We recently connected with Steph Kines and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Steph , thanks for joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

When you search the words Newborn Photography you will find countless studio images of new life wrapped, swaddled and propped and yes, it is adorable, but as care giver, auntie and lover of babies, something deeper was missing for me. I kept searching for what that missing piece was and after hours of portfolio sessions and building and experimenting I realized that I wanted to give a more true=to-life representation for parents to hold onto. The burping, the feeding, the gentle passing of their baby, the soothing, the slices of their life that will soon get buried under first steps, and first words, and school activities.

There is something so personal about being photographed in your own space, among your own treasures and life collections. There is something so intimate about having imagery of the space you first brought your baby home to… where all of the work is done. The snuggling, the teaching, the growing, the tears, the memories are made within those walls. Thirty years from now, those are the photographs that will melt your heart and bring you back home.

That is why I only photograph newborns naturally, in their own space, at their own pace. The photographer comes to you. You get to play music, nurse, relax, take it all in. You get to let the dog out and soothe your baby to sleep. You get to be you, doing your thing and I just happen to be there to capture it for you.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As Philadelphia’s Natural Newborn Photographer I want to show families and parents that there is another newborn photography experience out there. I want to shift the idea that all newborn photography is elaborate, decorated and luxury. It can be hard to find someone who comes to you, photographs you naturally in your home, with patience and flexibility, but that is Steph Kines Photo.

My mother will tell me that I have had a life-long obsession with nurturing and caring for babies. I was a nanny for nearly 12 years and helped to raise many children from newborns to their first days of school. Each day, I would find myself trying to capture “the picture of the day” to send to their parents, so they could see the everyday joy, concentration and newness of what we were exploring. One day a mother told me that my pictures were better than the woman she pays to take them and I stopped in my tracks… like, wait!! I can do this for a living?!?!?! And just like that my path to Motherhood Photography was brought to light.

Mix that nurturing spirit with an arty-brain and my voice as a photographer was born. I look at my photographs as art. I like simple. I like connection. I like a piece of your life that makes you feel something. With most of my working life spent with young children and helping Mothers, the transition to building an enjoyable photographic experience was easy for me. I connect with toddlers and crazy kids, I know how to soothe, distract and entertain babies. My sessions are playful, light and exploratory, not posed, stressful or demanding. The two biggest concerns I get from my clients are one, “my kids will never sit still-they are too wild” and two, “my house doesn’t look like that”.

One, my sessions are child-led, meaning the children set the pace and tone of how we interact together. This gives us photographs that are unlike other people’s photographs and allows your family to feel comfortable and safe being themselves. After an in depth consultation where I learn the in’s and out’s of your child’s personalities, interests, bonding style… we can really start to curate an evening together that is not only enjoyable, but captures your children and family in a way that makes you think “now, THAT is our family!”

The second concern of your home is more common than you would think, but I am here to tell you that your home is enough, your home is beautiful and your home is where your babies feel safe. When I come to you, we might move a desk, flip a love seat, declutter the guest bedroom… I create pockets of natural light for us to move and play in, as how I see your home (an artist canvas) and how you see your home, will be different.

I have recently moved into the Boutique Photography world which gives each clients tangible, real prints to hold in their hands and hang on their wall. I was finding that most digitals stay on our phones or buried in our hard drive and never quite make it to print, which as a photographer was gut wrenching!! Photographs are meant to be printed and touched and stared at everyday. This was my driving force behind shifting my business more towards intentional, curated collections of prints- I want each image to pull on your heart. Each image should be the BEST of the BEST. Every session with me ends with prints.

There was a study done years ago that showed a direct connection between children seeing themselves in photograph and their self esteem. By seeing they have a tribe, a place where they belong that is bigger than them, this helps build self-esteem and confidence. I like to keep 4×6″ prints everywhere. In books, drawers, in the bathroom, on the fridge. Seeing that people care about you often reminds you that you are loved.

I am most proud of my client experience. I want Mothers to feel beautiful and seen. I want the process to be easy, effortless. I offer inspiration and help with clothing through my Style Guide- I am nearly always reachable via email or text to answer any questions. I give flexibility, time and understanding to families with young children and newborns, who are navigating a lot!! We work together around your nap times, eating times, school times. Above all, I want happy children and positive feelings associated our time together. I typically leave little gifts with older children and hand made floral tiles for anyone who upgrades. Just little personal, thoughtful touches around my business to make you feel extra special and cared for.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Best source of new clients in word of mouth and direct referrals from other clients. I have tried EVERYTHING with building my instagram, and making reels and newsletters and doing BNI and networking groups in the area. But I have noticed very little return for my online, social media efforts. This year I shifted more into getting my face out there, building relationships with local doulas, prenatal fitness instructors, nurses… thinking broader, but also more local. Blogging has also been huge as a way to send people to informative, related information. Gone are the days when I could just post a pretty picture and get business. I have put more effort into rewarding referrals (with print credits and money off) and sharing information about pre-natal and post-natal help to expecting mothers.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

My CRM handles the post session check-ins. Reminders for their first birthday sessions, gifts for the Holidays. But I will take the time around Father’s Day or Mother’s Day to create beautiful digital postcards that showcase them as a Mother/Father and wishing them a wonderful day. This has gotten me a handful of rebooking and reminders that I exist. The email/newsletter route is too overwhelming for clients. But a personal text message of their family and well wishes is different and new. I also like to handwrite birthday cards for first birthday celebrations. This takes time, but my business is built on nurturing and caring for Mother’s- showing that their details in life matter and I remember these moments.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stephkinesphoto.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/stephkinesphoto
• Facebook: wwww.facebook.com/stephkinesphoto

Image Credits
Steph Kines Photo (myself)