Hello!
I'm so excited to be one of the instructors for the 2022 {online} Newborn Retreat!
I'll be teaching you all about birth photography! In fact, you’ll get to come along behind the scenes with me to a mock birth.
You’ll be a fly on the wall as I capture labor birth and immediately postpartum.
This is a brand new training, never before seen in any of my courses and exclusively a part of this retreat.
If you’ve ever wanted to add birth photography to your business but haven’t photographed a birth yet OR maybe you’ve photographed a few but still need inspiration and tips for how to effectively photograph birth without being in the way and in low light situations — this class is for you!
Along with my class, you'll also be learning from 22 other instructors. It’s going to be amazing and I hope to see you there!
Tavia
Our most popular {online} experience for newborn photographers!
2022 {online}
Newborn Retreat
Learn from 23 world-class photographers
(all from the comfort of home)
No need to book childcare or pay for expensive airfare—
stay home in your comfy pants and get ready to fall in love with your newborn and maternity sessions.
Learn new posing, lighting, wrapping + styling ideas to elevate your work, bring more creativity to your sessions and feel more confident than ever.
You’ve got what it takes…
it just doesn’t always feel like it.
And guess what? That’s okay.
But those big dreams you have for your newborn photography business are totally possible
—you just might need a little help along the way.
Whether you’re feeling eager to keep learning at any phase in your career, or if you’re overwhelmed & confused with little details that sneak up on you and add stress during your shoots, or like you’re stuck in a rut and you just need a little inspiration to shake you out of your funk …
There’s no shame in any of it.
But the boatload of hours you’re spending scrolling social media, comparing yourself to other photographers, second-guessing your work while you try to figure out what they know that you don’t…
it’s not getting you anywhere—at least not anywhere good.
You're on the right track though.
Hi. I'm Lisa.
~ founder of The Milky Way and newborn photographer of more than a decade over at Milk & Honey Photography …
Now … if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my newborn photography career, it’s that the more I’m exposed to other artists—the freer I feel to be myself and develop my own personal style ...
… the more I develop my own best practices based on the tips I gather from a bunch of different sources ...
And the better my work gets.
What it Doesn't mean...
That doesn’t mean comparing your work side-by-side with someone who’s been in the business longer, has way more experience, and has probably clocked a lot more hours of expert education than you …
It doesn’t mean becoming a copycat, and just mimicking what you see your Internet Icons doing, so you become a dupe of their work, instead of confidently standing in your own identity …
And it definitely doesn’t mean spending your precious time going down endless Youtube rabbit trails trying to piece together bits and pieces of free information when you discover another thing you didn’t know you didn’t know.
Instead it means...
Comparing your work today with your work from the past—taking time to celebrate and acknowledge how much you’ve grown.
Drawing inspiration from photographers you admire, letting your creativity lead the way as you develop your unique style. .
Committing to your development—learning something new every day, and practicing your skills to get better with time.
Whether you’re trying to get better at wrapping a wiggly newborn, wondering how to work with a fussy baby (without getting flustered yourself!), looking to get your lighting on point, or focusing more on managing your workflow, you need a trusted source for support & education that provides:
Helpful, detailed instructional lessons that are quickly & easily applied in your business without having to sift through the fluff.
Lifetime access to watch and rewatch the lessons any time you need a quick refresher before a shoot
And sure, while you run your business with a messy bun on your head and a hot cup of coffee in hand—
You deserve to feel confident in yourself,
strong in your skills, and proud of the priceless memories you create for your clients.
That means between shooting, editing, tackling your to-do list, and actually living your personal life, you need a source of inspiration, encouragement, and growth that’s reliable, safe, and drama-free.
That’s exactly why we created The {online} Newborn Retreat
Because, sure, we’ve all dreamed about packing our bags, boarding a plane, and spending a few nights in a hotel with strangers while we fill up the pages of a new notebook as we try to absorb as much in-person education as we can before reporting back to real-life …
But what in-person retreats have to offer only lasts for so long:
You’ve got to get over your shyness and shake off your nerves quick if you wanna make new industry friends and escape the awkwardness of spending quality time with people you’ve never met before.
You’re stuck picking and choosing which sessions to attend—or attending sessions that you don’t need or don’t feel ready to apply—when really you’ve got a few ~top priority~ things that you really need to focus on in YOUR business at the moment.
And you’ve gotta hope your note-taking skills are on point, and your memory serves to support you down the road because there’s no pushing replay (or pause, or rewind) on a live presentation.
“I was looking for the right way of doing things, instead I found permission to do things the way that worked for me.”
~Newborn Retreat alumna turned instructor, Kelly Goggin
The {online} Newborn Retreat brings together a diverse group of photographers from all over the world to teach techniques & topics through the specific lens of newborn photography.
