Everything You Need to Know Before Booking Your Lloydminster Photography Session

If you’ve been thinking about booking a newborn, maternity, milestone, or family session, chances are you have a few questions first — and that’s completely normal. Choosing a photographer is personal, and you deserve to feel informed and comfortable before booking.

Over the years, I’ve noticed many parents ask the same questions before their session. From what to wear to when to book, here are some of the most common questions I receive at Jen Isackson Photography.

When should I book my session?

You can book a session as soon as you know you are pregnant. I recommend booking your newborn session at least 1-2 months before your due date.  This gives us time to plan and prepare and ensures you have a space when baby arrives. Newborn sessions are best photographed on days 8-18 of their first 3 weeks.  During this stage newborns are sleepier and curl naturally into the poses.

Maternity sessions are best photographed in weeks 28-34 of your pregnancy.  Once you have a nice baby bump and before the swelling sets in at the end of pregnancy.  This also helps prevent missing your maternity session with a baby’s early arrival.

For all other session types, I recommend booking at least 2-4 weeks in advance. Even more advance notice is ideal, to secure your spot on my calendar.

Your custom session takes time to plan, and there are multiple documents to complete and wardrobe items to select. I need a minimum of 72-hours notice, to schedule your session slot.

Where is your studio located?

My 450 sq foot studio is located on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan, in Lloydminster. My studio is built onto my home and includes an outdoor entrance for clients. The studio is NOT wheelchair accessible.

What happens if my newborn doesn’t sleep?

When you arrive for your newborn session, I will have you feed baby till they are all the way full.  This is the key to having a sleepy, calm session. Of course, not all babies will sleep through their session.  If they are awake at the start, I will wrap baby and take pictures in props first.  They almost always fall asleep while wrapped and then we slowly unwrap to capture the sleepy newborn poses on backdrops. Whether your baby is asleep or awake, I will capture beautiful photos you will treasure.

Is newborn photography safe?

Safety always comes first.

Your baby’s comfort and wellbeing are more important than any pose. Every setup is done carefully and safely, with baby-led posing and constant attention to temperature, support, and positioning.

Many poses seen online are actually composites, created safely during editing, rather than unsupported poses.

If baby is uncomfortable with a pose, we simply move on.

My baby is older than 3 weeks, can I still do a newborn session?

Yes, you can book a newborn session, but it may not look the same as with the younger newborns.  Babies over 3 weeks of age are often awake and don’t like to be squished in the classic newborn poses.  If your baby is older than 3 weeks, we do the best we can to capture any poses your baby will allow.  Every baby is so different, and sometimes older newborns can surprise me but adjust your expectations for more natural poses or wrapped images with an older newborn.

What do I wear for my session?

I love helping my clients plan outfits for the whole family. Your clothing is so important in your professional images. This is why I have built my own client closet. I have a selection of outfits for babies, children and Mamas that are comfortable and photograph beautifully. You don’t have to worry about finding your own clothing, I’ve got you covered. You can see the wardrobe options online here!

You can wear your own clothes for your session but I highly recommend using the client closet. It will make such a difference in your final images. If you are planning your own outfits, select 3-5 clothing colours and mix them up between tops, bottoms and accessories. You want your group to look great together, but not too similar. Avoid busy patterns and graphics or words on clothing.

What if the worst happens?

If you book your newborn session during pregnancy, and then experience the tragedy of miscarriage, still birth or the death of your infant. Please know first, that my heart is grieving with you. 100% refunds are always given when these tragedies occur.

I have many clients that book as soon as they know they are pregnant.  I think this is great, to secure your spot.  I don’t take the first payment until you are past your first trimester, so don’t hesitate to delay booking, if you are concerned about miscarriage.

Are family photos included?

Family photos are included in all the session types EXCEPT for the newborn mini and the milestone package. If you would like family photos please book one of the full sessions.

How soon do we get to see our photos?

Seeing your pictures is the best part! You will be sent an online PROOF gallery within one week of your session. Sometimes I even get the proof galleries out within 24 hours! Proofs are images that are not edited, which allows me to get your gallery out much quicker.  Once you make your final selections, I do a full, final edit on those images.

Your proof gallery will include around 40 – 60 images. These are the best images taken at your session. I do not show all the images captured.  Most of the excluded images have eyes closed, someone not looking or are duplicates that aren’t as good as what made the cut. I never sell RAW or unedited images.

What if my child does not cooperate?

This has only happened 3 times in my 12 years of photography! Once with a newborn, once with a toddler and once with a child.

The newborn was struggling with health issues and could not be consoled with feeding, changing or snuggles.  I usually make a call to reschedule fairly quickly, when it becomes obvious that we will not be able to capture any images. *A newborn that won’t sleep DOES NOT qualify for a reschedule.

The toddler and the child had severe anxiety and cried through their mini sessions.  I know the parents still treasure the crying photos and the memories they evoke. If you think your child really won’t participate, then I recommend not booking a session until they are older. *Mini sessions DO NOT qualify for reschedules.

In my studio I let children be children.  They are not expected to be perfect.  They get to come and be themselves.  I work with them to get natural smiles or just wide-eyed serious expressions.  We play and jump and laugh and sometimes run in circles. Parents stay close by and can comfort and console whenever needed.

Let your kids be themselves and I will capture them as they are – because that is exactly what you want to remember.

Can I buy extra digital images or prints?

Yes, of course! After seeing your proof gallery, if you decide that you want to buy more digitals or products, you can. Digital images are sold individually or in sets of 5, 10 or 20. High quality, heirloom products are also available for purchase.  Request a catalogue to see what is available.

How long till my digital images are ready?

During the slower months digital images are usually ready within 1 week of making your selections.  It is possible to see longer wait times (2-3 weeks) during the fall busy season, but I try to get your images to you as quickly as possible. I edit sessions in order of when they were taken, unless someone hasn’t made their image selections yet, I may skip over them to the next person.  Make sure to select your images as soon as possible so I can start editing them.

How long till my prints and products are ready?

This is a hard one to put a date on. Some items come quickly, within 1-2 weeks after edits are complete, so it largely depends on what products you order. My edits are generally done in 1-3 weeks and orders are placed as soon as possible. The albums and custom hand-carved frames come from Europe and those take the longest, around 6-8 weeks. Whichever items you order, I am doing my best to get them to you as soon as I can.

Ready to Book Your Lloydminster Photography Session?

Whether you are welcoming a new baby, celebrating a milestone, or simply wanting updated family photographs, these moments deserve to be preserved.

If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m always happy to help guide you through the process and make your session experience as stress-free as possible.

I can’t wait to capture your memories.