Newborn lifestyle session guide

HI! Congratulations on your brand new baby! Thank you for the privilege of photographing your little miracle. I am honored to work with your family during this special time. An in-home newborn photo session perfectly captures your family, your newborn & your home

Below you will find helpful information that will make your session a success.

I absolutely LOVE in-home sessions, SO MUCH! I love them because they get to showcase your brand-new family member in the comfort of their own home with their parents, siblings, and pets! Babes change SO MUCH in those first few weeks, so I love being able to capture that brand new goodness.
In-home newborn sessions are unique to each family. They tell your story, from the comfort of your home. No rush getting everyone out the door, making sure the diaper bag is packed, and baby is strapped in the car seat. It is supposed to be less stress and more wholesome for the family
In-home newborn sessions are my absolute favorite to shoot. There is little to no posing. From diaper changes to feedings to lounging on the couch, I document it all!
BABY RUNS THE SHOW! We will follow babies cues throughout the session! We will do what is best for baby to get the best photos of baby! If that means mom or dad hold baby the whole session that's what we will do!!
The best time for in-home sessions is during daylight hours, usually in the morning (starting your session between 9am - 1pm usually gives the best light and happiest babe!). I realize sometimes with big siblings/family members this time frame is not always possible, but I will do my best to work with whatever time works for your family and babe.
I LOVE natural light, and I love capturing your new babe and family in the natural light in your house!! We will be embracing what your home has to offer. Working with the amazing natural light (open up those window blinds!), turning off the overhead lights and taking advantage of the natural brightness as much as possible (another reason why I like doing these sessions during the bright part of the day). Even on the cloudiest (and even rainiest too!) days, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how much the outside light comes in to give you the best possible pictures!
If the natural light is not sufficient enough, I will use my flash at a very low power to bounce off of the ceiling to add just enough light to illuminate you all in your space.

Things to Do before Your Session

A few Days before your session

A few days before your session pick out outfits! I tell moms to pick their outfit first and build others outfits around that. I do encourage moms to wear something comfortable and flowy so as not constricting on their fresh postpartum body. Comfort is so important, and simple is best! Remember the warmer the colors you wear the warmer the photos will be! I like to encourage my families to Keep colors neutral but don’t be afraid to add a little bit of color! Whites, creams, grey, browns and subdued colors always photograph the best( deep greens, rust, etc). Try and avoid bright and bold colors (neons), super dark colors like black and big patterns and shirts with large logos on them because all that can take away from the overall feel and look of your images. We want the focus to be on you and your little one, not what your shirt said. Same rules apply to siblings. Try and avoid clothing with characters, sequins and neons. But of course, wear whatever makes you happy, those are just my suggestions! As far as baby goes have a few outfits you would like baby to wear! I will also bring a few wraps/ props for baby!

The Day of!

Prepare your older kids with laid-back, low-key references to let them know what’s happening. Tell them you will be “hanging out with our friend Hannah on Saturday!” and keep things fun, lighthearted, and casual. Tell them that we are going to take pictures of them with their new baby! Families have shared that this tip is especially helpful if they have a particularly shy child.

Also, if there is anything special you would like incorporated into your session ( special blanket, stuffed animal, heirloom ,etc. Please have that out and ready!

A few minutes Before I arrive!

We want full bellies!! This goes for baby, siblings, mom and dad! Please make sure everyone has had something to eat! Toddlers always do better when they have full bellies as well as your newborn! Try and feed baby shortly before your session time. This ensures baby has a full belly and will hopefully be happy and cooperative for pics! If you would like any feeding/nursing pictures, we absolutely can do this at the beginning of the session, middle or end just depending on what baby needs.

Where will the photos be taken?

Please remember and note that I DO NOT CARE IF YOUR HOUSE IS CLEAN!!! You just had a baby!! I do not expect you or want you to spend hours cleaning your house before I arrive! I've had three babies myself and I know those first few weeks after bringing home a new baby is an adjustment!

