5 Tips for an In Home Newborn Session

As a Minneapolis newborn photographer, I love when families choose to have their newborn photos taken in their home. Your home is your safe place. It’s already full of memories, and the beginning of your baby’s childhood! Practically, it is also so much easier to have your newborn photographer come to you after giving birth, instead of having to get ready and get out to the door to head to a studio or outdoor location.

That being said, it can be a little nerve wracking to invite a new person into your home, especially during those early postpartum days when your life has been turned upside down! First of all, I want you to know that you’re safe with me! I have been through the postpartum haze, and I know how intense it can be. I don’t expect your whole house to be immaculate, your baby not to cry or your dogs not to be a little extra needy for affection 😉 Put any worries to rest about me judging the state of your home! Let’s keep things simple.

1. The WHOLE house does not need to be photo ready. Did your shoulders just relax a little? For the most flattering photos, we will spend all of our time in the best lit areas of your home. Usually, this is the living room, main bedroom, and/or nursery but we might also hang out in your kitchen or entry way for some close up portraits if the light is gorgeous! We’ll make a game plan when I arrive, but all you need to worry about cleaning up is the best lit rooms.
   
2. Uhhhh, what is good light you might be wondering? There are two types of light for this scenario. Direct and indirect light. The BEST light for photos is full, indirect light. This means that the room is nice and bright, without having actual sun rays pouring in. When you stand in that room, there isn’t sun directly hitting your face or skin, causing harsh highlights and shadows. Usually windows facing north and south have this indirect light. Any rooms with really small windows, or with big trees outside? We’ll likely skip.
   
   

3. Ok, you’ve found the best light in your house. Let’s say it’s the living room. Tidy up – remove any distracting elements, pick up clutter, and run the vacuum through the morning of your session.
When it comes to tidying up, we want your home to feel like you, but we also don’t want to take away from the focus of your photos – your connection with each other. That’s why I often recommend white or light/neutral bedding and pillows if we are going to take photos on your bed, a white or neutral crib sheet for solo photos of baby, and removing any really busy or colorful items in your living room. The key here is that we want to keep things that feel like YOU and remove the things that might just feel busy in your final photos. I’ll also crop intentionally throughout our session to keep things peacefully simple.

4. If it’s a dreary day, open the curtains/blinds and turn off any interior lights. This seems counter intuitive, right?! The temperature of light bulbs is often much warmer than the temperature of the light coming in from outside. This can create strange light and color gradients across you during photos. Don’t worry – I’ll turn these off when I arrive if you forget!!

5. If you have an older toddler sibling, we will work our session around their needs! Usually, we’ll start with smiling at the camera, full family photos while big brother or sister is interested. Often, having a new sibling around brings up lots of big feelings. It’s totally normal if your toddler needs a break, even several throughout our session! I recommend having snacks on hand that aren’t messy, wait on offering candy or screens if possible. Sometimes just some 1:1 time with mom or dad while I focus on photos of just baby, helps a lot. Overall – please don’t worry. We will work with the needs of your family to create beautiful photos that document this sweet little season together – chaos and all. As a Minneapolis newborn photographer, I’ve seen it all!

Looking for a Minneapolis newborn photographer? Learn about my newborn session pricing and view my portfolio here. Then reach out by sending me a message via the contact page! I’d be honored to document this sweet time in your family’s life.