Tips from us
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Booking & Rescheduling
We suggest booking a slot at least 2 months prior to make sure you get a slot. We understand things may change, so we have free rescheduling policy for your flexibility (T&Cs apply).
Please don’t wait until the baby is born to look for a newborn session slot, you will probably miss the shoot.
Maternity shoot: 29 – 34 weeks
During this period of time, the mummy has the best shape of the belly and can pose artistically with no struggle.
Newborn shoot: 5 – 15 days
At this stage, the baby is easy to be in deep sleep so we can pose them. When the babies approach 1 month, they get much more sensitive, they are easy to wake up and be cranky, thus, the poses are limited (mainly wrapping poses). We can do baby photos at any stage, but this is the best timing for the best results.
Baby shoot: 6 -10 months
Before 6 months, the baby’s poses are limited (many of them are not strong enough to push up and hold the “tummy time” pose). However, between 6 – 10 months, the baby can do pushing up, sit, or even stand (with support) and can interact with the parents and photographer. There’s more chance we can get the giggle-laughing shoots!
After 10 months, the babies start crawling away or even walking a bit. At this stage, they are easy to lose patience and may not like being put back for shooting from time to time.
However, each baby is different, if your baby can push up or sit, bring them for the shoot before they start crawling away, don’t miss out on the golden time for the baby shoot!
(We can do a 100-day baby shoot, but it is not recommended, as babies at this stage don’t have many expressions, and the poses are very limited)
Cake smash, First birthday: 8-10 months
It could be a bit confusing, but Yes, we do recommend having the cake smash and first birthday photo before reaching 1 year. After 10 months, the baby is very likely to be impatient with sitting & shooting. as they may lose interest quickly.
However, when the baby can just sit by themselves, they are proud of themselves for being able to sit, that is why it’s the best timing to shoot or give them a cake to smash!
For the birthday photos, we can put the one-year-old blocks on the setup, considering the time for photo selection, retouching, and printing. If you want to showcase the photos at the birthday celebration, you definitely want to have the shoot earlier.
The outfit, make-up & hair, nails, shoes…
Yes! We provide outfits and hairpieces, props… you can also bring your own ( Please notice your own outfit is also considered as one setup when used on the shoot ). Most of the outfits are showing in our maternity gallery, we may have some new arrivals which you can choose on-site.
It’s the best you can bring your own bandeau top and underpants in those colors (black, white, nude) to match with the outfits. The bandeau top or strapless bra is ideal because they match the off-shoulder dresses much better. We also have spare ones at the studio.
For the best result. We recommend having professional make-up & hair service done before the shoot. You can find the make-up artists on this website: https://www.flayr.com.au/. We don’t provide make-up & hair service in the studio.
Regarding the nails, It would be great to trim or polish them before the day so we can have them showing nicely in the photos. (We can’t change your nail colors in post-production, it dosen’t look natural)
In most of our photos, we have the mum, dad, and kids to be barefoot ( the most natural and easiest way to match with each other). However, If you have a pair of shoes (beautiful & special) that you want to show in the photo, feel free to bring them in.
Bodysuit and nude artistic photos
We have a range of bodysuits at the studio, please rest assured they are washed and sanitized after every time of use. You are also welcomed to bring your own. ( Please notice the nude photo is consider as one setup )
Trimming or shaving the private part is recommended for a neat appearance.
We also recommend bringing some of those items to make you feel more relaxed during the shoot: Adhesive bras, nipple covers, or breast tape (Booby tape).
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Our photographer is male. If you are worried about the gender, please let us know and we got the ways to work it out for you.
Firstly, We have a female assistant to help with your dress changing and posing in the whole session. There is a dedicated room with sliding door to give you 100% privacy.
During the shoot, the assistant can help you from dressing up to adjusting the outfits and poses.
When having a nude/ half nude shoot or if you prefer more privacy, the photographer can bring a screen to fully screen you when posing. The assistant makes sure you look decent and confirm with you when you are ready before removing the screen. The photographer will only start shooting when you are 100% ready and always stay in a comfortable distance.
Please rest assured on our professionalism and we would like you to relax and enjoy the shoot.
Prepare outfits for your family
Your partner is welcome to join the photoshoot! Please prepare at least one dark color and one light color outfit. Ideally, there is no logo on the outfit. Just remember less is more, simplicity always turns out to be classic.
For kids, we recommend dressing them at home first to match with other family members. We do supply the outfits for kids under 5.
