The newborn period is so very short and sweet, and many people choose to document the adorable-ness with photography. I’m sure you’ve seen cute posed pictures of newborns, but did you know there are some serious safety concerns when it comes to making those shots happen? Photographers need to be specially trained in newborn photography, and especially good ones will make sure they connect with you to find out what you want in your session before you even get there.
I met Melissa Adams at the very beginning of my doula career in 2014 when I reached out to her for a very special newborn session in her Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep work. She has a very special heart for families who are experiencing and have experienced loss, even donating one special rainbow baby session each month. She is a consummate professional and I always enjoy getting to spend time with her. She has an absolutely beautiful studio space in Jasper, IN, and her brilliant work is totally worth the drive!
From Melissa Adams herself:
1. What is your favorite thing about your job?
My favorite thing about my job is all the possibilities that are bundled into a new life, and meeting these tiny souls, to be captured professionally at my studio for the first time in their lives. I think a lot of people take for granted how huge that is. This is the very first time your child will be captured professionally. This will be a representation of the beginning of their lives. This session captures your spouse’s awe of your strength; the way everyone is first settling into new life. I think of all the amazing things that people have done in their lifetimes and I wonder what this little bean will grow up to do with their life. I love seeing the new parents fawning over their newborn as well. Let’s be honest, sometimes having toddlers can be a bit emotionally overwhelming, so I always love the simplicity of just embracing and getting to bond with your newborn. When you have a newborn, life may seem exhausting, but our days really slow down quite a bit. Even a second or third time parent will tell me “Yeah, she’s really great at her head control!” or “I’ve never seen a baby with such hairy ears!” or “She has my toe thumbs!” I absolutely love that we get a chance to really appreciate all the amazing tiny things that our bodies created out of love.
A newborn parent can tell you exactly how much their child ate, and when they went to the bathroom last. They can tell you what side they nursed on last, and when they think they caught a glimpse of a first smile. It’s such a wonderful and magical time. I can’t dream up a better profession and I am so honored to capture these beautiful, raw moments for families. Another thing that I truly cherish about my profession, is connecting with families of loss. I am an affiliate photographer for the non-profit, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, and while it’s difficult to see families of loss at their most vulnerable moments, I feel so honored to be allowed into their trusted circle to capture those moments for them. This is why I offer a rainbow program, as well. Once a month, I donate a full newborn session to a family of loss. I love being able to see these families cherish everything life can give to us, and I hope every family of loss gets closure in some way or another.
2. What do you wish people knew about your business?
I strive to educate families on the safety concerns of hiring a newborn photographer. There are many poses that can be tricky and risky – even with simple poses. Positional asphyxiation is a real risk, and some of the poses that are more mainstream can be even riskier. I try to educate and empower the families while I pose so they always feel comfortable speaking up if they have any questions. This is their baby, not my living prop, and I want all my clients to feel relaxed and safe in my care.
3. What is the most stressful thing about your job?
I struggle with anxiety, so I’m a very safety driven person. On top of hosting The Jasper Maternity/Baby Expo, which brings a lot of local/small businesses and non-profits together to help those trying to conceive, newborn families, and families with children of all ages, I also decided to become certified as a child passenger safety technician. I saw an opportunity for us to educate people with a new approach by just informing. I know many mothers feel attacked by other’s opinions so I always just tell new mothers to reach out to me if they need anything. If I ever see anything in public or online, I introduce myself privately and tell them my certification and then say that I’ve noticed a way it may be safer for them to use their car seat, etc. I feel like coming at it from a perspective of “Hey, I know you love your child, and I would love to help you keep them safer, so let me know if this information would interest you” instead of “Hey – this is the correct way to do this”. A lot of our job can be affected by the way the care givers choose to install their seats, so it can be a bit gray. I’m always here to just help, not judge. I probably get most stressed out about that because I always worry that a mother could be going through PPD and I would never want to trigger them to think they were doing less than amazing with their baby.
4. What is your favorite thing about living in the tri-state area?
I was born and raised in Evansville, so moving to Jasper was a bit of a challenge for me. I hear a lot of people saying they want to move away but that was never a goal for me. Thanks to my sweet talking, (sexiest man alive) husband, I ended up moving to Jasper about 12 years ago. My favorite part about living in Jasper has been the other small business owners, and connecting with those driven entrepreneurs. I’ve made so many friends and they’ve all changed me for the better in many ways. I have a few local staples that I visit almost daily, but I truly value connecting with the other leaders in our community and learning along side and from them.
5. Where can people find you if they want to learn more about your services?
I work best through email: melissa@melissaadamsllc.com and my website is the best way to view my work. www.melissaadamsllc.com
I have a VIP group for clients and potential clients, due to Facebook Algorithms.
My Instagram is @melissaadamsllc
My hashtags are #melissaadamsllc #thejaspermaternitybabyexpo #jaspermaternitybabyexpo
I really enjoy connecting with my clients personally, so I do require all of my new clients to do an in person or phone consultation with me. This way I can guarantee the best results for your session.
What was your favorite part of the newborn period? What is your favorite newborn picture of your baby?