After studying photography for two years at dieGraphische in Vienna, I started photographing newborn babies in 2013 and have been doing it ever since.
In recent years I attended 2 newborn photography workshops (with Olga Vuscan and Ionela Aram) and had a mentoring session with Daniela Ursache. Plus various other online courses that I attended over the years.
As I have limited slots available, please make sure to book at least 2-3 months in advance for any kind of session. I often had mothers call me after they already gave birth – unfortunately, 95% of the time I was fully booked and had to refuse.
I have a specific amount of sessions I take per month, so I will reserve a week before the due date and one after, just in case the baby comes earlier or decides to stay in longer. As soon as you give birth, please do let me know (short text is enough), so we can fix the exact date.
Conclusion: the earlier – the better! There’s no such thing as “booking too early” 😉
I usually do maternity sessions between weeks 30 and 35 of pregnancy. I usually don’t do them earlier, because it would be a shame not to see that belly, since it’s all about the belly 🙂 And not later because, let’s be honest, we never know when you will actually give birth. So in case of a premature birth, we want to make sure we don’t schedule the session too close to the due date.
Of course I am not strict about it, this is just my recommendation 🙂
It’s not a matter of when you “should”, but when it “has to be done”. The newborn sessions have to be done in the first 12 days of life, because in this time frame babies sleep most and aren’t still very conscious about their new environment. They are also most calm and flexible in the beginning. After that most of them might face belly gas or other problems and won’t be so calm anymore.
The pretty photos you see in my portfolio were 90% done with calm sleeping babies that I photographed in the first 12 days 😉
EXCEPTION make twins or premature babies, in this case we wait until baby/babies reach 3kg and then do the session.
Also important: the session will start at 10am. I observed babies tend to be calmer in the first part of the day.
If your baby will be born before week 37, what I usually do is I wait until the baby reaches 3kg. You will keep me updated as much as you can with the baby’s weight and we will spontaneously fix the date for the session, depending on how fast he/she will gain weight.
I always start with a full body wrapped setup, so that I can assure that the baby will be able to fall into a deep sleep. After that I will do the parents-baby (evtl family and siblings) shots. In the studio will be very warm (bring summer clothes) about 26-27°C, so in order that you don’t looks sweaty in the photos, we will try to do the family shots as much as we can towards the beginning of the session. Then I will continue the rest of the session with setups prepared just for the baby. In the offer you will see an aproximation of how long the session will be. Obviously that always depends on the baby and how calm he/she will actually be.
SLEEPY BABY All of those classic, pretty & sleepy newborn images we like to capture, require your baby to be in his or her deepest sleep. It may sounds counter intuitive, but try keeping your baby awake 30 minutes to an hour just before our session time. Also give them a bath that morning if you can and feed them 30 min before you get in the car. They should then fall asleep on their way to me.
HUNGRY BABY We’ll take plenty of breaks for feeding and mess in case it happens 😉
PACIFIERS If you can bring a pacifier for your baby, even if only for the session, this will ensure a smoother process for not-so-calm babies. Babies often love to suck and it helps soothe them into the poses we are looking for and makes for easier transitions and getting them to sleep. If your baby won’t take a pacifier or you do no feel comfortable offering one, don’t worry. I can work with whatever is right for you and your family.
MILK BOTTLES In case nursing isn’t going so well, it would probably be best only for this time at the session to also bring some pumped milk in bottles. If nursing still won’t go well, we actually DO NEED a satisfied baby, so I can do my job, so those will do.
PROPS AND BACKDROPS I have a selection of props, hats, headbands, blankets, beds & baskets and backdrops to choose from. Please be sure to discuss with me before the session and let me know if you have any special wishes. I will prepare the setups by myself, but if the parents have any particular wishes, as long as they remain in my style sphere, I will try to honor them.
HEAT I will have the room in the studio heated to a warmer (26-27°C) than normal temperature so be sure to wear something light and comfortable and be prepared to sweat a little. Newborns cannot regulate their body temperature therefore I heat up the studio so your baby can be comfortable when we remove his or her clothing.
SIBLINGS If you plan on having some sibling images done, we’ll do those among the first shots and then the older kids will be able to stay with dad, even go out for a walk (sessions in such warmth and for such length can be annoying for kids). There is a park right across the street and during summer it’s a great idea to spend maybe an hour there with the older siblings, so they don’t get too bored inside.
PATIENCE Newborn sessions can last anywhere from 2-3,5 hours. The key to getting good images is to be patient and to give the baby time to eat enough and to fall asleep.
