Little Sitter & Baby Milestone Photography Prep List | Studio Portrait Sessions

Preparing for Little One’s Session with Sarah Borchgrevink Photography

Congrats on your sweet cherub hitting these absolutely adorable baby milestones such as tummy time, sitting up unassisted, walking, clapping, and truly showing off that infectious personality that makes your mama heart sing! Thank you for selecting SBP to photograph this momentous time in your life! Timeless, classic, and rustic inspired baby photography is my jam and what I am known for as one of Houston’s highest rated photographers. I promise you’re in good hands and I’m so excited to work together!

What You Can Expect:

When booking a session with Sarah you can expect a customer service driven experience. Details such as upfront and transparent pricing for digital galleries, consultations, option to tour the studio, full gallery samples, and staying on top of client communication and having a clear path of steps to follow are just a few examples of our time together.

You may also expect the following:

• Full Styling such as outfits, wardrobe, and accessories. This includes, but is not limited to luxury and handmade baby clothing that reflects all things classic and timeless. Part of investing in a customized photography session is having a great set of props provided by me; don’t stress about bringing anything but diaper bag essentials. :-)

• Accessories such as headbands, floral crowns and dainty pieces to adorn your little angel.

• Endless supply of rustic, vintage-inspired, and antique floor props to accent the session

The Details for Baby Studio Portraiture Appointments

• Consider booking your session in advance, if possible, as the calendar often fills quickly, particularly if you’re interested in a Saturday session date.

• Milestone sessions are available 6 days per week.

• Sessions are typically best early in the morning, as Little One is most refreshed then, or right after their nap time.

• All outfits and styling are provided for your baby, though you are welcome to bring a special item from home, should you feel inclined.

• My branding is timeless, classic, vintage-inspired, and rustic. I do not offer themes such as Minnie Mouse, Paw Patrol, or things of the like as removing distractions and focusing on your little one’s beauty is the heart of my portrait style. In Houston there are thousands of amazing photographers so it is always best to make sure you’re a good fit for the photographer you choose. The Houston Baby and Infant Milestone Portfolio is a reflection of what I offer.

The Morning of Your Session with Sarah:

• Once Baby is awake for the day, feed baby a snack before you drive to my studio. A well-fed baby is a happy photography subject. I know when I’m hungry I don’t feel like being photographed, ha!

• Please dress Baby in an outfit that does not leave lines on their skin. Sometimes babies are naked during their milestone portraits and this makes sure their skin looks soft.

• Please arrive about 10 minutes early. Your session begins at time you selected your appointment via the online booking & scheduling page. There are often multiple sessions in one day so this will ensure we use all of your time wisely.

• Please bring diaper bag essentials. We will wipe Baby’s face with a baby wipe right before we begin the session so that Baby’s face is clean and there are no leftover crumbs from their breakfast, ha!

• Please feel free to bring a special toy Baby loves. This can be helpful when capturing smiles. You’re also welcome to let me know of any favorite songs. My son, Jack, for instance, loves “baby shark,” ha!

After our session

• 14 days after your session takes place you will receive an online proofing gallery of images from our time together. Your gallery will share how to select your images, download your portraits, safely archive them in the cloud, and also a great list of labs to use for your printing needs.
  

Before you go:

• Cake Smash & Splash Prep Guide for parents specifically wanting their baby to smash a cake followed by splashing in a vintage tub (one year old photography sessions for infants).

• Tricks to Capturing Baby’s Sparkling Personality

I look forward to working with you and meeting your baby! Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Think Inside the 610 Loop | New Studio located in Uptown Coming June 2019

Update: with construction & permits, the new studio is set to be finalized the first week of June 2019.

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is one of Houston’s Top Newborn, Baby, and Infant Photographers 2016 - 2019! See what’s new at the studio and learn more about the new location centrally located off San Felipe!

