It took me a few years to find my way with newborn photography. Baskets, props, tutus, and uber-posed baby portraiture were just not… well, me. I almost gave up on offering newborn photography. When I discovered lifestyle portrait sessions, I found a way to incorporate my love of natural, simple, beautiful moments and the fulfillment that comes along with photographing joyful emotions.
Those real moments – that’s what I’m passionate about, and my goal during every newborn session is to give you real memories to hold onto… What your baby was like as a little newborn, how you were as a new parent, the wonder, awe, and new family experiences. Your session is meant to document all those beautiful things. Now that I’ve become a mom, I know how absolutely precious and fleeting those tiny newborn days are!
What is it?
It’s in your home, and it’s an intimate portrait session with you, your partner and your new little one. For the setting, we use your bedroom, nursery, living room, etc. It’s about documenting this new life, new addition, new family. It’s about simplicity, light, and love in its purest form.
In most cases, you want to do a newborn shoot 6-10 days after the baby’s birth (the sooner the better). The littler they are, the better chance that they will still be sleepier, calmer and more comfortable.
It takes time – most newborn sessions need to be two hours due to having to feed, change, calm and cuddle in between poses and locations. Babies will not be told what to do, haha! Many times, we just go with the flow and accommodate their needs throughout the shoot.
A home with lots of bright, natural light and modern furnishings is what really makes these sessions look amazing! If your home doesn’t seem to have lots of light, you might be better off with a studio newborn session and I can always recommend a studio for you.
This session does not include your typical “baby in a basket”, propped up on a bean bag, super-posed type of shots. If you’d like that type of shoot, lifestyle newborn portraiture may not be for you and I’m happy to recommend a photographer who specializes in that!
Here are a few tips and pointers to prepare for your lifestyle newborn shoot:
- Before I arrive, make sure you keep the house nice and warm and open up all the blinds prior to the shoot. We don’t want any cool air hitting the baby when he/she is sleepy.
- We will probably use your nursery, living room and bedroom if there is nice natural light, so make the bed and tidy up the surrounding area that morning.
- Grab your plain white/neutral onesies and set them out. And if you have special or sentimental swaddle cloths, blankets, quilts, or other things you like that are simple and neutral/pastel, you can grab those too. We won’t be using full outfits as we want to keep it timeless, simple and natural.
- Plan on feeding the baby right before I arrive so we can make he/she all comfy and cozy and easy to pose. (Of course, if the baby needs to eat, do what you need to do – we also want to avoid upsetting them.) When I arrive, I’ll take a look around your house and then we’ll get going!
- You will probably have to feed the baby halfway through again if he/she wakes up or gets uncomfortable.
- For parents, I recommend coordinating your outfits in soft, cozy materials that are more neutral. You don’t have to be super matching, but think fresh/clean/simple. If you want to get some inspiration for clothes for you as well as for the baby, check out my Pinterest newborn inspiration board.
