I hope you’ve had an opportunity to read my blog post on what to wear for your in home newborn session but now you may be wondering are there any “no-no’s” that you should know about. Following my blog post will guide you in the right direction but here are some things to look out for!

When do I feed my baby to prepare for our newborn session? This is a very popular question because as new moms, your whole life revolves around feeding your new baby!  Trying to coordinate feeding your newborn with a scheduled appointment may seem a little tricky. This is the beautiful advantage of having your newborn session in your home!  No stress of feeding before loading your baby and all of their belongings into the car!  You’ll want to feed your baby before our session but not necessarily before I arrive to your home. 

How long will our session take? This is such a great question to help prepare you and your family for a successful session. My sessions usually last 4-5 hours. Please consider the time that it takes me to transform your home into a temporary photography studio and time to comfort, change and feed your baby.

How old should my baby be for their newborn session?  This is probably the biggest question newborn photographers get asked by expectant parents.  The short answer is less than two weeks. Before two weeks, your baby is still getting used to being outside of your womb and is still extremely sleepy and flexible. As they get older they become increasingly alert to the world around them. They sleep less than they did in the first days and their muscles become stronger making sleepy poses more difficult. Around two weeks they have a growth spurt that makes them cluster feed more than usual and if any skin issues arise it will usually be after the two week mark. Although, around 14 days is my personal sweet spot for photographing newborns I’ve had plenty of successful sessions with older newborns.

Family portraits with newborns are somewhat of a new trend. When I began photographing newborns almost 15 years ago, moms were not as interested in being photographed after giving birth. Photographers have found ways of photographing postpartum moms in a very flattering, soft way that allows moms to feel beautiful and empowered during this time. Angles and wardrobe are everything in these portraits so when choosing a newborn photographer, find one that you love how the moms are posed for their family shots. Here are my top tips on how to prepare yourself for a newborn session:

Planning for your maternity photos can be a bit overwhelming if you’re left to think about all the details to make your vision come true. Why not hire someone who specializes in making pregnant women feel beautiful and empowered? Choose a photographer who understands your vision and has the means necessary to make your maternity dreams come true. Here are my top 5 tips when preparing for your maternity portrait session:

Styling your family for photos is one of the most daunting tasks but it doesn’t have to be! Let me help make all the decisions for you and present you with a few choices that you will love! This stunning mama and I worked together to style her family with this location in mind. The changing colors of fall provided a perfect backdrop to the neutrals, browns, and blues that she chose. I like to choose a signature piece for mom before we start the process of choosing coordinating outfits for the rest of the family. When mom looks and feels amazing everything else falls into place. 

I’ve watched this woman grow and have photographed her in some of the most memorable moments in her life. She chose me as her senior portrait photographer and last year I captured her family’s first family portraits with their first daughter. Now, this sweet couple is awaiting the arrival of their second daughter and I was so honored to capture these memories for them!

One of my favorite things to see at a newborn session is two, brand-new grandmas with their new titles, doting on their first grandbaby! Watching moms witness their own babies become parents is something magical. They are supportive, yet give space, offer advice when prompted, and step aside when not needed. It’s a beautiful dance of everyone metamorphosing into new roles! So, naturally, I had the grandmas jump in for pictures with their babies holding their new baby! Imagine, one of the first portraits of your new baby and their grandma is professional and frame-worthy! Three-generation photos are some of my favorite images to capture!