Newborn & Maternity Sessions
Single Newborn Session: $150
Maternity & Newborn Session: $200
Beautiful Baby Plan: $350 | Includes 3 sessions: Newborn, 6 months, and 12 months with a complimentary Mini Story Board with one image from all three! Also includes 25 custom birth announcements. Add a mini Maternity Session to your Beautiful Baby Plan for $50.
Your session fee includes:
- Phone Consultation to design your session experience
- The photographer’s time and talent for Maternity/30min. Newborn/3hrs. Baby and Family/1hr.
- Baby and immediate family, up to 4 people ($25 for each additional person)
- Post processing of each individual image, including the Photographer’s artistic hand editing of each image you order
- Approximately 20-30 proofs from which to choose
- Private online viewing gallery to share with family and friends
- Private ordering session
NOTES: Minimum $300 purchase required. Session fees are non-refundable and are due at booking to reserve your date. If you need to reschedule, 24hr notice is required. Payment by phone with credit card is most convenient for booking.
Prices subject to change without notice. NC Sales tax of 6.75% is added to all session fees.
Print Pricing
All prints and products are priced individually and are printed through a professional print lab.
Desk Prints: 5×7 = $35 8×10 = $55 Wall Prints: start at $95 and are mounted
Specialized Custom Artworks available:
-Gallery Wraps, Story Boards, Display Books, Albums, CD of images, Birth announcements
If your baby is older than 30 days, please read the answers at the bottom of the page.
When should I schedule my newborn session?
These sessions are best when scheduled during the first 10 days of life. This is when your baby is the smallest they will ever be, still curled, and still very sleepy. Day 7 is ideal. Please call during your pregnancy to reserve a session near your due date. By planning ahead, time can be made in the photographer’s schedule to accommodate you in the weeks approaching your delivery date.
Newborn session usually last between 2-3 hours. A three hour time block will be reserved for your newborn. Time is allowed for moms to meet the needs of their newborn during the session. Some babies may need to be fed, rocked, changed, and even comforted into sleep. A sleeping baby is ideal because this allows for more variety of images. Babies older than 10 days tend to have more awake time during the day and also begin to loose their body curl from the womb.
How do I prepare for the session?
Parents should take the time to clean and trim their nails the day before the session. Your hands may be used in some of the images. Men, shave if needed…your face, chest, arms…anything you don’t want to be hairy in your images. If by chance your baby is older than 10 days, please keep them awake as long as possible in the last 2 hours before the session.
What should my baby wear for the session?
Nothing, at least not at the studio. Please dress your baby in ONLY a diaper to travel to the studio to minimize our need to disturb their sleep when you arrive. Wrap them in a blanket after they are in the car seat…a thin blanket in summer, and lots of warm layers in the winter. Remember, 80 degrees is still cool to a baby who has just arrived from a 98 degree womb.
What should parents wear for the session?
The studio room where we will be working will be HOT, like a summer day. Dress in layers that can be removed. Your photographer will likely wear a light cotton shirt and no shoes during the session for this reason. You will be able to take breaks from the heat when needed. Cold bottled water is provided. Your new baby will love the heat!
If you would like a family picture, we recommend two options:
1- Wear black. Long sleeves if possible.
OR
2- Wear nothing. (sort of) By this we mean…your baby will be bare and you can appear to be as well. Dad can be shirtless, and Mom can wear a cloth wrap to cover her from the under arm down. This will require either a strapless bra for Mom or the bra straps could be tucked down. Images like these will be taken closer, and usually will not have the parents looking into the camera.
Please do not wear jewelry, other than your wedding rings.
Where will I have my session?
Newborn sessions take place at the studio where the environment can control the room temperature to keep your baby asleep, provide you with a massive selection of props and backgrounds, and use our professional studio lighting to ensure the BEST possible newborn session you could imagine. With experience conducting newborn session on-location and in the studio, we assure you that a studio is the BEST place for a newborn session.
How should I feed my baby during the Newborn Session?
If formula feeding, bring enough formula to feed at least 3 times while your are at the studio. If breast feeding, you may breast feed as normal, however, we do recommend that breast milk in a bottle is easiest and will minimize the length of our session. In the end, how you choose to feed your baby is your choice.
