Your home holds so many memories for your family, and it’s so special to have those photographed! Now is not the time to compare your home to what you see on Instagram or Pinterest, but remember that this is where your favorite people live and the first home your baby has lived in. Not to mention the convenience of an in-home session, you don’t have to try and get your family out the door postpartum or make sure your diaper bag is packed. Now, let’s go through what to wear, how to prepare your home, and what to do on the day of your session before I arrive.

Outfits

Neutral and earth tones will be your best friends when it comes to outfits for your newborn session. Think of the parents and older siblings wearing white, nude, beige, navy, brown, baby blue, sage green. We want your new baby to stand out, and they will likely have a few outfit changes, some of which may be pink or blue swaddles, depending on if you’re having a boy or girl. If you’re wearing bright colors like orange, red, and yellow or a flannel, it will make the picture look busy and distracting. Use this family picture above as inspiration. Duke and Lauran included her parents and sister in baby Sybil’s newborn session, and they coordinated their outfits so well!

Mom: I always suggest that you pick out your outfit first and base the family around you. After all, you just gave birth, and I want you to have something loose and comfortable on your healing body. My top recommendation is always a maxi dress in a light color, such as white, beige, light blue, or a similar shade. If you really want to wear pants or jeans, then make sure you’re wearing a blouse that looks good untucked. We’re going to be sitting for more than half of your session, and it’s uncomfortable to have a waistband digging into your stomach. Also, pants aren’t the most flattering when sitting down.

Dad: Wear a henley, polo, or button-up. Again, neutral light colors will photograph best. Jeans or chino pants work great; please, no shorts or baseball hats. Your baby is only little so long, so you can wear a nice-looking shirt for a couple of hours and then put your graphic tee back on once I leave. 😉

Baby: I would prepare 2-3 outfits for your baby, including a swaddle. Make sure at least one of their outfits shows their feet and hands so that I can photograph their adorable features. As long as their colors don’t clash with yours, you can really have your baby wear anything you would like! Many parents include a hat, bow, or bonnet in some of the pictures.

If you have a wooden sign with their name or an embroidered blanket from grandma that you would like me to include in a couple of pictures, then these are perfect details to include.

How to De-Clutter your Home

You have likely not been getting the best sleep and are either recovering from giving birth, a caesarean, or a plane ride if you adopted your baby from another state or country. Don’t worry, you don’t need to clean your house from top to bottom. We will likely only take pictures in your master bedroom, family room, and, if you’d like, your nursery. Think of the rooms in your house that have the most white, beige, and windows! Natural light will be our best friend. I will bring my flash, but I try to avoid using it for the baby’s eyes. If you have enough windows facing your bed or couch, then that’s perfect!

You will need to declutter a bit before I arrive and remove tissue boxes, coasters, and magazines from end tables, as well as any busy family photos hanging above your master bed. Nails on the wall are easy to edit out, but editing a picture within a picture is tricky. You can always wait for my opinion on the picture frames and I will let you know if there’s anything that needs to be adjusted or removed so it’s not in the frame. I don’t care if your sink is full of dishes or your carpet isn’t vacuumed, but want to make sure your family remains the focus of your pictures not your home decor.

Plants! If you have any houseplants, please have them in the pictures! Even in the background, they add so much beautiful green color and life to your session! Again, there’s no need to go out and buy a fiddle leaf fig, but if you have one, let’s use it.

Tips for choosing which room to use for your session

Master bedroom: The key is bright, light, neutrals. Using your bed is perfect because we can pile lots of kids on, snuggle up, and also set the baby at the end of your bed for some solo baby pictures. If you have a dark-colored duvet, and your couch is patterned or a dark color, then the easiest and most cost-effective option is to buy a white duvet cover instead of buying a new couch. This is your excuse to take yourself to Target to buy a white duvet cover or order one on Amazon.

Affordable Room Essentials Cotton Blend Duvet Cover and Sham Set

GOTS Certified Organic Cotton Duvet Cover and Sham Set – higher price point, but it’s organic cotton if that’s important to you.

Family Room: Let’s say your master bedroom is small and dark, and you don’t want to spend money on a new duvet. No worries, let’s utilize the room you gather in as a family and take pictures on your couch.

Nursery: Not everyone has a decorated nursery, so don’t feel bad if that’s not something you have. However, if you spent a lot of time getting a custom name sign on the wall, painting the room, and filling it with furniture then now is your chance to have it professionally photographed.

Dogs, and family pets are welcome in the session as long as they’re not aggressive towards new people. I don’t mind barking; I grew up with Bernedoodles, but if they bite, then leave them outside during the session.

Of course, we can use multiple rooms if you would like, but some homes are small and I have photographed entire sessions in their master bedroom because they didn’t have a nursery and their family room didn’t have enough natural light. When in doubt, you can always text me pictures of your home if you need help deciding what room to clean before your session.

What to do right before I arrive:

Depending on how old your baby is, try and keep them awake before I get there so that they will be tired and sleep through most of the session! You know your baby best and we can schedule the session around their usual nap time. Please change your baby’s diaper and feed them before I arrive. We don’t want to waste precious session time on a diaper change when we could be taking pictures. Don’t feel bad if you need to change during the session, but it’s always best to start with a clean, dry diaper.

A few minutes before I arrive and after their diaper change, put your baby in your favorite outfit first or swaddle them up. That way, you can avoid spit-up ruining their outfit if they’re wearing it all morning, and if they start getting fussy mid-session, at least we know we got happy pictures of them in your favorite outfit!

Now, this may be the most important! Try to connect with your spouse, even for a few minutes before the session. If you need Grandma to come over that day to help with the baby, then that’s great. My photography approach is all about capturing genuine, real pictures. It’s challenging if you and your spouse have been running around the house all day, telling each other what to grab for the session, and haven’t taken a moment to check in with each other and ask how the other is doing. Give your spouse a big, long hug; it works wonders in calming the nerves. I know I get easily stressed when I have a million things to prepare, but don’t forget to slow down. Put on music you all like as a family if that would help, and remember that I am here to capture the love between your family!