With that being said I Usually use three main areas in your house! If I see something that I think will be an eyesore in your photos I will ask you if I can move it/rearrange a little or we will just find a new spot! I am flexible and good at shooting around things! Here are the main areas we will take your photos!

Your living Area

We will get a few adorable shots of the whole family snuggled up on the couch, or sitting in front of the couch! We will do a mix of family shots, sibling shots, and depending on how baby is doing will get a few individual shots of baby also!! Living rooms usually let in the best light so if this is the case in your house I will also do some photos of baby in a basket here! I would make sure that your couch is cleared off! Pillows and blankets are great to add depth and texture to your photos! Also, keep in mind that they are pillows and blankets that are esthetically pleasing to you!

The Master bedroom

Some people might find it weird to do pictures on the parents bed. But let me assure you these are usually the FAVORITES of the session! Again you guys get to get cozy, get the whole family snuggled together! If you have a solid colored comforter/duvet/quilt I would recommend putting that on for you session!

Babies Nursery

The Sweet, Sweet Nursery!! Love doing pictures in the babies room! Love that it helps document this phase of baby! I will get pictures with baby in their crib. If there is a rocking chair in babies room I will get pictures with mom and dad rocking baby! And MOM if you want to document nursing your sweet baby! I LOVE getting photos of moms nursing their babies, so this would be the time to do that ( or we can do this if baby gets fussy and hungry during their session)! Same goes for bottle feeding your sweet baby love to document feeding time!

What to expect at your in home session

Since this is a lifestyle, very heavy on the candid and documentary nature of a session. You can absolutely round up your own items to incorporate into photos, such as your own swaddles, hats, basket, headbands, outfits, etc… for baby. Outfit/blanket changes are absolutely okay and I love when we get some variety of pictures of baby in different outfits and blankets! With that being said I will also provide a few different props for baby! I will have a basket, wraps, bows and a stuffed animal we can use if you would like!
What types of pictures will I take? I cannot emphasize enough the lifestyle nature of this session: it is super heavy on the candid's and truly just capturing your new life at home with your newest family member! We will do lots and lots of candid pics to really get some genuine smiles and laughs and all of that with babe. These are my favorite — they really capture all of the wonderful (and range of!!) emotions going on at this new stage of your life.
Again THE BABY IS THE BOSS! We will follow babies cues and plan the session around baby!!
When I arrive!
- Once I get to your home I will bring in my things ( there will be a lot). Then I will wash my hands and we will get started! We will follow babies cues. I usually start with basket photos( please have baby in an outfit you would like some photos in to start and then we will move to wraps) and then depending on how baby likes it we will either do ones with mom and dad holding baby or go to more posed photos with just baby. I do mostly lifestyle photos meaning I pose baby naturally. I will use the couch, baskets, bed and crib for different areas. Again, baby runs the show, we can stop if baby needs to eat again or just needs some snuggles.
- Its important for me to reassure you, that if you don’t want me touching baby a ton I can prompt you throughout on how to wrap baby and how to place baby. I understand being a mom and not always feeling comfortable with some one else holding and moving your baby around especially if this is our first time meeting! I promise you, you will not hurt my feelings at all! On the other hand, if you feel comfortable with me holding, wrapping, moving baby around I'm more than happy to take baby for a few minutes while we take some pictures and you can take a moment to rest! Overall want you to feel comfortable and what ever your preference is with your Baby is great with me!

After your session!

After your session, your work is almost done! You can let your hair down, put your feet up, and relax a little bit.

After your session, I will be working hard behind the scenes to cull the best photos (eliminating duplicates, blurs, and blinks) Your gallery is typically ready within 4 weeks of your session.
Depending on your package, you will be able to download your favorite images or all the photos in your final gallery.
Once you've downloaded your images, you can order your favorite images through me and get gorgeous professional prints, canvases, wall art, and photo books! You are also welcome to print photos on your own as well!