There is nothing like those first few days at home with your new baby.

So full of love. So full of awe! And SO tired! Ha! I remember it well!

It’s seems like everything you do, even just simple every day tasks, is new. No longer can you just go hop in your car and run to the store, for example. Now you have to get the baby ready, fed, diaper changed, in the carseat, buckled… then you can go out to the car and to the store. It can all be overwhelming to say the least.

I recommend that families come in for their newborn photos within the first 10 days. And I know how hard it can be to just make it out the door in the early days! So let me help make it a little easier by sharing what you need to know to prepare for your newborn photo session.

How to Prepare Your Baby

Try to change and feed the baby right before you leave. A dry and well fed baby will likely fall asleep in the car on the way to the studio, and I’m REALLY good at being able to get sleeping babies out of the carseat and onto the bed at my studio without waking them up!

Most babies who come to the studio asleep will stay asleep for their entire session!

How To Dress Your Baby

Don’t worry about bringing fancy outfits. I find that newborns are best photographed in a simple swaddle or in just their diaper. So save yourself the trouble, and leave the outfits at home.

Feel Free To Bring Heirlooms And Special Items

Yes, I know I just said that I prefer to photograph babies in just their diapers, but if you have the blanket you came home from the hospital in or if Grandma spent eight month hand making something special for the baby…. bring them! Those things are important and I will do my best to incorporate them into your photos.

Expect To Be In The Photos

I always take a few photos of the parents with their new baby at each session, so come prepared! I find that neutral colors work best, and try to stay away from clothing with patters or logos.

Have Fun (And A Sense Of Humor)

My goal is to have your newborn session be relaxing and fun, but sometime newborns have their own plans.

If your baby cries. If they pee or poop on the studio bed, or even on me…. it’s okay!! I’ve been working with newborns for almost 20 years, and I’m the mother of twins. I’ve seen it all and nothing phases me… I promise.

Your photo session is a time to celebrate your baby and your new family! So enjoy it!

Oh, And One More Thing

If despite your best made plans, things happen and you’re running late, no worries… just give me a call or shoot me a text to let me know!

And if you have any other questions about now to prepare, fell free to send me an email at sandra@sandracoan.com.

I often get emails from clients concerned about the fact that I shoot in the studio. Their worry is that if they come in to the same location year after year, their photos will all look the same. Wouldn’t it be better to visit a new location each year for variety?

Now, I know that I’m a little biased. I LOVE studio photography! But I also think there are real benefits to having studio portraits done every year.

For one, it’s a great way to see and compare the changes in your children.

In a studio, there are no distractions. The focus is just on your kids and your family and the simple backdrop I use in the studio allows them to be the focus, not the location.

I also love the consistency! My goal is to always produce one or two images at each session that will be printed and hung on a wall. A wall display of studio images throughout the years is beautiful to me. Clean and timeless!

And as for the concern that your photos will all look the same, remember that your kids are constantly growing. Each time you come into the studio they will be in a differently place in their lives. So while you will have consistency in the style of your images, your photos will never look the same because your family won’t look the same. Each year there is something new to capture.

So don’t worry. If you, like me, love the timeless look of studio photography, just go with it! And image what a great collection of family photos you will have to share with your kids when they grow up! I personally can’t think of anything better!

2016 family session:

2017 family session:

2018 family session:

2018 was a big year for me!

I traveled around the country teaching other professionals about business, film and light. I worked along side of a handful of other amazing photographers to Beta test Kodak’s new Ektachrome 100. And, most importantly, I photographed hundreds of families, babies and individuals!

I’ve said it over and over again… I truly have the best clients! And 2018 was no exception.

To all the families who entrusted me with their photos, I want to say thank you! It is always such an honor to work with you! And I look forward to seeing you again in 2019!

xoxo,
Sandra

That's right… Santa is back in Seattle! Here’s your chance to dress your kids up in those cute holiday outfits and make sure they get their letters and wish lists to the big guy himself!

