Preparing for Your In-Home Newborn Photography Session: Key Tips for a Smooth Experience

Capturing your newborn’s first days at home offers a relaxed, intimate way to create lasting memories. Here’s how to prepare for a successful session:

Timing & Sleep: Babies are typically best photographed while sleeping. To encourage this, try to keep your baby awake for about an hour before the session and start feeding 30 minutes before I arrive to settle them into a restful state. 

Feeding: A full baby is a happy, sleepy baby. Plan for additional feeds if needed, as sessions can last 2–4 hours. If bottle-feeding, please have extra bottles ready; if breastfeeding, a small amount of pumped milk can soothe them between full feeds if necessary.

Simple Outfits: Dress your baby in loose-fitting clothing to avoid skin marks; a simple onesie or diaper cover works well. For family outfits, soft, neutral tones like white, beige, or pastels photograph beautifully and keep focus on your faces. Avoid bright colors, patterns, and logos that can be distracting in photos.

Essentials to Have on Hand: Please have extra diapers, wipes, a pacifier (even if not typically used), a baby brush or comb, a change of baby clothes, and snacks or drinks for yourselves. These can make the session smoother and keep everyone comfortable.

My Setup: Once I arrive, I’ll find the room with the best light and set up in about 30 minutes. For lifestyle sessions, I work with you to prepare the room to capture organic, everyday moments in familiar surroundings, like the nursery or a cozy corner. For posed family sessions, I often use a simple wall as a backdrop and bring a newborn photography stand, posing bag, and various outfits, backdrops, wraps, hats, bonnets, and headbands in the colors you’ve chosen to create classic, beautiful images of your baby.

Stay Calm: Babies are sensitive to your emotions, so staying calm helps create a peaceful environment. We’ll take breaks as needed for feedings or diaper changes, which are a natural part of newborn sessions. Soothing techniques like gentle rocking, swaddling, or using a pacifier can help your baby stay content.

Be Patient & Flexible: Sessions can take time as we capture those perfect moments, and your baby’s comfort always comes first.
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By following these tips and working together, we’ll create a beautiful collection of images in a relaxed, stress-free environment right in your home.