What should I bring with me?
Bring your diaper bag with general care items just as you would on any outing. If you want to bring a few items that are unique to your child to use as props, then please make sure they are especially meaningful to you. They might include: anything hand made for them, heirloom items, a favorite stuffed animal, hats, thin swaddling blankets in colors or patterns you. None of these are required. If you are a fierce fan of any sport or work in a uniformed job, such as a firefighter or police officer, you might want to bring a few of those related items for a few cute images.
A change of clothes for the baby and for yourself might also come in handy. You should expect that your baby will relieve them self whenever needed, regardless of where they are laying and who might be holding them.
What should I do to help during the session?
This is your opportunity to relax. Your photographer will do most of the work. You may be asked to feed or hold your baby if it is needed. Other than that, you can expect your baby to be sleepy and happy through most of the session.
We might want to use you and/or your husband’s hands or arms as positioning aids during some images. There is never a list of ‘things to do’ during the session and we will let the baby decide what they will allow. Every baby is different.
What if my baby is older than 10 days?
We can attempt a newborn session with babies up to 30 days old. Please be aware that baby acne is most likely to occur between 3 and 4 weeks of age. Also, the older your baby, the less likely they are to sleep soundly during the session. Like always, the baby runs the show. If he/she is awake the whole session, then we’ll go with it and work as long as baby is happy.
What if I have twins?
There is no difference in cost or procedure, however, it would be best to bring an extra adult to help. One adult per child is recommended. It is possible your session may last a little longer than usual, but the results should be amazing.
What if I only want the Maternity Session?
At this time, maternity sessions are only booked in combination with newborn sessions. The combination booking includes a mini-maternity session. This means your maternity session will be about 30 minutes in length. The goal is to capture several specific images discussed in your pre-consult.
When should I schedule my Maternity Session?
These sessions are best between 7-8 months (30-35 weeks) of pregnancy. Obviously, we want to capture your beautiful maternal figure after you are full and round. If you are on restricted activity by doctor request, please clear this session activity with your physician. You will want to be able to walk around and enjoy the session.
What should I wear for my Maternity Session?
A general rule of thumb is to wear things that make your wonderful belly very obvious. Dresses should be longer than knee length. Jeans are a great option because they will slim your legs and emphasis your belly. Choose colors other than solid black. Patterns are great.
Every woman has a different comfort level. You may choose to show lots of skin or almost none at all. There are no rules or restrictions. Should you choose to reveal more of your motherly figure, a draping cloth can be provided. Please be prepared to discuss your expectations for this type of session when booking.
Do you offer a baby package like most photographers?
Yes! We are now offering a Beautiful Baby Plan that includes THREE sessions between birth and 24 months of age. This package includes a discounted session fee and a Mini Story Board to display three images, one from each of the three sessions. There is a $300 minimum investment required from each session.
Here are our recommendations for the three ages best captured in the Beautiful Baby Plan:
1st session = Newborn, less than 10 days old.
2nd session = When baby can sit up independently. Typically between 6-10 months.
3rd session = When baby is standing and cruising furniture. Typically between 12-18 months.
Why choose a Professional?
-The ability to personalize your session.
-1-2 hours of time to complete your session = low stress and snack breaks for kids. No 20 min quick takes.
-Multiple clothes changes.
-A professional can adjust camera settings to suit artistic vision. No one size fits all shooting.
-Creativity. No carbon copy images.
-Post production editing is included. Child has a recent scratch on there face? No need to reschedule.
-20+ images to choose from. No 6 pose limits.
-Custom designed products available.
-Quality prints and products. No gray/muddy black and white prints. All wall portraits are mounted.
-Tailored low pressure ordering session.
-Personal customer service instead of mass production.
Ordering Questions:
When can I see my proofs?
Generally, it takes about two weeks to edit and prepare your images for you to enjoy. Digital files will be uploaded, narrowed to a gallery of 20-30, and then hand edited one at a time to near perfection. Black and white conversions will be made from those color images with the best contrast for this style of print. After your session is complete we will look at the calendar and select an Ordering Session date and your proof posting date.
