5 Things to Know About Your In-home Newborn Session

Ah newborn sessions are just the best. We know babies grow fast, but wow those newborn days go by in a blur. Hence the importance of newborn pictures. But here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Yes, these pictures should be in your house. There are so many reasons why. it’s easier to get ready at home and not have to tote your kid(s) to a studio. You have snacks and coffee (!) nearby! Your older children (if you have any) are comfortable at home and have a place to play and keep happy, while they aren’t in the pictures.

2. No, your house doesn’t need to be perfect. I just need one room with light and we can do the session there! It doesn’t need to be perfectly decorated, but just decluttered. Yes, we can move clutter around to avoid it in the pictures! Don’t stress about cleaning, I can help clean off counters and hide clutter for the shoot. :)

3. Yes, you need to be in the pictures! Your baby will grow up and want to see you in these pictures, trust me! Plus, babies can be fussy and want to be in their mom’s arms. Pictures of babies in their mom’s arms are the most beautiful images I take, in my opinion.

4. Not all pictures need to be on your bed. I know, I know. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I believe newborn sessions can really be anywhere and bed pictures are just one option! Whatever room has the best light will be the best option for pictures of your little one. Trust me it will look great! Let’s not focus on images you see on Pinterest but instead, we’ll make beautiful images that represent your family’s individuality.

5. This is an investment, but you will cherish these images more and more as time goes on. Every year I love my newborn pictures of my babies more and more. Newborn sessions tend to be pricier than a regular family session because of the time it takes to do the session, but believe me it will be worth it. You will look back at those images for decades to come. Don’t worry about the baby weight you need to lose. You look perfect! You just had a baby! Your body is amazing! And anyway, your children will not care about that. They will love seeing you in them no matter what. My daughter Penelope asks to see “baby Penelope” pictures all the time. Her favorite images are the ones with me in them. I’m so glad I have professional images from that time in her life.

If you want to get more information about a lifestyle newborn session with me, shoot me an email here. I can answer any questions you have about your newborn session. I’m excited to plan a session with you!

Want to learn about my approach? I talk about why I do lifestyle newborn photography in this post. Read enough? Interested in booking a session? Great! Contact me here and we can chat!

What to Expect From Your Outdoor Family Photos

Before I took photos of other families, I was a client of family photographers many times throughout the years, and I sometimes after getting the photos back I would wonder why my pictures didn’t look the same as other images on their website.

Why didn’t they get that pose with me? Why didn’t my kids lovingly look into each other's eyes like those kids did?

Now I take pictures as a Raleigh family photographer and I have a slightly different perspective. I now understand that as a photographer there is so much that goes into a session and no two sessions are the same.

First, every family is different! Interactions, snuggling, how big your laugh is, how natural it is to play and snuggle with your kids. Personalities are different. Is your child shy? Do they take a long time to feel comfortable in front of new people. All these factors can affect how the pictures will look. I will get pictures that will reflect your family’s personality and connection. It might not be exactly the same as another person’s style and connection, but my goal is always to make it look like you!

How relaxed you are during the session can make a big difference in the look of the images. Try to have a more relaxed less busy day the day of the session, if you can. This way you won’t be stressed and rushing to the session. If you are relaxed and having fun, your family will follow suit and it will shine through in the images.

Will I get a photo I saw on Pinterest? We can try! Some kids are more willing to do certain things than others. For instance is your child in an independent phase where they don’t want to be held? Or only want to be held by a certain parent? This will affect what images look like and they might not come out exactly the same. In general I don’t like to try to copy artistic work of another photographer, but we can go for the overall feel of the image.

Locations aren’t all created the same. This will play a huge role in the final look of the images. If your location is full of big trunks and a thick forest the background of your image might be dark, but if you are in a field with lots of light and trees where light shines through, it will look more light and bright. Let me help you choose the location based on the look and feel of the session you want. Either way we’ll get happy, loving images!

Finally, wardrobe plays a huge part in how your images will look. I love when movement shows in images, it shows connect and beauty better than stiff unmoving images, so I love clothing that allows for movement. If you are in a tight outfit or stiff jeans, it might be hard for you get sit and cuddle. Dresses or flowy tops photograph so much better than tight outfits. If your outfit is constricting it might have an effect on the look of the images and the picture you had in your head of what you wanted your photos to look like.

The other thing to consider when thinking about wardrobe is the color of your outfits. Depending on your location you might want to add a lot of color or not. In this session, it was spring and the roses had bloomed! There was a lot of color in the background so the family was best staying neutral. In other situations you might want to add more color if you are in a location that has a lot of neutral colors, like tall brown grass, or a lot of trees. I can help thinking this through with you.

All in all you will get a fabulous gallery, and here is what you’ll definitely get:

• Images loving each other and connecting as a family

• Images of that reflect your family’s personality

• Everyone having fun and a laid back session!

Are you ready to book your family photo session? Let’s chat! Contact me here!

Click here to schedule your outdoor family session in Raleigh!