Preparing yourself, your home, and
baby for your in-home newborn session.
You’ve just had a baby and it’s feeling pretty real. You’re experiencing all the emotions, wonderings, exhaustion, and joy that newborn life brings. The days turn into nights so quickly. This guide was created to make it quick and easy to prepare for your session. The main goal: to create a cozy space where I can capture all the beautiful fleeting moments and details.
When will my session take place ?
Fresh-48: Shoot me a quick text on my cell: 512-571-0062 after baby is born--preferably within 24 hours--especially if you want your session to occur within 48 hours of birth. The more time I have to plan childcare the better I can accommodate you. If an extenuating situation arises please notify me as soon as you're able.
Traditional Newborn: Traditional newborn sessions take place within your sweet little babe’s first two weeks of life. When you’re ready, reach out to let me know baby has arrived along with the date and general time (morning, mid-morning, afternoon, late-afternoon, etc.) you’d like the session to take place. I’ll confirm my availability with you and will check in with you a few days before to make sure we are still good to go. During this last check in we’ll confirm the time of your session.
If I happen to be at a birth or attending another session I will communicate this to you (likely via text) and offer to reschedule at a day and time that works for both our schedules.
For Cesarean Birth
I’ll check in regarding your mobility after we say hello so you’re safe and comfortable.
For Birth Center or Home Birth Sessions
If baby is born at a birth center and everyone is well then you'll likely be released within hours of delivery. If you wish for your session to take place before leaving the birth center please discuss this with your birth providers and let me know what you decide.
Hospital Newborn Sessions
If you'd like your session to take place in the hospital be sure to give yourself a little bit of time to refresh, rest, and recover. I strongly recommend letting your medical staff know you've hired a professional photographer to spend some time with you and your family in recovery. Your session may also take place after you've been discharged, as a homecoming or as an in-home session. If an emergent or unexpected situation presents itself, please send a quick text so I know it might be awhile. If you wish for your session to take place while baby is in the NICU please discuss this with your medical providers first as they will have the final say if I'm allowed in to document your story.
Preparing Your Space
Life with a newborn is messy and I have zero expectations of your space being perfectly neat and tidy. What I dream of most is to work in a room with at least some natural light, and if we’re getting ready dreamy the light would be diffused with a sheer curtain. All of this to say that a little decent natural light goes a long way so open up the blinds/shades/curtains in the rooms we’ll be documenting in. There’s usually not a big need for fluorescent lights to be turned on unless too dark…which I’ll let you know. When I get to your home give me a quick tour of the rooms we’ll be using and we’ll start settling in to the session. If you decide to tidy, only tidy the rooms and spaces we’ll be using. And there’s no need to tidy up spaces that are in the background as the background usually has some blur to it. As we’re shooting I’ll do my best to remove any distracting clutter that isn’t necessary for the moment. With that said, if the clutter is part of the moment, I usually leave it because it only adds to the depths of your story. It’s also possible that we might rearrange some furniture if it’s needed and easy enough to do. I’m a lover of side light, so if there’s an option for that with a nearby chair, I might make a quick adjustment. Baby’s usually are down to their diapers at some point so it’s also a good idea to warm the house up a bit before the session. In terms of how warm, go with what feels the most comfortable for you.
Getting Dressed & Ready
One of the most common questions I get asked for newborn sessions that I love answering is about styling and what to wear. You can literally wear whatever you want. You should wear whatever feels like it’s most authentic to your family and personality. For some this means going braless wearing their finest Depends and for others it looks like they’re getting ready for a celebratory brunch. My suggestion is to choose a comfy outfit that you can easily nurse in that fits your modesty preferences. You can never go wrong with neutrals like denim, grays, creams, blacks, tans, and earth tones. If your style is more colorful, I encourage you to embrace that in your wardrobe. I suggest starting with that the pregnant person wants to wear, with partner or baby next, or with your other children next. If you want a mix of more intimate images (like skin to skin) with less intimate images have a bra, tank, robe that you can change in to. If you have trouble deciding what to wear and want some input you’re always welcome to reach out!
