How to Make Your Home Look Its Best For Your Newborn Photo Session

Cary Newborn Photography | In Home Lifestyle Photographer

One of the best things about having your newborn photo session at your home is simply that - it’s at your home! No stressing about arriving at your appointment on time with your newborn baby in tow, and no worries that you won’t have everything you need at an arm’s reach.

And what’s more, preparing your home for your newborn’s photography session is super easy and can be done in almost no time at all.

As an added stress reliever, here are my top tips for helping your home look its best during your newborn photo session.

Pick up clutter in key areas. For newborn sessions, this likely means your baby’s nursery, your bedroom, and possibly the main living room. Trust me, there’s no need to clean your entire house from top to bottom, and if there is any room you’d prefer we not use, we absolutely won’t, so feel free to hide any clutter in the spare room!
Please let me assure you, I am there to capture the beauty in this newborn stage of your baby’s life, and if I see something you may not want in your photos (for example, a stray glass of water or diaper bag in the corner), I’ll let you know and ask for permission to move it. We have the same goals - for this to be easy, and for you to have gorgeous photos of your newborn baby.
Open your blinds. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that natural light makes everything more lovely. If you have time before I arrive, please feel free to go ahead and open all the blinds in the rooms we’ll be using, and turn off any overhead lights and lamps.
Raise the temperature. This doesn’t have anything to do with the way your home will look (obviously!), but raising the thermostat a few degrees higher than you’d normally choose to have it 1-2 hours before I arrive will help your baby feel more comfortable in a diaper or simple onesie. I love to capture baby’s tiny feet, little legs, and the creases already developing on their sweet arms for you, and a warmer room will allow us to do that.
Consider turning on some music. Although music isn’t something that will be seen in your photos, its effect will be! Music will help everyone in your home feel more relaxed throughout your newborn photo shoot and will only enhance your photos.

As a bonus tip, if you have extra time, or you just want to, it’s always a fun idea to add a couple houseplants to place in the rooms we’ll be using for your newborn photos. They can bring extra life and texture to your images, and if you don’t already have a few you could use, you can find them at a local nursery, hardware store, or even grocery store!

A lifestyle newborn photo session at home is not only the most meaningful way to capture this special phase of life, it’s also easiest - and that includes preparing your home.

I’m participating in a blog circle this month with several other incredibly talented photographers, so please check out Okinawa lifestyle newborn photographer, Anna Rasmussen’s session share of a super sweet newborn session at the US Naval Base there. As the wife of a (now) retired Air Force pilot, I can absolutely relate to giving birth to your baby far away from family. It’s such a wonderful gift to have beautiful newborn photos and video - both for yourselves, and to include your loved ones, who wish they could be there.