Santa is joining us in the studio on Saturday, November 24th to spread a little holiday cheer! This magical five-minute session with Santa is $105 for the sitting fee, online gallery, and digital files from your session or $75 for just the sitting fee and online gallery. All you have to do is select the date/time to reserve your spot and pay when you get here!

If you need a little outfit inspiration, check out this Pinterest board for cute fall and holiday looks!

As always, we will be using this event to give back to our community.  This year we will be collecting donations of food, socks, underwear and toys for the Greenwood Family Works Food and Resource Center.

We're excited to see you there!!

Sandra & Santa

I frequently get emails and questions from clients about what to wear or how to dress their kids for their studio session with me. If you're a photographer, I'm sure you can relate! And as a parent, I totally get it. Although my boys dress themselves and have for a while now, figuring out outfits for families can be tough. 

So, we've put together a roundup of some of our favorite outfits and clothing items we've seen in the studio for 2018 so far. 

You can also find more outfit inspiration by heading over to my Pinterest page!

Simple white onesie with an adorable winter hat.

Simple neutrals, matching dresses and cute headbands. 

More matching! Three sisters in light blue dresses.

Whites and pastels are always a good idea. And bows!

Seersucker always looks so cute! And I love the pastel colors.

The sweetest light blue, seersucker overalls. Those button details!!

More colorful, patterned outfits look great on film as well! I love that these siblings went with coordinating outfits as opposed to perfectly matching.

Give me all the cute baby headbands and simple dresses!

Both of these dresses are so fun and show so much personality. Plus, outfit changes during studio sessions are totally worth it!

 

I hope you find these outfits to be good inspiration for your next studio session!

These were just a few of our favorites we've seen so far in 2018. Let the cuteness continue!

About a year ago I wrote a post about what toys and props to bring to your newborn photo session and I featured images from a  shoot where the mom had brought some truly unique and beautiful things to be included in the photos.  (You can see that post as well as my list of suggestions by following this link)

Well, it has been a year since then, and the same family came back for their baby's first year photos with the same toys from their newborn session!

How fun is that?

So once again I'm featuring this adorable family along with some ideas for what to bring to your baby's first year photo session!

Party Hats

A party hat is always a fun prop to bring along to a one year photo shoot.  I can’t promise that your baby will wear it for long, but I can promise that the shots will do get will be adorable!

Letter Blocks

I'm obsessed with letter blocks.  I love the colors and fun patterns!  These gorgeous blocks by Uncle Goose come in a variety of colors, patters AND languages!!  I mean, how cool are these Japanese blocks that spell out this little guys name?!  LOVE!

Special Family Items and Calendars!

This guys mom has been documenting his first year using a Fujifilm Instax camera, so we thought it would be fun to get some photo of him holding the camera!  She also brought a calendar like the one we used in his newborn session to show off his Birth Day!

Favorite Toys

We also did a few shots with his favorite toys.  I did this with my own sons when they were this age, and it's so fun to look back at those photos and remember how important those toys were to them and to our family

Book you session!

Do you have a baby in your life who you need photos of!  Send me an email and I'll get you on the books!  After all, they're only little once! 

I'll never forget the day my children we born.  All I wanted to do was look at them. I couldn't get enough. 

Their little faces!

Their toes! 

Their tiny fingers. 

I would sit and just watch them sleep. 

I loved the way they stretched and squirmed. 

I loved their little yawns and baby sneezes.

They were so perfect!!  I couldn't get enough.

I think about that every time I work with a newborn.  I look at other people's babies just like I looked at my own; full of wonder and amazement. 

Why I Don't Use Props

That is why I choose not to use props or unnatural posing in my work.  I believe babies are perfect, just the way they are.  They don't need anything else.  Just a baby being a baby is enough for me.

I also know that newborns are precious and fragile little humans.  They are meant to be cared for and protected which is why I would never place them in any kind of an unnatural pose.

What You Can Expect From Me

If you are bringing your baby in for a newborn session with me, please know this.  I understand how precious this little person is to you.  Our babies are our world and I know that.  

