Is there anything you need to do to prepare for an in-home lifestyle newborn photography session? It’s a question I often get asked, so I thought I’d write up a quick blog post that covers everything how you can prepare for your session.
How to prepare for your newborn photography session
The good news is there isn’t much you need to do to prepare for a lifestyle newborn photography session. These sessions are about capturing your little family in those early days as you settle into the rhythm of life at home with your little bundles of joy.
Here are 4 things you can do to ensure you have a great lifestyle session:
1. Set expectations
I send over a short questionnaire form you can easily fill out on your phone during a late night feed. In this, I’ll ask you to share what you’re hoping to achieve as well as any heirlooms or important items you’d like photographed. I’m not a mindreader, so if you have a vision or something you’d like captured, let me know and we will make it happen.
2. Turn it up
Consider turning up the heat in your house prior to the session. Do you have a portable electric heater (these are great for taking baby out of the bath in winter or warming a room for some naked time to heal nappy rash)? If not, I can bring one. I recommend have a room or the whole house set to around 25° to ensure your little one is content and happy being in the buff.
3. Plan what you’ll all wear – and then plan a backup outfit
I recently wrote a blog post with 7 considerations you should take into account when deciding what to wear for a newborn photography session. From your home’s decor to family heirlooms, there are a lot of factors to keep in mind. This blog post will help you narrow down what you and your family should wear for the session.
As mentioned in that blog post, you’ll also want to plan a backup outfit as accidents and babies go hand-in-hand.
4. Do a bit of tidying – but don’t worry about it too much
Unless you love mess, a bit of declutter will ensure you love your pictures. I will definitely help your partner quickly move anything out a frame and will work around messes, but sometimes a cute moment happens unexpectedly. So in short, a tidy of the house is helpful, but is no means crucial.
To keep you from cleaning your whole house from head to toe, if you have a small room with poor light – use that as a dumping ground and just hide everything in there. You can also send me pictures or a short video walkthrough of your home and I can advice on where the light is best – and thus where we will take pictures.
To see my newborn and family photography portfolio, click here.
Interested in having me photograph your family and newborn? Get in touch.
Till the next bump drops,
Kelsie
Kelsie Scully Photography – Brighton newborn photographer serving Hove, Shoreham, Haywards Heath, Horsham, Rottingdean and beyond with moments of love, laughter and memory-making.
