You have many important choices to make when you’re expecting a new baby and I hope to put your mind at ease when choosing a newborn photographer. This is such a special time for you. Your body is changing so much as you’re growing and nurturing a new life. It’s truly a miracle and one that should be celebrated daily for all the years to come.
A newborn photography session is the best way to capture the details of your newborn while also capture the way you feel in the early days as a new mother.
What is lifestyle newborn photography?
Lifestyle photography highlights connections and moments of love through gentle direction, without the unnatural and overly posed elements of traditional photography.
This type of photography session focuses on your family interacting with your newborn, as opposed to your newborn alone on a blanket or in a prop. You will also get images of all of your baby’s little details, your baby in their crib and nursery, and other special places that will be fun and memorable for you. The main goal of the session is ultimately to capture beautiful moments of your family’s love for your new baby.
What is posed newborn photography?
Posed newborn photography or traditional newborn photography highlights what your baby looks like. Props are used to get cute pictures of your baby sleeping in different positions and with different colors for variety.
Posed or lifestyle newborn photography, which is right for you?
Think about how you want to remember this time in your life 5, 10, 20 years down the road:
– If your newborn’s details, love for them, and family connections are what you want to remember, then lifestyle newborn photography is definitely for you.
– If you are looking to remember only what your baby looked like, then posed newborn photography is for you.
Should you do your newborn session in your home or a photographer’s studio?
Why have a newborn photography session in your home?
There are several reasons to choose in-home newborn photography over sessions in a studio. Here are my top 5:
1. Your child will love looking back at their images as they grow and seeing the love that filled your home from the day they were born.
2. You just had a baby! Why leave your warm and safe bubble and drive to a generic studio?
3. Your home is unique to you. That means that your session will look different from all the other sessions I’ve ever done.
4. Your home is always changing. You’ll love to look back and see how it has changed over the years.
5. When you pass down your album or prints to the next generations of your family, they will feel what you felt on your journey as a new mom, but they’ll also be fascinated by what the past looked like.
When you should choose a studio for your newborn session?
This option is best for new moms that really want a variety of props included in their pictures. Most traditional posed newborn photographers have studios because props are difficult to transport and setup in-home.
The most important questions to ask your potential newborn photographer before you book your session:
When should you book your newborn photography session?
The earlier you book your newborn photography session, the better. Most photographers can only take a limited number of newborn sessions a month because they are very time intensive.
Because of this, I only take on four newborn sessions a month so I can focus my full attention on those families and give them the very best experience. I typically book sessions about 2-3 month in advance but I do have openings occasionally for last-minute sessions because babies don’t always make a timely arrival and it leaves me with a little extra time. Please don’t hesitate to contact me to see if I still have availability.
How old should your newborn be for your photography session?
While posed newborn photographers need to photograph babies in the first 10 days of life, which is tough on new moms, I prefer newborns between 1 and 3 weeks old. During this time, they are still tiny and sleepy but are starting to become more alert. By 3 weeks, they are more likely to open their eyes and interact with the camera, which are usually the most cherished images by new moms.
What if you missed the newborn photography age window and your baby is a little older?
Babies grow so fast and we are so busy in those months leading up to birth and after. It’s hard to plan things ahead of time. I get it! Posed newborn photographers have a set age that they can photograph babies (up to about 14 days old) because they need them to sleep for the entire session.
Because lifestyle photography is less posed, I can work with babies up to about 2 month old for a newborn session. Even though they are a bit bigger and less settled by then, we can still get incredible images and you will hardly notice your baby is older.
Some of my favorite images have come from older newborn sessions. The image below is of an 8-week-old baby boy whose mom missed the typical newborn photography window. She still wanted to capture newborn images even though he is a little older. This was one of my all-time favorite sessions. She loved this image so much that she put a huge canvas on the wall above his crib and booked me for a full Grow with Me Baby Plan.
Here was her experience working with me:
“Renee is fantastic! She’s a wonderful person to work with and has a passion for baby photography. I can’t thank her enough for the wonderful images she captured of my son. I can’t wait for the next two sessions!” – Marlene C.
Can you include a family heirloom or other important item in your session?
Some newborn photographers are happy to accommodate this and other will not.
I absolutely do! This is your newborn session, and images with your special items will mean even more to you. I’d love to plan creative ways to include your special items into your session.
What does a full newborn photography session look like?
This is a really important question to ask your potential newborn photographer so you can get a feel for their style and what you can expect from your session. Many newer photographers, and even some that have been in business for years, do not produce consistent work so viewing a few full sessions will help you decide if they are the right fit for you.
