How to Plan for Your In-Home Newborn Session

You’re having a baby!!

The first few days and weeks after welcoming your new baby are some of the sweetest. You’re in that newborn bubble, soaking in all the cuddles and taking life slowly. Whether you’re first-time parents or you’re bringing home a new baby to eager big siblings, an in-home lifestyle newborn session captures everything this season is. All the beauty, the mess, the quiet, and the chaos.

In this guide, we’ll break down some tips and ideas that will help you plan your newborn session and help it run smoothly.

Let’s start with the space.

How do I know if my home will work for a newborn session?

While we can make almost any space work, there are some things to be mindful of when saying “yes” to an in-home newborn session.

1. Natural light is essential. Does your home have to feel like a greenhouse with floor-to-ceiling windows all over the place? Lol, no. But having windows that let the light in will be important! To get those dreamy newborn photos you’ve seen in my portfolio, I prefer to turn off any lights and work with only window light. Here’s my trick to knowing if you have enough natural light in your home: Does light coming in from the windows offer enough light for you to comfortably read a book without turning on lamps or overhead lights? If so, you have enough light! If not, see if the time of day makes a difference. Do windows face east? Then you likely have the most light in that room in the morning!
   
   
2. What room(s) would you like to include in your session? For example, if you’d like to take photos in the nursery, your bedroom, and the living room, keep an eye on the time of day when sunlight pours into those rooms! Start noticing if you get golden light in the mornings or evenings or if the whole house feels the brightest mid-day.
   
   
3. Can the room(s) you want to include be relatively decluttered for the session? While you don’t have to stress too much about having a perfectly clean house (you just had a baby after all!) decluttering a few spaces for your session will help eliminate distractions in your photos. Start with the nursery: Can we hide any cords? Clear off tables? Close closet doors? In your bedroom: Can we clear off the nightstands and dressers?
   
   
   

If a lot of these answers are “no” or they start feeling overwhelming, a great alternative is to add a studio rental to your session! I have many connections with great studios in the area, many of which have beds, bassinets, baskets, and living spaces that will still feel very “lifestyle” but you’ll have the peace of mind knowing we’ll have plenty of natural light, light colored walls, and you don’t have to stress about anything 😉

What should we wear for our newborn session?

COMFY IS ALWAYS BEST.

Moms, remember that you just had a baby! Your body’s changing daily as you heal, so give yourself grace if you’re not fitting into your old jeans just yet. Pulling out the dress that was flattering all through your pregnancy or wearing maternity jeans with a flowy top is OKAY. It looks beautiful, easy, and relaxed.

LET’S TALK COLOR!

Compliment each other, don’t match each other.

When your color palette is too similar, your photos will make you look like you sort of blend in together. This primarily happens with blacks or really dark colors.

The best way to avoid this is to pick a variety of textures, tones, and materials for your shoot. Mix up lights and darks, and have some contrast even if you settle into an all-neutral palette.

Don’t wear bright colors.

For in-home or studio sessions, we’re working with limited space and available light. When you wear really bright colors, the color will reflect in the light and cast the color back on your faces/skin (Think, a weird glow of green or red under your chin). You’ll be looking at each other/looking down at your baby quite a bit during your session, so to avoid this, I like to say, “Don’t wear any colors that you can find in a box of Crayola markers!”

Choose a few outfits/looks for baby

Feel free to change your baby between a few outfits. Maybe start with them dressed in something cosy for everyone to cuddle them in, and then switch to a swaddle, just a diaper, or another cute outfit to have some variety! (Keep in mind, I love capturing all their teeny tiny features like bare feet, little hands, ears, tummies, and rolls!)

Don’t forget about your hands!

Hands are actually a beautiful detail in portrait photography! Expect some close-ups of hands brushing your baby’s cheek and holding onto their little fingers. Any kind of watch (even nice men’s watches!) or brightly painted nails can distract the eye from the emotion of the moment.

When is the best time to schedule our newborn session?

When your baby is 4-10 days old.

When you book your newborn session, I pencil you in for the week of your due date. I’ll wait to hear from you that you’ve had your baby and that you’re ready to book your session! Typically, since these are often scheduled in the morning or afternoon, I can almost always get you onto my schedule within a few days.

Here’s what to expect with the timing of your session: At 4-7 days old, your baby will likely be the most sleepy. It’s when they’re in their first week that they tend to go into deep enough sleep that we can try cute sleeping poses. At 7+ days old, your baby will be awake a lot more! We’ll go with their flow to keep them happy, and it’s totally okay if you have to feed them midway through the shoot.

What should I expect if I have older kids in the shoot too?

We’ll follow the kids’ lead!

As long as your other kids are interested, we’ll focus on family time! If they become bored, I’ll shift my focus to your newborn and let the other kids take a break, eat a snack, or be done!

I hope that you feel much more confident in planning your in-home newborn shoot!

If you get stuck or are unsure about something, please reach out! Send over pictures of your space, lighting during different times of the day, and outfits you’re considering, and I’ll help you feel really good about your session!