Any of these sound familiar?
I know the vision I want to create, but my images are missing the 'wow' factor
My images lack that little bit of polish that stops the scroll and helps book new clients.
I'm feeling a little uninspired with my work and are looking to change things up. But where to even start?
I love, love, LOVE refining my craft and I'm always curious about how other photographers work.
Then you're in the right place!
And as artists, we're constantly evolving and refining our craft.
But the truth is, it can be easy to become a replica of your favourite photographer or to start feeling like there is a "right" or "wrong" way to do things.
That's where the Newborn Retreat comes in!
23 instructors are here to teach you new techniques, help you find fresh inspiration and take your work to a whole new level.
It's time for your images to shine.
Stay home in your comfy pants and learn new posing, lighting, wrapping + styling ideas to elevate your work, bring more creativity to your sessions and feel more confident than ever.
Enroll Now!
"...worth every penny. I still learn and grow with every session"
— Sanj Photo
(...and what you'll be learning!)
Learn different wrapping and styling options to help you create a variety of images in your session with smooth transitions and minimal disruption to baby.
Editing shown: Yes
Discover how to create an efficient workflow with transitional posing with Angelica. Learn how to maximize each pose and move between poses with minimal disruptions to a sleepy baby.
Editing shown: Yes
Learn how to plan and execute intimate, emotion-filled films that capture the essence of a family’s early days. From essential gear and natural lighting techniques to authentic storytelling and post-production tips
Editing shown: Yes
Go behind-the-scenes with Jessica as she shows you her process for beautiful and safe prop-posing along with tips for transitional posing.
Editing shown: Yes
In this class, you'll discover why patience is KEY! In this class, Denise will show you how she navigates an awake baby, gets her to sleep then follows with a chin-on-wrist in a bucket pose.
Editing shown: Yes
See how Karen prepares her clients for their maternity sessions, how she creates the gowns and wardrobe for her clients and chooses backdrops. Watch a session to discover her posing, workflow, lighting setups, and gear used.
Editing shown: Yes
In this class, Esther will teach you how to incorporate sets into your maternity workflow and how to introduce them to client.
Editing shown: Yes
Go behind-the-scenes with Marta as she walks you through her posing + lighting process for creating incredibly powerful maternity portraits clients love.
In this class, discover how to prepare your props for the best angles, how to safely place the baby in props (wrapped) for the best shooting angles, and proper lighting (for each shooting angle).
In this class, Josie and Kristina will guide you through the psychology of sales so you can gain a better understanding of how to create an in-person sales experience that feels good to you, serves your client and boosts sales. If you've been wanting to make the transition to in-person sales this is the class for you!
Learn how to design a luxury experience for your newborn clients. Lindsay will guide you through her client experience from beginning to end including the small details that matter most to the luxury client, how to address their potential pain points and the workflow she's created that guarantees a sales averages of $5-6k per client.
In this action-packed class, Erin and Anja will guide you through..
* Setting up a foolproof business model
* Pricing structures and how to find what works for your business
* Marketing for projected income
* Finding and retaining the right client base
* How to maintain a work/ life balance
Discover how to create stunning fine-art maternity images using multiple different light set-ups in studio. Go behind-the-scenes with Nicole to see how she lights, styles and poses both momas and couples in studio.
Editing shown: Yes
In this class, Kelsey will teach you how to come up with an awesome eye-catching prop setup and how to wrap babies for prop shots.
Editing shown: Yes
Come behind-the-scenes with Sissi on a twin newborn sessions to learn how to achieve a full gallery using a table workflow.
Editing shown: Yes
By the end of this class, you'll know how to confidently create timeless, minimally styled newborn images.
You'll also learn how to streamline your session workflow for a smooth, stress-free experience for both clients and babies, as well as learn Kristina's editing techniques that enhance the simplicity of the images.
Editing shown: Yes
Newborn sessions don’t always have to be just about the baby… by heavily involving Mom & Dad, you can capture incredible, timeless images that the baby can look back on throughout the years as they grow.
In this class, Natasha will be showing you how to pose and light correctly to make beautiful photographs that are impactful to anyone who sees them.
Editing show: Yes
Learn how to work with beautiful natural light and truly appreciate its beauty. Natalya will share her secrets of soothing fussy babies and making the most of each session. You'll also learn how to incorporate parents into the photos, even if they prefer not to be photographed.
Editing show: Yes
Students will learn how to utilize natural light in smaller homes with minimal windows. Lucy will walk you through at least 5 types of lighting techniques with just one window source, and posing and compositional techniques for small spaces.