“What I realized was that everyone was doing things so differently
- but they were all successful.
If you’re open & teachable, when you attend the {online} Newborn Retreat,
you get so much more than what you think you need.
You don’t need the right answer, you get a lot of right answers, and you get to choose the one’s that are right for you.
You don’t have to be the same as everyone else.”
TH E M I L K Y W A Y N E W B O R N R E T R E A T 2 0 2 2
Online education to improve your skills & develop your confidence as a newborn photographer
The {online} Newborn Retreat features classes from 23 ah-mazing newborn + maternity photographers.
Inside you'll find...
- Newborn posing + styling ideas to elevate your work and bring more creativity to your sessions
- Creative newborn wrapping techniques perfect for older (or awake) babies
- Maternity posing and lighting tips to help your clients feel confident and your sessions run more smoothly
- Safety tips to keep babies (and parents) comfortable and at ease
- Editing inspiration to create images you (and your clients) will love
Meet Your Teachers
(To see full class description, hover over the teacher)
To view class details, click on teacher.
Ang McCabe
Emotive Maternity
Ang will help you dig a little deeper when capturing emotion and connection during an intimate maternity session.
Editing shown: yes
Angelica Lawson Sam
Modified Newborn Workflow
For the Fussy Baby
In this class, Angelica will walk you through the workflow for a fussy or older baby that ensures a full gallery for your clients.
Editing shown: no
Dawn Potter
Macro Magic
Join Dawn as she shows you how to photograph those tiny little details. This class will cover lighting, camera settings, shooting angles and how she incorporate parents' hands.
Editing shown: yes
Claudia Aguilar
Maximizing Poses with Angles and Props
In this class, Claudia will walk you through her posing workflow on the posing table. Discover how to incorporate props like flowers and wraps to create a new look and learn how to use angles to maximize each pose.
Editing shown: no
Aoife Millea
Artistic Newborn Composites
In this class, you'll discover how to create fun vibrant newborn digital composites. Learn how to create your own digital backdrops, what to look for when posing and photographing newborns to make it realistic and then, the magic part - editing!
Editing shown: yes
Danielle Hobbs
Timeless Lifestyle Newborn
Discover the secrets to capture timeless images in your client homes, without the stress. Learn what to watch for when it comes to tricky lighting situation and how to showcase the connection between family members.
Editing shown: yes
Stephanie Lemmens
Maternity Studio Lighting
Stéphanie will guide you through her world of emotional maternity photography.
She'll run through in detail her lighting techniques and camera settings which will help you create perfect SOOC images.
The posing and editing techniques taught by Stéphanie will allow you to feel confident
during your own sessions and create stunning and timeless images for your clients.
Learn also how to create Stephanie’s signature artistic and elaborate maternity edits.
Editing shown: yes
Cristina Meraz (Carlos Meraz)
Swaddled Workflow
During this class, you'll discover Christina and Carlos' Swaddled Workflow starting with their base wrap and a couple of creative wrapping styles, covering lighting, styling and shooting angles.
They'll show you how to transition from one prop/set up to another in a way that does not disturb baby's sleep. This workflow could be used as a part of a full session or on its own as a Swaddled Mini or Petite Session.
Editing shown: yes
Denise Urness
Photographing an Awake & Wrapped Baby on the Bean Bag
Sometimes setting up the bean bag for your sleepy poses doesn't always go as planned! In this video, Denise will show you how to go with the flow and her go-to wrap for an awake baby on the beanbag while showcasing details and staying calm as you go! Denise covers lighting, camera settings, editing & other tips as well!
Editing shown: yes
Mallory Jackson
Lifestyle Images in the Studio
Join Mallory to see how she captures boho-inspired lifestyle newborn sessions mixed with a little bit of prop newborn shots in her tiny in-home studio!
So if you ever felt you needed a big studio to capture lifestyle-type images, you need to see this!
Editing shown: yes
Annemie Tonken
Creating an Aligned Business That Will Feed Your Soul AND Your Family!
Think you need to charge big money to make big money as a photographer? Not necessarily! Your success in this industry (measured both in terms of profit and personal satisfaction) depends much more on establishing an aligned business model than it does on price point alone. In this course, discover 3 business models that work (along with the 3 that don't), then she'll uncover the 5 P's of Business Bliss (get these in alignment and you'll be good to go), and finally she'll look at case studies of businesses that were struggling, along with the small tweaks that turned them around.
Editing shown: n/a
Maria Arellano
Dramatic Maternity in Studio
In this class Maria will show you how she styles her maternity clients and creates simple but dramatic portraits using fabrics, movement, color and lighting. You'll be able to see her pose and photograph an expecting mom and finally see how it all comes together with her editing process. This is a start to finish class.
