So your little munchkin is finally here, all cuddly and cute and you are adapting to this new little human being in your lives!
You got yourself an in-house newborn photoshoot to capture these fresh first moments together and are thinking about what you need to do to prepare for your session!
Well, have a list of advice that I usually send to my clients at the moment of their booking and that I decided to share on my blog! I believe sharing these tips with my clients helps them relax and prepare in advance for the photoshoot with minimal fuss.
Here we go!!
Cleaning up the house
Upon arrival I make a tour of the house to look for the best spots and arrange some furniture if necessary.
You don't need to tidy up the whole house for the newborn session, just a few key spots that are going to be used. Great spots for newborn sessions include the baby room (if you have one), master bedroom and living room. If possible, tidy up around those areas and you’ll be good to go, maybe throw on some fresh white bedding.
Pay special attention to the nightstands, shelves and hanging clothes. Exclude (or temporarily hide!) everything you don’t want to see in your pictures later.
House temperature
It is very important that the rooms we use (mostly your bedroom) are warm enough so that your baby is comfortable without a blanket. If you wish to take pictures of your baby in their diaper or naked, the room temperature needs to be higher than 28 degrees! I bring with me a small but powerful space heater in case the room needs a quick temperature boost.
What to expect on the day of the session?
For the baby sessions there is a big window of time so that we take it easy and don't rush anything.
When I arrive I always like to have a chat with the parents, get to know them and the baby better, ask what exactly they are looking for and what their expectations are. Afterwards, I take a tour around the house and choose the best spots for the pictures. Sometimes I change around some furniture that might be in the way.
The photoshoot might start with the whole family together or with the baby alone, depending on how the baby is feeling. My photoshoots take up to 3 hours so that there is absolutely no pressure in rushing the session. If the baby is fussy, needs alone time with mama, needs to eat or a diaper change, we can do this without rushing.
Because lifestyle photography is a very authentic sort of photoshoot it is very important that you are relaxed and enjoy the photoshoot.
What to wear?
I wrote a whole blog posts dedicated to this question! You can find it here!
How about props?
Although I keep props to a minimum I do take my favourite swaddles with me.
I have a selection of swaddles with soft colours and different textures that you can choose to use on the day of the shoot. I love the look of a swaddled baby and they usually calm down as soon as they are swaddles!
If you have a special blanket, hat or teddy you want to include in the session leave it ready for the shoot so we definitely don’t forget to include it in the shoot.
Inspiration
After booking the session, I ask you to pay attention to your daily habits and think about what you would like to have on the picture. Simple daily things like giving a bath, changing diapers, feedings, little fun games you do together that makes your baby laugh,...these are simple things that define this amazing period of your time that soon will change.
You can also get a lot of inspiration on social media channels like Pinterest. I myself am a huge fan of this platform (check out my profile!)! If you have seen something that inspired you and want to include on the shoot I ask to send this to me in advance so I can take a look and see if it's possible/doable during our photoshoot!
Looking to book your newborn session or have questions for me? Feel free to contact me!
Take a look at my other blog posts like: "A look into a newborn session with an older sibling"and "What to wear for a Lifestyle Photoshoot"