Older Baby
PhotographY
FAQ’s

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM MY SESSION?

Older baby sessions are perfect if you are wanting portraits of your baby when they are showing off their personality with gummy smiles and big eyes! Oftentimes these sessions are chosen as the newborn window has been missed but they are quickly becoming a favourite in the first year journey too!

Please see the full older baby session information here for details and photos from my sessions.

WHEN SHOULD I BOOK MY older baby SESSION?

If you wait until your baby arrives to book a session, unless I have some unexpected availability, you will likely need to book in an older baby session. These are for babies aged from 8 weeks and the best age is around 12-16 weeks. If you know in advance you would prefer an older baby session to a newborn session then book in as soon as you can to secure a date in that sweet spot!

WHEN WILL MY SESSION TAKE PLACE?

Older baby sessions typically take place during the week, and as they are a shorter session than newborn I can usually offer a morning or an afternoon session to suit your availability. I shoot Tuesday to Friday and during school holidays.

DO WE NEED TO BRING ANYTHING?

If you have a couple of sweet outfits you really would like some special portraits of your baby in please bring those with you and I also recommend bringing a short sleeve plain white vest too. The majority of the session baby will either be in their nappy with a wrap covering them, or if they are still flexible and happy they be even be partially wrapped!

HOW LONG DOES A SESSION LAST?

Older baby sessions typically last 1-2 hours. They are a lot shorter than newborn sessions as we aren’t trying to coax baby to sleep. Older babies are often happier fed and awake for their photos so we still have plenty of time for milk breaks and cuddles as well as gorgeous images of them and with their family.

HOW DO WE PREPARE FOR THE SESSION?

For older baby sessions I give the opposite advice to a newborn session; try to ensure baby has a good sleep before their session so they wake up at The Cabin happy and ready for a feed to ensure they are nice and full and ready to smile!

CAN MY OTHER CHILDREN BE INCLUDED IN THE PHOTOS?

Absolutely! I love involving siblings in the photos, no matter how many baby has! The Cabin is only a small space, so we can discuss your individual situation upon booking however I often do family and sibling photos first if everyone is happy and then a parent often takes siblings for a walk or to a nearby park to keep them entertained while we focus on baby.

CAN MUM AND DAD BE INCLUDED IN THE PHOTOS?

Yes please! It is so important to capture the new family dynamic and I love for people to have gorgeous family portraits to put on the wall at home.

WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR?

I find it works best to keep things neutral; black, grey, navy and white are all great choices and try to coordinate your outfits without being too matchy! For example Dad might be in a black jumper while Mum is in a black vest top for example. Choose outfits that you feel happy in but that won’t date your photos so avoid patterns and logos to keep the images timeless.

CAN I TAKE MY OWN PHOTOS?

You are welcome to take a couple of behind the scenes photos of me photographing your baby during your session to remember this special time in their life, however these shouldn't be close ups as these are the images you have paid me to take and a phone photo will not do them justice! It can also be distracting for baby if there is more than one camera.

Please do not take any photos of any other elements within The Cabin, both for privacy reasons but more so as seeing the cabin for the first time is all part of the experience of booking a session with Mama Bear Photography, so we like to keep some details a nice surprise for future clients.

THE CAMERA ON MY PHONE IS REALLY GOOD, WHY SHOULD I HIRE A PROFESSIONAL?

Professional photography is a lot about patience, detail, styling and safety and having had year's of experience photographing family relationships, wedding details and blink-and-you-miss-them-moments my expertise naturally translates to capturing your baby in a way that camera phones just aren't able to. I use the best lighting and angles to enhance your baby's features in a beautiful way, lenses to enhance their tiny features and props to ensure you have beautiful portraits that you love. As someone who takes thousands of photos on my phone I know they are invaluable in capturing those fleeting or funny every day moments, but they cannot replace quality, beautifully crafted imagery that is meant for the walls and albums and this is what professional photography will give you, without you having to lift a finger.

DO YOU EDIT THE IMAGES?

During your session, I will likely take around 100-200 photos. This consists of numerous angles of each pose and often very similar images, re-takes due to blinks, focusing on different areas and so on. Using my creative discretion, I only delicately edit the very best images including removing unsightly blemishes, colour correcting, detail enhancing and creative development to create the final portrait.

HOW MANY IMAGES WILL I GET?

Images are not included in the session fee and are available to purchase separately. For an older baby session, you will have a minimum of 20 images to choose from when ordering.

DO I HAVE TO CHOOSE AN IMAGE PACKAGE BEFORE I BOOK?

You don't need to choose any package when you book your session. When you receive your online gallery you choose your images and your preferred collection as well as any additional prints. products or wall art.

DO YOU SHARE IMAGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

I love to share a sneak peek from your session if time permits. I may also use any images from your final gallery on my social media pages as well as my website or blog as a promotional tool and most parents love to see their child being featured in this way. If you would prefer your child's images not to be used in this way that's fine too, please just let me know before your session.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE BEFORE WE CAN SEE THE PHOTOS?

Within 1 week of your session you will receive an email link to an online, password-protected gallery full of beautiful images from your session. These will have a basic edit on them for viewing purposes to allow you to choose your favourites and let me know those you’d like to order. At this point, you can also choose artwork or display pieces and once your invoice is paid your chosen digitals go into my editing schedule to be delivered back. to you 3-4 weeks later. Prints, artwork and albums will be delivered after this according to their different time scales.

IF WE ORDER WALL ART OR PRINTS, HOW LONG WILL MY ORDER TAKE?

This all depends on the specific products ordered and individual timescales however I would generally say between 4 - 6 weeks after you receive your digital files and your order will be fulfilled. All can be discussed further individually and I will keep you updated along the way too.

HOW DO WE RECEIVE OUR ORDER?

The price of my products includes delivery, this could be in the post for smaller orders or we may hand deliver larger orders to prevent any damage to the pieces and you are also welcome to collect your order by appointment. All will be discussed with you individually upon ordering.