We had our newborn session with Gretchen today and I was completely blown away. Honestly, if I…read morecould give 6 stars, I would. She totally lived up to her Instagram standards (which are pretty awesome-go see for yourself). Gretchen was a total professional. She did a million things that just exceeded our expectations for a newborn shoot so here are just a few:
-She gave pre-shoot instructions on what to do and what not to do before our shoot (when to feed him, what to bring, etc) including driving instructions.
-She has a studio that is full of everything we could ever need such as outfits, swaddles, blankets, backdrops, props, and more.
-She washes everything used during each shoot.
-She uses things like baby pads, gloves, and more in order to make the process sanitary as well as comfortable for baby.
-She gave us plenty of options for things to use during the shoot as well as making helpful suggestions. For example, she has hundreds of swaddles and blankets of all textures and colors to choose from so my husband and I were having trouble choosing. She said "Well, let's start with this... what color are your shirts you will be wearing? Okay great, then let's stick with earthy tones. Here are some tones that would go well. And if that's the palette we're going with, I would suggest this backdrop." These things were not only helpful for my husband and I, but they ended up looking GREAT! She really is skilled at her craft.
-She is both professional and personable. Meaning, she is going to go through the poses in an expedient yet gentle way, but will also oblige you in some silly stories or witty banter throughout the process. It really was enjoyable for everyone involved.
-During the mom&baby photos, I asked her if I could peek at them to make sure there was something I liked. She did a great job but I wanted to get an additional angle so I asked if that was possible. Not only did she oblige, but she didn't make me feel bad about it or like I was imposing. It was so nice!
-She is very seasoned in this profession (she's been at it for over a dozen years) so she knows the poses, what works, what doesn't, when to push baby and when to move on to the next thing, etc.
-Not only is she a great photographer, but she's also just good with babies in general. Meaning, she was the one doing all of the outfit changes, swaddling, and more. She was experienced in the sense that she could sense the difference between a cranky baby and an incoming fart or poop. This is obviously helpful in a session like this. She was able to rock him, soothe him, move his body in a way that he liked, and was careful about removing her hands slowly in a way that wouldn't startle him, etc. She just SPEAKS baby, if that makes sense.
Overall, we are super happy with the shoot and although we haven't received the photos yet, we know they're going to be great because, well, we saw them taken. Everything was adorable, classy, and clean. It was just perfect. Thank you, Gretchen, so making this potentially stressful process anything BUT that!!! We will definitely be coming back with baby #2!
-Natalia, Tim, and Enzo
