Thoughts

Making the most out of your baby portrait session

Percy Chang

I believe you are looking for something unique as you have come this far to search for a professional photographer for your baby or family.  When I take portrait photographs, my goal is not to just "take pictures" but to create portraits that will be adored and treasured for years to come. 

Majority of my clients come from word-of-mouth. And I also enjoy being the family photographer for some of my clients and seeing their babies grow.

Here are some tips and notes that can be useful to make the best of your baby's portrait session no matter it's with me or other photographers.

Prep work

Be sure you have packed up everything your baby needs - bottles, pacifiers, nappies, wipes, snacks, blanket and all that's essential to keep your baby comfortable and content. Plenty of rest is required for your baby the day before the session and adjust your schedule so the session will be the first "exciting" thing for her on that day.  And please don't stimulate your baby too much before her photo shoot, there will be quite some stimulation she receives at the session.

Client impressions
 

"Percy!!!

"Thank you again for coming to the house and doing the photo shoot with the girls, they really enjoyed themselves. Your sense of calm and endless tolerance made it so easy for them.
The photos are truly amazing, you have captured so much. I became very emotional watching the show for the first time, the girls expressions mean so much. Now I have the very difficult job of choosing!" - Lorna

"The whole family love your pictures and we are very happy with them. It is
a relaxed atmosphere in your studio and baby is allowed to do her own thing
with no pressure to "perform". The normal baby drool, pee and poo is taken
with no fuss and we felt relaxed and comfortable. As a result we feel that
the photos reflect Zara's true personality and unique characteristics. All
parents wish they could keep baby little forever. Your pictures are a time
capsule to take us back to when Zara was 4 months and most recently 10
months old. As expats, it is really important for the extended family to be
able to feel part of our lives and the online link that you have to view
the photos was fantastic. They were able to take their time and choose what
they wanted and share in Zara's life with us.
We will definitely be coming back to you to capture more treasured memories
as Zara gets older." - Aparna

"You have captured the essence of our daughter Talia in such a unique way. Each and every picture delights and surprises us every time we look at them. Your style is different, original and beautiful and Steven and I are thrilled with the result. Thank you."-Madeleine


"The photos are amazing, we love them so much we couldn't decide which one we want to hang on our walls so we just put nearly all of them. now we keep enjoying them all the time. Again, Thank you so much ,You are so talented, and we recommend you to all our friends. We can't wait for the next one to come…"- Helen.


"Your pictures are so great, we have sent them to friends and relatives and so many have given them their praise. It is SO difficult to pick some. We want them all!..It would have been so nice to have you take pictures of the second baby as
well, so please let me know if you do move to Sweden.!" - Anne-Sofie.

"We love the photos! You have done a great job, and the photos plus the soundtrack made me cry! She just looks so sweet." -Fiona

"Thank you so much for the pictures. You are SOOOO GOOOD! We loved the pictures-they are all very much like Makoto "- Tomoko.

"I am recommending you to all my friends, you are really a wonderful photographer. Thank you for what you've done for us! We will be coming back for more!" - Jane.

Choosing the right time

Parents usually know the time when their babies are the most alert - and that could be the best period for the photo session.  It's really not easy to make photographs if your baby come hungry or exhausted. Happily fed and rested baby equals to a much more successful photo session!  I am quite flexible with time so feel free to let me know what works the best for your baby.

Other than essential baby things...

Baby's favorite toys, grandma's knitted hat & booties, and wedding rings from parents can all be wonderful props for meaningful portrait photos.  Bring along anything that you think will create a memorable photograph.  I also love to include part of parents' bodies in the photo - so remember to groom and trim yourself before the session.  For mums, please put on some light make up as I would always include you during our session..

Dressing up

Based on my experience, when choosing clothes for your baby's photo session, single color works out the best - ie: light blue or pink.  Otherwise, bring the ones that are extremely colorful - bright orange or green. Clothes should be looking as new, not over washed.  A little pattern on the clothes is fine, but nothing complicated. Avoid clothes with printed logos on front, and clothes that are in plain black or white.  The style should be simple - a bodysuit and a pair of jeans sometimes give the baby her best look.  I also have some playful costumes like peapod, chili and etc. 

On the BIG day

Parents play very important roles to assure a good photo session.  My suggestion is to maintain a calm atmosphere - Shouting to your baby of her name to tell her to smile or clapping hands loudly is not a good way to get her attention   A nice lullaby or shaking a rattle would probably work better.  Remember, your baby will catch your mood, so relax and follow the flow~

Your baby can get a little intimidated when coming to the studio because it is a strange place for her.  I usually start chatting instead of rushing my clients to the shoot because I like the baby to be familiar with her surrounding.

To get a better capture of your baby's unique personality, it helps to tell me about the special likes & dislikes of her.  If your baby loves to read, we can give her a colorful book on the set - this way we can make meaningful portraits for the little one.  If your baby often is frightened by stuffed animals, I will make sure to clear them out of sight when she comes.

Avoid many items or people in the studio.  When we are shooting the portraits, I prefer only one parent to be there to help me get baby's attention and sort out tiny messes.  If you bring along the grandparents or nanny, the baby will have hard time focusing on my lens.  Same thing with toys and objects, only one item at a time.  When not used, put toys and other things out of baby's sight.  Please do not bring small children as companies to the session due to safety issues and they might distract your baby's photo shoot as well.

A little nudity is beautiful especially during the first several months of your baby's life.  Many of my favorite photos are babies in their nappies or sometimes in nothing at all.  If parents are comfortable about going little nude themselves, and together with their baby, we can make stunning photographs. 

Selecting your prints

The prices for packages and services I offer are very reasonable for professional photography.  You will never be pushed to buy anything. I am honored to take place in your life and preserve precious memories for you and your family. Making money isn't what drives me to be in the business.

Well, what happened if you like every single photo from our session and you don't have the money to splash out?  The best suggestion I give is to pick one of each different facial expressions that was captured, and also make sure you get a few close-up shots as well as full-body ones.  Unless you are giving away the prints to other family members, only a few enlarged ones are enough.  Beside, your baby will grow quickly, there's no need to splash out and buy all.  Just save it up for another session when she crosses her next developmental milestone.

One more thing to add - when you are thinking about to purchase some prints to the grand parents, 5x7 prints are much more appreciated because they are easy for the senior people's eyes than the 4x6.  All the grandparents love 5x7 so it's well worth the money!