Why do I have to come to you? Can’t I just see them online?
Vanessa G. Photography is a custom portrait service. In order to better serve you and provide top quality customer service, you will be asked to attend an ordering session at the studio. This is to your advantage. You will have the opportunity to see and touch all products offered. Some of which cannot be fully appreciated by viewing online. In addition, you can see sample wall galleries on display to help you visualize the possibilities of your own images.
You will have a professional at your side to answer any questions you might have about prints or products offered. You will be able to view your own images in the exact size you might want to order. If needed, you can compare two or more images side by side and zoom in to see details. Should you select a custom product like a Storyboard or Birth Announcement, it can be edited to your satisfaction during your session. You will be able to approve the final proof during this time. None of these are possible when viewing online.
To maximize our time, you should invite all of your decision makers to your ordering session.
Rest assured that there will not be any pushy sales tactics involved. You are expected to enjoy this experience and leave feeling happy and satisfied.
Do I have to place my order NOW? Can I wait until later?
Your contract agreement requires an order within 30 days after your images are available for viewing. If your session includes a print credit, it will expire after 30 days. If you have not placed an order within 30 days, a $300 deposit is required to keep your digital files available for an extended 30 day ordering period. After these 30 additional days, your $300 deposit will expire. Images not ordered are still purged regularly.
Can’t I just scan my smaller prints and make copies for extended family members?
NO! It is very illegal to scan prints and make copies of them. You need to purchase as many images you need. All images taken by Vanessa G. Photography are copyright protected by federal law. No reproductions, print or digital, should be made without written consent of the photographer. At your session you will be asked to sign a Session Contract and Model Release form acknowledging these facts. Violations of our copyright will be taken seriously and are punishable by law…even without a signed contract.
To be very clear, the following are not permitted and are in violation of our copyright:
DO NOT scan images and reprint them.
DO NOT scan images and post on line (Facebook for example). If you have the disk of images, you have permission to use them online.
DO NOT take photos of your prints with your cell phone and post those images on line (Facebook for example).
What happens during an ordering session?
First, you will be invited to explore the studio galleries and gather a few ideas for the prints and products you might be interested in having. You will enjoy comfortable seating and be offered a light refreshment. Kleenex’s will be available at that time of your viewing because happy tears are expected. The next step will be narrowing down your list of favorite images and deciding how to use them.
I want my family to see the images too. Can you post them online?
Yes! The images will be posted in a private online viewing gallery for 7 days.
How long will it take for my order to arrive?
Generally, you can plan to pick your order up within 3 weeks.
Do you offer a payment plan?
Yes! Starting with a $500 investment, we offer payment plans.
Can I order more prints at a later date?
Yes and No. Because digital images require digital storage, images not ordered in 30 days will be frequently purged from the storage system. Any image ordered during your 30 day window will be kept on file for as long as possible. This may be up to one year. As long as your images are on file, you may order additional items. All non-ordered images will be deleted to conserve storage space, as they will be considered unwanted.
I want a CD of my images. Can I order that?
Yes! Low Resolution files, for digital sharing only, are FREE and are gifted at multiple investment levels. High Resolution files, for printing your own images, are available for purchase. Find more about this topic under the CD of Images tab under Session Information.
I love the song on the Newborn Gallery. Where can I find it?
The song is entitled “A Mother’s Prayer,” by Rachel Aldous. Vanessa G. Photography has purchased a limited license agreement to use this song on our website. We can not sell the song to you, but you can purchase it here for your own enjoyment: http://rachelaldous.com/
Please note that music is copyright protected just like our photography images are protected. It is illegal to use songs on your website without permission (license agreement) from the copyright holder.
Copyright Notice: All images taken by Vanessa G. Photography are copyright protected by federal law. No reproductions, print or digital, should be made without written consent of the photographer. At your session you will be asked to sign a Session Contract and Model Release form acknowledging these facts.
The TEXT found on the website and blog is also copyrighted to Vanessa G. Photography. Photographers may link to this page if needed, but should not COPY our text.