Here are a few things to look out for:
1. Are the baby’s skin tones consistent with skin tones in real life? They should not be tinted purple, red, yellow, overly orange…you get the idea.
2. Are the skin tones consistent throughout the session? You don’t want to try to pair images for a wall gallery and realize that the skin tones are different colors.
3. Are the images well exposed (not too light or dark)?
4. Has the photographer taken the time to edit out blemishes and baby acne?
5. How do the moms look? Has the photographer used flattering angles and light to make her look her best?
Here is the video of a full newborn photography session I recently delivered to a family:
(To find out more about my Kansas City newborn photography sessions here.)
Elizabeth S. from the video above wrote to me:
“I have never in my life had photos done that capture everything I have ever wished for. Renee…I am so overwhelmed with gratitude and love. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
What if your baby has to spend time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)?
While it is very unlikely that this will happen, it’s a concern I’ve heard enough to mention it. I can’t speak to how other newborn photographers handle this, but I offer NICU Fighter Sessions to my families that have to go through this (at no cost, of course). And rest assured that you’ll have a spot on my calendar for your session after your baby arrives home.
I’m the mom of a NICU graduate, so I can also help you with resources and support for this extremely overwhelming time.
What types of final products do they offer?
This is really important in that you want to make sure they offer products that you’re proud to display in your home. I know you don’t want to display low-quality artwork or products because I wouldn’t either.
Why print your images and create heirlooms?
Babies are so special and change so much in the hearts of the one’s that love them. They deserve to be celebrated daily.
They deserve more than a folder on your phone, computer or Facebook.
They deserve to be displayed everyday as beautiful art on your coffee table, on your favorite bookshelf, in your nursery, and on your walls.
Being reminded daily of this incredible love you have for your baby, who’s growing way too quickly, is something you will truly cherish.
What happens if technology changes or files get corrupted and we lose our digital images? Printing your images is truly the only way to keep them safe and in your family.
Where do you want your images to live? Lambs & Lullabies Photography premium product lineup:
The Image Box: It’s hand-made from glass and trimmed in either antique or rose gold and filled with prints from your session. It is absolutely unique and adds style and elegance to your home. Because it’s made of glass, you’ll be drawn to opening it and looking through your baby’s first images. Remembering exactly how you felt when they were taken and reminiscing on how quickly they have grown.
The Wall Art: The framed wall art galleries I offer are gorgeous and of impeccable quality, but what’s most important is that your favorite images are displayed in your home. Images that you can see daily that remind you of how your newborn felt in your arms and the love of those early days of parenthood. So you can see how much they’ve grown and remember what is most important in life.
The Heirloom Album: Handmade in Italy, this is the ultimate keepsake to pass on to your children and their children. Your album can fit your entire newborn story so you can always look back on it, and it is also rated to last 100+ years so you can pass it on as your family legacy. Imagine snuggling up with your baby when they’ve grown into a child and paging through their album, telling them about the day they were born, showing them the love you had for them from the very beginning.
(You can find an Heirloom Album I designed for a twin newborn photography session here.)
Why should you choose me as your newborn photographer?
All I can say is that I put my heart and soul into every newborn session that I do. I aim for providing the very best images and experience to each of my families. They are never just a number or part of an assembly line of images to get done. Each family I photograph is truly special to me.
A mom from a recent session sent me a message that I think sums up want I do better than I could ever put into words:
“Renee, I was just looking through all the pictures again. You are REALLY an amazing photographer. You truly capture people’s spirit. I will treasure these pictures.” – Tracy M.
I feel that is the difference between what I do and what other photographers do: “capture people’s spirit.” I want to capture so much more than just a pretty picture and make sure I capture the unique character of each baby and each family. Each is so different and I put all my energy at a session into capturing just that.
I’d love to work with you! Find more details about my Kansas City newborn photography sessions here.
How do we set a date for your newborn session?
I know that very few babies (only about 5%) are born on their due date. That is why we book a session date based on your due date and revise it if we need to after you give birth. I just ask that you contact me in the first couple days after your little one arrives so we can confirm your date. If you are having a scheduled induction or c-section, then we’ll have the date set ahead of time.
Wondering if I still have availability for your due date? You can contact me to check right here.
What does the newborn photography experience look like:
1. We plan your session by phone
2. I come to your home for your 2-hour newborn session
3. Two weeks later, I return to your home for the big reveal! and premium ordering session
4. I deliver the final products to your home
How do we plan your newborn photography session?
