So, you’ve decided that in home lifestyle newborn is right for you- you love how natural and organic it feels to be home, in your own space, and excited to have these memories in your home captured. While studio sessions are great, you love the raw emotions that an in home session captures. Great! You have come to the right place! Here are some thing that can help you prepare you and your home into a great backdrop for this type of photo session.

First and most important, light! Consider the rooms that you would want to have photographed…nursery, living room and master are the main rooms that I found that in home sessions are photographed in. If these rooms have small, tiny or limited windows, and they are dark….an in-home newborn might not be right for those rooms. Try and find the most well lit space in your home. Natural light is the most important part of making the session feel organic, so this is key. While we can use flash, flash gives of a more staged look to photographs, not natural. We prefer not to use it if we don’t have to.

Consider the style of your home! Older homes are amazing and I personally love them but they can hinder the look and color of your photographs. If you have a lot of dark wood, smaller rooms and dark walls your home may not photograph as well as one with an open floor plan and neutral, lighter walls. If your house is older and you have your heart set on an in home session, consider sending me a picture or two of each space that you are considering to see if it would work for the session that you envision. Remember, photographers do see things differently then non photographers. I know that sounds crazy, but you should see the spaces that we photograph in and the end result, past clients can attest to this.

Clothes. We do have a great selection of wraps and baskets for newborn sessions at the studio. I am limited however to what I an able to bring to your home so if you have a color scheme in mind and would like a certain color, just let us know and we can surely bring those with us. Do remember that you chose an income session for the more lifestyle and organic look so you can have the newborn in clothes that you would normally have them in, like a simple white onesies. I have to admit, seeing a newborn a white onesie, even the one from the hospital is one of the greatest looks. Fresh, clean….simple. A memory for you, that what this is all about. As for the parents outfits, stick with the neutrals, white, grey, black, beige. Jeans, khakis for dad are always a great option. Ive highlighted some for both mom and dad in my Pinterest board which you can find here or my personal favorite is let me create a style guide for you so that you know where to purchase items that will look killer together.

Time. The timing of the sessions is based off the baby however we have found that mid morning tends to be a sweet spot for newborns up to 3 weeks. Let’s be real, they tend to be up all night and sleep during the day, unless you have a god-sent baby, this is normally the case. Around 10:30 is a great time to have the session, the sun is not harshly coming in and it isn’t too early for mom and dad. Just like an in studio newborn session, babies should be fed just before we arrive or should be just finishing a meal. This allows for them to remain “milk drunk” and their happiest and sleepiest while we are shooting. We will allow for nursing or another feeding in the middle of the session before an outfit change and/or after the family part of the session is complete

Being that we are all about that natural light, so what has better natural light than the outdoors. If it is a nice day out, don’t be alarmed if we ask to go outdoors during the session. We can get some great family shots outdoors and that may be a great option for you. In the backyard, in front of your home or even on the side of the house will give you a different look and possible show off a outfit change for you and the baby. Bonnets, hats, baby shoes, baby wearing…all great options for the outdoors! Outdoor newborns are becoming more and more popular and you’d be surprised with what photographers can do with goods subject and a simple chair.

Lastly, lets just say it, he most dreaded word for a new mom, cleaning! I mean, c’mon, let’s be honest, you just had a baby. The last thing that you want to do is clean your house and prepare to have a photographer come over just days after. I can promise you, i’ve been there. I’m not judging you or how your home looks. This is the last thing on my mind when entering your home. My main goal is getting to the light and making beautiful photographs for you and your family. My newborn session my house was a hot mess! But, I did have my husband straighten up the rooms that we were going to be in clear them of all the clutter. Of course, I have zero issue coming in and moving things with your permission of course. I may do that even if you don’t have any clutter or distractions to get the best option for your photos. Remember, light, so try and minimize closer to the windows in the rooms that you want photographed if anything. We can work in small spaces if needed.

Most important, your home does not, I repeat, does not need to be perfect. Your family doesn’t need to be perfect, but you can do some simple things to make the setting for this session the perfect natural backdrop for an in home newborn pictures that does highlight this exciting and sweet time in your lives.

Check out the other in home lifestyle newborn shoots that are on the blog