What to Expect at a Newborn Session In Your Home
I love photographing newborns in the most authentic way, which is at home. This is the place where family roots are planted and it is the most meaningful location for this special type of photo session. I’m happy to provide two options for newborn photos: a full two hour newborn session, which is ideal for capturing a large variety of poses but also allowing extra time for baby to take a break and nurse if necessary. The second option works well for my budget conscious clients, which is a mini newborn session. The mini newborn session is 40 minutes and will typically only allow one or two poses, with baby swaddled in a blanket, and includes a few family portraits.
During an at home newborn session, I will photograph baby in his or her nursery as well as your living room or bedroom – whichever is most suitable for lighting and the parent’s personal preference. If there are other members of the family present, excellent! Let’s make sure we secure 10-15 minutes with siblings, family pets and each parent. Prior to your session we will talk about your desired color scheme so that I can coordinate which props to bring with me. I always try my best to come close to your nursery theme in my newborn styling, but when in doubt, neutrals are always a classic choice.
After your newborn session, I will carefully cull and edit the best images and deliver them through a password protected online gallery to your email address. This process takes anywhere from one to two weeks on average, unless otherwise specified. I love delivering my photos in this way because the gallery acts as the central hub and it is very easy to navigate. Clients can not only view and download their images, but also order professional prints, birth announcements, thank you cards and many other photo products that conveniently get shipped directly to the client. In my opinion, the simpler the process, the better, especially for busy families who don’t have extra time to go travel to a brick and mortar to have photos printed.
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions for parents planning a newborn session:
1. How do I prepare my home for a newborn session? Does the house need to be spotless?
Rest assured mama, you do NOT need to clean every inch of your house for me to photograph your newborn. All I really need is a couple areas free of clutter and I don’t even pay attention to the rest of the house, though I’m sure it’s lovely. Most predictably I will photograph your baby in his/her nursery or on your bed, and take family pictures in the living room. You’re a new mom – you’re not responsible for entertaining or cleaning right now, especially as your body heals. If there’s anything truly in the way, I can move it myself as I set up my gear. So, please don’t stress over cleaning.
2. My house is modest – I don’t know if it will look good in photos. How do you handle that?
Trust me when I say it is absolutely my job to make sure your house looks good in photos. As I mentioned above, I’ll only really use a couple of small areas in the home to take newborn photos in, but with proper exposures and creative compositions, it won’t matter whether you live in a tiny home or a mansion. The focus of my newborn photos is on the baby and immediate family. Most pictures will be closeup anyways so the house style is irrelevant. I might want to position you near a window if the lighting is soft and ideal, but I always bring my own lighting equipment just in case its needed.
3. What are your COVID policies when photographing in home newborn sessions?
Prior to every single photoshoot I contact the parent and confirm there are no symptoms of illness and I have all families sign a portrait contract and COVID waiver. When I arrive on site, I will be wearing a mask (sometimes two), and I keep hand sanitizer on me at all times. I will setup all of my props, then sanitize my hands anytime I handle the baby. All props are carefully chosen before the session, and I only photograph one in home session per day. After the newborn photoshoot I disinfect all of my baskets/props with natural cleaning products (I made the switch to a safer cleaning agent that is EPA approved to kill coronaviruses), and all fabrics get washed and stored in plastic bins. The safety of your newborn is of my utmost concern, so if I am not feeling well, or anyone in my household is unwell I will notify you to reschedule. Upon written request I can arrange to have a rapid test before photographing your at home newborn session.
4. How far do you travel for newborn sessions?
I’m based in Westerly, RI and comfortably travel within an hour’s drive for newborn sessions. For locations further than an hour drive I charge a travel fee of $0.59 per mile to and from the home to Westerly. Most of my newborn clients live in the surrounding counties: Washington county, Kent county, Providence county, New London county, and Middlesex county.
5. This sounds great, how do I book a session?
Please visit my website www.bellafotostudios.net and click on the CONTACT tab to start planning your session. I will email you all the tips to help to get a happy and sleepy baby, what to wear, and answer any questions you may have. Newborn sessions are best scheduled when baby is around a week old, after the belly button has healed. If your child has had an extended hospital stay and is older it is still possible to get excellent newborn photos. I will walk you through the steps of planning a wonderful newborn session.
