FAQ

In order to achieve those squishy newborn poses, we schedule newborn sessions in the first 5-15 days of life. Petite Sessions for Newborns or Full Sessions with bottle fed babies can be done up to 21 days old.

Before your baby is born! It is so important to plan ahead. Capturing your newborn within the first two weeks of life while they’re still sleepy and curled up can make all the difference in your newborn portraits. Heather’s schedule fills up about four weeks in advance so please schedule your newborn appointment before your baby is born. Since we never really know when your little one will arrive, we’ll put your due date on our calendar to hold a spot for you. When your baby is born, we’ll offer you dates for your session. If your baby comes early or if your baby is already born, don’t panic! We always do our best to squeeze newborns into our schedule and slightly older babies take beautiful portraits too.

Newborns photograph best in their birthday suit… that is, without any clothes at all. We also loves to photograph newborns swaddled in blankets with lots of texture and snuggled up tight in buckets and baskets, so if you have a special blanket, you can bring it. We have an extensive supply of newborn hats, bows and headbands that coordinate beautifully with our blankets and props that you can help choose or leave it up to us.

If your little one comes early, we have a little more wiggle room to schedule your session, generally up to the 40 week gestational mark. If baby is late, we will have dates on our calendar for you. That’s why we only take a limited number of due dates each month!

All sessions except the Mini Sessions include spouses and up to one sibling. See more details on our package page.

We have a flow that we do for every session that works like magic, so we follow that flow. You can always choose your favorite colors and tones as well as your favorite props. The Petite Session is the only one that you will have limited poses.

We only schedule one full newborn session a day to make sure that we can soothe babies and ensure a successful session.

YES! There are also some tips to get you started at the bottom of the FAQs.

Around 3 hours for full sessions. Babies can't be rushed! It's just that simple. The majority of our time will be spent soothing, feeding, burping, and changing your baby's diapers. The results are always worth the time and effort put in to the session.

There is free street parking - what a dream!

When your due date is on the calendar and you are confirmed, you will contact us within 2 days of your baby’s arrival so we can offer you a couple of dates for your session.

Reach out to us if your baby is in the newborn window (do not book directly on website) and we will try our best to accommodate you. Otherwise, you can opt for one of our future sessions and still have amazing, early-life photos.

Gallery turnaround is 1.5 weeks and after you’ve made your choices another 1.5 weeks, unless there is a baby boom or during the holiday season.

No, we have absolutely everything. We will incorporate one special item from home if you wish though.

We highly encourage you to use the studio option, but we do also offer in-home newborn sessions, where we bring the studio to you. All you need is some floor space (10x10) and ample natural light in your home or space for my light. In-home sessions require an added fee and minimum collection purchase to bring the studio to you so please contact us first.

Yes!!! We offer discounts on multiple sessions within one year. Book more than one session with us in the first year and receive $150 print credit on any future full sessions in that year (up to one year old).

If you can, please wait until after your session. We will be tightly swaddling your boy naked in scarves and delicate fabrics. The fabrics are soft, however a fresh circumcision is very fragile and often uncomfortable for a newborn. If you do plan to have circumcision done, please let us know, so we can schedule your session at least 5-7 days after (still in the 15 day window preferably). We do not want to make your baby feel pain or discomfort. Please note, we feel very strongly about this and we WILL send you home if your baby arrives at the studio and has been circumcised within 5 days of your session.

Just off I-580 in Oakland, one mile east of Lake Merritt. See more studio details here.

We recommend maternity be done around the 32-34 week mark, give or take a couple of weeks depending on how you are showing.

Most sessions take place 2 hours before session (but may be 2.5-3 depending on location). We want to give you the magical golden light at the end of the day!

We always schedule a rain date during the rainy season.

We have a list of preferred locations that have the best lighting, are most private and deliver the style that VGP loves creating for you. We will however decide on the best location for you and your look! And recently, Heather began sessions with new looks in the Santa Cruz area!

Most clients will drive up to one hour to get the best look for these once in a lifetime sessions.

A dog counts as “a sibling or child” so as long as your family is up to 4 people, most sessions allow for this. Please see the collections page to read more.

We always help with styling. It is one of the most important aspects of our sessions. All our clients get access to our online styling site.

We currently do not have maternity dresses but will recommend some great sites as well as a maternity rental company.

Absolutely!

Absolutely! We love travel. Travel fees are applicable.

Gallery turnaround is 1.5 weeks and after you’ve made your choices another 1.5 weeks, unless there is a baby boom or during the holiday season.