Editing shown: Yes
Join Olguta for an outdoor session to learn how to create dramatic and visually interesting images when shooting in nature. Then watch her transform an image using Generative Fill.
Editing shown: Yes
Think maternity sessions need to be complicated? Think again! In this class, Karli will walk you through a maternity session using one light, one silk and one backdrop. Discover the beauty you can achieve with minimal items.
Editing shown: Yes
Newborn Retreat
2025 {online}
Get every lesson from every instructor—
ready with the click of a mouse any time you want to watch.
Prioritize what sounds interesting & exciting to you, move on to other tutorials when you’re ready for more.
While teacher threads are closed to new questions, the group is open until the 2026 event starts. It's a safe + drama free place to grow!
Student, ~Photography by Layal
"Milky Way retreat is a game changer, definitely signing up every year."
This for you if:
is
you love learning new techniques
YOu're excited to evolve your craft
you're ready to grow as an artist
It's probably for you if...
not
You're looking to become a Direct copycat
YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO try new things
YOU'RE Stuck on ONe way of doing things
"I’ve been in business almost 10 years and it’s amazing how much I still learn from these retreats.
From posing tips to editing styles and everything in between."
— Amy, Repeat Retreater
BONUS ALERT!
When you sign up for the retreat, you'll also gain access to the Wrap-a-thon videos where I share 5 unique newborn wrapping styles.
ENROLL NOW →
Feel more confident and inspired in your work.
Discover new techniques to elevate your art.
Understand how to take your images from good to 'wow'
Learn ways to speed up your session workflow.
ENROLL NOW →
When I first got started, I 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 why I created our online retreats, where you can learn on YOUR schedule - all from the comfort of home.
Over 28,700 students have experienced our online retreats + classes...
Will you be next?
You *could* pay a similar price for just ONE in-depth lesson …
Or, you can enjoy 21 ah-mazing classes that you can
revisit time & again as you need it in your business!
And with such a wide variety of talent joining us this year to teach, we don’t just get to witness how one person works; we get to see the process from a variety of different photographers.
Because there isn't just ONE way to do things
(and for that I'm grateful!)
Newborn Retreat
2025 {online}
Mastering your craft and elevating your art
Staying on top of current trends and pushing your artistic edge
Attracting your dream clients and sessions that truly light you up.
Streamlining your session workflow to free up time and ensure a consistent experience for clients
Playing around with creative set design and new editing techniques to fuel your artistic vision
Feeling inspired and excited to pick up your camera
Enroll Now →
Do I HAVE to be online at a certain time?
No. You have lifetime access (plus you can download them to watch on the go!)
Can I download the videos?
Yes! Once your retreat experience has been paid in full (for those on the payment plan), you can download the videos so you have them for life. You'll also enjoy lifetime access to the videos on our member site.
Have another question? Email us at lisa@themilkyway.ca
ENROLL NOW →
*Is there a Facebook community for the retreat?
We'll be hosting a bonus Facebook group. Please note, this pop-up community is a bonus - not a paid part of the Newborn Retreat experience. To participate, there is a set of community guidelines to follow (basically - be awesome!), but those who are not awesome, will be asked to leave. Teachers threads are now closed for new questions - but you can still see past Q&As The group will be archived before the 2026 retreat gets underway.
Does this have captions? And/or subtitles?
Videos will have English captions.
How long are the videos?
Teacher videos will range from 30-60 minutes. Some will be video footage of the instructor in action showing specific posing and lighting techniques, while other topics will be presented in a slideshow or screen share format.
Is this professionally filmed?
Nope! In fact, each presenter will be creating/filming their own presentation which might be a slideshow presentation, a video of them in their office, studio or on location showing you a session, or a screen share where you can watch them edit.
How does the payment plan work?
If you opt for the payment plan, your first payment comes out at registration with following payments coming out automatically every 30 days. (using the same payment method as you used at sign-up).
You will have access to the retreat experience right away - however, the download links will not be activated until the final payment has been made.
Do you have a money-back guarantee?
Tickets are non-refundable. Just like an in-person conference, you go in knowing there are some sessions you are going to love and some that might not feel applicable to you. At the end of the day, you need to decide what you are looking for and if the sessions described fit what you need! You will have access to the retreat experience right away - however, the download links will not be activated until the final payment has been made.
Is there tax added?
If you have the good fortune of living in Canada, then yes, there will be GST and/or HST charged. If your business is registered, it is more of a 'paper shuffle' with the CRA vs added cost. If you don't have a business tax ID, we know tax can seem like a bummer, but think of all the wonderful things it provides....free healthcare tops our list!