There's that saying, "the days are long but the years are short." This saying is so true when you think about your baby's first year of life; especially the first few weeks of life. During those first few weeks, one day blends into the next as you figure out your new life with a newborn. Then in a blink of an eye, you are running after that same baby wondering how in the world they are that fast. This is why it's so important to capture every little precious moment before your baby changes. Lifestyle newborn photography is a great way to capture all the different elements of your newborn’s first few weeks (or months) of life.
What is lifestyle newborn photography?
According to Wikipedia “Lifestyle Photography is a kind of photography that many aims to capture portrait/people in situations, real-life events or milestones in an artistic manner and the art of everyday.” For me, lifestyle photography is a way to capture precious moments in a natural way. With lifestyle newborn photography, I don’t use props or studio lighting. Instead, a baby is photographed with natural light, at home with their family. During the session, I provide gentle guidance to facilitate real moments of emotional connection. For example, I may ask a mom to stand by a window, cuddle her baby and have dad join her. I may then ask dad to kiss mom on the cheek. I facilitate the moment, however, any emotional response that happens between the family is 100% real. Those moments are what I as lifestyle photographer, aim to capture.
What should you expect on the day of the session?
When I first arrive at a family’s home, I walk around the house to find the best light for the session. I’ll open curtains and blinds to let the light in to find the best lit areas of your home. In most cases, the best light is either in the nursery, living or bedroom.
The baby determines the flow of the session. An advantage of a lifestyle newborn photography session is that the baby doesn’t need to be asleep for the session. If the baby is asleep when I first arrive, we can start with crib shots and nursery shots. If the baby is awake and hungry, we can start with feeding shots. If baby just pooped, we can document the diaper change! All these things happen in the day of a life of a newborn and my goal is to capture as much of it as possible while I am there.
How should I prep my baby for the session?
The goal of the newborn session is to capture the beauty of your baby just the way they are. I suggest a simple form fitting onsie for baby with no graphics or words. If you have a special outfit that you want the baby to be in, or special item (blanket, hat, etc) that you would like to use, please have those items ready before my arrival. I don’t have any expectations of how your baby should be. If your baby is awake, that’s fine, if your baby is asleep, that’s fine too. During the session, the baby may cry, poop, spit up or all of the above. That is absolutely expected and fine. We will take as many breaks as we need during the session. The baby guides the session and I take my lead from the baby. What’s important is that everyone is relaxed and we capture the moment in time as it unfolds.
How should I prep my house for the session?
Please, please, please do not feel the need to clean the entire house before the session. Life with a newborn is hectic enough that you don't need to add an additional and unnecessary chore to the list. The session will take place in one or two rooms of your house, so please clear away anything you don’t want to appear in your photos in the best lit rooms of your house. Also, I won’t be taking any pictures of the inside of your closets, so please feel free to put any extra items that you don’t want in the photos in there.
How should I prep the family for the session?
In general I recommend clothes that are neutral or light colors. Creams, grays, light blues, and soft pinks create an airy feel to your photos. I would avoid any graphics, large logos or writing. I also recommend wearing clothes that are comfortable for snuggling with the baby during the session.
For moms I recommend something that is comfortable and that you feel good in. It could be a flowy dress or jeans and your favorite blouse or top. Whatever speaks to you is what you should wear and know that you are beautiful no matter what you are dressed in. Dad should complement mom’s outfit. He doesn’t have to match your outfit but should follow the same idea of neutral and light colors.
Ultimately, I want my families to have a fun and relaxed time capturing the emotions that they are feeling at the moment, as well as capturing the small details of the newborn. The goal is for my families to have images that in the future will make them laugh, cry or both. I also hope that these are images that the families will cherish for a long time to come.
If you are interested in booking a lifestyle newborn session, click on the button below to contact me!
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What is Lifestyle Photography? Why am I a Lifestyle Photographer?