POO & PEE IS ALRIGHT! I expect your baby to poop and pee all over the blankets and props. It happens! I wash everything after each session, so don’t worry about it. If you have any extra wipes or towels handy, bring them out for the session. I will always have some cleaning items at hand too, so don’t stress. All in all, I rarely photograph in setups without the diaper on, so we’re all good there 🙂
Yes! The flash of a studio light will not affect baby anyhow, if you are going to work with a professional photographer who specialises in newborn photography portraits. We use the safest and most recommended photography equipment to bring the safety of your baby as the first priority.
MATERNITY: I have my own collection of dresses and fabrics to wrap around the mom and make her look good. Click here to see my collection!
Depending on the chosen package you can choose up to 5 outfits for the session or even bring your own if you wish. FOR DADS: I recommend to bring a white and a dark simple, without pattern Shirt, 2-3 T-shirts (more tight on the body) – maybe white, something medium and black. And 2 or 3 pairs of trousers (bright, medium and dark).
NEWBORN: For the baby, you don’t need to bring any clothes except the ones the baby will have on (or spare clothing in case the initial ones get somehow dirty). If the parents and other children are planning to be in the photos, I recommend neutral colors (white, beige, grey, even black) and without Logos/or stuff written on them, without patterns. As simple as they come, so they won’t distract us from that what really should catch our eye 🙂
Don’t worry, I will do all the necessary skin correction without any extra charge. It’s already included in the paid price.
Yes, we collaborate with a very talented makeup artist, who also does hairstyling for the clients. Her prices for such sessions can be between €50-€75/person for hairstyling and makeup. The styling won’t be done in my studio though. You will have to discuss the details directly with her, so let me know in case you are interested. I will ask her about the date if she is available and if so, I will give you her contact.
Only per request!
My studio is in the Stillfriedplatz, 16th district in Vienna, very close to Ottakring U-Bahn. For more details, ask me privately.
Depending on what kind of a session you want, I have multiple packages that you can choose from. You can go check them out in the Info section, under “Packages”.
You will only receive the photos that were included in the paid package and the extra photos (in case you bought extra photos as well). They will be send to you either through a download link at full resolution or through post on a personalised cute USB, depending on which package you chose.
This is how it’s all gonna work: After aprox. one week from your session, you will receive a link to an online gallery, where you will be able to see all the photos that turned out good from the session. They will be saved at a small resolution and with my watermark over them. You will then be able to mark your favourite ones. You will also be able to buy extras (€15/extra photo), if you want.
Depending on the chosen package or if you also buy extra photos, the whole process can take between 2 and 3 weeks.
I have a Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera and 2 DSLRs Nikon D750 and D800. I love the 35mm f/1.4 lens, but I also use the 50mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.8 and 24-70mm f/2.8. In studio I also work with a studio strobe (for maternity and newborn sessions).
I always shoot RAW! But you are gonna receive the chosen photos only in JPEG at high resolution, 300dpi.
If you book SELECT maternity package + MAXI/MEDI newborn package, you will receive 3 free extra photos (value of €45) + 2 FREE 35x40cm prints on photo paper with your favorite photos from the sessions.
Yes, you can check out my packages.. for the big packages like SELECT or MAXI/MEDI there is an option to have siblings in the session. Conditions apply.
Since 2022 a booking is considered reserved after you put a deposit of 30% of the session price. In case of cancellation coming from the client, the client’s money won’t be restituted, but the client can use it as credit for a later session. If the session is cancelled out of the photographer’s fault, the full amount of deposit will be returned.
If you decided to book me, just write me here, in the contact form. Or write me an email at smile@wonderbel.at. You can also find me on Social Media – check the icons on the bottom of the page.
You can make the payment either through a bank transfer, maximum 3 days after the session (the bank info will be provided then) or even cash on the day of the session, if you prefer it so.
Yes, if you are interested in photos with my albums, send me a message and I will also send you the price list and an example gallery.
Yes, I provide a wide range of props in the style that you see in my portfolio. I reserve my right as an artist to refuse, if the parents ask me to do something or use props that do not reflect on my photographic and artistic style.
I also provide a wide collection of maternity gowns, dresses and such. Please ask me privately for the gallery, if you want to see it.
Yes, we offer maternity sessions, newborn sessions, 6 months stage, 1 year photos, family photos. We also do couples and weddings. Check out Sarah bel Photography on Facebook for that 😉 If you decide to get more sessions in a bundle, let me know before and we can talk the details.
I do not go to the client’s home for maternity or newborn sessions. I have A LOT of props and photo equipment that would take too much effort to move around like that.
I do offer the option of doing lifestyle family sessions (but not with newborns) at the client’s homes, when they have the right conditions (enough/good lighting situation).
Yes, I have my own photography company Wonderbel e.U. – Sarah Postolache, founded in November 2019.