Editing shown: yes
Lisa DiGeso
Making Ordinary Locations Look Magical!
In this class, Lisa will take you along to 3 different very ordinary outdoor locations to show you that you don't need epic locations to create magic. Watch as she guides you on where to place your subject (and you) for stunning results.
Editing shown: yes
Leah Mathis
Working With An Assistant
Discover how an assistant can help you before, during, and after sessions. This includes everything from setting up... to taking out the trash. Literally.
Having an assistant definitely helps Leah's sessions go a lot smoother and quicker. As a bonus, she'll also take you behind-the-scenes to see her beanbag/table workflow and bucket pose so you can see how an assistant can work with you throughout the session.
Editing shown: no
Joanne Widart
How to Create a Series Inspired by a Series of Decorative Panels of Art Nouveau style: from conception, realization and editing
Joanne is going to show you how to create a series of 4 images inspired by the French “Art Nouveau” Style: from conception, realization and editing.
Get ready to be inspired!
Editing shown: yes
Russ jackson
Capturing Emotion in Your Newborn Family Portraits.
Russ will guide you through the essentials in capturing the beautiful connection between parents and their newborn baby.
Discover the posing and lighting secrets to highlight emotion and create portraits your clients will love.
Editing shown: yes
Sissi Wang
Styling with Fresh and False Flowers
Discover Sissi's workflow of how to achieve a sizeable gallery styling with fresh and false flowers. She'll demonstrate 3 colour combos and various wrapping techniques you can use without waking up the baby.
(and you'll discover how to handle situations when the baby has skin irritations).
Editing shown: yes
Tanha Basile
Streamlining to Regain Your Time From the Grind
Discover how to increase your efficiency and profits through streamlining your business workflow.
In this class, Tanha will show you how she sells the same day as her session to save both her (and her clients) time - and boost her bottom line.
Editing shown: yes
Tavia Redburn
Photographing a (Mock) Birth
Be a fly on the wall as Tavia photographs a (mock) birth from beginning to end.
Whether you photograph births or not, you'll walk away with tips on shooting in tricky situations.
Editing shown: no
Amy Guenther & Lindsey Stock
Workflow Posing: How to Get 5 Poses in One Hour
Discover the workflow Lindsey and Amy use for newborn mini sessions to achieve a variety of poses in a short amount of time.
Editing shown: yes
What to Expect from The {Online} Newborn Retreat
IT’S ALL
ONLINE
Get every lesson
from every instructor—
ready with the click of a mouse any time you want to watch.
LEARN ON YOUR
SCHEDULE
Prioritize what sounds interesting & exciting to you, move on to other lessons when you’re ready for more.
"Love the wide array of instructors!"
You could pay a similar price for just ONE in-depth lesson …
Or, you could can enjoy classes from 23 amazing photographers that you can
revisit time & again as you need it in your business.
You’ll get access to:
Emotive Maternity with Ang McCabe
Ang will help you dig a little deeper when capturing emotion and connection during an intimate maternity session.
Modified Newborn Workflow For the Fussy Baby with Angelica Sam
In this class, Angelica will walk you through the workflow for a fussy or older baby that ensures a full gallery for your clients.
Creating an Aligned Business That Will Feed Your Soul AND Your Family with Annemie Tonken
Think you need to charge big money to make big money as a photographer? Not necessarily! Discover 3 business models that work (along with the 3 that don't), then she'll uncover the 5 P's of Business Bliss (get these in alignment and you'll be good to go).
Artistic Newborn Composites with Aoife Millea
Discover how to create fun vibrant newborn digital composites. Learn how to create your own digital backdrops, understand what to look for when posing and photographing newborns to make it realistic and then, the magic part - editing!
Maximizing Poses with Angles and Props with Claudia Aguilar
In this class, Claudia will walk you through her posing workflow on the posing table. Discover how to incorporate props like flowers and wraps to create a new look and learn how to use angles to maximize each pose.
Swaddled Workflow with Carlos & Cristina Meraz
During this class, you'll discover Christina and Carlos' Swaddled Workflow starting with their base wrap and a couple of creative wrapping styles, covering lighting, styling and shooting angles.
They'll show you how to transition from one prop/set up to another in a way that does not disturb baby's sleep. This workflow could be used as a part of a full session or on its own as a Swaddled Mini or Petite Session.
Timeless Lifestyle Newborn with Danielle Hobbs
Discover the secrets to capture timeless images in your client homes, without the stress. Learn what to watch for when it comes to tricky lighting situation and how to showcase the connection between family members.
Macro Magic with Dawn Potter
Join Dawn as she shows you how to photograph those tiny little details. This class will cover lighting, camera settings, shooting angles and how she incorporate parents' hands.