Good morning, friends! Today’s blog post is a formal announcement sharing information about the new studio that is available as of May 2019! Here’s everything you need to know about the new office space!

Centrally Located inside the 610 Loop

I am absolutely thrilled to share information about the new location for Sarah Borchgrevink Photography! As a professional portrait artist, I am moving my office and work space to a central area in Houston called Uptown. This is located off San Felipe and 610.

The address is the following:

4550 Post Oak Place, Suite 203, Houston TX 77027

Dream Photography Studio | Floor Plan Overview

Below is a floor plan attached of the new space and the plans that are currently in place. The studio space is a 1,300 square foot office located inside of a commercial office building. The space is being fully renovated and remodeled to fit my timeless, classic, and vintage-inspired style of photography. This space is a complete dream and everything a professional baby photographer could ever want!

The studio is ideally located in the prestigious Post Oak Park near the Galleria, Williams Tower, Greenway Plaza, Texas Medical Center, Museum District, West University, Rice Village, Downtown Houston, Montrose, Upper Kirby, and the Heights.

Studio features:

Inside the studio you will find the perfect floor plan for amazing baby photography and a wonderful experience for new parents. The studio features the following:

• A lobby and reception area so parents have a comfortable place to wait. There are also snacks, of course, and a coffee bar. Inside this lobby area you’ll also find a playroom for young children to hang out in whilst their sibling is being photographed.

• The mothers lounge is designed for the comfort of new mothers. This is a nursing, feeding, or resting room so you may feed your baby, in comfort and peace, before and after your session. I do have four young children myself and recognize that feeding Baby is a huge part of your day. This mothers room will allow you to relax and to leave your session so Baby has a full tummy for the car ride home.

• The prop room has anything you could ever want for accessories! Inside my prop room, which is labeled storage, you will find a huge array of props, perfectly organized. Here is where I will keep my hundreds of props such as buckets, bowls, baskets, wooden bowls, newborn antique beds, hats, bonnets, headbands, wraps, textiles, backdrops, and more!

• The all white lifestyle room for family, child, or maternity sessions. This room is going to feature a big white bed, white couch, and have beautiful flooring, crown molding, and floor to ceiling light to make for the dreamiest of sessions. This can be used for little sitter sessions, baby milestones, and even family photos during your newborn session. This room will focus on capturing families naturally and with connections.

• The posed newborn room featuring backdrops, three custom wood walls, and comfortable seating for you during your time in studio. This room is about 500 square feet, within itself, and will have the same look at my current studio. This means I’ll be keeping the three rustic wood walls my husband, Kevin, designed for me as well as all of the seamless paper backdrops. Everything will be set up in advance for your session for a seamless experience.

Amenities:

The building has monitored security, ample surface parking plus controlled access to garage covered parking, as well as a deli downstairs.

Online Booking Available

A new feature that has recently been implemented is online booking for your sessions. This is how you seamlessly sign your contract, pay your deposit, and then select your session date & time from a calendar. This is designed for busy parents who like simplicity. See more about Booking Your Session Online.

Thank you for reading about my new centrally located baby portrait studio! I will be updating the blog with new information and photographs as construction is completed.

You know you’re a Newborn Photographer if you’re Guilty of these 6 Quirks

See the top list of 6 funny, quirky, and goofy traits that are the mark of a newborn photographer.

Hi, friends! Thanks for visiting my blog! My name is Sarah Borchgrevink; I am located in beautiful Houston, TX and serve the entire area + surrounding suburbs. As a newborn photographer, I've begun to realize I have developed a few quirks that are completely privy to the art of baby portraiture. Perhaps this is because professional newborn artists are often perfections, each detail making our hearts sing. We think about how to provide the best experience for our clients. Moreover, one of the biggest aspects to our work is our vast array of studio props, lighting, and accessories. My husband jokes that I have a hoarding problem when it comes to my studio, however, my studio is perfectly organized so he is just silly, ha! Let's get started. :-) 

Brush Flokati Rugs As if it's a pet

I have a slight obsession with collecting thick and fluffy flokati rugs. I buy them in each and every color. My current stash has the following hues: winter white, natural, butter yellow, tan, lavender, pink, blue, cobalt, Bordeaux, red, sky blue, coco, chocolate, apple, grey, mint, purple and gold. 

