Frequently Asked Questions

The Baby’s First Year Program Experience

The first year of your baby’s life is filled with once-in-a-lifetime milestones—tiny fingers, sleepy snuggles, first smiles, and wobbly first steps. My Baby’s First Year program is thoughtfully designed to preserve each of these fleeting moments so you’ll never have to rely on memory alone.

This exclusive program includes multiple sessions throughout your baby’s first year—from their newborn portraits to sitting up, crawling, and even their first birthday celebration. Each session is personalized to reflect your family’s unique story, with access to timeless backdrops, carefully curated wardrobe options, and heirloom-quality products that become treasured keepsakes.

With over 30 years of experience, I focus on creating a calm, comfortable, and joy-filled experience for both parents and baby. From day one to year one, you’ll have beautifully captured portraits that celebrate your growing family—and memories you’ll cherish for generations.

Let’s preserve every milestone—because they grow so fast.

What Sessions are Included in the Baby’s First Year Program?

• Maternity Session (Newly included, but optional!)
  Celebrate the beauty of motherhood with a relaxed and empowering maternity session. We’ll highlight your glow, your bond with baby, and the excitement of this special chapter — typically scheduled between 28–34 weeks. Check out my FAQs HERE for more information on what to expect and how to prepare for your maternity session.

• Newborn Session
  Held in my cozy studio within the first two weeks of life, this session focuses on capturing your baby’s sweet details and peaceful expressions. With controlled lighting, soft textures, and a calm environment, it’s a beautiful and stress-free experience for the whole family. Check out my FAQs HERE for more information on what to expect and how to prepare for your newborn session.

• 3-Month Session
  At this stage, your baby is starting to hold their head up and show off those sweet smiles! This session is all about expression and connection—capturing bright eyes, early giggles, and their blossoming personality.

• 6-Month Session
  Often called the "sitter session," this is when babies are usually able to sit up independently. It’s the perfect time to capture chubby cheeks, playful curiosity, and joyful movement as your baby starts exploring their world. This is also where we will capture your extended family (up to 6 family members) in an outdoor session. Of course, these sessions can always take place in the studio. Check out my FAQs HERE for more information on what to expect and how to prepare for your family session.

• 1-Year Session with Cake Smash
  Let’s celebrate your baby’s first trip around the sun! We’ll start with classic portraits, then move into a playful (and messy!) cake smash to mark the big milestone. This session is full of fun and laughter — and makes for the most adorable keepsakes.

Why I Photograph Newborns in My Studio

My studio is designed with your baby’s safety, comfort, and your peace of mind in mind. Photographing newborns in a dedicated studio space allows me to create a calm, controlled environment where everything is tailored for the best experience—and the most beautiful results. From soft, flattering studio lighting and carefully selected backdrops to a wide variety of professional props, wraps, and accessories, everything is set up and ready to go when you arrive. This means you don’t have to worry about preparing or cleaning your home or investing in wraps, hats or headbands—I take care of it all!

The studio is kept at a warm, cozy temperature to help keep your baby comfortable and sleepy, which is ideal for those snuggly, curled-up poses. You may wish to bring a change of clothing for yourself - a short-sleeve, cool top - as it can get fairly warm in the studio!

Most importantly, the studio offers a quiet, welcoming space where you can relax and enjoy the moment. You can sit back, sip a coffee, and take it all in while I work gently and patiently with your baby.

How Long Does Each Photo Session Last?

All portrait sessions typically last 1 - 1.5 hours, with the exception of the Newborn Session. Most newborn sessions take 2-3 hours. Your baby is in charge of this session, and we follow their lead. Not rushing will allow for a variety of poses and settings, with plenty of time for outfit changes, breaks, feeding, and changing diapers.

What’s included in Each of My Sessions?

• Pre-session consultation to plan your ideal session for each milestone

• Additional family members (up to 6 total) during the 6-month session. I do encourage clients to bring only the parents and siblings of the baby for the newborn session. And yes, you can include the family pet!

