Congratulations on your little one on the way! Since baby will be arriving soon, here is a little more information on how to best prepare for your in-home newborn photography session.

You and your photographer have most likely blocked out an estimated date for your session but your exact date and time will be confirmed once baby arrives. Once you have had some time to rest and spend time with your family, you can connect with your photographer to set up your session date.

How to prepare your home for your in-home newborn photography session

One of the concerns I hear often which deters people from doing an in-home newborn session, is the need to have a perfectly decorated and tidy home. This is definitely not a necessity! Those first few days and weeks after baby can be hectic, and cleaning is often not on the top of the to do list! What is important, is to remember that your home will be captured as it is and that is beautiful and authentic! Your children will look back on these images with a sense of nostalgia. Those authentic images of you in your home will elicit memories of their younger years to flood back!

I do love to use a variety of spaces in your home in order to tell an authentic story, but instead of worrying about cleaning up every room in your home, you can tuck clutter into unused spaces in your home such as an office or closet. Your photographer may ask to move items around so that they are not in the frame or to position you in the best lighting. All you really need for beautiful images is a window with some nice light and your family!

Telling your story

When you look back at your images years from now, what will be the most meaningful to you? Will it be a perfectly decorated home or the connection and love you feel when you look at your family’s early years? I want to tell your story authentically. I want to capture your lives as they are!

A great way to do this is to incorporate your daily activities into your session. They may not seem important to you now, but when you look back at your life, every moment will be precious and noteworthy. So grab a cup of coffee and cuddle up in your living room, play on the floor with your toddler as your partner snuggles your new babe in the background, make pancakes together and get flour everywhere. I also love to capture the in between moments such as changing and feeding your babe or cleaning out your bottles/pump! Capture the good and the mundane It is all beautiful!

Which rooms to use

Although I love to incorporate as much of the home as possible, I do use the rooms with the best lighting. I tend to use the master bedroom, living room, and kitchen the most. The nursery can be beautiful also if there is a nice window 🙂 And don’t forget about your backyard if it is a warm day!

The master bedroom can be a great place to have the whole family, and sibling shots. To prepare for the best images in your mater bedroom, it is best to clear away any distracting clutter (even if it is just in the closet temporarily 🙂 ). Bedding is best if it is light or white in color. If you have a dark comforter, you can also use a white duvet with no cover for the session.

The day of your in-home session:

Your newborn session will be most likely start anywhere between 10am and 12pm. My sessions last about 1.5-2 hours in length and allow for normal interruptions such as feeding and changes.

The day of your in-home newborn photography session, please keep your newborn awake for at least an hour before the session. This is an important step in order to get those sleepy, individual images of your baby. I suggest a little bit of play time, a bath, and then dress them loosely in a onesie or a swaddle and feed them. If you have a soother, it can be very helpful for soothing babe during the session even if they do not normally take one. You can feed babe up to 30 minutes before the session or you can start feeding right as our session is about to start if you would like to do breastfeeding shots. The end of the session may also be a good time as you may be more comfortable with me and the camera by then. In order to ensure that your little one is comfortable and sleepy during the session, it is also preferable to keep your home a few degrees warmer than normal.

What to wear for your in-home newborn session

Your outfits should be whatever you feel the most comfortable in. Whether you feel best in tights and a t-shirt, or a long flowy dress, choose what you feel the best in. When planning your family’s outfits, I often suggest Mom chooses her outfit and then bases the other’s off of that. Your outfits should ‘go together’ but not ‘match’.

Neutrals and deeper tones photograph the best. I lean towards lighter neutrals as I feel that they allow the focus to be on baby and create a romantic, warm image. If you are drawn to warmer images, avoid colours such as blue as this creates a cool toned look to images. Don’t be afraid to mix in patterns and textures such as lace. It is best to avoid clothing with logos, pictures, or sayings on them as they can be distracting.

For your little one, a fitted onesie and a nice receiving blanket are really all that you need. I can also bring a couple of neutral swaddles, knitted rompers or bum covers, and a few blankets to my sessions for my families to use if they wish. You may also want to include cute details such as a favorite blanket or stuffed animal, a cute bonnet, or headband.

I have a large selection of client closet options for women and younger children. If you are interested in using something, please check them out under my Instagram highlights ‘client closet’ and ‘kids closet’.

If you need some inspiration, you can check out other newborn sessions in my portfolio!

Let’s get in touch!

 Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions, or want to learn a little more about in-home newborn photography!

You can email me at: info@angela-k-photography.ca

or you can contact me via my website here!

You can also check out more styling tips here!