Preparing For Your In-Home Newborn Session.

What To Expect - Home Sessions

Lifestyle newborn sessions are all about family - capturing everyone together in a natural, relaxed way while highlighting all those sweet little newborn details. We photograph the whole family as a group, get individual moments with baby, and happily include pets or other loved ones who want to be part of the session.

Your comfort and safety matter to us. We're happy to wear a mask during your session if you'd prefer, and we stay current on our Tdap (whooping cough) vaccine. If anyone in our household isn't feeling well before your session, we'll let you know right away and reschedule until everyone is healthy.

Best Time to Capture Newborns

We find the sweet spot for home sessions is 10-14 days old. Baby is still sleepy and able to be swaddled, but not as startled by every little sound and movement as when they are first born. Additionally, you are a little more settled into life with baby by this time (you need at least a few days home before we do photos). If your session happens to fall after 14 days, not to worry - we can still get beautiful photos of your family!

What I Bring

IN-HOME SIGNATURE SESSIONS (1.5-2 HOUR SESSION)

I'll bring small lighting to brighten your space as needed, along with all my photography equipment. I also bring a large basket to capture a few sweet solo photos of baby on their own. If you'd like, I'm happy to bring a small selection of simple newborn outfits - just let me know ahead of time so I can be sure to pack them for you. For this session, baby will stay in one outfit throughout, and we keep things simple with no swaddling.

We encourage you to dress your little one in an outfit you already own and love. Baby will spend most of the session snuggled in your arms, since the heart of this session is capturing those precious moments of baby with family, along with all the tiny, sweet details as they sleep peacefully in your embrace.

IN-HOME HEIRLOOM SESSIONS (2-3 HOUR SESSION)

For this session, I will bring a curated selection of props that photograph beautifully - baskets, swaddles, outfits, bonnets, bows, etc. We'll capture baby swaddled and posed solo in a basket, along with natural lifestyle photos of baby with family. Every family member gets one-on-one time for solo photos with baby, plus a group shot with everyone together. If siblings are part of the session, we photograph them first while baby is happiest and most settled.

* All of my items are freshly laundered and I use a gentle detergent that is appropriate for babies and we have a smoke-free home. We do have a dog but I am careful to keep our dog away from newborn items. If any of your family members have a pet allergy, please let me know and we can discuss other options for props.

Prepare your home

I will choose 1 or 2 rooms ONLY in your home with good natural lighting and a nice aesthetic. I look for rooms with good natural light (lots of windows but no direct sunlight), and prefer warm or light-colored furniture. I'll bring small lighting in case it's needed. When I first arrive, I will ask to see the areas of the home you are thinking of using. If I feel they will not work, I will make recommendations for other areas of the home to use. For our heirloom sessions (our longer sessions), please prepare 2-3 spaces in your home.

Typical rooms used are a living room, master bedroom, and/or the baby's nursery. We will NOT use every room in your home. In the weeks/days leading up to your session, look around your home and pick 1-2 of these above listed spaces and only make those spaces ready for us. Remove any knick-knacks you would not want to be seen in photos (picture frames, tissue boxes, lotions, etc). Greenery and flowers are beautiful in photos so you can add flowers or green plants into the space if you have them available. We typically gravitate towards windows as that is where beautiful light comes from (but with no direct harsh sun beams coming in). Without light, great photos do not exist, so look for areas of your home that have beautiful windows and nice furniture.

If you look at our NEWBORN portfolio page, you will see how often windows and doors are incorporated into our photos. Remember, without great light, great photos can’t exist!

Wardrobe + Makeup

Keep wardrobe simple and neutral to avoid distracting from your baby. Colors like grey, white, cream, navy, and light pastels photograph well. Avoid strong patterns and bright colors. Please avoid large logos. Please be completely dressed and makeup done when we arrive for your session.

WARDROBE WOMEN - a long flowing dress is very pretty for newborn photos and can help hide any of those uncomfortable parts of just having a baby. If you would like further guidance selecting the right outfit to wear, please reach out. We are happy to help you select something you will love.

WARDROBE MEN - a solid shirt with a collar and nice slacks works great. If you are more of a t-shirt and jeans type of guy, that works too. Just please no logos or stripes.

NAILS FOR FAMILY - Make sure your nails are neatly manicured, as hands will be in some photos (this applies for all family members). A natural polish or bare nails is fine for adults. PLEASE NOTE: I do take detail photos of your baby’s hands. If possible, try to trim their nails to make for a prettier photo. We like Frida Baby tools, the electric trimmer is great for those a little more hesitant with nail clippings, and the Snipper Clippers are great for those a little more comfortable with clipping newborn nails. We still use the snipper clippers for our 5 year old daughter, they are great clippers that have a guard that prevent you from clipping their fingers.

MAKEUP: Please have your makeup and hair done when we arrive. If it usually takes you 30 minutes, add 15-30 extra minutes to get ready. Use this time to pamper yourself—you deserve it as a parent of a newborn!

30 -60 Minutes Before Your session

Please feed and burp baby right before our session. This will ensure a happy and sleepy baby. We can take as many breaks as needed to refuel.

Have a pacifier or two and some extra milk or formula ready. I may use a bottle or pacifier to help soothe the baby and get them sleepy.

Tell any siblings that someone fun is coming over to take their picture. Small, bite sized snacks for younger children to nibble on can be very helpful to keep kiddos happy if they start getting cranky. Feel free to offer bribes for good behavior, you have my full support!

Prepare Your Mind

Too often have we photographed couples or families that argue through the shoot, picking at each other’s flaws. This makes for a very uncomfortable photoshoot process (for all parties involved). As best as you can, try to let go of any stress (and exhaustion) you have felt from the day and enjoy the fact that you are creating photographs you can cherish the rest of your lives! The moment you relax and just let the experience unfold is when the magic happens.

We can’t wait to meet you and create beautiful heirloom photos for your family!