With Jacob being our second baby, I knew for a fact that I wanted to get studio newborn photos done. We did them with Adeline and they are still – to this day – some of my favorite photos of her!
Studio newborns are those sleepy, squishy baby photos (either naked, swaddled or in an incredibly adorable outfit) that people have done when their babies are only days old. They make great baby announcement photos and are ideal for framing and gifting or putting in a baby’s nursery.
For Jacob’s photos, I set out to find a Cypress newborn photographer, since I love supporting small businesses in the area. After a lot of online research, I decided to reach out to Kat E Photography. Her online portfolio was very robust (and impressive!), and I felt like she had exactly the style I was looking for.
Why Kat E Photography
After working with Kate (and I’ve used a lot of photographers at this point), I can confidently say she is worth considering for an upcoming session. Here are a couple reasons why:
- She is GREAT with newborns. Even as a second-time mom, it is still a little tough to hand over your brand new baby to someone you just met. Kate was so gentle with Jacob. As a mom herself, in addition to being a seasoned newborn photographer, she knew exactly how to hold and pose Jacob. She was able to keep him asleep almost the whole time, too! I felt comfortable with her from the get go and knew she was handling my baby boy with the utmost care.
- Her prop and wardrobe collection is top notch. You honestly don’t need to bring anything other than your baby. She has it all!
- Of course you can absolutely bring an outfit or props you want to include. I’m just saying she has you covered if you don’t!
- Kate was so patient with Jacob. Near the end of his shoot, he was starting to get a little fussier. We stopped a couple times so I could nurse to help him doze back off. I could tell that she was taking her time to get the perfect shots. She was understanding of any holdups and never made us feel rushed.
- She is reasonably priced. Her newborn packages start at $275. And while that is still an investment, I think for her quality of work, the time she spends on each session and the number of images you receive, she is very fairly priced.
- Full disclosure: I did receive my session free of charge in exchange for sharing my honest opinions on my experience working with her. Having been through the process, I truly think she is worth every penny!
- Lastly, Kate is professional, kind and a good communicator. I thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent together during the shoot and left her in-home studio thinking, “She’s the kind of person I’d like to be friends with.”
Before the Shoot
Communication with Kate and her team was easy from day one. You obviously don’t know exactly when the baby will come, so you just share your due date with Kate to give her a general idea of when you are expecting him or her. We also emailed back and forth a bit about props, so Kate could have an idea of what I was looking for.
Once the baby is born, you send a quick email to Kate to get a date on the calendar for the shoot. I gave this task to Marcus to handle in the hospital, and we easily got a date set up.
A few days before the shoot, Kate’s assistant reached out to me to solidify the props we’d be using and to answer any last minute questions.
Tips for Success During the Shoot
From my experience doing studio sessions with both of my babies, there are a few things you can do to make the shoot go as smoothly as possible:
- Plan to feed your baby RIGHT before the shoot starts, so they are full and sleepy. I actually got to Kate’s studio a little early to breastfeed. Depending on how far you are from her studio, you could do this at home or once you arrive.
- Bring a pacifier to calm them down if they start to get a little fussy or hungry during the shoot.
- Have bottles of milk on hand or be ready to nurse during the shoot as another option to calm a fussy baby.
- Bring lots of diapers! Jacob probably had four diaper changes while we were there.
- Dress in cool clothing and bring a water bottle. Kate has a space heater going to keep the baby warm and asleep, so it gets a bit warm in there!
- Be patient and go with the flow. These babies don’t always do exactly what we want them to. Kate is extremely good at what she does, but realize they might just not cooperate the whole time. You’ll still get some great shots!
After the Shoot
Kate had a few “sneak peeks” within a couple days of the shoot for us to see, and the whole gallery to us in under two weeks via email. As a special touch, she also sends the images on a branded flash drive in the mail.
Start to finish, we had a great experience with Kat E Photography. And even if you aren’t in the newborn phase of life, you can still work with Kate! She does maternity, cake smash, kids, family and senior pictures. She also does some really fun mini sessions throughout the year. If you are looking for a Cypress newborn photographer, or honestly just someone great in the Houston area, Kate is your girl!
You can keep up with Kat E Photography on Instagram and Facebook. I promise she’s worth the follow!