Before a session, you see, I sit on the floor of my studio and brush my flokati rugs lovingly. My husband also calls them my "chewbacca" rugs, lol! I think it's because they're hairy and thick, lol! I love when they're fluffy. I bought a special dog brush for "thick haired" dogs and I make sure the rugs get a good brushing before each use. If they're not fluffy, it makes me so sad! Only a newborn photographer can understand the joy of a fluffy flokati and how beautiful they look with baby sweetly laying on the rug. 

Organize everything by color and size

This is something that makes me so happy! When I walk into my studio, I cannot tell you how excited I am when my props are organized by color, shape, size, and different styles. For example, for my newborn girl headbands, I love when they are categorized by neutrals versus muted tones, or vibrant colors versus seasonal. The custom knitted hats and bonnets are organized by color and the type of yarn used. My buckets and bowls can be found by size and then all of my backdrops are organized in shades of light to dark. I always know where everything is and can easily reach things.

Make secret trips to the antique stores

One can never have enough vintage inspired props. The best place to find these amazing and classic items is at your local antique store. They're unique and something you won't necessarily find in a big box store. Anyway, sometimes I sneak away to the antique store because while I know I probably have enough props on hand and don't want to seem materialistic, I also know there is a hidden gem waiting to be found and used in a session. Babies in a bucket, for instance, are the BEST. A rustic crate with gorgeous texture and distressing a goldmine and when I find a vintage pail, I cannot wait to style it.

Walk into a room and say, "Hm, it's cold in here."

I keep my studio at a toasty 80 degrees. However, when I'm not in studio, I always feel cold. Newborn photography has made me really cold-nature. It'll be the middle of summer, I walk into an air conditioned room and say, "Wow...it's really cold in here. What is it, like 70 degrees?!" LOL! I find myself always having a sweater on hand or cardigan to keep warm.

Refer to newborn babies as "squishes". 

If you have not figured out yet, I love all things newborn baby. There is something so precious about them - their sweet faces, button noses, tiny toes, cute little bellies. I love their gorgeous features and chubby cheeks, tufts of hair, bee stung lips. Of all the traits, nonetheless, their squishy chunky rolls are DIVINE. 

I personally call newborn babies by the name of "squishes" because they're just fresh, new and oh-so-chubby, aka squishy.

I also sometimes call newborn babies earth side cherubs, bambino, little loves, lambs and tykes. Squishes, however, is the absolute embodiment of their gorgeous little selves. :-) 

Have a very precise name for each color in the rainbow

In the world of custom newborn photography, there is no such things as simply "blue" or "green" or "pink" when you're styling a session. Oh no! There is a world of magnificent color that varies for infinite shades that truly encompass the beauty of all the stunning hues in between. 

For example: if I were sorting through my props for a "blue" wrap I would consider colors such as iron, surf, aqua, mint, river, bluejay, country blue, whisper blue, etc. If looking for green I would search for sage, marsh,  ever green, moss or hunter. Hues of pink could lend a coral, melon, apricot, peach, whisper pink, cameo, rosewood, deep mauve, sedona, berry or even iris. Neutrals could be colors like ivory, pearl, natural, pebble, stone, twig, thistle, etc.

You see: each color has their own magic. Limiting yourself to a standard hue would be boring, don't you think?

As always, friends, thank you for visiting my blog to read about funny or goofy quirks that newborn photographers may do! I wish you a wonderful rest of your weekend. Before you go, I would love if you could take a chance to read more about my recent sessions, check out my newborn portfolio, or even send me a message if you are looking for your own custom baby session. 

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.