Your newborn has arrived, your photography session is booked, but now what? How do you best prepare for your lifestyle newborn session? Here are some ideas to make your session go as smooth as possible.
Feed your baby as often as needed
Your tiny newborn needs to eat frequently and their comfort is my number one priority. Please don’t ever feel pressured to rush the session. I will take as much time as needed to capture your family as you adjust to this new little life. Feel free to stop and feed your baby as often as needed. If you want shots of them feeding, I’ll happily take those for you.
Keep your house warm
Lifestyle newborn sessions are different from posed sessions in that the baby doesn’t have to be sleeping. In a posed session, the space has to be hot to help the baby fall into a deep sleep. For a lifestyle session, while the room doesn’t have to be hot, it’s nice to keep it warm especially if we are photographing the baby in just a onesie.
Keep baby in simple clothing
A swaddle or plain colored onesie is all that is needed. We want to show off the natural beauty of your newborn. It’s best to keep the clothing simple so the baby is the show stopper. I do have some beautiful onesies that I bring to newborn sessions if you don’t have any plain colored ones. I also have white kimono style shirts that look cute with a diaper. These allow us to photograph that cute little belly.
Plan on having the siblings participate
I treat newborn sessions very similar to family sessions. With the exception of doing a few individual shots of the baby alone, I include the whole family. I try to get sibling shots done at the beginning of the session so that they can go off and play once it’s done.
Relax and enjoy being with your family
The beauty of lifestyle sessions is that you can just relax and snuggle with your babies. I might ask you to gather on the bed, or stand in front of a window, but I’ll never pose you and ask you to smile. Sessions will be relaxed and as stress free as possible.