Please do not deep clean your house for me
You have a new baby. This is not the moment when I expect your house to look untouched by actual life.
You do not need to clean every room or hide every baby item before an in-home newborn session. I am usually looking for a few pockets of good light and the places that feel meaningful to your family. We may use the nursery, your bedroom or the living room. We do not have to photograph the entire house.
What is actually helpful before I arrive
If you have the energy, clear small distractions from the nightstands or the area beside the crib. Open the curtains or blinds in the rooms you think we may use. That is enough.
When I arrive, I will take a look at the light and help decide where to begin. If a small table, laundry basket or diaper box is distracting from the photograph, I can move it. You do not need to predict every angle before I get there.
The baby does not need to be ready at the door
Most of the time, I come in and greet everyone before we do anything else. You can point me toward the nursery and show me where I can set down my camera bag. While you are feeding the baby or deciding between two onesies, I can photograph little details around the room.
If the baby is resting in the crib, I may begin there. If not, that is fine too. The session does not depend on the baby following a schedule for me.
Feeding and diaper breaks belong in the plan
We will take breaks when your baby needs them. There is no prize for rushing through a feed or trying to keep a baby calm for the sake of the camera.
I also like photographing the everyday ways parents care for a new baby. That might be both parents leaning over the changing table or the little hand resting against you during a feed. Your privacy matters. I will never assume you want an intimate moment photographed just because it is happening.
I love photographing breastfeeding in a way that feels beautiful without being intrusive, but I will always check first. If you do not want it photographed, there is nothing awkward about saying no.
What about siblings and pets?
Older children do not need to perform for the whole session. We can let them come in and out, take a break or show me something they care about. Sometimes their curiosity about the baby gives us the sweetest photographs without asking them to sit still and smile.
Pets depend on the animal and your comfort. If your pet is calm around the baby, we can include them. If managing them would create more stress, they can stay in another room and nobody has failed the family photograph.
Your home is part of the story, not something being inspected
I am coming into your home to photograph the way your family is beginning to fit around this new little person. I am not there to judge your floors or count the dishes in the sink.
The photographs only need a little light and room for you to be close to one another. Your home does not need to be perfect. It just needs to be yours.
You can read more about what an in-home newborn session feels like or visit my in-home newborn photography page when you are ready to talk about your family.
