5 Essential Steps to Having a Successful In-Home Lifestyle Newborn Photoshoot
Lifestyle newborn photoshoots are by default more likely to be easier and successful than a heavily posed newborn photography session. We aren’t worried about the baby being asleep. We don’t need to make sure that the baby takes to specific poses or is happy being out of your arms for a bit. But lifestyle photoshoots are always easier if we follow certain steps preparing and during the session. The odds of us getting all the amazing photos, instead of just some of them, becomes exponentially higher if we are all prepared for the photoshoot and know what to expect. Here are the five essential steps to making your lifestyle newborn photoshoot a successful one.
Step #1 - Make Sure Lifestyle Newborn Photography is What you Want
This might seem like a no brainer, but the first step is actually making sure that you want a lifestyle newborn photoshoot. Most non-photographers don’t realize that there is quite a range in how newborn photography is done.
The Different Types of Newborn Photography
On one side of the range are posed newborn photoshoots. Made famous by Anne Geddes in the 90s, these are the photos where babies are placed in baskets and seemingly held in the air by a sling. They are wrapped tightly into a piece of fabric, have a bow on their head, and seem to sleep in a miniature bed.
On the other side of the spectrum is documentary style photography. This is where a photographer is literally a fly on the wall. They do no posing whatsoever and just capture the moments as they unfold. Lighting and poses may not be perfect, but everything is true to life.
Somewhere in between these two extremes is lifestyle. Lifestyle photography is usually “lightly” posed. We place you in good light, tell you to cuddle with the little one, and we photograph away. I like to think of it as a sugar coated documentary style. We are capturing life. We’re just doing it with you all in nice clothes, in good lighting, and making sure no one is making weird faces.
Finding the Right Photographer
But there can be a lot of variation even within lifestyle photography. So you’ll want to pay close attention to the portfolios of photographers you are considering. Some photographers will still integrate a little bit of the posed style into their lifestyle sessions, bringing props with them to make an ad hoc newborn studio in your home. And others will be closer to the documentary side of the spectrum and do very little posing. A photographer’s portfolio is a good indication of what they do, so just make sure that what you want is what they show on their website.
Step #2 - Choosing Outfits
Most non-photographers don’t realize how important outfit selection can be for the ultimate success of photos. I’m sure that you’re planning to choose outfits that make you look good. But that is only the first step to finding the right outfits for your photoshoot. You also need to make sure that the outfits of everyone involved coordinate. They also need to be timeless. And they need to work with the lighting in your home. So here are five things to keep in mind when choosing outfits for your newborn photoshoot:
Keep to light colored/neutral clothes. Light is limited inside homes. Dark clothes will just cause there to be less light for your photos. It will give your photos a heavier and darker feel. So stick with whites, light grays, light and muted colors, and your photos will be lighter and brighter.
Coordinate the colors of everyone’s clothes so that they go together. Your photographer can help you with this. It is all about choosing analogous and complementary colors on the color wheel. And, in regards to colors, stay away from reds and yellows. You’ll be holding your baby a lot and red and yellow clothing will reflect red and yellow light. Newborn babies tend to be splotchy and have skin on the yellow side. Wearing clothes that reflect these colors exacerbates those issues.
Stay away from logos and graphics. This is a hard and fast rule. No logos or graphics. They date photos and become the focus of the photo. You want people to notice your child and family, not the graphic on your shirt, don’t you?
For baby, stick with solid neutrals for their clothes. Babies are small. They will become overwhelmed by a lot of color and by prints.
For mom, stick with loose fitting and flowy clothes. It will be harder for you to move around and adjust with tighter fitting clothes. To give your already overworked body a break, choose clothes that will be easy to pose and move around in.
Bonus: Dress as though you’re going out for a casual night out. This may be in your home and is more casual than other types of photography, but you’ll want to look your best. These photos are going to last a long while.
Step #3 - Wrap Your Mind Around Being in a Lifestyle Newborn Session
Don’t look at the camera automatically when you are being photographed in a lifestyle newborn session. We are all trained in this society to look at a camera the second someone pulls one out. But the reason why lifestyle newborn photography sessions look relaxed and like they are capturing real life is because the subjects are sitting there frozen with a big smile on their faces. A good photographer will get the more traditionally posed images of you all looking at the camera. But they will be a small fraction of your images. For the vast majority of the time, you’ll be interacting with each other. You’ll be looking at the other people in the photograph and ignoring the photographer completely.
Another key component is the appropriate body language. Body language is the only language we have for photographs with no sound. It is the only way to convey love and affection. So if there is a way to touch your significant other than do it. If you have a hand just sitting on your knee, place it on your partner’s elbow. If you can snuggle, do it. It means that your photos will exude love and that’s kind of the point, isn’t it?
Step #4 - Be Ready to Declutter when the Photographer Arrives
No one’s house looks perfect when you have a newborn. We all get it. But that isn’t what you want immortalized for all time. So before the photographer arrives, run the vacuum really quickly on the floors. And pick up the things you really don’t need out. Just throw them in the closet. No one is going to take photos of your closet, so just toss it in there. We won’t know different.
When the photographer arrives, they will walk around your house and pinpoint the photogenic spots. These won’t necessarily be the cleanest spots in your house. They may not even be the best decorated. What we as photographers are looking for is light. And, more specifically, good light. You can’t change light, so we’ll choose the best light and then change all the things we can change. That may mean rearranging furniture and often means decluttering. So be prepared for needing to move some things and decluttering when the photographer shows up.
Step #5 - Relax and Go with Your Newborn’s Flow
Your photographer will be going with the flow, so you should too. As long as you’re working with a skilled newborn photographer, they aren’t going to be phased by a baby that needs to eat or have a diaper change. A baby crying isn’t going to fluster them either. So don’t apologize. Don’t worry about it. Just follow the photographer’s instructions and everything will be fine. Enjoy these moments as much as you can, because your baby will only have a newborn session once in their lives.
Sara Herkes is a maternity, newborn, family, and senior photographer based in Longmont, CO. She serves the the Denver Metro Area, the Colorado Rockies, and the Northern Front Range and captures your pregnancy amidst the Colorado wilderness. Learn more about her services here.
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