FAQ's
The answer to this almost always is "that's totally up to you" but let me break down some of the pro's and con's my parents have noted to me.
In-home sessions are absolutely great for sentimental reasons, nothing is more personal a location than your own home. It's amazing for first time parents who are a little worried about the hooplah that is leaving the house in those first few weeks. But the cost is having to make sure the house is tidy and looking photo ready, some parents can't be bothered with the extra work of cleaning out a few rooms for photos (and that's totally understandable, you've got to try and sleep sometime!) Another thing to consider is that most homes aren't equipped with a lot of natural light, and not having that genuine light source can effect the overall ~vibe and tone~ of the photo.
And the opposite is true of sessions that happen in my studio. There's no lack of natural light with these 18 feet tall windows, so the results will always be pretty predictable in terms of how the photos will look. And you don't have to worry about cleaning up, you just have to show up and be! But that means having to leave the house and often times that can be a bit of a struggle with newborns!
There really is no right or wrong answer here, it's about talking with your partner and seeing which options seems most suitable for you and your situation!
I always suggest getting yourself in my books sooner than later to ensure there is time set aside for you but life doesn't always work out perfectly! I often get requests for newborn sessions once the baby is already here and that's okay too! Since I'm a lifestyle newborn photographer we don't need the baby to be sleepy for posing, we just need you guys there together enjoying the moment!
If you are looking to book ahead of time, know we always approach newborn bookings with flexibility. Babies do their own thing and come on a schedule of their own, regardless of their due date. So we will book a "tentative date" somewhere in the 2-4 week range after the due date. From there we will keep in touch as the pregnancy progresses and we will reevaluate if our tentative date is appropriate based on when baby actually gets here!
I can make a lot of magic happen just about anywhere, but I always suggest picking the rooms with the most available natural light (most windows). Some of the most common rooms I use during in-home newborn sessions are: living rooms, bedrooms, and the nursery
I always have a basket handy for an adorable baby in a basket moment and I have a letter board that can be used as well. You absolutely don't have to have props together but if you want to utilize some here are some cute things I've had parents use before:
- Personalized items (swaddles, birth signs, blocks, etc)
- Stuffed animals
-Accessories (bows, hats, etc)
-Swaddles/outfits that coordinate with your outfits
Typically I suggest changing the babies clothes as little as possible. Changing their outfits more often than not results in the baby getting upset and sometimes it can take quite a while to soothe them. And that's not to say I'm not hear to ride out the storm with you, but most parents end up agreeing that the extra outfit isn't worth the extra tears!