How to Prepare for an In Home Newborn Session

In home newborn lifestyle sessions are perfect for any family. These sessions allow a photographer the opportunity to capture a real and intimate look at your family during this precious time. Lifestyle photography captures those first snuggles, the itty bitty baby bits, and all the emotion and love of that special and fleeting time in your life. Having these images is priceless, as it will allow you to relive these special moments each and every time you look at the images.

Capturing newborn photos in the comfort of your home allows for parents to have all the standard everyday resources they might need during a session, which will in turn make everyone feel more comfortable and relaxed. The photos are so organic and timeless. They will cpatrue ife as it truly is with a baby. Whether it’s your dog checking in on their new sibling in the crib, or parents rocking baby to sleep in that chair that they’ll be spending SO many sleepless nights in, the session will truly reflect this wonderful and a little crazy time in life. 

The only downfall of welcoming a photographer into your home just days or weeks after the birth of your new baby is that it can feel a bit overwhelming, but it shouldn’t. There are a few things you can do prior to your newborn session to prepare for the photoshoot to allow for everything to run smoothly. No need to go overboard! You probably don’t have the time or energy for a full overhaul of your home! These tips will go a long way.

1.    DE-CLUTTER – Your home does NOT have to be perfect. I promise. It’s your home and it’s supposed to look lived in. You can focus on de-cluttering your home, which means just tidying up a bit and basically putting stuff in the room where it belongs and toss the rest in a closet until I leave. This includes allll the extra burp rags, the breast pump, and extra pacifiers laying everywhere!

2.    LET THERE BE LIGHT – Let the natural light pour through the windows! I typically shoot a good portion of the session in the living room, nursery, and aster bedroom. It is best to have the curtains wide open and the shades up to let in natural light. Go ahead and turn off ALL the lights and lamps in these rooms as well. It might seem dark, but my camera can do magical things that the lights will ruin later on.

3.    GET YOUR OUTFITS READY…AND A BACKUP – If you are working with me, odds are we already squared this away. I help my clients plan the entire family’s wardrobe prior to delivery and I bring along the dresses for moms to wear and all of the outfits an swaddles for the baby. If you are working with someone else, choose garments in soft neautral tones to avoid color casts on the baby.  You also want to choose colors that work well with your home and your photographers editing style. Make sure you have a solid outfit ready for baby (a white onesie or muslin swaddle is always a great option) and perhaps a second outfit that shows a bit more personality. Make sure you have backups on hand for both you and baby! Unexpected blowouts or a big spit up might happen.

4.    PREP THE CRIB – I encourage either a white or neutral crib sheet, so if you don’t own one, perhaps pick up one for $10 at Target beforehand! Crib sheets with too much color will reflect onto baby’s face, casting a colorful shadow that’s challenging to edit out later on. Too much pattern on the crib sheet will also distract from your baby in the photos, so keep it pretty simple. You’ll thank me later for this tip!

5.    GET EVERYONE FED AND HAPPY BEFORE I ARRIVE – Start feeding your baby 20 minutes prior to my arrival, diaper change, then into their outfit last. Be prepared to do bonus small feedings if baby gets fussy! If you have an older sibling in the family, set them up with a snack and maybe one of their favorite movies or activities before I arrive. This will keep them distracted at the beginning part of the shoot. It will keep the shoot relaxed and focused on baby (at least for part of the shoot!). Then we can welcome in the older sibling(s) after we get the shots we need of the new bundle!

The following are some more photos from this recent Long Island in home newborn session. This house had an abundance of light in the living room, but we were still able to capture some moody images in the bedroom too. Every home is unique and that is what makes this session so great. No two families are alike ad no two session will be alike.

I hope this helps to shed some light on how to prepare for your in home session. If you are interested in scheduling a newborn session in your home, contact me.

I hope this helps to shed some light on how to prepare for your in home session. If you are interested in scheduling a newborn session in your home, contact me.