How to prepare for your newborn session - In Home lifestyle newborn photography
Welcoming a newborn into your family is a momentous occasion, and capturing those early days through professional photography is a wonderful way to cherish those memories forever. Here are some essential tips to prepare for a
newborn photography session in the comfort of your own home:
- CLEAN + DECLUTTER YOUR HOUSE
Find the rooms with the best lighting (typically master bedroom, nursery, livingroom), and have them clean and clutter free. Remove anything that is unnecessary and makes things look cluttered, like charging cables, tissue boxes, stacks of blankets, etc.
- HAVE ALL ITEMS READY
Any outfits, blankets, hats, bows, etc. that you want to use should be out and ready for quick changing. The more we change baby, the more they will wake up. 2-3 outfits is a good amount. Its better to change out blankets and bows or hats to keep them sleepy.
- EAT BEFORE + BRING SNACKS + TREATS
Your kids will not do well on empty stomachs. Eat a meal before (in a change of clothes!) to help with hangry moods, plus bring snacks. Please do not bring colored snacks, things that get stuck in teeth, or are hard to chew and produce a lot of extra saliva, like suckers, goldfish, chocolate, gummy bears, etc. The best snacks to bring are pretzels, marshmallows, smarties, or cheerios. Now, here is the secret tip that will make a HUGE difference with how your children do: Do not bring out the sweet treats until half way through the session! Sometimes it helps to not even mention that you are bringing a sweet treat for them. Only give them cheerios or something similar in the beginning. Then when they start to really lose patience, thats when you bring out the treats and it will help them get through the last half! If you bring out the treats in the beginning, they will start off the session grumpier because they will just want more treats.
- SMILE EVEN WHEN YOUR KIDS AREN'T
Yes, Photoshop works sometimes but not every time. If you try to keep a smile on your face the whole time, then we will get amazing pictures when your kids smile! Some sessions are spent trying to get the children to cheer up the entire time. In those cases, it is absolutely crucial that you keep a smile on your face and keep your energy high throughout the session! I still get amazing shots even with grumpy kids as long as the parents just pretend like nothing crazy is happening ;)
- OFFER A BRIBE
This works great for kids 3 and up! Offer to get a treat after, a toy from the dollar store, or an actual dollar!
- PLAY AND HAVE FUN
Your kids will feed off of your energy. Make this a fun experience for them by being happy and playful rather than scolding them. I've been doing this for a long time and the best results always come from families who play and giggle together.
Preparing for a
newborn photography session in your home is all about creating a comfortable and nurturing environment where your baby can shine. With a little planning and preparation, you'll have cherished photographs that you'll treasure for years to come.
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