Hey there!

Are you interested in scheduling an outdoor session with me? So exciting! In this blog post I’m going to go over some reasons why timing is so important, and some tips on how to tackle the switch up in your daily routine!

THE IMPORTANCE

I understand why taking photos in the middle of the day is appealing for mamas. You have just got your baby taking a consistent morning nap, they are down to bed at 7pm and the night is yours, haha! It’s what all of us dream of and now that you actually have a taste, nothing will get in your way of uninterrupted baby sleep!! Well, I’m sorry to say, if you want the dreamy photos with sun shining through your hair and the trees then we’ll have to prioritize timing, and sacrifice a little bit of sleep. Of course, this only applies in the summer months when the sun sets around 9pm. In the other seasons it’s easier to use that gorgeous golden light because it happens way earlier in the evening.

Below I’m going to show you a few different photos of me and my own baby. One is taken around 8:00am, one at 12:00pm, and one around 8:00pm last summer.

8:00 AM PHOTO

12:00 PM PHOTO

8:00 PM PHOTO

It’s possible to take great photos in the sun, and it’s also possible to find a fully shaded place to take photos, however, they will not look like the photos you see in my galleries. If mid-day is absolutely the only time that works for you and your schedule, we will find a fully shaded spot and make some mid-day magic!

TIPS ON HOW TO ACCOMMODATE A SUNRISE / SUNSET SESSION

Okay so you’ve decided it’s worth it to make a sunrise or sunset session work! I’m going to share a few tips that myself and other moms swear by to make it as painless as possible with your little babe.

SUNRISE SESSION

For a sunrise session, it’s as simple as an earlier wake up time! You’ll just have to plan ahead and make sure you’ve allotted enough time for breakfast and getting out of the house. You may find that baby takes an earlier nap than normal, but its basically just all prep work to make this type of session go smoothly! Just make sure to have outfits prepped, bags loaded into the car ahead of time, and a spare outfit for baby to change into after the session so that they are good to go right to sleep if they wish!

SUNSET SESSION

For accommodating a sunset session with an older baby, there are a couple different approaches! One, you can just have baby take a little power nap in the car on the way to the session. Or two, you can try to push naps a bit later all day long so their last nap ends later than usual and they are able to stay up through the session.

For either option, feeding baby right before your session starts is a good idea! I find that feeding either a snack, or nursing for a few minutes, kind of acts like a little reset button and keeps babies happy and content!

During the session, we’ll be playing and having fun and your baby won’t even realize that they would normally be sleeping! When they do start to get sleepy, we’ll take a few more photos of them resting their head on your shoulder, or drifting off in your arms, because those are memories you want to keep, as well!

You’ve got this, mama! You will adjust your baby’s sleep for one day and it will be 100% worth it when you see the final results! Have more questions for me about the logistics of a sunset session? Let me know in the comments below!!

xx julie renee photo