Double the blessings for this beautiful family.  We are extremely honored to have families in our studio and these little cuties were no exception.  Twin boys for this now family of four.  
We had extra hands on deck for this session however, they were both so sleep throughout most of the session.  There were one or two things they didn't prefer, and certainly had no trouble communicating that, but I do hope this family enjoys their beautiful images of their precious little boys.  
Here at Millie Dee Photography Studio, my assistant is also a photographer and photographs newborn babies at a local hospital, so she sees more twin babies than me and she had an interesting observation as I was a little worried about the timing and if both would want to eat and sleep at the same time, or different times.
She said, twins seem to search for each other and tend to have a calming effect on one another and she was absolutely right.   

When they were together and wrapped up in each other's arms, they were very content.  The miracle of life never ceases to amaze me, however, when it's two babies, twins, together, there is a bigger fascination to see their interaction with each other.
At certain points they were making little cooing noises and it sounded like they were communicating with each other.  Is your heart gushing by now?  Ours certainly were. 
Mom and dad arrived at the studio and Mom had scheduled our professional hair and makeup artist Desiree Tunnero for her hair and makeup when she arrived to the studio and she looked gorgeous and felt fabulous.  
Not only is it such an efficient way to get everything done in one place at the same time, but it offered mom a short break as my team and Dad held and fed the babies while mom had a little pampering and we got her ready for their first family portraits.  As much as we love snuggling and photographing these little ones, we also love that mom gets a little pampering and dad can hang out in the massage chair that's in our client lounge area and relax, too.  Mom is still healing, mom and dad are usually not getting a full night's sleep, so it's nice to give them a much needed and well deserved brief few moments for themselves while they're with us.  
If you have any questions about newborn photography and baby pictures, please reach out to us www.milliedeephotography.com.  Our studio is located in Roxbury Township, Morris County, NJ.  Thank you.  

Hey there all you moms to be!  I hope you're seeing this information early into your pregnancy.  Do you know how difficult it has been to reach you guys for the last several years?  Pre-Covid/Quarantine, I had magazines and pamphlets in OB offices, there were baby expos, etc, it was alot easier to reach out to moms who were either pregnant or planning to be pregnant....Fast forward a few years, and doctor's offices are still having you wait out in you cars until your appointment time, there is either no sitting in waiting rooms or there are no magazines available in waiting rooms since the pandemic.  
I have seen it's starting slowly to return, but who knows if it will ever be the same...so...how...does...a...photographer...reach...potential...maternity clients?  Like I said, It's been a challenge.
I'm writing this on a Sunday...it's busy season as it's November and we have the wonderful holiday hustle and bustle going on for holiday photos.  Our studio mostly focuses on newborn and maternity, so we don't offer too many holiday photos, however, we do offer them to the families that have been with us in the past.  It's a great way to see how the babies are growing up and nice to see all the parents and check in on how they're doing as well.  I love seeing their faces each year, however, I'd like to keep the germ level fairly low, which is why we offer a limited amount of these sessions.
I see i'm babbling a bit, however, getting back to your maternity photo session....I'm writing on a Sunday, because we've been getting numerous requests for last minute maternity sessions and we just don't have the time and resources to accommodate last minute usually.  
At the risk of "womansplaining" (If that's a thing), May I offer some inside scoop on small photography businesses?  My studio, like many small business studios, run differently than say a JC Penny type studio, where they're open all the time.  Although I cannot speak for every small business studio, many of us run by appointment only, or have set hours throughout the day.  A large corporate type studio has many staff photographers, I don't...I have two photographers that work here currently and we only have a certain amount of hours in our day and in our week and we specialize in different types of photography, I offer newborn, maternity and headshots and the other photographer offers swaddle sessions, milestone photo sessions and and seasonal family currently.  
I ask clients to book 2-3 months in advance, I have this on my website (and now that I think about it, maybe I'll add it Ig).  