• Outfit and scene changes (3-5)

• Guided posing

• Props, buckets, baskets, wraps, hats, headbands for baby

• Breaks for feeding, changing diapers and to accommodate older siblings

• Access to my client closet

• Studio lighting setups

• Backdrop changes (3-5)

• Light editing of final images

• Online Gallery (watermarked)

• Print credit for purchasing digitals, prints and products

What to Expect During Your Sessions

Every session in the Baby’s First Year program is thoughtfully planned to make the experience easy, fun, and meaningful. From the moment you arrive at the studio, I’ll guide you every step of the way—from posing and wardrobe suggestions to creating a relaxed environment where your baby (and you!) can feel comfortable and celebrated. Each milestone session is tailored to your child’s development stage, ensuring we capture every sweet detail and personality shift along the way. For more details on how to prepare and what to expect for these sessions, check out these helpful tips! Maternity FAQ, Newborn FAQ, and Family Session FAQ.

• What to Expect After Your Sessions

After each of your sessions, we’ll schedule a special Reveal & Ordering Appointment at the studio—this is the moment you’ve been waiting for! You’ll get to relax and enjoy a beautiful, cinematic slideshow of your final images, thoughtfully curated and fully retouched.

Following the reveal, I’ll walk you through the product options, including heirloom albums, wall art, and digital collections. You’ll have the chance to see, touch, and compare everything, so you can choose the pieces that speak to you most. There’s no rush, and no pressure—just guidance and support as you select what you love.

This personalized process repeats after each milestone session, so you’re never overwhelmed and always have stunning images to look forward to throughout the year.

What’s the Investment for the Baby’s First Year Program?

These sessions are all about you and your baby—from the planning to the final reveal. The session fees cover my time, expertise, and personalized attention to make your experience stress-free and unforgettable, and to capture your baby during each milestone of their first year of life.

• Maternity Session: $300 (includes a $50 print credit towards the purchase of digitals, prints, or products)

• Newborn Session (Two to Three hours): $650 (includes a $100 print credit towards the purchase of digitals, prints, or products)

• 3-Month Session: $300 (includes a $50 print credit towards the purchase of digitals, prints, or products)

• 6-Month Session: $300 (includes a $50 print credit towards the purchase of digitals, prints, or products)

• One-Year Session: $300 (includes a $50 print credit towards the purchase of digitals, prints, or products)

• Cake Smash Session: $300 (includes a $50 print credit towards the purchase of digitals, prints, or products)

• TOTAL: $2,150 $1,250!

• PLUS 10% off Prints, Products, and Packages

• Priority Booking

• Complimentary 12 x 36 frame wall art piece at the conclusion of the program

By separating the session fee from product costs, you only invest in the images and artwork you truly love—after you've seen them. No pressure, no guessing—just meaningful choices that fit you perfectly.

• Packages start at $900 and include an album, prints, and digital images

• Individual prints start at $25

• Custom-Designed Albums start $650 (and include corresponding digital images)

• Wall Art start at $350 (and include a corresponding digital image)

• Gallery Canvas Wrap prints start at $425 (and include a corresponding digital image)

• Reveal Boxes starting at $1080 (and include a corresponding digital image)

• Digital Images starting at $50

The Baby’s First Year program fee must be paid in full before your Newborn Session. Once the program fee is paid in full, the session fees listed above are covered in the cost of the program! So you only pay for the images you love!

Do you offer Payment Plans?

Of course! I'm happy to offer flexible payment options for your prints and products for each of your sessions. Many of my clients choose to break their purchase into 2, 3, or 4 payments, allowing them to invest in the pieces they truly love without feeling rushed.

There’s no pressure at all—we’ll take the time to design something beautiful together, and you can move forward at a pace that feels right for you. The best part is, we can begin ordering pieces as payments are made. That way, you can start enjoying some of your artwork right away, or if you prefer, we can wait until the final payment is complete to receive everything at once.

My priority is to create a refined, stress-free experience while delivering timeless and beautifully crafted artwork that will be cherished for generations.

When Can I Expect to Receive Products from my Sessions?

Your finished digital images will be delivered via a private online gallery within 48–72 hours after your payment is made at the Reveal Appointment, so you can start enjoying and sharing them right away!

Printed products and custom artwork take a bit more time to perfect and will be ready for pickup at the studio within 2–3 weeks.

Every piece is carefully crafted to ensure the highest quality—something you’ll be proud to display and treasure for years to come.

Why This Program Matters?

Your baby’s first year only happens once—and it goes by in a blink. This program allows you to slow down and savor every milestone with beautifully crafted portraits you’ll treasure for a lifetime. From that first tiny yawn to the joyful chaos of a cake smash, we’ll capture it all—creating a visual legacy of your growing family. It’s more than just photography—it’s storytelling, memory-keeping, and a heartfelt celebration of your journey into parenthood.

Serving Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles County