How do I prepare my home for my newborn photo session?
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Lifestyle newborn sessions take place at home so you don’t have to leave the house with your newborn, and older kids or pets. I come to you and bring all you need! Every newborn session is different because every baby is different, but your home isn’t the same as anyone else’s and I think that makes it even more special. A question I’m often asked before a newborn session is “How do I prepare my home for my newborn session?” Here are my tips.
Keep Clothing Simple: Soft, neutral-toned clothing and cozy swaddles work best to capture timelessness and focus on baby & your relationships. I bring neutral and solid colored swaddles with me that you’re welcome to use! If you have swaddle blankets that you love, or have special meaning, we’ll use those too!
Lightly Tidy: You don’t need to hire cleaners! A lightly decluttered nursery, bedroom, or living room is all you need. If we’ll be in your bedroom, don’t forget the nightstands; the biggest culprits for clutter. Sweep it under the bed for the session - no judgement here :)
Living room, Bedroom & Nursery (or any room we’ll be photographing in)
Raise up your blinds and/or open up curtains. If there’s too much sun, depending on if it’s a South, West, or Eastern exposure and time of day, I may close a bit but I generally prefer as much natural light as possible.
Turn off the lights in the rooms we’ll be photographing in! Sounds wrong but trust me. Unless it’s a room with no natural light, or an incredibly dark day, I usually turn off all lights in the room we’re photographing in. They can create color casts or affect the white balance of the photos. It’s usually best to not mix different light sources. And if you don’t have a lot of natural light, no worries. I bring light with me!
Clear away any clutter from coffee tables and side tables in living rooms and your bedroom, if we’re photographing in them. No judgement here on any messes, you’ve just had a huge life change after all and are keeping a tiny human alive! But you’ll likely not want to see piles of papers or books, phone chargers or tissue boxes in your photos. It also helps to hide any cords, if possible.
Put the crib sheet on your baby’s crib mattress if they have a nursery. I know the chances of them sleeping in there right away are slim, but if you have a nursery & want photos, we’ll document the space you put so much time and thought into. This room is often the most put-together room in the house because you’re so excited! And usually the least used with not a lot of excess stuff in it. Even if the only thing ready in the nursery is the crib, I can still get some adorable photos in there!
Before I arrive, turn up the heat in winter. Turn the A/C temp up in summer so it doesn’t run as often during the session. Babies like to be warm and cozy!
Not necessarily a home-prep tip, but if you have pets that shed and you’re wearing darker clothing - grab a lint roller!
Embrace Real Life: I’ll document your baby in what’s called baby-led posing based on what they’re doing in the moment. When they’re in your arms, if they’re sleeping, yawning, stretching or even fussing, you’ll want to remember these little moments forever. It’s also worth noting that your baby will likely have some fussy moments and need a feeding or diaper change. This is completely normal!
Don’t stress! Even if you do have some dog toys laying around, the toddler’s snack from yesterday afternoon on the coffee table or a pile of laundry hanging out in the dining room, it will all be ok. It’s real life, after all. I can easily move things, or try to place you in spots to hide things. Life is messy, especially when you bring a newborn home!
It’s true what they say - this time goes by so quickly! You’ll want to look back on these photos often so the only thing that truly matters is that you take the photos. And that you’re in some of them. I’m looking at you, mama. Your baby is going to treasure the photos of you with them someday. Make sure you’re in the photos too!