I will keep your baby safe.

I will keep your baby warm and comfortable.

And I will create classic, timeless images that you can look back on years from now and see your child's personality shining through.

Remember, they're only little once.  Don't miss it.  Book your session today!

These two cuties came in for their photos just before Christmas and their session was a big wake up call for me as a parent! 

You see, I used to be really, really good at photographing my own children when they we babies and toddlers.  I didn't want to miss one thing!  They changed so quickly during those early years and I wanted to capture it all!

But as they got older, that changed.  For some reason, the older my kids get, the less I photograph them.

I know I'm not alone in this.  I think we all realize that babies grown up fast, and we make an effort to capture those early years.  But what about the middle years?

What about the teeth falling out stage?

What about when they start developing their own sense of style?

What about the elementary school?

Or middle school and high school?  That time when they are somewhere in between childhood and adulthood?

Don't those years matter too?

The answer is, of course they do! 

The older my own children get the more aware I am of how fast it all goes.  What is the old saying? The days are long but the years are short.... 

And that is why I love this photo session so much.  These sister reminded me to celebrate the middle years.  

Your kids, my kids; they are only young once.  This is it. 

As for me, I've committed to getting my own children in the studio at least three times this year.  I want to create some portraits of who they are now as middle school boys, turning into young men. 

It all matters.  All the years.  Don't miss.

Do you know what I love about six month old babies? 

Just about everything! 

For real, this is one of my favorite ages to work with.  They are so engaged, so curious about their surroundings, and almost always ready to great me with a big ol' baby smile!

So today, I want to take a minute to talk about the awesomeness of this age as well as answer some of the most common questions I get about how to prepare and when to book.

How to Dress The Baby

When it comes to dressing your baby for their session I believe less is more.  A diaper (so we can see all that glorious baby skin!) or plain white onsie are my favorites.  Hats are also really cute!  If you have a favorite outfit, bring that as well.  There are no rules!  What ever you love seeing your baby in is the perfect outfit!

When To Book

I call the mid-way through the first year the "Six Month Photo Session" but please know your baby doesn't have to be exactly six months old.  I tell my clients to book when your baby can sit on his/her own but is not yet crawling.  For most babies this is between 5 and 8 months.  

What To Expect

Out of all my photo sessions, the six month session tend to be the quickest.  Babies this age are so fun and engaged.  They come in all smiles!  They clap along when I sing.  They laugh and giggle.  We have a blast!  But they also get tired pretty fast!  I keep this in mind when working with them and do my best to be efficient with our time!  My goal is to keep your baby (and you) happy and engaged for the entire shoot!

I started my career 17 years ago with a maternity photo of my dear friend Ginger.  We shot three rolls of film and ended up with one perfect photo that we both loved.  I used that one photo to launch my business.  It was the face of Sandra Coan Photography for years.  

Back then, it was common for a person to go into a photo studio with the expectation of getting one great photo.  Over the years, that expectation has changed.  Now it's more common for people to come in for a session and expect 50 great photos.  And while I totally get it (I love all the photos too) I would argue that there is power in just one great image.  

The Problem With Many Photos

Here is how I see it.  When you have many photos, they are often times forgotten.  They sit in your cloud storage.  Maybe a few, if they are lucky, will end up on Facebook or on your Holiday card.  But most of the time, all those photos are never seen.  They get lost.  And I think that is a shame.

The Power Of One Photo

When you have one photo however, the dynamic shifts.  It becomes special and the way you look at it changes.  You hang it on your wall.  You share it with your family.  It becomes an heirloom for future generations. 

When you have just one photo, the photo becomes a story in and of itself.  It tells us something about the person and who they are in that moment.  It becomes a portrait in the truest sense of the word.

What You Can Expect From Me

When you come in for a photoshoot with me, I will take lots of photos and give you many to choose from.  But my goal is that you will find one GREAT one.  One that will become your story, your heirloom.  One that you will hang on your wall.

My goal is to create a portrait.  It's what I love to do.  And I can't wait to do it for you.