When I first decided to do this mother and baby milk bath photo shoot, I didn’t know how very precious and beautiful it was going to be. This is most definitely one of my favorite shoots I’ve done this year. Kate & Finley’s sweet love were so beautiful to photograph. Finley is definitely a mama’s girl and needed her in view the whole time. I still got to sneak in some sweet snuggles and it was glorious!
I wanted to share some tips for photographers & clients on how I did this mother and baby milk bath photo shoot. I apply some of this information to all of my baby shoots.
How to do a mother and baby milk bath photo shoot….
- Respect the nap – First and foremost, get baby at her happiest time of day! If that is 6pm at night, I will book my clients at 6pm at night. If it’s at 8am in the morning (and you bring me a latte) then I’ll do it at 8am. My first question when I schedule is to always book when they are at their happiest. Also, if mama says “I will let them sleep on the way to your studio” then I always encourage them that will be the day when they don’t take that nap in the car. Or they wake up from nap unhappy and they don’t want a camera in their faces.
- Flowers – Test your flowers before your shoot. Fresh flowers work the best. In the past, I’ve had some beautiful artificial flowers that I’ve used that did not sink BUT the peonies and roses I bought sank like rocks! You can use Scotch Guard on the flowers but they will still not stay up as well as real flowers. I find light greenery will stay up but have a lot of extra nearby. I put a basket of greenery and flowers next to me to keep throwing in more.
- Safety! – This is so important to me. I use an assistant so if I’m standing on the side of the bath or a ladder, my assistant is holding onto my waist and making sure I don’t fall in over them. I also put my fill light in the lowest setting across the bathroom (with no chance to fall in) and bounce it off the ceiling. I use a big window for the main light but I love my images for milk baths full of light so I love that fill light. Don’t forget a strap for your camera!
- Keeping it covered – This might seem silly but make sure the tub is filled enough when baby & mama are in it that baby’s lower body is under water in the right way. I had a bit of photoshopping to do when I realized baby wasn’t always under water in that area. Whoops! If baby is not on mama’s lap, make sure to use something in the tub so baby won’t slide around.
- Pampering – I always encourage my clients to get pampered. There are so many fun things to get done. Your hair, nails, make up – you are worth it! I also give the option to have it done in the studio.
- Towels – I have towels on the floor during and for after! I offer my clients a quick shower and step out of the bathroom for that while I rinse baby and get her dressed. Most of them decline because the milk feels really nice on the skin.
Have fun!
Most importantly, have fun! This mother and baby milk bath photo shoot is such a sweet shoot to be a part of and if you are fully prepared before, it’ll be a piece of cake!
Thank you to Fresh Faced Makeup and Floral Crowns for the beautiful silk flower crowns. They are now available in the studio. Both dresses that Mama and Baby wore are also available in the studio to use.
If you loved this mother and baby milk bath photo shoot, you’ll love this beautiful maternity shoot.
