A newborn session is prepared during pregnancy, but its date is only known at the birth. In Graindevue, the Booking carries a precise date: you agree on the period with the parents by message, then the date is set once the baby has arrived. The Baby contract then covers the newborn's safety, health information and image rights.
This page follows a newborn session, from the first contact to the gallery. Graindevue works in euros, for photographers working in France.
A newborn session, step by step
| Step | Who / where | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. During pregnancy | The parent, on your profile | "Send Message" to discuss the due date, the location and how the session runs, signed in to their client account. |
| 2. Request | The parent | The "Baby" type, your package, the date and start time, "Photographer's studio" or "Custom location", then "Book Session". |
| 3. Final date | You, "Session" card | If the request was made before the birth, "Edit" then "Save Changes" with the agreed date. |
| 4. Contract | You, "Contract" tab | At your studio, "Add the shooting address" with the studio's address. "Generate Contract" from the Baby template, review, then "Send for Review". |
| 5. Signatures | The parent, then you | The parent signs first, then you sign. The date is then settled. |
| 6. Payment | The parent | Deposit and balance as set on the package. For a request made 5 days or less before the session, full payment is required. |
| 7. Gallery | You, "Files" tab | Once the Booking is fully paid, "Upload" then "Share Gallery". |
Fictional example: Jules's session at 9 days
This example is made up to illustrate the flow.
Manon writes to you at 7 months of pregnancy, due on 20 March. In the conversation, you agree on a session at her home in Rennes, within the first two weeks of life. She books your "Newborn, 3 hours" package for 30 March, at a "Custom location".
Jules is born on 14 March. Manon lets you know by message on 19 March: you move the session to 23 March on the "Session" card, generate the Baby contract and send it. Manon signs, you sign, she pays the deposit online, then the balance when it falls due on the package. After editing, you deliver the gallery.
Prepare during pregnancy, set the date after the birth
The session period is discussed during pregnancy, in "Messages". The Booking request always carries a day and a start time, tomorrow at the earliest. There are two ways to do it:
- the parent books after the birth, on the date you agree together: the Booking starts from the right date;
- the parent books during pregnancy, on an estimated date: when the baby arrives, you move the session yourself with "Edit" on the "Session" card, new "Event Date", "Save Changes".
In the second case, generate the contract once the final date is known: the parent's signature is what settles the date. If a contract was already generated, it shows "Stale Contract": click "Regenerate Contract", review it and send it again.
After the parent signs, a date change means cancelling the Booking and a new request. If both parties had signed, "Cancel booking" refunds the parent everything they have paid. If the baby is ill, in case of hospitalisation or post-partum complications, the Baby template provides for cancellation under the contract's terms, then a new request.
The Baby contract
For a package of the "Baby" type, Graindevue uses a template written for newborn sessions. The contract text is in French. It includes:
- your safety protocols: a temperature of 27 to 29 °C, strict hygiene, poses that support the head and neck, a parent within arm's reach throughout the shoot;
- transparency about composite photos: on request, you say which images are assembled from several shots;
- the health information the parent shares with you, and the presence of at least one parent for the whole session;
- the parents' consent to the session: the client certifies that both holders of parental authority have agreed, in line with the French law of 19 February 2024;
- confidentiality of information about the newborn and the family.
These protocols are your commitments: review them and adapt the template's editable articles (obligations, copyright, image rights, cancellation, mediation) to your practice, on the package, or for one session with "Edit Template" while the contract is a draft. The full flow is on the contract management page.
Booking and publication: two separate agreements
Signing the contract means accepting the session and its terms. Publishing the baby's photos in your portfolio or on your social media is another agreement: the Baby template makes it subject to separate, explicit consent from both parents, which either of them can withdraw at any time.
Get that agreement in writing, for example in the Booking's conversation, and state the agreed use in the image rights article.
Package, payment and gallery
The package sets the duration in hours, allowing for feeding and changing breaks, "Minimum Shots", the delivery timeframe carried into the contract, and the price, fixed or "On quote". The "Deposit Percentage", "Balance Due" and payment methods are yours. A newborn session is often set only a few days ahead: for a request made 5 days or less before the session, full payment is required. For a Booking made during pregnancy, the deposit and balance set on the package apply, even if the date is later brought forward. See the deposit guide.
The gallery opens in the "Files" tab once the Booking is fully paid. Only the parent who booked, signed in to their account, and you can open it: they download the originals and choose who to share them with. See the gallery delivery page.
What Graindevue costs
€29 per month after a 30-day trial with no card, and no platform commission on your Bookings. Online payments go through Stripe, whose processing fees apply. See the zero commission page.
Going further
- The maternity session that often comes before the birth: maternity photographers.
- Later sessions, with the whole family: family photographers.
- The clauses to decide before signing: the photography contract guide.
To generate a Baby contract on a test Booking, start the free 30-day trial, with no card.
Frequently asked questions
How do I book a newborn session before the birth?
The parent books on an estimated date, or waits for the birth to book. In the first case, you move the session to the final date from the "Session" card, then generate the contract.
What if the baby arrives early?
As long as the parent has not signed the contract, you bring the date forward yourself. After their signature, the date is settled: the Booking is cancelled and the parent sends a new request.
Does the contract cover the newborn's safety?
Yes. The Baby template describes your protocols: temperature, hygiene, poses, a parent within arm's reach, and transparency about composite photos. Review them so they match your practice.
Do both parents sign?
The contract has one signer on the client side, the parent who booked. They certify that both holders of parental authority have agreed to the session.
Can I publish the baby's photos in my portfolio?
The Baby template makes it subject to separate, explicit consent from both parents, on top of the contract. Get it in writing, and remove the images if either parent asks.
Who sees the newborn photos?
The parent who booked, signed in to their account, and you. They download the originals and choose who to share them with.