Photographing an Awake & Wrapped Baby on the Bean Bag with Denise Nadine
Sometimes setting up the bean bag for your sleepy poses doesn't always go as planned! In this video, Denise will show you how to go with the flow and her go-to wrap for an awake baby on the beanbag while showcasing details and staying calm as you go! Denise covers lighting, camera settings, editing & other tips as well!
Creative Maternity Photography: Create a Series Inspired by the French “Art Nouveau” style with Joanne Widart
Joanne is going to show you how to create a series of 5 images inspired by the French “Art Nouveau” Style: from conception, realization and editing.
Working With An Assistant with Leah Mathis
Discover how an assistant can help you before, during, and after sessions. This includes everything from setting up... to taking out the trash. Literally.
Workflow Posing: How to Get 5 Poses in One Hour with Lindsey Stock + Amy Guenther (the Newborn Nerds)
Discover the workflow Lindsey and Amy use for newborn mini sessions to achieve a variety of poses in a short amount of time.
Making Ordinary Locations Look Magical with Lisa DiGeso
In this class, Lisa will take you along to 3 different very ordinary outdoor locations to show you that you don't need epic locations to create magic. Watch as she guides you on where to place your subject (and you) for stunning results.
Lifestyle Images in the Studio with Mallory Jackson
Join Mallory to see how she captures boho-inspired lifestyle newborn sessions mixed with a little bit of prop newborn shots in her tiny in-home studio!
Dramatic Maternity in Studio with Maria Arellano
In this class Maria will show you how she styles her maternity clients and creates simple but dramatic portraits using fabrics, movement, color and lighting. You'll be able to see her pose and photograph an expecting mom and finally see how it all comes together with her editing process. This is a start to finish class.
Capturing Emotion in Your Newborn Family Portraits with Russ Jackson
Russ will guide you through the essentials in capturing the beautiful connection between parents and their newborn baby. Discover the posing and lighting secrets to highlight emotion and create portraits your clients will love.
Styling with Fresh and False Flowers with Sissi Wang
Discover Sissi's workflow of how to achieve a sizeable gallery styling with fresh and false flowers. She'll demonstrate 3 colour combos and various wrapping techniques you can use without waking up the baby.
Maternity Studio Lighting with Stephanie Lemmens
Stéphanie will guide you through her world of emotional maternity photography. She'll run through in detail her lighting techniques and camera settings which will help you create perfect SOOC images. The posing and editing techniques taught by Stéphanie will allow you to feel confident
Streamlining to Regain Your Time From the Grind with Tanha Basile
Discover how to increase your efficiency and profits through streamlining your business workflow. In this class, Tanha will show you how she sells the same day as her session to save both her (and her clients) time - and boost her bottom line.
Photographing a (Mock) Birth with Tavia Redburn
Be a fly on the wall as Tavia photographs a (mock) birth from beginning to end. Whether you photograph births or not, you'll walk away with tips on shooting in tricky situations.
Our 2021 students have shared countless success stories …
What will YOUR story be?
Created by a photographer
for other busy photographers.
When I first got started, I so badly wanted to learn from others. But I couldn't take time away from my family (and business) to travel to in-person events.
Plus...I found my brain could only absorb so much info before what I'm learning goes in one ear and out the other!
Can you relate?
That's exactly why I created the {online} retreat experiences.
So MORE people can enjoy the energy and inspiration that comes from an in-person event (without having to travel!)
I can't wait to share this experience with you!
How to know if the {Online} Newborn Retreat is right for you:
You’re always watching what other photographers are doing to see if you can discover something new to try in your business - you’re curious if there’s a *right* way to be doing things, but more importantly, you just enjoy trying new approaches and learning new techniques
You’ve been doing this for a while, but if you’re honest, you feel a little stuck. Whether there are things you just wish you understood better, skills you need to develop, or if you’re just in a sort of creative rut, you need something to help you find your groove.
You’re just getting started, and while you’ve got a good understanding of your camera and a creative vision for your work, it’s the actual posing, wrapping, lighting, and editing you wish you felt a bit more confident about—you’re sick of searching through Youtube and sifting through fluff, you need someone to teach you the good stuff without anything extra.
Q U E S T I O N S A B O U T T H E N E W B O R N R E T R E A T ?
Here’s what we know to be true:
The only Retreat you can pause, rewind, & rewatch
- any time you like, as many times as you want.
Instead of trying to soak up and retain as much in-person education as you can, or devoting countless hours to fluff-filled DIY education videos, dig into value-packed education from some of the top names in newborn photography …developed with YOU in mind.
"Inspiration and Eduction!"
2022 {online}
Newborn Retreat
23 Talented Instructors | Lifetime Access
"..a game-changer!"
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unanswered?
Leave us a note. We’ll get back to you within 24hrs.