I prefer starting with baby in a plain diaper or in an outfit that can be taken off relatively easily. You know your baby’s temperament best so use that to gauge what to put them in. We’ll also use your favorite swaddle of blanket to help keep baby warm and for images with baby by themselves— so be sure to have that ready to go. It’s also a good idea to keep some burp cloths nearby cause…well, you know why.
For partners and siblings, I recommend keeping it simple. T-shirts, jeans, a casual button down, cool sweats, all photograph nicely. Ideally aim for newish clothing without holes and visible stains.
In terms of shoes, barefoot works great. If you’re the kind of person who wants their feet covered you can wear house slippers or clean unstained socks.
Here are some suggestions for what not to wear:
No matchy-match. These just aren’t those kinds of photos.
Brimmed hats cast deep shadows over the eyes. Beanies work better if that’s your style.
If you choose something with words or graphics, consider that it’ll be in your images for forever. If it fits your personal style, then roll with it. Aim for colors and patterns that compliment or go good with each other. Know that heavy neon colors are tricky and create color casts on skin that is hard to balance in editing.
Lastly, if you want to get a haircut, sport your scruff, do your nails— go for it! The last thing you want is to feel rushed last minute so maybe lay your clothes out ahead of time, give yourself time to take the extra long hot shower shower, do your makeup, hair, hydrate your skin, and do whatever you need to feel like you’re in a good place.
Helping Baby’s Mood
It’s wise that we go into this with zero expectations in terms of the vision for the session because newborn life is unpredictable. Sometimes baby’s wanna nurse the whole time, or secretly know that I’m documenting and decide to go on a sleep strike. Other times they’re just so incredibly content and can’t keep their eyes open. Or they decide to try out their silly faces. Regardless of how your baby shows up we’ll go with their flow.
What all that said we can still try to help your baby feel content. Aside from a warming your home a little, feeding baby right before I get there is the easiest way to help baby transition because after eating most baby’s sleep. If you’re planning to dress baby, get them dressed before feeding them so they can hopefully be sleeping by the time I arrive. It’s also a good idea to change the diaper before feeding. After this we pretty much just cross our fingers and hope for the best. If baby gets fussy, please care/soothe them just as your normally would.
What To Expect
When I arrive we’ll say hello, you’ll show me your space, we’ll touch base on a few details, and then we’ll get started. Sessions are 100% un-posed, however I do sometimes toss out ideas or give simple prompts to help you focus. It might feel a little awkward at first, but that feeling usually calms down the more get more into the session.
If you’re one of those people who is super uncomfortable in front of the camera (which I can totally relate to) make it your goal to just be ever so present in the moment and with your fam. If you can’t figure out what to do with your hands think about touching or interacting in some small way— kissing, touching, smelling, and embracing all work well if you find yourself nervous or unsure what to do.
If you’ve got a special shot you want me to try and capture, please let me know! The more details you can give me surrounding your vision the easier it is for me to try and capture for you.
FAQs
Do you use props?
Nope. I’m not the kind of photographer who does posed newborn sessions. I am however open to any special items you’d like to incorporate into the session. I actually recommend incorporating anything that’s meaningful to you. People have included special outfits, coffee mugs, jewelry, books, quilts, and stuffed animals in the past.
What about siblings?
Siblings are a great addition the newborn session and it’s so cute watching them explore and love on baby. In terms of expectations, siblings can come and go as they please and do not need to be in every photo or moment. I often find that when kiddos are allowed natural freedom to come and go they are typically much more cooperative. It’s also okay to bribe them with ice cream.
What about fur babies?
Your fur babies are a very much a part of your family and welcomed to be in your session! If your dog enjoys walks consider taking them out to burn some energy before I arrive. Pets with anxiety, high energy, or who get hyped up or defensive around strangers probably aren’t the best fit for this kind of session.
