Milestone Sessions – Everything You need To Know

Milestone Sessions – Everything You Need To Know

I adore photographing these precious milestones! But, before you show up to your Milestone Sessions – Everything You Need To Know is written right here and will hopefully ensure a smooth session. Planning your milestone/cake smash session with Samantha Sloan Photography should be fun and in an effort to take away the guesswork, I have written this blog post for you 🙂 My hope is that this post will help answer some, if not most of your questions!

Milestone Sessions – BOOKING YOUR APPOINTMENT

People typically contact me to book their baby’s milestone session a few months before they hit their milestone/birthday. 

You can choose to have your milestone photo session either in-studio or on location. Believe it or not – these sessions only take about 30 minutes. I find that is the amount of time babies are able to tolerate. While that may not sound like a lot of time – I assure you, I am able to create a gallery of approximately 30 images. 

Milestone sessions are designed to center around the baby. If you are wanting to include other children or parents in the photos, an additional fee will be charged. You can see my pricing breakdown here.

As far as choosing a time of day – I find that most babies do best in the morning. Planning your photo session around nap and meals times is crucial. 

Once we have landed on a date and time, you will receive an email with a quote, studio policies and invoice. Once your email is paid you are officially booked! 

Milestone Sessions – PLANNING 

Themes – I’ll work with you on choosing your ideal theme and look for your baby’s session. Some parents know exactly what they want and others need a little help deciding. Don’t worry – I am here to help you dream up something perfect.

Wardrobe – I also have a large complimentary wardrobe for your session! I have sizes ranging from 3mo -3T with plenty of 12 month sized outfits. You can choose to come by the studio before your session to look through them if you like. If you would rather wait till the day of the session then that is great too – I just suggest bringing a backup outfit just in case.

Props – I have a lot of props in the studio to incorporate into your session. I tend to keep my props pretty neutral in style and not go too crazy with items in the background. After all, these images are supposed to highlight your baby’s cuteness – and I don’t want the background to take away from that. I do, however, encourage you to bring anything sentimental that you would like to incorporate into the session. 

Cake Smashes– I LOVE cake smashes! You are in charge of bringing a cake for the cake smash. A 6 or 8 inch cake size works well with this age. Even a simple beautiful cupcake is great as well. Or it could be something different from a cake – like yummy pancakes, pie or doughnuts! Heck, it doesn’t even need to be a treat – what about tacos or watermelons??

Baths – Adding a bath to your baby’s milestone session is another option for you! This can be a typical bubble bath, a milk bath or even a fruit bath. You simply tell me which look you would like and I provide all the supplies.

Illness – PLEASE do not try to do the session if you aren’t feeling well. We can always make up the session at a later date when everyone is healthy again. Even if your baby has just recently recovered from an ear infection or has been really sick… it may be best to postpone a bit.

Milestone Sessions – AT THE SESSION 

Like I stated before, your milestone photo session will take about 30 minutes (give or take). It all depends on your baby’s temperament.

It never hurts to bring along bribes to ensure the session goes smoothly. This could be a snack or music or a toy. You know your baby best and you know what they will like.

I have some tricks up my sleeve when trying to generate certain reactions and getting attention. Trust me when I say I do everything in my power to try to get your child to smile, giggle and enjoy the session, but in the end I am not responsible for how children act/react during the session. YOU know your baby best and their temperament. Things like recently recovering from an illness or cutting a tooth can affect the session and their mood.

I also want assure you that even if your baby does not smile a ton during the session, I will still be able to capture some gorgeous images highlighting the beauty of your little one.

Milestone Sessions – AFTER THE SESSION

After the session I will post your sneak peek online. I will also invoice you for the remaining amount due. You can expect your online photo gallery within 7-10 business days from your session date. 

When you receive your online gallery, I will also send along directions on how to download your images, tips for keeping them safe, as well as how to order prints and products.

I offer professional prints through my ordering system. These are great quality and come from my pro lab and are delivered right to your door!

Milestone Sessions – Referral Program

Now that you’ve been through the process its time to tell your friends and family about your experience! Referrals are an essential part of my business and I am extremely grateful for them!! As a thank you, every time you send me someone and they book, YOU get a $50 credit on your next session! Credit is good for any photo session and does not expire!