I love love love photographing brand new babies in their home. It can be an overwhelming time for parents, but it is my job to put you at ease. I get the same questions from most new parents about how to prepare and what to expect from the session. Hopefully this will help!

I like to photograph newborns within their first two weeks to get that absolute newborn time, which passes so quickly. But I will happily photograph older babies! The entire first year flies by, and anytime that works for you is great. Most parents to be will advise me of their due date so I can put a general time frame on my calendar. Then, when baby arrives, we will schedule the session.

New parents worry that their house isn’t right for in home photos. That there isn’t enough light, or it’s too messy, or the walls are a weird color, or the nursery isn’t finished. All I need is one window! I most often find a window in a bedroom that works great. We use the bed, the floor, a chair, whatever is near the window, and that is it. If we need to clear some clutter from a bedside table, we can do that. If we need to put a white blanket on the floor or the bed, we do that. Seattle houses are dark! Yet I have never found a house that didn’t have at least one window that provided beautiful light.

What should we wear? I’d say 90% of the people I photograph ask me this! My answer is always, whatever you feel comfortable wearing and makes you feel good! For babies, this is either a simple onesie, or a simple diaper! For parents, something loose, neutral, natural. You are in your home. You should be yourself!

I like to schedule the sessions mid-morning. Most babies seem to be pretty settled around 10am. If your baby is on a different schedule, we can adjust. If baby had a rough night the night before the shoot, we can push the time back a bit. This session is all about your baby and your family and what works best in your lives. The sessions take 1 - 2 hours. I take my time to get all of the photos we want, and to get them just right, but I don’t push it much past 2 hours. I know you all are tired! We also take plenty of breaks for diaper changes, feeding, burping, and whatever else your baby needs. But more on that next week!

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about my newborn sessions!

I met Amy in my indoor cycle class years ago. She didn’t tell me she was pregnant, but at some point I could see, week by week, that her belly was growing. When we finally talked about it, I was so excited for her, and so impressed that she kept coming to cycle class! And she kept coming until the week before her baby was born. Women’s bodies are amazing!

One day a few weeks before the baby was born, I asked Amy if she would be interested in having me photograph her newborn. I decided earlier this year I really wanted to build the newborn side of my business. I was so busy in the fall and loving every minute of it! I didn’t want the busyness to end. And I love babies so much! But they are very different to photograph than seniors and families. It takes lots of practice! She was gracious enough to say yes, and then to pass my name on to other moms in her PEPS group.

Here are a handful of photos from Amy’s session.