Also..guess what....we have kids...and they have needs, too....so even though we'd love nothing more than to work work work work and work, we can't because we have other obligations and if we work too much, our families will start to suffer, believe me, I know, it's happened; I've cut family vacations short, even this coming weekend my kids have a 4 day weekend and I'll be working Saturday and Sunday at the studio photographing seasonal sessions.  I love my job, however, it's never easy to try and find a balance.
Plus...Is this really something you want to rush the process in?  YOU need time...get yourself ready and prepared for your session, hair cut and color perhaps? ...nails a mani/pedi? Are you due for a facial or skin treatment? ...So, pamper yourself a bit,  Do you know there are a lot of details that go into your session.  Behind the scenes, we want to pamper the moms and help save them time so we have the wardrobe, we have hair and makeup, however, these are just a few of the details; we don't have our clients just show up on the day of their session and pop them in front of the camera; there is prep work that needs to happen before the session to make sure that each client's ideas are heard, we want to make sure we can accommodate these requests, that we're a good fit for your needs, and this all takes time. 
It takes time to find the right outfits, and a lot of other details, to make your visions happen, so please, offer us time.  To prepare for YOU.  You deserve this! 
The "I need a maternity session this Saturday!" is not a good call to hear for anyone.  The mom is stressed, who knows what happened to lead up to this call, and for us at the studio, it's devastating to hear a stressed mom and more devastating to know we just don't have the time to accommodate her. ​

Having a baby is such a special time in your life.  Believe me, I know photos usually aren't the first or maybe even the fifteenth thing on your mind when you find out your having a baby, right?  Professional Maternity Portraits are a luxury that not all want, however, if you're considering a maternity photo session, or even just have some questions about a maternity photo session, please contact a photographer by week 20.  At Millie Dee Photography Studio, we prefer moms come in during their second trimester for pictures, this way your cute baby bump is showing and you still have some energy to be posed.  Please don't wait until your 7th or 8th month to try and book a maternity session with a photographer that you've been eyeing up; by then, your favorite photographer is most likely booked up.  Make the call by 20 weeks.  
I know for me, I wanted to wait until a certain part of my pregnancy to tell everyone, to make sure I was in the safe zone, so I understand not wanting to jump on figuring out every detail of your pregnancy within the first month or two; however, don't wait long to book.  
I hear the regret in these mom's voices for not booking sooner when I say we can't accommodate them, and it's upsetting because this is a short time in your life but such a beautiful reason to celebrate with professional portraits.  Definitely get the pictures if you're thinking about it; You won't regret it.  If you're in Northern New Jersey, Millie Dee Photography Studio is located in Roxbury Township, Morris County, NJ.  We're happy to answer any questions you have about maternity photo sessions  or newborn photo sessions, too.  www.milliedeephotography.com.  

So, perhaps you're either pregnant or just had a baby and looking for professional newborn portraits.  I'd like to offer a little information on preparing for your newborn photo session.  First, if the photos are important to you, I strongly suggest planning in advance; two to three months in advance is reasonable.  Research your favorite photographers or if you need to find one, of course google or instragram are great places to start but also word of mouth, so ask your friends if they have any suggestions.    
Once you've found a few photographers and checked out their websites, the next step is to inquire, either send them an email or call them.  Yes, I said make a phone call.  it may be an old school thing to do, however, when you're going to be spending a few hours with someone who could potentially be holding your baby and photographing your family, it helps to know if you 'click' with that person; if they're someone you'd want to work with.  
Questions to ask a newborn photographer are what safety precautions they take with the baby?  Does the photographer offer in studio or home portraits.  Is their style more freestyle/candids or more posed?  Does their style fit YOUR style?  Newborn photos are an investment and you certainly want to make sure you're investing wisely and with someone you like and trust.  

