One membership. Three sessions. A complete record of the most extraordinary year of your baby's life.
The First Year Storybook
The newborn days are just the beginning.
There's the moment they first find your eyes. The wobbly, triumphant sit. The messy, joyful smash of a first birthday cake. Each stage arrives quietly and passes quickly — and before you know it, you're wondering where the year went.
The First Year Storybook was created for the family who doesn't want to wonder. It's a membership designed to document your baby's entire first year — intentionally, beautifully, and with the same trusted photographer at every stage.
The First Year Storybook is an exclusive membership at Jennifer Brandes Photography designed for the busy mother who wants a seamless, full-service way to preserve her family’s legacy. Since 2010, I have helped South Central Minnesota families capture each stage before it quietly becomes the next one.
At each session, you'll choose your collection - LEGACY or KEEPSAKE - based on what feels right for that stage of your baby's first year. There's no pressure to choose the same collection every time. Some stages call for every single image. Others are perfectly captured in fifteen.
Chapter 3: The First Birthday Celebration
A celebration of a year well-loved. Whether you prefer a classic portrait or a joyful cake smash, we conclude your Storybook with a session that honors how much your little one has grown.
Chapter 2: The "Sitter" Milestone
Around 6 to 8 months, your baby’s personality truly begins to shine. We capture the gummy smiles, the belly laughs, and that proud moment they begin sitting up on their own.
Chapter 1: The Newborn Session
The foundation of your story. Ideally held within the first 14 days of life, this session captures the delicate details and the brand-new bond of your expanding family. The True-to-Life style ensures these portraits remain as bold and beautiful as the day they were taken.
The Membership Fee: $550
Your $550 membership covers the session fees for all three included sessions - a combined value of $890 in session fees alone.
How the First Year Storybook Works
The membership is simple by design.
Here's what's included:
- Newborn session fee: $390
- 6-Month (or sitter) Milestone session fee: $250
- 1-Year Milestone session fee: $250
Your First Year Storybook Collections
LEGACY
per session
$990
For the stages you want to hold onto completely.
30 high-resolution digital images
$300 print credit
Completion bonus
Complimentary 12x12 Heirloom Album
($1,490 value)
KEEPSAKE
per session
$690
For the stages perfectly captured in fifteen.
15 high-resolution digital images
$150 print credit
Mix with Legacy at other sessions - but the Heirloom Album completion bonus requires Legacy at all three.
Two intentional options at each session - designed to fit where you are in this season.
Total investment - at a glance
Membership fee of $550 covers all three session fees - an $890 value. Collections are purchased separately after each gallery delivery.
Most Popular
Heirloom Album completion bonus
(all 3 sessions at Legacy)
MEMBERSHIP
$550
all three session fees
ALL LEGACY
+ Heirloom Album
$3,520
ALL KEEPSAKE
total investment
$2,620
Full gallery upgrade eligible - members only
Every First Year Storybook Member Receives
- Three intentional sessions documenting your baby's newborn days, 6-month milestone, and 1-year celebration.
- Priority scheduling at every stage - with personal reminders from Jennifer so nothing falls through the cracks
- Session fee savings of $340 compared to booking three sessions individually
- The Legacy completion bonus - a complimentary 12x12 Heirloom Album when Legacy collections are chosen at all three sessions.
Your First Year Storybook, Complete
Families who choose the Legacy collection for all three sessions will receive a gifted 12x12 Heirloom Album, thoughtfully-designed to tell the complete story of your baby's first year.
Already Booked Your Newborn Session?
The First Year Storybook is easiest to join before your newborn gallery collection purchase — but it doesn't have to be.
If you've already fallen in love with your newborn images and wish you'd known about this sooner, reach out. For just $160, you can upgrade your newborn session fee to full membership status and be grandfathered into the First Year Storybook going forward.
That $160 covers your 6-month and 1-year session fees — and opens the door to the Legacy completion bonus if you choose Legacy at your remaining two sessions.
It's never too late to make this year a complete story.
Reach Out to Upgrade →
There's something that happens when a baby sees a familiar face behind the camera.
Why the Same Photographer for Every Session Matters.
By the time we reach your 6-month session, your baby knows my studio. They've been here before — maybe not consciously, but somewhere in their little nervous system, this is a familiar, safe place. Sessions go more smoothly. Expressions come more naturally. The images feel more connected.
And for you — there's no explaining your preferences again, no re-establishing trust with someone new, no wondering if this photographer will understand your family the way the last one did.
I already know you. I already know your baby. And I already care about how this story unfolds.
That continuity is something no single session can replicate — and it's at the heart of everything The First Year Storybook is designed to be.
The First Year Storybook is for YOU if...
- You're expecting and already thinking about how fast this year will go
- You want the same trusted photographer at every stage — not a different face each time
- You believe your baby's first year deserves more than a camera roll
- You want the planning done now so you can simply show up and be present at every session
- You're the kind of parent who will look back on this year and be grateful you documented it completely
Ready to Begin?
The First Year Storybook fills quickly. If you're expecting and want to reserve your spot, reach out now. We'll get your newborn session on the calendar and your membership set up from the very beginning.
If you're already a newborn client and want to upgrade, the process is simple — just reach out and I'll take care of everything.
Either way, I'd be honored to be your family's photographer for this entire extraordinary year.
