Lifestyle Newborn Session Prep
Tips to prepare for your at-home session
congratulations
You just welcomed a new member into your family! Now it's time for some adorable newborn portraits. As cute as babies can be, they don't always sleep when we want them to sleep or eat when we want them to eat, if they did, life would be a lot easier! That’s why we wanted to share our best tips for a successful lifestyle newborn session.
What is a lifestyle newborn session?
A DOCUMENTARY STYLE SESSION THAT TAKES PLACE IN YOUR HOME.
Lifestyle newborn sessions take place in the comfort of your home and focus on capturing your family in a natural, documentary style. Think cozy snuggles on the couch, tickles on the bed, and all the little in-between moments.
Don’t worry about lighting, I bring everything I need, along with swaddles and a few simple props to create a handful of individual baby portraits with a more studio-inspired feel. These sessions are especially great for families with toddlers, since little ones can easily wander off to play or head down for a nap whenever they need.
And one last thing, please don’t stress about cleaning your entire house. I may move a thing or two if needed, but I know you have a newborn to care for, and real life is welcome here.
scheduling your session
CONTACT ME WITH YOUR EXPECTED DUE DATE.
If you are expecting and know you must have a newborn session for your little one, contact me and please share your due date. I will pencil you in on my calendar! Don't worry if you deliver early or late, I totally understand and am very flexible. How many babies really arrive on their exact due date??!! If your baby has recently arrived and you have decided that you simply must capture all the squishy cuteness, just let me know and I will do everything I can to accommodate you and your little one.
LET ME KNOW WHEN YOUR BABY IS BORN.
Once you have had some time to breathe and bask in the joy with you family, contact me to let me know your baby has arrived. We will want to schedule your session.
5-10 DAYS POST BIRTH IS THE IDEAL TIME FOR YOUR SESSION.
Newborn sessions are most successful 5-14 days after birth, while they are still sleeping 22 hours a day and are happy to be swaddled up! Lifestyle session are still appropriate for babies up to 3 weeks old. Usually after that they have discovered that they have hands, and then their hands like to live on their face and in their mouth LOL!
styling parents & siblings
KEEP THE FOCUS ON THE BABY.
This session is all about your family celebrating your new little one, so we want to keep the focus on the baby. I recommend keeping your palette simple and neutral like chambray, grey, cream, ivory or white with minimal pattern. If you want a bit of color, I suggest soft, pastel tones. For moms, I suggest a dress or a tunic/leggings, so sitting is more comfortable. For big brothers I suggest jeans or overalls and a simple, solid neutral top or no shirt (if they will go for it)! For big sisters, I recommend something pretty, soft and solid in color. Don't worry about shoes, bare feet are perfect for the whole family.
preparing for your session
LENGTH OF THE SESSION.
Typically newborn sessions take 2-3 hours, so be prepared for me to come and stay awhile! I will prepare 4-5 looks for you baby. Depending on how sleepy and calm he/she is will depend on how many different styles I can incorporate into your session.
PREPARING YOUR HOME.
When I arrive, I’ll quickly choose the best spots in your home based on light and space. I often use the parents’ bed since it’s a cozy, safe place for the whole family to relax and snuggle together.
There’s no need to deep clean—just have the bed made and nightstands cleared. If the bedroom isn’t ideal, we may use the nursery or another room. Lifestyle newborn sessions usually need only a small, well-lit corner, so please don’t stress.I will have everything else we will need for the session including wraps, hats, headbands, blankets, boxes and baskets.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE INCORPORATED.
If you have a special blanket, outfit or accessory you would like me to include in your session, please send me images of these items before your session, so that I can be prepared to incorporate them.
SIBLINGS.
If you have other children you would like incorporated into your session, let's chat about their nap time, meal time and try as best we can to work around their schedule while I'm there!
DRESS YOUR BABY IN AN OUTFIT THAT IS EASY TO REMOVE.
We want to keep your baby as snuggly and happy as possible, so please put them in an outfit that will be easy to remove. Anything that zips all the way down is a great option to avoid going over the head.
PLAN TO BE EXTRA TOASTY.
In order to keep your sweet baby snuggly and happy, the house will need to be extra warm, so turn up the heat a bit:) I am happy to bring a space heater if that will help! Your baby will be very comfortable...even if the rest of us are sweating! Keep this in mind when selecting your wardrobe. Feel free to wear layers and/or to do a quick change into your portrait attire.
The day of your session
BEFORE I ARRIVE.
If possible, try to keep your baby awake for a bit prior to my arrival, so they are ready to sleep for their portraits. A bath is a great way to keep them up!
FEEDING & DIAPER CHANGES.
I recommend feeding your baby right before we start so he/she is fast asleep for his/her portraits. Also, it is never a problem to pause the session for a feeding or diaper change.
Following your session
SNEAK PEEK WITHIN 24 HOURS.
Within 24 hours of your session you will see a sneak peek of your session on Instagram and Facebook (with your permission, of course).
GALLERY DELIVERY.
Your full gallery of proofs will be delivered within one week of your session. You will receive a link to your private online gallery via email and will have the opportunity to choose your favorites and select your images for printing. I will also provide a sharable link, so go ahead and let everyone enjoy the cuteness!
