Top 5 Tips for Beautiful Newborn Lifestyle Photos
Tips for Newborn Lifestyle Photos at Home
Get stunning, timeless newborn photos with these 5 tips for preparing for your lifestyle session
Congratulations on the newest arrival to your family! You know better than anyone else how precious and unforgettable this chapter of life is. This is a beautiful milestone to capture as parents, and I know you’ll want to share these memories with friends & family who want to celebrate with you.
With these tips, you’ll have valuable insider knowledge about how to rock your newborn lifestyle session, leaving you with beautiful newborn portraits that you & your family will cherish for decades to come.
What is Lifestyle Newborn Photography?
A newborn photo session is exactly what it sounds like: sweet, timeless, intimate photos of the newest member of your family. Newborn photos commemorate just how tiny they really were when they were first born, as well as this exciting time in your journey as parents.
“Lifestyle” is a photography genre which means photos are more candid, natural, and relaxed. This genre is sometimes described as “documentary” photography. These are photos taken right in the comfort of your home—your sacred space—showcasing your real lives! Lifestyle newborn photos do not have complicated props, professional lighting equipment, or a set pose list.
Instead, these photos document the beauty of your family, exactly as you are now.
Why should I choose Lifestyle Newborn Photography?
Great question! Capturing your photos right in the comfort of your home is a great way to commemorate this milestone in an intimate, relaxed, and authentic way.
Studio newborn photography sessions operate within a strict window of time after baby’s arrival, but at-home lifestyle sessions can be easily scheduled at any age (even months!) after your baby’s arrival. There is no hurry to schedule your session within an ideal time frame. Even if your baby is already several months old, you can still have a lifestyle session at home.
Studio newborn photos typically last 3-4 hours because the baby must be asleep the whole time, and then photographed with different props, poses, and setups. In contrast, lifestyle photos typically last about 90 minutes in length, and the baby can be awake or asleep either one.
If you’re looking for posed, airbrushed images of your family with perfect lighting— studio newborn photography is probably a better fit for you. In contrast, lifestyle photography is a good fit for laid-back families who want to photograph life at home.
Now that you know more about the genre of lifestyle photography, here are my top 5 tips (and a bonus!) to help you rock your newborn photo session!
1. Plan your lifestyle session when there’s lots of light in the house.
Light is truly everything, especially when shooting indoors! Pay attention to whether you get more natural light in your house in the morning or afternoon. Make sure you turn off your indoor artificial lights to get an accurate impression.
It’s most important to have lots of natural light in rooms such as the nursery or master bedroom.
2. Declutter, but don’t remodel the whole home!
I know you just brought a new miracle of life into the world, so this doesn’t need to be the week to channel your inner Joanna Gaines in your home. You do not need to clean the house for me. However, it might be a good idea to move distracting objects out of the way in a few key areas.
For example, you don’t need to clean your whole master bedroom, but maybe declutter the bedside table so it won’t be visually distracting in the photos.
3. Make sure your baby has eaten as much as he/she wants before the session.
I encourage you to feed your baby thoroughly just before I arrive. At this stage of life, new babies are hungry (and sleepy) a lot. That’s okay. We budget for extra time as we will likely need a break to eat or change diapers. Don’t hesitate to ask for a break as needed!
4. Prepare older siblings for my arrival.
Older siblings are adjusting to a whirlwind of new emotions and excitement as they adjust to the newest family members. I have the best luck when my families prepare the sibling by saying, “Our friend Bri is coming over to see us on Saturday!” This strategy has worked wonders with very shy children. Then the siblings know what to expect, and they know that I am a friend.
When the older sibling is a toddler, their attention span usually only lasts about 10 minutes into a photoshoot at home. I will try to do whole-family shots at the beginning of the session, so if toddler starts getting wiggly, we can let them go play separately. Also, we are prepared to take breaks.
5. Opt for neutral onesies & light colors for you and your baby.
For your baby, I recommend gathering thin blankets in light tones for swaddling. I also recommend a neutral onesie with no words or graphics.
The rest of the family can dress as comfortably as they please. Some of my mamas wear dresses; some of my mamas wear jeans. Both are perfectly fine. I recommend dressing the family in neutral tones such as light gray, beige, white, cream, baby blue, soft pink.
Stay away from black, baseball caps, fluorescent colors, writing on clothing, or bold patterns on clothes.
And lastly, play it cool!
My goal for your session is that it is relaxed and easy. I will encourage you to interact naturally with your family. I strive for authentic, unposed photos with genuine expressions. You’re not just posing for the camera, you’re creating lifelong memories to be cherished forever. That is the beauty of newborn lifestyle photos.
Want to see more newborn galleries?
Be sure to check out my newborn portfolio here, or this beautiful blog post here.
Want to learn more about me and why I love what I do? Learn more here!