An investment?  Yes, planning ahead also helps prepare you for what you're planning on doing with your photos.  Did you want just digitals?  Our clients prefer to have some products professionally printed along with receiving digitals as a back up.  Many Professional photographers are somewhat of a concierge service for our valued clients; as we know you're busy with life; especially when a baby is arriving; there are alot of new wonderful life experiences happening and the days just fly by, so we offer printed products to keep our clients from having to spend time uploading images, cropping, creating album pages, etc.  yes, its fun, however, how many of you have a child, had the digitals and still haven't printed the pictures?  Our clients come to us for those printed images they can share gift to grandparents, that they can hang on the walls in their homes, and create beautiful heirloom albums that can be handed down through generations.     

So, now you know that planning 2-3 months in advance is helpful, finding the right photographer who fits your needs and your style is important along with and planning how you'd like your images printed is also a consideration before baby arrives.    

Then what?  Well, once the baby is here, those sleepy baby poses are usually taken with in the first 2-3 weeks of the baby's life, so before you know it, you're in front of a camera, holding your baby for your first family portraits.  A professional photographer will help you create a vision for what you'd like these images to look like.  At Millie Dee Photography Studio, we offer our moms professional hair and makeup.  Desiree Tunnero makeup Co is someone we use almost exclusively and every client she works on is treated like a queen and all look incredible for their pictures.  We will discuss wardrobe, our studio offers wardrobe for Moms and a few pieces for Dads as well.   

This is many times the first time mom and dad are getting out of the house after their new baby has arrived and a little primping with hair and makeup for mom, who's just birthed a new human may be a help to have HER feel human again.  

Yes, these sessions are about your newborn baby, however, the first family portrait is just as important; and for mom and dad to look their best, we should plan that out for the best results.  

What else is there to planning your newborn baby's photo session?  Oh yes, well, there's the baby.  Do you want certain colors or props or poses to be used or tried during the photo session?  Ask your questions, see how your photographer handles their photo sessions.  We're all a little different.  At Millie Dee Photography Studio, we always have two people working with the baby; the photographer and an assistant, who in most cases, is also a newborn photographer, too.  Some photographers rely on parents to help out during the photo sessions, so ask and make sure you're okay with that; sometimes moms are healing and not able to bend or stretch too much, so it's a good question to ask the photographer.  
Also ask the photographer what happens after the photo session?  How long will it be until you get to see your pictures?  Will they be edited?  How many pictures will you get to see?  How do you choose your pictures?  How do you choose what size wall art and canvases you will be ordering?  How many photos can fit in a photo album?  etc.  It is a good idea to ask all of these questions before the session to make sure you get your answers.  

Last thing I'd like to mention about how to prepare for your newborn baby's photo session is just bring yourself, the baby, a diaper bag and have fun.  Actually, you don't even need the diaper bag, we have just about everything a mom, dad and baby need for a few hours at the studio.  At our studio, moms have the opportunity for a little pampering for professional hair and makeup and dads and moms are encouraged to relax and watch from the lounge area as we work with the baby.  Have some coffee, have some snacks, or take a nap or watch tv, let us have your little one for a couple of hours, give yourself a few hours off, we got this!
If you're interested in newborn baby photos and located in Northern New Jersey, please don't hesitate to contact our studio with any questions, Millie Dee Photography Studio is located at 172 Landing Road, Landing, NJ, our phone is 973.805.FOTO and our website is www.milliedeephotography.com     

We've all heard that saying, "the devil is in the details". WHERE did this saying originate?  I'd like to challenge this and say, the love is in the details.  When had my first baby, I remember just sitting staring at her in awe for hours at a time, not wanting her to leave my arms, just looking at the cute little faces she made, her hair was brand new, she was born with a french manicure, her little newborn fingernails were SO long, and can we talk baby toes?  Baby feet are an obsession!  My son was born with chunky feet and chunky toes that didn't even out until he was over 2 years old.  ... I studied all of these little details of my babies all day long.  The days may be long, but the weeks, months, years go by so fast.

