How to Prep for an In Home Newborn Session
How Does It Work?
My newborn sessions are a mix of super chill, casual and fun family shots; with a few naturally styled photos of baby sprinkled throughout. I usually try to do some shots in your living room and your main bedroom or babies nursery, depending which areas you prefer and what the light is like in each room. If you have older kids and want photos of them playing in their bedrooms or outside, I'm happy to get a little bit of whatever is happening. Life tends to go on around the baby especially if we need to pause for a feeding.
How long will our session take?
Depending on the light and what sort of mood everyone is in, we can usually get all our shots in 60-90 minutes. If you have a newborn and they require feeds or are a bit unsettled, that is totally fine! If you have an older child needing a nap, I'm happy to start the session earlier if we can, otherwise I usually do all the family/sibling shots first and then they can head off for a nap while I do the babe only shots. If you are able to give babe a good feed before I arrive, that usually helps them to feel happy, full and sleepy, but no worries if we need to stop for feeds as we go.
What to wear
You've just had a baby, the most important thing is that you're wearing something comfortable that you can easily feed in if you need to. If you're worried about your postpartum bump, a loos fitting t-shirt or dress usually work well.
Feel free to dress babe in any special outfit you love, if you aren't sure then go for something neutral or plain that has their hands and feet out, so we can capture all those tiny features in the photos.
I've put together a handy guide with a few things to avoid and pointers if you feel you need it - click here for more information. And you are always welcome to use my online styling tool, Style and Select.
Ack...My house doesn't look like it belongs in a magazine, it's a bit of a mess!
The whole idea of a newborn session at home is to capture this crazy whirlwind phase of life as you all get to know your newest family member. I don't expect your home to be spotless, so don't feel like you need to clean it from top to bottom for me...you just had a baby!! I have kids, I know what life is like...crumbs happen, boys miss the toilet. If you feel better doing a quick vacuum and a wipe of the counters, then go for it. I won't be checking the inside of the microwave or the leaves in your gutters. The main thing is just to remove and tidy any objects on the floors and furniture that you don't want photographed. If you would like some shots on the bed, plain white or soft/muted colored sheets/covers tend to work best so that your family is the main focus of the images rather than the bedding.
Some Other Stuff
Don't stress about kids misbehaving
I have kids, I get it. Sometimes they are angels, sometimes life happens. I'm more than happy to go with the flow and let them run the show. I might make suggestions on where to go or what to do next, but if they aren't feeling it, we can totally change it up and take their lead and do whatever you do in your regular day. Otherwise negotiations, tears and tantrums are part of the everyday, so I might photograph that too! Their whole world has just changed dramatically, so it is all to be expected!
Your mood affects your photos.
I know it's hard, trying to get your kids, your partner, your house, and your SELF ready. But once we get started, it's time to leave all that behind. This time and space is for you to connect with your family. Have fun with them, laugh with them, ask them questions, play. If you're having fun, so are they and it will come through in your photos.
Don't hold back because of me... show affection to your partner!
Don't force it, but don't be shy because I'm there. I won't ask you to kiss or do anything cheesy, but if you might normally hold hands or put your arms around each other or dance together, any kind of physical affection makes for a much nicer photo than standing 6 feet apart. Remember, you might just be in the background of photos of your kids too, so the less dirty looks you give each other, the better! Ha!
I also have a questionnaire you will receive, if you can please answer as much of this as you can (any time before our session), it really helps me to create the best photos of you, that truly show you and your family as you really are.
If you have any more questions at all, check out my FAQ's or you are welcome to e-mail, DM or call me to chat!
-Ali