Newborn Photography Guide

House Prep

My first choice is an area of your home with good natural light. If that's not available, an open area with the flooring you'd like as your backdrop works great! Please have floors cleaned and, if needed, furniture moved out of the way (we may also rearrange furniture together once I see your space). Please also have a clear path from your front door to this area, since I'll be making multiple trips with equipment and props. If you'd like your pet included in photos, we can absolutely try, just have them put away upon my arrival and while I’m setting up.

Pre-Session

Please do your best to keep your baby awake for 2-3 hours before your session, this is very important! Some good tricks . . a warm sponge bath, or getting them undressed and using a cool rag on the bottom of their feet. The sleepier baby is, the more images we'll get and the smoother the session will go. If baby does wake up, that's okay too, we'll always follow their cues. Feed your baby a full feeding about 15 minutes before my arrival. The feeding before that one should happen about 3 hours earlier, so baby is good and hungry for a full feeding just before my arrival. For this final feeding, remove the baby's clothing, change their diaper if needed, and wrap them in a blanket. This way, once they fall asleep after eating, they'll be ready to go right into photos.

During the Session

I provide all necessary items for your newborn's session — wraps, headbands, props, etc. — however, if you'd like to purchase your own wraps or bows, I'm happy to use those as well. If you have any family heirlooms or special items you'd like included, have them out and ready. Please have a bottle ready as well, along with a pacifier, just in case. I know many moms are trying to avoid pacifiers while establishing breastfeeding, we'll only use one as an absolute last resort, to soothe a fussy baby before deciding to pause for a feeding.

Props

You'll get to choose two of the following for me to bring to your session . . . the newborn bed, wooden bowl, or basket. If you have a sibling or siblings joining the session, the wooden bowl should be one of your two choices, it works best for shooting down from above with siblings included.

Three images of a miniature bed, with the first showing colorful blankets and a small teddy bear, the second featuring a peacefully sleeping newborn wrapped in a white blanket with a floral headband, and the third showing an empty unmade bed with a blanket folded at the foot.
Sequence of images showing a newborn in a wooden bassinet. The first image displays the empty bassinet with a small teddy bear inside. The second image shows the baby, swaddled in a purple cloth, sleeping peacefully with a floral headband. The third image shows the empty bassinet again from a different angle.
A collage of three images titled 'Newborn Basket' featuring a woven baby basket. The first and third images show the basket with a beige plush blanket, a small brown cowboy hat, and a white rope. The middle image shows a sleeping newborn baby wrapped in a white blanket, lying in the basket with a headband decorated with a cream-colored flower.

Family Photos

For family photos, we'll most likely use your bed or couch, so please have these areas cleaned and free of distractions. A solid wall is another option, we'll discuss what works best once I arrive at your home and see the space. Clothing should be kept simple and solid. If the bed, couch, or wall we're using is darker in color, then solid dark clothing tends to look best. If the area is lighter then lighter colors will work better. Family photos will be close-up, since newborns are so small, so nails may be visible in shots, and there's a chance you'll be barefoot too, so keep that in mind if polished toes matter to you.

A man and woman holding a newborn baby. The man is resting his forehead against the woman's temple, both smiling gently, in a cozy indoor setting.
A happy family sitting on a sofa in a hotel room, holding a newborn baby and a young girl with long blonde hair, all smiling at the camera.
A black-and-white photo of a man and woman holding a newborn baby, all looking at the camera with a plain light-colored background.
A family sitting on a gray sofa against a white textured wall, including a woman with long brown hair holding a newborn baby with a floral headband, a man with a beard and mustache, a young boy with curly hair, and part of another person visible on

Sibling Photos

The age of the sibling or siblings will determine which options work best. The easiest setup is having the sibling or siblings lay on their back next to the newborn for a shot taken from above. If the sibling is old enough to safely hold the newborn, we can also have them sit against a solid wall, on a couch, or on a bed. Please have these areas clean and free of distractions. Clothing for older siblings should be simple and solid, we can go over clothing options together once I'm there.

A young boy with brown hair and light skin sitting cross-legged on the carpeted floor, holding a sleeping newborn girl in his arms, both in front of a plain white wall.
Three young girls laying on a white wooden floor, dressed in white dresses, with one newborn in a white outfit and fluffy white hat, and two older girls with white bows in their hair, looking at the camera.
A young boy with red hair sitting on a fluffy ottoman, looking at and holding a newborn baby girl dressed in white with a floral headband.
A young boy lying on the floor next to a sleeping newborn baby in a wooden cradle, both looking up at the camera.

After the Session

I'll have your images ready to view within two weeks. While I'm still at your home, we'll go ahead and schedule your order session so you have that on the calendar!