Something you can bring
We want this session to be special for you. If you can bring a few things meaningful, we will include them in the photo creations.
Here is a list that may give you some ideas.
– Wedding rings
– Things that you prepared for your unborn baby, such as a pair of tiny shoes…
– Special items for the family and the baby
The guide time
We don’t limit the time and we always leave gaps between the sessions. As long as you show up on time, we will have plenty of time to enjoy the photoshoot 🙂
Please have your make-up & hair done if needed before coming to the studio so we can fully focus on your shoot.
– Simply Digital Package: 1- 1.5 hours
– Essential Package: 1.5 -2.5hours
– Deluxe Package 2.5-3.5 hours
Preparation for the newborn baby
There are 4 important things that you need to bring.
– Extra milk (If breastfeeding, it’s best to bring some bottled milk)
– Extra nappies (It may need to be changed on every setting)
– Dummy/Pacifier, this is very important! ( We only use the dummy during the poses transition for a few mins, it is very helpful to bring it to the photoshoot even if you don’t usually use it. We also have various shapes of dummies as backups. )
– Changing clothes
*Please keep in mind that don’t let the baby sleep too much before the photoshoot.
According to our experience, It is ideally to keep your baby awake as long as you can before the shoot. By doing this, your baby will fall into a deep sleep by the time we start and this is the best scenario for the newborn photoshoot.
This method applies to babies from newborn to 1 month only.
Preparation for Parents and Siblings
It is important to match the outfit color for all your family members who are participating in the photoshoot. (The color doesn’t have to be exactly the same, but similar.)
Ideally, there is no logo on the outfits. Just remember less is more, simplicity always turns out to be classic.
For the best result, we suggest Mummy do some hair and makeup before coming. For the siblings, please dress them up at home to match with other family members. We also supply outfits for kids under 5.
Regarding the nails, please trim, polish, or clean up your nails before the day so we can have them showing nicely in the photos.
In most of our photos, we have the mum, dad, and kids to be barefoot ( the most natural and easiest way to match with each other). However, If you have a pair of shoes (beautiful & special) that you want to show in the photo, feel free to bring them in.
The guide time
We don’t limit the time and we always leave gaps between the sessions. As long as you show up on time, we will have plenty of time to enjoy the photoshoot 🙂
– Simply Digital Package: 1- 2 hours
– Essential Package: 2-3 hours
– Deluxe Package: 3-4 hours
Preparation for the baby
There are a few things that you need to bring
– Extra milk or some baby snacks/drinks
– Extra nappies
– Changing clothes
– Dummy/Pacifier
– The baby’s favorite toys to make them laugh (Very useful!)
It is important to have your child well-rested before the photo session as it’s impossible to make a tired baby laugh.
Please adjust your baby’s routine if necessary (Try to have your baby take a long sleep before the shoot starts).
If your baby is sleeping in the car when arrived, please don’t wake him/her up.
Instead, we can have one parent look after the baby, the other comes to us to discuss the setups, outfits, etc.
It’s best for your baby to wake up naturally to have a happy & fresh start 🙂
Family photos preparation
If you have a family photo session included, It would be nice to match the outfit color for all your family members on the shoot. (The color doesn’t have to be exactly the same, but similar.)
Ideally, the outfits are plain, logo free. Just remember less is more, simplicity always turns out to be classic.
For the best result, we suggest Mummy do some hair and makeup before coming. For the siblings, please dress them up at home to match with other family members.
Regarding the nails, please trim, polish, or clean up your nails before the day so we can have them showing nicely in the photos.
In most of our photos, we have the mum, dad, and kids to be barefoot ( the most natural and easiest way to match with each other). However, If you have a pair of shoes (beautiful & special) that you want to show in the photo, feel free to bring them in.
Cake smash preparation
We will rinse the baby after the cake smash session, if possible, please bring a few of your own towels.
It would be great if you can bring a baby robe for the Bubble bath shoot, alternatively, you can use ours.
The guide time
We don’t limit the time and we always leave gaps between the sessions. As long as you show up on time, we will have plenty of time to enjoy the photoshoot 🙂
– Simply Digital Package: 1- 2 hours
– Essential Package: 2-3 hours
– Deluxe Package: 3-4 hours
A full Christening photoshoot
– Getting ready at home (Guide time: 1.5 hours)
This includes the photograph of the baby accessories, such as the baby gown, candles, jewelry, etc. Baby portrait photos, baby getting ready process, the baby with Godparents photos, the baby with mum & dad, family photos.
