Congratulations on the upcoming arrival of your littlest love! As a parent, you want to capture every precious moment of your newborn’s life. A newborn photoshoot is an excellent way to preserve those memories forever. Specialising in London Newborn and Baby Photography, I’d like to simplify the process for you as much as possible, as you will have plenty on your hands as a new parent 🙂

This is also why I love doing in-home newborn photography. Staying at home with your newborn is much easier than having to head to a studio. At home London Baby Photography sessions are brilliant for intimate and relaxed sessions as everyone feels their most comfortable. You have everything you need close by, can feed them and change them as you would normally and they feel calmer in their usual surroundings.

Your home always holds so many special emotions for you and it’s the perfect place for lifestyle family photography. Looking back onto your photos in the years to come, you’ll be reminded of all the wonderful, wild and loving moments you spent in your home.

As a London newborn photographer, here my top 6 tips for your in-home session:

1. Scheduling the photshoot

I suggest to book your newborn photoshoot in advance, preferably during your last trimester of your pregnancy. This way, we can ensure that there is availability around your due date as I only work with a limited amount of families per month. Once your little one has arrived, we can find the best timing together. You can also check out this blogpost which talks more about when the “best” time for a photoshoot might be.

2. Feeding your baby

If possible, it would be ideal if your baby feeds just before our shoot so they’re content and potentially a bit sleepy. If this doesn’t work, please don’t worry as I’m always flexible around your schedule. Because I specialise in lifestyle newborn photography, we don’t necessarily need your little one to be asleep and taking photos of your little one awake or feeding will also be lovely! Usually my sessions will incorporate a mix of your baby being awake as well as being asleep.

3. Incorporating your windows

I love working with natural light for my London Baby Photography so let’s use your windows. Open any blinds and curtains and switch off any overhead spotlights or other artificial sources of light, as they create unflattering shadows and throw off the colour of the images. As long as you have some good sized windows, we can create beautiful images. Using only natural light, these will be filled with emotion, warmth and authenticity.

4. Preparing your home

Living in London, you might be worried that your home isn’t big or tidy enough for a newborn photoshoot, but we don’t need a lot of space to capture some beautiful shots. Please don’t worry about how your home looks! We’ll only be using a few corners such as the nursery, your bedroom, maybe the living room sofa. Once I arrive at yours, I will have a quick look around for the best spots in terms of light and we can ensure together that there is nothing distracting in the images or the background.

For the bedroom and nursery, choose plain / neutral bedding, such as white or ivory tones. We will likely take some images on your bed, with everyone snuggling in and getting comfortable. Patterns can be distracting so sticking to a simple plain bedding will work best.

I also recommend making sure the room temperature is warm enough for your little one, especially if we take photos during the colder months and potentially in their nappy or with some little bloomer shorts only.

5. Preparing newborn clothing and accessories

You are welcome to select a few outfits for your little one. I recommend keeping things simple as your little one might not be particularly happy about getting changed. One to three outfits usually work best. We can start in diapers with some baby bloomers or a blanket on top, followed by one or two outfits. Stick with something comfortable and easy to put on, like a onesie or two piece outfit. It’s lovely to pick something that leaves the feet uncovered so we can take detailed shots of those tiny toes. As they’re still so small, I also recommend quite simple outfits – a babygrows, onesies or a simple vest work perfectly. Avoid collars as they might cover baby’s face.

Also, you might like to gather light or plain knitted blankets and muslin swaddles. I prefer not to use any other props and do not take “posed” newborn photos with swaddles, but these do come in quite handy when taking pictures of your baby only. Do let me know if there are any heirlooms or sentimental items you would like to include.

6. Choosing your own outfits

I love supporting you in choosing your outfit for our shoot – you’re more than welcome to message me with any options you have in mind, so we can see what works well. Generally light clothing works nicely – think neutrals, white, beige, grey. I recommend avoiding anything with logos, bold patterns or bright colours. Check out another blog post here for more recommendations. You can also check out my Instagram to see what some of my other families wore for their shoot. Lastly, barefoot always looks best for in-home sessions.

I’ll be on hand throughout preparing for your newborn photoshoot – it certainly doesn’t have to be overwhelming! By following these top tips, you can ensure a successful and stress-free photoshoot. The most important thing is to enjoy the moment and cherish these beautiful memories for a lifetime.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll feature blog posts from some other photographers across the world that you might like to check out for further inspiration. This week, I’d like to feature US based photographer Ashlie, who also takes professional newborn photos, shares some great ideas on Reasons to Book a Professional Newborn Photo Session.

Lifestyle London Baby Photography.

I am a Chelsea Newborn Photographer. Specialising in London Baby photography, I cover Central and West London, such as Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, Battersea, Clapham, Richmond, Westminster, Mayfair and Notting Hill. Please do still get in touch if you live outside of these areas but would be interested in a family photoshoot together.