Bellies and Babies: The Business of Maternity and Newborn Photography

Build your business from tiny beginnings Maternity and baby photography is both a rewarding specialty and the perfect foundation for a lifetime business. Make happy clients of brand-new parents, and you're on your way to chronicling that baby's entire life with your camera. Sandy Puc' knows the secrets, and shares them in this guide. Packed with creative guidance and down-to-earth business advice, it's a blueprint for building the career of a lifetime. Why you need a baby plan, and what it should include Secrets for developing your unique style Props and wardrobe items to have when photographing infants Tips for dealing with fussy babies and shy children How to price your work and determine an accurate cost of sale Customer service policies and pricing guides that protect you and please clients Step-by-step marketing ideas Words clients should never hear from you

Introduction xvi Chapter One: The Baby Plan 2 Chapter Two: Creating a Marketing Plan 18 Chapter Three: Creating an Efficient Studio 40 Chapter Four: Pre–Session Consultation 60 Chapter Five: Lighting Setup and Session Preparation 66 Chapter Six: Discovering Your Style 78 Chapter Seven: The Maternity Session 86 Chapter Eight: Becoming a Baby Expert 96 Chapter Nine: Newborn Sessions 104 Chapter Ten: Three–Month Session 116 Chapter Eleven: Six–Month Session 124 Chapter Twelve: One–Year Session 134 Chapter Thirteen: Success in Sales 148 Chapter Fourteen: Workflow and Production 166 Chapter Fifteen: Giving Back 176 Chapter Sixteen: Closing Thoughts 186 Index 191

Sandy Puc' holds the prestigious titles of Print Master and Explorer of Light from Canon USA. Her highly successful studio is known for the outstanding quality of both the work and customer service. Sandy conducts numerous workshops each year.