUR SESSION – HOW SHOULD WE PREPARE?

You secured a session maybe months back, maybe just last week, but either way – the day has come to make some memories and now you’re wondering how to prepare to get the best from our time together!

First and foremost I want to impress on you that this is supposed to be fun. My biggest hope is to discover your children’s true and authentic selves – it’s the essence of those unique little personalities we are really hoping to capture, after all.

I’ll be there to help you, using prompts and conversation to guide you in a way that’s organic and natural, so you needn’t worry about what your scallywags are up to – I’m there to take care of all that.

Do your best to relax into the experience, and know that as a mama of two delightful mischief makers (and a primary school teacher!) I’ve seen it all.

Please know, the time I estimate for our session is only a guide, intended to help you plan your day. I’m not watching the clock or being led by the time. I’ll be with you until we’ve made all the photographs I’ve come to make, so please don’t stress about stopping for a snack.

Bedding

For newborn sessions and sometimes families, we’ll often find ourselves on the bed – whether in the master bedroom or in the children’s spaces. I recommend selecting plain coloured sheets and bedding for the day, in either light or earthy tones, so as to provide a clean and distraction free backdrop for your imagery.

Warm the space

If I’m coming to meet your new baby, chances are we’re going to want to make some of those lovely sleepy shots to document all her teeny tiny details – her feet, her little leg rolls, her belly button.

To set us up for success, make sure the home (or at least the master bedroom or nursery) is lovely and warm (almost too warm for adults – you should feel comfortable in a dress, regardless of the time of year) to keep her calm, sleepy and happy while we make those photos.

Preparing baby

Since in-home photography sessions are all about capturing the everyday, candid moments between you and your baby, my presence should not disrupt your routine. The way these sessions run is very baby led, meaning when I arrive we’ll begin from where ever she happens to be in her routine; be it sleeping, feeding or enjoying some snuggles. If baby is likely to be sleeping when I arrive, be sure to dress her in the clothing you’d like her wearing for her photographs; that way we’ll be able to begin seamlessly, and without disrupting her too much.

If there is a toddler in the family, I’d recommend you give babe a top up feed in the 20 minutes before I’m due to arrive. This will allow us to get those family shots done while our big-little is still enthusiastic and engaged.

Tidy, but lived-in

We will most likely be in the rooms where you spend the majority of your time- the living room and the bedrooms, as these rooms not only tend to have great natural light, but they are also areas where you will want to remember spending time as a family.

To prepare, I recommend doing a basic tidy in these areas – removing things that aren’t usually there or permanent fixtures that may prove a distraction in your photographs. Things like baskets of washing waiting to be folded or the odds and ends that build up on your bedside table.

I must absolutely stress that a basic survey of the space is more than fine, please do not feel like you need to spring clean. If things need moving out of the frame I will be there to happily move them.

Snacks

If there are toddlers or big kids in the house, make sure they’ve had a healthy meal before I arrive – something in their belly to give them good, slow burning energy over the course of the session.

I recommend having some easy to eat snacks on hand for throughout the session, too – in case your little ones need a break. Cheese and crackers or sliced apple are great, rather than juicy berries that might stain their clothes, or chocolate biscuits that will result in messy teeth and faces.

I’d also recommend having a little thank you treat tucked away for after the session – something special they can look forward to enjoying once we’ll all done.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER OUR SESSION?

When I walk smiling out your front door there’s nothing left for you to do but get busy with loving on that beautiful little family of yours – I’ll reach out to you when your gallery is ready for viewing and selection.

I like to estimate it takes up to four weeks for you to see your completed photographic art, though you’ll have selected your favourite images from a proofing gallery within the first week or so after our session.

This gives me a comfortable window of time to give your imagery the attention they deserve, while also balancing my other families, allowing for those busier weeks, and providing me a little insurance for when things come up at home – sick kiddies, for instance.

It’s not uncommon for me to have prepared your imagery a little earlier, but rest assured I will reach out the very moment it’s ready.

If you choose to order prints or wall art, depending on the time of year and what you’ve ordered, prints and wall art can take anywhere from 2 – 6 weeks from the time we order.

When it’s ready and I’ve checked it over, I’ll either mail it directly to you, or else deliver it myself, right to your front door.

LET’S END WITH SOME LOVELY WORDS

“Danielle made the whole family feel at ease. The in-home experience was perfect for having a newborn and other young children, I could continue to follow routine of feeds and sleeps and the older kids could go play after the shots of them were done. The photos were a perfect natural example of the family. I’d highly recommend Danielle.” Mama to two

“Super lovely! Didn’t feel uncomfortable at all! Finally have a cute photo of us with our dogs as it’s hard to take them to a studio due to their nature. So excited to capture a moment at our special home. 100% recommend Danielle!” Mama to one

“Danielle came and took photos of our family when my youngest was a newborn. She was great, made us all feel comfortable and I love the photos!” Mama to three

Still have questions? Reach out for a chat!

danielle@daniellesimonephotography.com.au

0434 059 119

I cannot wait to meet you. ♥︎