One of the best things you can do when expecting is to plan for newborn photos at home. Staying in your space works well when you have older children. They will feel comfortable, and it will help the transition of a little brother or sister. There is no need to pack up and travel. Instead of waiting until the last minute, when you are taking pictures on your iphone wondering if you need a professional… plan ahead. As a destination photographer I often plan my sessions around my clients. I love to take care of you during this time and make sure you have the images you want to look back on.

For the Wilcox family, it was a few years since I had photographed their wedding day. A two year old daughter had already helped them adjust to life as parents. Now their son Bodie arrived and it was time to document their family of four. We talked before the shoot about outfits, and ultimately I helped them decide on the morning of (another advantage of being at home).

Newborn sessions typically require more time together, typically 1-2 hours. Necessary breaks such as feeding and changing the baby are expected. However, it also allows us to capture them both asleep and awake.

Reach out to start planning your newborn session anywhere from 6m-3m before your due date. That will give you enough time to enjoy the process of preparing.

Preparing your space for newborn photos at home

While it is easy to feel like your house has to be perfect, it does not. Let go of any expectation and focus on a few spaces that you can tidy : bedroom + living room. Look at the light in your house, and where it travels throughout the day. The rooms with the best light are likely to be used for natural newborn photos.

For the Wilcox family we used the entryway, a bedroom and the front yard. I prefer to shoot without off camera flash for family sessions so that movement can happen more naturally in your home.

Since newborn photos are often a gift you are giving your future self, spend some time the week of allowing yourself to be taken care of. Accept help, have your hair cut, outsource whatever you can and sleep as much as possible (but that’s always the goal, right?). Perfection is not the goal in my opinion, but capturing the beauty of this time in all its ups and downs. Take a deep breath and allow yourself to be present… because they really are only little once.

If you love the dress this new mom wore, I recommend searching for smocked dresses. Or look at what Hill House offers.