Babies change so much by the days and weeks; their stages, sometimes their hair falls out, they go through that baby acne phase; if you've had a baby, were you afraid of the umbilical cord at first?  Right? like is it ok to touch it? will it hurt them?  it looks so awful, and then boom, it falls off so quick...and you realize...these little details aren't going to be little forever...

I'm happy to capture these details for families to help secure their memories.  I've said it before, that a photo can bring us back to that exact place and time; you can remember your surroundings, the sounds, the sights, the smells, etc.  A picture is that moment in time that is instantly gone and you cannot get back again.  A picture is a gift of a treasured moment in time.  

These milestones in your life; getting pregnant, the gender reveal, the baby's arrival, their first official newborn photos, your first official family portraits, rolling over, lifting their head, sitting up, their first tooth, standing, their first food, walking, etc... this all usually happens in that first year of life.  WOW; it's alot of life coming at you; not to mention, you may be buying a new house or refurnishing your home because of a growing family, etc.  There are alot of details to work out in life.

As for newborn portraits, our studio in Morris County, NJ helps moms and dads with a few of all of these wonderful details to help you find a little time to handle the other details in life.  We have everything you need at our studio for a newborn session, including a wardrobe closet for clients, props, swaddles, pacifiers, etc.  

We also print products for families; we work out the details of your wall art, that first family portrait, what size canvas will fit on your living room wall?  Which image is your favorite?  Which images are we placing in an an album?  These can be time consuming details for new parents who have alot on their plate, so we help design these pieces of artwork to help fill your home with love and joy while you take care of the refurnishing and remodeling details.   

When I was a new parent, I'd lose track of time so easily; I didn't know what day it was a lot of the time; days, weeks, months pass before I'd be able to concentrate on things I wanted to get done; it was all about the baby in those days.  And during that blur, all of these little details were starting to grow, the baby feet, the fingers, the little baby rolls, as a photographer, I'm so glad I captured all of these details. 
If you're interested in a newborn session to capture these details and your first official family portrait, we're happy to answer any questions at our studio. We're currently open by appointment only, however give us a ring and we're happy to chat.  973.805.FOTO.  We're located in the Landing section of Roxbury Township, NJ .  Thanks, Denise  

Congratulations on your growing family!  As a mom, my favorite photos are of both of my children together, seeing the interaction, showing where they're at in life and where we are all at this point in life.... This simple moment in time will hopefully last a long time on the walls in their home.  What joy these images will bring to mom and dad and their visitors.  
The parents kept laughing about their older one being a "covid baby", because he kept using the different hand sanitizers, hahaha.  All he wanted to do was smile for the camera...which, I have to say, doesn't always happen with siblings...

I love having families at the studio for picture time and we do hope that they'll remember their experience with us for a long time.  Sibling photos are such an important part of the experience we offer our clients.  This is their first official "bro pic", with hopefully many more to come in their future.  
The smiles and joy that filled the studio during this session made me giddy.  Our newborn sessions last a couple of hours, so it's a lot on the siblings; not only has their entire world been turned upside down - now they need to share parent's time with this new little human in the house, but big sis or big bro things are now expected of them, such as get in that picture with the baby!  haha.  
We do our best to keep them entertained with some snacks, tv and we even have Landing Park right across from the studio.  Sometimes I just have Dad bring older siblings outside to see the cars in the parking lot or peek into the window at Fresh Cutz Barbershop next to us to see all the busy guys working over there to give them a little breather in between pictures.  
It's precious to see the older siblings interacting with their little baby; leaning in for kisses, tickling their toes and singing to them.....these are the precious moments of your life...I'm grateful to be able to capture some for you.  

If you're due soon, our suggestion is to book your newborn session 2-3 months in advance, especially with the busy holiday season coming up.  If you have questions about newborn photography, you can always call us at 973.805.FOTO or visit our website:  www.milliedeephotography.com to inquire.  

