Sophie Crew Photography
San Diego Baby Photographer
Sophie Crew Photography
San Diego Newborn Photographer
Newborn | Baby | Maternity | Family | Kids
The Galleries
Tiny little newborns...
Take a peek at San Diego’s newest and cutest brand new babies! Newborn photography is my thing. I love it. Like, really.
Beautiful bellies...
Joy, anticipation, and that ‘glow’ in pregnancy… capture the magic of life you’re growing inside…
Adorable Babies...
3, 6, 9 months, one year, and all those months in between… every milestone deserves to be celebrated!
Cute kiddos...
Let your child pick their photography session theme and let’s run wild with fun and imagination!
Sweet families...
Family photography isn’t just for Holiday cards… capture the love your family shares all year long…
Cute Cake Smashes...
Is your baby turning one? A cake smash is such a fun way to celebrate! Join me in the studio for baby’s first birthday!
Watch your San Diego Newborn Photographer in action!
Check out San Diego Baby Photographer, Sophie Crew, behind the scenes during an infant photography session in her baby studio.
Get in touch with Sophie!
Ready to book your photography session with Sophie? Have a few questions or just want to say hello?
Send Sophie a message!
Is my newborn too old to be photographed?
Nope! Ideally, we want to aim for your newborn photography session to take place around days 6-8. This isn’t a magic number, but generally, the younger the newborn, the more he or she will stay asleep for that intricate posing during our session. Their little bodies are still used to being super curled up, and my newborn posing mimics the comfort and ‘curliness’ that is experienced in utero. However, I always like to give mom and dad a few days to come home from the hospital or birthing center, get the hang of having a newborn, and most importantly, if mom is choosing to breastfeed, this will give mom and baby enough time for milk production to be in full swing, allowing for a fuller, more satisfied baby. ‘Older’ newborns are considered to be 2 weeks and older. Around two weeks of age, you may notice that your little one is more alert and awake, and that there may be a bit of baby acne that appears around this stage. I carefully use Photoshop for editing, so don’t worry about any baby acne or marks. In terms of baby being awake for longer periods of the day, the general expectation is that baby might be awake for longer during our session, which means less time for intricate ‘sleepy’ poses. I love an alert newborn, as one of my favorite things is getting your newborn to make that amazing eye contact! During a full, three hour session, I always find that an older infant will always fall asleep at some point, allowing for ‘sleepy’ posing, especially with proper preparations from both parents and myself. For mini newborn sessions, as we are limited to one hour, your older newborn may decide to stay awake for the entirety of our session, and that’s ok! We will focus on getting that eye contact while working on keeping baby happy in more awake-style posing.
What can I expect from my FULL newborn session?
Our full newborn session is a three hour event. Many parents don’t realize that we actually will utilize most of that three hour block. I always provide preparation instructions prior to our session so that we can maximize our session time together. During this session, we have plenty of time to capture family and sibling shots, and can take a few breaks for feedings and cuddles, as well as prop, outfit, and blanket/color changes. During this session, it is common to have a ratio of more ‘sleepy’ poses with a few ‘awake’ poses mixed in. Please be sure to feed baby fully right before our session. I am typically in the studio about 15 minutes before our session, so please feel free to come in so that you can feed baby while I set up, so that we can begin right away with a sleepy, happy baby. It is important that baby be fully fed – we want baby to be ‘Thanksgiving Day Full’ to ensure a happy and comfortable sleep and session. The use of a pacifier during our session may help our session run more smoothly, in the event that baby might need additional soothing during our session. A pacifier will help a baby that might not be hungry but needs to be soothed back to a comfortable sleep. I highly recommend bringing one along to our session, just in case. Although we will focus on baby during our session, I love capturing baby with his/her family. If you wish to be included in a couple of images with your new little one, I recommend wearing a neutral or natural, solid colored top. We will work these images into the beginning of our session. If bringing older siblings to our session to be photographed with baby, I highly recommend that a family member or friend tag along in a separate car to bring older siblings home or out to the park, breakfast, etc once our portion of the session is over. I like to photograph family and siblings during the first half hour of our session, then move onto focusing on baby. Here is a great blog post on how to prepare for your newborn session!
What if my baby poops on everything?
This is the #1 biggest concern from my newborn parents! It’s totally a non-issue. Your baby is a poop making machine, and ‘shots’ are fired constantly in that cute little diaper-covered bum. For our session, your newborn will be diaper-less for the majority of our session. Pee and poop are a common occurrence on my beanbag blankets. It’s ok! The wraps, rompers and blankets I use are gently machine washed, and precautions are taken, such as using a ‘piddle pad’ under certain blankets and having anti-stain spray ready for any aftermath. It’s ok! I’ve been projectile pooped on many times! Don’t worry about it!
