Orange County Newborn Photographer

Cathy Murai Photography offers custom newborn photography services. Most newborn photoshoots occur within the first two weeks after birth. A new baby in the family can be a huge adjustment, especially if that newborn is your first! It’s my top priority to make parents – and infants - as comfortable as possible.

What Makes Newborn Photography Special?

Parenthood is a journey like no other. Through my own personal experiences, I know that life can throw many curveballs at you when you’re wanting to start a family. I’m a mother of two children myself, and I find it hard to believe how quickly they grow from infants to toddlers.

Luckily, through photography, I’ve been able to capture those irreplaceable moments that always seem to pass by in the blink of an eye.

As a trained newborn photographer, I have years of experience in soothing and calming babies. These skills are necessary for a successful newborn portrait session. Your precious newborn is safe with me. My goal is to keep your session relaxed, so you can have fun, which always makes for the best photographs.

When and How to Schedule Your Newborn Session

When

For newborn sessions, the best time to schedule an appointment is during your pregnancy. We will tentatively set up a session date around your due date. Then, as soon as your baby arrives, we will adjust and finalize your session date. The best time for the newborn session is between 6-14 days after birth because they are extremely sleepy and they curl up.

If you happen to already deliver your baby, please contact us ASAP, so that we can try to squeeze you in for your session immediately. I limit the number of sessions I take each month to ensures that I can provide high-quality service and an unforgettable experience.

After you contact me, I’ll send you more information about a newborn photo session. I also welcome you to my studio for a free consultation before booking for you to make sure you feel comfortable. Once you decided to book, I will then send you a contract and invoice along with the pre-session questionnaire, which helps me get to know you and how I can give you the best photos possible. Now your newborn session is booked!

HOW

Beautiful Photos in

3 SIMPLE STEPS

Step 2

Step 3

Step 1

Design Consultation

Portrait Session

Pre-session Consultation

Upon booking, we will plan and customize your session. You will receive a pre-session questionnaire to answer based on your vision and style. You will also receive tips on what to wear & how to prepare for successful session.

Your baby’s here! Now it’s time for the photoshoot! Newborn sessions usually take 2-4 hours. We allow extra time to take breaks for feeding and diapering as needed. You will never be rushed.

You're proofs will be ready in 2-3 business days after the portrait session at the design consultation. This in-person appointment is the most exciting and emotional time of your entire portrait experience with me. Your order will be ready in 2-6 weeks, depending on the products.

I look forward to capturing your new little love!

Christina W.

"Not only was it a wonderful experience but we absolutely loved the photos. Cathy is so sweet and you can tell how much she loves babies. She paid attention to every detail in each photo to make sure she captured the best shots. Which she did, the photos were beautiful. She had many props, back drops and outfit options for us to chose from so you are able to tailor the photos to your style. We plan on using Cathy again for milestone photos with our little one and would highly recommend her if you are looking for a newborn photographer!"

(from Yelp!)

Jessica A.

"We could not be more happy with choosing Cathy to photography. We love her so much that we drive all the way from LA and never regret it! We first found Cathy 4 years ago when our daughter was born and were so amazed by her work that we use her for all our milestones. She pays so much attention to detail and will stop at nothing to make sure her clients are happy with their photos. We just used her for our son's newborn session and again we're not disappointed. Every photo is perfection!"

Ready to have an unforgettable experience?

Click Here to contact the studio

Frequently Asked Questions

It is never too early to schedule your newborn session. Most clients book with me in the second or third trimester of their pregnancy. I limit the number of sessions I take each month to allow a little wiggle room for rescheduling since we don’t know when these little ones will arrive. I will use your due date to tentatively schedule your session but will finalize the session date once your baby arrives. A limited number of sessions also ensures that I can provide high-quality service and an unforgettable experience. Generally, I am booked for newborn sessions 4-6 weeks in advance.

The best time for a newborn photography session is when they are 6-14 days of age. During this timeframe, newborns are most sleepy and able to curl up into beautiful womb poses. This allows me to capture the dreamy, sleepy, posed newborn portraits that I specialize in.

It is usually still possible to capture your baby up to 6 weeks, however, the images I capture for you might not be similar to the newborn images on my website, which were taken around 7-14 days old. After two weeks old, your baby is likely to be more alert and tend to be less sleepy while being posed. Therefore, we plan for more swaddled and wrapped setups.

All newborn sessions take place at my studio in Irvine, CA 92620 so that we can ensure optimum lighting conditions and control the air temperature, as well as have access to our large array of props and backdrops.

No, I do not offer in-home newborn photography sessions. All of my sessions are done in my cozy home studio in Irvine, CA 92620 so that we can ensure optimum lighting conditions and control the air temperature, as well as have access to our large array of props (baskets, bowls, wraps, hats, etc.) and backdrops. 

Newborn sessions last 3-4 hours which allows for extra time to feed your baby, diaper them, and soothe them as needed. I only book one session a day, so there is no rush and we go at the baby’s pace.

Yes! My studio is stocked with a variety of props, backgrounds, and newborn accessories for you to choose from. All items used for your session are carefully selected to create beautiful images based on your styles, which will be discussed during the pre-session consultation.

Pricing

INVEST IN YOUR MEMORIES...

Newborn

+

Family / Siblings

Session Fee

Newborn only Session Fee

2-3 hours

3-4 hours

250

200

* Add $75 per baby for multiples
* Add $25 for family dog

Session Fee includes:

  • Pre-session consultation via email or in-person to customize your newborn session.
  • A session prep guide for a successful session
  • Photoshoot & full access to unique props
  • Post-production time
  • Design and ordering consultation to view and select your portraits.
  • - Session fee DOES NOT include prints, products, or digital images.  They are purchased separately.  A boutique line of products is available, including gallery wrap canvases, albums, folio boxes, etc.