Why I love Newborn Photography at Home: The Ultimate Guide

Feb 13, 2023 | Newborn Photography

One of the most precious and memorable moments of your baby’s life is their newborn stage, and I love providing newborn photography at home. These sessions are some of my favourite to capture and I’d love to share a bit more around the reasons I am passionate about in-home newborn photography, what to expect, and why these sessions might also be perfect for you.

newborn photography at home showing a small baby in his mother's lap

4 Reasons I love newborn photography at home

When your littlest love arrives into the world, your family’s newborn bubble is precious and special. So when you want professional newborn photographs taken, what are your options? You could venture out to your local photography studio, or you could simply enjoy having your newborn photographs captured at home.

When both of my own children were newborns, I remember leaving the house was unappealing for many reasons: I thought I needed to pack what felt like a suitcase full of baby items just in case in needed them, “sleep when the baby sleeps” was my priority, and I didn’t want to upset our usual routine unnecessarily – home was just more predictable!

  • Comfort and convenience are certainly some of the biggest advantages of newborn photography at home. Newborns are more relaxed and comfortable in familiar surroundings, and you can easily attend to your baby’s needs without worrying about travelling to a studio. At home, you have everything you need to soothe and care for your baby close at hand.
    • As I specialise in lifestyle newborn photography, which is all about authentic moments and real connection, my shoots usually take place in your home or possibly at an outdoors location that’s meaningful to you, if your baby is a little older. Your home is a reflection of your family’s unique personality and style. By having your newborn photos taken at home, you can incorporate personal touches into the photoshoot that reflect your family’s unique style and personality. Newborn photography at home allows us to create a unique and personalised experience and will be forever meaningful as we are in your first family home.

    newborn photography at home in London with mother holding her baby boy in her arms

    • Additionally, newborn photography at home offers the most flexibility. Newborns have their own schedule, and they are usually unpredictable. By having a photographer come to your home, you have the flexibility to schedule the photoshoot at a time that works best for you and your baby. If your baby needs to take a break or feed during the shoot, you can easily pause and resume when they’re ready. I never have any timing restrictions on my sessions, so we can take as much time as required, although newborn sessions typically last around 60 to 90 minutes.

    • Finally, in home newborn photography will provide us with plenty of options for backgrounds and settings. Your home provides a variety of backdrops and settings to choose from, depending on the look and feel you want for your photos. From cozy bedrooms to sunlit living rooms, you have the flexibility to create a range of looks and moods for your photos. I will usually take newborn photos in your bedroom, the nursery and the living room. And please don’t worry about how your home may look – all I need is a window to provide us some natural light and a tidy corner or two. Have a look at this blog post on how to prepare your home for a newborn session.

    What to expect during professional newborn photography at home

    Before any session, I will take time to get to know you and your family, whether through a phone call or my session questionnaire. We can discuss your ideas for the shoot and what the perfect images look like for you. You are more than welcome to share any ideas, previous inspiration you may have seen and any must have images we shouldn’t miss.

    When I arrive in your home, I will have a quick look around for some of the best spots to take our photos. As mentioned, this will likely be the nursery, your bedroom and possibly the living room. Again, simply let me know what you have in mind and we will capture these moments together.

    I can also have a final look at any outfits you’ve planned for yourself and your baby.

    Throughout our session, I’ll give you gentle guidance on how to pose, but I generally let newborn photography at home unfold naturally. All you have to do is spend time with your precious newborn and each other and you’ll barely notice I’m there 😉 If baby needs any feeding or changing breaks that’s completely fine.

    As I don’t pose babies, there is no need for them to be asleep and I typically capture a range of images with their curious eyes gazing around or also fully asleep cuddled into your arms.

    I will take a large variety of images in different settings in your home, with different outfits and different family constellations. Of course if you have any older children, or pets, we will include them in your session. Once you are in a particular set up, such as snuggling together on the bed, I will not disturb you but rather move around you and take images from different angles to provide you with a range of photographs to choose from. The beauty of in home newborn photography is that we have your entire home and various outfits to choose from!

    I will also take detailed close ups, such as your baby’s tiny feet, hands, lips and face

    After your in home newborn photography session

    I will share a handful of sneak previews within 2 days of our session. I know how exciting it is to receive a few images and I’m keen to get these across to you as soon as possible. Afterwards, the editing process begins for me – a labour of love! Many hours go into this creative process to ensure your images look perfect and meet my standards.

    I don’t manipulate the photos with Photoshop generally, apart from temporary blemishes like little spots or flaky skin. I think it’s important to remember this time exactly as it was. Your little baby is beautiful as it is and I will not make any unnatural enhancements – this would go completely against my philosophy of natural lifestyle images! Little imperfections are completely normal in newborn photography.

    Viewing your online gallery

    Around two to three weeks after our in home newborn photography session, I will share an online watermarked gallery with you which usually contains around 50+ images (I promise 35 at least). At this point you can decide whether you will keep the full gallery or select a subset of 8 or 20 images as part of a package.

    Your in home newborn photography gallery will include a mix of colour and black and white images, all taken in a very natural style.

    After you’ve decided, I will make the final edits and remove the watermark so you can download and enjoy your images.

    The gallery will be live for 3 months after I share it, and I will always keep an offline copy for you as well. You can also share the link with friends and family and they can download it as often as they like as well.

    Check out the video below to see an example gallery showing an older newborn photography session at home, so you have an idea of what your gallery will feel like.

    Albums and other heirloom products

    I strongly believe your family and newborn photography should not live on a hard drive but you should enjoy the photos we took together every day. I love supporting you in curating fine art albums. These are printed on museum quality, matte paper using the Giclée technique – the highest quality ink printing. Images and paper will never fade or become yellow and albums simply beautiful heirloom pieces that your children can enjoy in the future.

    I would be delighted to provide you a bespoke offer for albums, prints or frames to suit your session style as well as your home.

    Conclusion

    I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit more about why I love newborn photography at home. If you are looking for a relaxed session in the comfort of your home, resulting in beautiful lifestyle images that you will cherish for years to come, then this will be just right for you.

    I would be delighted to chat further about your own session: Book your session

    Meanwhile, you might also like to check this article on 6 Questions to ask your London Newborn Photographer.

    About me

    I am a London photographer specialising in newborn photography at home, as well as lifestyle maternity, baby & toddler, and family 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 newborn photography at home together. Not quite ready to book? Follow me on Instagram and let’s stay in touch.

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