– Church ceremony (Guide time: 1-2 hours)
It includes church setup photos, guests mingling moments, the whole ceremony process photos, family and friends with baby photos after the ceremony.
– Reception (Guide time: 0.5-3 hours)
It includes the reception setup shoots, guests mingling, cutting of the cake, family & friends photos, speeches, performance, and guests dancing (if applicable).
*It’s recommended to have all 3 parts so a full story of the day will be covered.
Alternatively, we can start from the church depending on the time arrangment and your budget.
If start shooting from the chuch, we recommend leaving at least 30 mins before the ceromny so we can have some photos of the Christening box (accessories), famiy photos and guests mingling…
Tips from us
– It is important to prepare extra milk or baby food, nappies, and changing clothes for your baby.
– We would recommend preparing all the baby accessories on one table before the day, so the photographer can go for them as the first thing when start shooting.
– It is essential to have a tidy room that includes a bed for the baby portrait and getting ready. We recommend having a white or light color bed cover and pillows so the background looks pure and neat. You can also use other colors which suit you, it is recommended to keep it nice and simple.
– There is a scenario when the photographer is taking photos of the baby, the people standing behind start making funny noises. It is a big NO-NO. The baby will be distracted and will be looking elsewhere in the photos.
If the baby is reacting well to the photographer, we suggest leaving it to him and keep everyone else quiet or hidden. If the photographer needs help, we can have one person who is good at making the baby laugh stand with the photographer, getting the face or baby rattles very close to the lens, then do the tricks.
When you are having photos with the baby (the photo of everyone is looking at the camera), please keep focusing on the camera and don’t talk to the baby, let the photographer get the baby’s attention. The baby can be unsettled during the shoot, but it is recommended to keep holding the baby, smiling at the camera, give the photographer some time to get the baby focused.
It is highly recommended to arrange a 10-20mins family photo time at the reception before the guests enter. It is very hard for the photographer to get the baby focused when there are many people around, In a word, the fewer distractions to the baby the better.
– We understand the group photos are very important and we don’t want to miss anything, it is ideal to prepare a group photo shooting list that you can pass to someone reliable who can help to organize them to join. Alternatively, we will do our shooting list and then confirm with you.
If the condition allows, we suggest having a big group photo right after the ceremony. To avoid missing anyone, we still need someone to help to organize it.
At the reception, the photographer will do table shoots for every table as default, you can choose to join or not. If you don’t want it, please kindly let the photographer know.
– How to Pose nicely
1. The nice way to hold the baby and the opposite as below. (We suggest practicing at home)
*If the baby is wearing a long gown that covers to the bottom, you can use the first way to hold.
2. When kissing the baby, please don’t look at the camera, simply close your eyes and smile.
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Please rest assured that our photographer will confirm with you by phone before the day, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
The rest of the payment is due on the day by cash which you can handle over to the photographer in person.
Looking forward to the big day!
- You can reschedule the booking (at least 24 hours before the photoshoot) by clicking the “Reschedule” button below. It is free of charge.
- If it’s a change within 24 hours to the booked slot or it turns out a no-show, unfortunately, you will not be able to reschedule the photoshoot online, the $100 deposit will be taken as compensation. You may need to make a new booking with a new deposit placed.
- We adjust the pricing twice a year, if the photoshoot is rescheduled by you or via your request, we will follow the current pricing when the rebooking action takes place.
We would like our clients to fully enjoy and maximize what they can get from the photoshoot, thus, all the packages include high-resolution digital photos, here are the details:
– The high-resolution files we provide are perfect for prints. They are in JPEG format, in 300 dpi resolution. They can be used to produce all sorts of prints from photo paper prints to large wall art prints.
– We always shoot in Raw format to collect all the information of the photos, then process them in Adobe Lightroom to adjust exposure, highlight area, color, etc. The original photos will then be exported into JPEG format will full-size output which means the potential of the RAW files is mostly drawn out.
– What is the RAW file? Bascially, the raw file is not a photo, it’s a file keeps all the data collected by the camera, in other words, it includes large amount of details for the photo adjustment, especially for the overexposed or underexposed photos. The size of the raw file is huge, it can be up to 4 times the size of the jpg photo. To view it, you need to use the softwares such as Adobe photoshop, lightroom or bridge.