How do I book a newborn session date if my baby doesn't arrive on his/her due date?
Super common question! As soon as you book your newborn photography session via the booking links provided, I will have your due date listed in my calendar. As babies come when they decide to, I will ask that you simply email or call as soon as baby arrives, and after you’ve called your family and friends to let them know the good news. As soon as I receive your email or call, we will then be able to officially schedule our session date. I like to book our newborn session for around days 6-8, so it’s important that you call or email asap after baby’s birth so that we can schedule for that time.
Should I bring anything to my newborn session?
I have all of the hats, headbands, props, blankets, rompers, etc… that we will need on hand in the studio. I have quite a variety that I have put together throughout the years, with props and accessories from places like Etsy, specialty newborn prop and fabric vendors and antique stores. Although I have everything we will need from start to finish, you are welcome to bring in a special keepsake, blanket, or accessory that you wish to have incorporated in the session. The most common items that parents bring in are hand knit blankets rom great-grandma or a token of representation of parent professions or hobbies, such as firefighter boots or helmet, football, etc… Please keep in mind that our time might be limited during a mini newborn session, and that we may not have enough time to get to more than one or two additional accessories that are brought in.
What can I expect from my MINI newborn session?
Our one-hour mini newborn session is a condensed version of the original newborn session in which we will work quickly yet carefully to achieve the best poses we can during our time together. Mini newborn sessions typically include three different setups. During this hour, your newborn may or may not want to sleep. I have had many mini newborns sleep the entire time of our session, and others that have not wanted to miss a beat, and choose to stay up for the entire session. Please keep in mind that as our time is very short, and newborns are so sweet, yet so unpredictable, I cannot guarantee that they will sleep in order to get those ‘sleepy’ poses for our session. What if your little one won’t sleep? That’s ok! I prepare all three of my ‘mini stations’ for both options – sleepy or awake. As an example, I would have my beanbag and blanket picked out and ready for your sleepy newborn to be posed in the ‘froggy’ or ‘taco’ pose, and if baby is awake, a swaddle will be within arm’s reach to position baby in a ‘cocoon’ with his or her legs, toes and fingers either covered or peeking through, depending on your baby’s comfort level. My main goal is to keep your infant happy and cozy during our session! The following preparation recommendations are extremely important in ensuring that we achieve a good variety of poses during our short time together. Ideally, we aim to have baby remain asleep during the entirety of the session, as intricate posing can be achieved with a sleeping baby. Please arrive at the studio FIFTEEN minutes prior to your scheduled session time. This is important as the extra time will allow you to undress baby, get him/her comfortable with the studio and to also ‘top off’ baby with food to ensure a full and happy tummy. Please be sure to feed baby FULLY right before leaving from your home to come to the studio. It is important that baby be fully fed – we want baby to be ‘Thanksgiving Day Full’ to ensure a happy and comfortable sleep and session. The use of a pacifier during our session may help our session run more smoothly, in the event that baby might need additional soothing during our session. A pacifier will help a baby that might not be hungry but needs to be soothed back to a comfortable sleep. I strongly recommend bringing one along to our session. The use of a parent’s finger as a pacifier is not recommended as hands tend to get in the way of posing. Here is a great blog post that I put together showcasing two cutie pies during their mini newborn session. One stayed awake, one was asleep. Both were adorable!
What if my infant is fussy?
Your newborn is brand new to the world, and can’t use words to explain how they feel. Your little one might feel hungry, might need some comforting, or have a bit of tummy troubles during our newborn photography session. These are all normal and common things, and through my years of experience with babies, I have learned the best ways to comfort and soothe your newborn in times of fussiness. I have written a great blog post that has been featured on BabyCenter, and it is a great little article to read for first time parents looking for some ideas to soothe their little one in general. You can read up on my calming techniques here.
Where is the newborn studio located?
Sophie’s newborn photography studio is located in Santee, CA, just minutes from downtown San Diego.
Sophie offers newborn photography to clients from all over San Diego County as well as South Riverside County and South Orange County. Cities in San Diego County include:
- Carlsbad
- Chula Vista
- Coronado
- Del Mar
- El Cajon
- Encinitas
- Escondido
- Imperial Beach
- La Mesa
- Lemon Grove
- National City
- Oceanside
- Poway
- San Diego
- San Marcos
- Santee
- Solana Beach
- Vista
Sophie also offers comfortable posed newborn photography sessions outdoors at several different seasonal garden, nature or beach locations across San Diego County. Outdoor sessions are held during morning hours for newborn only sessions and in the afternoons for newborn and family photography sessions.
Testimonials
