At home life-style photo sessions

SO…WHAT IS LIFESTYLE NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY?

You’ve probably seen lifestyle newborn photography before but you just didn’t know that it had a name. It’s very popular with celebrities showing off their gorgeous nurseries as they ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over their brand new babies. The images are casual and relaxed, with the couple usually wearing jeans and dressy tops with bare feet. Sometimes the whole family is piled on the bed together or it might just be an intimate photo of mom and baby.

It’s a casual photo shoot at home but still elegant. These types of sessions are perfect for those who want less posed images, and want a session that captures their family as they really are. They want photos that highlight the nursery they’ve spent weeks decorating, the rocking chair that their parents rocked them to sleep in and now they will rock their babies to sleep in. They want their photos to look like the ones they’ve seen in magazines because let’s be honest, we all want gorgeous photos to look back on and remember these precious moments!

Since lifestyle photos are all about being relaxed at home, you probably are wondering how can you prepare your home and your family for your session. It’s not as hard at it sounds, I promise!

LET’S START WITH LOCATIONS

I will be coming to your home for the session, but we won’t shoot in every room. Typically I like to start in the nursery. I love to document all the adorable elements of a nursery. The mobile that was hand picked, the blanket that was handmade by an excited Grandma, the rocking chair that has been passed down for generations. Those are the elements that add to the overall design you’ve created and I want to make sure we capture that.

After that, we will usually move to either the master bedroom or the living room. I’m looking for the room with the best light that has space for the whole family to cuddle. A bed or a couch is the perfect spot to gather everyone (including any family pets) for a beautiful portrait.

NOW LET’S TALK ABOUT CLEANING

I have three children and I vividly remember the plethora of guests after baby arrives. I completely understand how overwhelming it can be to take care of the baby plus entertain family and try to recover from delivery, while keeping up with cooking, cleaning, and laundry!
So DO NOT… I repeat, DO NOT stress about cleaning! Like I said, we are only going to be in two locations, so your entire house DOES NOT need to be spotless! In fact, if I see a space I’d like to shoot in and there is stuff in the way, I will happily move things around.

PREPARING THE FAMILY

A question I always get is what are we going to wear?! Neutral tones photograph very well. I always suggest you picking your outfit first and then choosing everyone else’s outfits to coordinate with yours. Flowy dresses are always very flattering. For the rest of the family, choose shirts with no big patterns or logos. Dresses for the girls (or just a nice shirt and jeans), and short sleeves for the boys with jeans works great. Don’t over think it! I will bring wraps to wrap your baby in.

The second part of preparing your family is letting them know what to expect.
For Dad, I will need 1-2 hours of his time but he’ll probably only in front of the camera for 20 mins or so. If you have other children, he will spend a good portion of time keeping them entertained before and after their turn. For siblings, just tell them that someone fun is coming over to take their picture. I fully support you offering bribes for good behaviour ;)

PREPARING MOM

You are the most important person in this session. You are the comforting arms that your baby will settle down in, and you are the food source. If you are stressed, the baby and your family will pick up on it. So give yourself an extra hour to get ready. I’m not kidding. I want you to take your time and not feel rushed. The more relaxed and beautiful you feel, the better the photos will turn out. Everyone picks up on mom’s mood, so as long as you are happy, they will be too!

PREPARING BABY

This part is pretty simple. All you need to do is make sure they have a full belly when I arrive along with a clean diaper. Dress them in a simple white short sleeve onesie so I can get started with photos of them in the nursery. We can take breaks during the session for feeding top offs if needed. If you have time the morning of your session, please bathe your baby and moisturize their skin.

If you have any questions, please let me know!