Family and Newborn Photographer Serving the OKC Metro
how to book a newborn photo session in Oklahoma City
Posted in Newborn Photography by Charis Elisabeth
If you are pregnant and somewhere in that stretch where the nursery is half finished and your hospital bag needs to be packed booking newborn photos probably feels like one more thing you do not have the brain space for. I promise it is simpler than it looks. Here is the whole process, start to finish, so you can check it off and get back to painting that nursery of yours.
1. Choose the style of photography you want
This is the step most moms skip, and it is the one that matters most.
Newborn photography in Oklahoma City comes in a few different styles and they produce very different images. Some photographers work in a studio with props, wraps, and posed setups where baby is curled into shapes on a beanbag. Some shoot bright and airy with a lot of white. Some shoot dark and moody. And some, like me, come to your house and photograph your family in your the places you feel most comfortable and safe in.
None are necessarily better than the other (though I definitely have a strong bias towards one can you guess?!) They are just different, and you will be happiest if you pick the one that matches how you want to remember this season. Look at the photos already hanging in your home and living on your phone. Do you want something styled and formal, or do you want your bed with the morning light coming through, your toddler climbing on you, your dog in the corner of the frame?
If it is the second one, that is lifestyle photography, and that is the work I do. My sessions happen at your house, in your own rooms, with snacks and coffee and whatever chaos comes with it. Perfect smiles not required. I am watching for the way you look at your baby when you think nobody is looking, because that is the photo you will still be crying over in ten years.
Once you figure out the style that speaks most to you then it’s easier from there.
“Charis was amazing!!!! Great with the kids and really got them engaged in the photos. She made everything super easy and peaceful. Very professional and had great resources for styling the family. She also provided a wonderful selection of postpartum resources since this was a newborn shoot. We loved everything. ❤️ 100% recommend her.” AF – one of my incredible newborn photo client families
2. Search online and look at portfolios
Start searching for newborn photographers in Oklahoma City, then go look at actual galleries, not just the highlight reel on Instagram.
You want to see whether the photographer can deliver a consistent look across a whole session, how they handle families that look like yours, and how they photograph real houses with normal light. If every photo on their site is a different color and mood, your gallery will probably feel that way too.
Pay attention to the editing….do you like the in style filmy look with less light and darker shadows or is brighter, cleaner more true to color your thing (we’re twinsies then!) Skin tones should look like skin. If babies look orange or gray or overly filtered, you will notice it more and more as the years go by.
3. Read Google reviews and other review sites
Google reviews, Photographer.org, Photosites will tell you what it is actually like to work with someone once the camera is out.
Look past the star rating and read what moms say about the experience. Was the photographer patient when the baby needed to eat three times? Did she help with what to wear? Did the gallery arrive when she said it would? Was communication easy? Those details are the difference between a session you enjoy and a session that’s so awkward sweat pours out at twice the rate (which for us postpartum moms is ALOT).
Word of mouth is also great, so ask your mom friends and your local mom groups too who they have used and loved.
“We are in love with our newborn pictures! Charis not only took some beautiful photos but she was also prompt, professional as well as personable. She was patient throughout the photoshoot, which was really nice since we have a newborn and we wanted to get some pictures with our fur babies. We are very impressed with her work!”
4. Reach out to your photographer of choice
Send the inquiry whether it’s just an email or a contact form, and remember this does not commit you to anything.
I always tell moms to reach out to two or three photographers instead of just one. Newborn photographers hold a limited number of due dates each month, and your favorite may already be full for your window. Contacting a few at once means you are not starting over from scratch if the first one is booked.
When you reach out, include your due date, where you live, and a sentence about what you are hoping for. Ask about pricing, what is included, how the timing works around your due date, and what happens if baby comes early or complications might happen. A good photographer will answer all of it clearly and quickly.
5. Pay your retainer and you are booked
Once you have picked your person, you sign a contract and pay a retainer to hold your spot. And guess what? Congrats! You’ve booked your newborn photos! You are on the calendar, and you can go back to worrying about car seat installation instead.
For my calendar, the sweet spot for booking is around 18 to 20 weeks. That is early enough to guarantee your due date window, and it means you can add a maternity session at a special rate while you are still feeling good enough to want photos of your bump. After you book, you get my prep guide, access to my client closet, and my phone number for every question that comes up between now and the day your baby arrives.
A few Questions Moms Ask Me
- When should I book? Around 18 to 20 weeks is ideal. If you are further along than that, still reach out. I keep a little room for later inquiries and so even if baby is arriving in a few days or already here it doesn’t hurt to reach out.
- When does the session actually happen? Newborn sessions usually take place in the first one to two weeks, while babies are still sleepy and curled up. That said, I photograph older babies all the time and those sessions are wonderful in a different way. If you find me at six weeks postpartum, you have not missed your chance, let’s still document it!
- What if my baby comes early or late? Usually this is what happens and believe me I plan for it. I hold your due date loosely and we set the actual date once your baby is here. You text me when baby arrives and we go from there.
- Where does the session take place? At your home. Your kids and their toys, your dog, your kitchen light in the afternoon, all of it is part of what makes your family yours. You also do not have to pack everyone up and drive somewhere with a two week old, which is a real gift.
- What should we wear? Comfort first. A cozy sweater with natural fiber pants, or a soft dress you can nurse in. You get access to my client closet and to me, so you are not figuring this out alone at 24 hours before the session it to happen. (though warning postpartum moms you might be sending me a late night text ditching your first choices and I’m here to help you through that postpartum crisis!)
- Can my toddler be in the photos? Yes, and I hope sure hope they are. Toddlers with new babies make some of my favorite images. There is no expectation that they sit still or smile big at the camera. (though most times I can work that magic too!) If they’re done after ten minutes, that is fine. We pivot and go to dance parties and airplane rides. View an OKC newborn session with a toddler here.
- How long does a session last? Plan on a couple of hours. That leaves room for feeding, changing, snuggling, and the general reset that newborns require. While often we’re done in 1 1 ½ hours I don’t want you stressing about time running out just because baby needs some extra care.
Ready to book your OKC newborn session?
If you are expecting and this sounds like the kind of session you want, send me a message. Tell me your due date and a little about your family, and I will let you know what I have open.
Because your real life is worth photographing exactly as it is, right now, right where you are.
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If you found this post on how to book a newborn photo session in OKC helpful then you might appreciate these other posts:
- Postpartum and Pregnancy Resources for Moms in OKC
- What To Pack in Your Hospital bag
- Why Choose a Maternity and Newborn Package