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If you want to have the Raw files, please let us know before the shoot. we will arrange to transfer all the raw files on a USB (Provided by us) and pass them to you right after the photoshoot.
There is a $100 process fee for this service (USB included, pick up from the studio or delivered at $10 postage).
Please notice that we Do Not keep the raw files after the JPG photos are generated.
Photo edit inclusions
Great for the lifestyle, candid, storytelling shoot.
– Exposure adjustments
– White balance corrections, color tuned in style.
– Cropping for recomposition
Photo fine-retouching inclusions
Essential to portrait, and close-up shoots. Bring your photos to the next level.
– Skin fine-retouching, such as removing blemishes, reducing or removing wrinkles, skin tone retouching…
– Body shape retouching, such as chin & jawline shape (remove double chin), hair shape, arm, waist, tummy shape, leg length, etc.
– Teeth whitening, subtle face features adjustment.
– Background retouching, such as removing unwanted items. Adding sunset on the sky, lighting effects…
Sometimes life can be hectic and your photos may get lost by accident.
Every photo of your memories created by us is cherished. We always make backup copies in the hard drives and have them sit in a storage room for as long as possible.
when you request to retreive the photos, we will search them in the hard drives, upload to the cloud and generate a new link for you to download.
There’s no charge to back up and keep the copies on our side, the retrieve fee only applies when you request for this service.
Photo retrieve fee: $80 for each photoshoot
Process time: within 4 days
*Please notice it’s not guaranteed to retrieve the photos successfully everytime.
However, the retrieve fee will be fully refunded when it failed.
About the studio
Our studio is fully air-conditioned. The temperature will be adjusted to your comfort zone before you arrive.
We have a dedicated client parking space right next to our door, as well as plenty of free street parking spaces.
As the photoshoot may take hours, we prepared a resting room for you with a comfortable sofa and baby nappy changing facility, so you can settle your baby with comfort and privacy.
Blossom Brook Studio has a strict health and safety policy.
Please rest assured the staff is vaccinated against whooping cough and the latest flu strain.
All our staff will be fully vaccinated (2 jabs) against Covid-19 by 28/09/2021.
We wear medical face masks on every photoshoot.
All the outfits & props used in the session are washed or sanitized.
We also clean and sanitize our studio as a routine after each session.
The Macquarie shopping center is 5 mins drive away.
Address: 86A Parklands Rd, North Ryde, NSW 2113
Payment method
All our pricing is 10% GST inclusive.
No rescheduling fee when it’s submitted at least 24 hours before the booked slot.
If it’s a late notice ( less than 24 hours ) or a no-show, the deposit will be taken as compensation.
Please notice that the deposit is not refundable.
The rest of the amount is due on the shooting day right after the session.
The photos can only be sent out after the payment is cleared.
We accept the following payment methods:
– Cash
– Bank transfer
– PayPal (3% surcharge)
– Credit cards include Amex (3% surcharge)
– Afterpay (8% surcharge)
– Omipay, Alipay, WeChat pay (no surcharge)
Process & delivery
Time-frame of work
Original photos delivery: 4 working days *
(*After the payment is cleared)
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Photo touchup: 4 weeks *
(*After the selection is received. Express service available)
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Photo paper prints: 1 week*
Canvas print: 3 weeks*
Album: 10-12 weeks (Express service: 3 weeks)*
(*Starts from the date client confirmed with us to proceed to prints)
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Product delivery
All the products can be picked up from our studio.
Please contact us at least one day prior.
*Please notice the pickup time frame is 30 days (from the date of the pickup notice email).
We try to keep your prints safe for as long as possible,
but we are NOT responsible for the missing or damage of your USB or prints when it’s out of the time frame.
We can also post them to you,
All delivery include the tracking number and insurance covered.
Delivery Cost
USB drive: $10
A4 and smaller size photo prints: $15
Canvas prints: $15
Album: $30
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One last thing,
to ensure you and other clients will have the fullest experience, please arrive on time.
We schedule our shooting time which optimizes our client’s experience and results,
please let us know ASAP if anything changes.
Looking forward to your photoshoot, see you on the day! 😃
Blossom Brook Studio is the 2022 Top 10 Newborn Photographer and Top 3 Maternity Photographer.
We offer professional newborn photography, baby photography, children photography, maternity and pregnancy photography, Christening photography, family photos, personal portrait & headshots.
Our studio is located in North Ryde, Sydney. Contact us, and let’s talk about your photoshoot.
Find us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Youtube.