We will spend some time on the phone talking through the details of exactly what you are looking for so I make the very best images for you and your family. We’ll come up with a general plan for the session flow and I’ll make sure all of your questions are answered and your mind is at ease.
That’s not the end of the planning, though. You’re welcome to message or call me any time with questions.
How should you prepare your home for a lifestyle newborn photography session?
You don’t have to do much to prepare for a lifestyle newborn session. You have enough going on, so I only ask that you clear a couple of rooms of clutter and only have in there what you want included in your images.
I love using baby’s nursery, your bedroom and the living room area for variety but I can make a session work with just one room, if necessary. You’re going to have your hands full with a new baby and lack of sleep so I don’t want you to put too much effort into this. Plus, your children will love to look back on the images in their house and see how it was.
What happens during your newborn photography session?
I’ll make sure to pay special attention to your other children when I arrive to get them comfortable with me before I bring out my camera. Then, I’ll have you take me on a tour of your home so I can map out the best light and decide where to start. After that, we’ll get started with the session.
I can typically tell when your other children are ready to get involved so that is my priority in the beginning. Once we get some great sibling and family images, I’ll work with the baby alone and with each parent separately. I’ll bring the baby’s siblings back in later if they are in the mood for a different look and candid images with the baby.
I like to get a lot of variety in my photography sessions so I’ll continue photographing until we feel done and I’ve photographed everything you’ve said is important to you. A newborn session typically lasts between 1.5 and 2 hours.
Before I head out, we’ll schedule your premium ordering appointment for 2 weeks after your session so you’ll know exactly when you’ll get to see your final images!
What happens after your session?
After your session, I’ll cull the very best images from your session and polish them to print-worthy perfection. I’ll then send them off to be printed on fine-art, luscious watercolor paper so I can bring physical prints to your ordering appointment for you to choose from. Seeing your images in print and feeling them in your hands is truly magical!
What happens at your premium ordering appointment?
This is the very best part! I’ll come back to your home two weeks after your photography session for the big reveal! I’ll present your images as a beautiful slideshow set to music and let you go through your prints to pick your favorites images. This is when you will pick your package and the images you want as part of your wall art, album and image box and your final order will be placed.
A little bit about me: Why I made the switch from posed to lifestyle newborn photography:
I’m going to get a bit personal here so please bear with me. When my youngest son Jacob was born in 2016, everything seemed fine until he started having seizures as we were leaving the hospital. We didn’t know it yet, but he had a stroke at birth and had a significant brain bleed. As he fought for his life in the NICU, I realized just how fragile life is. How this microscopic defect in the wall of one vein in his brain almost took him from us.
The fact that he survived is a miracle and everyday he continues to amaze us as he hits milestones we never thought he would.
Prior to giving birth to him, I had been a posed newborn photographer for 5 years. Babies perfectly posed on blankets or in props. Parents only occasionally being photographed with their newborns. As I was stuffing my own baby into a bucket, attached to an apnea monitor, trying to get the perfect image of him, I realized that all I wanted was a photo with him. A natural image of the two of us connecting so I could remember what it felt like to snuggle him after all our time apart. I never got this and it breaks my heart.
Now, I want every mom to have images with her newborn that she will see displayed in her home and remember exactly what those early days felt like. The snuggles, the love she feels, the newborn details that disappear so fast, the support of her husband, the brothers and sisters enamored with their new sibling and all the love this new family has for each other. These are the details that really matter in life and what I want to capture for you.
The type of feedback I received after I made the switch to lifestyle newborn photography was better than I could have imagined. The families I’ve served have never been happier with their images.
“Renee has been amazing to work with. She is so personable, sweet and obviously has the patience of a saint. She took the time to get some great photos and has gone above and beyond to make sure we loved everything. I highly recommend her!!” – Tania M.
That is how I want every new mom to feel after a session with me. When she looks at her images and can physically remember how her newborn felt snuggled up in her arms before they could never quite fit the same way. Or their sweet newborn smell that was gone too fast.
I know how fast it all goes because I have 2 of my own. When you see the images on your walls or while flipping through the pages of your album with your child in your lap, you will remember their tiny details and your love for them so vividly.
I would love to work with you and your family in creating beautiful imagery of your new baby and I would be truly honored to be your newborn photographer.
Connect with me today in the form below with any questions you have or to check my availability.
For even more information about my newborn photography sessions, you can find my newborn photography session information page here.