Here at Millie Dee Photography in Roxbury, NJ, we love tradition.  We love seeing Santa at our studio every year, however, we also like the element of surprise and changing things up every year.  This year, we're showing our gratitude to our valued clients, those that have visited Millie Dee Photography Studio in Landing, NJ for either their newborn photo session or their milestone session, we are offering a complementary session with Santa.  
I hope our clients feel this is a wonderful gift, because I am personally excited to be able to offer this to them.  Each client that signs up will get 20 minutes with Santa and in the past we've had the kids build a toy, share a snack or even have a story read them by the big guy himself!  We have some special surprises planned for these sessions.
We had Santa at the studio in October last year, however, this year, we will see him after Halloween but before Thanksgiving.  We have one day with Santa and we're going to book him up as much as we can however, we don't want to lose an important detail of getting some time with Santa. 
For many of our families, this will be their baby's first encounter with Santa and the Christmas season.   We're never sure how babies will react, so we do like to offer some time for babies to warm up to their environment and some new people around them.  It's always great to witness our clients' babies growing over the years and to be a part of their first encounter with Santa is sometimes surreal.

We're happy to see Santa before all of the holiday hustle begins.  With the pandemic still lurking around, it's also nice to get him in before germ season has peaked.  Once our new babies and milestone babies are all booked in to see Santa for their Christmas Session, we will be opening the rest of the dates to our email list.  If anyone would like to get on our email list to find out about our holiday photos, Christmas photos and Santa photo sessions, please visit our website www.milliedeephotography.com  to sign up to receive our emails.  We'd love for you to be a part of our growing photography family.
Millie Dee Photography Studio is located at 172 Landing Road, Landing, NJ, which is part of Roxbury Township in Morris County, NJ, which is in the Northern part of New Jersey if you're not familiar.  Landing Park is located directly across from our studio and we're in a small strip mall that also includes Fresh Cutz Barbershop and Dr. Knobelman, Chiropractor.  Millie Dee Photography Studio is available by appointment only and specialize in newborn baby photography, maternity photography, headshot photography and seasonal family portrait photography.  We're always happy to answer any questions, so please ring us at 973.805.3686 (FOTO) with any questions or to book a session.    

Thankfully, life is starting to look normal again and hopefully it will start to get easier to reach new and expecting parents with information on booking their maternity and newborn photo sessions.  It's a wonderful experience, an exciting time in your lives and certainly moments to capture, as baby will be growing by the day and you'll never regret capturing these precious little baby toes and all of their tiny-ness during their first weeks of life.
Usually I'm booked out 2-3 months in advance, even now, we have one open date in June because a baby arrived a few weeks earlier than expected, however other than that, I'm booked until mid September; but every so often, I'll find a pocket of time to accommodate a list minute client and that's what happened her and so glad we were able to have the planets align and have this session.
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Mom and Dad called a couple of weeks before baby's arrival and we secured a date for their baby girl's photo session.  They arrived picture ready, you can see how important this session meant to Mom and Dad.  They'll have these moments forever.  I'm so glad they chose to call and book with Millie Dee Photography.  
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We certainly got a beautiful gallery of about 40 images for mom and dad to view and here are the ones they chose.  I'm sure baby has grown so much already and so grateful they captured these memories to cherish forever.  

A common question that I get asked when people inquire about a newborn photo session is "Do I need to supply the props or hair ribbons?"  My answer is No, you just need to show up with your baby and some food for that baby, I have everything else we'll need for a wonderful photo session experience.  Families are more than welcoem to bring something to use in the photos; perhaps you have something sentimental, like your own baby blanket, something someone made or an outfit.  Yes, we will photograph your baby in them if that's what's important to you!  You shouldn't miss out on this opportunity, however, my studio is filled with outfits, and props that are specifically designed for newborn photographers and our tiny clients. 

There are all kinds of props I have at my studio for your baby.  Do you want to know a little secret?  There are prop companies that make these bowls, buckets, beds and other cute novelties JUST for newborn photography.  Yes, I joke with my clients that it's like a cult.  

