Newborns and weddings: hands down, my favorite photography assignments. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy seeing my families every spring, summer, and fall, but there's something about photographing new babies and new couples that makes me feel energized. I know I've stressed this time and time again in my posts, but I really believe it's that special sense of connection I end up having with new moms, new dads, brides, grooms, and their loved ones. Weddings and the fourth trimester are the culmination of many months of planning and preparation, and it doesn't always go the way you've planned! While my priority is to capture the people and moments that are making this time in your life special, I enjoy getting to meet new people and hear the stories that got them to this crazy, exciting, amazing time in their lives!

I made the decision early on to focus mostly on lifestyle, in-home newborn photography sessions, rather than a traditional, posed style. Believe me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the latter (and I'm happy to pass on recommendations!), but it wasn't something I found myself interested in.

I'm planning a short series of posts around "what to expect at your newborn photography session", and I thought a good place to start would be with giving you more information on what exactly a lifestyle, in-home newborn session really is, and why it may be the best choice for you!

1. You don't have to go anywhere!

The newborn period is hard. For everyone. Even if you're on your fourth baby, grandma is watching the other kids, and your spouse has parental leave, a new baby is a big disruption to your every day life. It takes a bit to find your footing! By not having to leave your house, it's suddenly not a problem when you realize your three year old needs a nap at 10:30 am, or that you forgot to let the dog back in from outside. Siblings up at 6 am and already worn out by 9 am? Put on a movie. You really love having music on in the background to cover up awkward silences? (*cough, cough* um....) Pick your favorite genre and go for it! Forgot you haven't had coffee yet? Put on a new pot!

2. Flexibility.

This goes hand in hand with the first point, but I really love the flexibility that in-home newborn sessions provide. I'm able to work around your schedule, your family, your baby. I only schedule one newborn session a day, so if you text me at 9 am to say that you were awake until 5 am, and could really use an extra hour to get ready, no problem! Baby spits up on your shirt? Grab a new one from your closet! Baby decides TODAY is the day to have a growth spurt and cluster feed? Grab your nursing pillow and head for some quiet time in your nursery.

What I really love about lifestyle in-home sessions though, is that it's not absolutely necessary that we schedule your session in the first two weeks of your baby's life. I've photographed "newborns" that are two months old, as well as babies that are less than one day old. It's nice to know that when your two year old decides to give herself a fat lip the night before photos (it's happened!), it's not going to be a problem if we push your session out a week. I've worked around illness, holidays, time in the NICU, as well as people who decided to get photos after their baby has arrived!

3. Shows your life and home at this stage of your life.

This one really hits home for me. When I had the twins, we lived in a different house, in a different city. We had a two year old, a different cat, and a lot less room. I wasn't able to get newborn photos for a lot of reasons, and it makes me sad to look back on it now. All three kids came home to that house for the first time. They learned to crawl to those crappy kitchen cabinets, walk on those scratched up wood floors, and picked their very first flowers in that yard. I have a ton of photos from that time - but I'm only in a couple of them.

I love being able to show what your life really looks like at this time. I'm not going to photograph the pile of laundry you haven't had time for, but I can show what the nursery looks like, how your four year old decorated their bedroom, and what your family looks like all snuggled together on the very first couch you bought together.

4. Pets!

I need to dedicate an entire post to the dogs and cats I've loved, but this will have to do for now! Depending on their temperament (both for the baby and for me), it can be awesome to include your pets in your newborn photos. If they aren't up for the strange person with the camera, I'm always happy to take a minute to photograph them by themselves, out in the yard or behind a baby gate in the kitchen!

5. Tells the whole story.

I really love stories. Hearing where people came from and where they hope to go has made me a more understanding, caring human. I love hearing big picture stories about how you met, but I also love tying together the tiny fibers of connections we've made throughout our community.

By letting me into your home, I'm able to bring together all the different aspects of your life - your new baby, your spouse and kids, the quilt your grandma made, the bassinet your dad slept in as a baby. We can turn on some music, grab you some coffee and a bagel, feed the baby, and get to work.

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This post is the second in a series of posts about my in-home newborn photography sessions. For more information, head to my newborn session info page.

Need more info right now? Thinking about scheduling a newborn session? Use the Contact Me page to get in touch!