Sitter Welcome Guide

SITTER welcome guide

welcome

I’m delighted to photograph your little one! Sitters are a favorite stage of mine. Your little one has just learned to sit up on their own, so let’s celebrate! Before you know it, you’ll be chasing them around and this sweet stage will be gone.

Sitter sessions are for baby only.

This guide will direct you as you prepare for your session and consider all your options. The questionnaire at the end will help me prepare! I look forward to telling your baby's story.

-Jamie

CONTENTS

1 location

2 outfits

3 bucket baths

4 THE BABY PLAN

5 FAQs

6 questionnaire

location

The session location will vary based on the time of year. For warmer months, I love photographing outdoors! For colder times of the year, indoor sessions are a must.

OUTDOOR

My favorite outdoor location is in Centennial/Parker. There are dirt paths and long grasses to give us the perfect outdoor setting that photographs beautifully. For the best lighting, we will want to begin the session about 2 hours prior to sunset. If this is too late in the day for your baby, we can discuss an early morning instead, shortly after sunrise.

Outdoor example

INDOOR

For your indoor session, I will come to your home. I bring a variety of bedding, bowls, and baskets. We will typically use a bedroom with a large window adjacent to the bed. If you don't feel your home will photograph well for any reason, I do make my home in Parker available. Or, there is a studio rental option for additional fees.

The session time for indoor is morning to mid-day and we schedule around your baby's routine. We will want to photograph right after a nap and being fed. Above all else, we want a happy baby!

Indoor example girl

Indoor example boy

Studio Info

outfits

I recommend 2-3 outfits. Most babies don't love being dressed, so feel free to keep it on the minimal side (1-2) if you think your baby will do better. You are welcome to have more on hand than you think we will use and I'm happy to give my recommendations.

FOR YOUR little PRINCE

My favorite option is overalls for boys with no shirt, either a soft fabric or jean. If you choose an outfit with a shirt, stay away from busy patterns or logos that will distract. Shirt off and jeans for a few pictures can be cute. Keep in mind that shorts may show the diaper when they are sitting which isn’t favorable. Bare feet look best!

Bow ties, neckties, suspenders, hats, or beanies of any kind are super adorable and recommended accessories! Feel free to be creative! Creature/animal hats, or other costumes are also welcome.

FOR YOUR little LADY

Rompers, laces, outfits with ruffles, off the shoulder one pieces, tutus (with or without shirt), or other vintage looks are lovely for girls. Cremes, neutrals, and other soft colors photograph better than bold, dark colors (especially indoor). Soft, solid colors are BEST, or small prints. Busy prints can overwhelm the picture. Be sure you cannot see her diaper when she sits. She will look best with bare feet!

Girls look adorable with a variety of clips, flowers, headwraps, turbines, or headbands. I recommend checking out Etsy.com for ideas. Adding a pearl necklace (if you do no shirt) and other accesories can be sweet and gives them something to play with. Butterfly wings, creature/animal hats, or other costumes are also welcome.

bucket baths

All baby sessions (indoor or outdoor) can be concluded with a warm water bath if you desire. These can be so fun and cute! It is also a great way to get a fussy baby happy. Options for the bath include fruit, flowers, or greenery. We will want to add about 2 cups of milk to the warm water to make it creamy, which I ask you to provide so that you can use your own milk preference (cow’s milk, powdered/dry milk, goat milk, formula, or breast milk). If using breast milk, we may need a little more to achieve a richer color. If we are in your home, a large kitchen sink is also a lovely option. I will bring the bucket and the fruit, flowers, or greenery. There is a space to indicate your preference on the questionnaire below.

the baby plan

Want a sitter and one year package? Become a Baby Plan Member! An optional bonus session is included for those that want to add a family or mommy +me session. Baby plan members take advantage of these sessions at special member prices. Details are at the link below. There is space on the questionnaire below to indicate if you would like to become a Baby Plan member.

Find Out More

FAQs

how long will the session last?

You can expect the session to last about an hour. I don’t put a time limit on it, but we all know your little one will! I will work fast so we complete their session within their limited attention span.

how well should baby be sitting?

Baby should be sitting unsupported by themselves, for safety. If we set a date in advance, but baby needs more time to master sitting, just let me know; I am flexible for a date change.

is the session for baby only?

Yes. If you would like to upgrade to a family session, you can do that. It may change the structure a bit and what can be included.

what do you bring?

I bring baskets, bowls, bedding (for indoor), and fruit, flowers, or greenery, a bucket and warm water (for outdoors) if you opt for a bath.

What should I bring?

Bring outfits and accessories. If you are doing a bath, please also bring 2 cups of milk and a towel to dry off baby.

should I bring a stroller?

If we'll be outdoors, yes!

What if my home doesn't have good light?

If you choose the session in your home, we will need bright window light. If you don't feel your home has good light, there are two alternatives if the session is too cold for outdoors: my home, or a studio rental for additional fees. Usually newer homes have better window light, and older homes don't because of their smaller windows.

how should I prepare my home?

Don't worry about being clean and tidy unless you want any full room shots, like the nursery. Most of our shots will not show your home and I prefer a bedroom with a queen/king bed and a bright window. Please have the house a little warmer than usual so baby will be comfortable without shirt on if we do any of those shots.

What about bad weather?

For outdoor sessions, a reschedule may be necessary, or moving the time. For indoor, if we have a particularly overcast day, or snow, it may not provide us with enough natural window light. In this event, I will reach out to suggest moving the day to a sunny one.

when is payment due?

Payment is due at the time of the session. Please indicate your payment preference on the questionnaire. I will send you the appropriate invoice right before the session so it's handy.

are the images edited?

Yes! Every single one of your images is professionally edited. If baby has any scratches or blemishes, they can be removed.

how soon will I receive my images?

Your images will be delivered within 2 weeks of your session.

what if I have more questions?

Feel free to include them on the questionnaire, or reach out by email.