When my client first contacted me she said she was looking for a newborn session with a focus on mostly natural images. Because she already had a toddler, she wanted to schedule the session in the comfort of her own home. I knew right away that she was the right client for me because the goal of my newborn sessions is to always capture phots that appear natural and organic. I was thrilled when she decided to book the in home session.

On the day of the session, when I first arrived to her beautiful home, I was thrilled to see the abundance of natural light she had available. This allowed me to capture images in numerous locations of her home. I like to do this because it makes each session unique and personal. I especially love to photograph families in the baby’s nursery, living room, and master bedroom. All of these locations are areas in which you spend the most time as a family, so it is important to document them. Although most of what I focus on during this type of session is the family interacting with baby, I do make sure to capture some polished portraits of baby during my newborn sessions, whether it be in the studio or in the home. These are perfect for hanging on walls, gifting to family members and using for birth announcements.

I absolutely love in home lifestyle newborn sessions. These sessions are the most natural and organic way to capture those first moments with your baby. I capture you and your family interacting with baby, but I also make sure I get a few polished portraits of baby for you to use for birth announcements and to hang on your walls. I have found that most families really appreciate and value those images of them with baby so much more than the posed mages I provide.

I often get asked by clients, what can I do to prepare for this session and what can I expect? So, I decided to write a blog post in which I will answer those questions.

Did you know that you schedule a session for family portraits right in your own home? My style of photography is not really about the location, but rather, centered on capturing you having fun with your children. Your home is the perfect location because your children will feel at ease, you don’t have to waste time traveling and it allows me to capture your family authentically.

I was elated when this mom contacted me and said she wanted to schedule a lifestyle session in her Garden City home. The goal of her session was to capture her family playing in the yard in which they spend much of their time. These types of moments are exactly what I like to capture for families.

I had the pleasure of kicking off my Memorial Day weekend photographing this beautiful family, who recently welcomed baby number three into their family. Big brother and sister are active toddlers, both under the age of four, so mom wanted an in home session. The in home newborn session is perfect for any family; however, for families who have active young children, having baby photographed in the comfort of the client’s home will alleviate much of the pressure and stress of this type of session and will also help facilitate more natural and organic images.

Newborn sessions tend to take a long time to photograph, especially with larger families. Even though my studio is equipped to handle families with children, I find that when toddlers are in their own home, they tend to be more relaxed. When I photograph in the client’s home, I can give the children numerous breaks throughout the session. I do this in my studio too, but in a home, they can truly step away from the photographs, which provides them with the opportunity to recharge. Most of the time, they go to another room and either have a snack or play a game. When they return from their break, they are ready to smile for the camera.

Oh, how I wish more women would schedule maternity photo sessions during their pregnancy. The beauty of an expecting mother is simply unsurpassed. Sadly, so many women do not see themselves as beautiful during this momentous time in life. Many women tell me that they just don't feel their best during their pregnancy and, consequently, refuse to be in photos during those nine months. I completely understand and I too felt this way about myself during both of my pregnancies. Although I did not shy away from the camera and took monthly photos of my bump, I never scheduled a photo session with a photographer and I still regret it to this day because I don't have anything that really captures how special and miraculous that time was and believe it or not, I often miss being pregnant. 

Those of you who follow me know that I often stress the importance of having your family photos taken. I don’t say this only because I want you to hire me, but I say it because I truly believe it. Our children grow so quickly and as they do, the nature of our family evolves as well. It is is important to document that change for your children and for yourself. Even though I take tons of professional images of my children, there are very few that show the dynamic of our family interacting as a whole and even fewer that include me, which is why I hire a photographer annually to capture our family.

As many of you know, I offer mother and child sessions each year. These are my favorite sessions to offer because I personally know how hard it is to get out from behind our cameras and get into those photos with our children. As mothers, one of our many roles is to be the documentarian for the family and, consequently, we become an invisible presence in the annals of our children’s lives. I offer the motherhood sessions because I want every mom to have an opportunity to be photographed with her children. I know that having photos taken of you with your children is something you will never regret doing and years from now, you and your children will both be thankful to have these photos. After all, they are only little once.

I recently photographed a beautiful baby boy in my Long Beach studio for his newborn photos. This little man happens to share the same birth date as my eldest daughter. Now, I know some people fear that the holidays can overshadow December birthdays, but as a parent of a child born in this special month, I actually think it just enhances the festive spirit of the birthday celebrations. When mom booked the session, I knew I had to incorporate something to commemorate Christmas. I found an adorable handmade knit Santa suit to use and I just love the sweet images I captured of him seeping in the suit.

When my client first contacted me a few months ago, she was uncertain as to whether she wanted to book a studio session or an in home session. Last minute, she decided to go with the in home session and, of course, I was thrilled to be able to document her first moments home with her baby in the comfort of her gorgeous Babylon home.

The in home session is the most natural of all of the newborn sessions I offer. It is the perfect session for new moms because I come to you and it alleviates the stress of getting out of the house with a newborn. Furthermore, most clients feel more like themselves and at ease in the comfort of their own home, thus allowing me to capture the most natural images possible.

Many times when clients first contact me about photographing their new baby, they are uncertain whether they want to book a studio session or an in home session. I offer both options and I love both types of sessions for different reasons.  

The in home session is the most natural of all of the newborn sessions I offer.  It takes place in your home and because every client's home is unique, the images will encapsulate their individual style and personality. When lighting allows, I try to incorporate the master bedroom, living room, and even the nursery for the photos of your baby. As moms, we work hard to create a beautiful home for our family and homes make the most unique and beautiful backdrops for newborn images.    

When I was pregnant with both of my girls, I had to find out the gender before they arrived. I am a planner by nature and the thought of waiting nine months to discover the gender of my baby always seemed daunting to me. In retrospect, I wish I had the patience to wait it out. Although I will not be having any more babies, I am able to share in the excitement of my clients, most of whom are patient and discover the sex of their baby at birth. 

I have been busy in March and April photographing expanding families and their newborns. It has been great getting to know each family and I am always honored to capture these moments for them.  I am so very happy that most of my clients are opting for family newborn sessions. I feel it is so important that in addition to portraits of your baby, you capture those sweet moments that encapsulate the first few days home with him.  

I have been absent from social media lately because I was away on my annual family vacation to the Florida Keys and Disney. I love our vacations for a multitude of reasons; not only do we get to escape the cold of winter, but it allows us a time to unplug from technology and our jobs and focus solely on our children and each other. It is so important to have this family bonding time and I treasure every second of these days.

Now that the rush of the holiday season is over, I can catch up on my personal photography projects, which includes documenting my children. My approach to my own family photography is a lifestyle and documentary approach.  This is my favorite way to photograph a family, as it will capture the most personal and authentic images. I love capturing little moments and details that seem so mundane, but I know years from now will be priceless. 

When I launched the newborn segment of my business two years ago, I gravitated towards the lifestyle genre of photography. I wanted to make the process of newborn images stress free for my clients.  My goal was to capture images for them that preserve all of those emotions that come along with bringing a baby home.   

5 Reasons why you should book an in home newborn session