How to prepare for an in-home newborn session

I often have families worried about in-home newborn sessions, but I’m here to tell you that it's going to be fun! I’m confident that I'll capture some beautiful images for you and it's not going to feel like a chore. I'm all about actions to get you interacting with each other so you feel comfortable and it doesn't feel like you're just staring at me wondering what to do. Think lots of snuggling on the bed or near a window and giving the little one sweet little kisses.

Preparing your home

I'm often asked if a house needs to be perfectly clean before a session and the answer is definitely not but I do suggest a quick tidy. Since I am photographing you in your home, if there are things you don’t want to be seen in photographs please put them away. I will assume anything left out is okay to be seen. While unnecessary clutter should be put away, still try to keep your house feeling like you. I will always try and be smart about which direction I shoot to avoid anything too obvious and can make suggestions on what to move on the day. I typically photograph in the main bedroom, the living room, and the kids’ rooms or nursery so you can just focus on those areas.

If you can, please have a light-coloured doona cover/coverlet on the bed and in the cot. If you don’t have a plain bed cover but you have a plain blanket, just have that handy. This is so the focus can be on your newest member.

I also get clients telling me that their home isn’t “photo ready”. You really only need some nice little pockets in the home plus good light (I love a big window!). If you are at all worried you can send me some photos of your space and I can make suggestions beforehand but I am yet to find a home completely unsuitable for newborn photos. And sometimes we will take photos outside (in good weather) if you have a lovely garden.

Preparing baby

Don’t put bub in their photo outfit before I arrive just in case they have a little accident while you’re waiting for me. It is also best to feed the baby just before my scheduled arrival time but it isn’t absolutely necessary. I do suggest having a backup outfit ready for baby in case of accidents. These sessions are all about going at baby’s pace. If we need to stop for feeding at any point we do. If you are breastfeeding we can use this break as an opportunity to do feeding photos but this is entirely up to you. If they get fussy with being held (or being put down) we move around that too.

Older children

If we're capturing older siblings in the session as well, I'll try my very best to get them engaged and happy but it's ok if they take a little time to warm up, just let them be themselves and the session will unfold perfectly. With toddlers, having a new baby in the house can be very overwhelming so I will give them breaks from photos, encourage you to do little games with them and make it more about interacting with baby (think, counting little fingers and toes and singing songs). You’ll be surprised how many cute photos you can get in these moments.

Outfits

Selecting outfits is one of my client's biggest concerns. For bubs, I always suggest wearing neutral colours, soft prints (really big, bold prints distract from the subjects in the photos) and something that you're comfortable in so you can concentrate on snuggling your little family. If you’re breastfeeding, having something feeding-friendly is encouraged so you don’t need to get changed if we need to break. For bub, the same suggestions apply. Soft, comfortable, neutral outfits as they are the star of the show. If you need help, please feel free to send me some options and I can help or have some options laid out for my arrival and we can choose together! I wrote a more in-depth outfit blog you can find here.

Extras

If you have anything of sentimental value that you’d like photographed with your new baby, for example, a blanket that nanna made or some booties that you had as a kid, please put these aside and let me know about them when I arrive and I’ll make sure to include them at some point in our session.

Animals

Well-behaved animals are always welcome in our sessions but obviously with a new baby in the house sometimes they can be a little anxious. I’ll try my best to have them included safely and will be led by you on how they will behave.

On session day

You’ll receive a text from me when I’m on my way to you with an estimated arrival time but if you aren't quite ready, it's ok! I can start with baby details or setting up my gear. Newborn sessions are very much on the baby's schedule so there is no rushing, it will take the time it takes.

I can’t wait to capture your little family xx