Bay Area Newborn Lifestyle Photography

Some galleries I hold especially close to my heart.

This gallery is special to me for a few reasons. First, it was exactly my 100th, and final gallery, I shot and delivered in the 2020 calendar year. Obviously 2020 was a wild, tumultuous, unexpected year for all of us, but I was fortunately to still be able to work safely outdoors between shutdowns, and still document many wonderful families throughout the year.

This gallery is also close to my heart because it’s my own family. This is my brother and sister-in-law, and their two beautiful daughters. My older niece here is 4, my younger niece here is 5 weeks old.

For this particular session, my family gave me complete creative control. I dressed all four of them, and they were gracious enough to let me play, experiment, and be fully creative during their session. It's truly a special privilege to share my gift with my own family, and this was a wonderful way to wrap up the shooting season.

Scheduling Newborn Lifestyle Photos

As you can see in this session, our baby here is already 5 weeks old. For lifestyle photography shot within the home, there is no specific time frame you need to schedule photos. (Pro tip: for posed newborn photography shot in studio, it’s best to schedule in advance, ideally before the baby is 2 weeks old).

Lifestyle photography is very relaxed because the family feels right at home, literally! This is a great way to document the nursery, the home, and the sacred space where this chapter of life takes place.

What to wear for newborn lifestyle photos

For newborn lifestyle photos taken in home, I recommend wearing light, neutral colors: gray, beige, cream, white. Because we are shooting indoors with no extra lighting equipment, it is especially important to choose light colors to reflect some extra light in the image.

Tips for Newborn Lifestyle Photos

Newborn lifestyle photography is a great choice for laid back families who want to document this authentic chapter. Newborn lifestyle photos are typically scheduled in the morning. They usually last around 60-90 minutes, as we take breaks for feeding and changing. I recommend opening all the windows to let in as much light as possible, and lightly decluttering the nursery and master bedroom. Overall, newborn photos should feel relaxed and easygoing, like a lazy morning at home.

Technical information

This session was photographed on a Sigma 35 1.4 lens, and a Canon 5D Mark IV body. All photos were edited by hand in a mix of Lightroom and Photoshop, with no presets. Mama’s dress was purchased from Baltic Born; baby’s outfit was purchased from Etsy.