Prepare for Your In-Home Photography
If you have just booked your in-home newborn baby or family session with us, or are just browsing, we have prepared this guide just for you. At Grain & Weave, we travel all around Sydney creating beautiful images and wall-art for families, with our classic and natural style of photography. We want you to relax and and enjoy your time with us, having had a wonderful and unique experience.
To make sure you get the very most out of our short time together, there are just a few things you can do to prepare:
Use your session brief
Upon confirmation of booking we provide you with a Session Brief to complete.
This is your chance to think through how you want your images to appear and how the overall look of the shoot should feel. It is also where you photographer can see what you're thinking and begin to prepare what is needed. Use the brief to put down ideas for colours, styles, textures and even items that are important to you or represent a side of your family's personality.
Please include any helpful information that you think would be useful for us to know, for example: special needs, building codes, floor numbers or entry directions.
Newborn and Baby Shoots
Change the bed sheets
We often use beds to shoot on as the bedroom tends to be a warm, soft, quiet and relaxing environment. If you can, change your main bed sheet or quilt cover to a plain colour the night before, as it might form part of a background, or at least so it is nice and fresh.
Design tip: whites and creams are classic favourites, but anything that has a soft and plain colour is fine. Try to avoid patterns and bold colours. Think: “would I put this on my wall?”
Hold the feed
Babies will do what babies want to do, when babies want to do it - but they do have their patterns and behaviours, so can be a little predictable.
When booking with us we try to determine with you when baby’s feed/sleep cycles are so we can work within that. Our session times are optimised for the most common feed and nap times.
Tip: If possible, try to hold off any big naps and meals until we arrive. Whilst we are setting up is the best time to change nappies and feed so we can be as best in sync as possible. If you absolutely must feed before we arrive, try to half feed and prepare a top-up. In any case, we have allowed plenty of time.
Prepare the room and the temperature
Hot/Cold
If possible, try to warm or cool the room to a temperature you feel that is comfortable for your baby. They don’t have the ability to regulate their temperature yet, so they will need help staying comfortable.
Spares
We also recommend that you have a bottle and a change of nappy prepared, with a comfortable area for you to rest and ready to go, just in case we need a quick pit-stop during your shoot.
Plain Wall
A plain wall space of around 1 - 2 metres in width, anywhere in the home, is very useful.
We will bring plenty of items for you to use and will guide you if you are not sure how to prepare your room.
Personal items
We have used fireman’s helmets to put the baby in, wrapped them up in soccer shirts, old grandfather’s pocket watches.
Maybe there is a special toy that someone knitted for them when they were born? Maybe something you picked up on your travels?
There is no limit to how you want to personalise your images. Of course, we will capture the classics, but it can be fun to explore the different creative ideas and see them during your viewing!
Toddlers and Siblings
Naps
Please let us know if your toddler is due to nap around the time of your shoot and we will prioritise any images with them in. Ages 18 months - 3 years old can be a little tricky to capture sometimes, but it is totally worth the extra effort!
Games
Kids respond very well to fun and games, not so much to instructions. We will spend a lot of our time during the shoot building rapport.
To get great images with kids (and some grown-ups!) you first need to build trust with them and this is done through play. Once they accept you, then they will start to open up and be a little more compliant.
Try to stay relaxed and be patient with your little bundle of fun - they are still very young!
Photographer tip: try to put the iPads and phones away, as once they come out, it is virtually impossible to put them back.
Grown ups: What should I wear?
It’s usually best to wear something that’s semi-casual. If you don’t normally wear a shirt, maybe try a smart t-shirt or a polo shirt. Simple is best, unless you want to do something a little quirky, or have a theme.
Have a change of clothes prepared - we don’t often capture below the waist, but dress for just in case. Plain tops without strong patterns are good, but ultimately something you are comfortable in.
Colour wise, we usually encourage navy, grey, black, white, or pastel block colours as they are very versatile over the years in your home as the style changes, however feel free to express yourself!
Don’t forget to relax and enjoy it
We have a few short hours together - let a professional take control and guide you through what is a magical moment in your family’s life.
As parents, we often see this only in hindsight. Yes, it may get a little difficult if baby is not playing along, but it is normal and usually inevitable, so all you can do is roll with it. Please, put the phones away and spend some quality time together as a family and you will create some moments you won’t forget.
FAQ
Q: Do we need windows or natural light?
A: No, we bring our own light! Our studio equipment is small, portable and gives consistent, high quality light that gives us perfect results every time. We may require a power point to recharge our batteries.
Q: What if my baby cries?
A: That's what babies do! The most important thing is not to worry. We allow plenty of time and always get the shots. Babies will reflect the energy the parents are giving off, so it is very important that Mums and Dads stay relaxed. You'll enjoy it more too. Read more in our article here.
Q: Our house is very dark/small
A: We have been in hundreds of homes around Sydney and only need a very small area to work in.
All of the images on this site have been captured in homes from one-bedroom units to large houses.