Yes, sure, there are bowls and buckets at stores such as home goods, however, are they balanced or weighted enough to be safe for a baby?  What is the material made of, would you want it near your baby?  Is it smooth enough? Does it have a scent?  Does it have a stain? what type of chemicals were used to make this store bought item?  I would never want anything unsafe near your baby.  One of the reasons professional newborn portraits cost what they do is because of the props; I'm rarely buying a $40 bowl from kirkland's, they usually aren't balanced, I work with vendors that specifically know what newborn photographers are looking for; the colors, texture, balance, weight of it along with knowing the trends of what people like is helpful, too.
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The props can also include the backdrops, whether it be wood, fabric or another material, we have to have sometype of background and it's fun to get creative, here I used fluff for some photos, fabric for another and a wood backdrop for others along with a beautiful heart shaped wood bowl that is specifically made from a newborn prop company.  The swaddles, hair ribbons and bonnets, little outfits, little stuffed toys, etc.  All of the little details are what make up the photo... and there are lots of details to add.  

I can’t stress enough that when you have time to prepare and when we have time to create a vision, it makes all the difference. when my clients walk through the door they are READY, CONFIDENT and ON FIRE! It is not by chance that they look all put together.  This "put together" is a look and an idea that we have created. I want you to have your "GQ, VOGUE, Entreprenuer", or whatever magazine cover you choose cover experience.  Where do you see yourself in five years? that’s what I’m going ask you and that’s what these pictures should represent; this is about how you see yourself as in the future.

So, please, take a couple of weeks to prepare yourself; make that hair or nail appointment, try on different outfits, to get yourself groomed, drink lots of water to help brighten and clear your skin up.  I have a guide that I send to my clients along with speaking to them about plenty of things that they can do to help them be as confident and gorgeous as possible when they walk in the door and they get in front of my camera. Have I had people show up with donut powder on their jacket or dog hair or expect me to Photoshop coffee stains out of their clothes? Hell YES! I photograph real people however, if you choose to take this session seriously you will see serious results.

Check out our headshot page:  https://www.milliedeephotography.com/headshots.html
I'm happy to invite you to my studio for headshots, I also offer corporate headshots for businesses and will travel to your location.   Please call for details:  973.805.FOTO.  Millie Dee Photography is located at 172 Landing Road, Landing NJ 07850.  

Spring is the season for new beginnings as the flowers start to blossom, the grass gets green again and we start to head outdoors.  For those with new babies, it'll be great to get out and get some fresh air on a stroller walk.  
As for photos though, I do prefer still working indoors at my studio location in Roxbury Township, NJ.  To get that certain look of my newborn photographs, it takes a certain amount of consistency, so for me, it's important to have control over the surroundings, the studio lighting, the props, etc, everything is basically at my fingertips at the studio.
Outdoor sessions with babies, well, I did a few really early on in my career, however, I'm always concerned about the weather, ticks, bugs, the baby getting too much sun on them, the environment, is it going to be noisy, etc.  There are so many factors involved, and if a family is paying me for a professional newborn photo session, I am going to give them professional service and beautiful portraits, so I can't just "wing it" and hope that the environment will work in our favor.  The photography studio is best for newborn sessions in my opinion.  
Families arrive, I have everything ready to go, I'm not dragging equipment outside, or into anyone's homes, you're in a comfortable environment and I feel confident in that environment that I can offer the best quality for all of my clients.  
In the springtime, do you tend to gravitate toward certain colors like I do?  I do tend to stick with my neutral tones, so I tend to use more muted colors instead of really vibrant and bright colors, but I still like to get the feel of what season it is. 
This was a nice light and airy session, using spring colors and the lighting is a little brighter than my norm as well.  It still looks like "me"...my work, but it's nice to play around a little bit, too.
I can't believe we're into April already!  Enjoy spring and the newness it brings.  xo  
If you'd like to learn more about the maternity photography, newborn baby photography or headshot photographs that Millie Dee Photography Studio offers, please don't hesitate to reach out:  www.milliedeephotography.com  
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